Me: Here it is, here it is. As promised! I'm going to bed, now... Goodnight...
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Chapter Thirteen:
The Cost of Freedom
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"We're completely boxed in!" Riley exclaimed in shock.
"Don't panic until we know why, Aura Knight," Allan had an exasperated tone, as he said this.
'You- Don't you speak to Riley like that!' Lucario growled threateningly.
"Or what? You'll break the barriers, and get us out? Stop wasting energy that could be directed into finding the power source for these forcefields," Allan sighed, unimpressed.
'Master Allan, I think I may have found a way!' from within his Pokéball, where he had been resting, Gallade said, 'Let me out so I can be sure.'
Releasing Gallade, Allan said in a warning tone, "You'd better be sure, Gallade. We don't have enough time to allow for a second chance if you're wrong."
'Right,' the Pokémon answered soothingly, 'But now that I'm able to give these barriers a closer look, I know that they aren't being generated by a man-made machines...' Gallade looked at them all with conviction, 'These were put here by Pokémon!'
"Pokémon? But I never even saw them," Riley said doubtfully.
'Oh, they're there, Riley,' Lucario said, after trying to sense what Gallade was detecting.
Stepping out of the shadows, no less than seven Mr. Mime appeared, surrounding each of the barriers, and giving their prisoners menacing looks.
"This could be bad..." frowned an unhappy Riley.
"Only if you don't seize this opportunity," Allan replied, moving back to the forcefield that he'd wanted to bypass earlier, and said, "If you Mr. Mime want to avoid critical pain, you'll let us pass on our way. If not, you're all going to be in a world of hurt. And don't pretend you can't understand what I'm insinuating... You psychic type Pokémon are too smart to miss the truth of my threats!"
Shifting uncomfortably, the Mr. Mime seemed to deliberate for a minute, before they finally lowered their barriers.
"A good choice," Allan sniffed impatiently, before moving on toward the next warp tile, Gallade and the others in tow.
"You made them release us with almost no effort!" Riley stated wonderingly.
Ignoring Riley's wonder, Allan muttered, "Because I meant it."
The next floor they arrived on was decorated very differently than the previous ones, and Allan thought about what this could mean for their mismatched party. Arriving at a very neat, and sterile office, that seemed to be what an eccentric CEO would keep, Allan looked over at the glass paneled desk that had flickering monitors in it. Moving further into the room, he noted all the computers that were humming quietly around the walls, and the stillness of the room's atmosphere that seemed to frown at their intrusion into this sacred place of dutiful research and study.
Hair rising at the back of her nape, Lucario growled, 'Lets get out of here... I don't like this place!'
"It'll be fine," Allan said to no one in particular, " Every major boss of some evil organization, or another, will have some kind of personal escape route by which they can bow out before things get too sour for their taste."
Searching the room with this in mind, they wandered further back beyond the main part of the office. Finally, they located exactly what they had been after; A warp tile that would lead them to the ground floor with little hassle.
"All aboard," Riley said with a relieved smile.
Moving onto the tile one after the other, all of them reappeared in a small storage area on the ground floor, with a door to the outside letting that faint, predawn light into the room with it's small window.
'That's right,' Lucario sighed, 'It was nearly one in the morning when we broke into Team Galactic's headquarters...'
'I don't know about you, but I really want to head over to the Pokémon Center for a good rest,' yawned Gallade, as he stepped over to the door.
"If you're that tired, then you should just get back into your Pokéball," Allan held it up to prove his point.
'No, I think I have enough energy to step out of this horrible place for myself before I take a rest!' Gallade, suddenly feeling less exhausted, charged ahead of the rest of them to the outside world.
Chuckling, Riley said, "You, and your partner, are a good match, Allan."
"Whatever," Allan said before following Gallade outside.
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Outside...
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"I thought you'd never arrive," said a creepily familiar voice as they all stepped out of the building.
"Charon!" Riley exclaimed, shocked to meet this Galactic Commander again so soon.
"Oh, come now! You didn't really believe that I would just let you all walk out of here without at least trying to stop you one more time," old Charon cackled unpleasantly.
'What do you say, Aura Knight? Have the strength for one last push?' Allan asked telepathically.
'You know it,' Riley smiled, answering in the same fashion.
