Chapter 2
The night was cold and bitter. Nurse Joy would attend to Treecko's body, to him it was just an empty shell. Treecko was gone, gone from him forever. It was so saddening, but yet mysterious. Who was this Hyltik? He had never heard a name like that before. Whoever it was, he must find out, for Treecko. He went back to his apartment and opened a phonebook with a loud thump, if there was any better place to start it would be a phonebook. The search there ended quickly, no Hyltiks. Perhaps it was a first name. He quickly picked up the phone and pressed zero.
The week dragged on, still no sign of a Hyltik. He had consulted every phone directory, internet screen name, and Birth record in the world with advanced search engines. Mike was totally exhausted, the search had taken so much of his time. He was now slumped down in a chair in front of his TV. A news show was on. The busty reporter was sitting at a desk in front of the camera with her gray-haired co-anchor while she delivered the news on a recent car accident on some highway or another. How dull he thought. The broadcast ended and the camera panned around the news room, full with computer screens and people walking around. His eyes narrowed on a figure huddled in the corner, shadows covering its back. It was a pokémon! How intriguing, he was not aware they employed pokémon on the news staff. Stranger still he had never heard of a pokémon that could type. Then again until Treecko's death he had never of a pokémon that could talk either. He decided to check it out. Maybe Treecko wasn't the only one that could talk. He had searched the world for Hyltik but had only searched through human channels. He had never even considered the possibility that a pokémon may know Hyltik as a nickname for a person, or even, possibly the name of another pokémon. Leaping into his car he made directly for the TV station. He just arrived in time to see the Nidorina he had seen in the newsroom pushing a rolling suitcase towards a car. A voice called from the car "Thanks Nidorina" said the voice as an arm reached out, grabbed the suitcase and lifted it into the car. A man climbed out. He was thin and gangly, about five feet tall with messy brown hair and glasses. "Oh, hello," he said to Mike as Mike approached, "how can I help you?"
"Uh, hello...um just an inquisitive kind of guy but do you know anyone named Hyltik?" Mike asked on the offhand chance he might know something. If anything, he could always ask the Nidorina but most people would think him weird to start off like that.
The man looked puzzled but his Nidorina stared at him intently, as if also waiting for a response. "No, I don't think so. No one by that name works here. Are you sure you are looking in the right place?" The Nidorina's expression showed it all, he was in the right place but he just wasn't talking to the right person. Her expression was tight, lips pursed as if holding something in. There was an odd silence, finally, the man broke it "So? Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No, um, yes, there is...uh...um I...noticed that you left your computer on inside in the newsroom...heh, at he end of the broadcast." Mike laughed nervously.
The man looked quizzical and turned to his Nidorina, who must have caught on because she nodded immediately and innocently. "Just a sec..." said the man as he dashed inside.
As soon as the door shut the Nidorina blurted it out "How did you find out? I mean, about Hyltik?"
Mike looked glum "I was told to go find him...by a friend before he died, I've kind of made it my quest to fill out that request."
The Nidorina nodded "That's sad, well, if you really want to find him go catch a subway train, and make sure you wear a cheesy disguise, that's the signal, a pair of fake glasses and a mustache should do as long as it is super obvious. Then board the train and stay put on the train until the last stop is called. When everyone else gets off, you stay on, got it?"
Mike nodded and the man appeared in the door of the TV station heading back to his car looking somewhat angry. "My computer WAS off! Thanks a lot for making me late buster!" He hurried Nidorina into the car, slammed the door and sped off, tires squealing. The car disappeared around the bend and Mike felt good for the first time in a week.
Just over the hillside a pair of figures dressed in black were huddled behind a rock, the first had a pair of binoculars and was using them to look down upon the unfolding scene. The second had a walkie talkie at his belt. The first figure yanked the walkie talkie off and ripped open the antenna "This is jingle bell to worm hole, our suspicions were correct and the lip sync has it confirmed, we are awaiting orders" at this there was a short silence, then the figure spoke again "Yes, we'll round him up immediately."
