Sorry for another long delay! Hopefully this chapter and the next three (which will be done soon as well, fingers crossed) will make up for it - I think the rest of this arc will be some of the best yet!
Chapter Forty Nine: It's a Freaks Game
I lost…
The two words were the only things Alaska could think of. She had no idea how much time had passed since the gym battle, and had no clue where she was in this unfamiliar city. Alaska simply stared off into space, ignoring the world and the people around her, the two words replaying over and over again within her mind. I lost… I lost… I lost…
"You can always rebattle her, there is no shame in that," Sandy had said at one point, though Alaska could not say where or when, and the comment was hardly helpful. One loss was all Jericho and Evelyn would need to find a way to keep her hidden away from Gideon. One loss was all Gideon needed to gain superiority above her. They would all wonder how Alaska could possibly defeat the scientist if she could not even defeat a gym leader. At one moment, Alaska thought it was funny how her enemy and the ones meant to be protecting her had a common reason to undermine her, though her depression and shock pushed the thoughts from her system.
I lost… I lost… I fucking lost…
"It is going to rain soon," Daisy said, bringing Alaska out of her thoughts for a moment. She looked up to see the slate coloured clouds looming above, perfectly reflecting her mood. A number of tall buildings surrounded them, though when Alaska looked around, she saw the green glass gym gleaming despite the lack of sunshine behind them, and realised they must not have gone far, and she wondered how much time had passed… I lost, I lost…
"Is the Pokemon Center near?" Sandy asked, clutching Pichu in her arms and looking concerned, the clouds rumbling overhead.
"We won't get there before this downpour begins," Daisy replied, "but my grandfather and Bill have friends just down the street. They could give us shelter, and they might be able to give you some advice Alaska." She smiled at Alaska, but the grin disappeared quickly. Alaska had barely noticed what she said, but realised in a moment that her face must be reflecting her foul and terrible she was feeling. I lost, I lost.
"Let's go there," Alaska said, and glanced around for any signs of Alexis, Jericho or Evelyn, but realised quickly that there were not about. Where is everyone? How long did I blank out? I lost… I lost…
"The others are staying at the gym," Sandy said when Alaska posed the question to her, her face riddled with concern. "They were going to help tidy up. I suggested we go for a walk to clear your head and you agreed." Alaska thought hard, and she could remember this conversation happening, though she felt as though she had been standing to the side and had not actually been involved. Everything seemed to have passed in a daze, and Alaska could not recall any parts of this apparent walk over the constantly repeating words… I lost, I lost, I lost
The clouds continued to rumble as the trio turned down the street, and the first drops of rain brushed against Alaska's face as Daisy led them towards the only office block on the street. It was black and made of glass and metal like every other Celadon building, with an LED sign above the doors bearing 'Game Freak' in flashing colours. The name meant nothing to Alaska, but she followed Sandy and Daisy into the building with a grim smile upon her face, not wishing to be alone in a time like this.
"Nice place," Sandy said as they entered past an extravagant water feature and a black leather lounge suite, though Alaska was barely registering anything, the thought of her loss continuing to plague her every thought. I lost, I lost…
"I know, they spent a million redesigning the place last year when their newest game came out," Daisy replied, waving to a blonde bobbed receptionist behind an oversized wooden desk. They stepped inside a cosy elevator and were quickly whisked up, Alaska feeling a sensation in her stomach that she thought could be more related to her battle than the lift.
"So who are these people?" Sandy asked. "Game developers?"
"That's right," Daisy replied with a nod. "They do Pokemon simulation games designed for people unable to go on journeys or as artificial practice for trainers. Game Freak has released over a dozen games and they are insanely popular! My grandfather and Bill have helped them with making strategies and providing some of their research to make the game realistic, as they believe the games help encourage people to go on journeys and promote the proper treatment of Pokemon."
I bet these games don't involve any sadistic mad scientists or murderous robots, Alaska thought darkly, but tried not to let it show on her face as Sandy looked fairly interested. The lift came to a halt and the trio stepped onto into what looked like a regular office area, with around fifty or so computers spread across the blue carpeted floor with views of the rain struck city. There were enclosed offices to the right, and Daisy moved towards a second receptionist outside one office and quickly whispered something.
"This place seems pretty cool," Sandy said. Alaska went to say that it was as boring as every other office space, but caught her tongue when she realised Sandy was making the effort to talk to her. It was not her fault Alaska had lost, and she had warned her about taking on the battle without a proper strategy. I lost, she didn't
"It seems alright, though the name is false advertising: none of these people look likes freaks. Disappointing," she said, and Sandy laughed. Daisy appeared beside them again, now accompanied by a tall man with light skin and a large hat resting upon his head, dressed darkly in a long coat that made him look large.
