Chapter 12: For Now, Don't Look Back
At the same time that Alexander was engaging in his battle down in The Under... Wes and Rui were debating their next course of action.
Emphasis on the word "debate."
It's not that Wes really meant to get snippy with Rui, not by a long shot. If he were in a better state of mind, he'd beat himself silly for even thinking of being mean to her. But as things were... he couldn't help himself. Really.
Their little conversation went something like this...
"So where do you think we should go first, Wes?" Rui asked eagerly, as the two quit their playful antics and began to walk seriously again.
No answer.
Surprised, Rui cocked her head to try and meet Wes's eyes, but was unsuccessful. The teen had his arms crossed over his chest, and his head was down in contemplation, as if he was thinking very hard about something. His spiky, sand-colored hair shadowed his face enough so that she could not see the expression upon it. She frowned, slightly hurt by his silence. But she shook her head. No. That was silly. He probably didn't hear her, that's all.
"Um... Wes?" she tried again. "Where should we go first?"
Whatever trance he'd been in for the moment was snapped by her second, more insistent question, and Wes's head shot up. Rui saw him frown slightly, and then shrug his shoulders carelessly, almost as if he still hadn't really heard her. "I don't know... you decide," he replied, with a harshness to his voice that she had never heard him use towards her.
Rui froze momentarily, wondering what had brought on this sudden change in her friend. Just a moment ago they had been just fine, but now... it was as if Wes was second thinking something; something that brought a darker emotion to the surface that Rui had never seen before. She hesitantly closed her eyes, and focused on Wes's psyche just to feel what he was feeling for a moment. Her suspicions were confirmed, as a harsh feeling of pain, of anger, and of guilt filled her mind. The feeling was terrible... she couldn't ever remember feeling so bad in her life... She shook her head again to clear the dark emotions from it, and then looked at Wes again. He had stopped walking, and now was looking over the Duel Square from a distance, grim resolution written across his face. With nothing else being said between them, Rui tried a third time to obtain a meaningful response from her friend.
"Alexander said the Colosseum might have some answers," she offered thoughtfully, a thin quaver within her words betraying how worried she was for Wes. "Do you think we ought to go there?"
At that, Wes finally reacted. And not in the way Rui would have liked, either. He turned to face her, and upon catching his gaze, the breath caught in her throat. The expression written deep within his eyes had gone cold, as if the liquid gold of his irises had abruptly frozen to ice. "Suppose we have to battle in the Colosseum to get answers," he pointed out harshly, startling Rui beyond what words could describe. "What would you have me do with only two dependable Pokémon on my side? Do you really think I can trust Makuhita and Croconaw to carry me through such an important battle?" Something akin to a snarl punctuated his words as he spoke them, for one moment letting Rui see exactly what Wes had been—and perhaps still was—during his time with Team Snagem.
She gulped visibly, feeling a tinge of fear write its way slowly down her spine. Afraid of Wes? Rui never wanted that... Not since the day she had run from Wes in fear upon finding he had been Team Snagem had she ever felt like this. Had they rushed too quickly through this friendship? Was Wes having second thoughts about pledging so much trust to her, so soon?
But... you said we were friends... best friends... Wes...
Her lip trembled slightly, as she struggled to hold her hurt tears back.
But that one gesture brought Wes back from where he had been, back from the person he had been turning back into. His face paled slightly, and he inwardly cursed himself. Dammit, Wes... You hurt her feelings! You scared her... you almost became the thing you wanted to run away from... he thought, his eyes softening. Rui is your one salvation, Wes... Don't drive her away now...
...Not ever...
"Rui..." Wes gently touched her chin upward so she could look at him, trying out a smile just for her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I... Look, this place gets me on edge. I'm just thinking too hard, that's all."
Rui sniffed, and swallowed the hard lump in her throat. "Thinking...?"
"...About..." He paused, and his eyes narrowed once again. "...Never mind. It's not important."
"Wes..."
"It's just about..."
"...Your past." At Wes's surprised look, she added, "Remember my abilities aren't limited to just Pokémon. I see the shadows of your heart, too..."
Wes bit his lip, turning away. Rui glanced down at the tips of her pink boots, feeling helpless to do anything for her friend. She wished she weren't alone in helping Wes... She almost wished Alexander were there to help her out. Surely he would be able to relate with what Wes was going through right now better than she could...
"Rui... Just... forget it. I'm ok," Wes finally said, looking back up at Duel Square. "We can't go to the Colosseum right away, but maybe... maybe we can find some answers at Duel Square. Alexander mentioned that, too. If there's anyone who knows anything, we'll be able to find them from Duel Square. Ok?" With a nod from Rui, he slowly began to walk towards the aforementioned Duel Square, center of social life in Pyrite Town other than the Colosseum itself. After a few moments of hesitation, Rui started after him as well, musing thoughtfully on what this strange change in Wes could mean.
In the short time that Rui had known Wes, she knew the only times he had ever displayed such anger and hatred before was towards the Team Cipher and Snagem thugs they had encountered back in Phenac. Which, she could safely assume, meant that whatever had brought this sudden mood swing on was related somehow to those Team Cipher criminals, Folly and Trudly, that they had just talked to in the jail. Something they had said sparked something sensitive within Wes...
Perhaps... that girl? Kimberly, was it? The Team Snagem direct subordinate that Wes mentioned having a sort of friendship with?
Rui thought about this for a moment. And then, it made sense. Or at least more sense than it had been making.
She realized now that, try as Wes might to escape; he was still—and perhaps always would be—tightly bound to the past he had left behind...
