A/N: Brace yourself - this chapter marks the beginning of where sh** is going to hit the metaphorical fan.
The remainder of her time spent wandering around Mt. Moon felt more like a jumbled mess than anything else. Having run into a handful of suspicious looking people attempting to dig up pokémon fossils, Brie had ended up getting into a scuffle of sorts, defeating them relatively easy and managing to rescue some of the remains of prehistoric pokémon they had sought to take for themselves. She decided to have the fossils delivered to Pewter City's Museum of Science, remembering the curator's request and thinking of no better use for them herself – she certainly wasn't planning on resurrecting prehistoric pokémon anytime soon. Still, she thought about how interested Steven had seemed interested in finding some, and opted to hold onto a beautiful amber she had found, thinking she might give it to him if she met up with him again. She was confident that he possessed good judgment - if he chose to resurrect the Aerodactyl, he would take good care of it. Additionally, Growlithe had managed to unearth a small fragment of a moonstone as well, and Brie smiled when she caught a glimpse of the precious meteorite. It may not have looked like much, but she decided to keep it as good luck charm, if nothing more. Perhaps she could have it made into a necklace one day.
Upon arriving in Cerulean City, Abrielle healed up her pokémon team and tried to unwind as she settled into a bed at the Pokémon Center. She knew the next day would be an uphill battle, literally, as she challenged the powerful trainers rumored to congregate along Nugget Bridge and Cerulean Cape before attempting to conquer the city's gym leader.
After exploring the city and surrounding areas, Brie set her sights on the Cascade Badge and managed to defeat the water gym leader, Misty. Her Pidgey had stole the spotlight in those battles, its agility and speed making it a difficult target to hit, despite the powerful water moves it had to evade. The experience boost led to its evolution into Pidgeotto, which had come as a surprise to Brie. She had felt a mixture of emotions – she was proud of her bird pokémon, but also worried that, by becoming more powerful through this physical change, she would have to be more careful around it.
"How do you feel?" She had asked while watching the newly evolved flying-type soar above her in perfect aerial formation, circling her twice. Pidgeotto chirped as if delighted, and Brie smiled. She quickly learned that her anxieties had been unnecessary – her Pidgeotto displayed the same cheerful disposition as it had in its previous form. Seeing this transformation led Abrielle to wonder if humans could evolve into stronger forms as well, even if they didn't change their physical appearance as drastically as pokémon did.
She spotted a bike shop on her way out of town and briefly entertained the possibility of saving up for a bike, but rationalized it would be a waste of money that could be spent on more important things, like healing potions, food, and other supplies. Truthfully, she didn't mind traversing everywhere by foot, but the thought of biking sounded alluring, shaving off some of her travel time.
"Perhaps one day," she hummed while making her way toward her next destination – Vermilion City.
The sight of the city's harbor in the distance emblazoned by the red-tinted sunset was beautiful, like something from a painting almost, and she felt her heart flutter at the thought of being able to travel the ocean on a cruise liner. The S.S. Anne, one of the most well-known luxury ships, was rumored to travel throughout the entire world, docking in ports throughout the various regions only a handful of times a year. Abrielle recalled hearing her father and mother talk about how it had been one of the most breathtaking experiences they had shared together as newlyweds, and the memory now brought to the surface a mixture of emotions. Nonetheless, she stared on, enamored with the massive boat docked in Vermilion City's port, her heart set ablaze as she imagined how exciting it would be to travel aboard the vessel as her parents had. She could almost feel the sea breeze blowing gently across her face and taste the salty water as it splashed up into the air and showered her skin . . .
The shrill sound of her Scyther making its presence known in front of the gym brought Abrielle out of her dazed stupor. The mantis pokémon seemed eager to head inside and take on the electric gym leader that waited for them.
Lt. Surge's reputation as the "lightning lieutenant" preceded him, and Abrielle took a deep breath as she stepped forward, having defeated the previous gym trainers that had been stationed throughout the large room. It had been quite the conundrum to open the doors that led to the platform where the electric gym leader was waiting for her, however. She would press one switch only to negate its effect by activating another one.
