My attempts to make things go quickly have been thwarted by school work, but the next two should come by fast enough
Chapter Forty One: It Smells Like Lavender… And Death
For nearly an hour they made their way down the path towards Lavender Town. Alaska's leg and back felt like shattered glass and she was ready to collapse by the time they made it near the bottom of the slope. They remained in silence the whole way down: Sandy due to her headache that continued to throb, while Trevor seemed to be ignoring them as he led the way, possibly a way to avoid answering any questions. Alaska noticed he had his hands inside his coat, and wondered if they were clasped around weapons, ready to protect them when the time came.
The Pokemon were silent as well: Alaska noticed Frances because the Paras was still cowering in her one good arm, but it was as if the others had disappeared. Charizard and Paige both flown out of sight and Vaporeon had gone so far ahead that she was only a blue blur in the distance. Onix was the only one that remained nearby, circling around them with his body grinding against the ground, but otherwise he made no intentional noise. Alaska sometimes wondered what her Pokemon thought about when they were silent, and she sometimes concluded that they shared the same queries and fears she had about the world.
As they walked, a million different thoughts swirled around inside Alaska's head. So many new questions had formed with very few answers that it was hard to try and think about everything at once: Alaska thought about Gideon, about Amanda and Chloe, Damian and Lachlan, Latios and Suicune, the person that paid for the power plant, the generator explosion, the bar fight, about what Sandy had said, about what Trevor had said. Everything was starting to become quite confusing, and all Alaska truly wanted at the moment was answers to the questions that were remaining floating high above her.
"We will get our first view of Lavender in a second," Trevor called out, shattering the silence so suddenly that it made Alaska, Sandy and Frances all jump, pushing all of Alaska's thoughts from her mind. "You can rest those pretty legs of yours in a minute," Trevor added, staring down at Alaska and then looking back up with a wink and a smile. Sandy turned towards Alaska looked stunned, and mouthed 'Hot' at her before waving a hand against her flustered face. Alaska smiled at this, but she was not attracted to their mysterious saviour: Trevor seemed to have his own agenda, and Alaska was not about to put her trust in someone as seemingly dodgy as him.
But now that he had said it, Alaska was on the lookout for Lavender Town, and as they manoeuvred around a giant boulder resting before them, the town suddenly appeared before them.
Alaska's instant impression was that Lavender was small: it was enclosed by mountain faces and cliffs on all four sides, with only three paths in and out of the simple square of land left. She could see only around three dozen houses scattered around the town, with a Pokemon Center and PokeMart visible in the middle, though even from afar it was clear they were quite small. It wasn't a visually striking town like Cerulean or Vermillion, and the main beauty was the hint of blue ocean that lay to the south.
There were only two buildings there that were different to anything Alaska had seen before, both tucked away in the eastern corner of the town even though they seemed to be the town's centrepieces. One was a long and flat building, only two storeys high and painted lemon. It seemed like it might be the town hall or a conference building, though it was a random place for both things. The second building was far more recognisable, and was one Alaska had actually seen on television: the Kanto Radio Tower was several storeys high and fitted nicely into its corner as if it had been slotted there. The paint job was a dull mix of brown, grey and the same lemony shade of yellow, but it was topped with a giant radio mast that was around the same size of Trevor's Charizard. Alaska rarely listened to the radio, but the building regularly appeared on the news and in magazines, some referring to it as a 'Kanto Icon', though Alaska could only think of it as a bland piece of technology in a fairly old fashioned looking town.
Alaska felt a pang of sorrow for the town as they got nearer to it. It was sheltered from the rest of the region, the sort of place you would only pass through rather than linger in unless you were a travelling trainer. With the cliffs surrounding it, looming over from all sides and casting huge shadows everywhere, it made Alaska think the residents were trapped behind giant stone barriers, something she was becoming all too familiar with.
"I swear my headache is getting worse," Sandy groaned as they began to pass through the northern entrance to the town. "Can we please find somewhere to sit down? I think I might throw up."
"We will go to the Pokemon Center once we have met with my colleague," Trevor responded. Alaska wondered who the colleague was, but her head was starting to hurt as well and decided not to bother with thinking for the time being. She noticed that Vaporeon was now moving alongside Trevor now that they were moving within the town's limits, and Alaska glanced back to check on the other Pokemon. Onix had been forced to move behind them due to the entrance they were taking, and Alaska felt less reassured without his large body protecting them from danger. Paige was flying around his head, and she looked down at Alaska with a face that basically said 'What the hell is going on here?' Alaska shrugged, and Paige rolled her eyes: both of them were confused about what was happening at the moment, and both of them were ready to give up.
