Tracing Origins
A/N: Sorry for the wait. I promise I haven't abandoned the story. It's just taking me longer to crank out chapters to what I consider acceptable standards because of how busy I've been. Thank you so much for the continued support and patience.
Chapter Six: Mystery
"Let me go! I didn't DO anything! Let me—oww, bitch!! Too tight!! Too tight!!"
Officer Jenny scowled and gave the squirming man's arm a rough squeeze. His head whipped around to fix her with a glare, which she repaid in kind with a stern look. She demanded his obedience and wasn't shy about getting physical to get it, "Either you stop resisting or I can get out the TASER. It's your choice."
"Do it and I'll sue the shit out of your department," the deviant snarled, jutting a defiant chin out in Jenny's face. Then the expression swiftly became a startled, fearful squeal when the audible crackle of electricity could be heard from behind them. Jenny smirked as the man became a quivering, cowering mess, babbling and pleading for Jenny not to use the hated TASER on him.
"Jollllttt…"
Jenny smiled down at the creature that had been the source of the sound, saying sweetly, "Now, now, Taser. Be nice."
The Jolteon looked from the suspect to her, giving her an expression that she had always assumed was a Jolteon's equivalent of a pout. Then the yellow, spiky-furred electric-type dutifully padded to her side, giving the suspect a final growl for good measure.
The Sheriff's Office of Atlantica Bay was a tiny building consisting of exactly four offices, one break room, three jail cells, two bathrooms, and one reception area. It employed the Sheriff, ten officers, two lieutenants, and one street supervisor: the town's resident Officer Jenny. Truth be told, there usually wasn't enough crime in the small seaside city to warrant hiring more officers. But on days like this one, Jenny was more than ready to lobby the Sheriff with demands of putting more officers on the streets.
Jenny handed off the suspect to another officer, her mind elsewhere as she thought about her agenda for the remainder of the day. It was about an hour into her and Taser's usual patrol route before her radio came to life.
"Tango-Seven-Ten from Juliet-Four-Oh-Six."
Work time. Jenny picked up the radio and keyed up the microphone, "Tango-Seven-Ten."
There was a burst of static before the male officer's voice returned, "Seven-Ten, can you meet with me at the beach along the boardwalk at Summer Street? There's a Signal Nineteen that you need to see."
Jenny and Taser exchanged a surprised look. Signal Nineteen was the code for anything pertaining to wildlife, something in which the street supervisor rarely had a personal hand in investigating. Her officers knew this so if they were calling for them, it had to be something unusual.
"Ten-four, Four-Oh-Six. We'll be right there."
Jolteon cocked his head at her inquisitively from the passenger cart, "Joll?"
Jenny tightened her grip on the handlebars of her motorcycle, increasing their speed with a guttural VROOOM! "Let's find out."
They were greeted by the tell tale red and blue flashing of lights of other police vehicles parked along the street that paralleled the beach. The moment Jenny and Taser pulled up, they found several officers crouched around something on the beach, right along the water's edge. Concerned, Jenny quickly climbed off of her bike and made her way across the sand and to her officers.
Lindon was the first to notice her, offering a little wave as she approached. Jenny nodded to him and then to the others as they looked up and met her eyes. She got down to business. "What have you got?"
"Well…this," Lindon answered, sweeping his hand in front of him. Jenny got closer and saw that they were looking at so intently. It was a dead creature. To be more precise, it was a dead creature that had washed up on shore with the other sea trash. Every so often they discovered beached Pokemon along their shores. But…there was something wrong here.
"What…what is that?" Jenny gasped, looking at the mottled, decomposing flesh with wide eyes. She couldn't even tell what it was. A Pokemon?
Taser sniffed at the carcass and let out a displeased snort, backing up several steps with a cringe. Jenny looked at him, surprised, and then looked back at Lindon and the other officers. "Ward?"
Ward, the single officer of their department with a degree in Pokemon Physiology and Anatomy, frowned at her, his expression mildly puzzled. "It's a Flygon. I think."
"You think?"
