Chapter 21
A Pryce to Pay
To my surprise the town did have a pool hall, but sadly it was also the local bar and tobacco store as well. It was almost like a raincloud when you stepped into the place. People were everywhere, at the counter, at tables, shooting pool, and even a couple were up on the small stage in the back corner singing karaoke, drunk off their gourds, of course. There was one thing I liked about the place however; the piano man was very talented. It was like walking into one of those old classic bars you see in the old westerns, you now, if you took out all the drunk cowboys and replaced them with … regular drunk people.
"Open up table eight." Ricky said, slamming a wad of cash down on the table. "And give me a beer."
"A beer?" I asked. Is this really how he gets his alcohol? He just asked for it? Come on, anyone can see that he is only 15!
"Yeah, a beer." Ricky said, looking at me. "What, you want one?"
"No." I said flatly as the bartender handed us two pool sticks, taking the money at the same time.
"Hey, douche-bag!" Ricky shouted. "I said a beer!"
The bar went quiet for a little bit, but quickly picked back up when everyone saw that Ricky was talking to the bartender. "Hmph." The bartender snorted. "Sorry, kid, but I need to see some ID first."
"Well, if that's all." Ricky took out his wallet, slipping out a fake drivers license and sliding it to the bartender.
The bartender looked it over, and then glanced back at Ricky.
Oh my God, is this really going to work? Even a complete idiot can see he is far from twenty-one years old!
"Fine, kid." The bartender said as he slid the card back to Ricky. "But this stuff will stunt your growth."
"Is that was happened to you?" Ricky cackled, poking fun of the man that stood no taller than us.
The bartender turned back around to face us, sliding a mug full of beer to Ricky. "Any more wise cracks like that and you'll be on the streets. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah." Ricky said, sipping on his beer as he twirled the pool stick in the air. "Hey, set us up for only one game, okay?"
We walked away from the counter, heading towards the table. It was kind of strange, seeing the table that Ricky picked. It was the table in the back right corner, hidden in the dark. I don't know why he picked that one out of all of them; there were about five other open tables to pick from, so why that one? Oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter. A game of pool is still a game of pool, regardless where it is.
"I'll rack, you break." Ricky said in a gulp as he slammed his mug down on the rim of the table, making some of the beer slosh out onto the dark green felt shooting area.
"So." I asked, watching him set the triangle. "Where did you get that ID?"
"Hmph." He smirked. "A little gift from my father's…" He paused, watching me chalk up my stick. "My father's, inheritance."
"Your father left you a fake ID?" I asked. "Pretty sucky inheritance if you ask me."
"He didn't leave me the ID." Ricky spat as he lifted up the triangle from the table, sitting the billiard balls in place. "It was his inheritance from which I made the ID."
"Umm.. okay." That was strange. Ricky has never talked with such… precision around me. He almost sounded like Bill there for a second. I shook off the thought as I placed the cue-ball on the table. I lined up my shot, shooting the ball and making it strike into the triangle at the top right side. Sadly, I didn't make a single thing, but I did scatter the balls over the table quite well.
"Hmph." Ricky smirked again. "Empty shot. I guess I'm going to have to show you how it's done." He walked over to the cue-ball, lining up his shot to strike into a cluster of solids and striped balls. He swiftly made his shot, having the cue-ball strike into the group, sinking a solid and a stripe. "Well, well." He smiled as he took another sip of his mug. "Looks like I have a few choices. I can either go with the solids, or stripes." He shot me a glare as he pulled his blood red hair behind his ear.
I almost gasped when I saw his face. His eyes were narrow, almost like they were slits. It was as if he looked like one of the villains from those video games I used to play. And his eyes, his eyes, they were red, redder than normal, they were almost glowing in a sinister way.
He squatted down, glaring up at me as he lined up his next shot. "What's wrong, Kyle?" He asked in a deep voice as he shot, sinking the 3-ball and the 5-ball into two different pockets. "Afraid?"
"Of what?" I brushed him off, acting like everything was fine. "A bunch of drunken idiots in a bar. Phft, far from."
"No…" Ricky then glanced up at me again, lining up for another shot. "Losing. Losing to me."
"It's just a game." I said, looking at where he was going to shoot. He is aiming for one of the striped balls, my ball. "You know if you hit the other persons billiard first you lose your turn, right?"
"I don't plan on it." He grinned again, striking the cue-ball on the bottom of it, making I pop into the air, coasting over my ball and landing back on the table, sinking another one of his.
"Wow." I said, watching him line up for another. "Pretty nice shot. I haven't seen anyone do that before, except for me."
"So, its just a game, huh?" Ricky asked, looking back at the table. "You realize that I only have two left to make. Does that not worry you?"
"Two?" I looked at the table, seeing the 1-ball, 7-ball and 6-ball. "You have three."
