Interlude Ten: Battered, Broken and Beating
"I do not care if that girl turns out to be the messiah that will lead us to victory! If I ever see that black haired bitch again, I will personally kick her in the face!"
Night had fallen in Celadon City, and darkness had crept into the Celadon Gym. Workers from a construction company part owned by the Athlews had come and cleared away most of the glass from the shattered wall and had tried to cover it up, but the dents in the structure made any sort of flimsy cardboard covering ineffective. They would return in the morning, but for now, Daisy, Alexis, Jericho, Evelyn and Morimoto stood in the middle of the burnt, ash strewn battle field, with charred wood and shattered glass surrounding them, barely any lights still working, and feeling the chill of the suddenly opened up building.
"Look at this place!" Evelyn shrieked, her voice echoing inside the silent gym. She was red in the face, fuming with undisguised anger, and everyone was making sure they were well away from her as the Athlew matriarch marched around the field, crunching ash with her high heels. "This place looks abandoned, or something a poor person might work in! What gives that girl any right to destroy this beautiful building, a beautiful building that I invested a couple of million in to help build, I might add!"
"Evelyn, it is not as though the damage is permanent," Alexis said, putting her words carefully so she would not be attacked next. "All gyms have sufficient funds accumulated from battle losses to repair the facilities post battles. She broke half our glass last week and it only took a few hours to replace everything! We might even get the chance to do some remodelling…"
"THAT IS NOT THE POINT!" Evelyn screeched, and Alexis jumped, having drifted off into dreams of renovations. "The International Police have very specific plans for that girl! I let Alaska into my home, gave her food and shelter, and made a perfectly reasonable offer to protect her from this fight she has gone and bloody well put herself in the middle of. And how does she react? She sets fire to your field, smashes your walls, and throws some sort of concrete disguised as brownies at one of her hosts!"
"I think they are just normal brownies," Daisy mumbled sheepishly, earning her furious glares from both of the Athlews in the room, Jericho with a large red mark on his forehead.
"The point is not money or what sort of projectile she used," Evelyn hissed. "The point is that this Alaska girl is a dangerous individual who cannot be controlled, yet the wizened scientists of our once great nation are sticking to their mantra of making children fight their battles for them. Look what happened with our current champion and Team Rocket, the damage they caused across the region! Jericho nearly died when he fought that Dragonite for them! The International Police know that Alaska is not the fit person to stop Gideon, and they were right in thinking she should be locked up and stopped from causing any more harm. LOOK AT THIS PLACE!" Evelyn cried, and she angrily smashed an already broken shard with the tip of her high heel, gesticulating furiously at the damage that was evident around them. There was a timid cough from behind, and everyone turned as Morimoto stepped forwards. The Game Freak executive had been standing in the shadows where the stands had stood, listening to everything Evelyn had said, and now moved forwards, appearing deep in thought. Morimoto had insisted on coming to the gym match today, having wanted to see Alaska in battle, and it was quite clear to Daisy, who knew the developer well, that he had been looking to analyse the trainer everyone was talking about.
"This Alaska… she is very intriguing, you must admit," he said, walking slowly towards the rest of them. "I heard about her a few weeks ago from an employee that showed me her blog, and she has done some very amazing things in such a short space of time. It is astounding to see someone of her age escape death so many times."
"Have you followed the path of destruction though?" Evelyn snapped. "The Power Plant, Mt Moon, Pewter Museum, everywhere she goes, something gets damaged, largely in quite catastrophic ways!"
"The results of war, they are unavoidable," Morimoto said. "When I came to this world during the Great War, there was so much destruction across your regions that it seemed impossible you would ever recover. But each piece of rubble, every scar on the earth, they were all the results of people fighting for good, for the safety of this place, and after a few years, all of these wounds were covered over. Those things Alaska destroyed, like this gym, they can all be repaired. She is simply a warrior fighting a great foe, and what she has done has been nowhere as damaging as what Gideon did to Chrono Island."
