The City of Doppelgängers – Part 1
"Where's Liz?" Michael asked the Cipher Peon in front of him.
"You mean that girl downstairs? She's taking a little nap now. She's got a nice lump on her head to help her sleep," the woman said as she sent out a Seviper and a Snorunt. Immediately after the Snorunt appeared, Michael's Shadow Monitor began to respond.
"Oh? So, you attacked my girlfriend, and now you're about to try and attack me?" Michael asked, clenching his fist as he took out Nick's Pokéball. "Alicia, Nick, let's teach her a lesson about messing with us."
You got it, Michael! Alicia said, while Michael opened Nick's Pokéball, sending out the electric type Eeveelution.
"Nick, use Shock Wave on Snorunt," Michael said. "Alicia, use Confusion on Seviper!"
"Seviper, use Poison Tail on that Kirlia. Snorunt, use Shadow Wave!" the Peon called out. In an instant, the Seviper's tail was glowing with a purple toxin as bright as pools of poison in old video games. The snake then lunged forward with his tail ready to lash out for Alicia's neck.
At the same time, Snorunt gathered Shadow energy, firing it. The orb then split into two, flying at Alicia and Nick rapidly. The two Cipher Pokémon were outpaced by Michael's team. Nick made an electric pulse that flew at the ice-type, hitting just after the Shadow Wave was fired, making the Snorunt fall back. Just as Seviper began to lunge, Alicia gathered telekinetic energy and tried to grab the poison-type. She managed to throw the snake across the room, while trying to limit the damage to the mayor's house. The attack was powerful enough to hurt the Seviper, but not to knock it out.
At the same time, Nick had already gathered all the electricity he needed, shooting a wave of lightning at Snorunt. The ice-type took the hit, his health going down to almost half.
"Alicia, use another Confusion on Seviper. Nick, Thunder Wave on Snorunt," Michael said as he programmed a snag.
"Seviper, use Poison Fang. Kill that traitorous Kirlia," the Peon said. "Snorunt use Shadow Wave! Take out both of them!"
Seviper lunged again, his fangs coated in toxins as he raced towards Alicia. Simultaneously, Snorunt began to gather his Shadow aura, launching two shots, each orb flying for Nick and Alicia.
Alicia just barely dodged Seviper as he tried to bite her, his jaws snapping shut, missing his mark before she grabbed and threw the snake with her telekinesis once more, knocking him out this time. Snorunt's Shadow Wave managed to hit his marks, making both Nick and Alicia fall over briefly. While the Jolteon managed to get to his feet, Alicia seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating, her eyes wide. Nick fired off an orb of static electricity, hitting the shadow Pokémon directly, paralyzing it.
Michael was concerned about Alicia's expression, feeling a sense of fear from her. However, he had to focus on snagging this Snorunt, then winning the battle before he could help her. He held out his arm as the ball materialized in his hand. "Alicia, come on and get some rest," he said before he threw the Pokéball, the energy arm pulling Snorunt inside. The ball didn't shake for too long before sealing shut.
Alicia hardly registered that Michael had spoken, let alone his request that she return to her ball. She was becoming so distraught that she couldn't tell that she was being recalled once Michael took out her ball, beaming her back inside. She was back in her mindscape, seeing her demented double. Couldn't even dodge a stupid attack? You're pathetic. Without me, you are nothing, her dark clone said. And you know that I can just tear your mind out and put myself back in whenever I want.
Alicia was cowering in fear. It's not true. I can fight. And I am in charge of my body.
Only because I let you be the pilot. You just can't compete with what you were before. I mean, Michael even pulled you from the fight just now because you're so pathetic.
Alicia was sobbing in a fetal position as she felt like she was drowning in mental agony. Maybe it was to protect me, she said desperately.
You? The monster who nearly killed innocent people? Who helped a criminal syndicate? Who the hell would want to protect you? He just contained you so he could ignore you. The double seemed to cackle at the thought.
Outside the Luxury Ball, Michael had just finished the battle with the Cipher Peon, healing Nick and Boreas, who had taken Alicia's place in the battle. He recalled the other two Pokémon, then sent out Alicia again. He was immediately worried to see that she was in a fetal position, crying.
I'm not a monster…I'm not a monster! Alicia said with anguish in her voice.
Michael immediately picked her up and hugged the Kirlia. "No, you're not a monster," he said soothingly.
I almost killed a man, Alicia said.
"You weren't in control then. That wasn't your fault," Michael said.
I couldn't keep myself from becoming a Shadow Pokémon, she cried.
Michael held her closer. "Alicia…please listen to me," he said, trying to sooth her. She looked up at him, and he saw her look of pain. "Who was it who broke through the Shadows?"
M-me… Alicia said through tears.
"And who is constantly working to better themselves?"
I am, she said.