"No I don't." Ricky shot again, once more jumping one of my balls and sticking the 1-ball into the pocket. "You didn't answer me." He said, glaring his eyes back at me. "Does it worry you? Does it scare you? That you will lose? You will lose without making one shot."
"Ricky, it's a game." I said, watching him down the rest of his beer. "Does it really matter if I lose?"
"Yeees." He said in a creepy voice, dragging it out before he lead it into a laugh. "Hahaha!" He cackled. "I'm sorry, man." He said, still with a slight hint of chaos in his voice. "You see what beer does to me sometimes?"
"No not really." I laid the pool stick against the wall. "You still seem like an idiot to me."
"Hmph. That'll change soon enough." He lined up another shot, this time putting a lot of power behind it. The ball hit the wall of the table, bouncing off and hitting the 6-ball, sinking it into the pocket and recoiling the cue-ball back, making it strike the 7-ball and sink it as well. "Lets see, lets see." Ricky said, walking around the table. "8-ball in side pocket." He pointed as he lined up the shot. Once again, the striped balls were in the way, but this time his shot was all the way to the other side of the table. If he were to jump that, he would have to jump pretty much the entire table. And sure enough, he did. He struck the cue-ball, making it fly up into the air, soaring over all the other balls and hitting the 8-ball on the other side of the table. The 8-ball rolled slowly to the pocket, and fell in.
"Well, looks like you won." I said, leaving my stick against the wall as I turned to walk away.
"No. This isn't over." Ricky said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. He spun me around, glaring with his devilish eyes into mine. "There's one more thing I have to do." He reached into this long black and red jacket/shirt, holding his hand in what looked like an inside shirt pocket.
"Get your hands off me." I said brushing him off. I turned to walk away again when he spoke up.
"I have to end this."
"End what?" I laughed, turning around to see him holding something in his hand.
"End this burning pain I have had since Cinnabar." He smiled a toothy smile again, as he brought his hand into the light. "I have to beat you." I looked down at his hand as it came into the dim light of the pool hall. In his hand his fingers wrapped around something, something black.
"Is that the stupid pool ball again?" I asked.
"Yes." He flicked his head to the side, making his hair swoosh as he laid the ball down on the table. "And I have to beat you, to regain my dignity."
"Really? I didn't know you ever had any." I laughed, turning to walk away. "I'm going to go battle the gym leader now, so if you need me just wait in the pokecenter, I'll stop in there once I'm done."
"Yeah… sure." Ricky said as I left. He placed the black ball on the table, lining up his last shot. "I'll have my dignity back. Once I dispose of you." He shot the ball, sinking it into the same corner pocket that he sunk the first 8-ball in. "And down he goes."
***_-Scene Change-_***
I stopped in the pokecenter first, picking up Pichu from where I left him in the room before I went out with Ricky. I knew that since we were going to be playing pool Pichu would want to join in, and that wouldn't work out very well. I could just picture the sight of the little mouse running after every ball on the table whenever it was hit. Yeah, that wouldn't have worked out very well.
After I picked him up I headed back out, making my way to the other side of town where the gym was. This town was strange, kind of hard to get used to in a way. There were houses around the pokecenter, a mart, a radio tower that turned out to be a Rocket hideout, and a gym, but that wasn't the strange part. Sure, not every town has a Rocket hideout in it, but most towns would have people, right? So far, the only people that I have seen walking around were the few trainers in the pokecenter. I haven't seen anyone that looked like they were local. Every person I have seen was wearing a belt with pokeballs on them, had a pokedex, or something of that kind.
I shook my head as I opened the door to the gym. "I don't need to worry about any of that stuff now. The sooner I beat this guy, the soon I can head on out of here, and find out who is stealing my pokemon."
When I opened the door a blast of cold air hit me hard. It was cold, very cold, almost blistering. It was almost as if I had just stepped into a deep freezer at my old fast food job. It feels about as cold. If I remember correctly, they always kept it at 10 below.
"Pii!" Pichu whined as the cold air hit his face. He scurried around my shoulders, trying to find a warm spot, but then jumped in my book bag instead. I turned my head, watching as he dug out his leather jacket and goggles, putting them on and climbing back up on my shoulder. "Pii…" He sighed happily as he nuzzled in his warm jacket.
"Hey, that's a good idea." I said, reaching my hand back to the side pocket of my bag. I unzipped it, and pulled out the item holder that held my bike gear. "Wearing just a button up shirt isn't the smartest idea when you're going to be fighting an ice gym, huh?"
I opened the item holder on the ground as I took off my bag and sat Pichu on the ground beside me. He jumped a little when his feet hit the frozen icy ground, and then scurried onto my book bag.
I chucked at him as I slipped on the jacket over my forest green button up shirt and tie. I zipped it up half way, and then put on my biker gloves as well. Unlike most biker gloves, however, these gloves actually had fingers, which really helps for cold places like this.
