-Cyclone-
Descent
Archie swung in his hammock, staring absentmindedly at the letter he received almost a week ago.
His father didn't write much, just a few lines asking when he'd come home and visit. There was a sentence dedicated to a surprise friend coming over from Pacifidlog, and another awkwardly inquiring about the weather in Slateport. His father did not bring up grades, work, livelihood, Pokémon, or Maxie.
It wasn't the slow reply, nor was it the fact that the letter was only a few sentences long, but the dismissiveness of it that got to Archie. He knew he had been somewhat impersonal when he had written to his father, but at least he spent time listing out every bit of detail of his life the past year.
"Still reading it?" Maxie stood by the entrance of the room, Zubat in his arms. Both were giving Archie a very concerned stare. It was an impressive feat, considering Maxie was without his glasses, and the Zubat without any eyes to scrutinize with.
Archie folded the letter. "You can come in if ya want." He muttered out his response. He kicked his legs out and pushed the blanket up the hammock, causing it to spill over the floor.
Maxie sighed. "I don't see why you just won't call him."
Trying to start a conversation over a vague, passive letters made Archie cringe. The list he wrote several weeks ago had been so detached of emotion. Somehow this note, despite being addressed to him with a "dear," and ending with a "your father," surpassed it. The damn thing was impossible to look at without making Archie uncomfortable. Nothing he listed out was given a reply; just a statement about a distant friend from long ago, and a few questions that Archie didn't want to answer.
Maxie released his Zubat. "Archie," he began, "I get it." He looked away to hide his obvious discomfort. "I know what it's like to have a less than perfect relationship with a parent."
Archie let his fingers slip in between the knots of the hammock. "I know."
"And maybe you wrote out some information he wasn't particularly fond of," Maxie added, fidgeting at the last few words.
It was weird to see Maxie looking so uncomfortable. Archie almost regretted bringing up the letter with him. Archie rubbed the back of his head. "He could have at least said he wasn't cool about it."
"I don't think you really mean that," Maxie said. "No. I think you want his approval more than anything else."
Archie stared up at the ceiling, catching the Zubat flying in circles. "Yeah, well," he muttered. "He didn't say a damn thing, so there." He tossed the folded letter out of the hammock. He continued to stare up at the Zubat, watching it flap above him.
It didn't take long for Maxie to appear and obstruct his view. Archie's fingers curled around the thin ropes binding the hammock together, feeling his throat dry up while his boyfriend continued to stare down with a solemn expression.
"I don't want this to get between us," Maxie said. His long hair was getting in the way, but Archie could see how much this was affecting him.
Archie shook his head. "It won't."
Maxie expression remained unchanged. "It's eating at you. I can tell it is."
"And ya think callin' him will make it any better?" Archie asked defensively.
Maxie lifted his head, letting the light from the open window hit his face, and exposing the added worry that Archie had not caught before. "I think," Maxie murmured, looking as though he was anticipating his own response more than Archie was, "that you're going to feel miserable not knowing what he really thinks. Not just about us, but everything you've accomplished the past year."
Archie released his grip on the hammock. "And what if he says he doesn't like it?" he asked. "What will ya say then? "
"Not me," Maxie corrected. "You. You'll have something to say." He paused, looking surprised by how worried he sounded. "…To him," he quickly added. Maxie pulled himself away, not longer letting his panicked expression be a part of Archie's view.
The Zubat was no longer in the air, but clinging to the supporting end of the hammock. It was still peering down at Archie, mouth formed into a small frown. Archie watched in dismay as the Pokémon's ears shifted, catching the sound of his shaken breath.
It looked like everyone was worried about him. He didn't want the Zubat to be upset, and he especially didn't Maxie to be so agitated about whether or not this was going to affect the two of them. Archie lifted himself up into a sitting position, checking to make sure that Maxie wasn't too upset. He grabbed the sides of his hammock to ease the sway.
Archie caught Maxie heading out of his small room, Poochyena blocking the entrance by running up to him and wagging its fluffy tail.
"I'm not angry," he stammered out. Maxie stopped, and the canine Pokémon walked up and scratched at his leg. The hammock shook underneath Archie. "I mean…" he sighed. "Even if he did say somethin' in the letter, I wouldn't blame ya fer it."