"Gallade, come here," Allan said softly.
Obeying, the Pokémon allowed himself to be called back to his Pokéball. Raising an eyebrow at this, Charon said, "You are either very sure of yourself, or very foolish, for calling back your Pokémon like that, boy."
"I rather like to think of that as being diplomatic," Allan replied, his expression void of humor.
"And what is there to be 'diplomatic', about?" Charon asked with a slight frown.
"The situation is like this," Allan said stepping forward, "You and your minions have a chance to let us go without receiving heavy casualties. If you don't take this chance, I won't hesitate to put you all in the hospital with life-threatening injuries."
Taking a moment to digest this information, Charon broke into a grin, "You are tired, and weak. We are rested, and strong. The likelihood that you can actually pull off all that you claim is very slim indeed... Men, attack!"
"Crap," Riley said briefly, before turning with Lucario to handle the Grunts that came at them.
Allan, had no such misgivings. Casting a Pokéball, Allan called out, "Lapras! Use 'Ice Beam'!"
'Right away!' the water Pokémon readily responded upon being released, blasting several Grunts at a go.
"Damn!" Charon muttered, not having made room in his plans for the possibility that one of his targets could have more than one Pokémon at their disposal.
"Bah-Dewww!"
That was the last thing Charon heard, or knew, until much later in the day when he woke up in a bed in the Galactic H.Q. with a splitting headache.
The fight was fierce, Allan and Riley both knew that they were severely outnumbered. But what could they do? If they wanted to get away, they had to beat these uncomfortable odds. Even if it meant total exhaustion later on, when they were finally away.
"I'm not feeling too hot right now... Kind of makes me wish I had a secondary partner to rely on to give Lucario a break." Riley called to Allan.
'I don't need a break!' Lucario snapped, feeling feisty.
"Bah-dew!"
As this small cry rang out on the improvised battlefield, one of the Grunts shouted hysterically, 'Commander Charon has been shot down!"
Too confused now, to focus on trying to catch their targets, the remaining Grunts that were left standing immediately fled the scene, leaving their injured and unconscious behind.
"Some team..." Allan muttered, relieved that the fight was finally over.
"Bud-Budew! Bud-Budew!" : 'I did it! I did it!' cried the little Pokémon as it appeared suddenly by Allan's side, hopping up and down with elation.
'Indeed, you did, little one,' Lapras concurred happily.
'Budew,' Lucario moved over to them and said, 'Where were you? We lost track of you whole hours ago!'
"Bahdew..." : 'I was sleepy...'
Blinking in surprise, Lucario started to shake quietly.
"Lucario? What's wrong? Are you ill?" Riley asked worriedly when he saw his partner's behavior.
Finally, Lucario burst out with a barking laugh, and continued with her mirth by picking Budew up, and saying, 'You were sleepy? I've never heard anything so funny in a good long while!'
"Bu-budewww..." : 'It's not funny. It's true...'
'Let's all just head to the Pokémon Center now, for a good rest.' Lapras said benignly, relieved that they were finally able to move on, and away from Team Galactic's headquarters.
Sighing, Allan said, "Good idea..."
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Later...
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When they had arrived at the Pokémon Center, Riley insisted that he needed to make a quick phone call, but that he would be back to check-in with Allan and his Pokémon after he was done. Not really taking this to heart, Allan just waited by the front desk, ignoring the curious looks of trainers that thought he seemed out of place.
Budew was cuddled up to Allan's leg, as they waited for Riley and Lucario to return. Nearly dozing off where he stood, Allan shook himself to stay awake.
"Whoo-hoo! You look like you're about to keel over!" some random trainer said, walking up to him. Clearly, this guy was a morning person... And the last human being on earth that Allan wanted to deal with.
"Seriously, guy, what were you getting up to, to end up looking like that?" the trainer spoke again, not deterred by Allan's cold ignorance of his attempts at conversation.
"Hey, that's okay. I was just wondering is all..." the trainer said, finally losing heart that he was going to get anywhere talking to Allan.
Leaving Allan alone, at last, the trainer headed off to do whatever else caught his fancy.
"Sorry I took so long. That one phone call turned into three." Riley said tiredly, moving over to where the nurse stood to receive Lucario, and her Pokéball. Allan followed suit, handing Gallade, and Lapras, over to the nurse as well.