"I am not comparing the two and what they have done!" Evelyn said with acid in every word. "I am merely saying that the girl is not a suitable person to fight him. The International Police have much more qualified, more level headed people that can stop Gideon, rather then some aggressive school girl that is involved in something a lot bigger than herself! Alaska is only going to destroy Kanto is she is allowed to go free, and she will kill herself in the process. And by the time she is dead, there will be no one else to stop Gideon. That is why the International Police want to keep her out of this war: there is too much being placed upon her to succeed, and should Alaska fail, than Gideon will be able to carry out some plan unlike anything we have ever seen, and Oak, Bill, all of them have no Plan B!" Evelyn's last few words echoed, carrying the effect of her statement. Jericho and Alexis exchanged nervous looks, and Daisy suddenly felt guilty, as if she should have done more to stop her. Morimoto paused and looked upwards, staring at the stars they could see through the shattered window, blinking dimly through the light pollution the city produced. Evelyn waited impatiently for him to talk, but Morimoto moved about to another spot and stared up through a different pane, as if this new spot would give him the answers he was searching for.
"Her uncontrollability and explosive personality makes her our greatest asset," the developer said at last, staring dramatically back down at Evelyn, now standing on the opposite side of the scorched field from her, the other three standing like Pokemon between them. "Gideon is a scientist, his life revolves around numbers and statistics. He can work out all of our strategies before we have even thought of them, because he knows how everyone thinks. Gideon could have spent years watching Red's battles for all we know, working out how he battles and how he uses his Pokemon, which makes our own Champion useless if the enemy knows exactly what command he will give in five moves time.
"But with Alaska, she is unpredictable. She makes up her mind three seconds after she gives a command, and changes it again before she gives the next one. Alaska has a gun that Bill gave her that she has barely used, she fights with a tray of rock hard brownies, she banished her Primeape a week ago and regrets doing so. If Gideon and Alaska ever faced each other, Gideon would find himself in unexplored territories: he would expect Alaska to use her trusted Pidgeotto, and instead find himself being strangled by Sandy's Onix while Parasect shatters his toes. We need a mind as rebellious and unrelenting as Alaska's to defeat one as brilliant and well thought out as Gideon's."
"What about her destructive natu –"
"As I said, a necessary part of any war, but in this case, Alaska feels the need to cause this damage to prove her skills and make a point," Morimoto interrupted, making Evelyn flare. "She has been caged away in Viridian all her life like that Pidgeotto of hers, but this journey has been her chance to finally experience freedom. I can tell from her blogs that Alaska refuses to let anyone push her around after the life she has led, and with the people she is up against that are trying to tell her what to do, she must make very big statements in order to make herself heard above them. The more we try and push her, the more Alaska will try and prove herself, and the more damage she will leave behind." He smiled at Evelyn at this, and the elderly women scoffed and turned away, looking appalled.
"That is ridiculous!" Jericho scoffed, stepping forward to replace his grandmother. "She is nearly the same age as me; how can she be mature enough to face Gideon, or strong enough to keep surviving these attacks?"
"Not all thirteen year olds are like you," Alexis said mockingly, but Morimoto held up a hand and nodded at the flame haired boy.
"That is a fair point. Alaska has been through more than you, even before all of this started," he explained. "I believe her family is barely surviving. Her siblings go to Arcethian due to a scholarship, but Alaska has lived solely in Viridian, going to a lower class school where she was constantly bullied and mocked. Her father recently lost his job and has become reclusive, and her house has fallen into disrepair. Alaska is already tough, and I believe from her latest blog post that she is planning to focus solely on her gym journey. This will give her the time to grow and become stronger, and when the time comes to fight Gideon and end this once and for all, she will be ready, and it is time that we accept her role in all of this and leave her to fulfil her duties."
Silence suddenly fell. Evelyn stared furiously at Morimoto, trying desperately to continue the argument, wanting to prove she was right as she always did. However, Morimoto had made too good of a point, and Evelyn could tell that, for once, she had been bested. She looked around at her grandson, at Alexis and Daisy, wondering if any of them had something to add, but they were staring sheepishly at their feet, no words coming to mind as they dwelled over what Morimoto had said.
"I believe Evelyn, it is time we declared Mr Morimoto the winner of the debate," a sixth voice said suddenly, and Alexis and Jericho both cried out. Everyone turned towards the shattered north wall, where they could see the city lights in the background, the empty panes letting in the roar of man made transport and the excitement of people spending the night on the town. They could see no sixth figure, but suddenly someone side stepped out from the darkness, materializing as quickly as if he (as the voice had clearly been male) had teleported. The group was confused, wondering who this mysterious person was that had sidled into their lives, but the figure moved closer towards them, stepping into the feeble light coming from the few working bulbs scattered throughout the gym, and recognition and relief spread across the tense group.
