Chapter 24
7/1/0046/Midnight
Olivine Harbor
Sirens were blaring and lights were flashing as multiple ambulances surrounded the remains of what used the be the small gift shop owned by Ricky, smoke billowing from the small area even though their were no visible flames.
"What happened?" Officer Jenny asked, approaching the Fire Chief who was currently investigating the scene.
"Something exploded inside this building, but we can't determine the source at the moment." He explained, glancing at Officer Jenny.
"Can't you go in and check?" She asked.
"We already sent in two men with a squad of Wartortle's, but we haven't received any word from them yet." The Fire Chief responded.
There was a loud shout that gained their attention.
"What's going on in there?" The Fire Chief shouted using his communicator.
"There was some kind of purple ooze on the floor that was creating the smoke, but when two of the Wartortle's came into contact with it they-Gah!" One of the Fireman tried to explain before he was cut off.
A body burst out the smoke being pushed by a powerful stream of water. Following the body of one of the Firemen was one of the four Wartortle's that was sent in, also being pushed by a cannon of water.
"I repeat, what's going on in there?" The Fire Chief shouted as Officer Jenny ran over to the unconscious Fireman and Wartortle.
The second Fireman and Wartortle came flying out the smoke like the previous two, both unconscious which left the Fire Chief to wonder what happened for them be knocked out and then blasted out the building by water.
"War-tortle!" A deep voice shouted as two more bodies emerged from the smoke. The remaining two Wartortle's that had been sent in stepped out from the black smoke, but neither of them looked like how they did when they were first sent in.
The Turtle Pokemon whose skin was normally blue with a white tail and ears was now a dark purple, its tail and ears colored in a faded purple, two large fangs protruding from the turtle Pokemon's mouth.
"What is that?" The Fire Chief said out loud at the two growling Water Pokemon before they lunged at him.
On instinct alone, the Fire Chief jumped to his left, narrowly avoiding the dual attack.
'Something's wrong…we trained them never to attack us.' The Fire Chief noted as the Wartortle's landed with a roll before noticing Officer Jenny to their right.
Together they jumped at the defenseless woman who had yet to release her Pokemon, shock written across her face.
"Wartortle, return!" The Fire Chief shouted as he raised two separate Poke-balls, firing a beam of red light at each Wartortle, forcing them back into their Poke-balls just before they got to Officer Jenny.
"Wha-What happened to them?" She asked, releasing the breath of air she didn't realize she had been holding.
"I don't know, but I need to make a call to Professor Elm."
7/1/0046/Morning
Olivine City
Residential District
"Hello?" Maria said happily into her phone, answer the call after rushing from the kitchen to make it in time.
"Is this Maria Holker?" A female voice asked.
"Yes."
"I'm calling to inform you that your fiancé Ricky Blinner was killed in an explosion last night. The cause hasn't been determined but-" Maria slammed the phone on its receiver, ending the call.
'Who would play such a horrible prank?' Was the first thought that went through her mind.
The phone rung again, but Maria decided to ignore it since it was probably the prank caller again. After a half an hour of her phone ringing, Maria had grown tired of hearing the device continue to produce its annoying sound and answered it again.
"Will you stop calling my house!" She screamed into the phone.
"Listen Miss Holker, I know you don't want to believe me, but what I'm speaking is the truth." The female voice continued.
"How do I know I can believe you?" Maria asked skeptically.
"Turn on your tv to the news, right now."
Maria did as she was told, changing it to the news channel where she saw an aerial view of the Olivine Harbor, smoke billowing from a destroyed building. No matter how much Maria wanted to deny it, she knew that area all too well since she passed by it nearly every day to visit Ricky at his shop.
"No." Maria whispered.
"His funeral will be held in four days if you plan to attend. I hope this doesn't-" Maria hung up the phone with trembling hands.
'No…he can't be dead. We were going to get married and have children and…' Maria stopped, the image of Ricky's grave formed in her mind.
