Nothing much to say about this, except that it's ridiculous. :D
Pokemon I still do not own.
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Beck sighed and wiped the sand out of his nose, wincing as the sandstorm lashed against him. He was borrowing Sabriel's Go-Goggles, but they only protected his eyes—the rest of him was nowhere as fortunate. The owner of said Go-Goggles had not come with them into the desert.
"I need to go," Sabriel had abruptly declared, stopping short as they were walking down Route 111.
"Go where?"
"Lavaridge Town," she had replied after a moment's hesitation. "There's something I want to pick up there."
"Aren't we headed over there anyways, right after we do some training in the desert?" Sarah had piped up, though not seeming to care either way.
"Yes, but I need to get something right now. You guys go ahead to the desert and train. When you're done, I'll meet you in Lavaridge Town."
That same nagging voice that had developed upon meeting Sabriel thought her sudden, hurried departure was odd. He disregarded it.
Sabriel's absence left Beck alone with the pillar of gloom named Sarah. She seemed to be either deep in thought or delibrately ignoring him, walking silently, a lithe shadow in the desert with the sand-stricken wind blowing her brown hair in whip-like bangles.
As though she sensed he was thinking of her, the girl looked up, regarded him flatly with her frosty forest eyes mirrored behind goggles, and then looked away again, obviously not interested in starting up with conversation.
He sighed and wiped more sand from his face.
Igneous, walking calmly beside him, didn't look the slightest bit uncomfortable at in the harsh environment. Beck took a moment to look at his Pokemon. If he was challenging Flannery next, he knew he would have to get another teammate. Oddish would not be able to face her Fire-types and Beck wasn't confident enough to have Igneous solo the Lavaridge Leader's entire team like they did with Wattson—and he was not resorting to Rare Candies.
Speaking of Oddish, Beck still hadn't formally introduced himself to the Grass-type or even let it out of its Pokeball. Feeling guilty about being so remiss, the boy called a halt and tossed the Pokeball containing Oddish onto the ground. Sarah glanced at him briefly and then looked away, returning to watching the shifting rivers of sand, seeming more bored than impatient.
Oddish, fortunately, looked more timidly curious than bitter at being neglected or forgotten about altogether. Beck greeted the Oddish happily and introduced him to Igneous. As they resumed walking, the sand seemed to bother him. Igneous offered him a ride on his back, which the Grass-type accepted. Beck thought they were getting along fine.
He turned his thoughts back to his need for another Pokemon to challenge the Lavaridge Gym.
A Ground-type would be good, and the desert was full of them. Beck kept one eye peeled for nearby Pokemon and easily spotted the bright orange of a Trapinch that was half-buried in the sand ahead. That was a good Pokemon, certainly, and it would evolve into the powerful Flygon.
Sarah halted again, radiating a sort of blank, icy patience, as Beck had Igneous creep forward, hoping to surprise the Pokemon with a Tackle attack. The Numel wasn't really stealthy though, and the Trapinch immediately noticed him. With a low growl, the orange Pokemon charged forward and used Bite. Igneous shook the Trapinch off and blinked sleepily, awaiting orders.
His voice whipped and distorted by the howl of the raging sandstorm, Beck shouted, "Use Ember!"
The Trapinch rolled away from the fire and let out an aggressive hissing sound. Suddenly, the sand around it grew heavier and denser, forming a smothering cloaking cloud. The wave slammed into Igneous like a great maw, dragging the Numel by the legs into the ground.
"Sand Tomb," Sarah observed calmly. "You're in trouble now."
Beck tried to recall Igneous and switch out to Oddish (like he should have done immediately), but the heavy sand seemed to block the red ray of light from the Pokeball. Igneous weakly sprayed another Ember attack at the Trapinch, who growled at him again, before turning and vanishing into the shifting veil of the sandstorm.
With the Trapinch's departure, Igneous finally managed to pull himself free of the sand's choking hold. The Numel shook the dust from his coat, his eyes half-closed and unfazed.
"It got away," Beck said dumbly. A slight smile tugged at the corner of Sarah's mouth.
"Maybe you'll have better luck with that Baltoy over there. They're less fierce," she said lightly, gesturing to the top-like Pokemon that seemed to be passing by without seeing them. Beck nodded determinedly, withdrew Igneous and sent Oddish after their target.
