Chapter 37: Escape from the Infinity Stone Factory

Isaac finally woke up in a pitch black room somewhere, as far as he could tell he was alone. His whole body ached from Mavericks attack, more then anything his head.

Isaac sat up and rested against a wall, keeping his eyes open so his vision could adjust to the darkness. Eventually, he saw he was in a completely empty, and fairly small room. There was no furniture, no windows, nothing except him.

Where am I? He asked himself. Where did those two take me?

He stood up, and tried to walk around, but he found that his foot was chained to the wall securely. He slumped back onto the cold, hard floor, knowing there was nothing he could possibly do at all.

So much has happened... First seeing Lloyd transform into what ever that creature was, then him saving my life not a day later. Now I'm stuck here, with no way out and knowing that something bad Is going to happen to my friends... Isaac sighed, and closed his eyes. I wish dad was here, he would know what to do.

Isaacs thoughts were interrupted when he heard not one, but two strange noises. Both sounds were a loud "Click", both coming from inside his room.

He looked around to see if anything was different, and he was surprised to see that the shackle attached to the chains that trapped him had opened themselves, freeing his foot. Curious, he walked over to the large metal door, and pressed up against it. The door, too, was unlocked.

What's going on here? Is this another trap?

Isaac didn't care, there was no point in staying behind in his tiny prison cell, so he opened the door wide and walked out into the hall. The hallway was dark, and the only thing that illuminated it was a rotating red light. Typically when there was nothing but a red light illuminating a building, something bad was happening.

Bad for them maybe.

Isaac ran down the empty halls, trying to make as little noise as possible.

---

Somewhere in that same building, Maverick and Crimson the Weavile looked at the image of a pokemon who was on a large computer monitor.

"This is Mewtwo. What is going on?"

"We have no idea sir." Responded Crimson. "Someone turned off the power to the entire building, and were on backup power right now. We've locked every door to the outside so we can track down the people who have done this."

"Do you have any idea who could have done this? The Brotherhood."

"No sir. None of Lancets reports suggested they were planning on attacking this facility, and there is no way they could have planned this in the time since his true identity was found out. It must have been someone else."

Just then, as he was sneaking through the hallway, Isaac heard the conversation taking place, and had snuck up to the door so he could hear clearly what was being said.

"Whoever it is, I want you to find them, and kill them immediately, no prisoners. This factory is far too important to lose to some random act of sabotage."

"As you wish sir, me and Maverick will sweep the building immediately." Just then, Mewtwos image on the computer screen disappeared.

"What about Isaac?" Asked Maverick. "Isn't his cell locked electronically like the rest of the building?"

"Yep, and that means he is free and probably roaming around the halls as well."

Isaac heard Maverick smack the table with frustration. "He better not escape."

"He wont" Crimson said with confidence. "The building is one-hundred percent locked down, this includes all vents, windows and emergency exits, nobody gets out of this place until I reverse the lock down."

"Fine. I'm going to go to the cell area and see if Isaac is really gone."

Isaac realized if Maverick or Crimson left the room, he would be the first thing he noticed. He panicked, and ran over to a nearby room to hide in. He hid underneath a table that was near the door, and could still hear Maverick and Crimsons voice in the neighboring room.

"Alright, but remember Maverick, priority is finding the one who did this and turning the power back on. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah..."

Isaac heard the sounds of footsteps, both going in different directions. He waited until both of the sounds slowly faded away, until they were far enough away he could no longer hear them. He then got out from underneath the table, and ran into the room Maverick and Crimson just were.

The room seemed to be where everything was controlled. There was small monitors that covered the entire right wall, as well as one, big monitor that the pokemon Mewtwos image was on.

Isaac looked around to see if there was anything here that could help him, and eventually he found a large map that was spread out on a table in one of the back corners. Unfortunately, since he didn't know where he was, and the map didn't have any markers, it didn't look like it would be useful for getting around. Eventually Isaac found a small label at the corner of the map, on it read "Infinity Stone Factory Map, First and Second Floor."

Well, at least I know where I am... Kinda.

Suddenly Isaac heard footsteps again, heading straight towards him. Either that Crimson person, or Maverick, was coming back for some reason. Wasting no time, Isaac jumped from the table with the map on it and hid underneath it, hoping that whoever was coming wasn't going to see him there.

Isaac was surprised when he saw that the pokemon that had come into the room wasn't a Weavile or Empoleon. It was a Nidorina that had walked in.

Isaac saw her walk straight towards him, not hesitating at all. He figured this must be someone who worked at the factory who was told to help find him, and somehow did so. Isaac pressed himself against the far wall, and hoped this wasn't the case, and that he was still well hidden and not about to be found any time soon.

