Chapter 12 – Crumbling Tower
"Option three - it accelerates the whole apocalyptic end of the world thing. Basically not good." Connor Temple – Primeval – Series 5.6
[12:36PM] – 22nd May – Lavender Town – Pokémon Tower – Basement Level - Laboratory - Erika & Pokémon (Chikorita)
"I'm sorry." She squeaked.
Yeah, way to go. Why was she apologising to them again?
"I…my Chikorta ran off…I was just leaving…sorry sir…it won't happen again sir…" Erika forced herself to stop babbling, clutching the herb leafed Pokémon to her chest. It was only then she realised she didn't know where the Pichu had vanished too…
"You don't have clearance to remain down here." One of the scientists wheezed. Maybe he had breathing problems…
Erika mentally hit herself. Now was not the time to be getting distracted like this! Instead she nodded obediently, and made a beeline for the door.
But the gear…
Damn it! Find Ash and direct that self-centred dead jerk to it. She was out of here!
"Wait!"
She was centimetres from the door. She eyed it sadly. So close too.
Erika turned around one part of her mind wondering if she'd lost it completely. "Yes sir?" she blinked.
"I haven't seen you around here before." The executive… Proton… hummed, scratching his chin even as he moved closer to her. His gait was soft, like a predator, and Erika repressed a shiver.
"I'm new."
Way to go with the brilliant excuses girl.
"New, huh?"
She nodded, focussing determinedly on the floor, and trying not to look at the greasy haired scientists, the deformed monstrosities or the rock time gear. Anything but… There was a long silence, and you could cut the air with a knife the tension was so palpable. "I'll just be on my way sir." She muttered, thankful her voice wasn't trembling.
She glanced up to see Proton shake his head, a thin lipped smile on his lips. "No. You are going to stay and tell me exactly what the Celadon Gym Leader is doing scrounging around in Lavender Tower."
Mentally, Erika swore.
[12:36PM] – 22nd May – Lavender Town – Pokémon Tower – An unknown mid-way floor - Ash & Pokémon (Eevee and Zorua)
Come on!
Ash practically jumped down another set of stairs, his eyes focussing on the end of the corridor even as the air around his warped and cracked as he teleported to the end of the corridor. Anther ripple and he was gone.
Something had happened. Something bad. Erika's aura was dim, and nowhere near the floors she was supposed to be working her way up.
So that left the conclusion that something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
"Suns! Slow down!" Rai called, his ever faithful companion, Zo and Va on his heels.
His evolution didn't matter really. Not in the end.
He knew if given the choice again he wouldn't have done anything differently.
Not when it was his life on the line.
He frowned. "I thought I left you with the Pichu and Lucario."
"I followed. You needed help."
Yeah. He tended to. Because the simpler things were the more likely things were going to go wrong.
"Where did you leave the little guy?" the Eevee (who for once was an Eevee) asked, even as she couldn't slow herself in time and fell into a rolling fluff ball down the stairs.
Zo winced. "That's gotta' hurt."
Ash shook his head, "Less talk more action." He mentally snapped, even as he teleported forward a few metres.
The orange mouse leapt out of thin air appearing at his side. "Do you even know where she is?"
No. No he didn't. But this was Lavender Tower, infamous for being the source of the horrible Pokémon mutations over the past few years. If Erika had wound up in trouble, she would be in the last place Ash ever wanted to be right now.
Never wanted to set foot in ever again. Not after last time.
"Ash?"
He swallowed down his fear and disgust, and tried not to remember the needles and the bright, harsh white lights and the smell of the eerily clean conditions.
"The labs. Erika's in the labs."
[12:38PM] – 22nd May – Lavender Town – Pokémon Tower – Basement Level - Laboratory - Erika & Pokémon (Chikorita)
"Let me go!" Erika complained, "Unhand me you ruffians." She flailed but her arms were tightly bound and held, even as the three rocket grunts marched her towards the white coats and the metal operating table.
She felt sick. Sick and scared. These bloody people were mad. Mental. Bonkers. Crazy. Barkers. Insane. Psychos. Off their rocker.
Wow. Fear was a good incentive for finding decent synonyms.
"I don't think so." Proton smirked. "You see we have needed a decent human subject for a while now. One success. We've only had one success. We were forced to give it up when Giovanni started to notice the missing low level grunts. But now…" he motioned to several scientists.
"No. You're crazy! I haven't done anything. You can't-"
"I'm afraid we can." The sly sneak interrupted smoothly, stepping backwards and admiring her as the scientists went about strapping her to a table. "You'll make a fine specimen."