"Absorb!" Beck called. Oddish was lighter on his feet, and this time, Beck managed to catch his quarry by surprise. The Baltoy let out a low alarmed noise as roots wrapped around it. The top Pokemon turned to retaliate, only to have Stun Spore thrown in its face.
"Absorb, one more time."
Oddish did a cheerful twirl and obeyed. The Baltoy let out a whimper and ceased struggling. Beck took the opportunity to throw a Pokeball, giving the capsule a little backspin as he hurled it.
"Good job," Sarah said mildly, as the capsule clinked for the third time. Beck went to retrieve his new team member proudly, letting it out and beginning what would be the established introduction. "Hello. My name's Beck, and these are my friends..."
Sabriel was still nowhere in sight when they arrived at Lavaridge Town.
"Maybe she went to the hot springs," answered Sarah, upon being questioned by Beck. "Why don't you go challenge Flannery first? I'm sure she'll return by the time you're done."
"What about you? Aren't you challenging her too?"
Sarah showed him the Lava Badge already in her case and that ended the conversation and Beck's attempt at stalling.
The boy sighed as he reluctantly rose from where he was resting on a bench. They had trained in the desert for several hot hours and Sarah did not seem to know the meaning of the word "restraint". Her Furret had given his team a harsh beating—the Long Body Pokemon had even smacked at Beck a few times upon Sarah's orders, when the girl thought he wasn't focusing hard enough. It didn't take Beck long to realize he had won against Sarah the first time only because she let him.
Her training regime was the stuff of horrors, but at least Beck could feel his bond with his Pokemon tighten—even if it was mutual fear of Sarah's Furret.
Beck wanted to rest, to hold off his Gym match until tomorrow, but Sarah insisted that he challenge Flannery while he and his team were warmed-up and conditioned, the rush of battle still streaming fresh through them.
Muttering something about slave drivers, Beck threw one last glance over to Sarah—who wasn't looking at him at all—and entered the large building.
The inside of the Gym was uncomfortably steamy and hot, the white smoke forming solid walls of heat and misery. After several tries, Beck finally managed to successfully navigate the geyser maze and make it, drenched with geyser water, to the Gym Leader. The room was a large one, with a large window taking the place of the entire ceiling, letting ample sunlight in.
"A new challenger huh," Flannery said, examining him with excitement dancing in her fiery eyes. "Looks like you've got three Pokemon. What do you say to a three-on-three match?"
Beck smiled back and sent out Igneous.
"Go, Slugma!"
Beck studied the fire slug Pokemon in front of him intently, nodding absently as he was told the challenger was allowed to make the first move, and that item usage was prohibited for the match and that he was the only one allowed to switch out.
"Igneous, use Magnitude."
"Slugma, Smog!"
Flannery knew her Pokemon wouldn't be able to dodge the Ground attack and was hoping to get some damage in. Igneous executed his attack, but was in turn unable to avoid the noxious purple gas that was sprayed into his face. He coughed, shuddered, and Beck was alarmed to see his stolid Pokemon shiver violently.
Poisoned, Beck realized in horror. He had gotten lucky though, with the power of the Magnitude attack—Slugma was in a faint on the ground so Igneous had not been poisoned in vain. Flannery seemed confident with the Numel having a harmful status problem. She sent out a Camerupt.
Igneous's succeeding evolution towered over him like a great rocky mountain over a tiny rounded foothill. The Numel gave his opponent a cool, lazy, unruffled look, but had to look away to cough from the poison. Beck quickly switched him out for Baltoy. Flannery grinned, like she could see her victory already.
"Sunny Day!" she crowed. Beck realized her plan too late.
"Quickly—Baltoy, use Mud Slap!" Beck cried desperately, hoping that it would KO. It wasn't even close—the Camerupt shook the mud off with a snarl. The heat intensified as the glare of the sun flowing from the wide window that was the ceiling turned hot and harsh. The sunlight was now a blinding golden wall, spears that pierced at Beck's eyes and forced him to look down.
"Mud Slap again!" Beck tried, but the Camerupt was faster.
"Overheat!" Flannery shouted triumphantly, as though she were leading a battle charge.
There was nothing Beck could do but watch, as the little Baltoy was pummeled by the sun-boosted fire-blitzing move. In one hit that probably could have knocked it out many times over, Baltoy was flung into the nearby wall, where it made a smoldering crater.
