Night on the Frontier, Chapter 71
"Back already? How'd it go?" Flannery was still lounging about my room, though it was nice to see that she had at least fixed my bed after all the jumping we did on it.
"Great! Started off a little rocky, but I guess I just lucked out. Thanks for fixing the bed for me," I said, taking a seat on it. Vulpix jumped on it as well, stretching out for a nice nap after the battle.
"I didn't do that, it was like that when I came back here. So, when's your next battle?"
"Don't know, they said they'd let me know." Saying that made Flannery smile for some reason.
"That means we have the rest of the night to play! The arenas close at five, and since it's almost three, you have nothing else to do today! Want to go back outside?" Just as I was about to answer her, there was a knock on the door. Figuring it was probably just Winona again, I opened the door without checking. It was a young man dressed in a fancy suit.
"Can I help you?"
"Are you Star Light?" He asked, his voice deep.
"Yeah, that's me," I said, looking at his suit for some kind of name tag.
"Star, who is it?" Flannery came over to the door, and when she saw the man, she froze on the spot. "Oh my god, it's the champion!"
"Champion? You mean Steven?" I looked back at him, watching as he looked down the hallway for a moment.
"If you don't mind letting me in?"
"Of course not, sir! Star, move aside!" Flannery practically dragged me away from the door to let him in. He closed the door behind him, but didn't walk all the way into the room proper. "Please, have a seat, sir."
"Thank you." He went to sit on the couch while I leaned in close to Flannery.
"Why are you acting this way?" I whispered to her.
"Are you crazy? Do you know who that IS?" She whispered back. Not that we were doing a good job, as we were about to find out.
"She's acting that way because I am, technically, her boss. How are you, Flannery?" She nearly pushed me to the ground as she ran over to Steven's side.
"Great, sir, just perfectly perfect... great!"
"Glad to hear it. Star, I need to speak with you about something," he said, asking me to sit next to him. To me, he was just some stranger, so I wasn't worried about talking with him. For some reason, he didn't seem to exude the same aura as Lance.
"Yes?"
"Do you have the Master Ball you acquired from Team Aqua?"
"Yeah, it's right over there, in my bag," I told him, pointing to the floor.
"I'll need to ask you to hold onto it for a while longer. There's a situation brewing, and the Master Balls we took from both teams seem to be the focal points. Neither team would dare strike Ever Grande City, but the Battle Frontier is a different story."
"Um, wouldn't it be a better idea for you to take it?" Not that I had a problem holding on to such a powerful tool, but with it in my possession I had a giant bulls-eye painted on my back.
"It's too dangerous," Steven replied, "I don't know who to trust around me. For that reason I instructed one of the Elite Four to hold onto the other Master Ball. If I were to be ambushed by Team Aqua, they could take the Master Ball from me. Don't worry: I will lead them to believe I have it, spare you from any danger. Trust no one, Star. Archie has spies everywhere collecting information for him."
With that, Steven rose from his seat. Flannery was ready to see him out the door. He turned back to me, pointing at Flannery.
"Stay close to her for me," he told me. "I know she wouldn't let anything happen to you. And I know you'd return the favor."
"Sure, whatever you say, Steven."
He smiled at me, and left the room. Once he was gone, Flannery finally returned to her usual self.
"Wow, lucky you, Star! To receive a personal request for the good of all Hoenn and Pokemon from the Champion himself!"
"Yeah, lucky me," I said dejectedly.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just... I didn't want to be a part of all this. I'm just a Pokemon trainer, and here I am drowning in this crazy mess. First it was Team Rocket, now it's Team Aqua or Magma. I just want to go back to when it was all about fun, you know?"
"Well, it's not like Steven asked you to do too much, right? Just keep the Master Ball safe! So listen, want to head outside? Sun'll be setting soon, and once its gone, the real fun begins out there!" Flannery grabbed me by the hand, dragging me to the door. I pulled away, though, reaching for something in my bag. When I pulled out the Master Ball, she sighed.
"You know, you don't have to carry it around with you everywhere you go."
"I'm just afraid of leaving it here," I said, trying to find somewhere on my dress to hide it without it being painfully obvious. I glanced over in Flannery's direction, catching a smirk forming on her face.
"Do you have another empty Pokeball, by any chance?" I looked at her with a confused expression.
"Yeah, why?"
"I know just where to hide that Master Ball so no one would notice."
~o~
You know that feeling you get, as if everyone around you is staring at you? This usually happens when you've done something to yourself that gives you the impression that you're somehow sticking out like a sore thumb. Well, I was in this position, all on account of Flannery's idea. As I strolled through the twilight roads of the Frontier, every single trainer I walked by threw a glance in my direction. Maybe it was nothing, or maybe they were eyeing the craftsmanship on display.
"Just relax, Star. And don't move around too much, or they'll fall out of place," Flannery whispered in my ear. Her suggestion only made me more nervous and self-conscious.
"Why don't we just go back to the room and leave it there? You're right, no one would ever know it was there!" I made a quick motion to run back to the Tower, when Flannery jumped in my way to stop me.
"Keep moving around like that, and everyone'll notice! Relax, Star! They look perfectly natural!"