One of the scientists pushed his glasses up his nose, "Which cells shall we use in her?"
Proton frowned, brows furrowing. "I really would like to try out that stone's power which would make me think rock… but using grass would have a fantastic irony to it."
"Sir, there is that little starter of hers."
"Ah yes." His teal eyes lit up, "The Johto grass type."
In the cage Chikorita had been thrown roughly into the small Pokémon gave a pathetic squeak.
"No!" Erika protested, "That's not right. Leave her alone!"
Proton nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, yes. It would seem best then to use rock on…"
He stopped talking at the explosion that ripped at the door. The noise was horrible – metal screeching and a distant rumble of falling rubble as the metal buckled, the bricks crumbling around the side, dust rising to the air in thick, stagnant clouds. Proton spun around, eyes wide, watching as cracks appeared, spreading outwards with tentative fingers as if it was ice, or glass, cracking underweight. The executive watched as the visible cracks in the wall spread, lightning seeping through and dancing along the rocks.
Then there was dust and smoke and the occupants of the room ducked at the tremor shook the room and the wall crumbled.
Erika kicked out with her yet unchained feet in the confusion, in the orderly, beautiful chaotic panic, knocking the one audacious scientist's glasses off and nailing the other in the neck, sending him tumbling to the ground. She was about lash out again, struggling against her bindings and trying not to cough at the thick dust. Tears were streaming down her face and she blinked them back at the familiar flicker of Ash as he teleported in.
Then the cold metal pressed against her temple and her struggling limbs fell still in terror. A small whimper escaped her throat, even as she blinked, trying to see in the dust. The cold metal dug in harder.
"You come any closer and she dies."
The dark shape of the dead man froze.
"Don't worry about me!" she called. "The gear! There's a gear in the mach…" she cut off and a thin, lithe arm wrapped around her throat. The cuffs holding her hands snapped open and they immediately flew to her throat, trying to free herself from the choke hold. It loosened slightly and she took a grateful gasp of air.
"Let her go." Ash's voice was cold. "Now."
"Surrender."
"Let her go."
They were at a standpoint. A horrible standpoint with the Celadon gym leader at the centre. She blinked, as the dust cleared, Ash standing there, face hidden in the shadows of his hood, even as Raichu paced along the shattered wall, black lightning dancing at his paw steps. Zo was crouched, hackles raised and purple fur blacker than ever, the red tipped furs glistening like blood in the dusty ruined lab.
Again Erika's hands scrabbled out, looking for something… anything… to use as a weapon.
She winced as something was knocked over with a clang and clash of metal, but neither man even blinked. Proton was smirking, observing as Ash slowly let the aura surrounding his hands dissolve, raising his gloved hands in a universal surrender sign.
No.
Don't surrender! She wanted to scream. Not for her. She could die. Why wasn't he just getting the gear? Why was he waiting?
Her hands found the metal operating bench again. She hissed as something sliced her hand, but as the choke hold around her neck tightened at that moment it went unheard.
Again she reached out, clasping the instrument in her sweaty palm. She closed her eyes, fumbling, and for a few precious seconds she thought she was going to drop the instrument.
Ash had saved her before. Before at Celadon he had teleported her out and healed her.
This time… this time she was save him.
Her hands tightened on the scalpel.
She took a deep breath.
Then all hell broke loose.
[12:57PM] – 22nd May – Lavender Town – Pokémon Tower – Basement Level - Corridor – Erika, Ash & Pokémon (Chikorita, Raichu, Eevee, Zorua)
Her hands were bloodied as she flicked the switches in front of her. As many as she could find, buttons (especially the bright red ones) flips and levers were pulled and switched. She didn't know what the machinery did. She didn't want to know. She tried not to think of what had just happened as she continued vandalising the machinery.
She kicked at the console, even as she tore away some wires. As if on cue, the warning siren flashed, and an automated message rang out.
She couldn't hear anymore – her ears were ringing and she thought she was going to be sick. Or had she already been sick. She certainly felt it.
Then Ash was standing in front of her, holding her shoulder, shaking her, speaking and she blinked stupidly for a few seconds before understanding him.
"Come on!" he looked desperate. "We need to get out – there's a passage this way to hills. Erika! Erika!"
She jolted back to her senses, and the noise of the siren and warning made the world tilt alarmingly.
Then she blinked, Ash holding her upright, eyes a funny browny green. One word, rested on his lips.
"Run."
And they did.
A part of her was laughing. Doubled up in hysterics. Tears mixed with the ringing peals and the breaths she could take were shuddering gasping things in the midst of her sobs and laughter.