Flashback: Team Snagem Hideout, eight years ago
Hours had passed since the Team Snagem assassination group had returned from Crysala Town; not only just barely evading police on their trail, but also with nothing to show for their efforts that night. The mission had failed. Their target had not been killed as planned, and now police were doggedly on their trail for murdering another individual of the house they had attacked. The entire Echo Canyon base was on alert in case police happened to find their way there.
It came as no surprise then to find that Gonzap was furious. Not only at how his plan had fallen apart, but also at the one person who had botched the whole thing up. The 9-year old prodigy Snagger of Team Snagem, and one of Gonzap's most trusted members... Wesley Harkoven. Better known as just Wes.
It was a bit uncertain just how such a young boy could gain so much respect and stature within Team Snagem... But if one asked the older members of the team, those who had been with it since it was formed, they could tell you that Wes had been taken from his home—wherever that might be—at the very young age of about four years to be a sort of "heir" to the Team Snagem leadership. (It still was a bit hazy on details as to why Wes's family never came looking for him, but considering Gonzap went to kidnap Wes from the home himself, one can easily imagine...) Since then, he had been trained to show complete obedience to Gonzap and the team, a task which the intelligent young Wes learned to do quickly and efficiently. Since he had been forcibly drafted into the ranks, Wes had never failed an objective for his leader.
Until tonight...
Deep within the Team Snagem Hideout, Wes sat crying within the bare, dusty room that was his, nursing the hurts that Gonzap had inflicted upon him in rage only minutes before. Even in the weak moonlight filtering in from a tiny window above him on the wall, clouded and dirty beyond helping, the crimson cuts and streaks across his arms and face were still visible. His tears streaked down his cheeks, mingling with the drying blood already there, and he tried to think, tried to rationalize everything that had happened. But he couldn't. Wes had been the chosen hit man of the group sent to Crysala; he was supposed to have killed the girl whose death could have meant thousands upon thousands of dollars for Team Snagem. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill her. Some subconscious feeling of pity and compassion had stayed his killing hand.
But now... now he was paying the price for his disobedience to his team... his leader, his master...
As Wes's tears slowed, he became suddenly aware of footsteps coming steadily down the hallway outside his door, closer and closer. Listening carefully, Wes could safely deduce that whoever it was, it sure wasn't Gonzap. His steps were much heavier than these were. Besides... whoever it was was wearing heeled boots, like the kind the female members of the team would wear. But who could it be?
The footsteps finally paused outside his door, seeming to hesitate for a hovering moment. Then, the owner of the footsteps opened the door and stepped inside the room to the middle of the floor. The door slid back shut, and Wes squinted in the dark to identify his visitor. It was a young girl of about 11-years of age, with her hands folded before her and her face sad, in a way. She wore a black denim skirt, a black tank top under a red collared vest, and black leather boots—typical wear for Team Snagem's female members. Her reddish-brown hair fell in elegant waves upon her back, and as she slowly looked up, Wes recognized her pretty, pale young face instantly. He went pale, unsure of what to do.
"M-Miss Kimberly," he stammered, leaping to his feet hastily, and making a slight bow. "Hi..."
The girl nodded at his greeting, her face sadly impassive in the dim light of the room. She was not just any Team Snagem member; she was Kimberly Van Kai, Gonzap's direct subordinate, and known as the team's "Valkyrie of the Silent Dawn." Like Wes, she had been kidnapped forcibly from her home—at the tender age of one, if not younger—and raised to complete obedience. Since she, unlike Wes, was far too young to make any real connections to her real family, Team Snagem had become her life and only purpose, a reality she accepted without question. As a direct result of the way she had been brought up, Kimberly had grown almost to the point of emotionless existence; she neither questioned the motives or morality of Gonzap's orders, and would quietly do whatever she was told, from stealing to even killing, without being affected in any way. At least, not that she let on, anyway...
"Wes," she whispered, in her even, submissive tone of voice. "Are... you all right?"
Wes wasn't sure what to say at first. Her question puzzled him; he'd hardly ever spoken to Kimberly before this point in time, why would she care if he was ok or not? And even if he had spoken to her extensively in the past... why would she still care? She was Team Snagem's Valkyrie... the agent of judgment within the ranks of the team, insuring there was no failure or disobedience among its members...
He froze. Hold on. Was she here... to...?
"Oh... I'll be ok..." he replied, trying hard not to sound afraid. That's probably what she's here, for... Gonzap sent her to kill me because he's mad at me! he thought. But wait... If that was the case, wouldn't he have done it himself when he was beating Wes earlier? Now Wes was really confused... "...Is there something you need, Miss Kimberly?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I just wanted... to apologize..."
"For what?"
Kimberly uncertainly lowered her green eyes in response to his question, betraying just how deeply submissive her soul had become during her time with Team Snagem. "For... the mission..." she replied, with little conviction behind her words. "You shouldn't have... been sent. To kill her..."
Wes cocked his head, perplexed as to why Kimberly felt sorry about that. "It's not your fault I was picked to be the hit man," he tried to assure.
"But I'm Team Snagem's Valkyrie!" Kimberly insisted, growing even paler. "I have been trained all my life to perform such things as... assassinations..." At the word, Wes bit his lip to get the mental picture of the girl out of his head... How close he had been to killing her... "I should have gone in your place..."
Wes shook his head. "But it's over now. There's nothing neither of us can do about it," he said. "I failed, and that's all that counts. I wasn't strong enough to kill the target, and I have been punished for my failure..." He indicated the bruises and cuts along his face and arms with a grim smile.
Kimberly merely blinked. "So you say," she stated. "But in ways... in many ways, I envy you, Wes." And with that, she turned to leave.
"Why?" Wes blurted, confused as to what she could possibly mean.
She smiled, very slightly, to herself. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "But for some reason... I seem to like you more than I like myself..."