Beck winced with the sound and apologetically recalled the unconscious Pokemon. He saw Flannery laugh, patting her Camerupt on the flank, celebrating her victory already. Under the intensified rays of the sun, Fire moves were powered up greatly. Along with Overheat—a massively powerful move in itself—she seemed well on her way to an uncontested sweep of Beck's team.
The boy breathed in deeply, looking down at his two Pokeballs. Igneous was poisoned, which meant he wouldn't be able to take many hits. That left…
"You're in charge, Oddish!" He threw the Pokeball high into the air so that it glinted in the bright sun.
The Fire Gym Leader gave him the oddest of looks, and Beck grinned back.
"Use Absorb!" he shouted. The Grass-type darted forward, ensnaring the Camerupt with roots from the ground.
"Take it out with Overheat!" Flannery ordered impatiently, as her Pokemon recovered from the Absorb attack. Camerupt lifted its large head, nostrils flaring with matching annoyance. The blistering beam of flame shot in a mighty spurt from Camerupt, searing towards Oddish in a manner that might have burned him to ash right there. Instead of being incinerated, the Grass-type danced gracefully out of the way and launched another Absorb. Camerupt reeled from this hit and attempted Overheat once again—and once more, Oddish dodged easily, prancing through the battlefield with speed that matched Sarah's Furret. Whenever the Camerupt tried to blast him, Oddish always managed to avoid it.
The attack may have been powerful, but it was worthless if it couldn't hit. That was something Beck had learned as he watched his Pokemon spin about in confusion as they attempted to hit Sarah's Furret.
"How…?" Flannery began to demand. And then her eyes widened, her mouth opened in surprise before settling into an impressed smile. "I see. Your Oddish's special ability Chlorophyll, which raises its Speed in the sun…very clever. But it's not enough!" She pointed forward. "Camerupt...!"
Beck leaned forward, knowing his Oddish was still faster. "One more time—Absorb!"
The Camerupt crumpled, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
The Fire Gym Leader stared in shock as the boy and his Oddish cheered at their victory. She shakily put a smile back on her face, putting her hands on her lips. "Okay, you're pretty tough. But how's this—let's finish this, Torkoal!"
The iron-clad turtle entered the battlefield with a hoarse cry. White smoke plumed around it, seeming to cloak it partially from view. Knowing Absorb would be no use against a pure Fire-type, Beck ordered Oddish to use Acid.
Still drawing strength from the sun, the Grass-type swiftly launched a spray of purple right into the Torkoal's eyes. It groaned, shaking its head to get rid of the liquid.
"Again!"
As Oddish shot another spurt of Acid, Flannery called for Torkoal to use Attract. The turtle obeyed, tilting its head in an odd manner and turned to gaze at Oddish in a piercing and very strange way. The Grass-type halted immediately, a distant look appearing on his face, small eyes widening.
"What are you doing? Use Acid!" Oddish didn't seem to hear Beck. He stood frozen, immobolized...by love...
Apparently, the Torkoal was a female.
"Use Body Slam!" Flannery yelled. After much shouting from Beck, Oddish seemed to hear and started to dodge, but just then, the sunlight faded. Like all the strength had been drained from his body, the Grass-type visibly deflated. The Body Slam connected solidly, hurling him across the floor. Oddish rose slowly a moment later, still looking undoubtedly smitten at the sight of his opponent. Torkoal charged. Beck groaned.
"Poisonpowder," he called halfheartedly, doubting that he would be heard. To his mild surprise, Oddish looked up just as the turtle slammed into him, releasing a spurt of violet dust. The Torkoal let out a squeal of shock, as she inhaled the stuff, and then she started wheezing from the poison.
Oddish tumbled to the ground, knocked out, but Beck felt a surge of pride. Oddish had fought well and he had still managed to land one crucial move before being taken out.
That left Beck with one Pokemon.
"It's up to you, Igneous," he said, as he threw the capsule. The Numel appeared with a stubborn and stoic look on his face like he was determined not to show that he was poisoned at all. Torkoal had a similar expression on. Both were weakened by poison. It would be a contest of endurance, as well as skill.
Thanks to Igneous's Oblivious ability though, he would at least be safe from Attract. The boy shouted, "Use Magnitude!"