"So that's where you've been hiding, huh? You're all mine now!"

Oh no...

The Nidorina pulled the map off the table. "Can't believe how long it took me to find a bloody map. Now I can get out of here." The Nidorina took the map, turned around and began to walk out of the room.

Isaac let out a sigh of relief.

Right then, the Nidorina stopped in her tracks, turned around, and ran back to the table where she had just taken the map, then bent down and looked straight at Isaac.

"Ah ha, I knew someone was watching me! Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Isaac didn't know what to say.

"Speak up! It would be a shame if I had to..." She punched at the air a few times. "Take you out."

Who the heck is this crazy girl? Isaac thought about his options. He could just push her out of the way and run, or he could hope that she meant him no harm, and tell her who he was.

"You know what, I don't care. You best not tell anyone about me or otherwise... I'll be back." She punched one hand into the palm of her other hand, and then turn around, running out of the room and leaving Isaac alone and confused.

Once the Nidorinas footsteps disappeared down the hallway, Isaac got out from underneath the table and brushed some dust off of himself. Could she be the other pokemon Maverick and Crimson are looking for?

Knowing he had no reason to stay here anymore, Isaac went out into the hall and continued to go down it in the same direction he was going before.

---

Isaac wandered the hallways of the factory for what felt like an hour. So far he had no encounters with either Crimson or Maverick, but Isaac still tried to stay as quiet as he could as he tried to find a way out, just in case.

Eventually, Isaac came across a door leading to another room, one with a particularly intriguing sign on it.

Office 1E-3T - Factory Database

Perfect. Thought Isaac. I'm bound to find something useful in getting me out of this place in there.

He reach up and turned the knob ,and luckily for him, the door wasn't locked. He opened the door and found the room to look much like a very small library. There was bookshelves full different colored books, but the room was so small, it looked like the room used to be a broom closet or something.

Isaac closed the door behind him and went over to the bookshelves. It was hard to read what was written on the sides of them, since his only light was the dim red light that illuminated almost every part of the factory he had been in so far.

Eventually, Isaac spotted a book that had the title, Creating the Infinity Stone, By Dr. James Irving.

Wow. Thought Isaac. This could be some useful information for me to bring back to the Brotherhood Headquarters.

Isaac opened the book and skimmed through to find any information that could be useful. Eventually he got to a page titled Materials. Isaac began to read to himself underneath one of the red lights.

To create a Infinity Stone, there are three key "Ingredients".

First, you need an evolutionary stone. Anyone will work at all, Fire, Leaf, Sun... As long as it evolves a pokemon, it will work.

Second, you need a special chemical extracted from various metals known as "AE-1", also known as "The Deactivation Formula." With it, you are able to erase the stones ability to evolve. AE-1 is black, and has a thick, sticky consistency, much like tar or oil. For the metals that contain the chemical, and how to extract it, turn to page 64.

Finally, the last ingredient is a rather difficult item to acquire, and one that many would consider wrong to try to acquire. Using a...

But Isaac stopped reading. At first he thought it was his imagination, but now he was sure, someone was coming down the hall. Isaac closed the book, and pressed up against the door so he could hear better.

The footsteps got closer and closer until eventually, they were right outside the door, and then they stopped.

Isaac looked up and saw the door had a lock on it, so he reached up and quietly locked the door so whoever was outside wouldn't be able to get to him. Isaac heard the doorknob turn, and the door being unsuccessfully pushed open.

"Locked..." It was Maverick. It was him trying to get inside.

Isaacs heart was beating fast, he was trapped and if Maverick had a key or something, there was no way for Isaac to escape.

It felt like Maverick stood outside the door for an eternity, but eventually, he began to walk away. Isaac waited until Mavericks footsteps were gone before he opened the door to look around. He peeked around the corner, and saw that both sides of the hallway were complete empty.

"Whew."

Not wishing to stay in the factory longer then he had to, Isaac grabbed the book he was reading and brought it with him as he continued down he hallway again.

---

Isaac wandered the halls for another hour. He was starting to get tired of walking around the red lit hallways and looking into empty offices looking for a way out, he just wanted to finally get out and go warn his friends about the trap.

Suddenly, all of the red lights went out, and not a moment later, the regular lights all came on, brightly lighting up the hallways.

Well that's good, at least now I can see, and the doors outside should open now.

Isaac remembered seeing an electronically locking door awhile back, and decided to turn back and go investigate. But when Isaac looked back, he saw something he was hoping not to see again anytime soon At the far end of the hallway was Maverick, looking in Isaacs direction.

Isaac turned to run away, and Maverick began to run down the hall towards him. Isaac needed to find a way to escape or hide, because Maverick was much faster then himself, and it wouldn't be long before Maverick caught up.