"Hey, good job figuring out my switch traps, twerp." The voice of the former commanding officer of the US Army boomed. "Then again, I suppose any little runt would, eventually. I contemplated adding an electric shock to some of the switches, but thought that might be a bit too much stimulation."
Brie winced slightly upon hearing the daunting gym leader laugh - a deep, gravelly sound. Though in her eyes she bore the same unwavering determination as always, which led him to raise an eyebrow.
"Oh, I see – you're all business, aren't you?" With a smirk he retrieved a pokéball that had been secured around his belt. "You've got guts, kid – I like that. You might actually give me a battle to enjoy."
Brie swallowed hard while leading off with her Pidgeotto against each electric-type combatant she went up against, hoping to focus on lowering their accuracy before aiming for their week points. It didn't help that Lt. Surge had a clear strategy of his own to counteract her efforts, lowering her team's defensive stats and evasive maneuvers. Thanks to her considerable level of training, however, Brie managed to defeat all three of his pokémon, her Scyther being the one to land the final, deciding blow to his Raichu, managing an impressive critical hit with its fury cutter.
Waiting for the clouds of dust to settle, she was startled by the booming voice of the lighting lieutenant.
"What a shocker!" He belted in between laughing heartily. "Damn, you might be pint-sized, but you pack one hell of a punch, kid! Not too shabby!"
Brie released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and returned her Scyther to its pokéball. Within a few seconds Lt. Surge had marched across the battlefield and outstretched his hand. Without thinking Brie grasped a hold of it and felt a faint shock travel though her arm, causing her to yelp and jump up into the air a bit. The electric-type gym leader laughed once more, the sound akin to a rumble through his chest, and Brie's face tinged a deep red in embarrassment.
"Really?" She hissed while rubbing her hand against her pant leg in an attempt to minimize the pins and needles she felt.
"Bah-hah-hah, sorry kid – it was too easy! You may put up a good fight, but you're gullible off the battlefield." He teased, revealing the small buzzer he had hidden inside his palm. "I haven't had a laugh this good in a while." Clearing his throat, he started anew. "All jokes aside though, you electrified me. Accept this Thunder Badge as a symbol of your courage in the field of battle – no one will question your strength if you show 'em the proof of your victory over the one and only Lt. Surge!"
"Thank you." Brie muttered, still slightly put off by the man's childish antics and intimidating behaviors. She hoped he was right – if this badge truly was a symbol of strength, then it really was worth its weight in gold.
"Don't mention it." He replied, combing his hair through his hands. "Now, I imagine you'll want to set your sights for Celadon City. You're going to have to make a trek through Rock Tunnel and Lavender Town to get there, though. We've had a recurring problem that forces trainers to re-route their trip. A sleeping pokémon, if you can believe it."
"Oh." Brie had previewed her map a few times before challenging the gym and had planned to simply venture through Route 11 and upward toward Lavender Town to heal up her team before making her way to Celadon City. Apparently this wasn't feasible, meaning she would have to backtrack to Cerulean City and head through that daunting naturally formed underground tunnel. It was rumored to be littered with powerful trainers, which in and of itself wasn't really all that worrisome – she felt confident after defeating Lt. Surge that her pokémon would manage just fine.
It was the fact that the tunnel was pitch black that unnerved her.
"That's one of the reasons I don't go easy on you little twerps." The electric-type gym leader admitted while becoming a bit more serious. "Traveling around ain't always peaches n' cream. You've got caves, mountains, oceans, forests, along with wild pokémon – mother nature won't cut you any slack, so I don't either. I figure if you defeat me . . ." Flexing his biceps in an effort to convey his strength he added, "You'll be just fine. I recommend taking it easy tonight and setting out early tomorrow morning."
"Then that's what I'll do." Brie acknowledged him with a small smile. "Thank you, Mr. Surge."
"You're alright, kid." He smirked knowingly. "You're going places. Just stick it out 'til the end – you may even reach the Pokémon League."
The Pokémon League . . .
