Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or any of its affiliated companies. The characters in this work are all loosely based on those created by Pokemon and its companies, and this story will never by no means be used to make monetary profit or gain.
CHAPTER TWELVE
All Aboard The Hype:
The battlefield was neither the plain rectangular arena of Brock's, nor Misty's floating platform centered in a swimming pool. For starters, this area was much, much larger than those gyms', so much that the trainers were stationed in observatory decks above the field giving them a clearer view of the battle, and a giant video screen focusing on different parts of the arena was attached to the ceiling so that the spectators could divide their attention between different aspects of the battle. Furthermore, instead of a man made, built arena, this gym featured part of a larger forest as its designated battlefield. Stone and marble were replaced by earth and dirt, the floor was not even with hedges and mounds serving as obstacles, and thick trees sometimes covered the pokemon from sight. There were clearings suitable for large scale battles, and also high tree tops from where surprise attacks could be dropped, covering flying pokemon from sight.
After arriving to the city and checking in a motel for a long-deserved shower, Pikachu and I made our way to Vermilion Gym, where I had planned to register for a battle. I changed my mind once I had realized my visit coincided with a combat challenge scheduled for today, and decided on instead buying a last minute, overpriced ticket for one of the worst spectator seats possible. Truth be told, I didn't know much about Surge's battling style, since I had never planned on battling him, I hadn't bothered myself with watching his videos. Now that the chance to watch him live was presented, I didn't want to miss it.
The challenger was a four badger, a Trainer Owen, and obviously familiar with team battles. His team of swampert, torkoal, and torterra was expertly picked; not only would the two ground types be immune to Surge's electrical attacks, by utilizing dual types, the trainer also presented a fire water grass core team, perfect synergy between teammates. As a bonus, a fire type would also prove incredibly useful in such an easily burnable arena.
To oppose this team, Surge had sent out his electrode, ampharos, and raichu. Honestly, there were only a few, very weak strategies I could think of that would help Surge win here, his team was too type disadvantaged in my opinion. Then again, the gym leader was a decorated army soldier, so I was curious what cards he was no doubt hiding under his sleeve.
As both teams were beginning to stretch out strategically, one thing I noticed was Surge not actively ordering his team, they were following a previously practiced drill. What Surge was doing instead was eyeing his opponent with his one good eye behind the shades he wore; people said he never took them out even indoors in case another attack similar to the stray nidoqueen dart would hit him.
He's an army guy, he has probably trained his team for multiple scenarios. Most likely his pokemon are following one of those plans now, and meanwhile, he's checking his opponent's plays, I thought. If true, this was actually valuable information I could use in my battle against him. I squinted my eyes and focused more on how his pokemon were acting.
Due to a previously mentioned rule, all spectators were keeping conversation and cheers to a minimum. Pokemon were more likely to be distracted in team battles than in singles, so the crowd was watching this match more respectfully in silence. I was half sure that even if they hadn't been warned by a gym aide they would still be quiet, this type of a match was more like a chess play between two human opponents, where the pokemon pieces placed could be critical and determine the outcome, rather than the all-out ultimate fighting accustomed to in single battles. I realized Trainer Owen's swampert had disappeared out of sight, a large hole in the dirt was visible, most likely the swampert had dug underground. The torkoal and torterra seemed to be doing nothing, but I could see the torterra slightly shaking on its feet. If I had to guess, I would say it was planting small leech seed traps. Apparently, Trainer Owen's plan was a more defensive one, hoping to draw Surge in and then surprise his pokemon with a hidden swampert and seeds, backing his attacks up with the torkoal's stored flames.
Efficient, smart, and without underestimation of his opponent, I liked this plan. I moved my eyes towards Surge's pokemon. Similar to Owen, Surge's pokemon were also split in a two to one ratio, his raichu Ira was moving quickly but quietly alone to the left side of the arena, and his electrode Invidia and ampharos Gullia were climbing one of the larger mounds in a central clearing. Because of the sheer size of the uneven area, the two teams hadn't seen each other yet, but once the electrode ampharos duo made it up, they would most definitely be spotted by Owen and his team.
Why does he want to- Oh. Ohhh. I see.
I now had a faint understanding on why Surge's team was split that way, and tried to see if so did Owen. He was either a very good actor, or he truly had no idea what was coming for him. In any case, he and his team saw Gullia and Invidia on higher ground, and in predictable fashion, perhaps too confident in his torkoal and torterra's defensive power, Owen decided to reveal one of his aces too quickly. The terrain under the electrode and ampharos trembled, and out came two strong, meaty hands, attempting to pull the two pokemon underground to the dugout tunnels where the swampert would have the advantage.
It worked partially.
The air crackled, and a violet, blueish light surrounded the electrode's spherical body as an electromagnetic field lifted the electrode up into the air. It didn't raise high, but was enough to avoid the swampert's grasp. The ampharos however was not so lucky and was forced to be pulled down with a cry. Owen allowed a victorious smile form on his face, one of Surge's team was down, an ampharos had no chance of winning a physical contest against a swampert.
Normally.
A very white, bright flash of light shined out of the hole's entrance, and the unmistakable cry of a swampert was heard. Owen watched in disbelief as Surge's ampharos slowly crawled out, shaken but otherwise fine. Seeing its teammate safe, the electrode dove in to the hole, after the swampert.
Boom.
