Chapter 15: Cape Kippel
Leo Hanson rolled himself out of bed, feeling only half awake despite the clock displaying well past eight. Well, including the two hours it took him to finally fall asleep…
It wasn't till he was almost in the bathroom that he noticed the shower was already occupied. Must have still been asleep when his swampert counterpart passed through his bedroom… Quietly diverting to the guest bath, he found that occupied too. Judging from the sound, it had to be Blaze in there. Clattering dishes and such came from downstairs, proving the kitchen had activity as well, with the occasional "Grovyle" and Sally's and Chris's voices indicating just who was preparing that morning's breakfast. The smell of good things cooking only intensified the hunger already gnawing at his stomach.
Yep, nothing like having a house full of guests…
Deciding to head back to his bedroom and wait for his counterpart to finish, he turned back only to be startled by Celebi.
"Reeree!" she greeted in her high-pitched voice with a weak smile.
"I sure wish you could speak human too," he replied.
"Reeabee."
"And I sure wish I knew what to do next, as well as have a few questions answered." Her tiny hand slid across his shoulder as he walked past her. Well obviously, they needed to find the other gate. But where to even start looking?
When the swampert finally was out of the shower, he wasted no time in hopping in to the still steamy stall. By the time he was out and dressed, breakfast was waiting in the kitchen. It was a fast affair, with little talking and quick eating, meaning everyone else was as hungry as he was, but he knew it wasn't the only reason. The mood around the table was noticeably on the depressed side, judging from the frowns and with everyone appearing lost in their own thoughts.
Decided to break the moodiness, "Chris, you'll be off to the tournament today, right?" Leo asked. "Doesn't it start this afternoon?"
The blonde-haired trainer glanced to Sally before answering. "Well, I thought I would help you find that other gate and take it out. Saving the planet from destruction seems just a little more important, I think." His words were noble enough; his tone spoke of disappointment. "If you think you need my help, of course."
"We certainly won't refuse your help again," getting a nod from Sally, "but, until we know where it is, I don't think there's too much you can do. So you might as well…"
"Actually, I've been thinking about that and might have an idea," Sally interrupted. "I think it's worth trying, anyway."
Minutes later, all of them, human and Pokémon, were gathered around the computer in his small office nook while she started searching for something on the internet. "Land ownership records?" reading what she was searching for. "Oh, of course, if Derganio Corp has a dimensional gate project somewhere, it's likely going to be on some property they own."
The red-head nodded before hitting the search button.
At first the list seemed short enough, but the hits kept coming and it soon became apparent Derganio Corporation owned a lot of land assets in many regions.
"Oh, boy," Chris said as the list reached over three screen pages.
"Alright, so why were we conducting our project where we were, being outside the city?" Sally asked.
Leo smiled, seeing (and admiring) her logic at work. "Because of the danger; we knew we shouldn't have it in any population center."
"So they probably did the same?" his Pokémon counterpart asked.
"I should hope so," Sally replied. Scrolling down the list as all of them looked on, Grovyle was soon pointing to one entry with the tip of a green clawed finger.
"Groveryle?"
Leo leaned in to take a closer look, fighting both Celebi and his counterpart to do so. It was getting really crowded in his office nook as Blaze nearly climbed his back to look over his shoulder. "That's certainly outside of any city… Ow!"
Blaze released the grip on his arm where his fingernails had been digging in, mumbling something unintelligible in the tone of an apology.
"Let's keep looking," Sally replied, fighting for a little space to move the mouse. Most the next page were city locations or near other installations.
"Varnocol Islands?" his counterpart said just as the name popped onto the bottom of the screen.
Sally immediately hovered the mouse over it. "Huh…" Clicking the link brought up a more detailed description as well as a map of it location. The words jumped out at him even before she read them: "'Four point nine square-mile island owned by Derganio Corporation. Used for research purposes. No unauthorized access.'"
"Look at it's location," Leo pointed out, feeling a bit of excitement at finding what appeared to be an ideal location. "It's isolated from the other islands in the group by a good fifty miles." The faces around him said it all. "Guys, I think we have our candidate."
Quickly scrolling down the remaining entries, it was apparent none of them really could be considered possibilities, at least not anywhere close to what an isolated island represented. With a few more clicks, Sally brought the entry Grovyle pointed out and the one of the island side by side. "If I had to pick between those two locations, I would say the island would be the best place if one were messing around with dimensional portals. If you could deal with the supply problems."
Leo smiled somewhat at the humor of her question. "Derganio only has a lot of money and a fleet of ships at their disposal. They're in the transportation industry, after all."
"Among a few others," Sally reminded.
"So, it looks like that's where we have to go then?" Chris asked, grinning. "Cool, I always wanted to visit a remote tropical island! So…how do we get there?"
"We'll need a boat," Leo replied, stating the obvious. "And I'll hazard a guess there's no ferry service there, at least not one they'll let us on." Surely if the portal research was being conducted on that island, there had to be a way to shuttle the people back and forth to the mainland.
"We'll have to hire one then," Sally stated, leaning back after making sure Blaze and Celebi moved out of the way. "And we can't do that here."
"Right, we need to go to a port city," Leo added. "Closest one on that side of this region is Cape Kippel.
"Good thing you still have the truck rental," Chris pointed out.
Leo silently agreed with that, though they would have to extend the length of their rental period. Which then made him realize: "Um, how much money everyone got? I don't know if I'll have enough to hire a boat and pilot." Just the cost of the extra food alone for everyone was draining the savings he had.
"Will they accept Poké money?" his counterpart asked, an apparent attempt at humor.
If only… The two Pokémon from another world certainly appeared to have plenty of it, judging by all the coinage they had. Good to know he was rich in at least one form… "I really doubt it."
"I can get some," Sally offered. "I can't imagine hiring a boat will be more than a few thousand. What we should start doing now is packing and getting some supplies for a several day-long trip. I don't know about you, but if that disaster could happen anytime in the next week, I'd rather get there sooner rather than later to try and stop it."
"Agreed," Leo added.
"There's something I'm wondering about," Chris said. "If Derganio has their own gate, why did they take yours over? Or even fund it?"
He'd asked himself that same question, but hadn't thought that much about it. "I don't know. Maybe they wanted to try something without risking their own?" He had to admit that really didn't seem like a good reason. Then on remembering that Derganio could have some prior knowledge of the disaster: "Or…if they knew about the disaster and that someone was likely coming to stop them… Could it have been bait, to divert us…" His eyes widened at his next thought: "…or even divert Dialga and Palkia to it instead of what they were really protecting?"
