Chapter Seven - The Seaport
Rosa's trainer shoes pounded against the golden pavement as she flew through Pokestar Studios square. She ducked and dodged through the masses of people, ignoring the alarmed shouts of those who recognized her as Mr. Deeoh's next 'rising star'. A middle-aged man tried to stop her to ask if she was okay, but she blew right past him and continued running.
Perhaps it was ludicrous to face up to Team Plasma again. The last time had gone disastrously, and she and Hugh had only been challenging one man. It wasn't enough to keep Rosa away, though. They would pay for what they did to Hugh, and she wouldn't allow them to harm anymore trainers or Pokémon.
As she sprinted, Rosa brought her wrist to her face to dial Hugh's number. She didn't necessarily want to get him involved, but if Team Plasma was causing trouble, she would be far better off with help. The call rung several times, and then her friend's face appeared on the smudged screen.
"What, Rosa? I'm busy." He sounded irritated, which meant his usual swagger was back. Hugh's crimson eyes were probing as he studied her, but there was a touch of humor in them that made Rosa smile. She'd been so afraid he was still hurting. "Where are you off too in such a hurry? I can hardly see you the camera is shaking so badly. You're not in trouble, right?"
"I need you. Where are you at?" Her breathing was labored, and as she dashed through the passageway between Pokestar Studios and Virbank City, the receptionist shot her a funny look.
Hugh's eyebrows drew together in concern, and she heard him return whatever Pokemon he'd been working with. "I'm outside of Virbank right now, but I can be in town in ten minutes. What's going on, Rosa? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She'd reached the Pokemon Center now, and she paused to lean against the building's rose colored wall. Each breath scorched her lungs, but her cells demanded oxygen. For all the time she'd spent training, her endurance sucked. "I need you to meet me at Virbank's seaport. I heard that Team Plasma is there stirring up more trouble, and I don't want to face them alone."
Especially if there was more than one of them.
Hugh grew quiet, and Rosa was suddenly afraid he would refuse. She couldn't blame him if he wanted nothing to do with them – after all, they'd already caused him enough damage – but the thought of going without him made her insides wriggle.
He spoke at last. "Like I said, ten minutes. Don't approach them without me, Rosa." The Xtransceiver clicked, and she heaved a sigh of relief and dropped her arm. She could rely on him after all. Her eyes fell towards the seaport, and Rosa removed herself from the wall and started walking. Hugh may have said to stay put, but she didn't want to go in blind either.
Rosa tried her best not to draw too much attention to herself when she reached the harbor. Boats bobbed peacefully on the ocean waves, tethered to the docks by heavy chains attached to anchors, and swarms of Wingull and Pelipper circled overhead. The seaport was far emptier than Pokestar Studios, but she could see a small crowd gathered around the entrance to the docks.
"Do you really think of Pokemon as equal partners, or are they your slaves? Humans and Pokemon cannot live in harmony the way things are. Pokeballs are the equivalent to a ball and chain! Trainers! If you love your Pokemon, you'll let them go! All Pokemon must be freed if they are to live happily. Team Plasma will see to it that this bright future comes to pass! We will create a new world!"
Hadn't she heard this same speech before somewhere? It sounded familiar. Rosa didn't join the crowd on the dock, but chose to hover by the railing and listen. The group of people surrounding Team Plamsa didn't seem overly interested in the rally. Many of them were grumbling, and one seaman voiced his annoyance with colorful words and his middle finger.
"What did I tell you, Rosa?!"
Rosa jumped at the harsh voice near her ear, and she hit her elbow on the metal railing. Painful tingles shot through her arm where the bone connected, and she winced. She whipped around and glowered at Hugh. "Geez, there's no need to sneak up on me like that, Hugh! You scared the daylight out of me."
His tone was unapologetic. "I said not to go near Plasma until I could be with you, Rosa. You know how dangerous they are. What if something had happened?" Hugh crossed his arms tightly against his chest, and Rosa withered under his piercing gaze.
"Relax, I just wanted to see what was going on. Going in without knowing anything seemed like a bad idea. Thankfully there's only three or four of them, but I don't know if they're on the same level as the guy before. It sounds like they're protesting Pokémon training."