"Well," Ward tried to explain, tentatively lifting what must have been part of a wing with his gloved hands, "the approximate size, weight, and anatomical make for an average male of the species up are right. Plus you see this joint where the wing connects to its shoulder? Flygon have a lot of body mass so their wings have to be able to compensate in order to lift them from the ground. This means that the joint is reinforced by more bone and tissue mass, making it strong enough to handle effort such as flight. Just like this."
Jenny absorbed Ward's long-winded explanation with thoughtful, furrowed brows. "But you're not sure?"
"At this stage of decomposition, it's hard to tell. I'd have to send a tissue sample to the lab to confirm it," replied the officer. Though he looked puzzled, it wasn't hard to see the barely hidden curiosity in the former scientist's eyes.
Scientists. Thought Jenny ruefully as she ran her gaze over the mysterious carcass again. "Any idea as to a cause of death?"
Lindon frowned at the waves that crashed around them, his quick mind deducing the same thing that Jenny was thinking. "Ward…Flygon aren't Water-types. How did this guy end up here?"
"From the air, maybe? We can't really be sure…" Ward shrugged and gently prodded along the carcass, rolling it over gently to inspect the Pokemon's other side. While he did so, Jenny began inspecting the stretch of beach that they were standing on. She saw nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to suggest that this had been a crime. However, years of police work had honed Jenny's instincts, and if they were telling her that something was amiss, she was inclined to believe them.
"Sarge," Ward said suddenly. He looked more perplexed and mildly disturbed. "There aren't any signs of trauma or any open wounds from what I can tell. But look at this…"
He rolled the body so that it lay on its side. Jenny tried not to look into the milky, opaque blue eyes and instead focused on the strange place where the creature's belly was. Normally, this early stage of decomposition ought to have bloated the abdomen. So it startled her when Ward reached out and pressed his hand into the creature's belly…and the flesh depressed inward, as if there were nothing behind the wall of tissue and skin but air, like a deflating balloon.
"That's….not normal," Lindon remarked with a bewildered, disgusted look on his face.
"What does this mean, Ward?" Jenny asked, aghast. She had definitely never seen anything like this.
Ward shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when there was a swoosh of air overhead, followed by a large shadow that suddenly descended over them. Jenny whirled, expecting some sort of attack and Taser instantly leapt in front of her, growling, sparks of electricity crackling through his fur.
A bulky, friendly-looking orange Dragon-type Pokemon was touching down on the sand not too far from them. It was a Dragonite. Jenny gaped. For on the Dragonite's back was someone she recognized from the many Pokemon Battle Elite magazines that littered the Sheriff's Office's lobby as well as from numerous news reports of the Pokemon G-Men's various exploits throughout the world.
It was the Champion of the Kanto Region's Elite Four, Lance.
The awe faded pretty quickly for Jenny. She stepped forward to confront him, face stern, as the red-haired man strode across the sand straight for her crime scene. "Excuse me! This is a crime scene! You're going to have to leave."
Lance didn't even break stride as he reached into his breast pocket and whipped out a badge indicating his status as a government agent, a G-Men. "I'm Lance of the Pokemon G-Men. I'll take it from here."
Despite the indignation that she felt at this presumptuous declaration, Jenny found herself staring at him. At first glance he was hardly impressive. He was young, probably no older than mid-twenties. His outfit was a ridiculously impractical full jumpsuit of red and black with a dramatic cape tethered around his neck. To top off the ensemble was a head full of fiery red hair that defied gravity itself in its bed of spikes.
Regardless, Jenny found herself standing up slightly straighter as he approached. There was an intensity and passion that burned in his amber gold eyes. Jenny could feel her skin break into goose bumps as the eyes fixed on her and the weight of his personality bore down on her will with a mere look. She was abruptly struck with the impression that this must be how one felt when under the scrutiny of royalty, and she could understand how this young man had attained the highly esteemed title of the Dragon Master.
"This is our jurisdiction, Master Lance," Jenny crisply shot back, shaking herself from the moment. "It's hardly the G-Men's business to impede on the investigation of a beached Pokemon."