Brie's eyes widened slightly as she realized she had heard this same sentiment expressed on two other occasions – from her brother before he set off for Kalos years ago, and from Professor Oak. Could it be coincidental, or was there, perhaps, some truth to what they were saying? She had told her adoptive father that she might consider working toward the Pokémon League, but hadn't really taken herself too seriously.
More than anything, she reminded herself, she wanted to get stronger and bond with her pokémon. The promise she bore in her breast remained intact and guided her through each day, hoping to keep her brother close to her heart, even if he could not stay at the forefront of her mind – it was a small consolation when she remembered he was halfway across the world.
That night, as she lay awake in her bed at the Vermilion City Pokémon Center, her mind yearned to remember a past that was not her own. The sight of the S.S. Anne still docked in the harbor made her feel closer, if only on a superficial level, to her parents. She could still remember her mother taking a trip down memory lane, as she made a habit of doing every week or so while attempting to do some cleaning and organizing. Photo albums would soon be sprawled open on the table, or – more commonly – boxes filled with photographs would be strewn across the floor. Brie and her brother would take turns collecting the pictures and handing them to her, rewarded with a brief story about what was happening during the exact moment each scene had been captured. Their mother would always remind them how she had apprenticed under a talented journalist in Kalos, and been responsible for operating the camera that would capture the breathtaking, evocative shots of people and pokémon alike.
The one particular photograph Abrielle thought of now was of her mother and father standing near the bow of the luxury cruise-liner. One of the passengers aboard had been kind enough to snap a quick picture of the newlyweds, who were smiling with all the hopeful promise of those just starting their lives together. The expression on her father's face had been warm and genuine and her mother's dimples had been showing along with her entire row of top teeth. He had planted a kiss on the back of her head and had his arms wrapped around her in an embrace, the ray of sunlight as it emerged from above the horizon giving a nice touch as it seemed to be emanating from around them. They truly were a gorgeous couple, and she imagined that the same feeling of awe and breathlessness she had felt gazing at the photograph must have been experienced by the person who had captured it. Brie realized now that, as much as her parents' display of affection had seemed over the top at times – her and Leal often pretending to gag or make fun of them – she would have given anything in the world to bring them back. She would happily endure every lovey-dovey sentiment without protest if she could feel their warmth once more and be surrounded by their love.
Tears silently rolled down her cheeks as she continued to peer out the window for a moment more. Abrielle gasped slightly upon sensing a furry body appear beside her. Growlithe had popped out of its pokéball and curled up beside her, having sensed a bit of sadness from its trainer. Brie smiled a bit and spooned the puppy pokémon against her, hoping the light from her memories would keep the nightmares at bay, if only for a night.
Just as the Vermilion City gym leader had warned her, a gigantic pokémon – upon using the Pokédex Professor Oak had given her, she learned it was a snorlax – was blocking the path that would grant her access to Lavender Town. She hadn't discredited his words, but rather had been hopeful that, perhaps, the slumbering snorlax had woken up and moved on its way. Upon realizing this wasn't the case, Brie attempted to rouse it from its food-induced coma herself. Much to her dismay, she hadn't been able to wake it up. Even her pokémons' attacks didn't seem to make a difference – the large snorlax not budging at all. So, she begrudgingly left the sleeping snorlax alone, setting her course for Cerulean City and the detour she had been hoping to avoid.
Rock Tunnel appeared quite different than Brie had imagined, though she wasn't sure why she had been expecting it to be similar to Mt. Moon. It wasn't as if all mountains and caves were identical, and she reasoned that she may have underestimated the gravity of the task that lay ahead. It was far darker than she had anticipated, and she hoped the two flashlights she had with her – having received one from Steven and replaced the old batteries in the one she had brought from home – would last. Upon spinning the smaller flashlight in her hand she thought more about the boy she had met in Mt. Moon. It had been a little over a month ago now, and she imagined that, even if he had taken the time to explore the Rock Tunnel, continuing his search for rare rocks, fossils, and other interesting things – he had likely already passed through and would be long gone by now. Brie wasn't sure why she felt slightly disappointed by this as she proceeded through the cave.