7/5/0046/Early Morning
Olivine Cemetery
"We will dearly miss Ricky Blinner." The spokesmen said, looking around at the large group of people that were dressed in all black. A pretty big group had gathered since Ricky was good friends with nearly everyone that entered the Olivine Harbor on a daily basis.
Most of them had managed to remain quiet during the spokesman's talk, but nearly everyone was ready to burst into tears, all except Maria Holker. The entire crowd had already expressed how sorry they were for the loss of her fiancé, but the young woman seemed to be in daze.
Sniffles and sobs flew around the crowd like wildfire as they lowered the casket down into its place, six feet below the ground. Maria visibly tensed up as they began to fill the hole.
"Miss Holker, aren't going to go home?" The spokesman asked Maria who was sitting in front of Ricky's grave with a blank expression.
"I'm not sure." She replied after a long pause, remaining she was.
"There's going to be a bad storm tonight so I suggest you get home soon." The spokesman said, glancing at her one last time before looking up at the cloudy skies.
7/6/0046/Morning
A close friend of Ricky's, a light skinned brunette that went by the name of Roger Flog dropped by his friends grave since he missed the funeral with a bouquet of flowers only to find Maria seated in front of Ricky's grave, drenched in water and curled up tightly to keep warm.
"Maria?" Roger exclaimed, getting her attention. Their eyes met, but the normally cheerful eyes Roger was used to seeing in Maria were gone, replaced with despair and sorrow.
"Hmm?" She replied.
"How long have you been here?" He asked.
"Maybe a day or two, I'm not sure." She responded before returning her stare to Ricky's grave.
"Are you serious?" Roger said before he grabbed her right bicep, hauling her up from the ground. As she stood on her feet, she fell over, Roger managing to catch. "You're soaking wet…come on. I'm taking you to your house."
Roger waited patiently at the bottom of Maria's staircase, hoping the girl would change out of those wet cloths since she was bound to catch a cold staying in them for so long.
After waiting for a least an hour, time Roger spent channel surfing, Maria finally came down the stairs dressed in a huge white t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Her hair was still soaked, but that didn't seem to bother her as she dropped down on the couch silently.
Roger quickly retrieved a towel from the upstairs bathroom and returned to Maria where he took the time to dry her hair. Once he finished, he noticed that she had been staring at the one thing the entire time.
Quietly he followed her line of sight before spotting a picture of her and Ricky, Maria resting on his lap, both of them blushing quite heavily since Roger barged into the closet they were hiding in with a camera, catching the two of them kissing. After that Ricky had caught him and gave him a thorough beat down.
Roger suddenly felt downhearted when he realized the growing the relationship between the two that had been advancing perfectly had been destroyed in the span of a day.
"Maria?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm not sure…" She replied after a long, silent pause.
"Well I have to go to work, but I'll be back to check on you tonight." He said. "I'll leave on the tv if it helps."
7/6/0046/Night
"Maria." Roger said, entering her home with the spare key he had taken in case she didn't answer the door when he returned. He was greeted with the house exactly how he left it except Maria was missing.
'Where would she go…?' Roger asked himself before a light bulb flashed over his head. 'Of course.'
"Maria!" Roger said, approaching the girl who was once again seated in front of Roger's grave in the darkness of night, staring at it.
"Hmm?"
"I know its summer, but you'll catch a cold staying out all night dressed like that." He said to her, lifting her off the ground like he had earlier today.
Maria remained silent, focusing on Roger now who was staring at Ricky's grave. Roger could feel tears threatening to sneak out his eyes but he blinked several times to force them back.
'No, I have to remain strong for Maria, she's already broken.' He said, punching his stomach to distract himself from the depressing thoughts that were entering his mind before leading Maria back to her house.
7/9/0046/Morning
Maria's House
Over the course of the last few days, Roger would visit Maria just to make sure she was okay, but each time he dropped in at her house she wasn't there. After a brisk walk to the cemetery, he'd find the girl seated in front of Ricky's grave, quiet as a mouse.