Lance did not reply immediately, instead tucking his badge back into his pocket before fixing her with a mildly amused, probing look. He was sizing her up, and Jenny—not one to be patronized by anyone—stared back unflinchingly. After a few heartbeats of silence, the Dragon Master seemed to come to some decision, as if Jenny had just passed some sort of test.
"On the contrary," He replied smoothly, looking from Jenny to the other officers, and then to the carcass. "This IS G-Men business. This Flygon," and he gestured with his hand to the immobile body, "is one of seven Pokemon that escaped from a lab that we have been investigating for months. We've been trying to locate the Pokemon…"
He frowned, "before it was too late."
"Too late? What do you mean? What was wrong with them?" Lindon asked suspiciously.
Lance didn't answer, though. Instead, his eyes drifted past them and onto the dead Flygon. His brows knit together and then he said coolly, "That's classified information. This is no longer your case. Your Sheriff has already been informed of the situation and has already agreed to cooperate with the G-Men should any more of these Pokemon show up in your town. He will let you know what you need to know."
Jenny was outraged, "Now hold on—"
He swept past her, waving a hand as if to dismiss a servant. Jenny was understandably incensed. She took a single step forward after him, about to forcibly remove him from the scene, not caring who he thought he was. At that exact moment, however, her radio blared to life once more.
"Tango Four-Sixty from S.O. One."
The same surprise that Jenny felt flickered across Lindon's and Ward's faces. It was the Sheriff. He rarely came on the radio, and when he did it wasn't usually a good thing. Jenny eyed Lance thoughtfully, suspecting what this hail might be about.
"Tango Four-Sixty. Go ahead, Sir," She responded. The Sheriff confirmed her suspicion, warning her that Atlantica Bay was in full cooperation with the G-Men. Oh, and that an agent might be en route to the Signal Nineteen that Lindon had called in earlier. Jenny watched as Lance shooed her men away from the Flygon and wryly said, "Yes, Sir. We've met."
The Sheriff went on about something that Jenny only heard half of. Her eyes were on Lance as he examined the Flygon. He ignored them, grimly kneeling beside the Flygon. Dragonite tentatively hovered over him, keening sadly and anxiously. At Jenny's side, Taser was uncharacteristically silent, sitting on his hide legs, ears back and flat against his head.
They're mourning. She realized, her stomach twisting.
Lance spoke again, but he was not talking to her. He stood with his back to her, his cape spilling back down his shoulders. She saw him put a hand to his right ear, and it took her a moment to realize he was talking through an ear piece.
"Seraph, we've got another one. Send a team."
As the invisible waves of sound exploded from Aron's mouth, the startled Magneton and Chimchar were hurled backwards. The Golbat let out a high-pitched shriek, flapping its wings and frantically back-winging to avoid collision with the trees. The grunts were also taken off guard by Aron's attack, and scrambled backwards covering their ears as their Pokemon were pushed by the unseen force.
They were not the only ones affected. The ground shook beneath their feet. Trees violently rocked back and forth, their leaves and branches rustling and cascading down in. Several frightened Pidgeys and Hoppips took to the air to escape.
Steven was grateful that years of working with Aron had conditioned him to be used to the noise enough not to be affected. Nonetheless, he gritted his teeth when a spike of pain lanced through his aching head. Adrenaline and the determination to stay alive fueled him to keep standing, to fight their way out of this mess. He and Aron had been in worse scrapes before.
"Chimchar, shut that thing up!" hollered the Chimchar's grunt.
The Chimchar, a Fire-type known for tenacity and resourcefulness, struggled against the momentary stun effect that Aron's Roar had produced. This was usually where trainers became frustrated at the lack of success and switched the Pokemon out. Steven would not allow it.
"Aron, Tackle!"
Aron darted forward in a blur of silver. He plowed headfirst into Chimchar and sent it toppling to the ground. Chimchar scurried hurriedly back to its feet, the flames of its tail flaring to life as it growled its acceptance to Aron's challenge. Its grunt ordered it to attack, and Steven tensed expectantly. He didn't need to tell Aron, his battle-experienced Steel-type partner of half a decade, to be wary of making contact with its nemesis: fire.