I grimaced as I heard the sound, and Owen's face turned ash white. Blood poured out of the dirt like a geyser, showering Gullia the ampharos in pieces of swampert and electrode alike as if a forgotten god of war. People said Surge kept a number of electrodes ready, each named the same, every single one of them trained as well as the last, and he only deployed their explosive power on the worthiest of opponents. Surge was in his own way congratulating Trainer Owen in his choice of team and strategy by showing him a taste of his most powerful arsenal, a general saluting and praising his rival's strength by assuring mutual destruction.
I doubted Owen saw it the same way.
Shocked by the loss of his pokemon, and missing the obvious one sign of his defeat and how this had happened, it would have been better for him if he had signaled retreat, but no, pain and loss and anger clouded his mind, he was now out for blood, he would hurt Surge for taking a valued member from him. He signaled a command, and the torkoal spit his flames in direction of the ampharos, whereas the torterra lifted its forelegs and pounded at the earth in a powerful step. The ground cracked and followed a faultline, and by the swampert's digging and the electrode's explosion weakened earth collapsed on itself right under the ampharos. With a second cry the ampharos was once again buried underground, but this time the torkoal's flames too had caught up. The nearby trees caught ablaze, large burning branches fell on top of where Gullia was last seen, and the fire surrounding the area spread.
It took a full minute of burning for Owen to be satisfied, and he finally glanced up at his opponent with a vengeful face, aiming to see the same hurt Surge had caused now on his face.
To his surprise, he found none.
The reason became clear to him as part of the collapsed earth moved, and Gullia the ampharos dug herself out from all the piles of burning logs and dirt with another cry. She was injured of course, her tail looked broken and her crown jewel was cracked, but considering the attack was meant to be fatal, and normally should have been, she looked just fine.
And now it was Surge's time for offense.
With Owen's hasty revenge plan, the torterra had caused a shift in the ground with its multidirectional attack, burying his carefully hidden seeds too deep underground, rendering them ineffective. The loss of this huge defensive advantage marked the perfect time for Ira the raichu to remind herself, as she could now charge towards the torkoal and torterra unafraid. At the same time from a distance, Gullia the ampharos let loose a thunderbolt. Lightning traveled through the air faster than the human eye could track to hit... Ira the raichu's tail.
That torkoal is dead.
A raichu's tail acted similar to a marowak's bone, it served as a lightning rod. Except raichu themselves were electric types, their bodies effectively used this sudden burst of energy to channel out even greater voltages of thunder, this ability was one its species' signature traits. Owen's torkoal could definitely tank lightning from a raichu, it was bulky enough to withstand one attack until the torterra could come up with a counter measure; but a gym leader's signature pokemon's high voltage attack output increased by another electric pokemon of said leader's, yeah, no pokemon could measure up to that. A bright flash surrounded Ira, and a powerful surge of electricity flowed through her entire body, unleashing itself out in a direction of the raichu's choosing. Owen's torkoal didn't stand a chance, the coal pokemon fried inside out and dropped dead.
I could see from the blank expression on Owen's face he was in a psychological shock, his two pokemon were killed despite all the advantages they had against Surge's team. Perhaps if he were facing another leader, someone like Brock, he would be allowed a paused moment to recollect his thoughts, to signal his defeat and save the life of his last pokemon, or even plan some sort of comeback, his torterra was still uninjured and had the type advantage after all. But no, he was up against Surge, an elite soldier who dealt death in the most efficient way and did not bother with small things like mercy.
Ira the raichu attacked the torterra savagely, now that the opponent was a ground type, her attacks were physical instead of elemental. The torterra roared towards its trainer in pain and tried shaking off its assailant, but Ira was too well trained, jumping around, slashing with her tail and biting down with her teeth. The physical battle was of course an unequal one, a torterra would always have the upper hand, but Ira's attacks were mostly a distraction from the real threat, she was mainly giving a helping hand to her ally Gullia by diverting the torterra's attention. Not so much time later, climbing down the hill she was on, the ampharos made its way towards the two battling pokemon, and bowed her head, releasing from her jewel the signal beam most commonly associated with bug types, a corrosive, acrid ray that hit grass pokemon especially hard. The flashing light had a secondary effect of confusing the mind, so I wasn't surprised when the torterra kept missing on stomping the running around raichu.
It all ended relatively quickly though, Gullia's beam was burning the torterra from the outside, and Ira was bleeding it profoundly. Before its trainer could come to his senses, the continent pokemon fell on its knees to draw its last breath.
"Trainer Owen has lost the challenge!"
I shook my head in sympathy with the trainer. The tactic - oh yes, there was one - Surge had used was actually a common one in team battles, albeit not accustomed to be seen from an electrode, which explained why Owen hadn't caught up on it. What his electrode Invidia had did just before rising up in the air was what we called in the games as "screen setting". A strategy mostly seen in bulky electric or psychic types, the pokemon would set up either an electromagnetically or a psionic powered invisible shield around itself and nearby teammates, capable of tanking both physical and elemental attacks. With the ampharos covered in this defensive cloak, it was easy for her to tank the swampert's initial attack and surprise it by a blinding flash of her powerful tail glow. The greatest advantage of the screen was it lasted even after the pokemon who cast it was taken out, it only dissolved with time. So albeit to a lesser extent, Gullia the ampharos was able to take both the torkoal's flames and the torterra's earthquake.
Surge had played his opponent perfectly. He knew he could never face the prepared torterra and torkoal head on, so he had eliminated the third-party member in a suicide attack to shake their trainer, taunting him to give up his defensive advantage, and by utilizing the raichu only when she was needed, he had pitted a healthy, fresh pokemon with extra charge against the torkoal.
