Poke-genetics: interviews
«Hum… Mister Dexter? The president of the Happy Snorlax has requested a meeting with you. Will you receive him? » the secretary asked through the phone.
Gregor sighted. What did that man want? Probably something about a project he needed the city's approval to put into motion. Couldn't he see that he had bigger problems that the development of a pokemon hotel company?
«Let him enter, Mandy. » he resigned.
«Right away, sir. » the woman replied.
«Who did you allow to visit you, Gregor? » Paul asked cautiously.
The traitor was standing behind him. The hateful man actually stayed at his service after the incident. Of course, he was only there to insure that the mayor couldn't make any move against Team Blast. Marco knew he was not a man to leave alone.
«The president of the Happy Snorlax wanted to speak to me. »
The tired look on Paul's answered for him.
The door of the office was opened by an old man with a cane. The president of the Happy Snorlax was not looking as old as he actually was. He was full of life, even if he was always wearing a brown smoking , sunglasses and an adventurer hat.
«Hey there, Gregor! I figured you might want to take a rest from all those conflicts, hehe. » the old man said.
«Mister Baltimore, it may not be the best time to think about the construction of... » the mayor began with a tired voice.
«Nonsense! I'm building places to rest and what better time than now to get a good rest? Besides, there is no time so desperate that business may not be flourishing. Here, this is the detailed plan that you need to approve before I can go and make more resting places. »
Gregor sighted again and took the documents presented to him. There were a dozen of pages! Sometimes, he really hated his job.
As he went on with his reading, he noticed something odd. The content was what he expected, but the way it was written was… childish. Sometimes, the formulation wasn't even right.
«Mister Baltimore, this… » he began, wanting to explain it was too faulty to be submitted.
«Oh, Gregor! Don't tell me you have trouble reading that? Even I, with my diagonal eyes, can read it just fine. »
The mayor shot a look at the distracted Paul. This was a really boring interview and the man hoped to do something else.
Resigned, the mayor returned to his reading.
«This really makes no sense. This is the first time he submitted a thing like… » he thought.
Wait! Diagonal! He just followed the words that way, a sentence was formed. A dangerous sentence:
«If you are being watched, skip three lines and start reading there. If not, go to the next page. »
He forced himself not to tense. Quickly, he hazarded a look at Paul, then at Mister Baltimore. The first was waiting with his arms crossed that this thing was over and the old man was looking straight at him behind his sunglasses.
Gregor followed the instruction.
«Do as many of the following as you need. If there is a recorder in this room, talk about the number of Happy Snorlax already in the region. If there is a camera, mention the high number of clients visiting Happy Snorlax hotels. If there is a member in this room or nearby, look in its direction while talking about the complaints from the citizens tired of construction sites. Then, go to the next page»
Gregor's heart was beating furiously. He tried to sound severe enough for his performance to be realistic.
«Listen well, Mister Baltimore, the citizens of Viridian City are tired of the numerous construction sites and the noise they create for their neighborhood. » he stated while looking at Paul.
«You know, what they say: no pain, no gain. »
Pretending to be annoyed, he continued his reading.
«Read closely. I want to bring them down. I need your cooperation. And I need to tell you something. If you read this, switch to the fifth page with just a quick survey of the fourth. »
The mayor was trying not to let anything leak out of his attitude as he accomplished the instructions under the hidden eyes of the old man. He was feeling Mister Baltimore staring at him.
«Since I doubt you will just listen with the things at stakes, I'll tell you this: Sebastian is no longer in their hands. »
«WHAT? » the man shouted. «Is this a joke? »
The two other men were startled by this sudden outburst. The president of the Happy Snorlax immediately reacted.
«Now, now, Gregor! I know my proposition is audacious-after all Viridian City's park is famous – but you would not believe how much can be earned with this project. Now, since we are all gentlemen, I think you do not need to react this strongly. »
Translation: «Shut up, there is a member of Team Blast next to you, you idiot! »
«I suppose you're right. »
The mayor continued reading the unbelievable sentences.
«If you don't think this is all a joke, look unsure and distract whoever is listening to us. If it's impossible to distract (cameras), end our interview and say you'll call me back. »
This was it. Could he really believe a man as eccentric as that old man? If he was telling the truth he'd see his son again and he could crush those insolent fools. If it was a trap, he'd spell doom for his son.
He made his choice.
Even in the darkest hours, in endless abyss, it was still possible to believe.
«Paul, I'm unsure about this. Can you take a look at this part of his project? »
The traitor made an unsightly grin that was supposed to be a smile but leaned closer nonetheless.
«What part are you talki… »
He was cut mid-sentence by an undetectable noise. Without understanding, he fell on the desk, sleeping.
«What happened? » wondered the mayor… until he saw the small gun in the old man's hand.
«That's… a tranquilizer. » he muttered.
«A weapon used to calm wild pokemon in things like zoo. The effects are instantaneous on humans. It causes deep sleep and results in memory lost. The product was created by a friend I made recently. » the old man calmly explained.
It took a second for Gregor to swallow this new information. Then…
«Okay, explain yourself! Are you really the same Mister Baltimore that came here two months ago? »
The person that was pretending to be an old man sighted.
«I guess it's easy to see through my disguise. »
And with that, he glowed.
In a minute, he went from a lively old man to a nervous teenager, one that was searched all over Kanto.
«Ash Ketchum? » Gregor said, incredulous.
«No, I'm not Ash Ketchum, just like I'm not the owner of all those stupid Happy Snorlax. I'm someone that has been turned into a ditto by Team Blast. »
«Who are you? »
«Someone that wants to see Team Blast be dismantled, its members sent in prison and its leader crushed. »
«You're the spy that called me after the pokeblocks incidents! »
«I am. I'm just sorry things went this way. » Genno said sadly. «But I still intend to defeat them. They made their biggest mistakes when they let me escaped them twice. »
Gregor saw flames burn into that teen's eyes, flames that reminded him of himself.