It ended up being just as she had feared – walking through Rock Tunnel felt like traversing a black hole. Even with both flashlights streaming illumination in front of her, the shadows threatened to close in from all sides, swallowing the small beacons of light clutched tightly in her hands along with her. The presence of trainers and explorers tapered off rather quickly as she made her way deeper through the naturally formed cave, and Brie could feel her blood beating against her ear drums, her pulse speeding up and causing her to shudder slightly. She considered releasing Growlithe to provide more light, but thought better of it – having already battled several trainers' pokémon, she needed to let it rest up a bit before asking it to create more flames.
About a half an hour later she could make out a small flicker of light that appeared to be coming from a lantern. The soft mumble of a voice speaking provoked her to approach, her ears swearing that she had heard that low sound before. A feeling of relief washed over her as she recognized the boy from Mt. Moon, kneeling against the ground and examining what appeared to be some sort of rock through a magnifying glass.
"This is a lovely specimen." He acknowledged with a smile. "I'll definitely be taking this with me."
"Hi Steven." Brie said gently, not wanting to startle him.
Steely blue eyes glanced over in her direction before the boy in question came to a stand in front of her, the rock clutched securely, but gently in his hands.
"Ah, if it isn't Abrielle." Steven offered with a smile. "We must stop meeting like this."
Brie's face flushed slightly and he released a chuckle.
"I'm kidding, of course. It's a pleasure to see you. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Oh, yeah." She admitted, scratching the back of her head a bit. "I kind of lose track of time when I'm training. I'm trying to soak up as much as I can from traveling and such."
"It sounds like you know what's important." Steven said with an approving nod. "Ralph Emerson said it best – it's not the destination that truly matters – it's the journey, what you learn along the way, the challenges you overcome, and the growth you attain."
Brie smiled slightly while returning her attention to the rock clasped in his hands. "What did you find?"
Steven's eyes peered down at the specimen with a sense of pride, his face beaming. "This is biotite-hornblende granite, an igneous rock that has been utilized for construction and sculptures for thousands of years." Holding it up a bit higher so she could get a better look he continued, "While it's mainly composed of feldspars and quartz, it also frequently contains small amounts of hornblende and micas, such as biotite. This gives the rock a speckled or freckled look to it. "Such a fine sample, I can't begin to imagine why it gets taken for granite."
Brie stared at him with a blank look on her face initially until she picked up on the pun, causing her to chuckle a bit. "My sediments exactly."
Steven's eyes widened slightly in surprise upon hearing her return the gesture in kind before a huge smile spread across his face.
"Although that was a rather bad pun, if I'm being perfectly honest." She added.
"You say that, but you were laughing." He smirked knowingly.
Brie's face became slightly flustered as he continued to smile appreciatively. "Dry humor is better than no humor."
"Hm, I suppose that's true." Seating himself against the wall of the cave near the lantern he gestured for her to do the same. "I'm actually quite awkward around people, so I often default to making puns when I'm feeling nervous." He admitted softly.
"Do I make you nervous?" Brie asked, suddenly feeling a tad hurt.
"No, not at all." Steven brushed his steely blue bangs back from his face and appeared to be deep in thought for a moment. "I just thought I'd give it a whirl and see if you think they're any good, which clearly they aren't." He chuckled a bit. "Truthfully, I was hoping to see you again. You're a breath of fresh air, and I find it rather easy to talk to you."
"Really?" She wondered aloud.
"Definitely."
Brie situated herself close to the lantern, her eyes flickering back and forth between the light and his face. As she took in more of his features, warmed by the almost amber colored light radiating between them, she noticed how mature he looked at times, but then there was also something rather youthful about the boy, too.
"Steven, how old are you?"
Quirking an eyebrow suddenly, he shot her a surprised look, though he answered her all the same. "Sixteen." He replied. "I'll be turning seventeen in a few weeks."