"Alaska, Sandy, this is Morimoto, one of the head game designers here at Game Freak," Daisy explained. Alaska smiled back as warmly as possible, silently taking note of how much the man loomed over them all and the richness of his outfit.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Alaska Acevedo," Morimoto said in a deep, booming voice that echoed above the typing of keys around the office. "We may just be game makers, but we have heard plenty about your exploits." Alaska kept her smile on, though was irritated by the fact people she had never met and never thought she would meet seemed to know everything about her.
"Glad to know I'm becoming famous," she replied with only a hint of bitterness, but the game developer did not seem to notice or chose to ignore it.
"I would love a chance to talk to you about your travels so far and everything you have seen, but that would be quite discourteous of me," Morimoto continued. "Why don't I give you a tour of our facilities first before we retire to my office?" Alaska was not in the mood for more walking, but she was in even less of a mindset for casual chatting bordering on in depth interrogation, and gave a simple nod and smiled forcibly, though Morimoto was already signalling for the lifts again.
It was a silent ride to the next floor. Alaska could feel the others judging her as they stood cramped together, Sandy and Daisy wondering if she was alright while Morimoto was trying to work out what she was made of. Alaska wouldn't be surprised if Pichu was thinking dark thoughts about her as well, and gave the newborn a dark stare that was returned with a cute smile that failed to shake her thoughts. I lost…
The doors were soon sliding open again, though Alaska could not tell how much time had passed. For a moment, Alaska was knocked out of her thoughts as she stepped out into a space vastly different to the floor below. A neon lit battle field stood before them, taking up half the floor and giving the room a bright purple glow that seeped into every corner. Another desk stood to the left, this one longer and attended by a young man with a blue Mohawk and clothing that screamed hipster-wannabe. Several technicians were tapping away at computers that stood in all four corners of the field, and Alaska noticed rows and rows of PokeBalls behind the desk and along the walls.
"This is our brand new Battle Testing Arena!" Morimoto explained in his booming voice, attracting the attention of everyone in the room, echoing above the faint whisper of rain lashing invisible windows. "We developed it so that we could have Pokemon battle before us and record what they do and how they react through cameras and laser beams designed to follow their every movement and attack. This is so we can make our games more accurate and use much more realistic and better graphics based on our mock battles. Our intention is to develop this system and build a holographic simulation arena game by 2020."
"Oh my god, I would so love to play a simulation game!" Sandy said with a big beam on her face.
"Why would you want to play a simulation game? You already have Pokemon," Alaska pointed out, causing Sandy to pause for a moment before blushing. Daisy shot Alaska a look, but she ignored it and stepped forwards, examining the field that shone before her. Memories of the gym battle came rushing back to Alaska, a blur of green and destruction, watching her Pokemon falling one after the other. I lost, I lost. This new field was so vastly different from Celadon… but were her Pokemon up to the task? Was Alaska up to it? I lost, I lost, I lost, I lost, I lost…It was all happening so quickly…
"Do you wish to look more around this floor and our technology, or shall I show you some of our game software?" Morimoto said from behind, snapping Alaska back into reality. "There are so many other floors for us to look across, and this storm you are hiding from will likely last a while."
"We're staying here," Alaska called out, walking slowly towards the field, the blinding purple light drilling into her eyes. "We are having a battle… I don't care who with, but I am battling someone." Silence was her only answer, but Alaska didn't care as she had the voice in her head to drill her on; I lost, I lost, I lost. The game programmers tapping away at their computers looked up at her, but Alaska only briefly glanced at them before staring back at the field… I lost, I lost…
"Alaska, this is crazy!" Daisy cried. "You haven't healed your Pokemon, and if you forced them into battle now it could cause serious damage to them! Be responsible for once and don't go running blindly into a battle." Alaska paused and turned around, Daisy's words feeling like a punch to the stomach, and she was pleased to see her backing away at her furious look.
"I will heal them before I battle, of course!" Alaska hissed, and she threw her four PokeBalls towards the counter, forcing the hipster to catch them. She had presumed it would be like a Pokemon Center nurse's station like the one her mother worked at, and Alaska was glad not to make herself look like a fool as the man slotted the balls into a machine.
"If you are going to have a battle, you will need to have an opponent," Morimoto said, his eyes twinkling with each word he spoke. "If neither of your beautiful friends will take this role, I will gladly do it myself."
