A Cold and Bitter Past, Chapter 41
Dragonair touched down near the Pokemon Center to let me off. Afterwards, the Pokemon took back to the skies, headed towards the Lake of Rage. Lance had asked me to stay at the center until he finished with the police, so I figured I'd take the opportunity to call Mom. I left my Pokemon with Nurse Joy, except for Vulpix, and then dialed home.
"Hello?" The voice on the other line wasn't Mom's.
"Um, Mom? It's Star."
"Oh! Just a sec, sweetie." The voice said, before the line went silent. A moment later, the screen switched on, and I saw Mom on the other side.
"Star! I didn't think you'd call back so soon!"
"Hi, Mom. Umm... who was the lady on the phone before you?"
"Oh, it was just one of my friends," she said, but didn't elaborate. "Something wrong, baby?"
"Mom-"
"You're not a baby, I know," she finished for me. I sighed.
"I just called to say hi, is all. I know you like it when I call you." And now that I knew she had company over, I just wanted to hang up and be done with it. Even from across the region and over the phone, I remembered my manners about interrupting conversations.
"That's great, Star! But listen, I have to go now. You'll be traveling to Hoenn, then?"
"Yeah, that's why you sent me the money, remember?"
"I know, I know. Be sure to call me before you leave Johto, okay?" In the background, I could hear the other lady urging Mom to hurry up.
"I will, Mom. Have fun!" I said with a smile.
"You too, Star! Bye!"
And with that, the monitor turned off. Vulpix licked my face, equally confused as to Mom's strange behavior. Well, could I really call it strange? Up until now, I thought Mom sat at home all day worrying about me. Like anyone else, she had friends and did fun things. This was just the first time I ever saw this other side of her. I think this was the first time Mom ever dismissed me without worry.
"You know," I said to Vulpix, "That was pretty..."
I couldn't even pick out the right word. Refreshing? Scary? Who knows.
~o~
Lance didn't come back until late that afternoon. I ended up wasting the day sitting in the Pokemon Center, which was a bit annoying. I could have gone to the gym and collected the badge in the meantime. Still, the wait ended up worthwhile. Along with Lance came another familiar face. That bald head, round glasses, and white lab coat.
"Blaine?"
"Well, if it isn't the little ninja girl from Cinnabar Island! Lance was telling me a lot about you, though I never expected it to be the same person." Blaine offered me a handshake.
"Star has been most helpful in thwarting Team Rocket's plans," Lance said. It was at this moment that something shot to mind. I grabbed Lance's hand and pulled him away from Blaine for a moment.
"Lance, do you know Blaine works for Giovanni and Team Rocket?" I whispered into his ear. Lance just smiled.
"I know that. He was working there under my instruction." My eyes went wide.
"Didn't think you were so untrusting, Star," Blaine chipped in with a chuckle. "Though you weren't completely off the mark."
This time, both Lance and I looked at him with some measure of surprise. Blaine cleared his throat.
"Lance recruited me after he discovered the labs under Giovanni's control on the island. I was already working for Giovanni on a top secret project. I had no problem reporting to Lance behind Giovanni's back; Lance is in charge of the League."
"So what was your stake in the matter?" Lance asked him.
"The completion of the project. We were working to clone a Pokemon so rare, it might very well be extinct. We managed to succeed." Blaine seemed proud of the accomplishment, though I could tell Lance wasn't happy. I figured the Pokemon in question was that mass in the tube in the lab when I was on the island.
"We'll have to discuss this later, and in private." Lance said sternly. Blaine just smiled.
"Whatever you say, boss. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like a word with Star alone."
Lance scoffed at the older gentleman, but let him have his moment of privacy with me. I hadn't seen Lance get angry like that at anyone other than Giovanni. I was curious, to be sure, but Blaine wasn't about to let me in on anything.
"Listen, Star. There's a chance you might run across the very Pokemon I helped create. You'll know if you do run into it. I know you still have that purple Pokeball in your possession. The Master Ball."
I nodded, and went to look in my bag for the item. Blaine stopped me from pulling it out of the bag.