"Trevor!" Daisy cried, and rushed forwards, tears streaming down her face before she had even moved, not caring where she was or who was there. Trevor moved forwards with a slight limp in his left leg, with scars down his face and neck, which was covered with rough stubble. His dark clothes were dirty and still covered with dust, despite the tunnel collapse occurring over a week ago, making him appear a ghost that had emerged from the rubble.
"Hello Daisy," Trevor said as Daisy nearly tackled him, pulling him into a hug. "Be careful, I am still tender from the tunnel collapse."
"Well, I am still annoyed you didn't give me any warning about this mission of yours!" Daisy huffed, cuffing him lightly on the shoulder as she continued to cry. "For twenty four hours, I thought you were… dead… NEVER do that to me again! You should have called me sooner, or given me some sort of warning of what you were going to do!"
"I am sorry, but you know I had to do it," Trevor said, wiping away the tears with one of his fingers. He turned to look at the others standing before them, all looking confused. "My bosses wanted me to do some investigating into Alaska's life. Mostly into her past, but a bit into her future. I had to track someone rather special down, but I did not want Alaska to become suspicious as to where I was. I had made plans to disappear during Celadon, giving Daisy proper warning, but the tunnel collapse was the perfect opportunity for me to disappear." They had all known Trevor had faked his possible death or disappearance, but none of them knew what he had gone to do, or why he had chosen now to return. Trevor limped closer to them, with Daisy clinging to his shoulders, still feeling emotional. He pulled a slim folder out from his jacket, and the spy's face suddenly became grim.
"The International Police wanted to protect Alaska from herself," Trevor explained. "As has been noted, she is unpredictable and dangerous, acting out in such a way to prevent us from controlling her. It has worked this time, as my superiors believe we must now let her go her own way and make her own decisions, though she will be closely monitored at all times by a back up crew. Daisy, they want you to continue your role as a friend to her, especially while she remains in Celadon." Daisy nodded, wiping her tears away.
"What has made them change their minds?" Alexis asked. "They seemed so intent on preventing her from continuing with her journey a week ago. Did the destruction of my gym do it for them?" Trevor shook his head, and he passed the folder across. Evelyn angrily snatched it, glaring at Trevor as if he had turned against her, and opened it up so everyone could see.
"There is only a photo," Jericho said, "and we can barely see it in this light." Trevor whipped a torch out from another pocket and flashed it across the printed out photograph. It was grainy, with an intense flash that showed in the corners of the image. However, the central image was quite visible: it was some sort of etching on a rock face, though it took a few moments for everyone to make out the figure in the centre.
"It looks like someone standing on a Pokemon," Daisy said through her watery eyes, staring intently at the biggest part of the rock drawing. "Possibly a Flying type, based on the curves, maybe a –"
"Pidgeot," Morimoto said gloomily, and there was a collective gasp. Beneath the Pidgeot, there was what appeared to be a giant crack, but they all knew it was one that had been drawn rather than a crack in the wall. Surrounding this crack was a series of figures, and while it was impossible to distinguish them, it was quite clear that this was some sort of battle.
"Did you track her down?" Morimoto asked, working out who Trevor had gone to find, and the spy gave a grim nod.
"Charlotte confirmed my suspicions," he said, staring grimly down at the photo he had taken before looking up at a shocked Evelyn. "Alaska must be there when the final part of this battle takes place, for it was decided two thousand years ago. The only thing we don't know is who exactly she will be fighting, or if she is going to win." A chilled silence filled the gym, and everyone exchanged looks as the sounds of city nightlife crept in through the broken window panes, damage caused by the only person that could save them from the unknown.
High above the clouds, with a cold wind trying to push him aside, Latios floated… watching, waiting, wondering.
The Eon Pokemon stared down at Celadon City, examining the drastic changes that had occurred during his incapacitation, all the while feeling weary. His energy was slowly coming back to him, but after spending years trapped inside a stone, he was nowhere near his full capabilities. Latios had drained a lot of his built-up energy protecting Alaska during the tunnel collapse from more severe injuries, including forcing Nadia to turn back into her energy form and inside her PokeBall. If he did not rest properly, then he would be of no use to Alaska when the time came for him to fight.
Even though she seems to not want me… Latios thought angrily. He had used a lot of his mental strength to speak to Alaska during her comatose state, trying to warn her of what was to come, but it seemed he had been ignored once again. Latios was capable of brief psychic flashes that allowed him to see a short distance into the future, and he knew what was to come for Alaska. It was his job to look out for her, he had been bound to her, but Alaska seemed oblivious to his help.