...From that point on... Kimberly looked out for me... listened to me... showed me the compassionate side of her hidden for so long, but would not die... Wes thought. She's too close to the painful side of my past for comfort... that's why I snapped at Rui. Because like Kimberly... Rui showed me my better side...
Heaving a sigh, Wes shook his head violently to blot out the memory, like he had so many times before. But this time... his sunglasses went flying off from where they had been resting, and they hit poor Rui in the head before clinking to the ground. She yelped in both surprise and pain, and once again Wes cursed himself.
"I'm sorry, Rui..." he apologized, gently patting her head. "You all right?"
Rui felt a little better at Wes's kind gesture, but playfully decided to tease him a little. She pulled a pouting face at him. "That hurt..." she complained, in a joking manner.
"Sorry..." Wes repeated, smiling a little at her attempt to cheer him up.
Rui grinned back at him, and bent to retrieve his shades on the ground for him. She inspected them for a moment to insure they were ok, before placing them back on Wes's head where they belonged. "Yes, I'm all right... I was just teasing you..." she said.
Wes flushed slightly at her gesture—just slightly. Then he turned away once more to take a look at where they were now. "So..." he murmured, glancing about at the circular area they had finally arrived at. Several trainers were milled about, glaring at the newcomers threateningly. "I'm guessing this is Duel Square...?"
"I guess..." Rui automatically latched herself to Wes's left arm, a gesture that would prove to be an enduring habit of hers. "This is where I saw the Shadow Makuhita for the first time... and Folly and Trudly kidnapped me."
"That so...?"
As Wes was pondering this, a girl in a pink and white dress, with a sparkly top hat and baton, suddenly came bounding up to him, a bright smile adorning her cute face. "Hi! Welcome to Duel Square, stranger!" she greeted.
Behind her, several of the other trainers, presumably her friends, slowly came forward as well, though much more warily. One of them, a blonde Rider about 19, 20-years old stepped up next to the girl who had spoken. "What's your name? We ain't seen you around here before."
Wes's eyes narrowed, instantly defensive. "What's your name?" he shot back challengingly. He couldn't help it; while in Phenac City he hadn't had too much trouble relaxing in such a peaceful setting... Pyrite Town had the atmosphere of criminals. And that atmosphere was slowly but surely bringing Wes back to how he had once been within Team Snagem, not more than three days ago...
The Rider looked rather startled at Wes's tone of voice. Apparently he hadn't been expecting such a strong response from the newcomer. "Um... I'm Vant," he replied, too shocked to say anything else.
A man wearing a blue overcoat, a red bandanna, and shades waved casually from behind Vant. "Divel."
"Roller Boy Lon's the name!" exclaimed a kid skating by on roller skates (before crashing into Divel the Bandanna Guy).
A young woman, a Rider as well considering the cowboy hat she was wearing, winked at Wes flirtingly. "I'm Leba... But you can call me baby, handsome," she purred. Wes sweatdropped, while Rui glowered.
"And I'm Diogo! The Stage Performer!" the girl in pink who had spoken first exclaimed. "We're the frequents of Duel Square! One big, happy family!"
"Yeah, so if you think you can hang with us, you have to prove yourself," Vant stated. "So I'll ask again: What's your name?"
Wes eyed each of these trainers who had introduced themselves. Though they acted tough, they didn't really seem out for much of anything other than battling and defending their "territory." Typical Pyrite Town inhabitants. "Fair enough," he relented. "Name's Wes."
"Wes, huh? Who's the lady?" Vant asked.
Rui shrank back fearfully, and Wes glared at the Rider threateningly. "None of your business," he shot.
"Isn't it? This is our turf, Wes," Vant said meaningfully, glaring straight back at Wes. "You obviously need to be taught a lesson, you little—"
"I wouldn't finish that if I were you," Wes snarled, feeling the last bit of kindness acquired since leaving Team Snagem snap somewhere inside of him. He was tired of all this crap; he'd put up with idiots trying to kill him, kidnap Rui, and take over the world a little too long for his taste. The novelty that was being a "hero" of sorts was getting old fast... and his patience had just officially run dry.
"Look, pal, if that's the way you want to be, I'll be glad to beat you down in a Pokémon battle!" Vant shouted, his hand reaching for a pair of Pokéballs on his belt. "I challenge—"
"WAIT!" Diogo interrupted, jerking on Vant's arm. "I want to battle him! I saw them first!"
"You? You sure?"
"Positive!" Diogo took a pair of Pokéballs seemingly out of thin air, and smiled brightly at Wes. "Is that ok? I challenge you, Wes!"
"A battle...?" murmured Rui, looking worried.
"It's ok, Rui," Wes assured. "It'll be nice experience for my Pokémon." As everyone spread out to make space for the battle, Wes placed his hand on Espeon and Umbreon's Pokéballs.
...On second thought, his fingers moved to Croconaw's Pokéball in place of Umbreon's.
He wasn't sure why... But deep down, he always had admired Feraligatrs. Even though Croconaw was a Shadow Pokémon, he still would like to use it in a battle. Though Wes still had his doubts about Makuhita... perhaps Croconaw wouldn't be so bad. One could only hope...
"This'll be interesting..." Wes mused, before he looked up to meet Diogo's eyes. "Ready? Espeon, Croconaw, go!" In two quick flashes of light, the two Pokémon sprang out. Espeon swished his forked tail delicately, and Croconaw growled fiercely, pumped for battle.
Rui tugged on Wes's arm. "Wes... Do you think Croconaw will listen?"
"If he listened to that Bluno freak... I don't see why not," he replied. "Besides... maybe using a Shadow Pokémon in battle will help us to understand it better."