As if it wasn't painfully obvious by now, Flannery had disguised the Master Ball and a spare Pokeball as a pair of... you know, on my chest. With a little bit of padding and arranging, they could pass as the real thing, if I knew what the real thing looked like. But under my dress, it wasn't as obvious as you might guess. It was a thick outfit designed for winter, after all. And Flannery did have a point: no one would notice unless they knew me personally. Leave it to rotten chance that I run into someone I happened to know.
"Star! Star, is that you?" I looked through the crowd to see a familiar face in a suit. It was David, whom I last saw in Rustboro City. I walked through the crowd to meet him, too late to ignore his call.
"H-Hello, David. Nice to see y-you again," I said, trying my best to calm my rattling voice.
"Likewise. And who might this be?"
"I'm Flannery, from Lavaridge Town," she introduced herself, shaking David's hand.
"This is David," I explained to her as Vulpix greeted the familiar young man. "We met a long time ago on the road. He's an old friend of mine."
"Wasn't that long ago, Star. Remember we ran into each outside Rustboro City. And by the way," he said, trying to avert his gaze from my chest, "you're certainly looking... well?"
"Yeah, I'm fine- GOOD, I mean good," I said, hiding my face. It didn't take Flannery more than a few seconds to piece it all together. Instantly she stepped in to cover for me.
"Little Star's growing up so fast, isn't she? When I met her in Lavaridge, she was cute as a button! Hardly recognized her when we met up here, looking like that!" I felt my face burn up more, and I just wanted to shrink into oblivion.
"I s-see." David coughed to a side, a ruse to compose himself following that awkward exchange. "Star, I have something I'd like to discuss, if you'd come over here with me to the table."
"S-Sure," I said, eager to move this conversation to any other topic. Once we were all sitting down, David leaned in close, a sign that he didn't want what he was about to say to be heard by anyone nearby.
"Steven told me what happened near Ever Grande," he said, just loud enough to be heard by myself and Flannery.
"Really? He didn't mention telling anyone..."
"Steven likes his secrets," David quickly pitched in. "He also told me about the Master Ball. Just wanted to say, Star, you have a knack for being in the right place at the right time for these things. Nice to know the Master Ball is now in his possession."
"Well, actually-" I started, catching myself just before I said anything. "Y-Yeah, he has it, alright."
"Of course, doubt Steven would let you hold onto it. Wouldn't want to leave you in danger, like that." David checked his watch, smiling when he noted the time.
"Waiting for something?" Flannery asked, looking at him with a slight glare.
"Not at all," he said, giving us both that blank smile I knew him for. "Actually, it's already here."
Just to our right, over the railing, several Pokemon jumped out of the water, launching several trainers into the air and onto land. They were all dressed in wetsuits, marked with Team Aqua's insignia. Between the gasps of utter shock and Vulpix's barking, I didn't even notice David get up from his end of the table and throw his arm around my neck, hoisting me up off the ground. As the crowd of trainers took notice and reached for their Pokemon, David raised his free hand, catching everyone's attention.
"Let's all be calm about this," he announced, tightening his grip on my neck. "We haven't come here to ruin the evening. I only want what this little girl has taken from us."
"David, how could you! You're part of Team Aqua?"
"Oh, Star, Star," he said softly into my ear. "I've been part of Team Aqua since long before there was a Team Aqua."
"What?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You mean...? Team Rocket?"
"Of course. How else you think Giovanni managed to silently take over Silph in Saffron that time? Why, I let him in through the front door."
"Let her go, you bastard!" Flannery reached for one of her Pokeballs, but David only needed to tighten his grip on my neck. I could feel it getting harder to breathe, but he didn't hold that strength for very long.
"One Pokemon is released," he announced to everyone in the area, "and Star might not last the night. You wouldn't want that on your conscience, would you?"
The trainers around us, Flannery included, stood down. The entire time, I was looking for Vulpix, who had somehow vanished from the table. If I could only find her, and distract David for just long enough...
"Now, Star, why don't you hand over that Master Ball?" David put his hand in front of me, waiting for the prize tucked in my dress.
"Why, David?" I asked, trying to buy Vulpix just another few seconds to get in position. "Why were you so nice all this time, even in the Petalburg Woods?"
"Oh, that. I'm a member of Team Aqua, see, and Magma is the competition. There's a reason Giovanni split us up, it was to see which team deserved the honor of becoming the next Team Rocket. And don't forget, I was undercover at the time. Didn't you listen to me?" David shook his hand, demanding the Master Ball.
"I told you, I don't have it. Steven does." Whether or not Vulpix was in place, it looked to be now or never.
"Nice try, Star." David tightened his grip on me, forcing his hand down the front of my dress to grab the Master Ball by force.
"You sick bastard! Let her go!" Someone cried out from the crowd.
David's latest action was enough to rile up the other trainers, causing them to ignore his threat and start attacking the Team Aqua members in full force. I felt David grab hold of one of the two Pokeballs, and I prayed deep down he got the wrong one. When he pulled his arm out to check, I noticed it was indeed the regular Pokeball.
