Southern Johto; Caves, Rockets and Pokemon, Chapter 27
When I left the Ruins of Alph the next morning, I saw Charles still going strong with the cloud of Unown. Rather than distract him, I quietly left the ancient town. There was still quite a long road ahead before Azalea Town, so I pulled out my bike and went for the quicker, more scenic route. Now that the summer months were coming to an end, there was a noticeable chill in the air, but still not enough to warrant a wardrobe change. I loved the autumn and winter months, but what I didn't like was having to change out of my summer dress. Mom would blow a gasket if she knew I was out in the day's slight chill without a light jacket or scarf.
On that note, I got my usual morning call from her while I was on the road. I normally slept until well after sunrise, but I had underestimated the annoyance of the Unown's chanting. Felt like every few minutes I was waking up to that song. After I finished talking to Mom that morning, I even caught myself humming that tune.
Aside from the multitude of wild Pokemon between me and Azalea Town, there was one other obstacle. Since Mt Moon, I had done my very best to avoid caves, even lucking out entirely and skipping Kanto's Rock Tunnel. However, now there was another cave blocking my path, the Union Cave on Route 32. I put away my bike outside the cave, poking my head inside before actually entering. Right from there, I could see quite a few wild Geodudes and Zubat flying about.
"Well, Vulpix, guess we could try to outrun them all through the cave," I told my traveling companion, watching for her reaction. Surprisingly she shook her head, trying to tell me that was a bad idea.
"Why not? You know we'll have a hard time if you're fighting those Geodudes. Want me to bring out someone else to lead the way?" Vulpix nodded. I sighed, not liking that idea. After a few hours of biking through the wilds, I was tired beyond measure, and just wanted desperately to arrive. Against Vulpix's warnings, I picked her up and ran into the cave.
Of course, the second those Pokemon noticed me, they started chasing me. Like I said, they probably wouldn't have been a problem to deal with, but I just didn't want to fight them off. With Vulpix in my arms, looking back over my shoulder and barking at the Geodudes, I ran through the tunnels, making turns every chance I got. I didn't know exactly where I was headed, but I always had a knack for finding my way out of trouble. Or running right into it, which is exactly what happened.
After another turn, I ran right into a dead end. I turned right around to keep moving, only to be trapped by the group of Geodudes, and even an Onix I hadn't noticed following me. Vulpix wiggled out of my arms, shielding me from the angry rocky critters. She wouldn't be able to handle them all, so I reached for Primeape's Pokeball.
"Vulpix, keep them back with Ember! Primeape, Karate Chop!"
Vulpix spun around, raining down flames on the Pokemon. Fire wasn't effective against rock types, but it did keep them back long enough for Primeape to ready his attack. He started with one random Geodude, slamming down on it and driving it into the ground. The rest of the Geodudes rushed Primeape, while the Onix lunged forward, aiming for Vulpix.
"Vulpix, watch out!"
She managed to jump out of the way, which left me in a very bad position. Onix continued forward, nearly ramming me against the wall. Somehow, I scrambled away just in time, but Onix crashed into the wall, causing more rocks to rain down on everyone in the small tunnel. I covered my head, blocking out a few of the falling boulders, when a much larger one fell down on Onix's head, from what I saw. The large snake flinched, but ultimately went crashing back onto the ground, causing it to break apart. Like in the ruins yesterday, I went falling down the hole that formed as a result.
The fall was much farther down, but my luck still being strong, I landed in an underground lake. Since I couldn't swim, I started splashing around, trying to reach for Lapras's Pokeball. The Onix fell in after me, causing a large splash that pushed me further away, and made me lose my grip on Lapras's Pokeball. Desperate to stay afloat, I reached around for anything around me, my eyes closed to prevent water from getting in my eyes.
"Help!" I screamed out, hoping someone, anyone, could hear me. I felt myself sinking deeper into the water, coughing up water as it tried to make its way down my throat. Within seconds I was swallowing more than I was coughing, and I was even losing the strength to stay afloat.
I heard, or felt, a splash nearby, but I was already losing consciousness. If that was to be my end, caused because I was too lazy to push through the cave like normal, I had only myself to blame. I felt something painful in my chest, and then couldn't feel anything anymore.
~o~
Passing out was quickly becoming a hobby of mine. When I came to, I was inside someone's house. I distinctly remembered regaining consciousness inside the cave, no doubt after whoever saved me pumped all the water out of me. Yet now, I was inside this house, with an older man tending to a teapot on the stove. Right next to him was Vulpix, her eyes fixated on the steam coming from the pot.
"Grandpa! She's awake!" The voice came from a little girl sitting on my other side, her hair in two big loops on either side of her face.
"Good timing! The tea is just about ready." Said the old man from the other side of the house.
