Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. Nintendo does. This story isn't written to make profit, or even to get attention from girls. It is simply written for entertainment and to keep myself busy. The main characters are mine however (except for professor Oak and some Jenny's and Joy's) and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use it without my approval.

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Chapter 17 – Reservoir Wolfs

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I can't believe it. I can't fucking believe it! FUCK! I mean… I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE IT!!! I got up and went for my pokéballs… which weren't on my belt anymore. Fuck. There I was, surrounded by seven pokéballs and one of them was a Voltorb. Talk about Russian roulette. I can't fucking believe I fell for it. All the time in the power plant I warned Allan not to pick up any stray pokéballs and now that I went out for some training I found a stray pokéball and I picked it up. FUCK! Okay, I was gonna take my chances, after all, the odds were six outta seven it was one of my pokémon so –FUCK. I was thrown back a couple of meters as the Voltorb shocked me again. I went for the nearest pokéball, safe in the knowledge it couldn't be that Voltorb, praying it indeed wasn't, and brought out, phew, Slasher.

"Cut that fucker down to size!"

The Sandshrew looked at the six pokéballs that were spread out in the grass and sniffed the air. He jumped up and clawed at one of them. The Voltorb screeched in pain and I got out my last empty pokéball from the inner pocket of my coat. Slasher kept on fighting the Voltorb and I threw my pokéball. The Voltorb disappeared and the pokéball buzzed for a few seconds and then went silent. I caught a Voltorb but it hurt like hell. Fuck. I can't believe I fell for that camouflage trick. I picked up the rest of my pokéballs and looked for other pokémon to fight and to train mine. After a few hours I decided to call it a day and return to the pokécentre. Just as I was ready to leave the little grassy field I spotted another pokéball lying there. I just went around it in a large bow.

"Hey, aren't you gonna pick that up?"

I looked at the little kid who had a Pikachu in his trail.

"No, don't feel like it."

"Man, you're a sucker, leaving a pokéball like that."

Whatever. He picked up the pokéball with a broad grin and stuffed it in his backpack. Little snot. That's it, somebody up there hates me big time. I mean, I let a Zapdos out for no apparent reason and the gods don't even thank me, no they electrocute my ass. If only something, just anything, could happen to cheer me up.

"Hey, there's another one he-AAARGH"

Heh heh heh.

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"So, you're leaving again?"

I nodded as I packed the stuff I had bought.

"Yep, my bike's still at Lavender and now that the power's restored I can return. So Allan, I guess this is goodbye. And I hate to admit it, but I had fun hanging with you. So maybe I'll see you sooner or later."

Hopefully later than sooner.

"Maybe," he grinned, "I have to say, I had fun as well. Oh, and did you hear? Some kid mistook a Voltorb for a pokéball, can you believe someone would fall for that?"

"Yeah," I scowled, "imagine that. Anyway, I trained my pokémon and fought some trainers, so my finances are healthier again."

"You gonna take the rock tunnel again?"

"Yep, I have some unfinished business there."

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The hiker cracked his knuckles and counted his "winnings". Things weren't going too bad. There weren't too much people who could take on his six pokémon and with the potions he had in stock, he was unbeatable. He grinned as he thought of that guy he shook down for six hundred bucks. A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He turned and a fist met his chin.

"What the…"

"Let's rock." I said.

"You again? What makes you think you can win this time?"

"You remember that Wartortle?"

He slowly nodded. I stepped back and slowly took Blasters pokéball. A huge Blastoise materialised before the hiker.

"He got bigger," I grinned.

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When I exited the rock tunnel I was welcomed by the small bald raisin know as Mr. Fuji.

"You did it," he grinned, "well done."

"Why didn't you tell me there was a road from Cerulean leading to the power plant?"

"The rock tunnel is faster." He said.

"Not when you have a motorcycle like I have."

"Oh, is that yours?"

"Dude, I don't fucking need this, you know? I have better things to do."

"Better things than saving a city?"

"It was restoring the electricity of a small town and yes, much better things."

I suddenly noticed the activity near the tower and a lot of blue cars.

"What the fuck?"