Hugh glowered. "It doesn't matter what they're planning, they're not going to get away with it. I've been doing some research on these clowns, and they have a colorful history. Two years ago, they tried to conquer the Unova region by attacking the Pokémon League. They put their supposed king on the throne as champion, and used the legendary dragon Pokémon Reshiram as their weapon of power. They claim their goal is to liberate Pokémon from human control, but they're nothing but a bunch of lousy, filthy thieves. I guess a trainer dethroned their leader and retook the league, but here they are, making their presence known again." His lip curled into a bitter frown. "A kicked dog doesn't stay down, Rosa. It gets up and fights with more aggression than before."
That wasn't comforting. "Where did you learn all of this?" Rosa asked, gripping the metal railing to keep herself from rubbing her aching elbow.
"Libraries mostly, but gym leaders are knowledgeable about a lot of things." He shrugged. "I'm surprised you didn't do some research of your own, Rosa. Are you actually content with your ignorance?"
"Geez, that was unforgiving, Hugh. Who spit in your cereal this morning?"
Her attention was stolen from Hugh when there was a shout from the docks. One of the female Team Plasma grunts was addressing the crowd, but she looked aggravated as she ripped a Pokeball from her waist and cried, "If you won't release your Pokémon willingly, then Team Plasma will make you!"
The pokeball in her fist cracked open, revealing a Watchog. Some of the surrounding group snickered amongst themselves, visibly undisturbed by the normal type, but then the Watchog advanced on the nearest trainer and sunk its powerful front teeth into her arm. The bitten woman shrieked and tried to tear her arm away, but the super fang refused to release its hold. Chaos erupted on the dock as people screamed and tripped over each other to evacuate.
Red liquid was seeping from the young woman's arm, and Rosa found herself pounding up the steel staircase before she'd fully thought the action through. Her hand found a pokeball on her belt, and Sven erupted from the capsule. His tuft stuck up every which way, and it took him only a fraction of a second to assess the situation and hurl himself at the meerkat Pokemon. Sven growled savagely as he ripped the Watchog off the trainer and shook it like a ragdoll.
Blood gushed freely from the girl's injury, but she was too busy escaping to be bothered. Rosa let her go. "Sven, fire fang!"
"Horrid trainer!" Watchog's owner snarled. "Why is it that every time Team Plasma tries to make the world a better place, overpowered punks like you get in our way? Can't you just go battle each other while you can and be satisfied with that? This was supposed to be an easy assignment!" She stomped her foot like a five-year-old having a tantrum. "I'll be in trouble if you win, so opposition is pointless. Just give up your Pokemon!"
The other members of Team Plasma withdrew their own Pokeballs, and they let loose a small army of Watchogs and Patrats. Rosa ground her teeth together, silently vowing to destroy them all, but then she felt a warm hand on her upper arm.
"You're so stupidly reckless, Rosa." Hugh murmured. He sounded proud.
Hugh called out his Servine, and Sven tossed aside the unconscious Watchog he'd been chewing on to rejoin his trainer. Growlithe took a protective position in front of Rosa, and his entire body shook as he snarled.
Rosa wasted no time. "Sven, flame wheel!"
"Servine, leaf storm!"
The Patrat and Watchog scattered, trying in vain to escape the flood of razor sharp leaves that had burst from the clusters of vegetation on Servine's back. The forest-colored tornado stormed around Sven, avoiding the pup completely in favor of consuming each opponent in turn and slicing their bodies to ribbons. The evolved Pokemon endured the attack, but each defending Patrat collapsed as their consciousness failed them. The Plasma members swore and howled.
One-hit KOs were always a blow to a trainer's pride.
Rosa could feel waves of satisfaction emanating from Hugh, but she ignored the egotistic teen to track her own Pokemon. Sven's fluffy form had disappeared in an intense torrent of flames, and as he charged forward, he dove into a summersault. He whirled across the dock, leaving veins of fire in his wake as he plowed into the remaining Watchog like they were bowling pins. Sven rolled over the top of them as the fell against the wooden panels, and Rosa felt her own chest puff with pride. She'd never used her puppy in battle, but already, she was impressed with his speed. He was going to be a firecracker at the league.
A male Plasma extended his hand. "Watchog, low kick!"
The only Watchog still standing lowered itself into position, and as Sven approached, the meerkat kicked the dog like a soccer ball. Rosa heard a sickening crunch, and Sven whimpered horribly as he crashed into one of the steel poles lining the side of the dock.