Vulpix ran over to my side, licking my face once she noticed I was awake. Standing over me was Primeape, also content to see me alive and well. I made an effort to get up off the bed, when the little girl stopped me.
"You shouldn't get up! Grandpa said you might get sick unless you stay warm," she told me, before leaning in closer to whisper, "And we had to take your clothes, because they were all wet."
With that knowledge on hand, I stayed perfectly concealed underneath the sheets. The older man walked over, a tray in his hands with several cups of steaming-hot tea. He offered me one, which I took, making sure to sit up while keeping the sheets over my body. The tea was pretty strong, but just sweet enough that it didn't taste like medicine.
"You're very lucky to be here," he said, taking the empty cup from me. "Though, that might be a bit of a mixed blessing."
"What do you mean? What happened?" The last thing I remembered was falling into the lake, and nearly drowning. Just who had come to my timely rescue?
"Well, the way they tell it, you were drowning in the Union Cave, and a few 'good samaritans' saved you. That true?"
"I don't remember," I said, finishing up the second cup of tea. "I ran into some wile Geodudes and an Onix. The ground collapsed, and I fell into the water. Only thing I remember after that was screaming for help."
"It's a good thing you did," said the little girl. "If not, they probably wouldn't have saved you."
"Who saved me?" The little girl frowned, looking to her grandfather across the bed. I turned to him, his expression equally grim.
"Members of Team Rocket." My eyes must've shot open more than was physically possible.
"Team Rocket saved me!? I thought they were only in Kanto!" The old man gave me a pat on the shoulder.
"Calm down, kid. Team Rocket is practically everywhere, or so I hear. You should be thankful they saved you, otherwise you wouldn't be here with us right now. However, I'm afraid their help came with a price."
It didn't take me more than a second to realize what that price was. I looked around the house, trying to spot my stuff. In a corner, I saw my bag, but not my Pokeball belt. I couldn't believe my eyes.
"My Pokemon...! They took them?" I could hardly believe the words escaping my lips.
"'Fraid so. These two here are yours, I take it? They followed me out of the cave, just after Team Rocket handed you over to me. Strange that two of your creatures would be out and about, but I had no problem bringing them along for the ride."
"They were fighting off the Geodudes in the cave. When I fell, they probably followed me down there somehow. Did they take anything else?" Not that anything else mattered at this point.
"Just your belt. There were four Pokeballs on it, and one of the grunts had an odd, purple Pokeball, too." The Master Ball; they had taken it back. If any of the grunts had recognized it, I'd have been in worse trouble, so for the moment I was safe. It took me a second, but I also noticed something else strange about his statement.
"Wait, four Pokeballs on the belt? Are you sure?"
"Yes, saw it with my own eyes. I wish I could've done something to help, but they dumped you off on me, and I had to make sure you were safe."
My belt always had five Pokeballs on it; Farfetch'd, Hoppip, Dratini, Lapras, and Primeape. Primeape was out of his Pokeball, but I always clipped it right back on after releasing a critter for battle. Then it hit me: Lapras. I had reached for his Pokeball when I was drowning, and when the Onix landed, I lost it somewhere in the lake. Unless the Rockets picked it up after, it would still be floating in the lake. I had to get back there and look for him.
"I have to go back! I need to find Lapras!" I moved to get out of bed.
"Now, now," said the old man, pushing me back onto the bed, "you're going to stay here until tomorrow. I let you out now, you'll catch a deathly cold."
"I can't just stay here! My Pokemon are in trouble!"
"I hate to be the one to break it to ya, kid, but your Pokemon are long gone." The old man walked over to a window, opening the curtain for me. It was dark outside, meaning I had been out of it for some time. He didn't have to say anything else; Team Rocket had probably whisked them all away hours ago.
"I'm sorry, kid. Maisy here will help you get dressed, I need to step out." The old man made for the door, stopping as his hand touched the handle. "By the way, name's Kurt."
The very same Kurt I had come all the way to Azalea Town to find. I guess it was a cruel twist of fate that the trip down here would cost me so much, but now wasn't the time to be thinking about fate. Kurt left the house, leaving me behind with his granddaughter. She brought me my dress, which had been laid to dry near a windowsill. I got dressed, though I almost didn't want to get out of bed. Vulpix and Primeape were sitting against a wall, both just as sad at having lost their friends. I was trying my best not to break down in tears.
"Are you okay?" Asked Maisy, seeing the sadness in my eyes.
"This is Azalea Town, right?"
"Yeah. It used to be very pretty here, before those mean men from Team Rocket showed up."
"How long have they been here?"
"Over a week, now. They came in during the night, and attacked Bugsy's gym. They took all of his Pokemon, and made sure he couldn't stop them."