"Oh, apparently it was a ploy of a band called the Dark Squad to catch a bunch of ghost pokémon, but thanks to…"

"Yeah, whatever," I simply stated, "I don't have time for this."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Suddenly I felt very tired, as if the weight of the world was on my shoulders. Beating the crap out of that hiker had been fun, especially getting my money back, but I really didn't care about that shit. All I wanted to do was to find out who I was and not save the world of criminal organisations. I mean, fuck them, let the cops handle it. I had better things to do.

"So I guess you want to try to catch a ghost pokémon now, don't you?" Fuji grinned.

I stared at him. He started to fidget his hands nervously?

"Well… don't you?"

"Did I try to get one when the place was crawling with them?"

"Uhm, but… but then you were trying to safe us, right?"

"If I wanted one, I would have gotten one then, but no, I don't want one at the moment, maybe later, I don't know. We'll see."

"You… you don't?"

I shook my head and strolled to my bike.

"Just fuck off, okay?"

I got on my bike and started it.

"Hey, you're the one that secured the power plant?"

I looked up and saw the officer Jenny of Saffron coming over.

"That's me, yes."

"Wow, you must be a hero."

Was it my imagination or was there some discontent in her voice?

"Not by choice, believe me. If you'll excuse me, I have to go to Saffron to get some Growlithes for your niece."

I rode off and left a baffled Fuji and a pensive looking Jenny.

"From what I've read," she mused, "he's going back to his old self. Better warn Susan."

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I rode past Saffron without giving it much thought. I just didn't feel like stopping and wasting time around people. Fuji had pissed me off, thinking I wanted one of those ghost pokémons. Well, yeah, I wanted one of those ghost pokémons but I didn't want to capture it. Fuck, I went through a lot of trouble to get the power back on, the least they could do was say thanks, and they didn't even do that. Well, actually the least they could have done was nothing which was preciously what they had did. I go and stop a plan of the Dark Squad and I get squat. No, wait, I had the chance to go and catch a ghost pokémon! Woohoo!

"Goddamn stupid bald old geezer, thinks everyone is as obsessed about pokémon as he is, probably thinks I get off on pokémon…"

I suddenly stopped as my mind wandered back to Mr. Fuji and the stuff I had seen in one of his closets. What was in it? There were potions, books and videota-. Nah, it couldn't be, he wouldn't be THAT sick. For my own sanity I decided not to think about it anymore and parked my bike just outside Saffron and ventured forth into the small woods on the road to Celadon. I hoped I would find some Growlithes fast so I had a decent excuse to see Susan again.

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I absolutely had no idea, but I'm pretty good at climbing trees. I mean, I think I am, since I'm in one right now, but don't ask me how I got here. I only remember those five Growlithes in front of me, growling and snarling and they suddenly leaping forward. Next thing I know, there's a blur of passing trees and I'm up here looking for balance on some branches. And those mutts are down there, not really eager to go anywhere else soon. Why do these things keep on happening to me? Is there somebody there that hates me? I try to reach for one of my pokéballs but a cracking sound makes me grab the branch again. I don't know if that sound was a good or a bad sound but cracking can't be good. Besides, I couldn't really check which pokémon I was going to take and I couldn't throw it down between the Growlithes. Or maybe I could… my memory raced to recollect what pokémon I had with me. There was Blaster, who could definitely kick the living shit out of those pups, Lawrence was also there, and fuck, I forgot to rename him, oh well, who else did I have? King and Queen, who now had evolved into Nidorino and Nidorina thanks to that thug in the tunnels, Shockrat and finally Rocksnake. That meant I had one chance on two to land a heavy hitter, and Lawrence, King and Queen could also kick mayor butt but not against a pack of five Growlithes. I mean, the little fuckers are small, but those teeth. Dude. A sudden noise made them look away and I grabbed one of my pokéballs. I dropped it between them and out came… King? Fuck. The Growlithes started to growl but King just jumped forward and tackled two of them. He turned around and hit a third with his horn. I let go of the branch I was holding and in my descent I grabbed another pokéball. I landed just in front of the two remaining Growlithes who were obviously startled by my sudden appearance. I let out Blaster who shot the two Growlithes with his watercannon. There was nothing left for me to do but to capture them and contact Susan. My first assignment completed. Man I felt good. Things were finally going as I wanted them to.

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As I was going to my bike, a noise made me look up. Oh God, not another pack of Growlithes! No, it was something smaller, and just one. A quick glance on my pokédex showed me I was being attacked by a Vulpix. Well, it was biting in my boot, so I guess it was attacking.