"Then, will you trust me when I say that what happened to you was not your fault?" Michael asked.
Y-yeah, she said.
"Now, I know that there's something bothering you. Can you please tell me what it is so I can help you?"
C-Can it wait until we stop Cipher here? Alicia asked.
"Are you sure?" Michael asked. "We can take time to talk now."
Yes, because there's not enough time now to talk it about to the extent that the issue would need, Alicia said with a sad expression. Besides, Liz might need help. I think that lady said she knocked her out.
Michael's eyes went wide as he remembered that Liz was likely hurt. That's when he heard the sounds of battle on the floor below.
Liz woke up with a splitting headache, hearing some sounds of battle on the floor above. She staggered to her feet, but immediately fell back again, her head spinning with what she could only assume to be a mild concussion.
"Well, looks like sleeping beauty is already up," a man said from almost right beside her. Liz's eyes went wide as she slowly turned to face a man with a disturbing smirk on his face. The man immediately gave a sexual look. She immediately leapt up, stumbling away from the man, holding her head as pain shot through it.
"Who, the fuck, are you?" Liz asked.
"Just the guy who felt that beautiful rack while you were passed out," he said.
Liz looked disgusted, covering herself, realizing her bra had been loosened, and she felt like she had bruises forming on the sides of her breasts. She screamed, hearing a loud crash from the floor above. "Duskull, Vixen, come out!" she said. The Duskull and Vulpix duo came out, the Vulpix looking angry. Duskull, still being a Shadow Pokémon, seemed emotionless. "I don't care what you do, just rip that guy's head off."
She put on her Battle Monitor when she saw the guy stand, smirking as his face distorted like a glitching video game. "Come out, Pineco and Murkrow," the creepy man said. "Let's beat her and take her shit."
"You scumbag," she said. "Who the hell even are you?"
"Oh, didn't I introduce myself?" he asked. His face disappeared, revealing it was a hologram the entire time. Underneath, he was wearing the distinct Cipher uniform. "I'm your worst nightmare."
"Cipher…of course," Liz said, noticing that the Pineco had triggered the Shadow Monitor. "And another Shadow." Her mind was foggy, her head pounding like she'd been hit with a bat. She could barely think straight, which wouldn't help with her two newest teammates being on the field.
"I doubt you'll be able to beat us," the Peon said with a smirk. "You can barely stand, let alone battle."
Deciding she didn't want to deal with any of this, Liz programmed a snag, throwing the ball at the Pineco without making an attack command. She just wanted to be done with the whole day now. She knew that it likely wouldn't happen, since Cipher had likely taken the identities of most of Phenac's citizens. It would be a long day for them. Luckily, Pineco's snag was actually successful. Despite her succeeding, Liz didn't react, feeling like the room was spinning. The Peon just shrugged, going for his next Pokémon. What came out was a massive red spider Pokémon, Ariados.
Vixen noticed her trainer looking sick, yipping to Duskull, trying to say that they needed to start battling independently. That was when Michael's opponent ran through the room, cursing. Liz had already sat down in a nearby chair, her vision going black again.
Vixen launched a Heat Wave, scorching the room around them as Murkrow and Ariados moved to get away. Murkrow's right wing was singed, making him stagger on his flight. Duskull looked indifferent as he just fired a Shadow Wave, hitting both Ariados and Murkrow with seeming ease.
Liz didn't notice any of the battle. She actually began to pass out, missing the rest of the battle. She only woke up when there was gentle shaking to wake her up. "Liz, hey, are you okay?" Michael asked.
She blinked, her head still aching. "Hey," she said groggily. "Has that vest always been green?" The Cipher peon was gone, but his Pokéballs were sitting on the floor.
Michael began to look at Liz with concern. "Liz…you seem a bit off," he said.
She has a concussion, Alicia said with a look of equal concern. It seems pretty bad. I can sense a big bruise in her brain, and I don't know how to heal it.
Liz then felt nausea building up. "Trash can," she said with a sick tone in her voice. Michael went to grab one, finding that it was just a wire basket. Alicia was faster, teleporting Liz to the bathroom, opening the toilet lid for the girl just in time. Michael winced as he heard Liz vomiting painfully.
We need to get her to a hospital as soon as possible, Michael said to Alicia.
I know…but where is the hospital? Alicia asked.
We'll figure it out by asking for directions. It worked with finding this place, Michael said.
Or, it'll help us just find more Cipher Peons, Alicia said.
That'll help us resolve the problem in the city anyway, Michael said back. Liz gasped as she flushed the toilet, still feeling sick, but wanting to move.
"I'll be fine," Liz said. "Just let me keep going. I need to help beat Cipher too." She staggered a little on her way. Michael caught her and began to work as her crutch.
"Liz, you need to see a doctor. Please, just let me help you," he said.