Maxie slowly began to nod his head. "I'm aware. I'm worried about you."
"Don't be," Archie said. The Zubat made a clicking sound, and proceeded to crawl its way down the hammock towards Archie. Both Maxie and Archie seemed to share the same discomfort when they realized the Pokémon was becoming distressed by the situation. Archie sighed again. "I'm tryin' here."
"I just want you to have some peace of mind," Maxie replied. "If you can't get anything else from him, then at least get that one answer."
Archie looked down at the Zubat kneading its head into his chest. He remembered when all he had in companionship were the two Zubats, and how his father made comments about taking good care of them. If anything, there should have been a least one remark about him trading the small Zubat for Maxie's Poochyena. His father made such a big deal about the Zubats, and he had no idea what kind of guy Maxie was. One comment about Maxie, even a bad one, would have made a load of difference.
He gave the Zubat a pat on the head. "Maxie."
"Yes?"
Archie rubbed the Zubat's chin, earning a light hum from the Pokémon. "After yer birthday, ok?" He saw the way Maxie tensed up. Archie tried to grin at him, but it felt so dishonest and forced that he gave up. He extended his arm out, beckoning the man over. "I don't plan on lettin' whatever he might say get in the way of things."
Maxie took small steps back over to Archie, the Poochyena following behind him.
"I don't want it ruinin' yer birthday, ok?" Archie said. Maxie grabbed is hand. "I just wished he said somethin'." Maxie's fingertips rubbed against Archie's palm.
Archie tried to think up something absolutely wonderful to say, but nothing came to mind, and now he was thinking about birthdays, and Maxie's was only a week away, and right now both of them were freaking over some stupid letter.
"Are you sure you're going to be fine until then?" Maxie asked.
Archie didn't have to think too hard about his answer "Yeah. I mean, with you givin' me all this attention…"
Maxie rolled his eyes. "I'm serious!"
"So am I." Archie yanked Maxie closer, threatening to pull him into the hammock. The Zubat made a sound, and proceeded to crawl out of the now-crowded space.
"Archie."
"I'm not goin' to let him ruin anythin'," Archie said. "That means all of this…and I really do mean it about you keepin' me distracted." He watched Maxie body begin to relax.
"Well, if you're sure," Maxie muttered.
"I am." Archie tried pulling the redhead closer. Not a fan of the swinging motions, Maxie fought back, shaking his head down at Archie.
"You know how I feel about that thing," Maxie warned.
Archie pouted. "You always get to do what you want."
"I really don't want to have sex in that." Maxie groaned. "It just looks so unsafe."
Archie laughed. "Who said anythin' about sex?" He grabbed Maxie's side and yanked him in, earning a yelp from the redhead. "I just wanna rock with you!" He snickered at Maxie, who was now latching his fingers around the knots of the hammock, his face turning impossibly pale.
Maxie shivered as the hammock swung. His body stiffened with each sway. "This stupid thing!" He looked up at the ends, checking to see if his added weight could be supported.
Archie slid back into a resting position, struggling to pull Maxie down with him. "Don't move so much," he playfully warned.
Maxie swatted Archie's hands away. "I hate you." He looked down at the floor, at the Poochyena staring up at him. "I hate this."
Archie grabbed Maxie and pulled him close. "Mhmm."
The rocking began to cease. Archie expected Maxie would want to fight his way out of the hammock once it stopped moving so much. Instead, he remained in place, letting Archie continue to hold on to him. The kind gesture had Archie thinking about Maxie more, and then came that incredible feeling that he was shrinking, that he needed to put Maxie somewhere only he could reach, or just never let the man go.
He really wished his father said something.
A few days later, Archie and his friends visited the electronic shop, pooled their money together and bought a new television. Archie had Kevin keep it at his place, and let Monica wrap it up, while Archie orchestrated something special for his boyfriend for the upcoming weekend. He understood Maxie wasn't a fan of big celebrations, and was careful to not overdo it. Maxie came home after a long day with his own group of friends, and was welcomed with the gift, along with cake adorned with bright, childish candles. According to Kevin, Maxie's inability to properly respond was a good sign.