Isaac ran through an open door into a very large room, one filled with conveyor belts transporting what looked like Infinity Stones all over the place.

Isaac was on what looked like a balcony overlooking the main part of the factory. There was only three ways off of it, back through the door he had just ran through, a door at the far end of the balcony, and jumping down to the ground floor.

With no other option, Isaac ran towards the door at the other end of the balcony. Just as he got to it, the door closed by itself, and Isaac could hear a loud "Click" sound, which was obviously the door locking itself.

Unable to go back through the other door, and with the balcony far to high for him to jump down, he was now trapped, and Maverick was coming right for him.

Isaac had to think fast, the last thing he wanted was to get caught now.

---

Maverick finally was getting close to where Isaac was, he ran down the hall and through the doorway and found... Nothing. Maverick stood on the balcony, and it was a dead end. He held a small radio and spoke into it.

"He must have made it through the door before it closed. You mind opening it back up?"

"KRSHHHHHH"

Maverick shook the radio. "Ugh, is this thing busted? Crimson, can you hear me?"

"KRSHHHHHH"

Frustrated, Maverick threw the radio over the edge, which nearly hit Isaac, who was hanging over the edge to avoid being spotted by Maverick.

---

Isaac didn't know how much longer he could hold on, he hoped that Maverick would leave soon before he slipped off and fell.

Isaac could barely hear Maverick, who seemed to be talking to himself. But after a short while, Maverick tossed over the edge of the balcony what looked like the portable radios all of the pokemon who had been involved with this 'Mewtwo' guy seemed to carry around.

Isaac listened close, waiting for the sound of Maverick leaving to go look somewhere else. Isaac could feel himself slipping, he knew he could fall at any time now.

Eventually Maverick turned around, and ran down the hall back through the door they had both come through. Isaac immediately pulled himself back up, and sat on the ground for a moment so he could recover from holding himself up like that for so long.

Isaac never expected what happened next. The door that had closed practically in his face, forcing him to hang off the ledge in the first place, clicked again, then slowly opened by itself.

Could this be another trap? Or maybe a malfunction? Doesn't matter, I can't go back the way I came. I might run into Maverick again and I can't hide with all the lights on like this.

He stood up, then ran through the now opened door and down the new hall.

---

Back in the room with monitors, Crimson watched with frustration as all of the monitors that shouldbe showing images from security cameras, had nothing on them except black and white static.

"KKRRRRSSHHHH... Before it closed... Open." It was Crimsons Radio, which seemed to be having the same problems as the security cameras.

"Maverick? Is that you?" She said into it.

"Open it back... KRRRRSSSHHH"

"Maverick, speak up I can't hear you!"

"Ugh... KRRSSHH... Busted... SSSSSSSSS... Hear me?... KRSSSH" After that, the radio went complete silent.

Crimson shook her head with both confusion and growing annoyance at the entire situation. "First he wants it closed to catch up with that vermin we captured earlier, and now he wants it open? Why cant that idiot just make up his mine?" She walked over to a large console with buttons that control every electronic door in the factory. Unfortunately, several of the buttons did not work, including the one that controlled the main entrance. This meant that if either the prisoner or the intruder got to that entrance, they could leave easily.

Seeing no point in staying here, Crimson ran down the hallway towards the section of the factory where the main entrance was, hoping neither of the pokemon they needed to capture had escaped yet.

—

Isaac was getting tired of running around the factory halls, looking for a way to escape. Every door he thought would lead him outside ended up being locked, and even a vent shaft that he had crawled through, desperately trying to escape, ended up being a dead end thanks to some heavy metal bars.

He now wandered the large room with the Infinity Stones being transported to different places via conveyor belts, looking around for a door to the outside.

He didn't want to stay in this room for long, because it would be easy for anyone looking for him to see him walking around.

Just when he was about to give up and look somewhere else for a way out of this factory, he spotted a door at the far end of the room. As he walked towards it he couldn't believe that he saw it was open slightly, and through the narrow crack, was what looked like sunlight shining in. Excited, Isaac sprinted towards the door, happy about finally finding an escape route.

Just as Isaac was nearing the door, from out of nowhere, Maverick jumped down from above and landing right in front of the door.

"Hold it right there, you're not going anywhere, not today." Maverick let out a loud laugh. "You did a good job avoiding me, but it looks like that was for nothing. I'm gonna have a lot of fun beating you."

Isaac had no other choice, the only was he was going to escape was by fighting against Maverick, despite the odds being greatly out of his favor.

"I'm leaving this place." Said Isaac. "And there's no way you're gonna stop me."

He placed the book he had taken on the ground, then stood there, ready for whatever attack Maverick would first unleash.