I nudged Pikachu on my lap gently to point at the giant screen in front of me that showed the picture of Lt. Surge live. "You see why I didn't want to battle against him?" I asked.
My fearless pikachu stood silent and nodded. With his tall, athletic built, silent demeanor mimicking my own, and his team full of professional killer mons, the Lieutenant was by far the most ruthless leader I had ever seen. His pokemon's cooperative skills were unparalleled, their strength was far superior to mine. Seeing him, watching him live had cast in me emotions I hadn't really felt in ever. I was in awe by him, his confidence, his leadership. My hesitation in coming here was wiped clean, the uneasiness I felt about going against him was erased. The fires of the challenge were lit.
I couldn't wait to face him.
I couldn't wait to defeat him.
))(())((
Before Arceusm, to the ancient Pewterians, the mountains were their gods. They birthed both the unconquerable beasts of the wild and the valuable resources necessary for the people to prosper, and hence they were made gods. Viridian Forest acted a similar role to the Viridianians, and for the Ceruleanians it was the rivers. The Fuchsians, unconquerable on land, feared the ocean, so their god was Lugia, a sea beast. For Cinnabarians it was their island volcano, for Celadonians, first to invent written words, it was the Unown, and for the Saffronians it was always their royal king and queen who were worshiped as deities.
There was a pattern here even the least bright could recognize: All these people living centuries ago, their gods had been the things they had feared or valued the most. And this rule did not only apply in Kanto, everywhere on the world, in Johto, Hoenn, or Kalos, wherever you looked, you would see humanity's ancestors making gods out of their own shortcomings.
So, what did that tell about the old Vermilionians if I were to say they had no god?
The founders of the city today called Vermilion had a different origin story compared to the rest of the mainland city. They were not refugees from the wild finding an environmentally safe soft, they were not farmers who had settled down from a gatherer-hunter lifestyle after agricultural improvements, no. What the first Vermilionians were was, to put it kindly, scavengers, savages, rapists, and scum, overall the worst people humanity had to offer.
To understand Vermilion City's history, one needed to know about the days before the unification of Kanto and the relationships between the mainland cities, of course in those days, they were the mainland kingdoms. Saffron and Fuchsia were by far the two oldest, most powerful kingdoms, so it was mostly these two that were at dispute with each other. Pewter was too isolated, Cerulean was limited by the same countless twisting rivers surrounding and protecting her, and Celadon was mostly ignored; a small kingdom where the laws were less sensitive, no kingdom could afford losing the profits from the shady businesses made there. Left alone, Viridian had found the chance to grow and prosper, especially after implementing the trainer system.
One could argue the name Vermilion stood at first for a people instead of a location. In the old days, exile was a worse punishment than death, and also less expensive. If any committed an unforgivable crime within city limits, simply throwing them out of the city walls to the wild costed less than paying executioners, and usually resulted in the same end for the convict. But the situation began changing after Saffron exiled a group of war criminals. Having their weapons, armor, and clothes taken from these men did nothing, acting like the seasoned warriors they were, they banded up and fought bare handed against the wild. Theirs was an epic of survival, there was no chance of them lasting long, there was no fort for them to give their last stand. They just wandered in the wild, each night losing more of their number in the battle against the beasts, each day cannibalizing their dead to avoid starvation.
Eventually they would all die, if luck and their travels had not brought them to a second exiled group from Cerulean. These were boat builders, and their crime was disrespecting the river gods and priests, and were hence sentenced their punishment. The two groups quickly worked out an arrangement, the Saffronians knew how to protect themselves whereas the Ceruleanians could offer a means of safety. Camping out for Arceus knows how many nights, the Cerulean people built a large ship while the Saffronians defended them from the wild pokemon. At the end, both groups boarded the ship and sailed on shallow waters, away from the land beasts and depth dwelling, more dangerous water pokemon.
But a ship could only last so long on water, and soon they understood they needed to dock for repairs. Deciding gathering numbers was their only chance of survival against both the wild and the kingdoms that had declared them criminals, they sought out other exiled convicts from other cities. Viridianian pokemon trainers, weapons crafters from Pewter, toxin brewers of Fuchsia, their merry brand of criminals grew and grew. They had a rule of only admitting those useful to their company, they slaughtered those they did not need. Soon their numbers were too many, and more boats were needed, which would eventually lead to confronting the Ceruleanians who ruled the inland waters. Fearing this, their boat builders began constructing wider, sturdier ships, more suited for open waters than rivers and lakes.
And thus were the Vermilion pirates born. Scavengers of the worst kind, they raided the mainland cities, stealing goods and women, storing their spoils in a fortress they had built in a hidden bay, exchanging them for gold in Celadon. Their greatest advantage was their unchallenged rule over the ocean, they had gained experience against the wild in fending off sharpedo and gyarados, and the human kingdoms had no chance against them on open waters; the strongest coastal city of Fuchsia had a superstitious fear when it came to the sea, and the fast but light boats of Cerulean couldn't cope up with the larger ships of the ocean. Having had enough, twice Saffron and Fuchsia allied up to scout and destroy the pirates' fortress city on land, twice they failed, the Pewterian exiled masons had built an impenetrable defensive fort on the grounds of today's Vermilion City.