Liz puffed her cheek out, pouting. "Fine. I'll go to a hospital. But, take some of my Pokéballs. You might need to snag a few Shadow Pokémon."
"Okay, I can do that," Michael said, kissing Liz on the side of her head.
Immediately after they got out of the Mayor's house, they had a clear view of the Pre-Gym. As they walked closer, they saw six exact copies of Justy, the leader of the Pre-Gym, walk out in single-file, lining up.
"Brothers, sound off!" the first said. "One."
"Two."
"Three."
"Four."
"Five."
"Six."
"Great job, brothers. Now nobody can tell us apart now. Let's go and spread confusion across the town," the first one said.
"Hey, the Hexagon Brothers…" Liz said.
Michael looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You mean the multi-colored brothers in Cipher?"
"Yeah, the ones you snagged so many Shadow Pokémon from in that desert lab," Liz said trying to look away from the sun, feeling a huge migraine whenever she looked at light.
"Should I go battle them?" Michael asked.
"They're pretending to be Justy. We might need to deal with them," Liz said. "I can help if you want."
Michael sighed. "Liz, you're injured. I'd rather get you to a hospital first, then I'll take on Cipher."
"No, I was useless last time against Exol. I'm staying with you and helping with the battles now!" Liz said, tears forming in her eyes out of nowhere.
Liz, mind being moral support this time? Alicia asked.
"Oh…I can do that…" she said, suddenly sounding groggy. "I just want to be there."
Michael sighed. "Fine, but once we're done with the Cipher members hiding as citizens, you're going to the hospital."
"Okay," she said with exhaustion.
Before the Justy imposters could disperse, Michael approached them. "Okay, Hexagon Brothers. Just stop right now. I'm going to battle all of you right now."
"Sorry, but you're mistaken, we're all Justy," the one farthest to the right.
"Oh, good, because I have a note for Justy. Maybe you all can help me find the real one. Plus, we already know Cipher is here," Michael said.
Umm…Michael… Alicia said, her tone saying she wanted him to stop. He looked around, seeing there were six more people surrounding them, including the woman from the entrance.
"You know," the first Justy said. "We have radios in our helmets. We knew you were here. We knew you couldn't resist it when six exact replicas of Justy came out, did the same count off as we did at the lab. Hell, Snattle knew you'd come after us." All the Cipher Peons seemed to smirk with confidence. "So, here's what's going to happen. You're going to surrender and become our prisoners. You will do so without making a scene, and you will surrender all the Pokémon you've purified."
Before Michael or Liz could do anything, all of their Pokéballs opened simultaneously. Nick, Boreas, Erebus, Ceres, and Sarah appeared on the right, just as Alicia floated to the ground in front of Michael, glaring at the Hexagon Brothers. On the side where the other Cipher members were lining up, Titania, Artemis, Voltaire the Flaaffy, and Vixen. Duskull and Makuhita stayed in their balls, as neither could care less what happened to their trainer.
Michael looked at the others around him, and they'd all sent out all of their Pokémon. In total, there were twenty-one enemy Pokémon, meaning there were more than twice as many enemy Pokémon, and they all looked ready to battle.
"We're outnumbered…" Michael said, turning on his battle monitor. All of his and Liz's Pokémon were over level 24, while all of the enemies were around level 21. "And almost evenly matched…"
We can win. Tell me, have you ever watched Brendan's battles? Alicia asked.
I have, why? Michael replied.
You know how he and the higher-level trainers never seem to give commands? Alicia asked again.
Yeah, Michael said, starting to see where this was going.
I can help you with coordinating those orders, Alicia said.
Maybe another time, when we're not outnumbered, Michael said, looking determined, glad that none of the Pokémon he'd be facing were Shadow Pokémon. "Alright, I'm in a rush to get my girlfriend to the hospital."
"We don't care. You're going to die soon anyway, so who gives a fuck whether you get treatment."
"In that case, let's just get this over with," Michael said.
Liz watched groggily as the Pokémon began to battle. She watched as Ceres, the Breloom, used Mach Punch repeatedly, moving between the Normal and Dark types at super sonic speeds. At the same time, Nick launched Shock Waves as fast as he could, hitting a Staryu, Goldeen, a Horsea, and a Noctowl with his attacks. Titania sent a wide-ranged Fairy Wind attack, aiming for as many Pokémon as possible, sending the wind around the perimeter of Cipher Peons and their Pokémon. She watched as Artemis joined Ceres, using Metal Claw as she ran with Ceres. Erebus and Boreas fired of Ember and Water Gun respectively, while Alicia was using Disarming Voice and Confusion in-tandem. Vixen was using Heat Wave, and Voltaire was sending multiple Shock Waves along with Nick. It seemed that the sheer size of the Cipher team was inconsequential as it was being overwhelmed by Michael's strategy
At least she thought that's what was happening. She was passing out and hallucinating again, though it was very vivid. In reality, Michael was struggling. The Cipher Pokémon had all attacked almost immediately. Wailmer, however, seemed to be sitting back and waiting. The attacks Liz was dreaming were accurate for what her and Michael's Pokémon were doing. They were struggling to stay up, with the enemies repeatedly breaking through. Three times, a Vigoroth slashed Artemis and Titania hard. Some of the enemy Pokémon had gone down quickly, dropping the enemy count to fifteen. The more powerful enemies seemed to be fighting smarter.