"Here's the key to your room, rest well," the nurse said when Riley had partially explained their situation.
Making their way to the room they were assigned, Allan quietly thought about ways he could rest up completely without leaving himself vulnerable to the Aura Knight's mercy. Coming up with zilch, he sighed impatiently with himself, and followed Riley into the room after he unlocked it and had gone in.
"I'll take this bunk," Riley said, indicating the bed on one side of the room, and seating himself, "You don't need to worry about me trying to catch you off guard, or anything. I believe that if I leave you alone, I'd be doing you a necessary favor... At least, by the story that Lucario told me about a certain Torterra."
Not caring what Riley was going on about in the slightest, Allan stepped over to the other bed across from the one Riley chose, and flopped onto it in exhaustion. Instantly asleep, Allan no longer cared if he did get caught. He was dead anyway, for failing his one mission assigned to redeem himself for his first mistake... When he failed, apparently, to kill Riley on the spot, after running into him on Iron Island.
These troubling thoughts before sleep, led to troubling nightmares as he slept, attempting to get some much needed rest.
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XXX
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In the meditation garden at the Aura Knight's headquarters, Master Starr sighed in happy relief on hearing of Riley's escape from imprisonment.
"But he will provide a full report when he returns? He did at least promise that, right?" Starr asked softly.
"Of course, Master, doesn't he always?" the young Aura Knight who'd given Starr the message, said lightly.
Chuckling, Starr said, "Of course. You're dismissed, Jeffery."
Bowing once, Jeffery, the young Knight, left Starr to his meditations.
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XXX
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"Cousin Riley's alright?" Maylene, Gym Leader of Veilstone city, said incredulously.
"That's what he said over the phone," a burly Black Belt said from his corner opposite his sparring opponent.
"Alright!" Maylene shouted, jumping up to punch the air in celebration.
Over near the room's doorway, Rex the Lucario smirked privately to himself.
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XXX
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On the Infina shoreline, a Lady Knight said, "Good grief, Riley... Way to scare the pants off everyone!"
"Pijo..." her Pidgeot agreed with a nod.
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XXX
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"What! That dumbass actually got himself out of that situation! Why the the hell did you all even call me back from my leave!" shouted an irate Derian Wilth.
"Do-gol-dah!" Derian's Golduck squawked, giving the council the his interpretation of the finger once again.
"Derian! Would you please do something about your partner's manners," Council Lady Sharinn sighed, in exasperation.
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XXX
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In a flower shop on the Valor lake front, a middle aged couple wept tears of relief that their son was alright, and that he would come to visit them as soon as he got the go ahead from the Aura Knight's Council.
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XX Later in the day XX
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It was past midday when Allan finally woke up. Sitting up in surprise, he noticed that he'd been moved under the bed covers. Quickly checking his hood, he found that it was still, somehow, in place.
'There's no way he didn't at least peek to see what I look like...' Allan thought, miffed that he hadn't taken the time to get Riley's promise that he'd respect Allan's privacy about keeping his identity a secret.
Sighing at these useless thoughts, Allan turned to more pressing matters, 'How am I going to get my partners, and get out of here?'
"Good afternoon," Riley said, walking into the room carrying a tray food, "I thought since you were still asleep, that I should move you under the covers... I hope you don't mind. I also brought us both lunch."
Keeping silent for a moment, Allan wasn't sure how to present his issues without sounding too ungrateful.
"Is something wrong?" Riley asked, wondering if he'd done something he shouldn't.
"Not unless you moved my hood without my permission," Allan said honestly.
"Oh, that..." Riley said, looking away, "Don't worry, I didn't actually look at your face, if that's what you're wondering."
"Really," Allan's tone suggested he didn't believe Riley for a minute.
"If you don't believe what I say, then look for the truth in my Aura. I'm not lying to you, Allan."
Looking at Riley. Really looking at him, Allan saw that he was definitely telling the truth. Relaxing finally, Allan said, "Fine. I'll believe what you say... For now."
"That's good," Riley let out a sigh of relief, "Do you like chicken sandwiches?"
"Only if they are not made with Combusken meat," Allan replied.
"Yuck! Do people even eat that anymore?" Riley asked incredulously.