Hugh stepped forward in defense, shouting, "Servine, vine whip!"
Watchog's eyes grew wide as saucers. Thick vines erupted from Servine's back, curling threateningly as they launched themselves at the Pokémon. They wrapped around its thin body like snakes, and Watchog gasped as its breath was stolen.
"Watchog, super fang! Bite the vines!"
The meerkat struggled, trying fruitlessly to angle its face so it could attack, but the vines were too strong. Rosa couldn't help but be disturbed watching the light leave Watchog's eyes, but then it sank into unconsciousness and the battle was over.
Team Plasma withdrew their Pokémon, and their unofficial spokesperson cried, "I'm reporting you to our boss! When he finds out you're sticking your noses in Plasma's business, you'll pay for messing with us. You two better watch your backs for me as well, because once I steal some stronger Pokémon, you'll regret crossing me!"
The only way off the dock was the set of stairs behind Hugh and Rosa, and recognizing this, Plasma charged. Hugh sidestepped to avoid being aggressively shoved aside, but Rosa braced herself to use her body as a barricade. If they got away, they could torment more trainers and cause a lot of people heartache. Maybe she could stop them here.
It was a nice thought, anyway. Plasma's two men were far stronger than she was, however, and as they tore past her and Hugh, Rosa was shoved into the dock. She threw out her arms to catch herself, and splinters of wood dug into her palms. The planks quaked under the weight of rushed feet.
"Bunch of low life, worthless-" Rosa pulled herself up and picked sharp splinters of wood from her skin. Her palms stung, and Rosa was certain she'd need a needle to remove the smaller stickers.
Hugh tugged on her arm to draw her back to attention. "Rosa, we can't let them get away. Come on."
"Hang on, Sven is-"
"Then take care of him, I'm going."
Hugh took off down the stairs, leaving Rosa tend to her wounded Pokemon. Sven hadn't gotten up from his place against the metal pole, but his tail wagged as Rosa approached. She dropped to her knees to place a calming hand on his stomach, and he whimpered.
"Oh dear, it's a broken rib." She fussed, carefully pressing her fingers along the dog's ribcage to determine the exact location of the break. He whined when she brushed the worst spot, but continued to beat his tail against the dock. "That rotten Watchog broke your rib, but you're still smiling. Come here, my sweet."
Rosa scooped him into her arms, being careful not to jostle him too much, and then started walking to the Pokemon center. Regular medicine couldn't treat broken bones, and she was afraid he would feel abandoned if she returned him to his pokeball. The fear was irrational, but Rosa carried him nonetheless.
Sven was undergoing treatment in one of the back rooms of the Pokemon center when Hugh called. Rosa was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace in the waiting room, her heart in the throat as she brought the device up to her eyes. The look on Hugh's face said it all.
"Ah, the triumphant hero. How far did you get?"
He huffed, and his crimson eyes burned as he swept a hand through his midnight hair. "I chased them into route 20, but those woods are more than thick enough to hide four slimy criminals. I think they escaped up the mountain. How's your Growlithe?"
She explained about his broken rib, then sighed and rested her head in her hand. "You know, in school we always talked about Pokemon like they're practically invincible. We pit them against each other like the worst-case scenario is losing. But they're so breakable, Hugh. When someone doesn't mind hurting them, they're like glass."
"You're breakable too, Rosa, but being a trainer always involves a certain amount of risk. You knew that signing up, and accepting that is a part of life."
"I know that, but-"
"Just take care of your Pokémon, and they'll take care of you."
Rosa nodded and readjusted her position so she was cross-legged. She cast her eyes down to pick at the shaggy cream-colored carpet. "I'm going after Plasma, so I'm leaving tonight for Castelia City. I think there's a better chance of finding the main roots of their team on the mainland. That's where the next gym is anyway, but I want to try to catch them as quickly as possible. Preferably before they can hurt anyone else."
"Well, don't leave yet." Hugh tilted his head down, and the corners of his lips pulled up into a sly smile. "I'm coming with you."
A/N A bit more of Hugh in this chapter; isn't it nice to see an old friend? It's hard trying to capture Hugh's personality now that he's grown up from where he was in the games, but hopefully you are all enjoying my take on him. Have a lovely day, guys!