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We spend the next few days traveling to Eterna city. The journey, though, strikes me as odd. The entire way, Jon the Heracross and Veera talk as if close friends. As if they hadn't seen each other in a long time. Tempest informs me that they are the same age even.
"Veera has never known any others that are her own age." He tells me. "She wants to talk. And probably do other things."
"That doesn't bother you?" I ask, concerned immediately.
"Not so much. I hate to say it, but I don't think Veera cares for me anymore." His eyes start to water up, but he blinks and shakes his head, returning his eyes to their normal state. "Maybe I deserve this…" he says.
Upon asking Alexis the same day, she gives me a shrug-like motion. "Veera and I have talked very little. I doubt she cares much to talk with me, and may not even acknowledge that I'm really her mother. I'm sure it'll sink in one night, and I shall wait until that time. It is her want to know me that is more important here."
"Why?" I ask, concerned at her indifference.
"Immediately after she met her Father, he past away." She bites her lip. "She might not want to risk such a loss again. That would also put Tempest in a position where she would want to distance her self from him. Same to you when she ran away for a day."
These thoughts concern me far beyond what I can even imagine. What if she decides to leave us for good? I can't deal with that. Before I get any farther, Alexis elaborates even more. "She is taking a liking to Jon because he is just going to be a friend. That's how she sees him. She has had no real physical or emotional connections with people other than love, both parental and physical. Now, she can experience something else. This is why I wait." She sighs again, almost despairing. "I still wish she wouldn't be like this. It hurts me to give me normal glances as if I'm some comrade of hers."
"Maybe I should talk to her." I propose, and Alexis doesn't answer.
That night, the city comes into sight, and I decide that I should talk to Veera and Jon. After setting up my sleeping bag, I leave Tempest and Alexis alone, along with Shimmer. She isn't as distressed as I had originally thought she'd be, but perhaps our lying about saying Abby will only be gone a few days is comforting her.
The clearing has only one rock. It is wet, slippery, and uncomfortable, nearly blackened by the water soaked into it. I try to sit on it, and achieve said goal, though I am left uncomfortable. I dare not sit on the ground, the mud plenty and grass chocked under it.
Jon looks at me and starts speaking before I do. "I hope I haven't, like, been too much of a hassle or something. You don't have to let me go! I can help out with camp, keep guard-"
"That's not why I'm here, Jon. I like you so far." I explain. Both he and Veera sigh with relief, as if that was what they had expected the whole time. "In fact, I want to know why you are here."
"What?" He says, confused.
"A Heracross who is the same age as Veera… normally wouldn't be out on their own yet. They'd at least wait to have a mate." I explain. "I'm concerned for your family or community. Surely they miss you."
He looks around quickly, as if waiting for something to happen. He looks at me intently, and answers my comment. "No, see, my parents kicked ME out of the home, dude." He says. "I wasn't agreeing on a lot of their principles, and they didn't approve of how I handled myself around… other women. Some hot stuff happened." He says nodding, causing Veera to facepalm using her paw. "They kicked me out, and I traveled around, 'till I decided to make my home in that tree Veera found me in. I was liking it, oh yeah. But it, like, was boring." He nods to himself. "I eventually decided to simply travel around, finding trees to hang out in and such, and the occasional women, but it never stopped me from being bored. Guess I just want to hang out with some humans, enough pokémon."
"I'm surprised you care, Raizu." He says, and I raise an eyebrow. "Veera says you used to be assy."
"Stop." I say, and he kinda jumps. I almost chuckle and how easily startles he was, and continue. "Humans piss me off too easily, is all. You all… I can't stay mad at you, and you don't do anything to make me such." I get up. "Let's just get some sleep. Tomorrow, we head to town." We get up and walk toward camp, but as Jon passes us, I stop Veera.
She looks at me. "Yeah?"
"You know Alexis is concerned about me."
"Mom'll be fine." She says, smiling. "I'm just… waiting for the right moment." She starts semi-skiping, as much as a dog-pokémon could, toward camp.