From there he'd take her back to her house in the morning, go to work and check on her in the afternoon only to find her in the cemetery again. Twice a day he'd lead her back to her house where he left her staring at a photo album filled with pictures of herself and Ricky.
Roger understood how lonely Maria was feeling, and out of the goodness in his heart, he purchased a Skitty for her to keep her company while he was working. The small feline Pokemon had kept her home the next night which gave Roger some relief, when he returned from work he found the Skitty unfed and sleeping on the couch which caused him sigh inwardly.
"Maria…" Roger muttered with a sigh as he dragged the girl back into her house.
Skitty playfully ran up to Maria once she stepped into the house, rubbing its cheek against her ankle. Quietly, Maria scooped the Pokemon of the floor, holding it in one arm while petting it with her open hand.
'At least she's getting close to Skitty.' Roger said mentally, watching her drop down onto the couch like she would everyday, the small cat Pokemon purring in her arms.
The phone began to ring, something that surprised Roger.
'Must be someone who's trying to comfort her.' He said as he answered. "Hello?"
"Yes, is this the Holker residence?"
"Yup."
"I'm calling for a Miss Maria."
"Umm, she's in but she can't talk right now. I can take a message." Roger said, glancing back at the silent woman who was seated in her living room.
"My name is Professor Elm, and I was called in by Officer Jenny to investigate the cause for another event surrounding Ricky's death, and I believe I've found something of interest." Elm explained. "If you could come down to the court house, I'll explain everything."
Maria and Roger sat in the waiting room of the court house, Maria looking down at her Skitty who rested on her lap, quietly taking a snooze.
Roger had gotten used to the silent Maria since any conversation he started with her ended with silence, the young lady remaining silent.
"Ah, Roger and Maria. I'm glad you're here." Professor Elm said, waving to the two of them from a doorway not to far down the hall from where they were seat. "If you could join me in this room."
"Come on Maria." Roger said, motioning for her to follow.
Upon entering the room, Roger, Maria and Skitty were greeted by dozens of small machines, but the one that had their attention particularly was a capsule that contained a purple liquid.
"Alright Professor, what did you find?" Roger asked as the man gestured for them to follow him over the capsule.
"Inside this capsule is a liquid. This is liquid was supposed to have been removed from this earth completely about fifty years ago with the disappearance of the Legendary Pokemon." Elm began.
"Wait, Legendary Pokemon as in Arceus?" Roger asked, interrupting the Professor.
"Yes, this liquid is produced by Legendary Pokemon when they've been enraged by an outside force that we've named Pokeosis. But, while Legendary Pokemon produce this chemical, if they or any other non-Legendary Pokemon comes into contact with it, they become a shadow of their former self.
"So what does that have to do with Ricky?"
"Everything. We found a large sample of Pokeosis at Ricky's death bed, in fact he was covered in it which leads me to believe that he came into contact with a Legendary Pokemon the night of his death." Elm went on.
"How do you know it's this Pokeosis?"
"Because the same night two Wartortle's came into contact with it and became Abyss Pokemon."
"Abyss Pokemon?"
"Yes. It's an old myth from the Old Days that I researched recently. In the Old Days when Legendary Pokemon could roam freely, Pokeosis was a chemical that actually improved the strength of Pokemon. But at some point the chemical formula was altered, resulting in the creation of Abyss Pokemon." Elm continued. "Abyss Pokemon are dangerous. There far more aggressive, violent and bloodthirsty than your regular Pokemon. And with the creation of Abyss Pokemon, came the start of the Dark Days."
"No way, the Dark Days."
"Yes way, but what has me worried is the reappearance of the ancient Pokeosis as well as the return of the missing Legendary Pokemon. This could result in a repeat of the Dark Days."
7/10/0046/Noon
Blackthorn City
Battle Dome
One of the many firecrackers that were hurled into the air exploded, setting the stage for the beginning of the IBF Tourney. The first round of the one of the largest tournaments in Johto would be taking place in Blackthorn City.