The topic of the phone call was brought up a few days after Maxie's birthday. Maxie asked him if he was ready or willing. Archie remembered how nervous Maxie was the last time they tried talking about it, and even after receiving such a nice gift, and having two celebrations, Maxie was still anxious about the ordeal. Archie said he needed more time to think about what to say, and that he would let Maxie know right away once he was ready.
Archie continued doing his lab work. Several upperclassmen suggested that he might get hired for paid work. Archie listened, wondering if there was a nice way for him to say he wasn't too fond of the idea. He started thinking about getting into active fieldwork instead, even though it would mean another semester of unpaid servitude.
In between experiments, and while waiting for test results, Archie flipped through the pages of the book Maxie bought for him. He would stare at ancient depictions of Kyogre, at the strange writing underneath each one, and marveled at the many legends that surrounded the Pokémon. He finished all the sections on the legendary Pokémon, and found himself growing more fascinated with the ocean and its secrets.
The fall semester was just weeks away, and the topic of the phone call was dropped. If Maxie was worried, he didn't let it show. Instead, he would remind Archie to sign up for classes, or go buy his textbooks, or not to forget to show up at the administrative office and turn in his club's syllabus.
Archie was still coming up with name for his group. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted it to be related with the ocean. Slateport was right by the sea, and test results were showing that the ocean was suffering the effects of pollution. Nobody could see it, but the Grimers were collecting it in their slimy membranes. Papers. Plastics. Heavy metals.
All life came from the ocean. As much as he would like to just start on the entire city of Slateport, Archie realized he might have to concentrate on one area at a time, and it looked like the ocean would be the first place to start.
With less than two weeks left before the start of the fall semester, Archie decided he would turn his lab keys in and politely decline whatever future offerings he might have thrown his way regarding paid lab work.
The campus was starting to fill up with students registering for their classes. Archie hurried over to the science department and thought up a nice list of things to say while bringing out the bad news.
He discovered the main office was empty. Archie about-faced and went to the lab. Surely there would be some graduate student surveying something. If not, then maybe a professor.
He walked into the building, feeling a rush of cold air him. Archie pulled out his keys and entered the colder lab room, groaning when he saw that it was empty. Rather than return home, Archie chose to just wait for a bit, and hopefully someone would show up to get something done. He placed his backpack on a stool and went over to the nearby window, opening it to let in some warm air.
Archie passed by the large, vibrating tub, and watched something smack against the cover. He raised a brow, stopping for a moment and continued to observe this new behavior. Archie looked over at the whiteboard on the wall, spotting the written out timetable of students that had visited the lab before him.
He went down the list of names, and then checked their activities, and saw that the Grimers missed their last meal. There was no name or check by row designated for feeding, which meant it had been more than a day since the Pokémon were fed.
Archie groaned. He walked over to the machine that released the annoying vibrations and turned it off. It was easier to feed Pokémon without the worry of splashing water drenched in toxic residue. Right away Archie noticed the sloshing in the water cease, the Pokémon now alert and waiting for him to make his next move. He looked to the side of the tub and counted a few pairs of eyes. There was another smack against the cover.
"Calm down," he said. "Give me a sec, alright?"
He hurried over to the timetable and wrote his name, the time he had entered the lab, and that he was going to feed the Pokémon. He snapped the top back on to the dry marker and then went over the covered cabinet filled with simple, dry Pokémon foods.
He heard more banging behind him.
"Relax," Archie yelled out. "I'm gettin' yer food!"
The banging against the tarp cover persisted. Archie sighed, measuring out two cups worth of dry kibble. It was just enough for the Grimers to get by. He would make sure to leave some comments regarding whoever forgot to feed the poor Pokémon. He poured the food into a large bowl, and was about to take the food over when he heard something strange, wet, and squishy occurring right behind him.
Archie turned around, nearly dropping the bowl when he saw something purple squeeze its way through the cover.
"Oh." He slammed the bowl down on the table. "Ya got t'be kiddin' me!"
Archie ran over to the tub, thinking he had enough time before the Grimer could jam the rest of its body through the covering. He saw two eyes poke through the covering, then a mouth, and just as he reached the tub, saw the rest of the tiny body pop out, dropping down to the floor.
The Grimer was smaller than average. Very small. It scurried away from Archie, making threatening gurgling sounds and spitting out a foul combination of water and noxious fumes. Archie backed behind the tub, letting the mixture hit it while he thought over what to do. He remembered there were some emergency Poké Balls in the cabinet across the room.