Showing surprise, "That…would make a lot of sense," Sally said, "and explain why all the Derganio people bailed out of there so quickly after Dialga and Palkia were gone. That would mean, their real fear was Dialga and Palkia stopping them."
"It'd also explain why that Derganio guy with the blastoise gave us that message…he must of known word would reach Dialga and Palkia via Celebi!"
He felt Blaze jump next to him before yipping something out.
"Dialga and Palkia were baited?" his counterpart asked in alarm. "Just so this human could wait for them and make them disappear?"
"Ree ree ree…" Celebi floated down near the floor…
"It adds up," Sally answered. "Get those who might stop you out of the way first before moving forward with what they would try and stop you from doing. Assuming they knew about Dialga and Palkia, they obviously would be the biggest threat. But if they knew about your counterpart's story, then they would know… Think our lab was bugged?"
"I wouldn't put it past those people," Leo replied with a little anger. "And to actually get rid of those two Pokémon, it had to of been that white-haired guy." Whoever that human was, he was no fool. Facing Celebi: "I think we need to know everything you saw when Dialga and Palkia were fighting that human. I mean you were in the lab with the two of them when he made them disappear. How come you didn't disappear too?"
Leo thought the question more than a little wrong, especially when Celebi lowered her face, appearing distraught. "That's mean!" scolding his other self.
His human self at once seemed to realize how he must of sounded, his expression changing to surprise. "Sorry. I meant, if this human did what he did to Dialga and Palkia, then he clearly has a powerful…" He shrugged. "…ability, or has some technology at his disposal we know nothing about. Since Celebi survived that attack, that could be a clue about him that might make a difference for us."
All eyes turned to the small floating Pokémon, waiting for an answer. What took Leo aback were the tears welling up around her dark-framed eyes. "I…was scared. All three of them looked so powerful…I hid behind something and only watched. The way they were fighting…I just couldn't do anything! I don't have that kind of power! I'm sorry!" Focusing on him, she appeared to beg for forgiveness and was clearly about ready to lose it. "I was a coward!" she squeaked.
He swallowed, not sure what to say. He'd assumed she gone in there to help. Well she had, but he could also see how she could've been so frightened as to not be able to do anything. It reminded him when he and Blaze had to take on Dialga and later Palkia. They may have appeared brave to an observer, but he for one was as scared as any Pokémon facing near certain death. To this day he was surprised the two of them won and it still made his heart beat quicker just thinking about it. But to take on someone who had the power to defeat both of them at the same time… Lowering himself down to look better into her face: "Celebi, considering the power that human obviously had, I would've been really scared and probably hiding too. I mean that."
Blaze also moved by her: "Ha ha, I'm not so sure you could've done anything anyway. You probably would be gone too, and then we wouldn't know what happened at all!"
"Yes," Grovyle said in turn. "By knowing what happened, we at least now will have a clue what we could be up against. You made the right decision, Celebi. Don't doubt yourself."
Leo finally translated what Celebi said, though phrasing it more gently than she herself had put it.
Both Sally and his human self frowned, the red-head speaking first: "Celebi, did you see if there was any technology involved? Did that person have or touch anything that looked like a machine while he was fighting?"
Celebi wiped her face, looking long at Grovyle while attempting to dry her tears before shaking her head.
His human self exchanged worried glances with Sally, while Chris's eyes widened. "Are you saying that guy…had special powers, like a Pokémon?"
Leo also caught the implication. "Could he be part Pokémon?"
"Is that possible?" Blaze asked, mirroring the same question spoken by his human counterpart a second later.
Everyone focused on him and he shrugged. How was he supposed to know? He was completely changed into a Pokémon by some attack from Darkrai while in a time vortex; that didn't mean he knew anything!
"Genetic experimentation?" Sally proposed. "It's been tried before, but…not on humans, as far as I ever heard about."
"We're not exactly in that research area, though," his human self pointed out.
"Neither is Derganio, supposedly," Sally countered. "They're in energy and transportation, not biosciences. They own no subsidiaries in that area, at least not publically."
"A black ops project?"
"I'm thinking it would take the personal wealth of a individual or small group to make such a thing happen in secret. I just don't think a corporation could hide that much money, not with all the accounting rules that are in place."
"Well, if this human is really around thirty or forty years old as he looked, we're talking a while ago when such a project was started."
"OK then, did the technology exist for genetic engineering that long ago?" Sally asked.
"I would seriously doubt it," his human self answered.
Leo struggled to understand what they were talking about.
"What's genetic engineering?" Blaze asked, the same question seemingly mirrored by Celebi though Grovyle appeared he might have a clue.
"Something to do with…the physical makeup of one's body…I think," he answered. Damn that he had only a fraction of his human memory and knowledge yet. But he seriously started wondering if the one vision that had put such a fear into him, the one where he saw a lab being destroyed and humans killed, if there wasn't a connection to that 'white-haired' human beyond the two things being part of Derganio. "We need to know more about that human," he finally announced.
"Can't disagree," his other self said. "But I don't think we have time to do a lot a research any more."
"How about all of you start getting things packed and ready, while I spend a little time here doing that research?" Sally proposed. "I'll only need a quick stop at an ATM and my house on the way out of town to pick up a few clothes."
"OK. But try to call the Professor too, see if he's back yet. He might be able to tell us something and I'd rather he hear what happened to the lab from us first than the Police or the University."
"Right, and I should probably call George and the others too. I'm sure they're wondering why they haven't heard from us for a while." Then in response to several stares: "Don't worry, I'll keep them out of the loop!"
Leo Hanson felt a certain nervousness about it all as he tried thinking of everything they'd need for their upcoming trip. He never really done anything like this before. Not even close. Heck, until they broke into their lab last night, he'd never done anything that could be considered even remotely "illegal" or all that dangerous. Well, there was the one speeding ticket… Still, for what they were about to attempt, legality was the least of their worries. There were obvious (and likely not so obvious) dangers far greater than merely breaking the law they were probably going to face. Considering what that one human did to two very powerful Pokémon, their very survival was likely to be at risk.
"Let's see, basic camping gear, dehydrated food, rain gear, binoculars," rattling off the list of things they had already picked up to Chris and Grovyle. "Anything else?"