"That's a good idea..." Rui murmured. Her eyes narrowed with resolution. "Ok! I'll help! I'll see if I can sense Croconaw's emotions while you fight." Wes nodded, honestly glad this time around to have Rui as a partner… and not just because he cared for her. In terms of just handling Shadow Pokémon, Rui and her abilities were valuable indeed. Though he wasn't a fool; he probably could identify Shadow Pokémon by himself just by observing them and how they acted... he couldn't sense emotions the way she could. More and more, he found himself increasingly grateful to have her at his side.
Of course... he might not be in this whole mess to begin with if it weren't for her... But that was a whole other matter entirely.
Meanwhile, at Croconaw's fearsome snarl and battle cry, Diogo shrank back in fear and wailed. "Eeee!" she screamed. "It's scary. It's looking at me!"
Vant rolled his eyes at the younger girl. "Don't be a wuss," he chided. "Send out your Pokémon and battle it!"
"Oh, right!" she giggled, blushing deeply. "Ok, here I go! Shroomish, Flaaffy, I choose you!"
Instantly, the Grass-type Shroomish and the Electric-type Flaaffy appeared on the field, all set and ready to go. The four Pokémon now in play stared each other down aggressively, tensed for battle. Wes cleared his throat, preparing to call out attacks to start the match off, but was interrupted by Rui jerking on his arm so hard it nearly came out of its socket.
"What?" he asked, wincing from her violent gesture.
"Wes!" Rui squeaked fearfully, just loud enough for Wes to hear. "That Flaaffy! It's... a Shadow Pokémon!"
"A Shadow Pokémon?" Wes repeated, rubbing his shoulder. "Another one?" Where did this girl get one...?
Rui closed her eyes softly, allowing herself to see the dark aura surrounding the pink, sheep-like Pokémon more clearly. She mentally traced the emotions stemming from Flaaffy's heart, as if they were strings leading out for her to take in hand and follow. There's not so much aggression... she noticed. Flaaffy are peaceful Pokémon... But there is unrest... tension... fear... Poor thing. Don't worry. Wes will save you...
"Wes, you have to save Flaaffy," she whispered.
"I will, don't worry..."
"Ready to start? I'll go first!" exclaimed Diogo. "Shroomish, Absorb on Croconaw! Flaaffy, use your Thundershock on Croconaw, too!"
Wes reacted to her commands almost instantly. "Espeon, take care of Shroomish. Confusion!" he shouted. "Croconaw, dodge the attacks, and use Bite on Flaaffy!"
Espeon got to his four feet and focused, the jewel on his forehead gleaming in response. With a cry, he blasted Shroomish with a powerful Confusion attack, disrupting the Grass-type's own attack and leaving it dazed for a moment. To Wes's relief, Croconaw obediently leaped away from the Thundershock attack Flaaffy used. But instead of attacking... Croconaw just looked at Wes, half-confused, half-scornful.
Wes raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" he asked the Water-type. "Can't you use Bite?" Croconaw simply cocked his head in response.
"Wes, there's something different about Croconaw this time," Rui warned. "There's more doubt on his heart than when we battled him before... He doesn't know you, and is afraid to trust you."
On a hunch, Wes quickly pulled out his PDA from within his coat, and flipped it open. Scrolling to his own Pokémon analysis menu, he selected Croconaw, and was surprised to find the Pokémon had no available attacks detected, save for Shadow Rush. Question marks appeared next to the name, indicating the computer knew no more about the attack other than its name. As Wes tried to make sense of what this could mean, Diogo took her next attacks.
"All right, Shroomish! Try a Sleep Powder on Espeon! Flaaffy, Thundershock Croconaw once more!" she cried.
Shroomish hopped forward and shook the leaves on its head, sending a cloud of greenish dust towards Espeon. The Psychic-type recoiled from the cloud, but was easily overcome by the effects of the attack and fell asleep to the ground.
Flaaffy readily bounded forward to attack. "Flaaa!" it cried, charging up electricity within its wool patches, and zapping Croconaw with a Thundershock. The Water-type snarled in pain, recoiling from the effective strike.
Wes gritted his teeth. Only explanation I can come up with, is that since Croconaw doesn't know me, it somehow forgot its usual attacks when I caught it, he decided. All it can do now is that weird Shadow Rush... All right. Let's go ahead and try it.
"Ok, Croconaw, hit Shroomish with your Shadow Rush!" Wes commanded. "Espeon! Wake up, buddy!" At the sounds of his trainer's call, Espeon's eyes slowly flickered open, and he got back up with a big yawn.
In the meantime, Croconaw growled, and focused all the dark energy and anger he could into a powerful strike... His fear of these trainers who commanded him. His anger at its opponent, for daring to face him.
But most of all... just his fighting desire. To just attack, to harm the creature before him, to be victorious and prove his battle skill. That was what propelled him the most, powered his Shadow Rush and sent energy coursing through his body.
In her mind's eye, Rui could see the dark-purple aura around Croconaw gather and intensify, just as she had seen it do in Makuhita. She gasped in fright as he charged towards Shroomish, and she clasped her hands together. For a wild, pulsating second, Croconaw's emotions washed over her like a wave. Then... as soon as the Water-type hit Shroomish with the force of a charging Tauros, a quick jolt of pain lanced through her head, and her knees buckled underneath her. Rui collapsed weakly to her hands and knees, warm tears threatening to burn forth from her eyes.
This Croconaw... its attack... she thought, her fingers tightening on the cracked, scorching pavement beneath her. Why... why is it so different? Why can I feel its thoughts more deeply than I could Makuhita's?