"Use it then, without any hesitation. We cannot keep that Pokemon contained any other way."
"I understand."
Blaine nodded, then rejoined Lance at the entrance of the Pokemon Center. After sharing a word with Lance, the Champion walked over to me.
"You don't have to worry about Team Rocket for a while, Star. From the interrogations at the lake, we think this was their last stronghold in the region. Thank you for all your help."
"No problem, Lance. I was happy to help!"
Lance thanked me one last time, then left the center with Blaine. It was already late, so I figured I'd get some rest. I'd tackle the gym the next morning before heading out further east to Blackthorn City.
~o~
The next morning, I awoke refreshed and ready to take on the world again. The craziness regarding Team Rocket, Blaine and the events at the Lake of Rage were behind me, and my goal was across the street. Nurse Joy hinted at the leader's type preference, that being ice. It wasn't a type I was experienced combatting, but I knew that Vulpix would probably be my best ally in the coming battle.
So after breakfast, I crossed the street from the center, Vulpix trailing behind me, and entered the large building.
Inside, I saw the ice motif Nurse Joy hinted at during breakfast. The arena was covered in a sheet of ice, making it difficult to walk around without slipping. I looked around for the gym leader, but he wasn't there. I could hear voices coming from the room behind the leader's throne, so I walked slowly across the slippery arena, Vulpix following closely. She didn't have half as much luck staying on her feet.
I walked around to the door, but didn't open it just yet. Inside, I could hear two voices arguing something, one of which sounded like Blaine. Rather than eavesdrop, I knocked on the door first. The voices went silent for a moment.
"What do you want?" The voice called out through the closed door. I took a deep breath.
"My name is Star, and I've come to challenge the gym leader for a badge." I heard a bit of shuffling around behind the door. It swung open, and inside was Blaine.
"Blaine? What are you doing here?"
"Come in. Star, I was just discussing something with an old friend." Blaine moved aside, and let me enter the office. On the other side of the room and desk was an old man, his hair bleached white with age. Minding my manners, I made sure to bow before him before saying anything else.
"Good morning, sir. I wish to challenge you to a Pokemon battle for a gym badge." I looked down at Vulpix, making sure she didn't go poking around the man's desk.
"I'm not taking any challenges today, young lady. Please leave us." His response was as cold as his own gym.
"Pryce, come on; give the girl a chance. I promise you, she won't let you down. Gave me a run for my money when she challenged me a while back." Pryce looked over at Blaine, almost as if he couldn't refuse a friend's request. Looking a bit more annoyed rather than relaxed, Pryce rose from his seat, cane in hand.
"You owe me one," he told Blaine as he walked past us. Once Pryce was outside the office, I looked over to Blaine.
"Old age, Star. Makes us a bit cranky, so don't mind old Pryce. He and I go way back."
Out on the arena, Pryce took his seat on his end of the field. I walked across the icy floor again, now making doubly sure not to slip and fall with both Pryce and Blaine watching me. Once on my end, Pryce turned on a microphone on his throne, allowing his voice to resound throughout the gym.
"We shall have a two Pokemon battle. First to down two monsters is the victor. Are you ready?" I yelled out that I was, and Pryce threw his first Pokemon onto the field. The Pokeball exploded to reveal a Cloyster. Though Vulpix seemed like the right choice to battle this critter, I instead reached for a Pokeball from my belt. I released Eevee.
"The battle has begun. Cloyster, use Swift."
"Eevee, Quick Attack!"
Eevee sprinted across the arena, but Cloyster's attack could not be evaded. The wave of sparkles crashed directly into Eevee, knocking him out of his sprint.
"Eevee, Quick Attack again!"
"Cloyster, Swift."
Again, Eevee shot towards his opponent like a bullet, and again Cloyster managed to force him out of his attack. This wasn't going in my favor. Eevee was having too much trouble closing the distance because of the icy arena. I had to try a different approach.
"Eevee, Sand-Attack!"
"Cloyster, Withdraw."