"Toilet paper," Chris said dryly.
"Grooo-vyle," his green skinned partner confirmed along with emphatic nodding of his head.
"Uh, right." Yes, even most Pokémon preferred using it, at least those that lived with humans in their houses. If ever there was such a thing as a universal constant between humans and Pokémon…
After picking up a few compact rolls, they went through the baskets of items, trying to come up with anything they were missing and discovering a couple minor items Chris thought they should have. The twenty-some year-old trainer already had everything he needed for himself, since he hiked between towns when he had time for battling, and some of the things he had could be shared equally well, so that really only left things that Sally and himself needed personally. And then, since they would be driving to Cape Kippel, they only needed really basic stuff for whatever awaited them on the island…also perhaps for the boat trip on whatever boat they managed to hire. A cheap boat probably wouldn't come with much in the way of cooking equipment or even bunks, he guessed. Not an appealing prospect for a ride that looked to take around most of a day or more, judging by pure distance.
Whatever the accommodations, he just hoped whoever they hired wouldn't ask too many questions as to their purpose. However, those that wouldn't ask questions were not only likely to be more expensive, but of the shady variety as well. Which only made him wonder if telling someone the world was going to end unless they helped would compel them to do so.
Probably best not to play that card unless they absolutely had to.
After a final tally of what they had, Leo paid for the merchandise and they headed back to his house.
As much as he knew they had to do what they were going to do, he couldn't stop himself from getting more and more nervous. Was this how his counterpart in the other timeline felt before he walked into the dimensional portal and traveled to the Poké world? He had only Grovyle with him. This time, he had not just his close partner, but Sally, Chris and his Pokémon, as well as his Pokémon counterpart, his partner and Celebi. Certainly no shortage of help! But could Dusknoir or Darkrai even compare to this human they might be facing?
"I think his name is Kol Tarmoroki," Sally said in handing him a photo printout almost as soon as they walked in the door. Celebi was immediately floating by his head, pointing excitedly to a tall, thin human with long, almost white hair appearing in a group with a bunch of other people…including Terrace, the man with the scarred hands, standing right next to him.
"This is the only photo of him I could find on Derganio's website," Sally continued. "And guess what? He's the president of their research division. Apparently has a lot of clout in Derganio. Although I couldn't get a organizational tree, I think they implied he only reports to the CEO himself. And one other thing, the CEO has apparently been absent a lot, with Kol filling in for most of the last few years."
"What does that mean exactly?" Chris asked.
"Not really implying anything…yet, other then he seems to have a lot of control in the corporation. Another interesting tidbit: there are no references to him until a little over six years ago, when he was first hired by Derganio."
Leo looked to his coworker, immediately seeing the coincidence.
"Isn't that about the time you started the gate project?" his Pokémon counterpart asked.
Leo felt the truck rock slightly as someone got in before the door slammed shut and they got moving again amid a bit of sputtering. As Sally said, it didn't take her very long to get her things packed.
The drive to Cape Kippel was supposed to take around five hours and leaving in the early afternoon, meant they should arrive around sunset. Both his human self and Sally suggested everyone else get as much sleep as they could on the way, since they didn't know if they would be leaving that evening on a boat or not.
Given all the vibrations in the back where he, Blaze, Grovyle and Celebi were, sleep didn't seem very likely, despite the piles of blankets on the floor.
"I really hope Dialga and Palkia are OK," Blaze said out of the blue. "Celebi, how did they disappear again, exactly?"
The small light-green Pokémon looked rather sad, the dark circles around her eyes appearing more dark then usual in the dim illumination of the overhead light and whatever light was leaking in from outside. "That human Kol, after Palkia hit that gate ring, he raised his hands at them and an almost clear sphere surrounded them. They started glowing and…then they disappeared. They were just…gone."
They were all silent for a few heartbeats and Leo tried imagining what that looked like for the hundredth time.
"I've never heard of an attack like that," Grovyle said.
"Neither have I," Leo added. "What kind of an attack surrounds someone and makes them disappear?"
Shrugging, "A kind of attack that erases someone's existence?" Blaze suggested.
Grovyle started running his fingers over his leaf blades on one wrist, gently pulling one in a seemingly nervous motion. "If such an attack exists, we could be in real trouble," letting out a long hiss as if to emphasize.
Leo resisted nodding, but thought the same thing. 'Trouble' was probably an understatement. So what could he say to keep their spirits up? "The only way we know for that to happen is to travel into the past and change it. There must be a different explanation." Grovyle did nod, though they all looked to Celebi. If anyone besides Dialga would know the answer, she would.
"I don't know," she replied. "Traveling to the past is the only way I know too, but that doesn't mean there couldn't be another way."
So much for that, Leo thought sadly.
With Sally driving and Chris in the center, Leo Hanson settled himself in for the long drive. Sally insisted on driving, but he suspected he'll probably be taking over at some point. Not that he was complaining about just sitting; it'd been a long time since he had the opportunity to see the city from above ground while someone else drove.
The most striking thing about the city that afternoon were the occasional bright, bold banners strung overhead between streetlights, each proudly welcoming all participants to the Pokémon League Tournament that was starting that day. Carefully looking beside him, he found Chris watching the same banners with a disappointed expression.
If only they had succeeded last night. Well actually, they had. The University's gate was certainly out of commission, Palkia himself apparently having done the honor according to Celebi. Only it wasn't their gate that was supposed to be the source of the disaster after all. All this time Derganio had been building their own dimensional gate, and had likely been playing them as fools the entire time. But why fund the University's effort then?
Perhaps they wanted some technology they were having trouble developing themselves? In light of the facts as they knew them, it seemed more likely it was all a trap. But a trap for Dialga and Palkia?
Sure, he was the first to suggest it. Just one problem with that scenario: how could anyone at Derganio have known about Dialga and Palkia, or that they would try and stop the project? Well, they got their information about his counterpart somehow…as well as complete access to the lab. Wasn't much of a stretch they could have found out about Dialga and Palkia too. Only real question was what their mechanism for getting that information was, exactly.
Once again, a bug somewhere seemed likely.
In any case, the entire thing made him angry to the point he was almost looking forward to messing with Derganio in turn.