The city was large, resting at the base of three different mountains, , Dark Cave and Ice Path. Still, even though they had a limited amount of space, the city was large. Unfortunately, the possessed nothing from the Old Days since it was one of the cities that was wiped clean off the map.
Although it was thought that nothing was there to begin with when the city was being rebuilt, a large quantity of Dragon Scales could be found in the northern part of the city leading people to believe that the area was once heavily populated with Dragon type Pokemon.
The Blackthorn City Battle Dome was large, almost on par with the Goldenrod City Battle Dome, but unlike the Goldenrod Dome, it only possessed two smaller Domes branching out from the main one. Seating was pain since the capacity limit had been crossed by people who had traveled from their town to Blackthorn City to see the IBF Tourney.
Fans were packed into the lobbies of each Dome since they couldn't get a seat, using the monitor in the large room to see the battles while those who couldn't get inside used the monitor outside of each building to watch.
Matt and Blake had met up in the waiting room that was crowded with trainers, using the tv monitor in the room to watch the opening ceremony.
"Are you ready Matt?" Blake asked, glancing at the boy who was actually quiet.
"I'm so excited, I can't wait." Matt began in a low voice.
"Don't worry, it's starting."
Down in the stadium, Matt and Blake could see a rather old man dressed in what looked like a brown robe, climb up onto the platform where a microphone was waiting for him. He cleared his throat several times, getting everyone's attention.
"Hello trainers and fans of Johto as well as the foreign trainers that have entered this tournament in this region, welcome to the beginning of the Inter-Regional Battle Federation Tourney!" The old man shouted, pointing up at the sky. "I'm the Battle Circuit and Johto/Kanto Pokemon Committee Commissioner and I'm happy to be hosting this tournament this year since it's such a privilege."
"Doesn't he host it every year?" The question caused many of the trainers that were in the stadium to snicker as the Commissioner continued his speech.
"This tournament has been divided into three rounds. The first will take place globally where trainers from each region with battle to reach into the Top 100 of each region. From there you'll have to travel to Hoenn where the Top 100 from each region will eliminate each other until we're down to the Top 16 of the IBF. Finally, the Top 16 will travel to Sinnoh where they'll fight for the right to be the number one contender for the IBF Title!" The crowd roared. "But for today, there will be hundreds of battles to determine the Top 100 that will represent us against the other regions."
"Joh-to! Joh-to! Joh-to!" The crowd chanted, rooting for their trainers to wipe out all the competition and take the IBF Title.
"So the first round. It will be a series of elimination battles in all three Domes we have for the next week. Trainers keep an eye on each monitor in the waiting rooms, because after you win one battle, you'll instantly be set up for your next." The Commissioner continued before pointing at the sky. "Good luck, and let the battles…begin!"
The crowd roared before the Commissioner jumped off the platform, making a mad dash for one of the exits since the field had began to shake. The moment the old man had gotten off the field, it split in two right down the middle, receding into the walls of the stadium while a new field rose up, this one possessing ten smaller fields that would be used to speed up the number of battles that could be held at once.
7/10/0046/Night
East Dome
Matt and Blake gave each other a high five at the close to the first day of the IBF Tourney, both of them managing to win the ten battles they had during the day. They hadn't received much attention from the crowd, but that was to be expected since they were both nobodies in this tournament when compared to the people they would be battling in the near future.
The duo entered the dressing, Blake walking quietly with his hands in his pockets while listening to Matt who was going over the highlights of his matches. Upon entering the waiting room, Blake was greet by a tight hug from his black haired sister.
"Grace?" Blake mumbled in confusion before remembering the girl was a SS-Class trainer, well known throughout Johto.
"Man Blake, you're so quiet yet everywhere we go we meet up with someone you know." Matt exclaimed after Grace separated from Blake who never returned the hug.
"Hey big bro, I won my ten matches, how'd it go for you?" She asked kindly.
"Easy wins." Blake replied in a deadpan, before the two of them turned to Matt.
