Notes: Dr. Portman is a character I created many years ago in the YGO fandom. I still get a lot of use out of her and decided she would work very well here. Dr. Bridger is also an OC, as is Prinna.
Chapter Nine
Radley and Kalin opted to give their Eevees their collars and nametags right there in the parking lot, before they drove off. Evie exclaimed in joy when Radley put hers on. She went on two legs, trying to see herself in the mirror. Touched, Radley chuckled and held her up.
"This is how we do it here," he said. "Now everyone knows you're mine."
"Eevee!" Evie happily nuzzled him.
Kalin looked into Evan's eyes as he slipped his collar on. Evan was holding very still to let Kalin work. But once it was on, he came to life, repeatedly rubbing Kalin in his happiness.
Kalin petted him. "Is it usual for them to be this happy to go with people?" he wondered.
"I hope so," Radley said. He smiled. "In any case, I'm glad ours are this happy."
"Eevee!" Evan exclaimed.
Kalin held him close before handing him back to Radley in order to drive. Evan agreeably settled down, beginning a conversation with Evie as Kalin started the engine.
"They're just so cute!" Scotch gushed from the window.
"They sure are," Radley grinned.
"And maybe tomorrow we can all ride in your new van!" Scotch hoped.
"Well, you'll have to take turns, but sure," Radley chuckled.
He leaned back in the plush seat as Kalin maneuvered out of the parking lot. Kalin was a good driver. Radley liked his motorcycle best, but he also planned to try some of the driving. They had found a very nice vehicle for their needs and all were satisfied, including the Eevees.
The ride back was peaceful, to Radley's relief. And when they got home and brought out the pet couch, the Eevees climbed all over it in delight and Evie rubbed it.
Radley laughed. "Should we keep this in the living room or maybe in a bedroom? I was thinking they might like to sleep on it, but I'm also thinking they probably want to be close to us."
Kalin grunted. "It's not heavy. We could move it back and forth, depending on which room we're in that night."
Radley nodded. "And when we're not in the same room, maybe they'd each wanna be with one of us."
"We'll see," Kalin agreed. He had the feeling that what they wanted most was for all of them to be in the same room to rest. He and Radley often were, but sometimes were not—although they had been doing it even more frequently of late. It had started as a way to comfort each other from their nightmares and dream-memories, but had become something that was often done because, as Radley said, it was fun. He had always wanted a sibling to innocently share a bed with, and Kalin was already used to it from having to double up on beds while in the Enforcers.
The day had been very long and exhausting. It was dark now, and everyone really wanted to sleep. Yet at the same time, they felt too wound-up to sleep and they still needed to eat. For the moment, they sank wearily into the human couch.
"So, what did you think of your first foray into the Pokemon world?" Radley asked Kalin, who sighed and shook his head.
"I don't even know," he said. "It felt like being in a video game."
Radley chuckled. "It did, didn't it? So much about that world is real."
"Including the bad guys," Kalin growled.
"Yeah." Radley sighed and sank back, starting to slump into Kalin as exhaustion overtook him. "Well, I don't want to believe we'll have to tangle with them, but if they're specifically looking for Eevees, they might find their way here."
Kalin drew an arm around his shoulders. "I know."
"In fact, I can't deny I'm almost sure of it. But that might be because trouble always finds us," Radley remarked. "It's hard to stop wondering when the other shoe is going to drop."
Kalin gave a dark smirk. "Welcome to my world." But then he sighed. "I never wanted you to lose your hope."
Radley dropped his hand on Kalin's knee. "I haven't," he promised. "Sure, I've grown more cynical through the years. It would be hard not to. But . . . it would also be hard to give in to it and ignore all the good things that have happened. We've had so many miracles."
Kalin stared off into the distance. "And someday they'll run out."
"Let's not think about that," Radley soothed. "We had more today. We could have died in that mass Pineco explosion. Instead, we all came through."
Kalin frowned at the memories. "I meant to ask, is that normal Pineco behavior? They're extremely dangerous if so."
Radley sighed. "I asked Scotch because I couldn't quite remember. They're not supposed to act out unless they feel threatened. Usually they just hang there blasé. I have no idea why they all dropped on us."
"Maybe that was Team Rocket too," Kalin growled. "What if they were trying to kill us and take the Eevees?"
Radley stiffened. "They're sure capable of it," he admitted. "But if that's the case, they probably already know they failed. I don't know why they wouldn't have pounced on us again."
"What if we led them back here?" Kalin worried.
Radley went a bit pale. "We'd better make sure the alarms are set. And maybe we should find out what attacks the Eevees know in case we have to fight."
Kalin nodded. "I think so."
Radley got up and crossed the room to the alarm controls. "One way or another, we're going to protect them," he vowed. "I'll let the Bunch know there's a chance we've been tracked and they can be on high alert too."
