Chapter 3: Complications

They were walking together side by side on the sandy road walking towards the town of Psy Ville; Ryan had just apologized to the prof.

"See," Sarah had a smile on her face, "I told you it wouldn't be hard."

"It could've gone better though..." Ryan cocked an eyebrow, "Sarah, do you happen to know something about the cool vocab.?!"

She chuckled "Well, he needed to know what expressions we use, so..."

"You played...you toyed with him Sarah!"

Her chuckle turned into a laugh, "Well, sorry I couldn't hold myself, I'll tell him the truth tomorrow."

He sighed, "I shouldn't linger a lot about the past, the prof. was right."

"Yeah, he was," Sarah agreed, "you have a bright future don't let a decision you made four years ago restrain you from going forward."

He nodded his appreciation for her advice, she spoke the truth, he smiled 'you always know what to say, Sarah' he thought for himself, they now approached the town, they got in then took a right for the diner, the diner was a trailer painted brown, and it had a neon sign at the top spelling: "Bob's" he pushed the door and allowed Sarah in first, at the diner everyone's eyes were fixed on something they couldn't see.

"Good evening, Bob" they greeted, the shop owner, shocked from his trance, looked towards them and smiled. "Evening! What can I get you?" Bob returned to his cheerful old self.

"I'll take a grilled cheese sandwich and two smoothies." Ryan inquired.

"Gotcha." Bob screamed those orders to the cook. Ryan watched the small TV screen showing a bunch of scientists sipping glasses of water.

"Bob, what are you watching?" Ryan looked around, "what is every one watching?" he rephrased.

"Well," Bob started "it's a Pokemon's debate in Metropolis, did the domestication of Pokemon affect its habits, didn't you know about that?!" he seemed extremely surprised seeing that Ryan was keen on these things.

"Oh, yeah!" Ryan remembered the event "Pokemon Monthly said something about the debate, I remember now."

"Hey Ryan look!" Sarah pointed to the screen. Into the screen he saw a young woman of her early twenties, her red curly hair cascaded to her backbone. Her bright smile was shown as she talked to one of her colleagues, and her blue eyes were blazing with excitement; Ryan knew her, "Hey, it's Nicole!" Nicole left about midnight yesterday, he was fast asleep when she left, he wanted to see her to the train, but she refused saying, "sleep now, and I'll see you after tomorrow." Well, he didn't need the refusal to know she didn't need him, apparently her boyfriend saw her off, while her father was, well, for all intents 'chaperoning'.

The camera shifted on to a man in his middle fifties, his hair was black, with some whit hair on the back and on top of his head, he was wearing a white lab coat, and his hand were a fist near his mouth as he cleared his throat, Ryan knew him very well, he was the acclaimed Pokemon scientist Professor Oak.

Ryan looked skeptical, "what's he doing there?" The professor approached the microphone ready to begin the debate.

Giant trees rose to the air, their green leaves and thick branches only allowing little light to come through, through the dim light, water dews were dripping from the grass, the air was fresh, some trees have been cut down, Zepher and his accomplices were taking a break in the Dark Forest, Zepher was sitting on a tree trunk, he was holding a bottle which contained wine in his hands, his eyes were out of focus as his mind was focused on something else.

"Sub-commander Zepher." One of the grunts saluted, this took Zepher out of his thoughts, he closed his eyes and then opened them, "yes, private?"

"Permission to speak, sir." Zepher nodded aimlessly and took a sip from the wine.

"Why did we get off the train station, separated our forces and strayed off the main road, sir." Apparently the grunt wasn't taught how to express a question and relayed everything like a robot.

"Well, private, if we get there all at the same time the townspeople will be suspicious, they might call the regional police putting us in danger, if we get out in groups same thing will happen, we'll wear normal, civilian outfits until we're done, don't forget that special missions acquires shape, fitness, size, and durability, we need a strategy if we're going to destroy that town. Straying off is to spread our force around the town. Do you understand now private?" Zepher took another sip of wine.

"Yes, sir." He grunted; and then went to leave. Zepher then saw two officers squabbling over something he couldn't hear; he approached them and said, "Do you have a problem?"

"Well..." one of them started. Zepher raised his hand in a gesture for them to stop.

"If you have a problem solve it through battle, that's the Black Caper's way." They both smiled and reached for their poke balls.

"Gash," Zepher shouted, "You'll referee the match." Gash nodded. The two battlers stood at a distance from each other.

Gash said, "Neil, Raiden start!"

"Go!" Neil threw the red and white poke ball, and a white ball energy materialized in a black-furred, four pawed Pokemon, which had metallic bracelets on his four paws and on his skull.

"Go!" Raiden threw a similar silver-white ultra ball, the white energy materialized into a purple-furred Pokemon of the exact same description.

"They both have a Houndour," Gash said, amused, "Begin!" he shouted.

"Luke, Tackle now!" Neil ordered, the Houndour ran towards his opponent ready to ram it.

"Sassy, dodge!" Raiden instructed. Sassy ran to the far right; due to Luke's high speed he missed the attack, he turned on his side to break his run, then he turned his head and growled with a high voice which made Sassy lower her guard futilely trying to shut her ears from the noise.

"Ember!" Neil said excitedly, smelling victory. Luke let a ball of fire approaching Sassy hitting the ground she stands on; Raiden began to sweat, his eyes fixed on the burnt area as smoke dispersed slowly, the figure of a Pokemon was shown, after the area cleared, a purple Houndour stood just meters away from the scorched area; Raiden smiled, "Sassy, you did it!" Sassy barked its appreciation, Raiden pointed towards Luke, "now, let's finish this."

Zepher was approached by one of his gangsters, "Sir isn't this compromising our mission?"

"Let them do it, private, after all it's good exercise." Zepher said, smiling. The two Houndours were eyeing each other running circles around each other, ready for another round.