Saffron and Fuchsia's mistake was that they were storming the Vermilionians with manpower, but the game was changing. Leonal Oak was now appointed chief in Viridian, and he knew acquiring Vermilion would be the most strategic first step in making his dream of a unified Kanto a reality. If he could gain the loyalty of these experienced sea dwellers, he could claim all their resources for his cause.
So, he proceeded with the only way he knew these pirates would follow him, he made them bow through force. Viridian was never the largest nor strongest kingdom, but they were the best in training pokemon, a then relatively newly established concept, and Leonal Oak himself could effectively use six beasts at once. The fortress that had stood tall against the long sieges of Saffron and Fuchsia fell quickly enough. Unable to cope with the trained flyers dropping down on them from above, the controlled fires burning their resources, the sturdy rocks hurled at their gates, and their frozen still ships, these opportunistic men of fortune decided joining Leonal would be in their best interest, and hence their kingdom of villainy was the first to become a city of Kanto.
Today of course you wouldn't see the likes of evil the old Vermilionions committed in their heirs, Vermilion City was now a peaceful, happy city. The only two things the people had inherited from their vicious forefathers was the remains of the old fortress located east to the city, and the love they still felt towards the sea, the only home their ancestors had truly felt welcomed. Most of Indigo's international commerce flowed through this port, with ships from Kalos, Hoenn, and Sinnoh docking to trade goods. One was more likely to hear foreigners here than any other city in Indigo, and the league had a much stricter approach in protecting this city than the others; a good half of Indigo's naval power was always stationed here, so it wasn't out of ordinary to run into sailors in their military uniforms on the streets accompanied by their companion pokemon. And since most of these sailors had either water or electric pokemon with them - the former advantageous in case of a friendly ship sinking and the latter when confronted against enemy water types -, Pikachu and I didn't stand out as much as we did in Cerulean, once I tightened and pulled my cap down, no one was able to recognize me.
After watching Surge live, I had decided against scheduling a challenge without coming up with a more solid plan against him first. On one hand, most of his team's strength seemed to come from prepared, practiced strategies, I hadn't seen Surge himself issue a single command the entire battle, it was all his pokemon alone. If I could counter his team's initial tactics, I suspected they might stumble and he would be forced to think on his feet and give orders, putting us on equal grounds. I was fairly confident I could catch his first opening moves, I had after all sensed what his plan with his electrode was the moment it had split away with the ampharos; there were only so many tactics these two combination of pokemon could work, and unlike Trainer Owen, I knew and could recognize most of them. On the other hand, there was no guarantee he would lead with the same trio against me, and I myself wasn't even sure which trio I was going to put against him. Callidora and Pikachu were a given, as my two best pokemon, despite the disagreements they had, I hoped they would at least cooperate during an important match.
But I lacked a strong third pokemon. Dante could prove useful in a forest arena, but he was still too weak. As was Paul, I would never dare put him up against the powerful thunderbolts Surge's team sent, he would die before setting up a room. Which left me with my persian, Silk. She was actually quite strong and could potentially last more than a few minutes against Surge. If only she obeyed me more and didn't try escaping me every time she was let out, for some inexplicably frustrating reason, I sucked at gaining the loyalty of strong wild pokemon, a fact I would admit to no one but myself.
I sighed as I tried not tripping over Pikachu who was making a game out of walking between my legs every time I took a step. I pulled his tail sharply as we stood in front of a shop that read clearly on front "No pokemon allowed!". He grunted but obeyed, and lied on his belly next to the shop's door.
I entered through and was greeted by the hopeful looks of the only salesperson on duty, but he ended up rolling his eyes and returning behind the counter when he saw how I was dressed. I didn't really blame him, this was a high-end clothing shop for people with some serious bank, and in my jeans, red jacket and cap, I looked anything but the part. I too ignored him and wandered through the men's aisle of tuxedos and suits, not quite certainly sure of what I was supposed to do.
The truth was I hadn't forgotten the second challenge expecting me in Vermilion, namely the S.S. Anne event. And although I disliked dressing up and spending more than needed money on one-time usage clothes, even I admitted I couldn't attend a party with all of Indigo's one percent present in my usual day time attire, hence was the need for a suit. Earlier I had sold my poochyena to a pet shop, the shop owner had convinced me in allowing him to advertise the bite pokemon by using my name, as in "Trainer Red trained this pokemon!", in return for an above average pay. I allowed this one time cheapening of myself because this money would bank me enough for a good quality, rental suit, and I didn't want to spend my gym earnings on anything unrelated to my end goal.
So, it wasn't financial problems that led to my hesitation in the shop, it was more that I was out of my element. My eyes fixed on one suit and the accompanying necktie, I had never learned how to tie one, that was usually a ritual taught from father to-
I shook my head trying to clear myself from the unnecessary emotions, but I failed. I had never been someone who felt alone, yes, I mostly was, but I had never felt it. My mother had done her best in raising me on her own, and I could never love her any more than I did now for that, but during my school years, I was unavoidably confronted with the fact there was some small, subtle part of my education that was lacking. I would never describe myself as ungrateful for what I had with my mother, but I would be lying that it didn't slightly sting when most fathers were outside school waiting to pick up their children and I had to walk my way home alone. Or when someone was showing off a watch their father had gifted them for their birthday. Or during something small like when I had passed by a child and father playing ball.
Or when during graduation when everyone was wearing a suit and necktie tied neatly, and I had avoided the problem with a bow-tie.
