Chapter 15 Rusty's Reunion With Aqua and Eliza's Depression
A few days have passed since Rusty left the group to rejoin Team Aqua. Rusty saw Archie after they arrived at Cannilave City at the dock.
"Welcome back Rusty." Archie said.
"Thanks." Rusty said without looking at him.
"You sure have changed, your hair seems longer and I guess you got hurt by the looks of it." Archie said.
"Yeah, I tried to protect someone and got stabbed." He told him.
"Protect? I guess you were protecting Ike or something, it doesn't matter! We have you back and all thanks to you going through this region, will be taking over." Archie said.
"What?" Shelly asked.
"I heard there was a failure with Galactic and it is open for us to take over, so I will be sending you, Rusty, John, and Ike, when he wakes up, to go around and infiltrate Sinoh." Archie ordered.
"Yes sir!" the three of them exclaimed and saluted.
"Rusty, you can go and clean up and get into a new uniform." Archie told him.
Rusty nodded and started to walk off and went to a room and came out later wearing a new uniform with a sword clipped on. He also had his hair pulled back into a ponytail.
"I thought you would cut your hair?" he heard and turned to see John standing there.
"Maybe I don't want to and how are you able to work with Shelly?" Rusty asked.
"I am more trustworthy than you and Ike combined and have better battle skills in both swords and Pokemon, I would watch out if I were you." John said as he walked off.
"Man, I never thought he would be so annoying." Rusty said.
Meanwhile, Eliza was sleeping in her bed at the hospital. Her shoulder was put into a brace. Sparkle was watching over her.
"Pi…" she said.
"She's still asleep?" Maritza asked as she walked in.
Sparkle nodded.
"I guess you're not the only one who's depressed, so are Rusty's Pokemon especially Sparkplug." Maritza said.
"Pi?" Sparkle asked and got down and run off to find Sparkplug.
Maritza sat down as her brother and Harper walked in.
"I guess she's asleep again." Marty said.
"Still sleeping more like it." Maritza said.
"We can't blame her since Rusty left and she hasn't eaten or anything due to what had happened then." Marty said.
"by the way, where's Flint?" Maritza asked.
"He went off to report what happened in Lake Valor to the other elite members and I guess he will be around us for a while and try to keep us safe from Aqua if they are around." Harper answered.
"What about contests?" Marty asked.
"I don't think it would be a good idea to compete." Flint answered as he entered.
"What?" Maritza asked.
"Bertha told me that Aqua is starting to infiltrate Sinoh and they already know about you guys especially Rusty and if you compete they will attack you." Flint told them.
"Bertha?" Harper asked.
"One of the other elite members, she will bbe coming here and will protect you three." He told them.
"I guess we should stay here and relax a bit then." Marty said.
Maritza nodded.
Rusty was in Eterna with Shelly, John, and Ike the next day going against Gardenia.
"Starmie use your aurora beam!" Rusty yelled.
Starmie hit Gardenia's Roserade and it went down.
"No Roserade!" she yelled and returned it.
"Give up yet?" Shelly asked.
"No, I haven't given up yet! How could you come after me, especially you Rusty?" Gardenia asked.
"I don't know, I am just following orders." Rusty answered.
"We'll ask again, where are those four teenagers and Flint?" Ike asked.
"I don't know where they are, all I remember was that they came back after the contest and rested and then that was when Ike attacked Cynthia." Gardenia answered.
"I see, what about Flint?" Shelly asked.
"He was here to tell me about Cynthia's condition and made sure you weren't here to harrass me about this." Gardenia answered.
"I guess that is the only information she can give us." Rusty said.
"Thank you for your cooperation Gardenia, we will probably be back, in the meantime, stay clear of us or your life will be taken." Shelly said and she and the guys were about to leave.
"Rusty, why are you with these people? Weren't you with the good guys?" Gardenia asked as he walked by her.
"I was, but my memories of this team have returned." He answered and kept on walking.
Gardenia sighed and said, "I thought Galactic was bad, but these guys are a lot worse!"
Eliza woke up and she petted Sparkle and noticed that her friends were sleeping in recliners in the room. She saw Sparkplug curled up in the corner asleep with a bowl of Pokemon food that hasn't been touched and a half eaten Poffin.
"Poor Sparkplug," she said and turned to her Pichu, "have you been waiting for me to wake up?"
Sparkle nodded.
"Sorry, the pain killers put me to sleep very easily." She told her.
"Ah, you're awake!" she heard and turned to see Flint with a girl with an Elite Four badge on her.
"Flint? Who is this?" she asked.
"I am Bertha of the Elite Four, Flint told me about what had happened and I was sent to protect you guys while you're here in Pastoria."
"Protection? Why?" Eliza asked.
"Team Aqua has taken over Sinoh and Gardenia has called me on my PokeGear and said that they were in Eterna and hurt her Pokemon while they try and search for us." Flint said.
"Did she give out our exact location?" Bertha asked.
"No, but the other gym leaders are on high alert though." He answered.
"Whyy are they after us if they are going after the gym leaders?" Eliza asked.
"Because you had a major connection with Rusty, that's why." Flint answered.
Eliza went silent.
"Pi?" Sparkle asked.
"What are you going to do now?" Bertha asked.
"See Wake and talk to him while you stay here and protect the kids." He answered and left.
"I don't get why he was a part of that team." Bertha heard Eliza say after a few minutes of silence.
"Usually when someone is on a team like that, they either run away from home or they want to make something of themselves and I am guessing your buddy Rusty had no choice to join or not." Bertha answered.
"He did have a choice to not rejoin." Eliza said as tears streaked her cheeks.
Flint was at the Pastoria Gym talking to Wake, the Pastoria Gym Leader, about the situation and how Gardenia was beaten by them.
"So, you're saying a team from Hoen is taking place of Galactic? This is very serious." Wake said.
Flint nodded and said, "We already have had an encounter and Cynthia was hurt by one of their Pokemon, somehow they hurt trainers as well and Eliza Elm, the neice of Professor Elm in Johto, was also a victim since she knew one of their former members who just rejoined."
"How long do you think it will take for them to reach here?" Wake asked.
"I don't know, but if they know that they are here who knows what will happen to them." Flint said.
"How long did this boy stay in Sinoh?" Wake asked.
"For a year, he was a ranger in Solaceon."
"If we can get him out of Aqua, he won't have to serve a year or more in jail and return to the rangers to rredeem himself again," Wake told him. "I want to meet this Eliza and her friends."
"I can arrange that, she is at the hospital and will be released tomorrow." Flint said.
"Good, I will be looking forward to it." Wake said.
Flint nodded and then left the gym and said, "I hope he is right about helping Rusty out when we try and get him away from Aqua."