-----
The next morning is uneventful, I simply packing up and returning all my pokémon for the trip down to Eterna city. There's a simple worn, dirt path, winding it's way down towards the city. This reminds me too much of Viridian city. Must keep prepared.
I arrived later than I had at Viridian, and fewer people were around. It seemed classes were being held primarily at this time, so only skipping students (I can almost always see the difference between good students, and bad), and senior citizens. The city itself isn't as lively as expected, either.
I soon find a motel, and ask for a room with enough space for my pokémon. Saying they do not allow them there, I went to the pokécenter instead, knowing they'll have a place, even though it'll be bare bones. The center is a bit to the south of the center of the city, but it is not a long walk from the northern half.
Joy greets me, inside the slightly smaller, but still tan-golden yellow tiles along the floor and walls that make up most pokécenters, surround me. She takes us to a room and I'm surprised to see how large it is; I could release all my pokémon and not feel cramped in the least. There is a mini fridge with a counter along the wall near the bathroom, and the bed on the opposite side of the room. There's only one window, and it isn't very large, and has a white curtain that only partially covers light. There is one table low enough for a small TV, and only one end table next to the bed, with a lamp, phone, and clock. The walls are a dull white/tan, and the carpet a simple brown.
Not turning on the TV, I flop down on the bed and release my pokémon, electing to NOT respond to anything anyone asks me. I take a quick look around.
Veera, Jon, Tempest, Alexis, Shimmer, all traveling with me.
Someone knocks on the door. I call to ask who it is, and Nurse Joy yells her name. "Come to the door!" She says. Not sure what to expect, but cautiously, I walk toward the door. I look through the peep hole and see no one else in the corridor besides the pink hair of Nurse Joy, and her white and pink uniform. I open the door a crack.
"Raizu, keep a pokémon on watch tonight, I can't guard you."
"Why do you know my name? Hell, what are you talking about?" I ask, curious.
"I just saw you on the news. You are wanted in connection to that bombing of Canalave City. I know you did nothing, I can see it in your eyes and how you walk; both casual and unconcerned beyond measure. For this center's sake, I can't help you; only warn." She leaves, and I close my door.
I lock it.
-----
"Raizu." Says Veera, waking me calmly in the middle of the night. Shimmer is sleeping with her, quietly. She hasn't been putting up much of a fuss lately, which is a bit upsetting.
"Why are you waking up up at…" I look at the clock. "2 in the morning?"
"I heard noises Raizu. Alexis says she didn't hear anything, but I did." I can't see her face, but I can hear the panic.
"It's probably some late coming trainers or something, let me listen." I suggest. The first time I'll get to use my abilities for something other than understanding pokémon. This could prove fun.
I bring my head, and ear, to the bottom of the door which is about 2 mm above the carpeted floor. Somehow, I start hearing sounds that I couldn't before –loudly – as if they weren't there before and suddenly appeared close to me. Figuring it was my concentration on distant sounds that suddenly brought them to my ear, I listen intently. The only sound I can follow is foot steps of what sounds like several people, but too many sounds make me unable to tell how many people are walking, but the sound is definitely getting louder; they're coming to my room.
I keep the door closed, not knowing what to expect. I get a chair and put it against the door, then flip on a light switch. The room remains as dark as previously. They must have cut power, which means room electronics in general won't work. "Tempest, use Flash."
"Right!" He responds, attentive the whole time. Within seconds, the room is lit up. I command Tempest to the bathroom, but to keep the door openly slightly, so that he can come out, but won't alert those in the hallway of light in my room.
They noises stop, and I can sense them outside the room. Not sure how close they are, I get down and look under the door. I see shoes as close to the door as my head is.
Then, a gunshot rings out. Even though I'm half expecting it, it's a very muted sound. Silencer? I look up and see the doorknob gone from the door. I decided to take action.
Alexis, tell them all to get ready to fight. I'm not sure how many people are here and what weapons they have. I can't tell if she told the others or heard me, but I can't be unsure of anything now. I decided to take action.