Trying to keep calm, I reached out and took out my dex, dialing my mother's number. It was an unspoken agreement between us not to make contact outside of necessity, I had grown into that age where I was beginning my career and independent life, and as a mother she could not help but respect that, but I suspected the real reason we never called each other was we were both trying to avoid the hurt. Despite all the bravado she put on, I knew she was never okay with me becoming a trainer, and perhaps some subconscious thought of me wanted to spare her the pain of reminding her what I had become.
Now however all of those excuses seemed silly as I was feeling hot and bothered, surrounded by all the suits and tuxes with their neckties looking over me as if they were mocking. The one thing about emotional outbursts was one never knew what would trigger them.
And the other was they were known to be calmed in presence of family.
"Hello?"
With one single word, she had cleared all the depressive clouds in my mind. I realized my vision was going blurry and wiped my tears.
"Hi," I simply said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Oh," she responded.
A minute of silence passed between us, each side trying to figure out what to say.
"I've been hearing about you a lot," she finally decided on. "I couldn't be prouder you know."
She meant it, she still disapproved of my career choice, but the feelings a mother felt towards her successful child were reigning supreme. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"I know," I simply said, which resulted in another prolonged silence.
"A... a suit," I finally muttered. "I need to rent a suit. And a tie. Any advice?"
"I see. Social gathering or career related meeting?"
"Social. I'm about to meet some people pretty high up the food chain," I joked, but couldn't help shake the thought, why am I bragging to her?
"Then ditch the suit. You wear a suit to work. If you're out there as yourself, you wear a tuxedo. And no necktie really works with a tux, grab a bow-tie. Simple design, everything else stands out as exaggerating." She paused before continuing. "I would suggest darker colors, but never entirely pitch black. Just choose what represents you the best, Red."
Red.
This was the first time my mother had referred to me in my trainer's name instead of given one.
"Will do," I managed before hanging up.
I walked towards the salesperson and presented him with both my trainer's ID and the invitation in my back pocket.
"In four days' time I will be attending a party hosted by Obadiah Silph." I accentuated on the name and enjoyed the salesman's eyes widen in recognition. "And I've decided on renting a tux from this shop. I want something a shade lighter than black, but still dark. And a bow-tie that suits. Any suggestions?"
"Cer- eeh, certainly sir, of course!" He dropped a pen while searching for something on his desk. "If you'd please follow me..."
Half an hour later I walked out of the place with my wallet considerably lightened. The salesman had taken my motel address and guaranteed he would send the items a day before the event. Pikachu growled under me, annoyed at me spending so much time in there, but I ignored him and bent one knee down to reach his eye level and inspect him carefully.
"How long has it been since you've been properly groomed?" I seriously asked, enjoying the worried sparks flickering on his cheeks.
"Let's go." I stood up. "We have lots to prepare for."
))(())((
"Remember," I warned Pikachu for the thousandth time. "Behave."
He growled back nastily.
"Hey, I hate this as much as you do," I said. "But don't you want to know what the rockets are up to?"
That shut him up.
We walked down the pier leading to where the S.S. Anne was docked, and I had to admit I was extremely, extremely uncomfortable. This morning I had went to a barbershop for the night's occasion, and with my considerably long hair cut and missing the cap I had been wearing since my first day in Cerulean, I had never felt my face so unprotected and open to inspection. I almost felt as if the scar James' victreebel had left on my face was burning bright, acting like a neon sign in Celadon's rumored back alleys designed to reel in strangers.
All of it was just my imagination of course, and in truth, I probably looked good. The tux's dark jacket suited my toned body perfectly, and the slight hint of light gold color in my shirt was compatible with my companion Pikachu's bright fur. Disregarding his protests, I had made him go to a grooming salon, and his sleek and equally trimmed down fur now shined the most beautiful of yellow.
"ID and invitation, please," the trainer hired as security demanded. I checked the beheeyem drifting behind him with open curiosity as he inspected my credentials. Unova supported an entirely different ecosystem compared to the rest of the regions, the native pokemon species were endemic and entirely unique, and due to the conservative governmental laws and strict border control there, it wasn't every day you saw an Unovan pokemon. I could only recognize the funny looking, supposedly extraterrestrial pokemon thanks to daily studying the comprehensive pokedex Professor Oak had gifted me. So old man Silph can even afford to pay for a security team that utilizes foreign pokemon, I thought. There's no way anyone can get past. Mr. Silph clearly prioritizes the safety of his VIP guests', as he should. The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous I found the rockets hitting this party, clearly Rocket Butch using the word Anne was nothing more than a coincidence.
"You are not Mr. Stein, Mr. Red?" the trainer asked, interrupting my thoughts. It took me a moment to understand he was referring to Bill.
"No, obviously not," I said trying to give my voice a more snobby, self-indulged tone. "I am here representing Bill." I especially emphasized on Bill, hoping that calling him by his more familiar nickname would prove I was close to him and it wasn't farfetched for me to attend in his stead.
The guard eyed me suspiciously, not exactly convinced, but I knew he couldn't afford directly confronting me and making a scene in case I truly was here to fill in for one of Mr. Silph's guests. In his hand, Bill's invitation card twitched, since he had scanned the letter with his dex he was sure it was genuine, but he was probably wondering if I had stolen it from its original intended. Then again, he had spoken as if he had heard of my name, so he could be thinking about what motive a newly famous trainer could have for boarding the ship and what potential harm I could cause. Ultimately though, he acted exactly how any hired help would act, he reached for a hidden earpiece with one hand and asked his superiors what to do.