Another part of her was revelling in the fact she was alive. The adrenaline was pumping through her as she ran, how they ran, and she didn't want to stop for anyone or anything.
She was disgusted. Hurt and sick at what she had become in the heat of the moment, the terror and fear and pain and the churning emotions in her gut at what had happened.
And then there was the part that – inevitable, was absolutely terrified and wondering how long before that machinery decided enough was enough and decided it was time to blow.
Faster.
They hurtled down corridors, knocking over confused and idiotic guards who didn't realise they were running for a reason. That there was something a lot more terrifying than Team or Pokémon or monsters behind them and none of them stopped, neither of the two humans or three Pokémon wanted to stay around to chat.
She could feel the heartbeat of Chikorita against her back, huddled in her back. Her footsteps pounding on the grounds and she tried not to hear the screams of the angry Pokémon mutants as they swarmed the place, wreaking havoc and revenge even as they too, fled from the imminent disaster.
Then there was the door which they threw themselves on, and then there was air – blessed air – and they were throwing themselves as far away from the tower as possible even as the earth began to growl and complain as the old stone shifted.
It was slow at first, seeming to almost wave in the breeze, and then it was gone, replaced by fire and ash and smoke and dust and burning, burning flames. Erika crouched on the hill, flat against the ground, blinking in confusion as she looking for the tower.
In a horrible, mournful peal and groan the whole thing ripped outwards, in a ball of flames and fire and dust and death.
In one, horrible, never ending moment, Erika watched as Lavender Tower exploded.
[13:14PM] – 22nd May – Outskirts - Unknown
He paused, mid-way between his depressive musings and an 'I hate all life on this pitiful planet' rant. With gleaming indigo eyes he watched the explosion in the distance with some interest. It almost matched up to his Celadon City blow-up, and he had to admit, the crumbling tower and falling bell did make the most interesting sight to behold.
He could barely contain his smirk of amusement.
Well he had to admit it was impressive.
And he definitely was grateful to whoever did it, whether on purpose or not.
But really… and explosion not caused by him… how odd…
He must be losing his touch.
[13:16PM] – 22nd May – South of Lavender Town – Forest/Hill Edge – Erika & Pokémon (Chikorita)
She woke with a start, as if from a bad dream. She blinked at the fuzzy green shape in front of her, and when it let a small chirp she blinked again, her Chikorita coming into focus.
She winced. That had been a bad nightmare. It wasn't every day you dreamed about betting stuck in a lab, about to be turned into a Pokémon mutant, stabbed a Team Rocket executive with a scalpel even as a mutant Eevee set about mauling him, set a machine to blow up, and then watched as said explosion occurred.
She blinked, suddenly aware of the blood on her hands, the dirt and grime around her, and more importantly, the ash falling from the sky like snow.
Oh.
It hadn't been a dream.
Erika promptly rolled over and was sick.
A few minutes later, she felt well enough to stand, sighing as she stretched her limps, moving away from the sheltering hillside where she had lain. She glanced only briefly towards the town, before turning away.
She didn't want to see.
She didn't want to know.
She didn't want to acknowledge what had just happened.
She felt weak at her knees and she slid down, a few steps into the forest.
"RikaRika Chi?" the small Pokémon chirped (Where is Ash?) and she blinked, missing the presence of the man and his Pokémon. She wanted to look around, and call out, but she knew it would only be in vain. Before she even spotted the note pinned to her bag she knew.
Ash had gone.
He had left her behind.
[13:16PM] – 22nd May – Lavender Town – Pokémon Tower – Basement Level - Corridor – Ash & Pokémon (Raichu, Eevee, Zorua, Lucario)
Skirting the city was a nightmare. Ash knew what had happened. He knew that setting Erika to wreck the machinery would result in the explosion. He had seen the moment when she had started running on automatic, panicking in the chaos even as they raced away from the collapsing tower.
He reasoned the guilt he felt was not from killing the rockets (he honestly hardly cared for them) but for abandoning the gym leaders. However he had seen the way she had taken the events, and with her life at risk, he couldn't let her keep this up.
"Are you sure?" Rai asked him, hopping through the trees to his right, "We can still go back."
"It's safer." Lucario answered for him, knowing his thoughts and plans, "She can help out those in Vermillion."
The purple fox let her tail drag through the ash stained soil, "I'll miss her." She admitted.
The orange mouse swished his tail lazily. "Yeah." He admitted. "Me too."
Ash sighed, closing his eyes. "How many have we got now?" he asked, even as he answered his own question by unzipping his jacket and sliding the gears out from where he kept them on an inner pocket.