"No thanks," Alaska hissed back, wiping the smile of the designer's face. "You want to test my strength and my skills so you can put me into a game, or report it back to Oak or Bill, don't you?" She glowered at him and waited for a response, but Morimoto simply gave her a brief smile that did not reach his eyes and did not answer. "I thought so. I know enough of what it feels like to be controlled like some avatar in a game, so I don't think you can pull that one on me! Sandy, I guess that leaves you and me to fight this out," Alaska said, and put all the warmth and caring that remained in her body into a smile for her oldest friend in the room. Sandy, however, looked awkward, her attention going between Alaska, Daisy and Morimoto, her eyes wide and worrisome, and Alaska felt her heart sink even further. I lost, I lost
"Alaska, I would love to battle you, but…," Sandy said, before pausing and glancing down at Pichu snoozing once more in her arms. "Is there a chance Daisy may be right? You did just suffer a really bad loss Alaska, and I did say to you beforehand that it would be best to wait and plan and form a proper battle strategy. Why do you want to battle again so soon, when you and your Pokemon are not at top form?" You lost, you lost, you lost, you loser.
"I want to prove that I can win!" Alaska shouted back, her voice going higher and louder than she had intended, though she did not stop. "I know I am not going to be able to continue my journey now. You can try and deny it Daisy, but losing against a gym leader is all those Athlews will need to keep me at their oversized doll house. I won't be able to change their minds, but I need to know that I can still battle and that I am still a good trainer, otherwise it would all just eat me away inside." I lost, I lost, don't you all know that I lost? Daisy and Morimoto exchanged looks, and Alaska could only wonder what they must be thinking about her right now. She looked at Sandy, wishing, hoping her friend would see how much she needed this. Sandy looked at Alaska, her face uncertain and awkward for a moment, but a smile quickly spread across her face.
"Okay then. I can't guarantee you will win, but I will battle you Alaska: a two on two double battle," she said with a joking smile. Alaska beamed, and for the first time since her gym battle she began to feel calm and collected. The next minutes passed in a rushed, excited blur of burning neon glow and moving around, but Alaska collected her healed Pokemon and moved towards the opposite end of the field. Daisy seated herself begrudgingly in stands that extended out from the wall, while Morimoto stood firmly in the middle, seemingly going to referee. Alaska could barely think straight, her mind rushing with a thousand thoughts at once. The same two words continued to chant away at the back of her head, but Alaska looked across at Sandy, thinking about what Pokemon she had and would use, how she would be able to defeat them, what strategies her own Pokemon could use. You'll lose, you'll lose, the same voice chanted in her mind, and Alaska had to shake it out and concentrate on the battle at hand.
"This will be a two on two double battle," Morimoto explained from the sidelines. "The battle shall end when both Pokemon on one team are unable to battle. Do the trainers accept these rules, and understand that by playing on this field, their Pokemon will be monitored and haven their movements recorded for our systems?"
"Agreed!" Alaska shouted, grabbing two PokeBalls from her pocket. Sandy gave a less enthusiastic nod, and Morimoto glanced at the men behind the computers. They each pressed a few buttons and tapped a few keys, and they gave thumbs-up as purple lights began to glow on each of their stands.
"If everyone is agreed, then let the battle begin!"
"Butterfree, Bellsprout, come out and fight!" Sandy cried, throwing her PokeBalls forwards. Alaska had not noticed Sandy had passed Pichu across to Daisy, and for a moment she wondered why she had missed this detail and what else she may have forgotten. By the time the thought had passed, Butterfree and Bellsprout had formed on the glowing field, looking surprised by the arena they had been sent onto. Everyone was looking at Alaska now, and she realised her Pokemon should be on the field as well.
"Paige, Darwin, I choose you!" She shouted, throwing the two PokeBalls forwards. Daisy and Sandy looked stunned by her decision, but Alaska knew Darwin was the right Pokemon to use. The image of him flying towards Meganium, glass in hand, was a hard one to shake, and Alaska had to reassure herself that he was a safe Pokemon to keep on her team and not a danger to them all.
Glowing red light overcame the purple for a moment, and than Paige and Darwin were there, looking confused as well for a moment before settling into battle mode. Perfect, Alaska thought, my two oldest Pokemon and my two best battlers. They are what I need to win this… I lost, I lost, I lost…
"PoisonPowder on Darwin and Sleep Powder on Paige!" Sandy called.