But that human Kol worried him…greatly. According to his counterpart, Dialga and Palkia were both powerful Pokémon, with matched as much of the old legends as he knew. The blast the gate took in the lab also proved it. If Kol could defeat both of them at the same time, that made him inconceivably dangerous. Who…or what was he? A human that had Pokémon-like abilities - he had to be genetically engineered. What other explanation was there? But from everything he'd read in papers about medical science, human knowledge wasn't quite at that point, yet.
Damn, he sorely wished the Professor would call. Sally had only got a hold of his wife who said he was still out of town on business. Despite leaving a message a couple days prior for him to call back ASAP, there just was no word. He hoped Derganio wasn't up to something with him as well.
Thinking of the cell phone and hoping it would vibrate reminded him what else was strapped to his belt. After removing both of them, the red and white Pokéballs glistened in the afternoon sunlight, though each had some minor scuffs. "What do you think we should do with these?" asking while nudging Chris a little.
"Depends on what we think they'll do to us," Chris replied.
"Let them go," Sally suggested instead.
Shaking his head, "That won't do anything," Chris replied. "If those charizards ever find their trainer again, they would just end up causing more trouble again. Pokémon tend to get loyal, you know."
Leo thought as much. "Guess we'll just have to keep them to keep them away from that guy."
"Have to let them out sometime," Chris returned. "Even though they're asleep, they have to eat and relieve themselves at least occasionally. Or if you don't, the failsafe will automatically when the need becomes great enough. No telling when that will be."
He wondered where they could let them out without risking them taking off and looking for their trainer. Probably would have to be a Pokécenter somewhere. Or they could try reasoning with them and explain why they shouldn't. No…too great a risk. Still, the charizards would probably be fine for at least a few days or even weeks without being let out, with all their bodily functions slowed down as they were. Hopefully if they accomplished disabling or destroying the other gate, it wouldn't be an issue anymore. Without a doubt the Pokémon would be taken away once all of them were in prison, and that was likely where they were all going to end up after they destroyed Derganio's property. But if they saved the world, it'd be worth it…he supposed.
Reaching to the center console, Sally inserted a small memory stick into the waiting receptacle. Within a few seconds, music with electric guitars and a decent beat erupted from the speakers. Chris started tapping his foot.
"Didn't know you liked rock," Leo commented. In fact, he couldn't recall her ever playing any music before.
"I play it when I need to unwind," she answered, briefly facing him with her still artificially blonde hair and sunglasses, looking every bit the chick the music was stereotypical of. "I think now qualifies as needing to unwind."
He couldn't disagree, realizing he was seeing a little more depth to her than he normally witnessed. Closing his eyes, he allowed the music to distract him, if only for a short while. With the warm afternoon sun beating in on his side and the wind from the open windows blowing in, he made the mistake of leaning his head back. Dreams came quickly, some involving Sally and all involving escaping.
Leo nudged both Grovyle and Blaze awake where they were still laying on the blankets when the truck finally stopped.
"Are we there yet?" Celebi asked, floating up from one of the wooden boxes and her own smaller blanket.
The back door opened and the sudden blinding light flooding in from the low sun answered her question.
"We're at the docks," his human self announcing up to them from the partly paved ground. "We're going to go into a…"
Leo leaned out the back, glancing to the side where his human self was looking; a rather weathered grey wood-clad building stood not far away. It seemed somewhat busy, with a couple humans coming and going and what he thought was music emanating from within, though the sound of wingulls could be clearly heard overhead.
"…restaurant, I guess. Anyway, we're hoping to ask around if anyone has a boat for hire."
"I've been here before once a couple years ago," Chris piped in. "It's close enough to the public small-craft port. I just remember seeing someone advertising their services here on a bulletin board."
His human self continued: "Leo, Blaze, I think you two should come with us; Grovyle, I'd appreciate it if you'll stay with Celebi and guard the truck. We'll bring you both back something to eat."
Grovyle nodded. "I need a bathroom first."
Leo translated, adding that they all probably needed such and getting nods from the others.
"Yeah, we all do," Chris said.
Grovyle and Celebi had the use of the some bushes nearby, but the rest of them waited until they got inside and were shown to a large table before making ready use of the facilities. What surprised Leo was they seemed to accommodate Pokémon.
"People do occasionally bring their Pokémon out to eat," his human self informed afterward.
Otherwise, he could only describe the place as 'junky', and the area in general was very different from the city his human self lived in, most prominently the smells being clearly of the sea. The food was as well, from filleted magikarp, lobster, salmon and clams to other assorted non-Pokémon sea life. Accentuating the somewhat dim and dirty interior were nets strung everywhere and some long, thin sticks with wicked-looking sharp metal hooks on the end of strings attaching the two together. Shells were almost strewn about, one massive one in a corner clearly being from a clamperl.
When she returned, the waitress was the first one they asked if there was anyone they could hire a boat from, which turned out to be a good choice being she claimed to know enough sailors who frequented the place. After taking their orders, she advised them to relax while she asked around.
Maybe luck was on their side for once, he mused.
Their drinks came quickly and Blaze was at once looking curiously at the foamy, amber-colored beverage the humans had ordered. Catching a whiff of it, Leo thought it smelled something like certain flowers on the Poke world, but much stronger and with a strange 'stingingness' to it.
"What to try some?" Chris asked, apparently noticing and his expression becoming strangely humorous.
Cocking his head, Blaze watched him pour a little into an empty glass and shove it to him. "Well, if they're drinking it."
Leo noticed both Sally and his human self trying hard in stifling grins as his partner put the glass to his lips and take the liquid in. Unfortunately, he also couldn't contain himself as Blaze's eyes shot wide open before he started coughing, but quickly decided to pound his back to help.
"Poison!" was Blaze's singular word when he could finally get a word out.
"It's called beer," his human self explained. "It's good stuff, but Pokémon generally don't like it."
"I've never heard of one who does," Chris added. "Still, always looking for a first." He raised his glass with a quick smile before taking a sip.
Blaze grabbed one of the unclaimed glasses of water, washing away whatever taste must of been left in his mouth while spilling some of it in his haste. "Are you going to be alright?" Leo finally asked.
After letting out a last cough: "These humans are crazy! Don't ever drink that stuff!"
"Say, since you were human, you might still like it," his human self suggested quietly, filling an unused glass with a small amount from his own large glass and sliding it over the table.
"Yeah, this'll be an interesting experiment," Chris added.
"I guess I'm a little curious too," Sally said. Folding her hands, she rested her chin on them and started watching him with everyone else.
Blaze quickly had a hand on his arm with fearful eyes as his mane puffed. "Leo, it's horrible!"