At that moment, he screamed out in pain, letting me go and dropping me to the ground. I looked behind me, seeing Vulpix dig her teeth into his leg. I forced the Master Ball down my dress further, and scurried away as Vulpix held David off. As the battles around me raged on, I did my best to crawl through them, having left the rest of my Pokemon back at the hotel.
"Cursed fox!" I heard David yell out. I turned around, seeing him pull Vulpix off by force, and throw her over the railing.
"Vulpix!" I screamed out to her. She heard my plea, and in response blasted David in the face with a Flamethrower attack. As he fell back in agony and covered in flames, I ran back to the railing, where I looked over to see Vulpix trying her best to stay afloat.
"Someone, help! Please!" I cried out, watching as Vulpix slowly descended under the surface. My first instinct was to jump in after her, despite my inability to swim. As I was about to act on this impulse, I felt someone hold me back, throwing a Pokeball into water. Out came a massive blue beast, who immediately dove into the water. After a few tense seconds, it emerged with Vulpix in his arms, the small fox coughing and shivering uncontrollably.
The Pokemon climbed out of the water, and handed me my beloved fox. I pressed her close to my chest, trying my best to warm her body. By this point, officials from the Battle Tower and other buildings stormed the scene, apprehending the Team Aqua members as their Pokemon was wiped out by the dozens of trainers in the area. I looked over to David in all the confusion, watching as someone doused the flames on his ruined suit. As quickly as all this started, it had ended.
"Thank you," I said to the trainer and his Pokemon whom had saved Vulpix. "Thank you so much for saving her."
"No problem, right Feraligatr?" The large beast roared at me slightly. I gave it a small pat on the chest. Looking around at the mess caused by David, I still couldn't believe everything that had happened. Amidst the chaos, I rejoined Flannery, and together we spotted Steven as he came to personally oversee the investigation.
"I trust everything has been resolved?"
"Yes, sir. And I'm sorry, I let this all get out of hand," Flannery said, bowing her head to the man.
"No need to apologize, Flannery. If anything, I should be apologizing to Star."
"You used me as a decoy," I said, having figured it out already. Steven nodded.
"I knew Team Aqua had followed you and Roxanne here from Ever Grande City. If I had taken the Master Ball, I never would've made out David to be Aqua's spy. It was a dangerous plan, but I had no choice."
"So he was working for you?"
"Not at all. I did have my father arrange the meeting, but that was on a tip given to me by Lance, Kanto's Champion. He uncovered evidence pointing the finger at David for the Silph Takeover this past summer, but asked me to get David out of the region for a while, to prevent Team Rocket from passing the information to him. Assuming he was part of Rocket, he'd just as easily join up with either faction here in Hoenn. When father told me what happened in the Petalburg Woods, I was certain he was working for Archie and Team Aqua, and that he'd try to take the Master Ball from you."
"Steven, no offense, but you're crazy!" Flannery yelled at him. Suddenly all her kissing up didn't matter. "What if Star had been killed during this plan?"
"I apologize," he said, getting down on one knee. "As many times as it would take. I let the benefits of the plan outweigh the possibility of harm befalling you. I truly did not think David would go so far, not after the history he shared with you."
"It's okay," I said, bringing Steven back to his feet. "I'm alright, Vulpix is safe, and all the members are under arrest. Thank you, Steven, for showing me what David was truly like. I never, ever would've found out if you hadn't done all this."
"It doesn't excuse what happened here, but I'm grateful for your words."
"Just one thing..." I said, trying to piece it all together in my mind. "Where are the real leaders of Team Magma and Aqua? Maxie and Archie?"
"I'm afraid we may never find them," said Steven. "With David and the last of the Aqua grunts in custody, those two may disappear like Giovanni did. At the very least, the crisis has been averted. Without the Master Balls at their disposal, they'll be unable to capture the legendary Pokemon."
"Oh! Speaking of which..." I reached into my dress to get the Master Ball, but after a few failed attempts I had to shake my entire body so it would fall out on its own from the skirt end. I picked it up and handed it to Steven. "I hope this is the last time I'll be used by someone for anything. Good, or bad."
Steven nodded, and left the scene with the officials hauling away the Team Aqua grunts. With the commotion being dragged off, the area around the tables where this whole evening started quieted down a bit. The night air was getting colder by the minute, and with Vulpix still a bit wet, it was about time to return to my room.
"Sheesh, what a night, huh?" Remarked Flannery with a smile on her face. "And you didn't want to go out tonight!"
"I never said that! Steven walked in before I could answer."
"Nuh uh! After: you didn't want to go out!"
"Not with a pair of Pokeballs as fake boobs!" I screamed back at her.
"Whatever, Star! I still had a point." Flannery turned around, plugging her ears to delude herself into thinking she won that little argument. I was about to pull on her arm when I saw a pair of familiar faces in the distance. It was Gaby and Ty, looking for a story to sell on what had happened here.
"Oh god, not them again! Flannery, let's go!"
I dashed through the crowd, not caring whether or not Flannery ran after me. The last thing I wanted was to be pestered by Gaby for a story to share with all of Hoenn that night.