The night was cold and bitter. Nurse Joy would attend to Treecko's body, to him it was just an empty shell. Treecko was gone, gone from him forever. It was so saddening, but yet mysterious. Who was this Hyltik? He had never heard a name like that before. Whoever it was, he must find out, for Treecko. He went back to his apartment and opened a phonebook with a loud thump, if there was any better place to start it would be a phonebook. The search there ended quickly, no Hyltiks. Perhaps it was a first name. He quickly picked up the phone and pressed zero.
The week dragged on, still no sign of a Hyltik. He had consulted every phone directory, internet screen name, and Birth record in the world with advanced search engines. Mike was totally exhausted, the search had taken so much of his time. He was now slumped down in a chair in front of his TV. A news show was on. The busty reporter was sitting at a desk in front of the camera with her gray-haired co-anchor while she delivered the news on a recent car accident on some highway or another. How dull he thought. The broadcast ended and the camera panned around the news room, full with computer screens and people walking around. His eyes narrowed on a figure huddled in the corner, shadows covering its back. It was a pokémon! How intriguing, he was not aware they employed pokémon on the news staff. Stranger still he had never heard of a pokémon that could type. Then again until Treecko's death he had never of a pokémon that could talk either. He decided to check it out. Maybe Treecko wasn't the only one that could talk. He had searched the world for Hyltik but had only searched through human channels. He had never even considered the possibility that a pokémon may know Hyltik as a nickname for a person, or even, possibly the name of another pokémon. Leaping into his car he made directly for the TV station. He just arrived in time to see the Nidorina he had seen in the newsroom pushing a rolling suitcase towards a car. A voice called from the car "Thanks Nidorina" said the voice as an arm reached out, grabbed the suitcase and lifted it into the car. A man climbed out. He was thin and gangly, about five feet tall with messy brown hair and glasses. "Oh, hello," he said to Mike as Mike approached, "how can I help you?"
"Uh, hello...um just an inquisitive kind of guy but do you know anyone named Hyltik?" Mike asked on the offhand chance he might know something. If anything, he could always ask the Nidorina but most people would think him weird to start off like that.
The man looked puzzled but his Nidorina stared at him intently, as if also waiting for a response. "No, I don't think so. No one by that name works here. Are you sure you are looking in the right place?" The Nidorina's expression showed it all, he was in the right place but he just wasn't talking to the right person. Her expression was tight, lips pursed as if holding something in. There was an odd silence, finally, the man broke it "So? Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No, um, yes, there is...uh...um I...noticed that you left your computer on inside in the newsroom...heh, at he end of the broadcast." Mike laughed nervously.
The man looked quizzical and turned to his Nidorina, who must have caught on because she nodded immediately and innocently. "Just a sec..." said the man as he dashed inside.
As soon as the door shut the Nidorina blurted it out "How did you find out? I mean, about Hyltik?"
Mike looked glum "I was told to go find him...by a friend before he died, I've kind of made it my quest to fill out that request."
The Nidorina nodded "That's sad, well, if you really want to find him go catch a subway train, and make sure you wear a cheesy disguise, that's the signal, a pair of fake glasses and a mustache should do as long as it is super obvious. Then board the train and stay put on the train until the last stop is called. When everyone else gets off, you stay on, got it?"
Mike nodded and the man appeared in the door of the TV station heading back to his car looking somewhat angry. "My computer WAS off! Thanks a lot for making me late buster!" He hurried Nidorina into the car, slammed the door and sped off, tires squealing. The car disappeared around the bend and Mike felt good for the first time in a week.
Just over the hillside a pair of figures dressed in black were huddled behind a rock, the first had a pair of binoculars and was using them to look down upon the unfolding scene. The second had a walkie talkie at his belt. The first figure yanked the walkie talkie off and ripped open the antenna "This is jingle bell to worm hole, our suspicions were correct and the lip sync has it confirmed, we are awaiting orders" at this there was a short silence, then the figure spoke again "Yes, we'll round him up immediately."