Leo found himself unable to resist despite his partner's warning. Chris was right; if his human counterpart liked it, it would be interesting to find out if he still liked it or not as a Pokémon. With a quick smile to Blaze, he raised the glass to his lips and after getting an almost overwhelming sniff of it's contents, let a small sip into his mouth. At first, he was inclined to agree with Blaze; the taste that hit him was horrid. Yet within seconds, it mellowed and he started recognizing the slight nuances in it's flavor. Moving the fluid down his throat, he was ready for the second opinion of another taste. This time he downed the remainder; by the time it made it down his throat and started warming his belly, he almost liked it and certainly didn't find it nearly as bad as the first sip.
His infernape partner was staring at him, agape. "You…like it?"
Leo smiled back, sliding his glass back across the table, where his counterpart promptly filled it more generously this time.
"Guess I'll need to order another glass."
"Wow, a Pokémon that likes beer?" the waitress exclaimed after returning with the first of their food. "That's something I've never seen in all my years here!" Then quickly to the humans: "Hey, don't get it drunk, you know. I've never seen one, and I don't think I ever want to. Errant water pulse attacks wouldn't be good for business." Winking at him, she set a plateful of food before him along with some fat-handled eating utensils she said were designed especially for Pokémon.
He found himself immediately liking this human.
After the last plate came out: "By the way, I did a little asking around. Nobody has any boats right now, but the word is going out. Maybe someone will show up later, but sorry I couldn't do better."
"Damn," Sally breathed after they thanked the waitress and she left them to eat.
"Guess we'll have to try somewhere else," his human self replied.
If it was just him, he could swim it. Maybe even with Blaze who could ride on his back. But there was no way he could swim everyone to an island several days away by swimming. And they might not have days anyway. "Any lapras around?" he asked quietly, mindful of the humans scattered around at other tables.
"We'd need more than one with all our stuff," Blaze commented between mouthfuls.
"Lapras are rare around here," Chris answered.
"What would be our chances?" Sally asked.
Chris popped a piece of grilled shrimp in his mouth before answering. "Slim to none. And Slim just left town."
Blaze chuckled.
"Have anything original?" his human self asked, though his mouth seemed to curl slightly in amusement despite his tone.
But Leo was watching Sally. The slight move of her mouth in mirth triggered something… Even though her hair was currently bleached blonde, her expression in the setting of a restaurant seemed very similar to…
He put the fork into her mouth, paying close attention as she closed her lips over the piece of steak.
"Mm," she voiced, smiling.
"What did I tell you. Greatest steak in the world." But there was a different look in her green eyes this evening; wet, sincere…
She slowed her chewing, swallowed, hesitated. "Maybe, after here, we could go to your place…"
On an uncontrollable impulse, he leaned forward and kissed her. She embraced him…
"Leo!"
Rudely brought back to the present, there was a purple hand waving in front of his face. "Huh? What?"
Blaze pointed to the plate of shrimp that was just out of his reach.
After handing his partner the plate, he focused back on Sally, though not in any obvious way. But he found something else now that warranted staring. Almost in the same line of sight, a younger looking black-haired woman was sitting a couple tables away, looking at them across the empty one between them. Although he hadn't noticed it when he first saw her a while ago, she now seemed to be paying quite a bit of attention to them he realized. Eventually she looked down to her own food after he stared back for a good moment, only to be watching them again moments later. It continued right up to the point when they paid the waitress, who wished them luck, before she left a few minutes ahead of them.
He wasn't sure if it meant anything or not, but made a mental note of her.
"So, now what?" Chris asking as they stood under one of the lights in front of the building, the very last vestiges of twilight disappearing behind the skyline of the town. Somewhere, a horn sounded in the distance while a rotating light flashed it's beam overhead.
His human self sighed. "Maybe we could just walk around the docks and ask."
"It'd have to be first thing tomorrow; right now I guess we're going to have to find a hotel somewhere," Sally pointed out.
"We could just bunk at the Pokécenter," Chris suggested. "It's not that far away. And I am a trainer after all, so I could get us a room."
"Good idea," Sally replied, and they started for the truck some distance away through the now mostly-empty parking lot.
They didn't get very far before a young woman stepped from behind a small, rather old and rusty-looking truck. "Hey! I heard you're looking to hire a boat."
She was barely visible in the dim light, well outside of the circle of light from any parking-lot or street light, but Leo recognized her instantly. "That's her," Leo said to Blaze in Poké speak.
"Who?" Blaze asked.
"She was a couple tables from us. She'd been watching us for a while before leaving shortly before we did." Looking around, he didn't see anyone else with her; unless there was someone behind the truck, she was alone.
"That's right," his human self answered the woman. "You have one?"
"Yes. But if you want to hire me, you'll have to win a battle against me first."
The humans glanced at each other. "Money's not enough?" Sally asked.
"Let's say it's just a little prequalification test," the woman answered with a sweet, but expectant smile. "If you win, then of course you'll have to pay me for the hire. And the only Pokémon you can use is your swampert there."
Leo stared back in surprise.
"Why you?" Blaze asked, sounding equally surprised.
"My swampert?" Chris replied. "But…"
"It is able to battle, isn't it? I see that cast on it's arm."
"Well…I don't…"
"It's broke," Sally pointed out. More to Chris: "Though it's mostly healed by now, right?"
Getting close behind Chris and his other self, "It can come off tomorrow, I think," Leo whispered. "I can fight her if it means getting a boat." Glancing at their potential hire, he noticed her head cocked.
"You sure about this?" his human self asked.
He nodded. Actually he wasn't, but there didn't seem much choice.
His other self grimaced, but Chris nodded to him. To the woman: "Alright, I don't know why we have to battle to get a boat ride, but if you agree to take us wherever we want no questions asked, then fine."
"Great!" She motioned them over to deserted area of the parking lot that had bare dirt and a bit of gravel but more light from a close-by street light. "By the way, your swampert is rather different."
"How's that?" Chris asked as they all walked to the area the women indicated.
"It's smaller than any swampert I've seen, and it walks more upright. Quite unusual."
Leo felt his partner's eyes on him.
"You sound like you know swamperts," his human self returned.
Now in the light, Leo could see all her features easily again…and the broad smile she was now wearing. "You could say that." Taking a Pokéball off her belt, she released it's inhabitant in front of her. At the end of the red beam, it's form quickly expanded into…
Leo almost couldn't believe his eyes! "A swampert?"