Abrielle smiled to herself. That seemed about right – not quite an adult, but definitely not a child. He was transitioning rather seamlessly, it seemed, and she imagined he would be even more well-spoken and handsome as an adult. She wondered suddenly if her brother was starting to take after their father – a sophisticated look with smooth features. Brie sighed, wishing she could bear some sort of resemblance to her parents as she aged.
"What about you?"
"Oh, um I'm . . . thirteen." She admitted reluctantly, worried he would be a bit put off by her youth. She had always been mature for her age, but at the end of the day, it didn't seem to matter - she was still just a teenager. "I'm actually surprised you enjoy my company so much, considering I'm younger than you."
Steven seemed thoughtful for a moment, as if considering his words carefully. "Well, age is really just a number, isn't it?" He mused. "I think our diverse experiences shape us into who we are, and we adapt to them in whatever ways we can. For some of us, that means growing up more quickly. For others, it means hanging onto our childhoods for as long as possible. In the end, we all physically age the same, although the people we are able to connect with may spread across multiple decades." Smiling kindly at her he added, "So please don't feel the need to be self-conscious of your age around me. You're more pleasant to converse with than many adults I know."
Brie's face flushed slightly, relishing in the compliment. As her hands fumbled with the satchel now resting against her chest she felt something hard pressed against her stomach.
"Oh, that's right!" She gasped while reaching inside of her bag, causing Steven to raise an eyebrow curiously. "This is for you."
The boy stared on in wonder, slightly transfixed by the piece of amber cupped in Brie's hands. It was a rich golden-orange hue, probably more distinct in appearance due to the light from the lantern shining through it. Steven swallowed hard, never having anticipated receiving a gift from someone he had just met, let alone one this valuable.
"Ah, Abrielle it's . . . beautiful." He breathed while gently accepting it from her, noticing how soft her hands were as they brushed against his own a bit. "Such a fine sample, too. Where did you find this?"
"Mt. Moon." She replied, albeit somewhat awkwardly. "Some suspicious-looking people were digging up fossils and such in the lowest level, trying to make a profit by selling whatever they unearthed, if I recall correctly. Anyway, they left this behind, among other things, after I defeated them. I arranged to have everything else delivered to the museum in Pewter City, but I thought maybe you'd be interested in this, since you mentioned how you enjoyed looking for fossils. And if you do decide to restore it into a pokémon, I know you'll take good care of it."
Steven's silvery blue eyes remained fixated on the amber in his hands, the granite now sitting on the floor of the cave beside his foot. "I don't know what to say." He confessed, his gaze finally shifting in her direction. "This is very valuable, Abrielle. Are you sure want to give this to me?"
She nodded without hesitation. "Consider it an early birthday present." She offered with a faint chuckle. "Since I don't know if we'll run into each other again before then."
"You're too kind."
"So are you." She gestured to the flashlight he had given her and he shook his head.
"I hardly think giving you a flashlight is a sufficient trade for a priceless piece of prehistory." He hummed. "But if you insist . . . thank you, Abrielle." He closed his eyes for a moment, leaning his head back against the wall of the cave. "I'll remember your generosity and continue to pay it forward."
"It's fine, really." She proceeded to do the same, enjoying the quiet that had settled between them momentarily. "I'm just glad to have someone to talk to, and that it's not weird, despite our age gap."
Steven shot her a sympathetic look before starting anew. "Have you been successful in acquiring gym badges?"
"Yes!" Brie exclaimed a bit too excitedly, causing her to blush and cup her hand over her mouth upon hearing her shrill reply echo through the cave amidst Steven's laugh. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize." He chuckled. "It's refreshing to see someone excited about being a pokémon trainer." Placing his hand beneath his chin he looked on with interest. "May I see them?"
Abrielle nodded while retrieving a small box from inside of her satchel. Upon handing it to him, she watched as his fingers propped the lid off and his silvery eyes took in the three badges in awe.
"Wow, you've certainly been working hard." He noted. "These badges are a symbol of your dedication to training your pokémon, as well as the bonds you're building with them. It seems like you're making your way through Kanto quite well."