"Sir? I have received a guest with an invitation addressed to Mr. William Stein and- No, no sir, he's not actually here..."
I grinned to myself, the reclusive lifestyle of Bill's was going to help me immensely. For this sort of crowd, social status was all that mattered, and what an impression would it leave when someone like Bill, one of Indigo's smartest and richest who had always shunned from this sort of gatherings, decided to attend a party hosted by Obadiah Silph. I was sure if even Silph would be disappointed that Bill himself didn't actually show up, he would still be delighted in having the person who came on his behalf, especially if that said someone was a hot topic nowadays.
"No sir. A trainer. Trainer Red." I noticed him wincing as if suddenly someone had shouted loudly to his ear. "Yes, sir, as far as I can understand, he is the Trainer Red," he said while looking at Pikachu. "I understand sir. Immediately sir." He dropped his hand from his ear and addressed me again, this time with a smile. "Apologies for the delay, Mr. Red. Do please climb aboard, and I wish you a pleasant evening."
Nodding my head towards him, I passed by and entered through the wide open hatch door to board the S.S. Anne. After a few small steps of stairs, Pikachu and I finally climbed up out to the ship's deck, and before I could even take in my surroundings, a young man in his thirties appeared out of nowhere.
"Trainer Red! An honor to meet you, big fan of your work!" A wide grin on his cleanly shaven face and a slight twinkle in his eyes showed he was sincere. "And this must be the world's most famous pikachu. Hello to you, sir," he said towards Pikachu.
I wasn't sure who this person was, but he had one of those auras that made people instantly warm up to him, similar to Blue's, and I did appreciate he had addressed Pikachu separately and greeted him properly. I was worried Pikachu would perhaps react less friendly, to my surprise, he responded in an almost pleasant growl. The man chuckled and introduced himself. "My name is Jacob, Jacob Silph, it's father's party for my brother you're attending tonight." He kindly motioned us forwards with his one arm. "Sorry to jump on you two like that, but I'm a big fan of the games, and Red - Do you mind me calling you Red?" I shook my head, and he continued. "And Red, have you made a splash! I always tell father we should invite more trainers to these gatherings..."
He waved his hands towards the crowd I now saw. Every man was dressed formally, the women were in their evening gowns, people in many groups of four or five were socializing, and waiters in their white suits were offering cocktails and fried clauncher. There were even pokemon present, delcatty in the arms of elderly ladies, many eevee and eeveelutions next to their owners, proud growlith sitting at the feet of their masters, and I briefly saw one old man with a chattot on his shoulder. The party was held on deck in open air, and hanging from the cables stretched from one end of the ship to the other, small decorative lights in many colors illuminated against the fast approaching dark of the night.
Slightly grabbing me by the arm, Jacob Silph led me carefully through the crowd, and I could feel many pairs of eyes staring at us and hear the murmurs beginning. As we walked he started again in a louder voice. "So, you're here on behalf of the elusive Mr. William Stein, eh? Well, do please tell the next time you see him, he can't keep avoiding us Silphs, one of these days we'll make him appear in public." He once again heartily laughed and then gave a small, quick wink at my direction. "But we do appreciate him at least apologizing and sending you, you might be the only person here who has seen him in person! Tell me, are the rumors true about his face?"
I had no idea what the rumors about his face were, but I could see what Jacob Silph was aiming for, and my admiration for the man grew in seconds. The people here tonight, they were influential men of wealth and taste, and truth be told, despite the attention I was getting lately, they would never care about a two-badger trainer like me, and going further, the fact that I was here tonight with them was an insult to their faces. And if they were to think the Silphs had taken the time to send me of all people an invitation for a private event, tonight's hosts' standing in the social hierarchy would diminish. The families here preyed on scandal and feasted on opportunity, they would never let the Silphs forget they had greeted a nobody to this party with open arms.
But Jacob Silph had cut all of that potential harmful rumor in one swift move. By dragging me right to the center of the crowd, and loudly announcing my relationship to Bill, a connection of its truth he had no idea about, he made it clear I was not here as a trainer, but as a mouthpiece, an emissary to one who truly belonged here. And what was more, he was simultaneously also strengthening his family's name, for now the guests were thinking Bill, Bill who was one of the youngest, smartest, and wealthiest men in Indigo, Bill who had never made an appearance nowhere no matter how much insisted, had not only received the Silph family's invitation, he had acknowledged it, and had even taken the time to find to send someone in his place to deliver his - made up - apologies. In a split second the murmurs doubled in intensity, I even saw some of the guests' eyes widen in interest, closely examining me.
I looked at Jacob Silph and realized he was waiting on an answer with that same playful twinkle in his eyes. I smiled to show I had understood his game; he couldn't of course know if my relationship with Bill was true, if Bill had truly given me his invitation, or if I had somehow lucked myself upon it, but he had turned a potential crisis to his gain while at the same time helping me being taken seriously in this social arena. I put one finger on my lips, making a quiet sign, and shook my head.
"Bill is... a personal friend," I spoke. "And one whose trust is hard to gain. His secrets are safe with me and Pikachu I'm afraid, Mr. Silph."
Jacob Silph rolled his eyes and snorted. "Call me Jacob, Red, Mr. Silph is my father. And I was kidding before of course, it's an honor to entertain a close friend of William Stein."