She must make her own decisions, even if they are wrong, I am simply a guide, Latios thought, shutting his eyes for a moment, seeing flashes of screaming faces, a shaking stadium and two figures flying towards one another. He opened his eyes again and found himself drained again, simply from those few moments spent in the future. Latios looked down and was startled to see he had dropped several metres, startling a group of migrating Swellow that scattered in their shock.
I must help Alaska, but I cannot like this, the Dragon thought, and he stared to the east, where he could make out a distant river turned inky black by night,. Latios knew his sister lay in this direction, further east than Viridian City, meaning he must go back to Johto in order to find her. Latios had meant to go sooner, have searched for her presence after learning who held her, but Alaska's needs had delayed him. However, the journey would be long and tiresome, and with his energy already fading, Latios would need the rest of his strength to track down his other half and getting the healing powers he required.
Good luck Alaska, I shall return as soon as possible, Latios thought as he tucked his legs in, now resembling a white and blue torpedo. I simply hope you do not need me while I am gone, he added as a depressing after thought, and with a sudden white flash, Latios propelled himself through the night sky, onwards to the next part of his journey.
Buzz watched silently from a metal platform, staring down into a deep concrete pit below. The wide, usually empty space could be transformed into whatever he desired with a flick of a switch, with a number of concealed doors opening to allow weapons or robotics to be brought in for display, for recruits to march in, for prisoners to be executed in the most public way. The executive always enjoyed these moments, but tonight a display of trainees skill had been put on for him.
A series of platforms were set up, and two teams were in the middle of combat, one in black and one in blue. The goal was to remove several red tags from each person on the opposing team, the tags representing arteries that could led to death if even slightly penetrated. No one was allowed to touch the ground, and all trainees had to leap from platform to platform, fighting with only their bodies and blunt bits of plastic, trying their best to prove themselves to the men above.
Buzz did not design these exercises, that job belonged to the other person standing on the platform. He was a towering man, with muscles that rivalled many Machamp, shown off through a tight fitting black outfit similar to what the trainees wore that made the muscles appear bulbous. The intimidating looking man was known only as Scar, largely as his face was a collection of various war wounds earned from a secret past of fighting and murdering across the regions. The most prominent scars were the severe burns that covered his entire scalp, having burnt of all his hair, and a permanently raw-looking red wound that went across his left eyelid, over his nose, pass the lips and then curved back around the right ear and back across his head, coming full circle. Scar had never told Buzz how he had gotten that injury or any of the others, and rarely said a word unless answering a question about training or giving out commands, but none of this mattered to Buzz. He had plenty of people that fawned over him for conversation should he so desire it: Scar had one purpose, and Buzz did not wish to deal with the silent, hideous, muscled man unless it was necessary.
"Will you have a team ready within the next few days?" Buzz asked, watching one fight in particular, where a member of the blue team was smashing the head of his opponent against the concrete walls in order to make him drop his weapon.
"These men are ready, I will have the snipers prepared by tomorrow," Scar replied, his voice so deep it sounded as if it came from the depths of his stomach. "You did not have good men to work with, but they shall do now."
"Excellent," Buzz said tensely, ignoring the insult. He smiled as the fight he was watching ended, with the black team member falling from the platform, which Buzz only then realised was about five metres above the ground. The thud echoed inside the room, but the fighters ignored it, continuing their brutal battle to be the best, as they all knew what would happen should they fail.
"I will come again tomorrow, it is late now," Buzz said, and waited for some sort of farewell, but Scar remained silent, staring angrily down at his trainees. Buzz silently stepped away, a bit unnerved by the look on his trainer's face, but knew better than to point it out, and knew it was necessary to have him whether he liked him or not. He would not make the same mistake that Giovanni, Cyrus, Maxie and Archie had made before him. In order to fight a true war, you needed to have trained soldiers, not random kids pulled off the streets looking for a bit of fun.
When Buzz arrived in Celadon City in two days time, he was going to face Alaska with warriors on his team. And finally, victory would be his.
That was the final 8ES for 2012! Thank you to everyone that has enjoyed the series over the year and left feedback via reviews. I hoped to have made it further by this point, so hopefully at this time next year, we will be a LOT closer to the conclusion of Alaska's story and her fight that has been 2,000 years in the making! There are some big changes coming up, so look out for those when the series returns after I finally do my Christmas specials.