"Well, Pichu." I said, picking my bag back up and slipped it over my shoulders. "You ready to go?"
"Pi!" Pichu smiled, running up my pant leg and scurrying over to my shoulder. "Pi, Pi-chu!"
"Good." I chuckled, taking the black sunglasses off that Bill gave me. "Then lets go find the gym leader." I looked back up in front of us as I closed the door. With the sunglasses on I couldn't really make out anything, but with them off I could see everything now. Ice was all over the floor, walls, ceiling, and pretty much everything in the hallway we were in. Snow was some how falling inside the building. I'm guessing there is probably a snow ventilation system in here somewhere that circulates the snow from the floor to the ceiling. That's the only way I could think that snow could be falling without it building up.
I walked down the hallway, slipping and sliding on the icy floor. It was slick, very slick, I didn't even know how I was able to make it to the door on the other end, but some how I did.
I stood up, inspecting the door and seeing a knob that was all but frozen. I placed my hand on it, turning it and watching as shards of ice fell to the floor. The knob turned, and the door opened, showing yet another hallway covered in ice with another door at the end of it. The only thing different about this hall, however, was the massive sharp rocks that were jetting out of the floor, which were also covered in ice.
"Oh come on." I said, looking out at the hallway. "Not only do we have ice to worry about but now we have rocks too?" I looked down to the floor. "But wait… I'm not standing on ice now." I was still in the doorway, and to my amazement, there was no ice under my feet. I looked a few feet ahead of me, seeing that the doorstep I was standing on was actually about a foot higher than the main floor of the place, which had about a foot of ice resting on it. This, however, made the ice come up to just under the doorstep. "I see." I said with a smile. "The gym is an optical illusion which makes it look like one solid ice structure, but it's really only a foot deep swimming pool that has been frozen over."
"Pi?" Pichu asked, looking at my confused through his fogged up goggles. He shook his head, taking off his goggles and rubbing the lenses with his little paw, trying to get some of the ice off of them.
"Well then, if it is just a swimming pool, why don't we surf across it?" I pulled off a pokeball from around my belt. "Go, Gyarados!"
The ball flew out of my hand and out came the massive serpent. He was so big though that he barely fit in the room. In fact, the only way he fit in the room was laying down flat, having his tail in front of me and his head near the door at the end.
"Gyarrr!" He called out.
"Well… um…" I looked at him, laying down making a bridge for us over the ice. "I was going to have you melt the ice and surf across, but I guess this will do fine." I looked over to Pichu as I put one foot on Gyarados's back. "Hang on little bud, I don't have very good balance."
"Pi, Pi…" He said as he climbed up on my head, gripping on to some of my short brown hair for support.
When he was set, I slowly began to walk across Gyarados's back. He shook a little when I stepped on one of his loose scales, almost making me fall, but I regained my balance and continued to walk. When I got to the other side I jumped off of him, and turned to face him. "Sorry about that, bud. I didn't think I would have to use you as a bridge." I placed a hand on his face and gave him a little scratch around his neck, which made him give a toothy grin.
"Gyar, Gyar." He smiled, wagging his tail making some ice shatter when his tail hit the ground.
"Okay." I laughed, looking behind him at the shattered ice and dented in walls. Man, I hope I don't have to pay for that. "Don't worry, I'll bring you back out later. I'm going to need your help with this gym leader."
"Dos." He nodded as I placed his pokeball to his face, sucking him back inside. These things really are amazing. Being able to contain a 500 pound, 21 foot pokemon in just a hand held device. I put his ball back on my belt as I walked to the other door. I placed my hand on the knob, which once again, just like the other room, was frozen over.
I turned it, making ice fall to the floor, but the door wouldn't budge. I turned the knob again, making sure I was turning it the right way, but it still wouldn't move. I wonder if it is frozen shut? "Well, I guess there is only one way to find out." I turned the knob all the way, keeping one hand on it as I stepped back a few feet. I put all my weight on one leg; slamming into the door and making it swing open. Ice shards went everywhere from the frozen door, and as they fell to the ground, so did I. When I put all my weight into that slam I lost my balance, falling to the icy floor.
Pichu, being on my shoulder when I fell, tumbled off me and slid across the floor. "Piii!" He laughed happily as he slid on the ice before coming to an abrupt stop. His back had slid into something, almost like a frozen wall, but when he looked up he saw it was something else. "Piii!" He screamed as he tried to scurry on the ice, but to no avail. He just ended up falling all over himself.
"Pichu…" I put my hands to the ice below me, pushing myself up so I could look in front of me. Pichu was running in place, slipping and sliding trying to get away from a man whom was sitting on a throne made of solid ice.
