Disclaimer: I'd like to make it clear that Pokemon, and everything related to it is not my own property. Instead that priviledge, to the best of my knowledge, belongs to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Satoshi Tajiri. This is their world and I just play in it.
Author's Note: I'm still adjusting to the format, but updates will most likely be pretty regular until school starts. This chapter is on the lower end of the word count, but hopefully that will begin to pick up as the action picks up. Thanks for reading!
"I knew something was up the minute my system was compromised. You work well but not well enough to fool me, I've had attempts on my life before. I had Alakazam leave a substitution of me in the bed, and Piloswine froze your Scyther upon its strike. Now tell me, why shouldn't I tear your mind apart and leave you to the authorities. I would be perfectly justified, and nobody would go against the word of 'The Pokemon Professor' himself."
Oak had poured himself a cup of coffee, and left one out to Callum who had been forced to pull down the hood on his balaclava and reveal his face.
His gloves sat in front of him on the table, next to the cup of coffee. He raised the cup to his lips, maintaining eye contact the entire time. He knew better than to try anything in enemy territory. Callum couldn't see any Pokemon but that didn't mean they weren't there. He should've expected more from The Pokemon Professor than an old man with greying hair. This was no simple researcher, but the 40th Pokemon World Champion from the years 1970 to 1974.
As he drank his eyes flashed purple once, and Oak's eyebrows raised in recognition.
"Ah, I see. That's why my psychic type couldn't see you. Dark attuned? I might also assume Ghost. You are a conundrum indeed. Well, it seems I cannot in fact make you talk, but there are other ways to make you talk.
Callum replied in sign language.
"No there aren't."
Without skipping a beat Oak fired a response. "My grandson's best friend is the Champion Red, do you really think I didn't know sign language? Talk. Now."
Callum's heart dropped lower. The only way he was getting out of here alive from what he could see was if he spoke. His usual escape methods wouldn't work if there was a psychic as strong as Oak's ancient Alakazam around.
And so he began to explain about the strangers who had approached him months ago. About how they had known about his unique adaptations, and had given him a job. About the rewards they promised, and the punishments they threatened him with. And about how killing Oak wasn't the whole plan. He told him about the weeks spent planning, preparing, and finally tracking down the Scyther.
"Do you have any distinguishing marks? Anything you remember them by? And what were they after?"
"One had red long hair, and the other had shoulder length blue hair. They caught me in an alley and I only remember waking up in a dark room, but I got a glimpse of them as they spoke. They wanted any information you had on something called a "master ball".
Oak was silent for some time, and Callum fingered the bead bracelet on his left wrist under the table. They were silent for some time, and Callum almost began to doze off despite the coffee. Finally Oak spoke.
"There's a way for both of us to get what we want here but you'll have to trust me, and I, you. It seems my life is in danger yet again. I can disappear, and leave you proof of your "kill" but I'll need you to investigate what is going on. Believe that I have enough connections to know if you betray me, but I think you already want revenge on the goons who threatened your life. As for the Master Ball, I can give you a flash drive with enough falsified information mixed with nuggets of truth to keep them busy while you work. Does that sound agreeable to you?"
Now it was Callum's turn to think.
"Why aren't you involving the police?" He finally asked.
"Because I don't know how far this goes. This could be an isolated operation, or it could go as far as the League itself. This way I get the information I need and I can take care of it directly. Besides, how efficient do you think the officials would be? This is much faster. As a former champion, technically I am the authorities. I have higher rank in Pokemon matters than almost any police organization."
Callum sat quietly. He knew his former life was over the instant he was approached by the couple who had threatened his life for Oak's. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. To work with the premier Pokemon authority to get revenge. Who knows, he might get out of this alive. Anything had to be better than waking up every morning running from Rondo.
He nodded.
-/
"First thing about being a Pokemon trainer, your team is only as strong as its weakest link which is nearly always the trainer. You have some skills but you need to do better."
Oak spoke at a lightning pace as he lead Callum to his basement. As he explained earlier, to pull off the deception they needed to move quickly.
"Hear, take one of these" he showed him to a table with a row of collapsed military grade batons, matching combat knives laying next to them.
Callum walked slowly to the long row, before selecting a long curved blade with a brown handle, and its paired baton, a heavy bone white one that swished through the air.