Archie looked over the tub and spotted the small poison Pokémon crawling away, headed in no particular direction. He flicked the vibrating machine back on, causing the freed Grimer to hiss and gurgle some more, releasing more gas from its orifices.
Archie held his breath, covered his eyes with his arm while he bringing himself to a standing position. He ignored the Pokémon's frightened sounds he ran back across the room, stopping at the drawers marked with a Poké Ball sticker on it. Archie opened the drawer and grabbed a few. Without his own Pokémon, capturing the Grimer might prove difficult.
He carefully made his way back to the sounds of gurgling and sloshy movement, maneuvering around desks and machinery, until he caught sight of a wet trail.
Archie spotted the Grimer huddled in a corner. Its eyes peered up at him, and he watched a mouth form and spit out a hiss.
"I'm not gonna hurt cha," Archie said, allowing a nervous smile to spread across his face. "Just wanna put ya back in the tub with yer buddies."
He watched the tiny Pokémon being to jiggle and shake.
"Nah, ya don't have t' feel that way," Archie persisted. His own voice was starting to tremble. He inched closer to the Pokémon, bending his legs and curling his back to appear less threatening. "Just let me take ya…and I'll get some food, and we're even."
He continued to lower himself, hoping that a smaller presence would make the Pokémon friendlier towards getting caught. Every few inches, Archie would notice just how small the Grimer was, and how it made sense that it was able to squeeze through the top. The Pokémon was less than half the size of an average Grimer. Archie was sure he could scoop the thing up in his hands.
He stopped moving when he was just a few feet away from it. The Grimer stared at him with its beady eyes. The Pokémon was no longer hissing at him, nor letting out more poisonous gas. It kept on shivering, mouth agape and ready to spit something nasty at him.
Archie chuckled. "Tiny little fella, aren't cha?"
The Pokémon uttered a sad gurgle. It pained Archie to see a Pokémon so afraid of him, and all because somebody forgot to feed the poor thing when they were supposed to.
He slowly lifted his arm, fingers pressed against the Poké Ball, activating it. Archie had never caught a Pokémon before, and trying to catch one without weakening it was going to be hard. Even with the extra balls on him, he imagined this might take awhile. He had no idea how he was going to explain this to the other students.
The Grimer opened its mouth, and Archie tossed the Poké Ball. It landed right on top of the small Grimer's head, opening up and capturing the Pokémon. Archie held on to the remaining balls while he watched the Poké Ball drop to the floor, give a single shake, and then cease to move.
He stared at the Poké Ball, waiting for something to happen. After several seconds of nothing, he brought himself back up and walked over to the ball, delicately picking it up, in case the Grimer inside change its mind.
"Guess you were really hungry," he muttered, lifting the Poké Ball up.
It was so easy. Archie bit the inside of his lip, feeling terrible that the Grimer gave hardly any fight.
He looked over at the vibrating tub. Archie wasn't sure if this little Grimer would try to jump out the moment he released it form the Poké Ball, not if it was hungry enough to try to escape the tub in the first place. He would throw the food in the tub first, and then send out the Pokémon. Maybe that would work better.
Archie placed the Poké Ball on top of the table, and then went over and picked up the bowl of food. He sniffed, detecting some remaining odors in the air. Feeling bad about the Grimers missing their scheduled meal, Archie added an extra handful of food and went back to the tub. He placed the food next to the Poké Ball, and then turned off the machine, extra cautious as he began to remove the cover, avoiding any murky water that spilled over.
Archie grabbed the bowl and tossed the dry kibble in, watching it sink into the depths. The water began to churn again, and Archie could make out several Grimers sliding across the tub, trying to absorb as much kibble as possible. He was about to reach for the Poké Ball when something caught his eye.
One, two, three, four, five…and six.
Archie leaned over the tub and counted again, sure that he made a mistake. He used a finger to help keep track. He came up with six again, and this time Archie looked over at the spreadsheet to make sure that six was the correct number of Grimers in the tub.
One, two, three…four…five, and six.