Eevee kicked up a cloud of white sand, mostly small fragments of ice and water. However, Cloyster had concealed his face behind his shell, rendering Eevee's attack useless. By this point, I was starting to get a little flustered. Pryce made it seem like he was just battling for battling's sake, while I was desperately trying to win.
"Eevee..." I went silent, not sure what to attack with anymore. Pryce didn't even fight back, he just waited for me to make my move.
Eevee looked back at me, awaiting my next command. Since I had nothing to order, I just sat down on the ground. Vulpix was just as confused as Eevee, walking circles around me. Pryce didn't look the least be fazed for a while, until the stalemate lasted for a few minutes.
"Are you forfeiting the match, young lady?" The echo of Pryce's magnified voice was a bit unsettling. To answer him, I just shook my head.
"Issue a command, or I will end this match on the grounds of your forfeit." All that time, and I hadn't actually come up with an alternate plan of attack. To be honest, I wasn't actually brainstorming on it, just waiting for Pryce to make a move I could counter. I rose from the ground, unsure how to proceed.
"Eevee, Sand-Attack!"
"Withdraw." Pryce said half-heartedly.
Eevee followed my order, and Cloyster obeyed Pryce. The stalemate hadn't been resolved, but I had come up with an idea. I followed up without giving Pryce a chance to react.
"Quick Attack, Eevee!"
The blue Pokemon zoomed in on Cloyster, but with it concealed in its hard shell, the damage would be minimal.
"Eevee, wait!"
He came to a screeching halt just in front of Cloyster.
"Cloyster, Spike Cannon."
"Now! Take Down!"
I saw the next event in slow motion, I think. Cloyster opened its shell, aiming the two largest spikes at Eevee, who was just a foot or so away from him. Before it could blast him, Eevee rammed straight into Cloyster's exposed face, sending the critter rolling backwards, its shell slammed shut once more. At such close proximity, it was a one hit KO. Pryce chuckled over the microphone.
"Clever strategy, young lady. Clever indeed." The old man recalled his Pokemon, and produced another Pokeball. This time, the critter was a large white animal, a Dewgong. I left Eevee out on the field.
"Dewgong, Ice Beam."
"Eevee, Quick Attack!"
Eevee blasted forward, which only made Dewgong's job easier. The seal Pokemon pointed its forehead towards Eevee, and let out a bright blue beam. The attacked nailed Eevee spot on, freezing him in place. Vulpix started barking, and I scrambled to recall Eevee before Pryce finished the fight.
"Dewgong, Take Down."
I aimed the Pokeball at Eevee's frozen body, but it was too late. Dewgong had crashed into him, shattering the ice around him and effectively ending the battle. Eevee fell over, unable to move anymore. I returned him to his Pokeball.
"Your next Pokemon, young lady." I kneeled down and scratched Vulpix's ears. She went out onto the arena. It was as if Pryce had lost his patience during the stalemate earlier and just wanted to end the battle as quickly as possible. Not to be mean, but I guess when you got that old, you couldn't afford to waste any time like I was.
"Dewgong, Ice Beam."
"Vulpix, Flamethrower!"
It was a risky move, but if Dewgong's attack connected Vulpix would fall in the same manner as Eevee. The blue beam of energy shot towards Vulpix, while her flames crashed against it half way. The two cancelled each other out for only a moment before it exploded in a cloud of white smoke. The smoke concealed everything, so I whispered towards Vulpix. She ran back to my side.
"Quick Attack, girl, and hurry."
The small fox nodded, and turned around. She vanished from sight, just before the smoke cleared up. Dewgong prepared for another attack, but Vulpix was no where to be seen. This, of course, confused even Pryce.
"Have you recalled your Pokemon, young lady?"
"No, I didn't!" My answer clicked with Pryce instantly.
"Dewgong, move!"
That was the first time I heard Pryce panic slightly. Dewgong was about to get away from where he was stationed, but Vulpix reappeared just behind him, knocking the Pokemon towards the center of the arena.
"Vulpix, Ember, now!"