Maisy explained everything after that. With the local gym leader no longer a threat, the grunts were free to do as they pleased in town. They forced Nurse Joy and the staff of the local Pokemon Center out, and shut the place down. The reason they were in Azalea was the Slowpoke Well, a small cave at the bottom of a well on the edge of town. Slowpoke families lived there, and they were cutting off their tails to sell for money. If Giovanni was behind all of this, my hatred for him only grew that much more.
"And nobody's come to help?" If Azalea was a destination for hopefuls headed to Indigo Plateau, it was strange that I was the first person to stumble into Team Rocket's plan.
"They have the town cut off from everyone. You got lucky, and were brought into town because you nearly drowned. They've closed off the Union Cave, and because they haven't let anyone leave town, the Ilex Forest hasn't had the trees cut down in a few days. No one can enter the town." Maisy certainly made it sound as if Team Rocket had the entire town under their control. Well, everything except the newest visitor.
"Well, I won't just sit here and do nothing!" I got up, calling for both my remaining Pokemon to join my side.
"You shouldn't go out! Grandpa said you might catch a cold!"
"And I'm right about that!" Kurt's voice echoed in the house, surprising both of us. He walked back inside the house, a young man with shoulder length hair following him.
"Bugsy, this is the young trainer that was brought in today." Kurt let the young man into the living room. He had very fine features, and if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought he was a she!
"Hi, I heard what happened from Kurt," he said, offering me his hand.
"I'm Star," I said as I shook his hand. "This wasn't exactly the plan I had for meeting you."
"I guess not. But, at least now that you're here, we can finally do something about Team Rocket." He opened the small satchel at his side, revealing a Caterpie. The small bug took a look around, making sure it was safe before it crawled up onto his shoulder.
"Is that the only Pokemon you have left?"
"Unfortunately. They took all my other friends, but this little guy managed to slip past them. On his own, he's not much in a fight, but with your help, I think we can finally beat those guys!"
"You don't have to convince me," I said, patting Primeape on his back. "We're just as angry at Team Rocket as you."
"Then I vote we all get some rest, tonight," chimed in Kurt. "We'll come up with a plan to catch those Rockets off guard, and fight back tomorrow morning! Bugsy, you can stay here tonight, so we don't have to waste time joining up."
After setting up where we'd be sleeping, the three of us sat around the table to discuss the plan for tomorrow. Kurt would cause a bit of a scene at the gym, which would distract the guards at the well long enough for Bugsy and I to sneak in. There weren't many of them down there, so if we could get the jump on them, we'd have little problem. Maisy wanted to join in on the plan, but Kurt wouldn't hear of it, which made her rather pouty.
Before we all turned in, I remembered the reason why I wanted to visit Azalea Town in the first place. Primeape needed a Pokeball, so I figured it was as good a time as any to ask Kurt about the apricorns.
"Kurt, can you make me some Pokeballs with these?" I handed him the green and white fruits.
"Sure thing, shouldn't take more than a few hours. I'll get right on it tomorrow, provided the plan goes well and you don't end up without any Pokemon."
"I won't lose anymore of my friends to them. They'll regret having crossed Star, the world's best Pokemon trainer!"
~o~
"There's someone in the gym! It's probably that gym leader again!"
The grunts guarding the well ran off, completely falling for Kurt's distraction. He kept us out of the loop on what exactly he was going to do, but whatever it was, it allowed Bugsy and me to sneak in. After climbing down the rope, we crossed the shallow pool into another part of the cave, finding a few Slowpoke lounging about. Their tales had all been cut off, making them look pretty strange. Just over the next ledge, we saw two members trying to reach a Slowpoke hiding underneath a rock.
"This is the last one," said one of the grunts, pulling on the Pokemon's tail.
"Finally, can't wait to get out of this hick town. I'm dying to take a bath, too. Slowpokes smell terrible." The second grunt released a Pokemon, a Parasect. Its large claws snapped loudly, showing us the means with which they cut the tails. The first grunt pulled on the Slowpoke again, pulling out enough of its tail for the Parasect to cut.
"No! Don't hurt him!"
Bugsy and I were left just as surprised as the grunts on the other end of the cave. Somehow, Maisy had followed into the well, and was now running towards them. She bit the grunt's hand, causing him to let go of the Slowpoke. That was our cue to attack. We emerged from behind the rocks, drawing their attention.
"Let her go, or you'll be sorry!" I called out, Primeape and Vulpix fronting for me.
"Well, if it isn't the little brat we pulled out of the lake! I told you we should've let her drown!" One of the two grunts said.
"We took her Pokemon, though! Where did she get these two?"
"Three! Don't forget my Pokemon!" Bugsy corrected them, holding Caterpie in his hands. The grunts snickered at the tiny bug.
"Fine, you brats want to mess with us?" Parasect stepped forward, and the other grunt released an Arbok.
"Primeape, Low Kick! Vulpix, Flamethrower!"