"Rui!" Upon catching her sink to the ground out of the corner of his eye, her name automatically sprang from Wes's throat. Not bothering to even make note of Croconaw's instant KO of Shroomish, he instantly was at her side, concern resurfacing in his heart once more. "Are you ok? What happened?"
"I... I'm not sure..." Rui whispered. "I... It's just... It seems I can feel... Croconaw's emotions... so much more clearly than Makuhita's. It's so strange... And it hurts when it gets too intense..."
"Rui..." Wes subconsciously clenched his hands into fists, feeling helpless to do anything for her. "I... don't..."
"It's ok. I'll be fine. Finish the battle," Rui insisted, getting back to her feet.
In the meantime, Diogo burst into tears at the brutal knockout of her Shroomish. "Waah!" she cried, covering her face with her hands. "My Shroomish! Vant, I told you the Croconaw was mean!"
Vant wasn't paying attention to her comment, however. He frowned suspiciously at the Water-type proudly glowering at Shroomish's fainted form. "A Shadow Pokémon...?" he wondered. "But where did he get it? I've never seen him at the Colosseum or anything..." With a frown, Vant nudged Diogo and interrupted her wailing. "Stop whining! That Croconaw is a Shadow Pokémon!"
"Shadow...? Oh! That's right, it used Shadow Rush..."
"Duh... Don't let Flaaffy get pushed around in this battle. Fight back!"
Diogo blushed, wiping her tears away. "Right... sorry! Shroomish, return!" she called, and her Grass-type was recalled into its Pokéball. "Flaaffy, let's fight back! Thunder Wave on Espeon!"
Wes looked back up at his opponent warily, now a little more assured that Rui would be ok. "Espeon, let's try your Return attack! Croconaw, Shadow Rush, now!"
"Espi! Esp!" the purple, fox-like Pokémon exclaimed, bounding forward and tackling Flaaffy for some moderate damage. He quickly twisted out of the way of the Thunder Wave attack sent at him, and leaped aside to allow Croconaw room to charge past with another potent Shadow Rush.
Diogo clutched her baton to herself nervously. "Quick, Flaaffy, use Thundershock!"
"Flaaa!" Flaaffy responded, charging up another electric attack. As Croconaw collided with Flaaffy, the attack was unleashed, and both Pokémon were sent flying backwards as a result from the colossal blows. Croconaw hit the ground and slid painfully to a halt in front of Wes, while Flaaffy tumbled head-over-heels several times backwards before stopping.
A look of tension found its way across Wes's face as he watched his Shadow Pokémon struggle to get up. Shadow Pokémon or no, he hated to see a Pokémon get hurt like this; this particular trait of Wes's was one of the few things about him that he hadn't picked up from Team Snagem. "Croconaw, are you all right?" he asked, trying to encourage the Water-type. "Come on, buddy, I know you can get up!"
Actually, Wes had no idea how much damage Croconaw was capable of taking; his words were at best empty encouragement. But just the statement itself seemed to work some change in the Shadow Pokémon... For, as Rui watched, her hands on the sides of her head as if trying to protect it from the dark auras, she could see something in Croconaw's beady, red eyes flicker... Could it be surprise? And then... she felt it... a slim, brief feeling, but it was there nonetheless... A tiny portion of Croconaw's true self shining through...
"Croco... naw... Croconaw..." The Water-type struggled to his feet, and gazed fiercely up at Wes. The two's eyes met, and held fast for several moments. And in that moment, Rui realized why she could read Croconaw's emotions so well... Wes and Croconaw were meant to be trainer and Pokémon... meant to be partners... meant to be friends.
And she smiled. The thought that this Shadow-ness could be defeated... it filled Rui with joy.
"Good job, Croconaw," Wes congratulated, a small smile curving the side of his mouth.
Diogo went pale—that Croconaw was still standing after two Thundershocks? And what about the damage it inflicted upon itself with Shadow Rush? "Vant..." she whimpered. "What now?"
The Rider was at a loss for words. This Wes was a lot tougher than he'd thought. "I... I don't know! Just attack!" he said.
"Ok... Flaaffy, try a Shadow Rush on Croconaw!" Diogo commanded. There, that ought to take care of the pesky Water-type...
"Not this time," Wes replied, his expression growing unpleasantly devious once again. "Espeon, try one more Return attack!"
The Psychic-type nodded, and readily obeyed. "Espiii!" he cried, dashing towards Flaaffy in another show of his agility. The Electric-type gathered its own dark emotions around itself and charged forward, and the two Pokémon smashed heavily into each other. However, while Espeon easily recovered from the blow, having not received much damage in the battle so far, Flaaffy gave a pained cry and fell down as it tried to step back. Tears welled up in its little eyes; no matter how much the shadow-ness locked a Pokémon's heart away, it could not hide the true nature of the Pokémon itself. Flaaffy was a quiet Pokémon, a gentle Pokémon... and now it was hurting. It didn't like that...
Rui frowned. "Oh... Poor Flaaffy..." she said. She didn't like to see such a cute Pokémon so sad.
Wes, on the other hand, was almost delighted to see Flaaffy so weak. Not because he was glad it was hurt, of course. But because this meant... "Now the fun part," he murmured sideways to Rui. He pressed a button inside his left sleeve, and the Snag Machine immediately charged up a Pokéball with purple light and slid it down into his hand. The special energy that the Snag Machine charged into the Pokéball was capable of deleting the Trainer ID number that was assigned to a Pokémon, and thus allowing a trainer's Pokémon to be captured like any wild Pokémon. ...Quite ingenious, really, though Wes knew Rui probably wouldn't like to hear that...
