One review? What the heck? Please, if you're reading this, no matter what you think of it, review and be honest!
And I'd like to apologize to Kaxanthedragon, if he/she is still reading this; I responded to his/her review for my previous Pokemon story, which stated that Mewtwo does in fact have a mouth (I just watched Mewtwo Strikes Back and can't imagine how I was so stupid), with the assertion that it referred to my description of the new Mew-clone I had introduced. I didn't realize until later that I had mentioned the real Mewtwo as lacking a mouth. No excuse. Just want to set the record straight so I didn't sound completely hopeless (too late). In fact, I think I'll go back and reload the chapters and fix everything now.
Well, enough seriousness; it's time for the next chapter!
Chapter Two: Back With The Wind?
And so they met on the outskirts of Cerulean City the next day, Misty and Brock, packed for their first long trek in nearly a year. They had considered asking Tracey to come along as well, but had eventually agreed that it wasn't a good idea to bother him with it- at least not yet.
There weren't many words to say now; just the usual hellos and a confirmation that they had all the supplies they needed (including a good map). With luck, it would take less than a week to reach Saffron, which was more or less directly south of Cerulean. And yet… it seemed like a longer road ahead somehow, without the antics of their young compatriot.
Not so young now, Brock corrected himself silently. And perhaps not our compatriot, either…. He tried to shake that thought out of his head. They would find Ash, find out what was going on, and talk sense into that thick head of his- that was all, thank you very much.
After all- what else could happen?
But that night, something did happen in the metropolis of Saffron.
The city, though full of businesses, Pokemon gyms, and as many more places to go as one can imagine, was relatively quiet, though the occasional vehicle and/or drifter could often be seen, as with any city- fewer, actually, than most cities.
And one particularly dark and well-kept car now moved through the middle of the city, beneath the skyscrapers… including the tallest one of all, a 500' high cone with a giant sphere stuck into the top. And it was in front of this tower that it pulled to a stop.
The driver's door opened, and a man dressed in a dark suit and cap typical of a chauffeur emerged, then walked swiftly to the other side of the limousine, which faced the sidewalk. He opened the backseat door, and a solitary figure stepped onto the walk; the chauffeur then closed the door. "Will you be needing me at all?" he asked his passenger.
"No, thank you," the passenger replied. "Ah've been carrying on for years on my own, and I'll finish it on my own."
"As you wish," the driver submitted. "I only wished to be of assistance."
"You can be of assistance by waiting heah for mah return, when Ah have what Ah need…. To the ends of the earth and back," the passenger added in an undertone, then walked toward the building with an elegance and confidence, almost bordering on arrogance, that only this person could achieve.
The man walking along the upper deck of the Silph lobby saw the clear doors slide open; it might seem peculiar that the lobby was open at this time of night, but there was, as any would-be thieves would discover, there was nothing of any value whatsoever kept in this cavernous, open space. And there was no way whatsoever that they could get into the rest of the tower. The elevators and emergency stairwells were locked, for one thing, and everything was on up-to-the-millisecond, foolproof surveillance, with sensors built right into the walls.
And whoever entered the lobby would have to deal with the guard on the balcony.
The interloper became clearly visible now: a young woman with red, braided hair and extremely fancy-looking clothes; probably from some old family richer than God, he thought. What did she think she was doing in here? He strode over to the stairs and down towards the floor.
"What do you think you're doing in here?" Oh, that sounded intelligent, he groaned silently, but at least I'm asserting myself here.
If the woman was perturbed in the least, she didn't show it. "I'm here for what's mine," she responded in a haughty tone with an accent that, had the man lived in the United States instead of the relatively isolated Kanto (A/N: Kanto and Johto are on an island about halfway between the U.S. and Hawaii, on a parallel with Oregon, and Hoenn is a smaller island close to Hawaii), he might have thought reminiscent of the southern regions.
"I sincerely doubt that anything here belongs to you, ma'am," the guard responded testily.
"I don't want anything, you wannabe gladiator," the woman shot back; the guard was, peculiarly enough, decked out in a suit of armor similar to a gladiator outfit, complete with a helmet that obscured most of his face. "Where's James Halen?"
"Look, you crazy bitch, I don't know why you'd think he was here, why I'd know where he is at this hour, or why you think I should tell you anything. You have absolutely no right to be in here!"
"Well, then you should lock the doors- and you ought to treat a lady with more respect than this!"
"Well, if I meet one, I will." And with that said, the guard grabbed her and propelled her through the doors, then programmed a nearby keypad to lock them and walked away. It's too late for this… I think I'll make Theo take over and get some shut-eye.
The woman stood there seething for a moment, not noticing her chauffeur running towards her until he asked, "Are you all right, madam?"
"Nothing some sleep won't cure," she replied irritably as she walked back to the car, a light breeze starting to ruffle the formerly still night. But I will have my dear James back… and you corporate freaks will be sorry you ever crossed Jessibelle Jiraudan!
(Four Days Later…)
The travelers had taken refuge from the driving rain at an outlying Pokemon Center; the storm blotted out what little light there would have been in the dusk, which, combined with the erosion of the dirt pathways by the rain, made any travel impossible.
Brock and Misty had finished eating fifteen minutes before, and Misty was now alone in one of the Center's bedrooms; Brock had gone of off to examine some of the medical techniques used in the Pokemon care there- and, Misty would bet, to flirt with the nurses. At that moment, with all of her usual companions vanished, with not even her beloved Togepi to cuddle, she felt as empty as she could ever remember.
She sighed, and decided it was fortunate that this Center had television sets in its rooms; normally, she wouldn't have any interest in them, but she would go crazy if she had to spend one more minute cooped up in this place with nothing to do (and we all know that an out of sorts Misty is not at all a good thing, eh?)! Half-wondering if there would be any more news from Saffron, she picked up the remote and turned on the screen, not caring what channel came up.
Coincidentally, it was the news once again, though not the same channel on which she had seen Ash a few days before. The thought made her eyebrows twitch with irritation, but it quickly dissipated at the sight of the wrecked buildings onscreen.
"There is still no clue as to the cause behind the wave of vandalism that has plagued the Pokemon Technical Institute over the past few weeks. The school, already the subject of controversy for its supposed competition against Gym Leaders and its rigorous training, is now under fire for not rooting out the source of the seemingly random destruction…."
Misty turned the TV back off. Like it was going to be any help anyway, she thought miserably, with no way of knowing that she would become involved with the matter she had just seen in due time….
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