His hair was gray, well, more like silver, with spots that looked like bed head. He didn't have much hair, but it was obvious that the little bit he did have he let grow long. His face was old and wrinkly. His eyes were open, almost into slits, much like the expression I saw Ricky with only moments ago. He looked angry, and none too pleased to see me.
"And whom do I owe this acquaintance too?" The man said as he stood out of his throne. He was wearing a blue trench coat with the collar popped, and a long white scarf that drapped loosely on him.
"I am Kyle Gray." I said, picking Pichu up when he finally slid back over to me. "And I have come here for a gym battle."
"Ah, yes." The man said, tilting his neck and popping it. "I have heard about you from the other leaders. It would appear as if you only have two more badges to receive to complete your collection. Tell me, do you think you can defeat me, Pryce, the 'Ice Cold Gym Leader'?"
"Well, like you said." I closed my eyes as I crossed my arms, putting a smile on my face. "I only have two badges left, and since I'm here, I'm pretty sure I mean to get one from you."
"Hmph." Pryce smiled, closing his eyes as well. "Your arrogance will make you that much more of a pleasure to defeat." He then opened his eyes, looking at me as I opened mine. "I have fought countless trainers, several pokemon masters, had have even won both the Kanto and Johto Leagues. I will not be as easy to defeat as those, children, before me." He winced as he said 'children', implying the previous gym leaders.
"But, even you admit, you can be defeated." I smiled, holding onto a pokeball in my hand. "Who cares if it will be easy or not. I'll do it."
"What a pleasure, a pleasure indeed." Pryce then reached into his trench coat, pulling out a pokeball as he threw it onto the icy field that sat between us. The snow was still falling as a Dewgong slid on the ice.
"I thought you would use something like that." I said, throwing out Gyarados's pokeball. "Go, Gyarados!"
"Garrr!" The massive serpent roared as he slithered on the ice. This room was much bigger then the hallway we were just in, so he had plenty of room to move around in.
"I shall begin this." Pryce spoke as he sat back down on his throne. "Dewgong, finish this fast. Use, Blizzard."
"Not good." I said as I watched Dewgong began to charge up for the attack. I could use flamethrower, but I really want to use that as a surprise attack. "Alright, Gyarados! Hyper Beam!"
Gyarados quickly formed an orb of light in his mouth as Dewgong released the wave of ice shards and snow at him, but no sooner than the attack left Dewgong, Gyarados's Hyper Beam was charged. A bright light shot through the snowy ice, striking into Dewgong, making it fly back in recoil, hitting the wall behind it. But the powerful attack didn't stop the snow, and Gyarados was hit as well. He winced in the cold as ice began to form on his left side, almost covering over his body. When the attack was over Gyarados shook madly, trying to get the ice off of him as Pryce recalled his Dewgong.
"Not good." I said, looking at Gyarados as he breathed hard. His body is almost completely covered in ice, and Hyper Beam does take a lot out of him. I don't know how much longer he can last.
"Very impressive, as well as quick." Pryce said, standing as he reached into his trench coat again, bringing out another pokeball. "The Dewgong you just fought had evolved only moments before you came. This one, however," he said, throwing out another Dewgong. "This one has been in my party for quite some time. It will be much more difficult to defeat."
"Great…" I looked over at Gyarados. He's not going to be out there much longer, and he was really the only hope I had. Dragonite wouldn't last one minute against an ice pokemon, Arcanine or Magcargo against a water type isn't a good idea. Kabutops would only want to hug them, and Pichu's electric attacks wouldn't do much damage unless the ice was mel- "That's it!"
"Dewgong!" Pryce said calmly. "Ice Beam."
"Gyarados!" I screamed. "Give it your biggest Flamethrower!" As I said this, I saw Pryce smile.
Dewgong let out a beam of ice that shot towards Gyarados at lighting speed. Gyarados was also quick on the draw, blasting a stream of fire back at Dewgong, one almost as big as the ones Arcanine shoots. The flames engulfed the Ice Beam, turning it into water, as well as the icy floor they were standing on. Dewgong was hit hard with the fire attack, burning it bad. All the ice in the room, including the mass on Gyarados, began to melt with the extreme heat from the attack, turning the ice field into a water field.
"So that was the fire attack I heard of." Pryce said, clapping his hands. "I am quite impressed. Jasmine said you caught her off guard, and I can see why. Very nifty trick, if I do say so myself, teaching a water pokemon a fire type move. But," Pryce then looked at me again with his slanted eyes. "Tricks won't win you this battle. Dewgong! Hyper Beam!"
"Gyarados! Shoot it right back!"
Dewgong jumped out of the water, its mouth glowing with a yellow light as it shot out the massive beam at Gyarados. Gyarados was still charging up his attack when the beam hit him, making him release it prematurely, which caused it to do little to no damage to Dewgong. Gyarados fell to the floor, making a wave of water as he hit, knocked out.