And with that last remark, my place in tonight's events was sealed. Their curiosities satisfied, the eyes prying on us drifted away and minded their own business, the chatter resumed at a normal level, and I accidentally let out an uncomfortable sigh. I really wasn't at my best when under public attention.
Jacob noticed my discomfort. "You handled that well for someone with no experience," he whispered. "And I didn't lie when I said I was a fan, not many here enjoy battling, especially father, I would steer clear of him tonight if I were you - that's him by the way." He pointed at a short, overweight man with a balding head and long grey beard. It was no secret that Obadiah Silph was an aging man who had sired both his children at quite a late age, but I was still surprised to see the age difference between Jacob and his father. And if it's Jacob's brother's coming of age party, the younger Silph must be just turning eighteen, I thought to myself. Then another thought entered my head. Why is Jacob helping me tonight?
"Like I said, I'm a fan." Jacob once again caught me by the arm and walked me, Pikachu followed behind us. "And when it comes to business, I have some... let's just say I differ from my father." His voice grew serious as he gave me a sideways glance. "Father would rather invest in stocks, whereas I, I believe in investing in people. I believe you do someone a favor, in the future they will likely return it. So maybe tonight I help out a fast-rising trainer to establish his standing, and who knows, perhaps later when he's become a leader or four, he'll be more likely to sign off a permission warrant for a construction site in some preserved area like Cerulean Cape." He laughed again. "All of this is hypothetical of course."
Seeing the motivation underneath his actions, I nodded. I couldn't help but like Jacob Silph, he seemed a good businessman with a clear understanding of how the world and people worked. He kept walking with me, clearly leading me to some specific group he had in mind, while introducing his other guests.
"That over there is Baoba Kaiser, he owns half the tour agencies in both Safari Zones. Ah, and here is Lady Naoko, always a pleasure seeing you, how fare your sisters?" We moved past the Kimono Girl of Ecruteak City.
"We have all the way from Hoenn, Mr. Stone of Devon Corp. talking with my father there – look." I squinted my eye to catch a better look of the father of Champion Steven Stone, but Jacob clearly had other guests to attend to and was now walking in a hurry.
"There's another trainer, I think his trainer name was Archie, Archen - eh something similar -, but he's best known as Caleb Luthor, son of the owner of Goldenrod radio, Elijah Luthor. You might have heard of him, his station is doing quite a lot of pieces on you nowadays, so Caleb will likely want to meet you."
He pointed at another figure, an elderly short man. "You probably know Master Dragneel, patriarch to the Blackthorne Dragon Breeders Clan." I gasped as I realized the grandfather of Champion Lance and Leader Clair was here, but we had finally reached the people Jacob was itching to introduce me.
"And here are the two people closest to your age Red. This beautiful lady is Alexandra Wiseman, aka Trainer Alexa, granddaughter of Orin Wiseman and heiress to the Wiseman's Market Chain. And here's someone from Pallet, maybe you two know each other? Allow me to introduce,"
Of fucking course.
How could I not have thought of this? My hands turned to fists as I tried containing my anger, and Pikachu's fur crackled threateningly.
"Young master Garret of the esteemed Oak bloodline," Jacob Silph finished. "Why don't all three of you get to know each other better, I'm sure you youngsters would much rather enjoy each other's company than the fossils' here. If you'll excuse me..." He then left to mingle with some other guests.
"Charmed," said Alexa sarcastically as she offered her hand, but I left it in the air, I was too focused on staring at my rival, who the last time I saw had thrown me out of a bar window, stomped on my starter with his heracross, and betrayed my trust to institutionalize a sick, helpless girl, knowing fully well I was intimate with her. Alexa's hand dropped, as she slowly understood there was some history between me and the esteemed Garret Oak here.
"Never leave a lady hanging Reddy boy," Blue said with an inch of humor in his voice. "You're acting awfully rude towards Alexa here."
"It's alright Gary. I've come to expect such actions from Pokemon Trainer Red whose only merit seems to be humiliating gym leaders."
The unexpected hostility in her voice diverted my attention, and I looked at her properly, finally recognizing her as the Trainer Alexa, the five badger whose record I had topped, and who did not like my "attitude". A brunette with a strong jaw and muscular build, she was not particularly beautiful, but that could have been my prejudice towards her.
"Not my only merit," I gritted through my teeth. "I also break records."
Her eyebrows rose as Blue laughed, he was clearly enjoying our exchange. "Well then, I suppose the night was actually productive, even if it only served to prove Trainer Red can actually speak," she spat out. "I'll leave you two to each other, gentlemen."
"I think she likes you. You know how little boys pull on their favorite girls' hair? Kind of like that," joked Blue, watching her leave. He then turned to me. "Looking sharp today Red, never seen you like this before. Begs the question: Why?"
Pikachu's growls rose, and a woman from a nearby group looked at us hesitantly for a second before continuing her own conversation.
I still didn't utter a word to Blue.
"C'mon Red, put a pin on your rat, you're scaring mine." He pointed towards his feet and I noticed his ratticate crouched behind his legs. "If you're still mad at me about last time, well, that's a two-way street. Also, I'm not sure if this here is the best place to make a scene." He then laughed to himself. "And just so you know, I almost died - I've just been released from the hospital, and what does my shitty gramps do? Force me to attend this borefest." He rolled his eyes. "Then again, if you're here..." He looked at me curiously.