"Interesting choice." Oak remarked. "The blade was made from the scythe of a recovered kabutops fossil, while the leather is wrapped in houndoom hide. The baton fashioned out of a marowak's bone club, but the inside was hollowed out and replaced with the scythe of an absol. Interesting combination…"
He went back to rummaging around among, opening and closing drawers and cabinets full of loose poke balls and papers. On the desk, the computer transferred files on to a memory stick.
Callum rapped on the nearest table after securing the baton and knife in the holsters on the belt Oak supplied him. Oak stopped to look up and paused as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"My mind is not what it used to be," he said. "I can't find what I need, when I need to find it, if only I could see everything in the office then I'd know what I needed and-" Callum shook his head in disbelief and pointed at his pokeball once and then pointed to his temple while giving the professor a look, as if to say, 'really?'
The professor looked at Callum for a second before shaking his head as well. "Seems the old guard must stand aside for the new" he muttered under his breath. "Alakazam! I need your assistance."
An ancient yellow Pokemon appeared before them, having teleported from wherever it was. it sat cross-legged, it's long whiskers pooling beside it as it meditated, the two spoons in its hands twisting back and forth.
"Old friend, please find what we need. We need to work quickly if we shall depart before sundown."
Callum stepped back and watched as the large mess that was the basement shifted, without warning. The desk was cleared, the batons were shifted in to perfect rows, all the papers were filed and the poke balls were all lined up perfectly in to their proper positions along the shelves on the wall. On the desk, sat the flash drive, one Pokeball, and small rectangular object.
"This, is the flash drive. It's encrypted, and even then holds no real useful information on the whereabouts of the Master Ball." Oak handed the Callum the flash drive, which he promptly slipped in to an inside pocket of his sweatshirt.
"This, is a starter Pokémon. Back in the days I used to give government sanctioned starters out to beginning trainers. Clearly this trend didn't continue, but I think this particular Pokémon will be very beneficial to you from what I've seen of your team." Callum picked up the Pokeball and clipped it to his belt.
"Last but certainly not least, this is the prototype Pokedex. It's modeled after one of those smart phones your generation is so keen on. It can make calls, has a GPS, will scan and Pokémon you point it at, and has in-depth information on every Pokémon that has been studied as of yet. More than that, it can be linked to a Pokeball, and access the virtual reality training for your Pokémon." Oak handed the Dex to Callum. It was a rectangular piece of metal and glass, resembling a smartphone. Unlike most modern phones, the edges were neither chamfer or rounded, retaining their 90 degree cuts. It was slightly larger, sitting nicely in his hand. On the front was a single button, as it appeared entirely touch screen, and on the back remained a large camera for scanning both Pokemon and Pokeballs."Simply link the ball to the 'dex by scanning it, and it'll come in one of the apps. A nice little alternative to your ghost training trick."
Oak made eye contact.
"Yes, I put two and two together. While it is rare for one to be so in tune with their ghost affinity, especially with the use of totems, it is not unheard of. I am known as the authority on Pokemon for a reason."
Callum simply stared for a second, feeling at once very cold, and very confused. His head spun and his mind felt like cold club soda had been poured in his ears. Nobody could know. Nobody was supposed to know. Suddenly the beads on his both wrist itched and burned like never before. His face became stone like.
"So what happens?" Callum signed, fingers trembling.
"So now we fake my death. You stay careful, and in control. You get stronger, you gain their trust, you find out what is going on, and we take them down. That's what happens. I'm in no place to judge your training methods, as long as it doesn't compromise what has to happen. And as long as you stay safe." Oak stood, hand outstretched. We're working together now. For better or worse.
Callum had to make a decision. He froze. His hand trembled. Suddenly lightning struck him and he knew what to do.
Callum extended his hand and shook, after placing the Pokedex in his pocket. They shook twice, before Oak nodded resolutely.
"And so it begins again" Oak muttered.
-/
Oak had his Pokemon pack the essentials in under 20 minutes. They left most of the clothes, food, and furniture, taking with them only the Pokemon and the essential research. After Alakazam teleported it to a safe house, Callum and the Pokemon Professor stood together in the kitchen. There wasn't much to be said. They nodded to each other, as Alakazam teleported back, gripped Oak's forearm, and teleported away.
They had decided on a controlled explosion. Alakazam had left a viable substitute for Oak's body in the bed room, and enough pokeballs to replace his team. As Callum walked out of the home, he placed his gloved left palm on the Gas control main. A blue crackle and a lard snap was heard, and he walked away.
Several minutes later, a few rooftops away, Callum heard a loud explosion. And just like that, Professor Oak ceased to exist to the knowledge of the world.
Edited: December 27, 2017