"Body Slam!" Flannery retorted. Torkoal lunged forward as the earth began to shake. Igneous maintained a blank expression as he stumbled away and then fought back with Tackle. The two Pokemon collided, each being thrown back a moment later. They were both breathing very heavily, the effects of the poison taking its toll.
This had to be finished quickly.
Beck cried, "Use Tackle!" at the same time Flannery yelped, "Body Slam!"
They clashed again, kicking up spurts of wild dust.
Sarah raised an eyebrow as Beck stumbled out of the Gym, sweat-drenched, covered in dust, and exhausted and looking as though he had participated personally in the Gym Battle.
"Did you win?" she thrust the question out bluntly, like a cold dagger. Beck stared at her for a moment.
He shook his head.
Sarah paused, as though preparing to say something. Beck was faster though.
"I don't know," he added wearily.
"What do you mean you 'don't know'?" she asked, her voice a bit sharp. The boy shrugged. Sarah paused for a moment, her pale wintergreen eyes unamused, like she suspected he was trying to bait a reaction out of her.
Beck sighed. "It looked like a tie. Both Pokemon fell at the same time. But they gave me the Badge anyway…for effort. Or maybe there's a rule that says ties go as victory to the challenger. I...don't know."
Sarah looked slightly amused at that, as she took in his disheveled appearance further. "Well you got the Badge. Isn't that what matters?"
Beck shrugged again. "I guess." He glanced around and realized Sarah was alone. He repeated his earlier question. "Where's Sabriel? Wasn't she supposed to meet us here?"
Sarah returned the shrug. A nagging suspicion began to burn in the back of Beck's mind—the same unreasonable voice from before shouting anew. Beck couldn't help but listen to its words now though.
Going off randomly all by herself...that's got to be suspicious, the voice hissed. Don't trust her!
The boy rolled his eyes at the renewed absurdity and tried to press it down. He remarked,"You said she would be back by now, but she's not."
"Maybe she's busy with whatever she's doing," was the dry reply. Sarah was twiddling with a Pokeball aimlessly, her gaze on the sky.
A pause. "Did something happen?"
"Why would you think that?" Her voice was low and casual. Beck stared at her for a moment.
"Could you take my Pokemon to the Center and heal them? I'm going to look for her." Without waiting for her reply, Beck put his three Pokeballs into her hands and quickly headed off towards some houses, pretending not to hear her rather indignant call after him.
Beck jogged towards an alleyway, the strange nagging suspicion augmenting further. This was the only part of Lavaridge Town not obviously in the open, far from the crowded hot springs and the Gym. If she wasn't there, than Sabriel must be around here, Beck reasoned.
Something tingled in the back of his mind, a strange chill going down his spine, as he slowly approached a corner that he had just been about to pass by. When he heard soft voices talking, Beck automatically slowed and then halted altogether when he recognized Sabriel's voice. Stepping forward quietly, Beck tilted his head and managed to catch a whispered conversation.
"…apparently it's Code Orange," Sabriel was saying, sounding irritated.
"How much has been compromised?" It was a man's voice, a rough, gruff growl that Beck imagined belonged to someone big and burly.
What are they talking about? Beck wondered, his eyes narrowing. Who was Sabriel talking to?
"Too much," was Sabriel's reply. "They probably have half our intelligence right now. One of their agents is in this town right now—,"
Agents? Beck blinked in utter bewilderment and leaned forward even further.
"Right now?" the man hissed in outrage. "Then what are you doing? They could be on us right now…"
"They are," Sabriel answered smugly. "One of them is right here, listening in on us."
Beck flinched, despite himself. He heard rapid footsteps and the boy shrunk away, half-expecting the owner of the growling voice to pounce on him right there. Instead, there was a yelp from another direction, the sound of someone else being grabbed from behind something and then slammed against the wall.
"Gotcha!" the growling man snarled. "Is this the one?"
"Yep and a really bad eavesdropper he is," Sabriel said. Beck was unable to resist creeping forward some more, peeping over to see what was happening.
The growling man with the growling voice was just like Beck had envisioned—big and burly, thuglike, unruly dark hair framing a frowning bearded face. He towered over Sabriel like a cement truck. He was holding a boy against the wall. That boy had a pair of excruciatingly calm, pale icy blue eyes, the color of a frozen-over lake. He looked about Sabriel's age. His hair was fair, a dustier shade of blonde than Beck's, and also curly rather than straight.