"Alright." I said, recalling Gyarados. "Plan B." I looked over to Pichu, who was on my shoulder, still wearing his little goggles and jacket. "Your turn, bud."
"Pi!" He said happily as he ran down my shoulder, standing on the edge of the field, outside of the water. "Now!" I said. "Double Team!"
"Pi!" Before I could blink the room was covered in Pichus. Dewgong, not knowing what to make of it, was looking around dumbfounded and confused.
Pryce, who began to catch on, screamed to Dewgong. "Dewgong, don't look at them! You're getting dizzy and confused!" But it was too late. Dewgong was already swaying back and forth, almost loosing its balance.
"Now!" I screamed. "Get in there and use Thunder Bolt!"
"No! No!" Pryce said. "Dewgong, Blizzard, now!"
All the Pichus in the room began to jump and vanish, only leaving one that hit the water. As soon as Pichu was in the pool he let out a mass of electricity which surged through the water field, shocking Dewgong bad. Dewgong, still charging for the Blizzard attack, released it only moments before being knocked out. The attack froze the water, trapping Pichu in the ice from the neck down.
"Pi! Pi-chu!" Pichu cried as Pryce recalled his Dewgong. "Pi! Pichu, Pichu, Pichu!" He squirmed, trying to break free of the ice, but couldn't budge.
"Amusing strategy." Pryce said. "I can see how you have made it this far into the league."
"Strategy?" I laughed. "I just take it as it comes. If there is one thing I have learned in my travels it is to never rely on anything, because you will always get hurt in the end. Just take it as it comes and make it work."
"I would love to ponder on such matters with a young mind such as yours, but, alas, I have a battle to win. And your Pichu is next on my list." He reached in his pocket as he brought out a pokeball. "Go, Piloswine!"
I watched the massive hairy elephant thing appear in front of me, slowly making his way to the frozen Pichu who was crying out. "Pi! Pi! Pichu!"
"Wait!" I said, running onto the field.
"What are you doing, boy?" Pryce demanded in a hateful way.
"My Pichu doesn't use a pokeball, so I cant recall him." I then reached for the pokeball around my neck. "So I am returning him and replacing him with another one."
"Do as you wish." Pryce said. "But that would make this battle a one on one now. Is that understood?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever." I released Aranine on the field beside Pichu. "Hey boy, I need you to unfreeze Pichu, okay?"
"Arf!" He barked happily, letting loose a small Heat Wave attack that only melted the ice around Pichu.
"Pi!" Pichu said happily, climbing out of the now melted ice hole and hugging Arcanine on the paw. "Pi-cha!" He then ran over to me, climbing back up on my shoulder.
"Enough." Pryce said. "Get back on your side or forfeit the match. I refuse to wait anymore."
"Fine." I said, skating with my shoes back over to my side.
"Now, to continue." Pryce then took a fighting stance. "Piloswine! Blizzard attack!"
"Arcanine! Extreme Speed!"
Piloswine let out a wave of ice and snow that flew right at Arcanine. Arcanine stood strong for the attack, extending his claws for grip on the slick ice as he ran to the left, dodging the blast. Piloswine saw him move, and like a heat-seeking missile, it locked onto him again. Arcanine dodged to the left again, jumping on the wall and jumping off into the air, over the attack. He landed behind Piloswine, who was to slow to turn around before I issued the next attack.
"Flare Blitz!"
Arcanine was covered in a mass of fire and flames, forming a ball around him as he ran into Piloswine, burning the hairs off of its right side. The attack was so powerful that is spun Piloswine around, making him face Arcanine.
"Now!" Pryce screamed. "Fury Attack!"
Arcanine was still on fire, plowing away at Piloswine as it began to thrust its tusk at him. The tusk pierced into his skin, leaving gouges in Arcanine's side.
"Arcanine!" I screamed, watching as blood began to fall on the ice below. "Extreme Speed back!"
Arcanine jumped back, skidding on the floor as his claws dug into the ice. He then ran to the right, jumping over Piloswine's attacks and leaping onto the wall again, bouncing back on the ground and sliding to a stop over beside me.
While Piloswine was getting turned around I looked at Arcanine. His front right leg was bleeding badly; I could see where the tusk had went right into his leg. "Arcanine…" I asked. "Are you okay, boy?"
"Arf…" He huffed, acting like it didn't hurt at all, but I knew it did.
"You are very resourceful." Pryce commended. "Using the walls to your advantage like that, not many trainers would think of anything that out of the ordinary."
"Like I said," I focused back to him. "I take it as it comes. Arcanine! Flamethrower!"
"Piloswine, Earthquake!"
As Piloswine lifted up his foot I yelled to Arcanine, "On the ground! Now!"
