Scene 24: Pearl of the Past. Part 2
Thanks to Abra's Psychic Abilities, Lyrik has gone back in time inside the Kanto Power Plant. Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur are all worried at the dazed look on her face. The Electric-Pokémon that call this Power Plant their home walk over to join them. They reassure the little ones that everything will be alright. The Zapdos is watching with intense eyes. He wants Lyrik to know the truth…
Lyrik is stunned at what she sees. It's really her Gramma Pearl! She turns to Abra, "So does this mean I've gone back in time?" It nods. The woman, Gramma Pearl, walks around the room. Lyrik follows. She smiles- she looks just like her daughter, Melody… like Lyrik's own mother. Pearl doesn't seem so happy with the man she's talking to. Unlike Gramma Pearl and the other Power Plant employees the man is wearing a dark colored business suit.
As it turns out, the Power Plant has always been known to attract several wild Electric-Type Pokémon, but there's a very rare Pokémon that's come to visit and this man wants to keep it to do research on it. Pearl refuses to allow it.
The two argue back and forth on the subject. None of the other lab workers dressed in white lab coats jump in to support Pearl. The man's associates also stand back. Both sides seem slightly intimidated by how heated this debate is getting. It's not till they've reached the back of the room and their voices are starting to slightly grow do they stop. The man turns and sneers at her, "Well, Miss, sorry to break it to you, but you don't exactly have a say in the matter."
He flaunts a piece of paper in her face, "According to this document, I have every right to keep any rare specimens that enter this property." Pearl huffs at the man. He's at least a foot taller than her, but she doesn't stand down, "I don't care about your stupid piece of paper! I refuse to allow you to turn that poor Pokémon into a test subject!"
A cawing sound echoes throughout the room as other men in lab coats enter. They're carrying between them a large bird cage. It's not nearly as big as Lyrik knows it now, perhaps just smaller than Lyrik herself, but it's the same Pokémon from before.
"Zapdos!" Pearl cries out. The man holds her back, but Pearl keeps fighting his grip. He shoves at her, sending Pearl flying into one of the machines. It crashes and several of her fellow Power Plant workers approach. They may not be brave enough to stand up against these goons, but they won't let Pearl get mistreated like this.
Zapdos gives out a mighty cry. The men drop the cage and shriek. Zapdos had released such a powerful electrical attack, it shocked them through the cage. Zapdos' cage starts rolling- it's electrical heat is causing the machines to go haywire. Lyrik is the only one to notice as one of the machines rolls away. It crashes into a large heavy-set console. Even through the vision, Lyrik can smell the scent of burning wires.
An electrical fire erupts from the main console and the building alarms are blaring. Over the sound, the men and women are heard yelling. People start running to escape.
The group of scientists have lost Zapdos in the commotion, but they're too scared to stay. Pearl is helped to her feet and she starts to follow the others out when the shrieking catches her attention. On the complete opposite side of the room she sees Zapdos' cage. The group of men had dropped the cage in a panic, leaving the poor Pokémon helpless and unable to save itself.
One of the ladies, her friend, calls to her just as the door collapses. In the midst of the chaos Lyrik doesn't think to wonder why this woman is the only one in casual clothing… who was she..?
With Pearl's focus now on Zapdos, she doesn't notice her friend calling to her. She makes a mad dash for the opposite corner of the room. Her friend attempts to follow after, but is pulled back by the men. In that same moment, part of the hall ceiling comes crumbling down, blocking the doorway.
Upon finally reaching the other side of the room, jumping and dodging the open flames, Pearl reaches out to open the cage. She gasps at the burning touch. Zapdos gives a terrified squawk. Pearl smiles at him, "Don't worry. I'll get you out of there." She loses several precious moments hunting down the right tool for the job. It's long and heavy and perfect for jamming the locking mechanism on the cage.
Pearl forces the door open and frees Zapdos. She give it a little nudge,"Now quickly! You have to get out of here!" Zapdos whimpers. He doesn't want to leave her. Pearl breaks into a fit of coughs. She's inhaled much too much smoke. Zapdos grabs hold of the scruff of her shirt with its beak and looks towards the ceiling. Zapdos spreads its large wings and heads to the roof.
There's a massive explosion. Zapdos is blown off course and with the extra weight, they plummet down to the ground. Everything goes black…
Hours later, Zapdos wakes up. The building has burnt all around it. At his side is the woman that saved his life. After taking the hit from the massive explosion, Zapdos was knocked unconscious. With the last of her strength, Pearl dragged the two of them underneath a metal desk, protecting them from the worse of the fire. She used her body as a shield between the young Zapdos and the open flames. Pearl's entire backside had been burned badly. She'd given her life to protect Zapdos… He knew this.
Zapdos wept at the sight of the woman. But he wasn't the only one.
Lyrik didn't even notice the tears falling for several long minutes until she was back in her own time. She blinked and suddenly the room returned to how it was. her Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur were all standing at her side. Abra released Lyrik's hand and disappeared again.