Brie turned away from him slightly, hoping he didn't notice how his praise had made her blush a bit more. She wasn't sure why he elicited this sort of reaction from her. Brie wasn't one to get flustered all that often, and yet Steven seemed to be able to bring warmth and color to her cheeks so easily.
Maybe she just wasn't used to talking to attractive strangers who took a genuine interest in her?
No, it wasn't quite as simple as that, and she knew it.
Abrielle had closed herself off from the world immediately following her parents' passing, and had struggled to establish meaningful connections with others in the years afterward. It wasn't as if she didn't want friends, but she was terribly fragile emotionally and didn't know how much she could bear anymore heartache. She had clung to her brother above all else, and now that he was gone from her immediate sphere of influence, she felt herself grasping at straws. Steven had been an unexpected, but welcome source of socialization, and his genuine curiosity and interest in her had made her feel at ease rather quickly. While he bore some similarities to Leal, he was definitely his own person – her brother would never be so interested in rocks and minerals. And Steven was far more chatty than Leal, but not in a way that bothered her. The way his eyes lit up and his eyebrows raised as he became excitable about what he found, or what he was in the process of looking for, was enough to make her smile, too – his enthusiasm was contagious that way.
Even so, she ultimately reined herself back in. It had been her default for years, and that wasn't something that went away in a month, regardless of how sincere he seemed.
"Thanks." Was all she could manage without sounding a bit disjointed. "Well, I hate to sound rude, but I should keep going. I'm not overly fond of being stuck in the dark like this, so I want to make my way through here as quickly as possible. I hope you don't mind?"
"Of course not." He acknowledged her while shaking his head. "I would offer to help you, but I imagine your previous reply still stands of wanting to do this on your own?"
Brie nodded.
"Alright then." He exhaled while gently placing the piece of old amber and granite inside of two separate cases he retrieved from his backpack. "I wish you all the best as you continue on your journey, and hope that we may meet again someday." With a gentle laugh he added, "If fate happens to look kindly on us, we will probably cross paths once more. Perhaps in another cave."
Brie couldn't stifle a giggle that emerged from between her lips. "Yeah, we're already two for two, so I imagine there's a good chance we might go three for three."
Steven smiled as she waved her hand briefly and headed further into the tunnel, but his expression faded a bit as he watched her disappear into the darkness. "Take care, Abrielle."
About an hour later she had managed to reach the exit and released a deep breath. As she emerged from the darkness she had to partially shield her eyes from the sunlight, which seemed harsh on her pupils, having been forced to navigate through the impressive blackness of the tunnel that refused to permit light to enter.
Lavender Town was a rather small, quiet place overshadowed by what appeared to be a large tower of some sort. Brie wondered what the large building was used for. Upon overhearing some trainers talking about wanting to visit their beloved pokémon, arrangements of flowers and other belongings being carried with slightly trembling hands, she felt her stomach begin to twist into knots. Every fiber of her being seemed to be trembling as the realization settled in - this tower reeked of death and mourning, and it started to trigger a physical sensation of unease inside of her.
"I think I'm going to be sick." She muttered under her breath while making her way to a quiet area near the water outside of town.
Brie cupped her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes, hoping to calm herself down a bit. Her Pidgeotto popped out of its pokéball and perched on the railing of the bridge, cooing softly in an effort to soothe its trainer. Brie noticed and ever so faintly stroked the flying-type beneath its chin, causing it to churr happily.
"Thanks Pidgeotto." She breathed, the tightness in her chest starting to dissipate a bit.
Opting to get some food in her stomach and heal her team, Brie proceeded to the Pokémon Center. After finishing there, she set her sights on Celadon City, about to proceed toward Route 8 when a young girl approached her, a worried expression on her face.
"Um, excuse me Miss!" She gasped frantically. "You're a trainer, right?"
Brie nodded a bit reluctantly.
"We need your help!" The young girl exclaimed while grasping a hold of her hand and tugging her in the direction of a building that appeared to be inhabited by other youngsters and pokémon. "Please, come with me!" As they got closer Abriele could read the sign out front, which read 'Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House.'