Alicia was working hard to coordinate her teammates. Just like when Mom battled those Sharpedo when she was traveling, she thought as her enemies attacked. It seemed to be overwhelming, but she could see that the Cipher Peons were just grinning smugly. There's no coordination here. That makes it easier.
"Alicia, use a Disarming Voice. Take out the Absol in the back!" Michael said, seeing the Disaster Pokémon in the back, gathering energy for a Razor Wind. Alicia saw it too, screaming as Michael had ordered, the sonic wave slamming into the side of the Absol, knocking her to the ground. Erebus fired an Ember to finish the job, smiling a bit to Alicia competitively.
Great job there, Erebus. Keep going, the small fry are almost done, she said. We're down to ten.
Alicia spoke smoothly despite breathing heavily. Michael could tell they needed to rest, but they still needed to finish this battle. There was also the Wailmer in the back, still waiting.
As Michael was contemplating for a moment, Boreas was hit with three Thunder Shocks, knocking him out quickly. "Damn it," Michael cursed as he recalled his Pokémon. "We're starting to lose ground."
"We won," Liz said happily, with slightly slurred speech. Michael was getting increasingly concerned for her as well.
"Everybody, we only have ten left. Use your strongest attack, and aim for who it will affect most," Michael said. He knew it was vague, but given their situation, he couldn't do much better. Jolteon electrocuted a Noctowl with Shock Wave, Erebus burned a Shroomish with Ember, while Titania used Fairy Wind to blow away a Mightyena. The other Pokémon fought similarly, battling efficiently until all that was left was the Wailmer. Before Michael could make a command, it started using Rollout, hitting Erebus first. Normally, that hit wouldn't have injured the Houndoom too badly. But, with the injuries he'd sustained, he was knocked out. Michael recalled the dark type. "Shock Wave and Fairy Wind!" he called to both Nick and Titania. He knew it would likely do some damage, but he wasn't sure how much it would do. That was when he noticed Alicia was chanting slightly.
That should do it! Alicia said as both Nick and Titania shot their attacks together. Nick shot his ball of electricity at Wailmer as the giant water-type, the shot homing in on the whale. At the same time, Titania's Fairy Wind combined with Nick's Shock Wave, making a tandem attack. The tornado of fairy dust began to spark with electricity before it surrounded the Wailmer entirely, moving with the rolling water-type. It groaned for a moment, while Michael watched its health drop to zero.
With looks of both fear and disbelief, the Cipher Peons all scattered quickly, seeming to run for the exits of the city. "Are they going to risk it in the desert?" Michael asked as he began recalling their own Pokémon.
I don't know…but we need to keep going. Liz isn't doing too well, Alicia said with concern.
Michael looked and saw Liz was barely standing, his grip on her forearm being the only thing holding her up. He quickly picked up the brunette bridal style. "We need to find the hospital soon," he said. Alicia pulled out Michael's P-DA, searching the internet for him, finding the hospital's address and getting a map up.
Alright, this is where we're going, Alicia said, her voice conveying urgency.
Michael followed the GPS voice through the city. Thankfully, it didn't take them too long.
The nurse at the front desk looked up and immediately called for a gurney. "What happened?" she asks.
"She was hit in the head. I'm pretty sure she has a concussion, because she's been having mood swings, and she's been passing out repeatedly.
"Alright. We'll take care of her," the nurse said as the gurney arrived, and they got Liz onto the bed. They rolled the bed into the elevator, taking it to the third floor and into a room that looked like a suite. Michael knew then that they'd be keeping her in the room for more than one day.
A doctor came into the room and the nurses asked Michael and Alicia to leave the room so they could work. So, he took a seat in the nearest bench, feeling exhausted already.
"There have to be more Cipher members hiding in this city. We need to keep searching," Michael said to Alicia.
But Liz needs us to be here when she wakes up, Alicia said softly.
"Then…I guess we can wait. I might need some coffee," he said.
Just give it some time. I'm sure she'll be okay, Alicia said, sounding like she was really trying to convince herself more than she was convincing him.
And there's the chapter's end. Next time, Michael battles his way into Phenac Stadium.
Please let me know what you think of this chapter, because the reviews really help me improve my writing.
Anyway, until next time ~ jmoul18