"Caterpie, String Shot!"
Not even giving the grunts a chance, Vulpix engulfed the large mushroom in flames, while Primeape went flying towards Arbok, foot first.
"Arbok, Constrict!"
The snake wrapped itself around Primeape, squeezing the monkey tighter and tighter. Caterpie crawled up to the snake, releasing a thick spray at its eyes, blinding the Pokemon. Primeape took advantage of this, and managed to slip one of his arms free.
"Primeape, Karate Chop!"
Primeape reeled back his arm, delivering the blow directly on Arbok's head. With that blow, Arbok loosened its grip, and fell to the floor. The grunts gasped, backing off, and finally letting go of Maisy. She ran over to us, hiding behind Bugsy. Primeape and Vulpix closed in on them, until they both dropped to their knees, begging for mercy.
"Please! Don't hurt us!" Said the grunt who mentioned letting me drown before. Figured he'd be the one groveling.
"Where are our Pokemon?" I asked, pointing at the grunt. Primeape walked over to him and hoisted him up by his collar.
"I don't know! Whenever we take Pokemon, another branch of grunts take them away! I swear, I don't know!" What scared me more was the high probability he was telling the truth.
"And you?" I said to the other one.
"What he said! I don't know either!"
"Star, let's bring them outside. We should call the police in Goldenrod, have them come pick these guys up."
Bugsy had a point, but I would've loved to let Primeape have his way with them for a while. They deserved it.
Outside, the other two grunts gave up without a fight, especially since their boss was at the mercy of a large monkey with a short fuse. Once Kurt and some of the other townspeople restrain them, Bugsy gave a call to the authorities in Goldenrod. I would've offered to do it myself, but my Pokegear had broken when I fell into the lake. If Mom had called me that morning, she was probably wracked with worry when I didn't answer.
Sparing the details, I gave her a call, cleared up everything, and finally met Bugsy again outside his gym. Life was quickly returning to normal in town, with the people getting right back to their daily routines. Amidst the chaos, Bugsy handed me a badge, which baffled me.
"The Hivebadge, Star. You've earned it." He said.
"We didn't even get to battle for it. Are you sure?"
"If it wasn't for you, those Rockets would've gotten away with everything they did here. Plus, I can't challenge you if all I have to battle is Caterpie. Consider the match against Team Rocket your challenge." I took the badge, attaching it to the back of my trainer card.
"Thanks, Bugsy. I'm sorry about your Pokemon, too."
"Don't worry, I'm sure my friends will give Team Rocket plenty of trouble. Are you sure you're okay? Must not be easy losing almost all of your friends like that."
Truth was, I wasn't okay. Three of my Pokemon were lost to Team Rocket, and Lapras, whose Pokeball drifted away from me in the Union Cave, was also lost. Kurt and some of the townspeople went into the cave to look for it for me, but came back a couple hours later empty-handed. It would be hard to move on, but I had to. I wouldn't let Team Rocket discourage me from continuing my adventures.
"I'll be fine, Bugsy. Tomorrow, I'll be moving on towards Goldenrod. I guess I'll just have to make new friends as I go along, right?" I gave him a smile, convincing him of my determination.
"Lots of good bug Pokemon in Ilex Forest," he said, giving me one more present. "Use these Pokeballs to catch one. They'll come in handy."
"And these will, too!" Kurt's scraggy voice surprised both of us as he came up from behind. In his hands were two more Pokeballs, these bearing different designs on the top.
"These are the apricorn Pokeballs?" I asked, inspecting the two.
"Yeah, just finished them. This here's a Friend Ball, and this one is a Fast Ball. Former'll make any Pokemon you catch with it instantly loyal, and the latter is best used on those slippery critters."
"Thanks, Kurt! I'm sure they'll be a big help." I put them into my bag, alongside the Master Ball I had recovered from the grunts. They thought it was just a colored Pokeball, and didn't report it. First chance I got, I had to get rid of it, before it fell back into Team Rocket's hands.
"Oh, and one more thing, Kurt," I asked him. "Can you teach me how to make Pokeballs out of apricorns?"
"Star, it would take you years of apprenticeship under me to learn the art. And I don't think I have it in me anymore to teach. Pretty sure you don't have a few years to spare, either."
"Aww, man." I pouted, sounding a lot like Maisy had the night before, according to Kurt. She didn't like the comparison Kurt made.
Since the Pokemon Center in Azalea Town was still locked up, I was invited to stay with Kurt and Maisy again that night. At least I knew I'd get a good night's rest in a comfortable bed.
And while my dreams would be plagued with visions of the Pokemon I lost, at least they didn't turn into outright nightmares that kept me up. Though, would that mean that I never cared enough about those Pokemon I lost...?
I slept well that night. But in the morning, my pillow was soaked from tears shed overnight.