"Ah!" Blaze exclaimed. "And it's a female! And…"
"It's…bigger than you, Leo!" Chris stammered. "Ah…you think you can handle it?"
"S…sure. And it's a she," he informed quietly, feeling anything but sure and noticing again the women furrowing her brow.
"Hey, is that swampert talking?"
Glancing between Chris, Sally and his human self, he wondered if he just shouldn't break the news. Not getting any clear direction: "Yes, I can talk!"
The woman gasped audibly, her mouth hanging open for a good moment. "Well…oh, wow! You really are different! I've never heard of a Pokémon who could speak! I mean, I thought I heard you in there, but thought I was just hearing things. This is…incredible…I mean…"
Like her trainer, the other swampert was staring back, mouth open and standing just a little more upright from her hunched position.
Maybe if the fact of him talking distracted her a little, it might give him an edge against the decidedly stronger swampert opposite him… "Let's go, then!" he shouted. In which case, the quicker the better.
"Oh…right. The battle." She went closer to her swampert and he could hear her giving instructions, not that she was particularly quiet about it: "Alright Lonny, try not to hit it's left arm, but we're otherwise going to do what it takes to win as always, alright?" The swampert nodded her understanding.
"I really don't know what to tell you," Chris said in his own pre-battle talk, putting a hand on his back in partly kneeling beside him. "Your attacks aren't going to be particularly effective against it…her. But the same goes for her. I think it's going to come down to pure strength and endurance."
"Probably," Leo replied. If size was any indication, it was obvious who had more of that.
"But being smaller, maybe you can move faster. I think that's what we're going to have to depend on."
Just like when Blaze took on the blastoise, he thought.
"Hey," Sally said in coming around to stand before him, putting her hands on the sides his face. "I know you can win. You're the smartest Pokémon I ever met. You have to be, being Leo and all." She gave a quick smile and a wink, directing some of it to his human self.
"If she doesn't pound my left arm, I have a chance," hoping it truly was healed enough to take any pounding. Feeling his heart beating a lot faster, he stepped out into the cleared space between the two sides. He'd never fought another swampert before, and for the first time in a while, he truly didn't know what tactic to use. If it came down to strength…
Being just a little closer to her now, his size disadvantage became all the more obvious; he was slightly taller, but only because he was standing straighter whereas she was leaning forward, her hands only a foot off the ground.
Was that how swamperts usually stood? It was a strange sight; standing upright just felt natural to him, if slightly unbalanced. Perhaps what had been left of his human traits weren't quite as buried as he had thought.
The woman trainer leaned forward, seemingly ready to give a command and Leo felt his heart jump. He was damned nervous about it with so much at stake, not to mention that it was going to be like fighting himself! Chris was right: he was going to have to stay out of her reach and try and wear her down.
"Alright Lonny, charge and pound!"
He found himself leaping out of the way almost immediately, Chris only belatedly calling out a similar pound attack. It was an impossible maneuver - he could either hit or leap out of the way, but not both. Judging by how much force the other swampert appeared to thrust through the space he just vacated, he was glad to have chosen the later option!
The next several moves pretty much mirrored the first, the other trainer keeping her swampert on constant attack, not giving him time to gain any kind of distance to really plant himself for an counterattack. Then he saw the slight opening just as Chris called the move; turning and mounting the attack, it was met by a forearm and a new thrust from her other arm. Diving just in time, her fist managed to only graze his side and back, but his rear fin took some of it, producing a brief sharp pain…
Sally shrieked.
Chris was shouting "Water pulse!" even before he hit the ground, and with the rotating momentum from his fin being hit, got his head turned around enough to release the high-velocity water from his mouth straight into her face…right as she was preparing another punch. As expected, it wasn't too effective…
"Get away!"
…but bought him the few seconds needed to do what Chris was yelling urgently. He retreated all the way to just in front of the blonde-haired trainer. "She's really strong!" he told him without turning his head or taking his eyes off her.
Standing halfway between him and her trainer, the female swampert was staring directly at him, panting. "Stay there, Lonny!" her trainer told her, and she nodded.
"Rest time," Chris mumbled. "Leo, get an attack in from behind, quick!"
Focusing, he looked for a way to land a hit without being leveled himself. If he could get around her fast enough… He started to charge, then veered off to one side before coming around behind her…only to meet her face on as she rotated around. Continuing to move around her, she just kept rotating in keeping up, even as he went as fast as he could to the point of risking using his left arm on the ground in an all-fours effort. It was simply no good; turning around in one spot didn't require as much speed as having to move in a circle and there was just no way he could get around her fast enough!
Giving up, he stopped a good distance from her while starting to pant himself even as she seemed to be recovering.
"Pound!"
The command surprised him; he assumed he would get a few seconds to rest, but the woman trainer shouted just as he stopped and her swampert was on top of him before he could get moving again!
"Dodge!"
Chris's command came after the fact. Instinctively, he thrust his own fist up as he tried dodging below her swinging arm. Too late he realized it was a feint - the real thrust was coming from below, and her three-fingered blue fist connected solidly with his stomach. But using both her arms in the attack meant she had no defense to block his fist as it connected with her stomach.
Almost surreally, he started analyzing the attack on his way down. Although they both hit each other with the same attack, the difference in their strengths was very apparent: she was gasping with a hand over her stomach but remained standing; he was laying on his, flat on the ground and unable to move or breathe. It was nearly as crippling as being hit with a thunderbolt and hurt even more!
It must had been a good moment before he became aware of what was happening again, for Chris was shouting "Get up!" as he watched the female's feet moving in front of him. Getting up was futile; a hand with a lot of weight behind it was on his back, pinning him.
"Leo!" Blaze's voice yelled. "Get away from her!"
"Pound and end it!" he heard the woman trainer shout.
He jerked with all his might to one side to avoid what was coming, almost sliding out from under her hand, but only felt her grabbing his rear fin instead, inducing another sharp pain and stopping him cold.
"Don't move and it won't hurt as much…sweetie," the other swampert said, speaking for the first time.
He felt sorry, not for himself, but that he was letting everyone down. They needed that boat; loosing wasn't an option! Yet he was about a second from being pounded right into the ground (along with needing a Pokécenter)…and the little twist of her large three-toed foot in front of him foretold she was already rearing back for it…
Not even finishing the thought, he shot out his arm, grabbing her foot and pulling it toward him and up with all his might in one quick, almighty jerk!