"You're a feisty fellow aren't you?" I grinned.

The Vulpix looked up, yelped, jumped and bit my leg, just above my boot.

"Aargh, you little fucker!"

In a reflex I kicked it away and it fell down a bit further. I expected it to run away, but it just turned to me and growled. I grinned and brought out Lawrence. He jumped up and kicked the Vulpix. A pokéball later, I had a Vulpix. Fuck, I was gonna have to buy more pokéballs.

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Just as I stopped at the pokécentre Susan came outside.

"Ah, Tony, just the man I was looking for."

"Hey Susan, I got your Growlithes."

"Thanks, that's great!" she smiled, somehow seemed a bit at ease, "how many do you have?"

"Five, and they're all yours, I don't need any."

"Five? That's even better than I hoped for. I'll make a few calls and see if my niece in Cerulean doesn't need any. Could you wait here until I make a few calls concerning your pay?"

"As long as it concern my pay," I grinned, "you can do whatever you want."

She smiled and left for the police station. I entered the pokécentre and decided to get a room there since it wasn't necessary anymore to go back to Pewter. I gave my pokémon to be healed and took a quick shower. When I got back at the reception there was a note for me from Susan. She wanted me to meet her at the restaurant at seven. Fine, that gave me another four hours to train.

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I rushed in the restaurant and saw her waving at me. I made may way past various waiters and customers and reached the table. I sat down with a sigh. Susan squinted here eyes.

"Is your hair wet?"

"Uhm yes, I took a shower before I came over."

"Just for me?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Uhm, no, I decided to go training this afternoon and just when I was ready to come over, I got tackled by an Arcanine. And let me tell you, those things are big ass motherfuckers. I don't think my coat is singed but it came damn near close. I could escape by rushing through several bushes and diving into some small pond. That's why I had to take a shower and change. I don't even know how late it is. I hope you haven't been waiting for too long."

"No, I just got here." She said with a hint of a smile.

I glanced at the table. There was an empty glass in front of her. Hmm, either she was lying or a heavy drinker. A quick look at my watch showed me it wasn't the latter. Fuck, seven thirty.

"Sorry I'm late." I tried to apologise.

"That's okay," she reassured me, "let's order and then get down to business."

I took the menu and quickly looked over the selection. When the waiter came, I gave the menu one last glance and ordered. Susan ordered without looking. Ouch.

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"So," Susan broke the silence, "five Growlithes."

I nodded while I took a sip of my glass.

"What do you want for them?"

I had to think about that. Somewhere in my mind I never thought I would actually catch one, so it didn't really come into mind what I should ask.

"Well," I started, "I would definitely need five pokéballs for them, and let's say, a hundred bucks a piece?"

Her eyes narrowed as she thought. Uh oh, not good.

"But…" I tried, "because it's you and we get along really good, how about 75?"

"Fine, seventy five it is, but I need to see them before I take them with me."

"No problem, let's go to the computer and you can see their stats."

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Susan looked at the stats on her clipboard and then at the pups, sitting in front of her.

"They seem to be all good Growlithes," she nodded, "I can't see why you would give them away so cheap."

Fuck.

"Normally, a good growlithe costs about 250 dollars, these are really a bargain."

"Well, I didn't have much trouble catching them," I said, "so that's why…"

"You had no idea about the price did you?"

"No ma'am." I admitted.

"Fine, I can't take advantage of you, so what about hundred fifty for each growlithe, five pokéballs and I send a letter of recommendation to the pokéleague?"

"That's a deal." I nodded and shook her hand.

"Very well, I will leave you now, since you obviously have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

Huh?

"Well, don't you wanna go to Vermillion?"

"Oh yes, yes, of course. Tomorrow I'll go and see if I can find something about my past."

"Well, if you do, let me know, okay?"

"I will, don't worry."

She gathered the Growlithes and left. I stretched my back and went to my room.

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In my bed I red through some brochures of the tourism section about Vermillion. A large city that mostly had it from their harbour. Their connection with the ocean was through a long canal that run under route 17, better known as the biking slopes or something like that. It held a route with Cinnabar island and Johto. Well, that didn't interest me much, I was just curious about the boats that had sailed there the past few weeks. This was it, a chance to discover who I really was. But why didn't I like it?