Arcanine redirected his aim as he shot out the massive fire attack. The flames hit the ground, turning the ice into water and pushing him into the air. Piloswine slammed his foot down, making the leftover ice crumble beneath his feet, but with Arcanine being in the air, it dealt no damage.
"Now!" I screamed as Arcanine was airborne. "Your biggest Heat Wave!"
"Rrrraaaaaaarr!" Arcanine roared, letting out a wave of heat that was almost so hot it was blinding. I closed my eyes, covering my face with my arm, trying to shield myself from the nearly unbearable heat that was emanating from Arcanine. I then heard a splash, and felt the heat dissipate. Slowly I opened my eyes to see Arcanine standing in two foot of water, towering over the knocked out Piloswine.
***_-Scene Change-_***
"Good." Conner said as he sat in the woods behind the radio tower in Mahogany. The police were already doing their investigation of the building, but with him being in the woods, he could easily make an escape, if needed.
"This is great." He said again, checking all the stats on his computer. "Kyle is playing right into my hands. It won't be long now until I will have Mew Three, and my revenge." He looked up from the woods when something caught his eye. Outside of the gym walked Kyle, heading up to the Pokecenter beside the radio tower.
"Well, well, what timing." Conner said as he hit the send key on two emails. "It looks like it's about time for the show to start."
***_-Scene Change-_***
I walked into the pokeceneter with Pichu on my shoulder. The room was still filled with trainers, but it didn't have as many in it as last time. There was a path that was cleared to the front desk, so I took it.
"Oh, hello Mr. Gray." Joy said with a smile. "How did the Gym match go?"
"Good." I said, pulling off the pokeball from my necklace and one from my belt, laying them and Pichu on the counter. "Could you please check on them?" I then pointed to Arcanine's pokeball. "And give Arcanine a full examination. His arm was hurt pretty bad."
"Alright, will do." She smiled as she turned to walk back in the back with Pichu and the pokeballs in her arms. "Oh yes, Mr. Gray?" Joy asked, turning to face me again. "There was a man that called you not too long ago. He said his name was Bill and it was urgent. Does that mean anything to you?"
"Bill called?" I asked. "When?"
"Actually only a few moments before you walked in." She then nodded to the computers over in the corner. "You may call him back using one of those computers. I will call for you when your pokemon are ready." She then turned and walked into the back of the center.
I ran over to the PCs, shoving people out of my way to get to a free computer. I sat down, plugging in my information as well as a phone number. The phone program rang only once before Bill picked up. "Kyle?" He asked, then continued. "Kyle! It happened again!"
"Again?" I asked, "What do you mean?"
"Check your email." He said, glancing off screen. He was wearing his reading glasses, and in the reflection I could see his laptop screen pulled up with some pictures on it. "You just received two more emails from your mother, but I have been monitoring your mother's emails, she hasn't sent any all day."
"Hang on, I'll check." I opened up the PC program, plugging in my information again and then checking my mail. Just as Bill said, I have two new messages from Mom.
Message From:
Debbie Gray
Subject: Retrieval Needed
Pokemon Number: 2165092 – Name: Dragonite – needs to be sent immediately. Transfer as reply to message.
I clicked on the next one.
Message From:
Debbie Gray
Subject: Retrieval Needed
Pokemon Number: 3137959 – Name: Kabutops – needs to be sent immediately. Transfer as reply to message.
"Is there any way you can track where it came from?" I asked.
"That's the thing, I tried, and every time it comes up with the IP address of your mother."
"Then what do I do?"
He was silent for a while, but then spoke up as he pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "Well, there are two things I can do. The first is I could try to monitor where the pokeball goes by tracking it through the PC via IP addresses. This would be the most furtive way of discovering how your account became compromised."
"English, please." I said annoyed. I knew I could understand him under normal circumstances, but now I was too emotional to even try.
"I can try to see where it goes." He said, putting it in laymen's terms.
"Alright, and the second?"
"Well, the second is more or less the same, but instead I would send you a tracking device, in which you would put on the pokeball, and then we could get an exact reading on where they were anywhere in the world."
"Well then lets do that." I said, reacted quickly as I reached for Kabutops. I hated to do this, but if it boiled down to it Dragonite would last a lot longer in a fight than Kabutops could. That is, if I need to fight to get my pokemon back.
"Kyle, wait."
"What? What's wrong?" I looked at him concerned as he took a deep breath.
"Kyle, there is a very distinct chance that this person, or persons, do not know that you are catching on. If we send a tracking device attached to a pokeball then they will know that you know, and might do something rash."
"So you're telling me that I need to take a chance and try to let you track it on your own?" I took a deep breath as I looked at Kabutops's pokeball. "Are you sure, Bill? Are you sure that this will work?"
"I am 95% sure that I can track it wherever it goes, and 75% positive I can pinpoint their exact location."