The female screeched as she nearly landed on her rear fin, relieving the pressure on his own. Leaping up and operating on pure heart-pounding adrenaline, he shot two water pulses straight into her, finishing with a (weak) pound into her side before leaping back. It was all he had time for before she was up again and charging! Still fighting the pain in his stomach, he was just able to dodge her charge out of fear of even worse pain.
After being able to gain a bit of distance, he found himself moving around the edges of the makeshift field, making sure he stayed as far away from her as possible. The stomach hit was still making him feel weak; he could only hope his hit against her was doing the same, but from the enraged look on her face, he pinned little hope on that. He bought time in escaping her, but how much?
Glancing Chris's way, he hoped the human had some way they could still get out of this with a win. The trainer instead looked as frustrated as he felt in upturning his hands, and he was starting to better realize what Blaze had gone through when he fought the blastoise.
What was the phrase…like trying to take out a golem with a pebble?
The female swampert continued following him around the perimeter as if stalking him, neither trainer given any commands for several moments.
"Maybe you should give up," the woman trainer told him as he walked in front of her. "Lonny is as strong as swamperts come!" the pride in her voice unmistakable.
Sparing her only a subtle glance in not daring to take his eyes off his adversary, "I've beaten tougher opponents," he shot back. Dialga came to mind, though he sounded more certain then he felt.
"Still so incredible you can talk. Oh, I wish you were mine…" She trailed off for a second before: "OK Lonny, just charge and keep after it!"
"Leo, dodge her!" Chris countered.
Didn't have to tell him twice! Focusing on the other swampert as she came barreling straight at him, he tensed his legs. Though fatigued, he prepared to leapt out of her way, deliberately not leaning in either direction in order to keep her guessing as to which way he would go, but he didn't expect the woman trainer's water pulse command! Catching him square in the chest and face, the quick moving wall of water blinded him for an instant, and although the hit from it wasn't that bad, what came after hit like a wall. Before he could even figure out which way he was being knocked, he was back on the ground and a huge, painful weight was placing itself on top of him with what felt like not just a single hand this time…and no feet in sight! Even the gravel was digging into his skin painfully!
"Invigorating fight," the female swampert said from above. "But I am the strongest swampert! Now don't you move…and I'll make it quick."
As if he could! With obviously her entire weight on him and as tired as he was, he couldn't get close to enough leverage to even try and get up, especially with fearing putting full weight on his left arm. And a lot of that weight was centered on his already hurting stomach, too! He thought for sure he was going to lose his dinner…
"Leo, wiggle free!" Blaze shouted at what sounded like the top of his lungs while Sally sounded like she was lecturing Chris about when to give up…as in right now.
His partner had to be kidding! It was obvious there was no way the swampert was going to give him an opportunity to up get this time and as soon as the woman trainer gave the command, it was going to be over for him. The only lingering question was exactly where she was going to hit to knock him out. No matter where, it was going to hurt for certain with her strength!
Yet seconds passed without any command coming. Instead, he heard what he thought was a quickly approaching wheeled vehicle, lights from presumably the headlights flashing across the field, then a door opening and slamming shut while the engine continued running…
"Christina! What thee hell do 'ya think you're doing?" yelled a human male voice with a different accent from any he'd heard before.
He felt the female swampert starting to move on top of him, as if looking around, while putting a firm hand on his head between his fins and keeping his head plastered against the ground. He sure hoped she wasn't inclined to finish the job even without a command.
"Dad! Ah…how'd you get here so quick?"
"I was already almost back from the machine shop. Are these the people you were talking about on the phone who wanted to hire us?"
"Yes, but they had a swampert…I'm sorry, I couldn't resist testing Lonny against it. She's winning, you know."
"Daughter, you don't gain customers by beating up on their Pokémon! For cripes sakes Lonny, get off that poor thing!"
From seemingly right over his head, the female swampert let out a frustrated sigh before moving off his back. Suddenly, he discovered he could breath again and slowly, stiffly, painfully, got himself up. Blaze came bounding immediately to his side, giving the female a good view of his mouthful of sharp teeth with a hiss before leading him back to Chris, Sally and his human self. A glance backward showed the female swampert smiling curiously.
"Next time, sweetie," she said.
The other human proved to be an older man with a grey beard and hair, wearing what looked like thick, faded blue-plaid clothes that were a bit past their prime. He was already in front of the others by the time he and Blaze rejoined the group.
"Sorry about my daughter there, folks. She's really proud of her swampert and takes any chance she can get to show her off. Especially the very rare occasion when there's another swampert."
"You mean, we didn't have to battle to hire you?" Chris asked.
The man grimaced, giving a backward glare to his daughter. "No." Facing Leo: "You alright? You look a little on the small side for a swampert, though."
"By the way dad, it can talk!" Christina shouted as she approached with Lonny.
"Huh?"
"I'll live, I think," Leo replied, thankful for the man's intervention. Indeed, he was saved literally just in time. If he'd taken that last hit from the monstrosity coming up behind him, the human wouldn't be asking if he was alright, but more like if he was going live long enough to make it to the hospital.
"Huh?" the old man asked again, this time more wide-eyed.
"Yes, he can talk," his human self said. "And we really do need to hire a boat."
Leo plunged his head thankfully into the large, low tub of cool water provided, drinking some while letting his head and fins soak, his gills absorbing the dissolved air in the water. It was refreshing…and sorely needed after the punishment he'd taken earlier. The older human had eventually introduced himself as Harry before insisting they come to his dock house at the port...after he and his daughter had gotten over the fact he could speak, that was.
Although his ears were underwater, he could still hear the humans talking around the table nearby, with his human self and Sally going over the details of where they all needed to go.
"To that island, eh?" Harry asked. "That'd be Fore-Nine island. I believe it's private now, though I haven't really been near there in ages."
"It's owned by Derganio Corporation," Sally's voice replied.
"Ah. You know, now that you pointed that place out, I heard a rumor once there was some kind of accident there a few years ago. Never found much out about it, but still piques my interest."
"Really?" Sally's voice implying extreme interest.
Leo started paying more attention himself.
"So you're with Derganio Corp, then?" Harry continued. "They're a pretty big company."
"Actually, they're the sponsor of a project we're doing at the University of Pinnacle Valley," his human self answered.