"We're a group of people who take in abandoned and orphaned pokémon." She began anew while gesturing for Brie to have a seat once inside. "Mr. Fuji, the man who founded this organization, has gone missing, and we think it's because of Team Rocket."
Abrielle raised an eyebrow, her mind immediately sending her conscious thought spiraling toward the past, full-speed into the tragic event that had changed her life forever.
"Lately, people have been complaining about suspicious-looking people infiltrating the Pokémon Tower looking for the ground-type pokémon, cubone and more rarely, marowak that have been known to appear there from time to time." Trembling slightly, as if unable to finish her thought, she closed her eyes. "We think they're collecting the skulls to sell."
Brie felt her stomach drop and she clenched her fists tightly at her sides.
"When did you last see him?" She asked suddenly.
"A little over a day ago." The girl managed between tears. "We actually have a recently orphaned cubone here that Mr. Fuji was looking after. We think that Team Rocket killed its mother."
Brie felt a crack split through her like a fissure, her composure wavering as she felt an unfathomable anger surge up like magma from inside of her, filling in the shattered remains of her form. Her eyes narrowed, a storm brewing inside of those once icy blue orbs. "Show me."
The tiny ground-type pokémon was ramming against the door to its pen in distress. The moment it saw Brie it hesitated, looking at her with a intense stare. She saw the pain and anger in its eyes, could imagine that it was calling out for its lost parent.
Brie suddenly realized that it wasn't just people, but pokémon as well who felt the sting of Team Rocket's merciless criminal activities. This hadn't been as apparent to her before – her narrow view akin to tunnel vision as she remained focused on the fact that Team Rocket had used pokémon to murder her parents. While she held the criminal syndicate accountable for their deaths, she also held the pokémon at fault, as well. And yet . . . hadn't they been victims too?
Now, as she looked at this trembling creature grieving its loss just as she had done years ago, she finally understood what her brother had meant.
Pokémon were not evil, in and of themselves - they weren't the problem. Evil people like Team Rocket, who exploited pokémon, whether for profit or power – were the true enemy. And their victims were humans and pokémon alike – there was no line these monsters wouldn't cross. For some reason, the police hadn't been successful in locating and dismantling the criminal syndicate, allowing it to spread like a cancer, infecting the delicate balance that once existed between humans and pokémon.
How many others would have to endure the pain of loss and mourn a loved one because of them?
Brie knew she couldn't allow this to go on any longer – she had to stop them.
Storming the Pokémon Tower hadn't been the smartest idea, she realized upon stumbling into a handful of unidentifiable specters that seemed immune to her pokémons' attacks. Still, she pressed onward, doing her best to avoid them. Just as the little girl had told her, the floors of the graveyard tower were crawling with Team Rocket grunts. Brie approached them and was able to overpower them fairly easily, even managing to swipe a Silph Scope from one of its members at one point. She recalled how her father had been part of the team that had helped develop the technology and she felt her heart stagger a bit, sadness seeping in . . .
She shook the sentiment away, staying focused on the task at hand. Making her way up the tower, she used the scope to identify the specters that had been following her from a distance – a mixture of ghost-type pokémon and what appeared to be the souls of departed pokémon. She felt bile rise up in her throat upon recognizing many of them to be cubones and marowaks.
Those bastards. She mentally cursed as the gravity of the situation hit her even harder.
She proceeded onward, smashing her way through battle after battle, knocking the grunts unconscious and leaving them littered against the ground, reclaiming whatever she could from them, be it the aforementioned skulls they sought to sell or the live pokémon, which she promptly released and urged to escape. Abrielle figured she would return for the weakened grunts later – they didn't appear to have the energy or willpower to move much, and likely wouldn't be much of a threat.
When she ascended the final flight of stairs, reaching the top of the tower, she gasped. An elderly man was slumped against the floor, his wrists and ankles bound tightly with rope. Racing over toward him, she leaned down beside him while ordering her Scyther to carefully cut through the binds.
"W-Who are you?" He asked wearily.