The door looks weak and made of cheap wood, and already having a hole through it, I decide to attack them through the door, running at it and ramming the door down into the people outside the door. My body strengthened by my resolve, and angry desire to hurt others cause my strength to increase and I smash down the door easily.
The door lands on two people, injuring them. Already dazed, I uppercut one under the chin and kick the other hard in the head, knocking them out. As Tempest comes out, by command of Alexis, light turns the hallway from black to a look that reflects daytime hours. I also finally get a good look at my attackers.
Galactic members. Each one with some kind of pistol, all with silencers. They probably didn't think they'd need any automatic weapons. They were wrong. The guy nearest to me, wearing the white and black outfit with bright, teal hair, is surprised by my exiting the door, and scared out his pants. He weakly holds the gun to my chest, but trembling too much to even properly aim. I walk forward, about two paces, I bring my hands up, pointing my arms straight out from my shoulders, then bring them together in front of me, simultaneously ripping the gun from his hand and pushing the hand holding his gun away, leaving me with the gun now pointed at him. He turns and runs right away.
"Pathetic." Says a voice I recognize well. Cyrus comes out from behind a few members. "Raizu, you shouldn't be resisting us."
I spit at his feet, then aim the gun at him. "Yeah, I should be."
"It only get's worse, trust me." Another galactic member near him, on queue, aims his gun as Tempest's head. Not alarmed, Tempest tries to move, but the member fires a shot, and I see not a bullet, but a needle, hit Tempest's front leg. He tries to run, fails, whimpers, then falls over, clearly asleep.
"Don't cooperate, and we kill them all following our rendering them useless." He says.
"What do you want?"
"To kill you." He says.
"Isn't that… counterintuitive to what Deren gave me?"
"What has Deren done this time?" He calls out, rage showing instantly. "That boy has been nothing but trouble since he agreed to help me."
"Haha!" I laugh. "Then I am not telling you a blasted thing."
"On the contrary." He says. He makes a wave of his hand, and the gun in mine is tossed to the ground by some invisible force. He points his gun at me. "This fires bullets. If you don't come along and agree to aid myself and Deren in our attempt to summon Arceus, then you are useless to me."
I shake my head, unsure of what is to follow. I try to reach out to Alexis' mind, but I can't find it. Nor any other of my Pokémon. All unconscious. If they hurt them…
"Fine then, the final meeting shall be two versus two." He sighs, as if disappointed. I cringe, but then Tempest's flash gives way, and a loud crash is heard from down the hall, past Galactic. Then, a full second later, Cyrus screams in pain. My eyes not yet having adjusted to the lack of what was once abundant light, I cannot tell if what is hurting them is friend or common foe, so I back away down the hallway.
"Don't back away from me!" A female voice calls, and I recognize it instantly as well. "I'm the one who does the leaving!"
"Abby!" I call out, not sure how far away she is. "Get rid of these Galactic members."
"As we speak." I suddenly see a pillar of fire aimed down the hall, hit the ceiling, probably hitting several Galactic members as well. I then see another figure lean over Tempest, and start slapping him with his paw.
"Wake up, you are a cursed burden to this human asleep." He says.
"Jet?" I ask, a bit perplexed.
"Indeed, human." He says. Tempest wakes up, shaking his head, and instinctively using flash again. Light causes the hallway to become visible again, but something at the other end stops me from moving.
"You are all such a nuisance!" Calls Cyrus. Behind him is his Gardevoir. That's how he knocked the gun out of my hand. "It is apparently true; Serena said when I met you Raizu, that destiny would have us all, the Fatal Five, meet at the top of Mt. Coronet, and it seems that I cannot possibly threaten your life. So let's make this easy. I'll simply take you to base with me. In Veilstone City!" He points at us four in the hall, Me, Jet, Abby, and Tempest, and the Gardevoir's eyes light up. I feel a power take hold of my mind, and myself falling to the ground. A hypnosis… are my last thoughts as I lose consciousness.
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