"After the big fire, the Power Plant closed down for good." Lyrik jumped at the sound of the new voice. She was much older now, but Lyrik recognized the woman from the memory. It was the one that had tried to get Pearl out. The old lady chuckled under her breath, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." She had a stern looking face and walked with a cane. Abra hovered at her side. He must belong to her.
"Name's Agatha. I was a friend of your Grandma Pearl." Agatha explains how she knew Pearl as a girl. They were friends who competed together in the Pokémon League but while Agatha continued to become a stronger Trainer, Pearl fell in love with a researcher. She spat at the ground, "That Fuji changed my Pearl. I found her here years later, wasting away, working a pointless job to fulfill her husband's dreams, not hers."
Lyrik couldn't believe what she was hearing. Actually, she realized, she didn't know anything about her Gramma Pearl and Grampa Fuji from when they were younger. Agatha slammed her cane into the ground.
"I had come to visit your Gramma Pearl that day- You see, I had just won myself the Indigo League. I was a Champion! I wanted to rub it in her face- the glory- but she didn't seem to care. Even in the end she claimed that she was happy with that dang old Fuji. She had a daughter, of course, so I guess she thought giving up on her dream had been worth it…" Agatha looked up to meet Zapdos' eyes, "But in the end, she was the same girl I once knew. Stubborn and kind… too kind if you ask me. She gave her life for another… She wouldn't have had it any other way." Zapdos looked down, sadly.
"I come here every now-and-then to check in on the Pokémon. I figure Pearl would have liked that. But when I saw you coming in, I thought I'd keep an eye on you." She smirked, "You're a lot like her, you know. A tough little cookie." Lyrik blushed at the compliment, "Yes, I think you'll make a fine Pokémon Trainer someday. From what I hear, you take after her in battling talent. So what do you say, girlie? Will you continue the legacy for your old Gramma Pearl?"
It took a moment to realize what she was asking of her. Lyrik stood up taller, puffing out her chess. Agatha smiled widely, "Yes. Very good." Agatha turned to leave, "I look forward to the day I get to face you in battle, Girlie."
Just outside Lyrik sees that the storm has passed. Zapdos butts its beak against Lyrik's cheek. She smiles at it, "Thank you for showing me." She pats Zapdos' beak, "That old lady was right- my Gramma Pearl was pretty cool. And… I'm sure she would be happy to see how much you've grown..!" Without asking, Zapdos lifts Lyrik up onto its back. He grabs onto her Pokémon and they take flight. Lyrik cries out with excitement- she's never ridden a Flying Pokmon before!
Mr. Fuji practically jumps out of his skin when Lyrik and her Pokémon make a crash landing on the edge of the forest near the tower. He runs to them, checking to make sure they're all ok. They're grimy and windblown, but completely unscathed.
"I've been so worried! And with that storm- where've you been?" She smiles up at him, "I was just talking to an old friend of Gramma Pearl's." She looks up at the sky once more before walking away past her Grampa. Fuji. He doesn't quite understand what Lyrik meant by that. But he notices the Zapdos far in the distance now. Mr. Fuji smiles. He remembers speaking to his Pearl…
[[ "I know you're a Poke'mon Researcher, sweetie, but it's just not right!"
…
"I don't care what they say or do, I won't let those thugs have their way!" Pearl huffs. Fuji can't help but laugh at her. She always got so heated. It was one of the things he loved about her.
"I left Cinnabar to be with you, Pearl. Here. With you and with Melody. And now Melody's all grown up and maybe you can finally go after your dream again! Didn't I see that old friend of yours, Aggie, had just won the League Championship?" Pearl giggles, "Yeeeaah. And I'm sure she'd just love to rub that in my face, but…" She gives Fuji a deep kiss. She pulls away and looks him straight in the eyes, "None of that matters to me anymore. Because I have everything I want right here. Don't you see? You and Melody are my dream now. Well, you and the Pokémon at the Electrical Power Plant, that is." They laugh together. She is suddenly serious again.
"And I'm telling you, if those government people try anything, I'll give them a piece of my mind!" He gives a sigh, "Yes, but do be careful, Dear." Pearl winks at him, grabbing her Power Plant jacket. "Yeah, yeah, yeah..!" She wraps a blue scarf around her neck as she continues to talk, "I'd give my life for my family, you know that. And that includes all those Pokémon..!" Pearl gives him a final kiss goodbye and runs off, headed to work. That smile as she waves goodbye is the last that Fuji will ever see of her… ]]
Mr. Fuji turns towards the direction Lyrik ran. She calls to him, "Come on, Grampa Fuji!" He laughs, "Yes, yes. I'm coming!" She laughs as he approaches, her hands on her hips, "Geeze- are you gettin' old or something?" That must be it. It never clicked until now.
Besides the fact that she's his granddaughter, the reason why he cherishes Lyrik so much: she's so much like his Pearl. She may take her looks after her father, Allegro, but her attitude and stubbornness- it was all her Gramma Pearl. How strange seeing that she never even knew her. But perhaps, Pearl's spirit was looking after the child. Somehow…