"You have a sister?" He asked, looking for the similarities between the two, finding known at first glance.
"To be honest, I'm not sure-" Blake began before Grace cut him off.
"Yes, I'm Blake's beloved younger sister." Grace interjected, getting a few mumbles from Blake. "And who's your friend Blake?"
"Oh right…" Blake dragged Grace away from Matt by her forearm, telling Matt they'd be right back, Grace protesting rather loudly as she was pulled away.
"Why'd we leave him?" Grace asked curiously, trying to get another look at Matt, but Blake continued to block her to keep her focused.
"He's got Suicune's Crest." Blake replied, surprising Grace who instantly became serious, taking a moment to observe Matt.
"Are you sure?"
"We met back in Ecruteak, his right wrist lit up when I touched. The Crest looked exactly like the one back at the estate that was sketched for Suicune." Blake explained, getting a nod from Grace.
"Do you have any idea where he might have met Suicune?"
"He's not sure, at the beginning of his journey through Kanto he said he went west from Viridian City and that's when he met Suicune." Blake continued, getting a nod from Grace. "But there's a blank space he can't remember and then he woke on the shore to New Bark Town."
"Hmm…" Grace glanced at Matt. "Alright Blake, since we all entered the IBF Tourney, we'll stick together until we find Suicune with him."
"Okay." Blake responded, leading her over to Matt who was currently seated on one of the benches, chatting with one of the trainers he had just met.
7/11/0046/Evening
East Dome
Day in and day out, from morning till late at night, Blake, Matt and Grace would either be down in the stadium battling, or closely observing the other trainers to see if their was anyone note worthy besides themselves. Screaming fans went home pleased each day, taking time off from work and school to see the IBF Tourney. The entire region had come to halt for the entire week to see who made the Top 100.
Out of all the trainers Blake had seen among the Johto participants, three truly got his attention.
First and foremost was Matt who had utterly surprised him with the appearance of the rest of his team. With each battle Matt had, Blake watched as the boy released a variety of well trained Pokemon that he had been hiding from Blake during their training sessions at Lake Rage. His bizarre battling style was very effective against the more experienced opponents he was facing, using several tricks in one match after another to bring home another victory.
The second person Blake had marked was Grace, his own sister. She was obviously stronger than him considering her Battle Circuit ranking, but aside from that she also possessed a destructive team that specialized in grinding nearly any opponent to the ground. The girl proved to be skilled even though she was of the younger variety of contestants, but she definitely had the crowds support. Her style was incredibly flashy, something that bothered Blake considering how well she'd use it to her advantage to create distractions and such. Grace was a force to be reckoned with.
The last person he was focusing on was the Johto Circuit Title holder, Meegan J who, just as Grace predicted, entered the IBF Tourney seeking a battle to determine who was stronger. The young woman was dangerous. Her battling still was refined, precise and deadly, using Pokemon that corresponded with this style to result in a powerful combination. Just like Grace, she was a favorite to win in the Top 100 and everyone was sure she was going to win considering she was already known as one of the best in Johto.
Blake himself felt kind of nervous, watching all these trainers trample anyone they battled, which ignited something with in him. A feeling he hadn't felt since the Top 32 in the Rookie Kings Tournament.
He wanted to win at all costs.
Heh heh, finally...a part I've been dying post. Part 24. Where one of the key parts of the plot is finally revealed.
Two concepts, Abyss Pokemon-basically the equivalent of a Shadow Pokemon for anyone who's played Pokemon XD : Gale of Darkness, only I added a little twist on it that you'll see later on.
Pokeosis - The idea came from a short passage I read about Pokerus. Professor Elm gave a rough explanation of it in this chapter but there's still more to it.
As for the reviews I've been getting (even though its only two people) Leonimi46 & Omega the Omniscient, you guys are making me work harder on this than I have in a while so kudos to you guys, thank you! Continue reviewing, cause you guys are giving me motivation as well as points and tips.
R & R