I looked back up to the PC, taking another deep breath as I placed the pokeball on the transfer unit. "Bill…"
"Are you ready?" Bill asked.
"Will I get my pokemon back?" I looked at him, as he gave me a glum look. "I see." I closed my eyes. "Alright." I said. "Get ready."
"Ready whenever you are."
I opened my eyes, moving the mouse over to the 'send' button. I'm so sorry Kabutops.
I clicked the button on the mouse and heard a 'Ding" as the email sent. I looked at the screen as a series of codes and numbers flashed in the reflection of Bill's glasses, then, they vanished.
"Hmm…" Bill groaned.
"What? What is it?" I asked, almost jumping at the screen.
"Well, I found that they were using an IP scrambler. The codes jumped ubiquitously. It was almost like it was being converted from one forma-"
"God, Bill! Where the heck did it go?" I screamed as well as lunged at the screen. I looked around, noticing people looking at me as I sat back down.
"I…" He paused. "I couldn't get a clear read on it."
"You what?" I grit my teeth as I tried to keep my temper. "You mean I just sent my Kabutops to the thief for nothing?"
"No, not nothing." I watched as he punched in some keys on his computer. "Even though I didn't get a clear read on it, I did indeed get a read. Turns out your Kabutops was sent somewhere between Blackthorn City and Pewter City."
I stared at the screen blankly. "Wow, Bill… that's a lot of help." I said sarcastically as I held up Dragonite's Pokeball. "Now, send me over the tracking device."
***_-Scene Change-_***
Conner was still sitting outside of the pokecenter on his computer. It wasn't but ten or fifteen minutes ago that he sent Kyle the email, and he knew that he would have sent the pokemon to his lair by now.
"This is perfect." He chuckled in a maniacal way. "The rebellion against me is behind bars, Mew Three is receiving his final components, and on top of that I will be able to kill that bothersome child shortly."
He brought up some charts, as well as a visual 3D image of Mew Three. "Perfect." He smiled as the image rotated on the screen. Though it was rendered in a green vectorized illustration, Mew Three seemed to have components of all the pokemon that Conner had combined his DNA with. It had Beedrill's abdomen, a set of Pidgeot wings on it's lower back, Scizor's arms and hands attached to it's lower stomach, Umbreon's feet and claws, Raticate's tail, Primeape's fur over it's head which was developing rocky scales from the newly added Kabutops, and forming a second set of arms with swords from him as well. It was also covered in a red tint, like that of Typhlosion and was developing another set of wings from the fresh Dragonite that Kyle just send only moments ago.
"With all these pokemon Mew Three will be unbeatable, and trainable." Conner laughed again. "The power of psychic, dark, bug, flying, dragon, poison, normal, fighting, steel, and fire! With that power nothing will stop me! Nothing! And that is not counting in those Rare Candies that I fused with the bio-fluid it is in. With that mixture I wont need to implant my pokemon anymore, with that fluid, it would be the same as them getting 100 rare candies everyday they are alive."
Conner began laughing again, but this time he was interrupted by a window that began to flash on his computer. "Hmph." He smirked as he looked at the screen. "Well, well. Poor Richard has something to report." He clicked the button watching as Richard's face appeared on the screen.
"Conner!" He gasped, out of breath. "The last pokemon, the Dragonite, it had a tracking device on it!"
"Hmm… I see." Conner then put a finger to his chin as he removed his white mask, stuffing it back into the backpack he was carrying. "Richard."
"Yes?"
"Get the cell block prepared for a guest." He reached for the lid, but before shutting it he said something else. "Oh yes, also prepare Mew Three for extraction."
"But, Conner." Richard said, grabbing some papers as he read the data. "Mew Three will take at least another three weeks before it can sustain its own life. Its organs cannot function properly unless it is held within the bio-fluid!"
"Well I suggest you get a move on it then. You have 5 hours to get it ready. And Richard…"
"Yes?"
"Do not, I repeat, NOT, disappoint me again." Conner then shut the lid. He looked back up to the Center as he put his computer in his backpack. "So, Kyle is finally catching on. Took him long enough."
***_-Scene Change-_***
I had just sent Dragonite through the PC with the tracking device Bill sent me attached to her.
"Hmm…" Bill said as I heard a beeping sound come from the other end. "Interesting."
"What? What is it?"
"Well, Kyle. I don't know how this would be possible, but they are being transferred to somewhere in Mount Silver." Bill then started typing. "Yep, it was definitely in Mount Silver."
"Do you know where at in Mount Silver?" I asked. "I mean, it's a pretty big mountain, I can even see it from my home in Viridian."
"No, that's the thing. I was tracking it at light speed, and as soon as it hit Mount Silver I lost the signal." I saw some numbers flash in his glasses. "If it simply passed through Mount Silver I would have tracked it coming out the other side, but it sto-" Bill then went quiet, and so did the beeping noise. "Crap."