Beck was alarmed by the act of violence. He wondered if he should return to the busier part of the town and call for help. He tried to move his muscles, but they seemed to be frozen, frosted over by a strange force and sapped of strength, like the entire scene was a surrealistic dream in a stormy lightning-cut sky.
Birds. Something about birds.
Beck blinked in confusion at that sudden unrelated train of thought that drifted into his mind.
"Hey let go…you're going to choke me," the captured boy said with alarming calm, a faint smirk on his face. Sabriel seemed to be absently playing with something metal pinned to her collar; her eyes were on the rooftops nearby.
"You're one of them huh?" the growling man growled at his prisoner. "What should I do with him?"
The ice-eyed boy raised an eyebrow and interrupted before Sabriel could reply. "What should you do with me? Why, I should be asking you guys that question."
Sabriel stiffened, and even Beck heard the clatter of metal, the distinct sound of Pokeballs activating. Beck gasped and ducked back around his corner, as he spotted the heads of many Pokemon suddenly glaring down from the roof surrounding the three he had been watching. There were people with those Pokemon, looking like Trainers, but with deadlier intents in their stern eyes. They were all dressed in black, in something like armored uniforms.
Beck was fearful that he had been seen by the threatening-looking people, but he was also afraid that if he tried to run, he would be heard. He stayed frozen, wishing desprately that he had his own Pokemon with him, crouched behind the corner which hopefully hid him from view.
"You're the ones who are cornered," the ice-eyed boy mocked. Someone shouted for something to use Rock Throw. Amid the crashing of stones, the man that was grabbing the boy gave a cry and there was a thump as he fell.
"Let's go, Stark and Savv!" Beck remembered and recognized the name of Sabriel's Umbreon. Her second Pokemon—the one called "Savv"—let out a bellowing roar and Beck did not dare peek over to see exactly what it was.
The distinct cry of an Absol echoed and there was a crash, as Razor Wind ripped violently through the alleyway. A rush of flames lapped at the far rooftop and Beck heard someone cry out. This was most definitely no friendly battle.
What in the name of Arceus is happening? Beck thought frantically.
He fought the urge to look back over again, fearful for Sabriel's safety but still also of being spotted himself. A Thunderbolt attack hissed off the walls.
"Savv, use Earthquake!"
He did not like the sound of that.
This time, Beck curled into a ball, whimpered as the very ground seemed to break open. The force of it threw him forward a few feet, banging his head against something hard and metal. For a moment, his vision turned fuzzy, tinged with gray lightning and distant, half-imagined clouds. Sound came in seperated chinks, rumbling like thunder over mountains. Before his senses returned to reality, Beck thought he spotted the shadow of something wheeling above in the sky.
More footsteps slapping against the ground…and then Beck was aware of someone staring at him. He gasped, expecting to be grabbed and manhandled like the boy earlier.
"What are you doing here?" Sabriel's voice demanded. Beck looked up, seeing her face and the face of her Umbreon and the face of a snarling Gyarados.
"Hi," he said weakly. Sabriel opened her mouth, her eyes blazing dangerously, but a bolt of electricity narrowly missing their heads cut her off.
"Get down!" Sabriel pulled him behind a nearby dumpster in the alley.
"What's going on?" The boy whispered, gasping as something he swore was a bullet whizzed past his head. An Electivire let out an angry growl as it unleashed another bolt of electricity that Stark countered with a Dark Pulse. The Gyarados growled as some sparks grazed it and Sabriel quickly withdrew the Water Pokemon.
She was silent for a moment as she stared at the Pokeball in her hand, her eyes calm and contemplative even amid the chaos. Then she said, eyes glittering strangely, "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes!"
She leaned back casually. "Alright. I'll tell you. I'm really a spy."
"...a what?" Beck said blankly, like he had never heard such a term in his life.
"A spy. You know. Secret agents. Cool gadgets. Espionage…" Her tone was conversational and level.
"I see," Beck said, with an eyebrow raised, convinced that it was all a joke now. He began to rise, when Sabriel pulled him down again, her grip clawlike.
"What are you doing?" she snapped. "Are you trying to get killed?"