There were definitely six Grimers in the tub, and the spreadsheet said that there were supposed to be six Grimers in the tub. But if the number of Grimers was correct, then that mean the one Archie had captured was an extra. How was that possible? That wasn't possible. Archie counted the Grimers again. He looked at the sheet. He knelt down and stared at the now restful Grimers. He stood back up. He counted again. There were six Grimers in the tub. But that made seven in total.
Archie stared down at the cloudy pool, watching small eyes look up at him, waiting for him to cover up the tub, for him to turn on the machine.
There were seven Grimers in total. Which meant someone made a mistake. That had to be it. Because, otherwise, that meant that a Grimer just appeared out of nowhere. That can't happen. Pokémon don't magically materialize into tubs. That wasn't possible. But the spreadsheet said six Grimers, and Archie had visited this lab a few days ago, and he was sure there were six Grimers back then, but now there were seven Grimers?
Archie shunned away from the tub. He kept on doing the math in his head, trying to find another solution other than the very obvious. He knew Grimers lost parts of their bodies all the time, and sometimes these abandoned parts became new Grimer, and Archie didn't want to believe that. He didn't like the idea that the small Grimer he had captured was a result of several others losing parts of their weakened body, collecting a reforming into a brand new Pokémon. That would mean the Pokémon he just caught had been born inside of the tub, in a cold and noisy lab room.
He clenched the bowl. Archie stomped over to the tub and stared down at the splashing water. The Pokémon beneath were becoming restless, and Archie knew it wouldn't be long before the Pokémon grasped that they could escape. He had to cover the tub up before another one tried to flee.
But did he want them to remain in the tub?
It didn't seem fair. Archie could leave the lab whenever he wanted. He was going to leave the lab permanently, after realizing that this kind of work was not his thing. He didn't like cutting Pokémon. Not while they were still alive. And could feel. But he could leave the lab whenever he wanted. The Grimers couldn't Even if he left, the poison Pokémon would be trapped in the tub for at least another week. Then they'd be released, and more Grimers would replace them. There would be more handling, more poking and prodding with sharp, metal devices. The tests would persist, and Pokémon would continue taking temporary home in a crowded, dark noisy tub, in a cold lab room.
Archie remembered the Poké Ball resting on the nearby table. He took slow steps over to the table and picked up the ball, staring and feeling his hand tremble while clutching it.
The experiments were necessary. Through several trials Archie was able to produce results that showed that the quality of seawater around Slateport City was diminishing. He was able to record a list of different chemicals detected in the water, some of which were incredibly toxic. That was important.
He raised the ball higher, until it was near eye level.
The Grimer ran from him. It had crawled into a corner and shivered when he tried to get closer to it. The Pokémon used whatever moves it knew to scare Archie off. The tub had to be kept covered so the Pokémon wouldn't escape. There was a machine attached to the tub to make it harder for them to try. Various tools were used on the Grimer. They never looked forward to being handled. The experiments were cruel.
Archie flinched when he felt something moist run across his foot. He stared at a Grimer racing across the floor.
Instead of panicking, Archie looked up at the corners of the room. The lab was old. There were no cameras. A lot of expensive equipment, but nothing that could record last several minutes.
Archie walked over to the whiteboard and erased his name from the bottom of the list, followed by the rest of the information he scribbled down. He was quick about it, but still made sure any evidence of his name being on the board was gone. He maneuvered around another Grimer, and closed the drawers; Poké Ball still gripped in his hand. He put everything away, jumping across confused poison Pokémon, feeling his foot beginning to tingle.
He left the window open.
Archie let his thumb hover the release button for the Poké Ball.
Would it be strong enough to escape on its own? He knew the other Grimers would find a way out in time, either through an air vault, the sinks, or the window. But the one in the Poké Ball? All it knew was the tub. It had never tangled with the human world before, and odds were it would have no idea how to get out of the lab on its own.
He went over to his backpack and stuffed the Poké Ball inside. Archie swung it over his shoulder, and then went to the door, jumping over a more active Grimer along the way. He would have left the door slightly ajar, but didn't want anyone in the halls to be left dealing with excited poison Pokémon.
The building was still empty, and Archie couldn't hear anyone, but he kept his stride as casual as he could, ignoring the numbing sensation beginning to develop on his foot, listening to his sandals clap, but barely feeling a thing under his sole. He counted the passing lockers, and reminded himself that he would still need to turn in his keys, once things cooled down.