Seven circular rock shapes slid out onto the ground. Each had a faint luminescent glow to them, and together they looked like a pretty stone rainbow. He quickly accounted for the older gears, the maroon fighting gear Lucario had given him from Orre, the metallic steel gear from Mount Coronet in Sinnoh, the navy blue dragon gear from Blackthorn and the clear see-through flying gear from Mount Silver.
He took a moment to examine the three new gears. The purple grey poison gear they had raided from Saffron – originally from Fuchsia city, and the brown dusty one the rockets were using for their experiments – no doubt from Rock Tunnel which had been where he was had been going to go next.
Well that saved a journey.
And the bright violet blue ghost gear from the tower. That made seven. That left ten to go.
It seemed like a lot. Hell it was a lot, but then you started ticking off the others. The Viridian and Mount Moon group should by now have the Viridian bug gear from Gary and the rose coloured psychic gear from the vaults. That left eight.
He frowned. He'd have to check in on Vermillion once he'd finished with his next target. By then he'd have six left, and he hoped he could send Lance after some while he went after the others.
He sighed. Yeah, maybe he'd get them all collected eventually.
Eventually.
For the millionth time he cursed the legendries. The all-powerful gods and deities.
Some use they were. Most of them had gone into a sort of coma when time ground to a halt. Arceus was awake only long enough to bring him back to life before falling into slumber. There were times when Ash thought the Alpha had overdone it, bringing him back like he had, and making him a fixed point in this frozen time.
Not all of the legendaries were slumbering. The great land deities of Hoenn – Kyogre, Rayquaza and Groundon were still for once, their endless battles ceasing, even as the Regi trio retreated to their temples, following the example of their Sinnoh leader.
Mew was somewhere, but the shapeshifter was nothing more than a playful kitten. Latios was dead, his soul dew shattered, and his sister vanished. That had been near the start of the war. The rockets had made their base on the isolated city, before moving onto the mainland, leaving a water trodden city behind them, destroyed in their wake.
Just like they had left the world.
Dialga, Giratina and Palkia too slept, along with Heatran, the volcano lord. Celebi was locked out of the single plane of time, forever flitting before and after but never in this endless instant. Jirachi would not wake for another millennia, and the Deoxys were too busy trying to get home than to worry about the humans.
Ash frowned as he tried to recall the other legendries. There were many but at the same time, few and far between. The nightmare and dream duo, along with the sea duo, were locked out of this reality. The land of the sea and the land of dreams played no part here.
Johto's three dogs and Kanto's three birds were still around. Somewhere. Their power was weakened, and they did what they could. Their lord and masters could only watch, guarding the skies, a rainbow and song of hope in these dark times.
Shaymin couldn't do anything. Frozen time meant the flowers they worshiped so couldn't flower, and so they waited, just like the rest of the world, for nothing. The lake trio had fallen into a slumber with the other world orientated legendries, falling into a stasis.
Unable to do a thing.
Ash sighed. He wondered what they would think of them now. What would they think of the world they had created? They started it off with a bang, with beauty and knowledge, and let it grow. They stepped in from time to time, to keep everything on track, but otherwise, they watched in an eternal forever.
In an eternal forever they were now doomed to wait for tomorrow to arrive, in a day when today never ended.
And tomorrow would never arrive.
AN - I chose Proton as the evil executive instead of the others because he is known as the cruellest and scariest of the four (that and I happened to have forgotten about him until I needed and evil guy) He was the criminal who was chopping of Slowpoke tails in SoulSilver/HeartGold to make a profit so I figured Pokémon experimentation wasn't much of a stretch.
And yes – I know Pichu is missing. It's part of the plan.
And there is a summary of what happened to the legendaries. I'm sorry it got a bit rambling but in summary they have all fallen into a deep sleep (Arceus, Creation Dragons, Weather Trio, Legendary Golems x4, Lake Guardians, Heatran – basically ones essential to keeping the world running) with the exception of some who either can't really do anything helpful (Lunar Duo, Sea Duo, Deoxys, Mew Duo) or can't access the frozen time period (Celebi, Jirachi, Shaymin) The some who can can't do anything much due to the lack of their powers for some mystical reason (Johto Dogs, Bird Trio, Tower Duo, Mew Duo, Eon Duo).
I'm not counting Unova Pokémon with the exception of vague references to Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyogre and of course Zo, but because Zorua and Zoroak starred in a fourth gen movie I'm not counting it as fifth gen.
Sorry for the short chapter but I wanted to get the Lavender situation done and over with. It's a bit eerie – it's meant to be a bit disjointed and ghostly.
Thanks for the reviews and support. Hope you enjoy reading :)
~ Eclipse