"Good idea," Kalin said. He got out his phone. "I'll text them while you deal with that. And then we can talk to the Eevees together."
Radley smiled a bit. Kalin was definitely making an effort. He might not feel comfortable talking to Evan on his own, but he was doing his best to deal with all of these things that were so new to him and accept his new loving friend. Kalin would warm up completely before long; Radley was sure of it. And meanwhile, Evan was definitely satisfied. He knew he had a loving home and he was happy.
Radley could only pray things would stay that way. Team Rocket really might come after them if it was true that they were looking for Eevees. As Radley understood it, Eevees were usually not so easy to come by in the wild. If Team Rocket had any hint that two of them had been found and adopted, they would never leave it alone. The majority of Team Rocket members were all heartless, and Radley poor pitied any who weren't.
He sighed and turned away from the alarm when he finished arming it. "Okay, you two," he said. "Is there a way you can show us what attacks you know without getting hurt demonstrating them?"
Evie beamed and stretched her tail and ears. Beautiful stars magically flew out from around her, and Radley had to quickly open the front door for them to escape.
"That was pretty cool," Radley said in approval.
The Eevees proceeded to show their other attacks by demonstrating on empty boxes and bottles, mostly Normal and Ground-based moves such as Tackle and Take Down. But there was one Kalin and Radley didn't understand that seemed to grow more powerful each time it was used. They weren't sure what it was, but Evie and Evan always looked up lovingly at them before engaging in it.
". . . You know, maybe it's loco, but I think love is literally making that attack stronger," Radley finally said.
". . . That sounds like something out of one of Scotch's magical girl animes," Kalin grunted.
Radley chuckled. "It does, doesn't it? That's pretty amazing, though, and a huge honor."
He was interrupted by Evan sending the latest box soaring across the room from the mysterious attack.
Kalin just stared. "We only met today. How could he already feel such love for me?"
"Eevee!" Evan declared. He sat down at Kalin's feet and looked up at him.
Kalin bent down and petted him, still in disbelief.
Radley just smiled. "You'd just barely met, but you were willing to risk your life for him. That's not something anyone should take lightly. These Pokemon know how to appreciate it."
Evan rubbed against Kalin with a happy purr.
Still bewildered, Kalin lifted him up and held him close. "With an attack like that, maybe we really do have a chance if Team Rocket shows up," he mused.
Radley picked up Evie. "I think so. I hope we won't have to fight, but it's good to know we can if we have to."
Evie snuggled him close.
xxxx
"Fascinating. Utterly fascinating!"
The cruel woman leaned back in her chair as she watched the monitor feed from Radley's and Kalin's house. At her side, an Espeon sat with her tail nervously swishing back and forth in the air, and behind the animal, an elderly man with only a few remaining wisps of white hair on his head wrung his hands.
"Now you've seen it. Can't you leave them alone?!" he cried. "I don't understand what you're doing here at all! You're not with Team Rocket!"
"No, Dr. Bridger, I am not." The woman placed her hands on the chair arms and stood, towering imposingly over his short stature. "But I was sent for especially because of my past research on these two men. Of course I accepted."
"Bah! I don't understand any of this!" Dr. Bridger turned away, but the burly guard at the door just folded his arms and glowered. The Espeon tensed, exclaiming a warning to her beloved master. He sighed and backed down, petting her head.
The woman's eyes glittered. "Let me explain it to you again. Team Rocket has been studying that particular female Eevee for years. Even after she left, they picked up her trail and followed her through the eyes of their Pokemon spies. She never knew. And what an adventure she led them on! She was obsessed with a certain villa in Napa Valley, the same one where she was captured many years ago. It didn't take much research to find out it belongs to the Ramon family, and their oldest son Radley was the favorite playmate of this Eevee. When she went back and found him gone, she left again. This Eevee wandered for years, always with a purpose. And it was your own enhanced Espeon who told us that her entire being was consumed with this need to find her precious Radley again. Now she has."
"For pity's sake, can't you leave them alone?!" Dr. Bridger exclaimed. "So that Eevee loves her master. What else is new?!"
"Her love is so intense! Doesn't it seem odd to you that she hasn't evolved yet into one of the Friendship forms?!" The woman was growing more excitable now, more consumed by her madness and her need for knowledge. "She should be Umbreon! Sylveon! Even another like your Espeon! . . . And yet she is not." She drew a deep breath to calm herself. "Team Rocket believes she may be capable of Gigantamax. I am going to see whether or not she is."
"So what if she is?!" Dr. Bridger snapped. "She's not yours. She was never yours! You stole her from the boy who loved her and they never gave up wanting to be together again!"
"Correction, Doctor—Team Rocket stole her. I did not. I had nothing to do with any of this until I was called in on the project today."
"And you're into it whole-heartedly," Dr. Bridger said in disgust.