"What?" I asked, but Bill didn't say anything. "What?" I asked again.
"Kyle, my feed was just cut." He then glanced away from the computer he was working on and back to me. "They found it. They know that you know. I couldn't get a precise reading on where it was because of the mountain topography blocking my transmission, but it was definitely sent to Mount Silver."
"Alright." I said as I stood up. "Thanks Bill."
"Kyle! Wait!" Bill called out.
I turned to look back at the computer. "What, what is it?"
"What kind of a plan do you have?" He asked. "These people are probably ruthless, and they don't want to get caught. If they would go through the trouble of stealing your pokemon like this, who knows what they would do to you if you busted in on their operation."
"Hmph." I smiled. "My plan?"
"Yes, please tell me you have a plan."
"My plan is I'm going to go in there, have Arcanine burn their faces off, and get my pokemon back. That's my plan."
"Kyle!" Bill pleaded. "Please don't go in there alone! Just wait, let us figure something out!"
"Sorry, Bill, I can't hear you." I said moving the mouse over to the close button. "I'm going through a tunnel, I'm losing you."
"Tunnel?" He looked at me dumbfounded. "You're at a Pokecenter! You can't go through a-" With that I closed down the program.
"Ahh." I sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do… but I'd better get there fast."
"Where you going?" Someone asked. I jumped, spinning around to see Ricky standing behind me looking at me with his head tilted sideways. "Well?"
"Nowhere." I answered, logging off my account.
"Mr. Gray," Joy spoke from behind the counter. "Your pokemon are read-red-re-" She stuttered as she looked at Ricky. "Oh Ricky, you look great!"
"Oh, thanks baby." He said with a smile as he walked up to the counter. He made her drop the tray of my two pokeballs and Pichu as he touched under her chin. "I'm sorry to tell you though, we can't stay here any longer."
I rolled my eyes, picking up Arcanine's pokeball from the counter and snapping it back on my necklace as Pichu climbed up my shoulder. "Pi! Pichu!"
"But why not?" Joy pleaded.
"Well, me and Mr. Gray are going to Mount Silver for a little bit."
"Wait…" I said under my breath as I placed Gyarados's pokeball on my belt. I didn't tell him anything about Mount Silver.
"Ohhh!" She whined. "When will you be coming back?"
"I don't know baby." He said as he pulled her into a deep kiss, keeping his hand on her face the whole time. He pulled away, leaving her with a flush as we walked out the door.
"So." I said, looking at him oddly as the Pokecenter doors closed behind us. "Mount Silver, huh?"
"Well that's what you said, right?" He asked, looking at me with a smile as we walked out of the town.
I followed him as he led me off the path, heading down a hill and through a thick patch of forest. "Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep up.
"Mount Silver." He laughed. "Don't tell me you already forgot where you wanted to go!"
It would be better if I told you where I wanted to go.
"But don't worry." He looked back with a smile. "I know this place like the back and front of Nurse Joy. This is a short cut."
"Nice analogy." I said, rolling my eyes.
A few hours later the woods began to thin out, and we came to this massive lake. Ricky then stopped, stretched, and looked back to me. "Well?" He motioned to me. "Come on."
"Come on, what?" I asked.
"Ahh…" He sighed. "Bring out your Gyarados so we can get to Mount Silver."
"Yeah… sure." I watched him out of the corner of my eye, making sure he didn't make any funny moves as I reached for the pokeball on my belt. It was a pretty strange feeling, only having three pokeballs on your belt when you know you own 14 total.
I threw Gyarados out on the water as we climbed on his back.
"Sweet!" Ricky said as Gyarados swam across the water. "I never thought I would be able to ride on the back of a Gyarados! This is so awesome!"
"So how far away is this?" I asked, looking back to him. "We were walking for about three hours, so how long do we have to surf?"
"Well, turn around and see." Ricky said, pointing ahead. The lake we were in was actually a gulf, and as we went through the narrow passageway to the bigger body of water I could see the massive mountain range that was previously hidden by the foliage of the forest.
"I give you, Mount Silver." Ricky said as he stood behind me. I saw his arm point ahead of us to a cave in the side of the mountain. "Have your Gyarados swim in there." He said. "That is a passageway most people don't know about."
"And how do you know about it?" I asked, watching as we swam into the cave. The light was outside began to fade away, and soon we were in complete dark.
"How do I know about it?" Ricky asked in a sinister voice. "Because of my father."
After he said that I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck. My eyes rolled back into my head and I could feel my face go numb. I know this feeling. I felt my body hit the ice-cold water below. This is the same way I started this journey, only, a different kind of storm. Slowly, I felt the air come out of my lungs, and I saw nothing but black.