"Do you really want to know?" Allan said darkly, taking a sandwich and biting into it.
Deciding to leave the rather unappetizing conversation behind, Riley chose to just eat his own sandwich.
After their lunch was finished, Allan said he wanted to wash up, and left the room. Which wasn't far from the truth, it was just that... Allan knew he could wait until he was safely away from the Pokémon Center to bathe himself.
Riley let him leave the room without really thinking about it. When it took Allan more than an hour to get back, he started to wonder if he'd been a little too trusting himself. Leaving the room to head to the front desk, Riley asked the nurse on duty if Allan had already checked himself, and his Pokémon, out of the Pokémon Center.
"Well..." she said, thinking about it for a moment, "Yes, actually. He did. Was there any particular reason why he had to wait up for you?"
Riley blinked, but then smiled in amusement, "No, not really. I just wish that he had waited up for me."
"I see," the nurse said, again thoughtful, "Should I pass a message along to him if he comes back?"
"No thanks," Riley said with an easy manner, "I know the routine, by now. If I want to keep up with him, I'll just have to find him."
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XXX
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On a relatively secret road that passes west of lake Valor's shores headed to Pastoria city, Allan was walking with Budew trailing determinedly behind him.
Allan still hadn't decided whether or not to let the little grass type join his team of companions... It wasn't an easy choice, for many reasons. The foremost being how small and young the Budew was. On the other hand, it was remarkably strong, for a little guy... But then there was the matter of Budew's potential chance of evolving all the way to it's final stage...
"Bah-Budew!"
'Allan, I think you should slow down a bit, for Budew's sake,' Gallade said from within his Pokéball.
"And I think you should put a sock in it," Allan grumbled, slowing his pace slightly.
'Really, though, Allan... Why is it such a bad idea to let him tag along? You don't even have to make him participate in any of our more dangerous battles, if you don't wish to.'
"Because, Gallade, we don't have time to baby-sit a Budew." Allan answered, becoming annoyed.
Budew was growing impatient himself. He wondered when his human hero would finally do that thing that all trainers do to make a Pokémon join them.
"Budew..." he said sadly, when Allan continued to ignore him.
Stopping finally, Allan turned to Budew and said, "Even if you died prematurely, would you still consider joining me an honor?"
Surprised that Allan was finally giving him attention, Budew nodded readily, and gave Allan a happy smile.
Raising an empty Pokéball that he had bought before he left Veilstone city, Allan said, "Fine then. I won't make you wait anymore!" and flung the ball at Budew's head.
Bouncing off Budew's head with a smart tap, the Pokéball seemed to float in midair for a moment, as beams of red light shot out, pulling Budew into the ball's embrace.
Clicking once to indicate the deed was done, Allan reached for the small capsule that now contained his new partner.
Sighing, Allan said, "You won't likely see a lot of action until I know what you are capable of, but welcome to the family."
'Master Allan...' Gallade whispered, mystified.
"Geez, Gallade! I thought you had finally kicked the habit!" Allan said in a sour tone.
'Sorry,' the Pokémon said, in a voice that carried a shrug, 'I can't help it sometimes. And right then... Well, I just felt really happy for you.'
"So you're done giving me a hard time about my leaving Riley, and his partner, behind without telling them that I was leaving?"
'Well... Maybe not for that.' Gallade said evenly.
Rolling his eyes at this, Allan started walking to Pastoria city again.
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Me: I actually lived up to my promise about getting no sleep... And now I feel exhausted! I hope you all at least appreciate the consideration I put into this effort. I did it for my reader's sake's! And that means you!
Riley: I don't know why I'm bothering to come back as your costar for this portion of the storytelling...
Me: Well... I didn't exactly get any complaints about you going missing like that, if that's what you're wondering.
Riley: WHAT? But I'm reasonable compared to a crazy person like you!
Me: Sorry, but that's how it is, Riley.
Anyway, I'm tired. So I'll hold off on the review call until I post the next chappy... That doesn't mean, though, that I don't recognize all the recent fans I've gained. I'm really happy about that! ^.^
But I'm looking out my window, and seeing that it's already daylight outside... Yeesh! You'd think I could type twelve pages a little faster than that, even if I did post chapter twelve after midnight! o.0