"The entire plan is genius!" the woman cried. "And they have no idea that the other Eevee in their midst is nothing but a spy! It's only through his eyes that we're able to see any of this now!"
The Espeon got to her feet, her eyes narrowed. "He doesn't know either!" she retorted. "He's going to be devastated!"
"Oh, come now. You of any of us must be grateful to Team Rocket for experimenting on you and giving you the power to communicate telepathically," the woman said. "You have a gift that very few Pokemon have other than those who can inherently learn that power."
The Espeon glowered. "He won't be grateful for what you did to him and then made him forget was done. He thinks he has a happy home with them! He would never want to hurt them!"
"Unfortunately, we don't always get what we want in this life, do we?" The woman spoke coldly, without feeling or compassion. If she had ever truly cared for the miseries of others, she didn't now and hadn't for many decades. She cared only for science, and in applying it in the cruelest way possible.
Dr. Bridger sighed tiredly and patted his Espeon's back. "You know she's right, my dear. There's nothing we can do; we have to help with this wicked plot or we will never be free."
The Espeon frowned and sat down. "We'll never be free," she said sadly. "Do you really think they'd ever let us go? You're a valuable scientist and I can communicate with Pokemon and tell people about it. They'd be fools to let us go."
"And Team Rocket are most certainly not fools," the woman remarked.
Dr. Bridger sighed, heavily. "What are you planning to do?"
"For now, just observe them," was the reply. "I will see how strong these bonds seem to be and then I will decide when and how to use your weapon to attack. And when that happens, and if the female Eevee can indeed Gigantamax, we shall see if in her panic and despair she brings harm to the person she idolizes so deeply. If she does, what will she do?! How will she react?! And likewise with the male Eevee, when he learns of the implant in his eye that is broadcasting everything to us!"
"You wicked woman!" the Espeon helplessly snapped.
Dr. Bridger held her close to him. "I always knew you were a louse, Dr. Portman," he snarled. "But trying to drive innocent animals to the point of despair?! There's no Hell good enough for you!"
"These are no ordinary animals," Portman replied. "They have the understanding and intellect of humans! I want to see just how deeply rooted that intellect and reasoning is. And if in the process I can continue my research into Mr. Ramon and Mr. Kessler, that is an incredible bonus!"
"I poor pity all of them," Dr. Bridger growled. "They don't deserve it."
"It's refreshing to see the hypocrisy of mankind is alive and well," Portman said smoothly. "You have worked for Team Rocket for years, yet you judge me?"
"I was young, and stupid, and for some reason I thought joining Team Rocket and furthering scientific research into Pokemon would be beneficial for everyone and help us all understand each other better," Dr. Bridger said.
"And you can't deny it has!" Portman said. "The marvel of your Espeon! And the fact that she is an Espeon at all proves that you've done something right."
Dr. Bridger sighed. "I never advocated any research that would actually harm Pokemon," he said. "And I didn't experiment with Prinna until she told me she wanted to try and see if she could learn Telepathy. That little Eevee most certainly didn't want to become a spy for Team Rocket! And that other Eevee is completely terrified of Gigantamax!" He clenched a fist at his side. "The kinds of research you and I do is entirely different! How will it benefit anyone to torment those poor Eevees and the people they love?!"
"It's all part of coming to understand the mind, both of Pokemon and people," Portman said. "You just don't have the stomach for what has to be done, Doctor. That's why I was called in." Her eyes gleamed. "I was unaware that Team Rocket has been watching me very closely all through the years. They've thought for some time that I would be perfect in their research department. If all goes well here, I will be replacing you and you will indeed be free to leave as you desire."
Dr. Bridger knelt and hugged Prinna close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, worry still strong in her amethyst eyes.
"They'll kill us," she said softly. "Or you anyway. I won't let that happen!"
"Shh. Don't you worry, girl," Dr. Bridger whispered back. "I got us into this horrible fix when I joined these wretched people. Somehow I'll figure a way out."
"We need to help them, too," Prinna said. "But how will we ever warn them about what's happening?!"
"I don't know," Dr. Bridger sighed. He looked up helplessly at the monitor feed. "I just don't know. . . ."
"Maybe you could turn off the implant in the Eevee's eye," Prinna suggested. ". . . No . . . that would get traced back to you. . . ."
"We'll think of something," he promised. "Maybe if we could send a message through Pokemon that would eventually get to him and he could try to alert his human. . . ."
"But maybe Team Rocket would hurt him if he found out about the implant before they meant him to," Prinna fretted. "They wouldn't want him to tell!"
"No, they wouldn't." Dr. Bridger frowned. "It does seem hopeless, doesn't it. Maybe there's nothing we can do right now except wait and watch, and try to interfere for good once this evil plan starts going down."
Prinna sighed. She didn't like that at all, but she also wasn't sure there was another feasible solution. She slumped against her beloved owner while he watched Portman take out a notepad and begin taking notes on what they were viewing.
