A/N I realised that I made a mistake last chapter when Roddy asks Rob about Heksar before Rob says he was there. Sorry! Does anyone know how I can change it? Also for the person who e-mailed me, I use British spelling because my parents moved from there and it's what I prefer. I'm not spelling the words wrong. Anyway, here is chapter 3. And I still don't own Pokemon. Curses.
Chapter Three
"Man, that took forever," said Kirsain as they finally reached Pallet Town and were able to step off the ferry. "Using Surf would've got you there faster."
"Yeah, and you'd be attacked by Tentacool every three seconds. I've heard stories," said Roddy, shuddering. He hated all things slimy and tentacle...y.
"Well, obviously you'd use Repel. Lots of Repels."
"Ugh, definitely. When you go to Cinnabar, take a ferry. Trust me, Surfing's not worth it. I ran out of Repel half-way through."
"Augh, Rob, don't. I'm gonna have nightmares."
Kirsain laughed. Rob had come out of his shell once he'd decided they weren't psycho murderers, and they'd become fast friends chatting about pokemon and telling ghost stories when they'd met in Rob's room (he was first-class) for a sleepover during the night. Despite his complaining, it had definitely been a good experience. He felt even more sorry for those in his class who hadn't passed the test (one tearful classmate hadn't been able to find a single pokemon in her final test, and last he'd heard was appealing to take it again. He hoped she got another chance).
Roddy coughed. "Anyway, we should get going if we want to get the good stuff. I don't want some jerk to nick my Bulbasaur."
Due to Heksar's...unusual policy (although Roddy had several other choice words for it), many trainers started with ones different from the traditional starting pokemon, so Professor Oak always offered a selection to new trainers who wanted an extra boost against the gym leaders.
Knowing anything and everything about pokemon didn't change the fact that Pdgey and Murkrow would be near useless in the first gym. Roddy had already decided on Bulbasaur, but Kirsain really didn't know what he wanted.
They followed the rest of the new Heksar trainers to Oak's lab, where the elderly Professor was waiting. Even in Heksar, Oak was revered among those who dealt with Pokemon as part of their jobs.
"It is with great pleasure and excitement that I welcome you to Kanto. We have always had great relations with Heksar, and so I am pleased to see you all. You may choose one of the traditional starting pokemon from one of the four regions, Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. Then it is up to your own skill and your bond with your pokemon. Please, step this way."
"He is so cool," Roddy breathed. Kirsain just laughed.
"Wow," Kirsain said, speechless. Roddy had to agree with him. The storage room was huge. Pokeballs lined the immense walls and starter pokemon milled about in small pens. He would only be able to pick one.
"Show me the nearest Bulbasaur," Roddy said as he strode forward, wasting no time.
"Uh, there's one over there," Rob said, pointing.
"Right," Roddy said, dragging a protesting Rob with him and leaving Kirsain with the decision he'd been avoiding all day on the ferry.
What to choose?
Three hours later, matters hadn't improved. Eventually Roddy had stormed off in a huff and taken Rob with him, 'leaving you with your stupid angst', as his supposed best friend had put it.
"I can't choose," Kirsain groaned to the empty room. "Torterra is a good tank, Blaziken is cool, and a well-trained Empoleon is nearly impossible to take down. Defense is through the roof."
"Defense isn't going to win tournaments," a new voice said, coming up behind them. "But you're right, Blaziken is very cool. So in a way I'm helping you out by narrowing your choices down."
"Hey!" Kirsain said as the newcomer, a young boy with a mop of brown hair, pointed his pokeball at the curious Torchic. The small ball of orange fluff cheeped and poked its nose against the button, activating the pokeball and sucking it inside. Kirsain glared at the kid.
"What was that for?...Hey, haven't I seen you before?"
"Who – ah, yes. You were with that oaf in the ferry."
"Oaf? Kirsain bristled. "That oaf is my friend, and he's a better trainer than you could ever hope to be."
"Says the oh-so-powerful Heksar trainer who's thinking about choosing a defense pokemon. They're worthless. Cowering behind a shield won't do anything except drag out your loss."
"Just for that I will pick Piplup," said Kirsain. "Empoleon is good, you know."