Archie left the building and shook his foot, regaining some sensation. He walked down the small flight of stairs, and then entered the quad, shocked to see that nobody was running up to him, demanding to know what he had just done. He stopped and fidgeted. Nobody was staring at him. His backpack grew heavy. Archie pressed on, letting his pace quicken as he got farther away from the buildings.
He wasn't sure when it occurred, but he started running, tripping over his sandals with every other rough step.
It wasn't until he left the campus did he start to worry about the potential consequences. Erasing his name and putting things away didn't mean he was out of trouble. And the school knew he had a criminal record.
And who was to say they weren't any cameras in the halls? What if someone did see him, entering or leaving the room?
Archie slowed down to a jog, and then to a brisk walk. His throat was sore from irregular breathing, and his shoulders were aching from the weight of his backpack bouncing against him. The foot that the Grimer slid over was numb again. Archie stopped and shook it again.
He looked around and recognized several of the buildings. Everything was familiar. It was eerie. Crowded. Loud. Archie was about halfway home, and had no idea what he would do once he got there.
Maxie couldn't know. Not yet. Archie didn't even get to tell Maxie that he was through with performing messed up tests on Pokémon. And Maxie was working on his last year of classes, which were really important, and he already had enough to work to deal with. There was no way he could let Maxie in on this.
Archie groaned. He brought an arm to his forehead, wiping away some of the sweat he collected during his long run. He felt the ball shift in his backpack. People were walking by, not yet throwing any disapproving glances in his direction. Cars were making noises. The winds wouldn't stop blowing. There were too many distractions around him, and it was making it harder to concentrate.
Telling his friends wouldn't be an option. Even the more open minded ones would suggest he bring it up with the science department, especially if the Pokémon damaged any equipment. There was also that one missing Poké Ball to consider. After an event like this, an inventory check would take place, and someone would notice that a Poké Ball was missing.
Archie was unsure what to do next. His mind filled with a million horrible scenarios. He knew there was a chance he would get caught. If he did, then odds were he was going to get expelled for it.
He took another step, and his mind made a complete one-eighty. Because, at the end of the day, the Pokémon were not happy being trapped in that tub, and no Pokémon should ever be born into such a toxic environment.
He frowned when he saw just how close he was to the apartment. Archie loosened a strap from his backpack, and let it fall off his shoulder. He opened it up and pulled out the Poké Ball with the Grimer in it.
What was he going to do? Archie raised his head away from the ball, and rested his gaze on a nearby payphone.
He couldn't talk to Maxie about it, even with the added safety of a distant call. It didn't stop him from going over, pulling some coins out, and staring at the numbers, thinking up ways to start a conversation with the redhead. He placed the Poké ball on top of payphone. Archie couldn't think of any good ways to start this talk with Maxie. He wanted his help so bad. Once again, he went through the names of his friends, listing them off one any one, and found that he didn't feel comfortable enough to let them know what he did. How could he face them?
It dawned upon him that it was the fear of actually facing someone that made talking about it so difficult. His chest tightened when he started shoving the coins into the slot. He punched in his old home number from Lilycove.
His bag dropped to the floor. Archie leaned against the stand of the payphone, heart racing with every long ring. By the time he heard a click, he was close to heaving.
"Hello?" It was a woman's voice.
Archie sighed. "Is Adrian Aogiri there?"
He heard her pop something on the other side of the line. "Yeah?" She chewed. "He's here. And who's this?"
"Archie." He shifted in his spot.
There was a pause. "What?" she said. "Really? Archie?"
Archie sniffed. "Yeah…look, I really need to–"
"Adrian!" The woman yelled loud enough that Archie yanked the phone away from his ear. "Adrian, guess who finally called! It's Archie!"
Archie pressed himself close to the payphone, as if to hide himself. He placed a hand on top, keeping the Poké Ball in place while listening to the muffled sounds of the phone being handed over on the other side of the line.
"Archie?" It was his father.
"H-hey," Archie answered into the phone. Now he was gripping the Poké Ball.
A chuckle. "Well, well," he heard his father taunt. Archie rolled his eyes. He was feeling lightheaded. "Look who finally decided to–"
Archie didn't have time for this. "Pa, look. I–" He paused, looking around to make sure nobody was listening. Why would they be? He didn't know. "I did somethin', and I'm not sure what to do about it." He lowered his voice. "I…I'm sorry, I just–"
He heard a long sigh on the other line. "Damn it, Archie." His father groaned. "You can't give me a break, can ya?"