"This battle's over," he grinned. "Snag Ball, go!" And in his trademark Snagging flourish, he spun around once before flinging the ball forward at Flaaffy. The pink sheep Pokémon gave a squeak of surprise as the Snag Ball struck it, before being swallowed up in purplish light and disappearing inside. The ball clacked to the ground and wiggled once, twice, a third time... Then it stopped, and the light on it went out. Successful Snag!
"Yes! You did it!" squealed Rui, once again throwing her arms around Wes's neck in a hug to congratulate him.
Diogo screamed in absolute horror. "AAAAAAHHHHHH!" she shrieked. "My... my... FLAAFFY! He stole it! He stole my Flaaffy! He Snagged it!"
Vant's eyes grew huge. "...Bloody hell!" he gasped. "He... that's... a Snag Machine! He's part of Team Snagem!"
Everyone else watching gaped, unable to process right away what had just happened. Never before had anything like this occurred in Pyrite.
Espeon purred proudly at his trainer's latest capture, before trotting forward and taking the Pokéball with Flaaffy in it in his mouth. He then bounded back to where Wes, Rui, and Croconaw were waiting, giving the Pokéball to Wes with a pleased purr.
"Great job, Espeon, Croconaw," Wes grinned, kneeling down to pet Espeon on the head. He regarded Croconaw a little more hesitantly, unsure if Croconaw would want to be petted. So instead, Wes gave him a thumbs-up. "Nice battle."
"Espi!" Espeon rubbed Wes's hand lovingly, happy he had made his trainer proud of him.
Croconaw stared at Wes, as if his mind could not grasp fully the concept that Wes really, genuinely wanted to be nice to him. Humans... nice? Caring? Friendly? Uplifting instead of punishing, encouraging instead of putting down? Croconaw could barely remember what that was... But it was nice, Croconaw decided. He gave a pleased growl at Wes in a sort of thanks, still not entirely sure of Wes... but figuring he wasn't so bad, either.
Rui tapped Wes on the shoulder. "Um... I'm glad the Pokémon are happy," she began fearfully, "but I think you need to look back up, Wes..."
Wes looked up, and sweatdropped at the sight of all the Duel Square trainers grouped together, not looking at all happy. Diogo, her eyes red and pretty face full of fury, pointed a finger at Wes angrily. "You... you... thief! You Pokémon thief! I won that Flaaffy at the Colosseum! I want her back now! She's my best Pokémon!"
"One of only two Pokémon..." Vant couldn't help but mutter under his breath, before Diogo drove her elbow sharply into his ribs.
"I'm sorry, but we can't do that!" Rui tried to explain. "She's a Shadow Pokémon... there's something terribly wrong with her! We're trying to save them all..."
"Rui, I think you'd better shush," Wes whispered, aware of the hostility slowly building in the crowd.
Vant stepped forward, holding a pair of Pokéballs in front of him. "You're not getting out of this square until you give Diogo back her Pokémon!" he yelled. "Who's with me?"
All the other Duel Square trainers pulled Pokéballs out. "We are!" they all shouted, glaring at Wes and Rui hungrily.
Wes and Rui sweatdropped. "Rui... I hate to back out of a fight, but... we're somewhat outnumbered..." Wes pointed out.
"Don't feel bad... I totally agree..."
The two looked at one another, nodded, and then tore out of the square as fast as their legs would take them, Espeon and Croconaw scrambling quickly behind.
The mob thundered along after them in pursuit, out for blood.
"Stop, you thieves!"
"No one steals our Pokémon!"
"Give my Flaaffy back!"
Needless to say, Wes and Rui's third Snag, successful as it may have been, did not end exceptionally well...
At about the same time Wes and Rui were being chased all over Pyrite Town by the vengeful herd of stampeding trainers... Travis and Sierra were blazing across the sands of Orre's deserts, heading for the Snagem Hideout in Echo Canyon to the east.
Travis hadn't ever imagined that after leaving Team Snagem several months ago, he'd now be returning back to it willingly. But that's exactly what he was doing. As Sierra drove the jeep they'd borrowed from Team Cipher (in a rather erratic fashion, in Travis' opinion—not that he'd ever tell her that), Travis sat staring out the window at the endless desert whizzing by, a strange feeling of dread rising up in him. Team Snagem had certainly been an important turning point in his life, but... where he had ended up because of this turning point was highly questionable. But Team Cipher was a lot better than Team Snagem, and that was the reason for his dread on returning to the hideout and facing Gonzap... He hoped Gonzap wouldn't figure out Travis' liking for his new team, or there might be a few problems... Gonzap would, no doubt, like to think Travis missed him and the old team.
After about five minutes or so of staring at the blinding sands whirring by, Travis found he was beginning to get dizzy. His eyes hurt, so he closed them and shook his head to make the pain go away. Sierra must have noticed him doing so and made a quick conclusion about it, for she finally spoke up.
"You know... you're going to hurt your eyes staring at the sand like that," she pointed out, regarding him carefully over the top of her smoke-tinted sunglasses on her face.
Travis blushed. "Sorry..." he apologized, averting his stare into his lap.
Sierra snorted, and looked back up to concentrate on driving. "Why are you apologizing to me?" she asked, in a somewhat scornful way. "I'm not the one who's gonna be sorry when you go blind."
Silence fell over the vehicle once more, leaving Travis feeling more awkward than ever. He liked Sierra, he really did. But it was difficult to talk to her. Was she being sarcastic, or did she really mean what she said? It was sometimes hard to tell. According to Nascour, Sierra got this nuance of a characteristic from her brother. And from what Travis heard, Ein was tens times more sarcastic than Sierra...
He frowned slightly. Fates be kind, Travis would never have to talk to Master Ein... His sanity would probably suffer greatly...
"Anyways..." Sierra suddenly said, breaking Travis out of his thoughts, "so Gonzap's already resettled back into the Echo Canyon base?"