"Then you're with the University?"
"We are. Well, Chris here isn't. But we just need transport to and from that island."
Harry cleared his throat. "And…uh, they aren't taking you? I mean Derganio Corporation or the University? Not be sounding like I'm refusing a job or anything."
Catching sight of a shadow cast through the water, Leo looked up at the distorted form moving over it. It wasn't long before a large blue face with green gills joined his underneath the surface from the other side of the tub. Her face was the last thing he wanted to see for a while; his stomach was still hurting!
"Well…" Sally fell silent for a moment.
His human self spoke next: "They deserve to know the truth. It could be dangerous, after all."
"What kind of danger?" Christina's voice asked, suddenly sounding quite interested.
"Well, they don't exactly want us there, because they think we're going to try and stop them from doing something that could destroy the world."
"Destroy the world?" Harry exclaimed with a cough. "What thee hell would that be?"
"Shouldn't you tell the police or someone then?" Christina added.
"You people are some of those anti-corporate protesters, are you?"
The female swampert was staring straight at him from the couple of feet or so that separated them. She was smiling all of the sudden…
It wasn't menacing, but rather…intense, like a hunter to it's prey. He felt his heart skip a beat, her look making him more nervous by the second.
Sally sighed. "No! They're working on a project to transport things and people instantaneously, from one location to another, by moving them through a different dimension. But we think there's a strong possibility they won't be able to control it, and that wouldn't be a good thing to say the least."
"Just how do you know all this?" Christina asked.
"Because we were working on exactly the same kind of project at the University," his human self answered. "Only Derganio took it over when we decided to halt the project for a while, because we discovered what could happen if we weren't absolutely sure about what we were doing."
"Exactly," Sally added. "So we need to go there and convince them to stop what their doing. But there isn't much time. We think they're going to try and use it for the first time any day now."
"I…see." There was obvious doubt in the old man's voice.
Sally continued: "Maybe…we need to tell him the whole story, right from the beginning."
"That'll take a while," Chris commented.
"Only if both of them agree not to tell anyone else," his human self replied. "This can't become public knowledge."
After a bit more verbal exchange between Sally, his human self, the old man and his daughter, the later two eventually agreed to keep what they heard to themselves.
"You say it's a long story?" Harry asked. "Then maybe I should get some coffee on; we'll probably want the caffeine."
Leo wasn't sure what "caffeine" was, but something else was demanding his attention. The female swampert was inching closer, keeping the same intense stare about her. A pair of shadows moved over the water, one on each side, and soon he felt two large, three-fingered hands touching his head fins…
"Hey Leo, I think we're going to need you here to…"
He was already jerking his head out of the water even before Chris asked.
Leo Hanson watched Harry set his coffee cup down, mostly missing the coaster and nearly tipping it. His daughter, with her short black hair and grey eyes, stared back unmoving as she had for the last good while.
"So, that's everything that's happened up to now," Sally finished, capping the end of their hour-long tale. Through the open windows, crickets were loud around them, interrupted only by wingulls and the very occasional larger ocean wave hitting the nearby shore and pier.
"Um…interesting story," Harry eventually said, running his fingers through his grey beard. "I'd say you people were nuts, but I can't imagine anyone making all of that up. It's hard to get my net around it all, though."
Leo took the last sip of his own coffee. "Believe me, I know what you mean."
"You…really were a human?"
His Pokémon counterpart nodded. "As sure as you are human now."
"And you were…him?"
Another nod, acknowledging the man's pointing finger with his own nod.
"Wow…like I said before, I thought it was strange how you walked so upright…more like a human than a swampert," Christina finally said, the first words she'd spoken since his Pokémon counterpart first revealed who he used to be.
He also noticed Christina's swampert, Lonny, was continuing to make frequent glances between him and his Pokémon counterpart, eventually cocking her head while fixing intensely on his counterpart with a whimsical expression. He wasn't sure what to make of that other than disbelief. Or was it something else?
"Time travel, dimensional portals, Dimensional Screams. And Dialga, Palkia, Celebi…" Harry mused, raising his eyebrows for the umpteenth time before finally shaking his head. "I don't know…"
"Oh!" Leo said, realizing they'd forgotten something quite important.
By Sally's and Chris's looks, they realized the same thing at the same time.
"Be right back," Sally said before jumping up and rushing out of the large shop-like room and outside.
"Where's she going?" Christina asked, jabbing her thumb toward the door.
"You'll see," he answered. It wasn't exactly accurate to say they had forgotten about them, at least at first. But they had decided on the way over to the private docks to keep Celebi hidden and Grovyle with her. Of course, now that Harry and Christina were told the story, there was no reason keeping the little time-traveling pixie-like Pokémon hidden from them any longer.
"Huh. Well, how about some more coffee?" the old sailor asked. "I know I can use more after all that!"
Leo let the older man refill his cup as did Chris, and he poured the last in Sally's cup just as she came back in, Grovyle and Celebi in tow.
Christina's mouth fell open, her face mirroring her father's. "Is…that…a…"
"This is Grovyle and Celebi," Leo Hanson told them, grinning. As if they weren't already surprised enough for one evening. "Of course, Celebi traveled with Blaze and my counterpart from the Poké world."
Celebi gave some kind of greeting in her high-pitched voice as she floated over the table to hover before the father and daughter.
"Swampert? Swerp rout grr," Lonny said in moving to stand behind them, her face sandwiched between theirs.
"Reeabee rame!"
Leo wondered what they were saying as his counterpart, Blaze and Grovyle joined in with a few words each in Poké speech.
Harry was again shaking his head. "I suppose you're going to summon up Dialga himself next, aren't you folks?"
Sally slowly sighed. "We don't know what happened to him or Palkia."
"Oh, sorry, that's right. Made to disappear by that…Kol, you claim?"
Floating in front of the man's face, Celebi was seemingly screaming something.
"She says that's what she saw," his Pokémon counterpart said. "She isn't lying."
"Ok ok!" Though Harry still scratched his beard.
"So, will you transport us to that island?" Leo asked after Harry and Christina spent a few more moments marveling over Celebi.
The two exchanged glances before Harry took in a deep breath, like someone making a huge decision. "Won't be cheap, but I'm feeling inclined to believe…at least most of what you folks say, so I'll cut you a break. Especially if the world is at stake. And…in light of what my daughter made you go through."
She cuffed his shoulder when he started letting out a hearty chuckle.