Archie shut his eyes. "I need yer help."
"Yeah, yeah," his father replied. Archie listened to some sounds taking place on the line. "Ok, what did ya do this time?"
Archie didn't need the added emphasis. It was bad enough he felt like he just got away with a horrible crime. But it wasn't a crime. It was complicated.
"It's complicated," he admitted. "I sort of…did something bad. B-but it wasn't bad! I had to do it. I had to free 'em. The Pokémon. I had to do it."
"Calm down," his father interrupted. "Slow it down, Archie. I need ya to explain it to me."
Archie huddled closer to the payphone's stand. He tried to remember the exact amount of coins he had on him. "I was workin' in the labs. And there were Pokémon. And…it's not a good place for them t' be. The lab."
"So ya freed the Pokémon?"
Archie nodded his head against the phone. "Yeah."
He heard his father groan into the phone. "Aw, fuck, Archie."
"I know," he said. He let go of the Poké Ball and fished through his pocket, gathering up a few more coins. "But it was bad. I had to do it. Ya remember what I told you about the Zubat?" Archie sniffed. "The Grimer was afraid of me. It was scared. I had to."
"And now they're lookin' fer you?"
"No," Archie answered. "No, I don't think so. I was alone. And there weren't any cameras."
He listened to his father mutter something over to someone, possibly the woman. Archie placed the coins on the stand.
"So yer tellin' me ya might get away with…this?"
"I don't know?" Archie stared at the coin slot, then up at the Poké Ball. "I don't think I saw anyone…but I took a Poké Ball…"
"Uh-huh," his father replied. "Yeah, ok. And 'sides that, does anybody else know?"
Archie pushed a coin into the slot, earning a few extra minutes. "No."
"No one?" His father repeated. "Ya didn't go and blab to yer Maxie friend?"
Archie clenched the phone, his body suddenly going cold at hearing the name. "No," he said. His voice was shaking. "I didn't tell him."
"Good," his father said. "Shelly!" the man called. Archie moved the phone away from his ear. "Put some clothes on, we're goin' to the bank! Son, listen to me," his father said. "I'm gonna wire some money into yer account. Ya still have the same account, right?"
Archie knew where this was headed. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, let alone react. "Yeah?" he answered, trying to feign confusion.
"Go to the bank. I'll send ya the money. Enough for a Poké Ball." Archie shook his head. His father continued. "Yer going to replace that Poké Ball before someone notices, ya hear? And yer goin' to keep quiet about it." He heard his father sniff again. "And then…yer goin' to pretend nothin' ever happened, and hopefully ya won't get caught."
He stumbled over his numb foot. This was really happening.
"You keep yer mouth shut about the entire thing," his father repeated. "Don't act like ya did somethin' stupid. Just…" His father sighed. "Go to the bank. Take the money. Buy the Poké Ball, and replace it as soon as possible. Then ya go straight home, and keep with the schoolwork. Be a good student. Don't act up. At all. Archie, please, just keep yer mouth shut."
Archie covered his mouth. "I will," he muttered into his hand.
"Good."
Archie looked over his shoulder. He was astonished to see that no one seemed to care he was out right now, that somebody hadn't run up and grabbed him.
"H-hey," Archie said into the phone.
"What is it?" His father suddenly sounded tired.
Archie wiped his face. "Uhm, you mentioned Maxie?" He wasn't sure why it came out as a question.
"Yeah? And?" Now his father sounded defensive.
"So you got the letter then?"
"If ya wanna call it that, then sure," his father answered. "Look, Archie, I know what yer gonna ask, but right now?"
Archie shrugged at the dismissive reply. "I mean…everythin' I wrote…"
"I don't get a reply from you in almost a year, and suddenly yer tellin' me you traded yer Zubat with a boy who ya have the hots for?" Archie cringed at his father's tone of voice. "I mean, holy shit son! Way to lay it on me." He heard his father stutter, and then came something that sounded like a whimper. "I'm not grossed out, but ya can't just expect me to be fine n' dandy!" His father forced out a weakened laugh. "Not when there's nothin' leadin' up to it!"