She spun around in place, raining down the small flames all over Dewgong's body. A number of them burned Dewgong's beautiful skin, which hurt me almost as much as the Pokemon. Still, I had to end this battle fast.
"Vulpix, Flamethrower!"
"Dewgong, Ice Beam."
The Pokemon aimed its head as quickly as it could, blasting the blue beam towards Vulpix. To my surprise, rather than follow my command, Vulpix leapt into the air, dodging Dewgong's Ice Beam entirely. Before I could say anything more, Vulpix's entire body flashed for a split second, and she released a blast of fire at the Pokemon. The flames enveloped the Pokemon completely, turning into a massive tornado of fire. It encased Dewgong for several seconds, then dissipated. Dewgong was left burned all over, and the poor Pokemon couldn't even make another move. He fell over, exhausted.
The arena was quiet for a few seconds. I think even Blaine was shocked by the display, and being a fire Pokemon trainer, that was quite something. Pryce eventually recalled his Pokemon, and rose from his chair.
"Congratulations, young lady. You've earned yourself the Glacierbadge."
~o~
"Do you know what happened with your Vulpix in there, Star?" We were back outside Pryce's gym, Blaine and I. After handing over the badge, Pryce asked both of us to leave.
"Not really. I told her to use Flamethrower, so I was shocked when she didn't do as I told her." I pulled out one of the last cookies from my bag, and gave it to Vulpix.
"It's a special ability, unique only to some Pokemon. We call it the 'Pokemon Power', as unoriginal as the name is. They are special, more powerful attacks that rarely surface in battle. It's believed that every Pokemon possesses one, but not all Pokemon can learn to use it freely."
"I never would've known," I said, looking down at Vulpix. To think, she had that kind of power all along.
"Well, now that you know, you might want to consider training your Vulpix to use the power anytime. For reference, you can learn the ability's details with your handy little Pokedex."
"Thanks, Blaine. By the way, why were you talking to Pryce before I got there?"
"Catching up on old times. Sadly, we instead got to talking about less savory matters." Blaine turned away, not wanting to talk about it. Since I didn't get the hint, I pestered him a bit more about it.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, to make it short: the reason why Pryce is so, well, cold, is because of a little scuffle he and I had many years ago."
Blaine gave me the shorthand version of his history with Pryce. They were both trainers many years ago, good friends and rivals as well. During a visit to Cinnabar Island, which back then didn't have a town on it, the two entered the volcano to catch some rare fire Pokemon. The battle went south for Pryce, who was badly injured in a battle with a wild Magmar. His Piloswine, his oldest and most loyal Pokemon, didn't survive the battle. Blaine ended up saving his life, if only by capturing the Magmar Pryce had worked so hard to wear down.
Pryce was conflicted: on the one hand, he owed his life to his best human friend. On the other, he had lost his closest Pokemon friend, and his prize. After that, the two had a bit of a falling out, though they still kept in touch over the years. They met again several years ago, when both joined up for Team Rocket's Research and Development teams. Since both were already gym leaders, their positions made them the perfect candidates to provide face for Rocket's more questionable projects.
While Pryce covered for Team Rocket in Mahogany Town for a time, he was never as happy working for them as Blaine. When the base in Mahogany Town was moved directly to the Lake of Rage, Pryce severed all ties with Team Rocket. This angered Giovanni considerably, from what Blaine told me, though because Pryce was still a gym leader, there was little Giovanni could do to get back at him.
"Story time is over, Star," Blaine said, adjusting his spectacles. "Case in point: Pryce has a reason for being so cold. Just don't hold it against him."
"I wasn't planning to," I said, having almost forgotten the reason for this history lesson.
"Good. Now, Lance told me you're headed to Blackthorn City, right?" Blaine pointed towards the east exit of Mahogany Town. "That's the road you want to take. Dress warmly."
Blaine took off in a different direction. I knew the weather was getting colder as time passed, but I just didn't expect it to get as cold as it would later that day. I assembled my bike and put Vulpix into the front basket. Route 44 awaited me, and yet another cave I didn't expect.