"Because you're really a spy," Beck said, laughing lightly. She stared at him, not a single speck of humor in her silver eyes. There was another explosion behind them.
"You're…really a spy...?" Beck whispered, some kind of ridiculous dark reality descending on him like an iron cloak.
"That's what I said, didn't I?" Sabriel hissed, ducking as metal debris scattered over their heads. "Spies have enemies, enemies try to kill you. The basics. Haven't you ever read a book?"
"That's…"
"Talk later," she knelt and drew another Pokeball from her belt. "Stark—use Protect. Cover us."
The Umbreon obeyed and cast a shimmering shield over them. Sabriel threw the Pokeball, hard, over the dumpster and then ducked back down like she had just tossed a grenade. There was a fierce roar from that direction as the Pokeball's occupant began attacking. Attacks flew through the air with renewed fury, as the two Trainers half-crawled along the alley, occasionally pausing to duck behind a sturdy structure.
Sirens suddenly broke through the noise.
"This commotion's already attracted police," Sabriel whispered harshly. "You and I are going to play the innocent Trainers who were caught in a battle that suddenly turned deadly. We're the victims."
"The victims," Beck echoed. Then his eyes widened. "We're going to get questioned by the police?"
She snorted. "You have nothing to worry about, since you've got nothing to hide. Don't worry about me though," she added, upon Beck's worried look. "I'm good at what I do."
The sirens drew closer and the Trainers of the enemy Pokemon cursed and called for retreat. There was the collective sound of Pokemon being withdrawn, and then the fading footsteps of the people fleeing back over the rooftops. Sabriel peered over and withdrew whatever beast she had sent to fight them, before ducking back over.
The police arrived, just like Sabriel said. By then, all of the combatants, including the burly man Sabriel had been talking to and the ice-eyed boy, had vanished.
The police were just as confused as Beck was, questioning him lightly and shortly, but letting him go soon afterwards. As the officers surveyed the damaged alleyway, Sabriel quickly led Beck away.
"They're still watching us," she murmured into his ear. "Even though the police are here, they're following us...walk ahead of me. We may still be ambushed."
"By who?"
"Be quiet," was all she said, glancing around with narrowed eyes. She stopped at a ladder which led up to the roof of a building. "We're going up."
"What? Why—?"
"Hurry up."
Beck met her flat silver eyes which were blank and uncompromising, and sullenly obeyed. He managed to heave himself up onto the roof…only to find himself surrounded by three of the earlier Trainers dressed in black uniforms. One of them tried to grab him, but Sabriel was faster. She shoved Beck aside and tripped the man, hurling a Pokeball while she was at it. Stark the Umbreon emerged and tackled the others, his teeth bared in a snarl.
By the time Beck's eyes had managed to follow the movements of his companions, Sabriel and Stark had all three of the men subdued. The girl held one of them by the throat, pressing his head to the wall.
"You..." the man gasped, his bulging eyes locking on a small pin on Sabriel's collar. "The one they just sent! But aren't...you're—Oriole—?"
She silenced him by tossing him over the roof.
Beck gaped, as Stark followed his Trainer's example, grabbing the two other struggling men by their clothing and hurling them down.
As Sabriel jogged back to him, all Beck could manage to say was, "Who's Oriole?"
"That would be me," Sabriel replied with a faint smile. "That's my codename." She winked at him, and jingled the pin on her collar. It was in the shape of some kind of black and bright orange bird. "It's a spy thing, right?"
"Oh…" Beck peered fearfully over to where the men had been tossed and was surprised to find nothing.
"They've escaped," Sabriel said to his unspoken question. "But that was still quite fun..." A feral smile curved on her lips. Her voice was calm and too casual. "Come on. Sarah will be waiting for us."
Too shaken to ask any more questions, Beck could only follow his companion silently back to the Pokemon Center.
"What were you guys up to?" Sarah asked disinterestedly, upon spotting them. She frowned a little and tilted her head at the sound of the distant sirens. She was leaning back against a wall and tossed Beck's three Pokeballs at him. He was too distracted to thank her for healing his Pokemon for him.
"Oh nothing," Sabriel answered airily. "Nothing interesting at all."
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Ridiculous, yes? Excellent! I love ridiculous conspiracy. :D
Just watched some spy movies. So ya~ ^.^
Thanks for reading~ ^.^