"Defensive and status moves, I should have known!" Alaska shouted with a smile. "Paige, use Quick Attack on Bellsprout, and Darwin use ThunderPunch on Butterfree!" Paige shot forwards as soon as her command was given, a glowing silhouette above the blazing neon field, and she slammed into Bellsprout before the Grass type knew what had happened. Butterfree looked briefly at her team mate before going for Darwin, her wings turning purple.
"APE!" Darwin screeched, and he jumped forwards, punching Butterfree in the abdomen with a glowing yellow fist. Butterfree cried weakly out as she was brought crashing to the ground, and for a moment Alaska thought she was already knocked out, but the Butterfly Pokemon floated back up as soon as Darwin backed away.
"Excellent!" Alaska cried. "Darwin, you use Seismic Toss on Bellsprout, and Paige go for Butterfree with another Quick Attack!"
"Psybeam and Vine Whip both on Darwin," Sandy said. Alaska looked across at her friend and saw Sandy looked nervous and worried, and she wondered what was causing this. However, Paige moved in front of Sandy, blocking her out from view. Alaska's eyes followed as her Pidgeotto soared across the field towards Butterfree, hitting her with enough force to send her flying as well.
"Good job!" Alaska cried, beaming with joy, glad to see the battle was going well. Paige smiled back at her, but than her eyes bulged and her beak dropped. A yellow glow appeared on the field, and Alaska watched in confusion as Darwin turned towards Butterfree, his fist glowing with another ThunderPunch. "No Darwin, Seismic Toss on Bellsprout!" Alaska shouted, but Darwin merely shot her a look before running forwards. "DARWIN, STOP!"
"PIDGE!" Paige shouted, and she quickly moved forwards, diving in front of Butterfree as Darwin jumped. The ThunderPunch struck her in the stomach, the electricity soaring through Paige and making her tail feathers stand on end.
"What is the meaning of this Alaska?" Morimoto said angrily. "Why is your Pokemon disobeying orders and attacking your own team mates!"
I wish I could answer that truthfully, Alaska thought. "He is having an off day I think," she lied in reply. "Darwin, use Seismic Toss on Bellsprout, now!"
"APE APE APE!" Darwin screeched back, and he jumped up again, his fists glowing. Paige was still in the way, but when the fist connected this time, the Pidgeotto was forced back against Butterfree, and both Pokemon slammed against the stands.
"DARWIN, STOP THIS!" Alaska screamed, watching as bits of wood broke off. She knew she should withdraw him, but she had to win as well… her mind was spinning, Alaska could not think which was more important… I lost, I lost, I lost
"Alaska, withdraw him now, end this before it gets worse!" Daisy screamed from the stands. Alaska tried to follow what was going on, but all four Pokemon appeared to be yelling, Darwin the loudest of them all, and the purple glow from the battlefield was distracting, the light blinding her mind… I lost, I lost…
Alaska suddenly found herself on the ground, the lilac glow surrounding her, swallowing her body whole. Someone was yelling, and unfamiliar faces were looming over her, but Alaska wanted them to go away, she had to continue her battle… I lost, I lost, why did I lose? Two simultaneously angry noises sounded behind her, and Alaska turned around in time to see a violent purple tornado spinning across the field, looking as though it had emerged from the neon lights, and Darwin was jumping towards it.
"DARWIN, STOP!" Alaska screamed, though she was unsure why. The Twister briefly glowed yellow, and then the whole thing exploded. A powerful blast of wind sent Alaska, Morimoto and one of the computer monitors flying backwards. Alaska crashed into one of the programmers, bouncing off him and falling face first onto the floor below. There was a scream and a screech, and a loud smashing sound that made Sandy scream. Alaska tasted blood in her mouth and her nose felt as though it had snapped, but she looked up anyway, her brain bouncing against the sides of her head.
A large hole remained where parts of a wall had once been. Rain and wind was coming up, whipping up papers and loose PokeBalls that had fallen from the shelves. The hipster attendant rushed forwards to gather things up, and it was then that Alaska realised the neon glow was gone, and she saw a large crack down the middle of the field. For a blurred, confusing second, Alaska had no idea what was going on, but than she realised four figures were missing from the battlefield, and Alaska realised, with what felt like a stab to the chest, what had caused the hole in the window…
I lose, I lose, I always lose…
This chapter may have seemed a bit rushed and disjointed, but note that was my intention, and hopefully you will be able to see why ;) The fiftieth chapter is up next, and it will involve something I have not done yet in my Pokemon writing, so look out for a shocking twist in a chapter that will shape the rest of the series