The phone was moved. It sounded like someone snatched it away. There was silence. Archie wiped his eyes, waiting for a response. He heard something. He pressed the phone against his face. Someone was talking to his father.
His father coughed into the line. "Archie…"
"Yeah?"
There was another, long sigh. Archie hated it.
"I'm glad yer not alone," he heard the older man mutter. Archie brought his other hand to the phone. "Really, I'm glad ya found someone. Just…you really should call more often."
Archie looked up at the remaining coins lying next to the Poké Ball.
"I'd really like to hear what yer up to," his father went on, "when yer not screwin' up. No more of these surprise calls. They're tirin' me out." His father sniffed. Archie heard a soft voice whisper something inaudible. "Give me something borin' next time, y'hear me?"
Archie's shoulders sank at the awful reminder. "I will," he muttered.
"Go to the bank."
"I will," Archie repeated.
"Don't you tell Maxie a thing." His father warned. "I don't care if this boy's a saint. Don't you dare ruin what ya got by placin' that kind of burden on him. Sometimes it's better to keep secrets."
His father's words ran deep. Archie wasn't sure how to feel about already knowing what it was like to be in that situation. And with his father reiterating what was currently going on in his relationship, Archie was beginning to feel some doubt.
"Ok."
"Alright," his father said. "We'll talk later. Shelly, get the keys!" The phone shuffled. Archie stared nervously at the coins, wondering how much longer this would take. "By the way," his father added. "You should visit. Not sure if you remember her, but Shelly's all grown up now. Ran away from home, back in Pacifidlog. Sound familiar?"
Archie grimaced at the remark. "A little."
He was glad his father was pulled away from the phone, because Archie wasn't sure just how many extra minutes he had bought with the extra coin he pushed in. He didn't want to know what the girl was up to. Didn't remember a thing about her. Just the way his father had said those words left him relieved that she ended the call, apologizing and leaving Archie ignorant of the entire situation.
After buying a replacement Poké Ball, Archie headed to one of the ports, where some of the smaller boats and ferries were kept. Visiting the campus now would do more harm than good. He was still having a hard time believing he committed such an act, and yet he felt so relieved that he had. He could get expelled, arrested, and charged with who-knows-what, but something deep down told him it was the right thing to do.
Archie wondered what his Golbat might say about this. If it had seen how scared the Grimer was, and how it resembled the smaller Zubat, shaking and falling to the floor, would it have changed its mind?
After passing several personal sailing boats, Archie stopped and pulled out the Poké Ball with the Grimer in it. He released it from the ball, backing away once the Pokémon materialized in front of him. The small Grimer oozed up, gaining a bit of height as it looked around, taking in all the new sights. Archie dug through his backpack, checking to see if there was anything inside for the Pokémon to snack on.
He heard a gurgle. Archie spotted the Pokémon staring at him.
"Yer free now," Archie said. He raised a hand shooed the Pokémon away, and then pointed over at the water. "Go in the water. You'll be safe there."
The Grimer made another wet sound.
"I don't have any food." His backpack slipped. Archie muttered a swear when he saw notebooks and pens spills out. The Grimer flinched, hissing, but did not resort to spewing out more poisonous gas.
Archie knelt down, his eyes on the Grimer, making sure it wasn't up to something while he began to collect his things, stopping when he noticed the cover of the mythology book Maxie had given him. He picked it up and stared at the title, and then opened the book, going straight to the chapter on Kyogre. He didn't need to flip through the pages, or stare at one of the many artistic depictions of the Pokémon. He already knew.
There was the sound of seawater splashing against the wooden frames of the docks. With it came the image of an oily rainbow covering the water in a thin, nasty sheet. Archie didn't have to check the water to know. Boats surrounded him, which meant the water would be riddled with pollutants. Right after learning that Grimer absorbed all the chemicals humans left behind, and he was this close to sending a newborn Grimer to deal with the mess all on its own.
People dumped waste here, and now Archie was just about to do the same. Not just trash, but the very first Pokémon he ever caught.
Archie heard the Grimer call out. He lowered the book and saw that the Pokémon was still looking up at him.
Fingers pressed against the pages as the Grimer sloshed up to him, and right then Archie knew that the ocean was not an option, not for a long time.