"So, have either of you ever been inside the Radio Tower before?" Trevor asked as they began to move to the left and towards the tallest building around for miles. Alaska and Sandy both shook their heads, though Alaska was keeping her eye on the town. It seemed like there might be more houses here than she expected, or possibly left, Alaska couldn't properly tell. The houses all seemed still and silent, no life moving anywhere even though it was midday. Only the breeze moved throughout the town, a breeze that seemed to have followed them down the valley and gotten worse as it moved. Alaska watched as it blew through the only change in colour within the stony walls: rows of pink flowers stood orderly around the lemon coloured building, a beautiful sight in a town so lacking of nature, yet the flowers seemed to be struggling against the wind as if they were nearing the end of life.
"What is that building?" Alaska asked, and suddenly realised that Trevor had been talking, yet she had taken none of his words in, her thoughts of the town her only priority.
"The yellowy one?" Trevor said, turning his head. "It is The House of Memories, a Pokemon graveyard. They wanted to replace the Pokemon Tower, the old one that was destroyed five years ago, but it was seen as too costly for the town and the government at the time and the two storey building was done instead, and the radio station brought the land."
"That building looks happy but sad at the same time," Sandy said, staring towards the graveyard. "Why would they paint a graveyard such a happy colour, and why would you put it in the middle of a town? That is just so sad… I feel sorry for all those poor Pokemon… Wait, what sort of Pokemon are buried there?" Sandy asked suddenly, the tone in her voice suddenly becoming serious.
"Every Pokemon from the Kanto Region ends up here at first, but you can come and collect them to do whatever you want to do with them," Trevor explained. "Now, we're running behind schedule so let's just get a move along, alright?" He headed towards the Radio Tower, the glass doors sliding open as he approached, but Alaska, Sandy and their Pokemon remained where they were. Alaska stared at Sandy as the blonde focussed upon the graveyard. Her eyes began to swell up, her pupils growing as if zoning in on something Alaska hadn't noticed. There was a sadness in them Alaska had never seen, and she wondered what was causing this reaction. She turned towards the graveyard, wondering why such a pitiful place was used to remember long lost Pokemon. A grand tower was what the departed souls of Pokemon needed, not a disrespectful tombstone painted to disguise the death within. It was no wonder Lavender seemed so dead, and she wondered if the graveyard was having this dreary effect on the town.
"Pidge Pidge!" Alaska turned at Paige's cry, but turned into a slap of her wing. She stumbled backwards, struggling to remain upright on her leg, and turned angrily towards her Pokemon. "Pidgey Otto Pidge!" Paige said hysterically, and flew towards the glass doors before Alaska could react. She followed after and saw that Sandy was following quickly after Trevor. Onix and Charizard had apparently gone back inside their PokeBalls, leaving only Paige and Frances out.
"Ready to go inside?" Alaska mumbled to Frances, staring up towards the radio mast, wondering what was waiting for them inside. The Paras merely whimpered in her arms, and Alaska stroked her with her free hand. "I hope it isn't something frightening either," Alaska said, and with a sigh she followed Sandy and Paige through the glass doors.
Whilst she wasn't expecting a lot, Alaska wouldn't have been surprised to see photographers waiting by the elevators as some big music star left the building, with workers trying to move their way past screaming fans, like she had seen in the movies. So she was a bit stunned to find the reception was as empty as the rest of the town: it was very flash, with different coloured glass ornaments on oddly shaped tables, surrounding by curving red chairs that looked more like a geometric puzzle than a seat. A glass reception desk was to the side, surrounded by shelves of awards, gold and silver discs inside glass cases and various photographs. A young blonde woman was answering the phones and glanced up at their arrival, but if she wasn't there, Alaska thought it would be a piece of cake to storm the building.
"Everyone is probably on their lunch break, that'll make things easier," Trevor said, though it seemed more to himself than to them. Alaska noted Vaporeon was still alongside, so it seemed fine for her to keep both her Pokemon out. Trevor kept them moving towards a series of elevators at the end of the hall, and the metal doors slid open to an already waiting lift.
"If you see anyone that I don't speak to first, ignore them," Trevor said once the six of them were inside and the doors had slid closed. The lift began to move straight away, and Alaska felt unpleasant being trapped inside a small metal box with three Pokemon and a mysterious man. She wondered, as always, what his comment meant, but thought it was best to save the questions for later. "If we are in luck, my colleague will be waiting for us and we can get out of here quickly. I don't like being exposed like this."