"Help." Brie replied while gesturing for him to lean on her as she attempted to help him stand up.
The sudden sound of footsteps approaching – a lot of them – caused her to turn her attention in their direction. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she was quickly surrounded by Team Rocket grunts that appeared to have come out of the woodwork.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" One of them piped up.
"You have no business storming in here!" Another yelled.
"Who told you about us?" A third hissed between his teeth.
The sound of someone clearing a throat silenced the protests and exclamations from the horde, and the crowd gradually began to part as a single man approached. He appeared older than the rest of the Rockets, his eyes more intense and stern, and he came to a halt in front of her, his presence commanding silence from his subordinates.
"Who are you?" He inquired brusquely.
"Your worst nightmare." She spat, anger swallowing any semblance of fear that had started to seep into her body as she gestured for her Scyther to come to a stand in front of her.
Quirking an eyebrow in challenge the man continued, "Hm, I would wager a guess that you're a powerful trainer, given how you've added to the corpse count in this tower by thoroughly trouncing my grunts." Eyeing her a bit more, scrutinizing her face in particular, he seemed to be considering something.
Brie didn't hesitate, ordering for her Scyther to ready for attack. The leader of the Team Rocket squadron casually reached for the pokéball secured around his belt before releasing a golbat and gesturing for the grunts to send out their pokémon as well. Mr. Fuji gasped, but Brie steadied herself in front of him while releasing her other two partners.
Flames exploded, winds whipped, and blades sliced through the horde of Team Rocket controlled pokémon as Brie kicked and punched away any grunts that had attempted to make off with Mr. Fuji, who she had positioned behind her. The leader of the squad commanded his golbat to fly stealthily up toward them, making its way around the onslaught of attacks directed all which ways from Brie's three pokémon. Just as the poison-type was about to sink its fangs into the old man she lunged toward the daunting bat, bringing it down to the floor. As she wrestled with it her grip slipped and she felt its fangs pierce the skin between her neck and shoulder.
"Toxic." The Rocket leader's voice came a second later and almost immediately Brie felt an intense burn beneath her skin. She began to writhe against his golbat, trying to break free as its fangs injected the poison into her bloodstream. Her scream caused all three of her pokémon to rush to her aid, her Growlithe slamming the poison-type backwards as it bit down hard against its wing. Pidgeotto unleashed a barrage of fury attacks as Scyther parried off its efforts to counterattack. Within a few seconds Brie had been released from the golbat's grasp, causing her to roll backward onto the floor. Mr. Fuji rushed over to her and propped her upward slightly.
"Miss!" He called out, Brie having become seemingly unresponsive, though she felt the faint touch of hands shaking her. "Miss, can you hear me?"
Mr. Fuji's voice resonated as barely a whisper, the room distorting into a haphazard mess as Brie became feverish, the poison starting to affect her. She heard her heart pounding in her ears, felt it in her chest, as if every ounce of her body was trying to combat the shock of the toxin attempting to make its way through her. All the while she stared out toward the head of the grunts, who seemed to be looking on with bated breath as he recalled his golbat.
"Those eyes . . ." He mused, a wicked smile tugging at his lips as he made a connection that Brie didn't understand. "I recognize those eyes from somewhere." Hardly a beat passed before one of the grunts staggered over toward him.
"Sir, we've been defeated." The female admitted, shame and guilt washing over her. "And it appears that a strong group of pokémon trainers has assembled on the ground floor and is headed up this way. What should we do?"
The commander seemed to be contemplating for a moment, though his face only contorted into a grotesque mixture of pleasure and excitement. "Tell the rest of the grunts to take with them whatever they managed to secure." He sighed while approaching Brie. Her pokémon had created a barrier surrounding her, readying to attack the man who stopped a few feet away. Mr. Fuji eyed him warily, his grip on Abrielle's mostly unresponsive body tightening a bit.
"Old man, tell this girl that I'll be waiting for her." He stated flatly, eyeing her one last time before turning on his heel. "We have some unfinished business to settle that'll have to wait."