"Yeah... the police didn't stay too long with it... Kinda strange, huh?"
"Well... not really... considering the puny police force we've got here in Orre."
"Guess not," agreed Travis, feeling a bit more confident. Knowing Team Snagem as well as he did, he figured this was a better topic to speak with Sierra about than the dangers of blinding himself staring at the sand. "Also... Team Snagem's been at that base for years. Gonzap wouldn't leave it in the hands of police for too long... He'd find a way to get it back, either by bribing, intimidation, or violence. I wouldn't blame the cops for wanting to pull out as soon as they were able."
Sierra smirked to herself. "When will they just admit that they really have no authority in Orre?" she sighed. "Any idiot knows criminals run the show here, and you'd be better off just being one than attempting to resist."
"But there will always be valiant people in the world..."
"Quite true..."
"And, if something major did pop up... the police over in Olivine City could always come out, and they're a lot more professional than the ones we've got in Pyrite."
"Oh. Yeah, I forgot that little point..." Sierra murmured. "Guess that's why Team Cipher and Team Snagem still try to keep low profiles... Don't want to have to incur the wrath of the Johto region... especially Pokémon League at Indigo Plateau. Heh." She grinned wryly at the thought for a moment. Then she turned, and gave Travis a genuine smile. "You know... you're not too bad at this stuff... I mean, knowing what's what around here... If you were more vocal about what you know, who knows? Maybe you'd be direct subordinate instead."
Travis grew pale at the thought. "Er... thank... you...?"
Sierra evidently noticed his sudden color change. "Well, not under Master Nascour, let's hope!" she added hastily. "That wouldn't be fun. Just being one of his peons must be tough!"
"Well, not really..." he replied, growing more relaxed. "As long as I do what he tells me, it's ok."
"Yeah? Well, that's good."
Travis smiled, some blush finding its way back into his cheeks again. He was glad Sierra was hearing him out like this... When he'd transferred to Team Cipher, he thought it would have been impossible to meet a halfway-civil person within its ranks... It had been tough enough finding a "friend" within Team Snagem...
"Well, well... Looks like we're here..." Sierra's statement prompted Travis to look up at where they were now rolling to a stop at. A vague feeling of nostalgia and distaste rolled into one crept over him, as he recognized the rock formations around them, and the now-blasted, ruined base nestled within...
Echo Canyon. Site of the Team Snagem Hideout.
Back in The Under... Alexander was getting a thorough tour of the Under Kids Grid Headquarters... namely, Nett and Megg's house.
"And this is my room!" Megg announced, opening the door wide to reveal her bedroom in the plain house that seemed more like a lab or mini-warehouse as opposed to a house that someone would live in. Alexander peeked his head inside, and was surprised to find how small it was. A twin-sized bed in the center, with faded sheets and pillowcases that didn't match, a worn dresser in the left-hand corner of the room, and a small bookshelf in the right-hand corner, next to which a messy pile of laundry and stuffed animals was accumulated. That was all. On the walls were tacked tattered posters of cute things, like any little girl would like: Jigglypuff and Clefairy, Hello Skitty, Pikachu and Pichu... Such posters attempted to add to the otherwise bleak and dim room a sense of homeliness.
"It's very nice, Miss Megg," he said, smiling down at her. "I like it."
"Really?" Megg looked absolutely thrilled at this. "I'm glad you like it..."
Alexander's face softened. With a sincere, kindly gesture that he rarely exhibited to anyone, he gently placed his hand on her head and drew his fingers down one of her pigtails. "I thank you for bringing me here to your house, Miss Megg..." he whispered.
Megg beamed, and hugged him. "I'm glad that I met you, Alexander," she said. "You're nice... Can you stay here with me and Nett all the time?"
His smile faded. "I... I don't think so..." he said softly, averting his eyes from hers to Shroomish and Machoke waiting patiently nearby. "It would be nice, certainly, but... I have objectives of my own to complete as well..."
"Oh... I see..." Megg looked down, but she could not hide her tears from Alexander. With a gentle hand, he caught a tear that traced its way down her cheek, and wiped it away.
"Sweetheart... don't cry... I'm here now, aren't I?" Alexander asked, gingerly kneeling down so he could be more eye-to-eye with her. "Why don't you show me more of your house, ok? Or perhaps introduce me to your brother?"
Megg nodded, and sniffed her tears away. "Ok. I'll let you meet Nett. He's in his computer room again, I'm sure. He's always there." She led Alexander to another door on the other side of the room they were in (one that had a table and a few chairs in it, and nothing more), and opened the door. As Alexander entered, he blinked in absolute surprise. Computers! PC's, large calculating machines, scanners for data chips, laptops... You name it; it was crammed in here somewhere. The room was filled with computers.
In the midst of this mess, seated at a desk and working on some sort of computer chip, was a young boy with short brown hair and who was wearing a white t-shirt and gray pants. He seemed to be deep in concentration, and barely looked up as the two entered.
"Nett! I'm back!" Megg exclaimed, making the boy look up.
"Oh! Hi, Megg!" he said, swiveling in his chair to look at his sister. At the sight of Alexander, his expression became puzzled. "Huh? Who's this?"
"This is Alexander," Megg introduced, going back to her friend and hugging his arm. "Shroomish and I were attacked by a gang of thugs who wanted to capture Shroomish for Lady Venus, but Alexander came and saved us. And I got one of the thugs' Machoke, too."
Nett looked very surprised. "You were attacked?" he repeated. "Are you hurt?"
"No, but Alexander was," Megg replied.
Alexander blushed at Megg's concern. "Oh, I'm fine, really..."