"How are we exposed?" Alaska scoffed. "You saw the reception, no one was down there!"
"Which means they are either on lunch or all too busy working up here," Trevor hissed back in reply. "Besides, we the fact everyone that wants to kill you can read your blog, don't you think there are other ways people could watch us?" He pointed to the ceiling at this, and Sandy gasped intensely as they spied a camera pointing out from the corner of the lift. Alaska felt even worse to think all of her movements were being tracked, but the lift came to a smooth halt with a light ping above them.
"Stay behind me and move quickly," Trevor said, his hands disappearing back inside his cloak, and he moved as soon as the doors opened. Alaska, Sandy and Paige all exchanged smiles and sighs while Frances quivered between them, and they quickly followed out to see what was going on.
There were more people up here, though none of them seemed to notice or care as the group emerged from the elevator. The people were mostly young to middle aged, their clothing quite casual to match the brightly painted and decorated walls and hallways around them. Laughter emerged from one room quite close to the elevator, and Alaska could see through a window that is a trio of young men, the whiteboard behind them implying there were planning a show. Yet no one was leaping out to try and kill them like Trevor had made it seem, and in fact no one said anything at all. Alaska only caught a second receptionist glancing towards them as she left her desk, but otherwise it was as if they were ghosts moving through the hallways.
"You'd someone would notice a dodgy looking bloke and three Pokemon moving outside their office," Alaska muttered to Paige, who replied with a simple nod, and she began to wonder if something was waiting for them. The fact they were getting so obviously ignored was strange, and Alaska wanted to know what they were getting themselves into.
"Get in here, and be very quiet," Trevor said suddenly, swivelling around and opening up a simple oak door. Vaporeon slid inside first, and Sandy obediently walked in. Alaska knew better than to make a scene, though her eyes met Trevor's as she passed by, trying to find an emotion that would hint at what was inside, but he merely flashed a smile back and followed in after. Alaska grumbled to herself and looked around, though was surprised to see the room only contained a desk and a number of chairs. No one else was in there except for them, and the only strange feature to be found was the fact the walls appeared to be wavy.
"What is this room?" Sandy asked. "These walls look like the ones in movie theatres!"
"Just take a seat," Trevor said, grabbing a remote from the head of the table and pointing it to the wall to the right of the door. It was the only one that didn't look wavy, instead appearing to be made of black glass for the most of it, but at the signal of Trevor's remote, the glass began to shimmer, the colour changing from black to clear. The next room over appeared before them, and Alaska quickly realised it was a radio studio: a large table in the middle of the room had a series of computers and microphones scattered across it, with chairs to seat about four hosts. Only one person was in there, their back facing them with only long brown hair visible.
"Is this your colleague?" Alaska asked, but Trevor only smiled at her as he pressed another button. A whirr and a buzz of static filled the room, but a feminine voice quickly became audible, and Alaska knew it was the person in the next room.
"Thanks for your call James, and I hope your Torkoal gets better. That was our last question for this week, as we have sadly run out of time. Join me next week for another new broadcast of Daisy's Tips where we will be discussing ways to prepare your Pokemon for the Pokeathlon with help from some surprise guests, and I will answer more of your questions. Until next time, remember to treat all your Pokemon with care and consideration and take my advice today to heart! Bye everyone!"
The woman in the next room took her headphones off as a musical chime began to play, but Trevor turned it off after only a few seconds. Alaska suddenly became on edge: the woman was moving towards a door, and it was likely she would soon be with them. Alaska was expecting answers, and was so worried and excited that she could barely focus, but her head, back and leg were searing with pain, and she made towards the nearest chair, unable to stand much longer.
But as she lowered herself down, the entire building began to shake. Paige squawked and Frances cried out as the building lurched, causing Alaska to miss her chair and collapse to the floor. Sirens began to wail throughout the building and warnings and instructions came across the speakers.
"Fuck, what the hell is going on?" Trevor hissed angrily, and he flung the door open. Alaska couldn't see him go as her back had seized up, leaving her trapped on the floor with a table wobbling right next to her and a Paras quivering on her chest. Shouts sounded from outside, and Paige was flying frantically overhead. Alaska sighed as she shut her eyes, trying to block out the pain spreading through her body: it felt as if she had become paralyzed, and realised with an uncomfortable jolt that she couldn't feel her damaged leg. Alaska should have been worried, but only questions filled her mind as they always did, and somehow they override the pain.
Lavender had been a ghost town when they entered the tower, so what had happened in the past five minutes to change things so drastically?
Tune in next time for a surprising change in story telling ;)