Chimchar curled forward, the flames gathering strength and spreading to engulf its entire body until it was nothing more than a spinning wheel of fire. Flame Wheel.
The wheel spun faster and faster. It glowed hotter, fiercer, kicking up swirls of dust and grit that sizzled as the flames singed them mid-air. Then it came hurtling violently towards Aron, who threw himself to the left, tucked his head in, and rolled to safety.
The blazing Fire Wheel left a trail of black soot in its wake. It missed Aron by mere centimeters, but the Chimchar was more determined than that. It made a wide arc to double back around for a second shot. Again, Aron barely avoided the blow, this time with a high vertical leap.
Time seemed to slow down. It was as if Aron was suspended in the air, right in the heat of the battle. He looked down, locking eyes with Steven, who felt the same thrill and adrenaline run through his body as he felt the confidence that Aron had in him even to that day. It sounded cheesy, but their bond was their greatest enduring strength.
"Return!" Steven ordered.
"Arrr-on!" Aron's eyes glowed red, its entire metallic body taking on a white-hot glow.
Steven felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The air, already uncomfortable from the heat that Chimchar exuded, became supercharged. The glow of Aron's body suddenly exploded outward in a brilliant show of white light, light that formed heart-like shapes before they slammed into Chimchar in a merciless barrage.
"CHIM!!" Chimchar cried out in pain.
The power of the Return and the Flame Wheel caused an explosion that rocked the earth and trees again. Steven shielded his face with one arm, squinting against the light just enough to see the Chimchar being propelled through the air. It was still engulfed in its own flames and was unable to bring them under control before it collided into the stunned Magneton and Golbat, both of whom had been stupidly left by their trainers out on the field during the brief battle.
"Ah!! NO!" the Magneton's grunt bellowed while Magneton let out a horrible shriek. The other grunt just dove out of the way as the three Pokemon came crashing to the ground near them.
Aron landed calmly as if he'd not just been the cause of all that. He threw a look at Steven, and then looked back at the grunts and their Pokemon.
Steven's heart still raced in his chest, sounding like a jackhammer between his ears. He blinked hard several times to dispel the feeling of light-headedness that was creeping back on him. It worked but just barely.
Somehow, he'd come to stand back to back with the woman. As Gengar continued to battle the Magmar—as well as a feisty Shinx that had entered the battle at some undetermined point—she threw Steven an impressed but tense look. Obviously, she'd been paying more attention to his battle than he had been to hers.
"We can't do this for much longer. Not even you," she stated and produced another Poke Ball. A sleek, four-legged creature appeared. Its short fur was so black that even only a few feet away Steven almost lost sight of it in the shadows. Its eyes were blood red and there were mysterious, glowing golden bands on its ears and tail.
"Together, boys! Dark Pulse!" the woman commanded, and suddenly Steven was being dragged to the ground with her draped protectively over him. She murmured for him to brace himself. A heartbeat later, the strangest tingling feeling completely overcame Steven's body. All light just vanished for a few seconds.
Steven felt an indescribable coldness around him, as if the very warmth of his body and the earth below him were being sucked into the blanket of shadow. Then a sizzle of something, like electricity but somehow not, went through his body and made him jump, startled. Her hands on his shoulder and arm tightened.
"It's okay," she said. The strange current passed through them, over them, and Steven felt it rush outward, taking the tingling darkness with it. He heard several screams, followed by the frantic trampling of feet—both human and Pokemon. Before Steven could even look up, the arm that she'd slid around his waist drove him to his feet.
They were running again before Steven even consciously acknowledged it. He stumbled over the uneven roots of the rugged forest terrain, just trying to stay upright as she hustled them through thick, overgrown wild vegetation.
"Wait! Where's—" Steven began frantically but was interrupted.
"Aron!" Aron's voice came from their right. Steven's head snapped over to see his partner clinging on for dear life atop Gengar's head. Relieved, Steven let out a shaky breath and struggled to keep running. The Rockets would recover from the powerful double dose of Dark Pulse and would be coming after them in droves all too soon.