Nett got out of his chair, and approached Alexander with a serious expression. "Thank you so much for helping my sister out," he said, holding out his hand. "Megg is the only sister and family I have... I'd be really sad if something happened to her..."
"It was no problem. I hate to see innocent people in danger," the young mercenary explained, shaking Nett's hand. "But you're welcome. And it's a pleasure to meet you."
Megg smiled; glad her brother and her new friend were getting along so well. "Is it ok if Alexander stays a little while, Nett?" she asked. "I mean, since he was hurt..."
"Of course. Stay as long as you need to, Mr. Alexander," Nett grinned. "In the meantime... I have to get back to this chip. It's going to update my computer's memory so I can finish up the program I'm working on to connect both my PC with Secc's PC."
"Secc is the leader of the Kids' Grid branch in Pyrite Town," Megg explained.
Alexander nodded. "You seem like such a smart bunch of kids... I'm not at all tech-savvy," he admitted. "I thank you for allowing me to stay..."
Nett grinned. "No problem," he said, before returning back to the desk. "Megg, you be sure and be a good host for Alexander, ok?"
"You bet!" Megg exclaimed, leading Alexander back out of the lab and closing the door. She guided Alexander to a chair at the table to sit at, into which he collapsed quite gratefully. His leg was hurting like hell, and more than anything he needed ice for it to make the swelling go down. He could tell it was swelling fatter than a Jigglypuff whose song was interrupted.
"Is there anything you need?" Megg asked, concern filling her voice as she watched him roll up his pant leg and take a look at the hideous bruise again. "I... I hope it's not serious..."
"Ah, not at all," Alexander replied, flashing her another smile. "Some ice, if you would. Lots of it would help..."
"Ok, one moment." Before going to search for ice in the freezer, she quickly ran to a shelf nearby and tried to reach for a box of Pokéchow there. Machoke, already finding he was enjoying the company of his new trainer much more than of his old ones, readily stepped forward and grabbed it for her. Megg giggled as the Fighting-type handed the box over to her. "Thank you, Machoke! It's for you, though. Share with Shroomish!" With that, she bounded away, presumably to where the freezer was in another room. Machoke and Shroomish sat down on the floor, and began to eat the Pokéchow together.
Alexander smiled. Such a sweet girl... he mused again. Reminds me of happier times... when I wasn't a criminal... How long has it been since then, though? Eight years? It seems you've lived forever as a mercenary... Life just drags so cruelly on for you... Time seems to have slowed down, and keep you as far from your goal as possible...
He closed his eyes as he got back to his feet, and unbuckled both his sword belt and Pokéball belt from his waist. He placed the two on the table before sitting back down, and sighed. "Rui..." he couldn't help but whisper. "So close to me, yet I must remain so far, just for a while longer... Why can't you remember me? I remember you so well..."
Fortunately for Alexander, Megg returned just before he felt tears start to well up in his beautiful azure eyes. "Here's some ice!" she announced, pouncing before him with a large pack of ice held triumphantly in her grasp. "Should I put it on the bruise?"
Alexander smiled, deciding to let her baby him for the time being. "Please do, I think it would heal much more efficiently with your loving hand," he teased. Megg blushed, and gently placed the ice pack on top of his bruise. Alexander winced at the sudden cold, but the discomfort of it was soon gone. After all, it was supposed to help, right?
"So... I ask you, Miss Megg, if you don't at all mind..."
"Hm? What?"
"I... er... Is it just you, and your brother, living here? Have you no parents?"
Megg lowered her eyes. "No... It's just me. And Nett. Our parents died a while back. They got mixed up in a gang fight, and were some of the innocent bystanders killed..."
"...I'm very sorry."
"That's why... I thought... you could stay with us. Nett's great, but he's really not that much older than I am... I thought you could stay and teach us things, and take care of us... But maybe that's silly. You're not old enough to be our daddy..." She giggled a little at the thought, but slowly, her laughter turned to crying.
Alexander was deeply pained by her sobs. "Megg..." he whispered. And for a moment, his carefree, elegant speech and attitude melted away for the first time in years, bringing out the sincere, kind young man underneath. Not a traditional mercenary with grace, skills, and experience far beyond his years... but the honest, compassionate teenager he should have become. He slid out of his chair to sit down next to Megg, and put his arm around her, hugging her close to him. She cried into his shirt, still somehow managing to keep a hold on the ice pack and keep it on Alexander's injury.
"Megg... it's ok... I understand your pain..." he whispered. "I, too, was forced to fend for myself when I was little... I don't have anyone else, either."
"...You... don't...?" Megg choked.
"No, I don't. See, I understand how you feel..." Alexander gently pressed his lips to her forehead in a kiss of reassurance. "I can't stay and live with you, Megg, but... I can be your friend. And I never, ever forget my friends."
"Promise? You'll be my friend, and come back to visit even after you leave?" asked Megg hopefully.
"Always and forever..." was the automatic reply. Megg smiled, and hugged Alexander all the more tightly. Alexander hugged her back, and gently rested his cheek on her little head.
Trying all the while not to show her the tears that he wanted so desperately to shed himself...
Notes: Kimberly Van Kai is my own original character. Please do not use her without permission, or derive ideas from her for use in your own characters.
There was a review from the previous chapter from Celesta Sunstar asking about the Ho-Ohs in the world, so I'll clarify-the Ho-Oh of Orre is different from the Ho-Oh of Johto, who appears in my other fanfiction, Bound to the Dragon's Heart. Her name is Lady Skye, and she's actually the mate of Orre's Ho-Oh, Lord Kaysei. My fanfiction universe follows the idea that Legendary Pokemon are not gods, but more like minor deities of the world; they do reproduce and there are usually more than one of them throughout the world. They are just exceptionally rare and live a very long time.