"Right, that decision had nothing to do with my starter being a fire-type and your penguin being a water type. And don't you think you should base your choice on something other than a petty grudge?"
"Yeah, right, it's all about you. If you hadn't noticed I was considering Piplup anyway before you showed up."
"Whatever. Have fun with Defense Curl, I'll be over here with Fire Blast."
Kirsain rolled his eyes. Fire Blast hardly ever hit, in his experience with battle simulators. He much preferred Flamethower. The boy turned away to leave – good riddance, as far as he was concerned - and Kirsain knelt down to capture the Piplup in his pokeball. You are good. I know you are. We'll be great together, little guy. And we'll show him.
"Nigel Lawson, by the way."
"Kirsain Mellowfair," Kir muttered. He could only hope their paths wouldn't cross again.
Famous last words.
Just as the Piplup disappeared in crimson light, the storage room suddenly became pitch black and a 'click' sounded behind Kirsain – the door was locked. He nervously gripped his pokeball, blinking as his eyes adjusted. He hated the dark; an old, childish fear he'd never been able to let go of. It no longer terrified him as it had when he was younger, but it still made him very nervous and uneasy. The fear of the unknown. The monster waiting for lights-out.
It's fine, he told himself. It's probably just a malfunction.
That didn't explain the locked door.
"Torchic! Ember!"
Kirsain had never been more glad to hear Nigel Lawson's voice. A few feet away a small area lit up as Torchic obeyed his new owner's first command.
"Hey!" Kir called out. "You okay?"
Nigel didn't get a chance to reply as a new voice split the darkness.
"Dammit, Alex, there's still some guys in here! Now what?"
Another voice, this time female, replied from somewhere to Kirsain's right.
"Oh, come on, José, they're just Pallet newbies. You can't take out two starters while I make off with the loot?"
"And take all my credit and blame me for the screw-up? How stupid do you think I am? As soon as we get back I'm requesting another partner. After the Saffron gig I should've known you'd have tried to pull off something like this."
"How many times do I have to tell you, José, you paranoid idiot? That was an accident. But I can't say that I'll-"
"Shut up!" Kirsain shouted, strangely unafraid – the bickering had made him more annoyed than scared. "Who are you people? What are you doing?"
"Well," he could hear the smirk in Alex's voice. "We're the rising stars in the criminal underground! We're Team Shadow! We strike in darkness and leave nothing but fear! And as for what we're doing-"
"Let me have a go for once, you always get to do the introduction speech!" Kirsain had to choke back a laugh at the whining tone in José's voice. He was suddenly even less scary than he'd been before, if that were possible.
A long-suffering sigh, then: "Fine. Now you've ruined all the dramatic tension, tell the kids what we're doing and get on with it, my arms are killing me."
"Ahem. We, Team Shadow, are going to accomplish what no others have ever achieved. Professor Oak's lab, the Holy Grail of Pokemon! When we swipe this stuff, all the world will know and fear Team Shadow!"
"Now, if you don't mind..." Alex. "Mothim! Sleep Powder!"
No! Kirsain gasped as he realised too late what was going on. A mistake, as he simply inhaled more of the toxic dust. He faintly heard a thud as Nigel succumbed. He had to act fast.
"Shial!" He cried, his body starting to shut down even as he gave the order to save him. "Use Gust! Blow the power away!"
"Pidgey!" Shial emerged from her pokeball and flapped her tiny wings rapidly, blowing away the dust and allowing Kirsain to recover.
"Smart move, kid." José was impressed. "But now it's two on one, and you don't have a chance against the both of us."
Kirsain gulped. They were right.
Maybe he was a little scared.
To be continued...?
Finally, thanks to Facia for reviewing! Yes, the Heksar system is flawed, hence Roddy's ranting in chapter two, but it can be hard for a country to let go of a long tradition that seems to work. (Plus the parents don't really want to send their ten-year-olds off to fend for themselves; they have different values to the other regions).
Thoughts? Comments? Think the whole thing's stupid? Drop me a review, but remember to tell me what's stupid so I can (hopefully) fix it! Flamers will be laughed at and then ignored.
Thanks for reading!