«What did you mean when you said my son was no longer in Team Blast's hands? »
«A few days ago, I attacked Team Blast. This allowed many pokemon to escape their prison, including your son. »
The man felt his heart stop.
«My son… is in the wild. »
«Yes… but he's not alone. » Genno said softly.
«What do you mean? »
«Listen. I'm not the only one that has been turned into a pokemon. Your son and all the other children are with that other person. They will be perfectly safe where he is. Plus, there's something else. I freed the poke-geneticists that were capture by Team Blast. They worked on the product that turns humans into pokemon. They are trying to find an antidote. »
«Then… »
«There's still hope for your son and for all those children. »
The mayor looked at the teenager in front of him, or at least at the pokemon that looked like a teenager, and wondered. It wasn't the speech of an ordinary kid. Who was he and what happened to him?
«What do you want me to do? » Gregor asked.
Genno smiled. He had won an ally.
«Alex! » Ash shouted. «Don't climb that tree! It's dangerous! »
The little pichu had recently discovered how to walk and he was fully trying this fun new thing. He also noticed that those big trees could be climbed with his claws... at the great dismay of his father.
Of course, Alexchu slipped like every other time he tried.
Ash gasped in horror and jumped. Luckily, he caught his falling son at the end of paws and fell face first in the dirt.
Unbeknownst to his father's fear and anger, the pichu giggled loudly. It had been funny.
Ash didn't agree. He put his son on the ground and scolded him.
«Alex! It's the fifth time already! Stop scaring me like that! You could have been hurt! »
The baby got scared at the scary expression. He sobbed.
Seeing the tear forming in Alexchu's eyes, Ash felt his heart break. He added something quickly.
«Huh? Alex, don't cry for that. Dad was just scared for you. » the young father said as he cuddled his son.
Pikachu observed the scene from afar. His trainer and best friend was steadily understanding how to deal with his growing kid. Every time he saw them interact, he felt a pinch in his chest. That part of his instinct had left him alone for so long, yet it was growing as surely as Alexchu.
«You okay, kid? » a deep voice asked.
«Nidoking? » Pikachu jolted.
He really needed to stop getting so distracted that he was not using any of his senses.
«I'm fine... just a bit lonely. »
The elder pokemon laughed incredulously.
«Lonely? With all the kids you brought back with you? Tell me how you manage that! »
Pikachu tried to hide his embarrassment. He had followed Genno's plan to the letter, but his friend had forgotten to mention it to Nidoking. The result had been a confused explanation in the middle of the night with a sleepy, and somewhat irritable, elder.
«Let me tell you. A pokemon your age that brings back an egg or a new kid is pretty uncommon by itself, but a pokemon that brings back fifty different kids after one night is a once in a lifetime event. »
«We should have told you earlier… » Pikachu said as he wanted to apologize.
«No need for that. This island was created for this kind of thing in the first place. »
«But… you don't mind… knowing what they really are? » Pikachu inquired.
Pikachu had been forced to give away that «detail» to give an understandable explanation. From that moment on, Pikachu was always uneasy knowing the purpose of the island and Nidoking's task.
«Hey, if they are here, it's because the great star don't mind, so why should I? »
There it was again: Nidoking's simple truth. It was a great contrast with the humans' complicated plots.
«Why don't you go talk to your friend over there? I'm sure you could both use a little conversation. »
«Hum… actually, I was thinking of letting him have a moment with Alexchu. With all the kids running around, it's hard to have quality family-time. »
«If that's how you feel… » the nidoking whispered while shrugging it off.
Nidoking left Pikachu alone… or at least, he believed he did.
From behind a few bushes, a pichu with green cheeks went to him.
«Pikachu? Can I speak with you for a second? »
«Sebastian? »
Pikachu was taken by surprise and could only reply:
«Sure, why not? What is it? »
«I've heard you're going to visit the poke-geneticist in a week or so… » the pichu said.
«Yes, we are going as soon as Ash's son is old enough to travel with him. It's a low risk trip, since we do not engage into any activity against Team Blast and are going through the woods to a secret hiding place. Why do you ask? »
«It's just that… after I was freed from the box, I've felt… weird somehow. Do you think I could come with you? »
He was fulminating. The assault had been enraging by itself, but he now had to wait to continue his fascinating researches, not to mention the fact that his finest tests subjects had escaped… except for a few of them.
Jonathan was trying to vent his frustration one way or another. He had just punished a member that had brought bad news: he'd have to wait a week before the lab would be completely repaired.
He stormed into Marco's former office. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered to think that those fools could be competent.
«Oh my, you seem to be in a bad mood. »
«Don't try me today, Janes! »
«Try what? » she asked with an innocent smile.
«You know exactly what I mean. Know your place and be the subordinates I ask you to be! »
«Do you mean: stay silent and listen only to my orders? » she questioned in the same childish way.
«Yes! »
«Oh, that's too bad for you then. » she stated.
«What do you mean by that? » Jonathan asked, suddenly curious.
«Well, I can't say it if I must be just a good soldier like you ask… »
«Stop playing! »
«I'm not playing… » Janes said with a sly smile.
«Fine, forget what I just said. » he gave up, feeling that a killer headache would approach him if he continued to argue with the woman.
«In that case… be happy. As soon as the computer room is operational again, you'll know where your son is. »
The scientist had his eyes round with surprise.
«What? »
Janes got closer to Jonathan, walking in her feline manner. Her expression was that of a cat about to trap a mouse within its paws.
«I kept a little ace up my sleeves. Your precious son will be yours to capture in a week. »