I didn't answer Blue's unspoken question, I was hung up on his confession that he had almost died. Forcing myself to look at him through eyes untainted with anger, I realized he really did seem sick. He was thin, way too much thinner than I last saw, his tux seemed a couple sizes too large. His skin was also a shade paler than usual, the sickly white of a recovering patient, and his grinning mouth looked huge on his bony face. I understood he was speaking the truth, from my experiences, I could tell he had faced a dire situation and had overcome it.
Slowly, I unclenched one fist, then the other, and clicked my tongue. Pikachu stopped growling, and I tried speaking in a calmer voice. "What happened?" I asked.
His answer was a grin as the familiar blue light returned to his eyes when he pulled on his tuxedo's jacket, revealing his pokebelt.
That bastard.
To his left, there were three pokeballs. I knew these to belong to his bench or sparring team, and I already knew he had a ratticate and pidgeotto, so since our last meeting he must have added another pokemon, great. But the real shock was seeing the amount of pokeballs on his right side, a spot reserved for the main team.
I knew the first pokeball was his jolteon's, a great supporting mon with an immunity to electric attacks, a direct counter to my starter.
I knew from painful memories that the second one belonged to the unstoppable behemoth that was his heracross.
And now next to that one, there was a third ball, dangling freely from its hold, another member from Blue's personal pick of exceptionally dangerous monsters, one he had no doubt had to fight for his life to obtain.
He's doing it. He really is doing it, that bastard. He said he would collect the abnormal, the strongest monsters in existence, the freaks of nature, and he's halfway done. He's even keeping his jolteon in her ball here in public and letting his ratticate free instead so no one can guess what pokemon his starter evolved to, so no one can prepare for his team.
I looked at my life long rival with admiration, envy, and anger all at once. He's hiding in plain sight. While I've spent these past months gathering badges, making a name for myself, he's been preparing, preparing, and preparing, and when he finally comes, who's going to be able to stop him?
Heh. As if that was a question that needed answering.
"Meet Argo," whispered Blue, oblivious to my thoughts. "And although I've only had him for eight days, I can easily say, he's the nastiest motherfucker on my team, a true sadistic fuck that almost got away with killing me. Almost." He patted the ball lovingly before allowing his jacket to cover it. "Fucker did hospitalize me though, I almost didn't make it here on time, had to call and beg Daisy to lend me her alakazam to teleport me here."
That explains the other ball. Wait. "Why didn't you simply buy a porting ticket?" I asked, knowing the Oak fortune could afford one easily.
"Didn't know I had to explain my reasons to you Red," replied Blue almost too quickly, and I noticed his lip twitching. There was more to this story, but I let it drop. "And now on to you. We both know you're like a goldeen out of water in this sort of environment." He waved his hands around him. "So you better tell me what you're doing here before you mess up. Maybe I can help?"
I openly laughed, the last time I had shared him a secret had ended with the demise of someone close to me. Ignoring his disappointed look, I grabbed a cocktail from one of the wandering waitresses, carefully examining her face. No, there was nothing familiar about it, and I almost giggled at my foolhardy attempt, what did I expect, the word "Rocket" written on her forehead in bold letters?
A sudden lunge of the floor caught everyone by surprise, which quickly turned to laughter as the S.S. Anne began moving. With all the invited present, the ship would finally begin its cruise around Vermilion Bay. I grabbed a fried clauncher from another waiter and dropped it so Pikachu could get a taste. Taking small sips from my drinks, I tried to find anything out of ordinary, anything that would indicate somehow the ship was under threat, but saw nothing. I did marvel at the efficiency of the security team hired though, trainers on great flying pokemon were taking turns at flying above us in circles, I counted a noiverne, a noctowl, two crobat and honchrow, pokemon excelling at fighting during night. On the other side of the deck's railings were trainers in diving suits that no doubt carried water pokemon, and trainers with xatu, claydol, gardevoir, and gallade; all psychic type, all capable of teleporting guests to safety in case of an emergency.
I snorted. There was no way the rockets would dare hit here, this was all a waste of my time. Following my gaze at the security detail hired, Blue felt the need to give some explanations. "Riana Security. Founded by some vet, Ariana Webster. They're pretty good, she doesn't accept anyone without a minimum four badges won by battle or actual combat experience to her company. Gramps hired them once when he was travelling to Unova. But why are you interested in- Oh my fuck'n Arceus." Blue drew a sharp breath before leaning forward to whisper. "That's why you're here. You're after them."
"I have no quarrel with hired security Blue," I said, calmly sipping my drink. I felt a drop hit my head and looked up, was it about to rain?
"I told you once before Red, wise cracking doesn't suit you. You're here for Melanie's so-called rockets. That's the only thing that would make you attend this sort of thing. That's why you're checking the security, to see if they will hit here. You encountered them. Again." He looked around, also trying to spot something out of place. "You have to warn these people Red."
"Blue," I said, angry and irritated he knew me too well. "You're paranoid. And do not, ever, say her name again. You don't get that. You don't fucking get to do that."
A silence grew between us, and the patter of more raindrops hitting the deck could be heard. People were beginning to move inside, and I too aimed to leave when Blue's hand on my shoulder stopped me. "You know what Red," he said in the most serious voice I had ever heard from him. "I'm done. I. Am. Done. You do you Red, you're obviously good at it. Just remember, if anything happens tonight, if even one soul is hurt, it's on you. Trainer Red against the fucking world, Arceus forbid he ask for help as he aims to conquer it all for no reason at all." He stepped in front of me and walked ahead, his ratticate Partner tailing behind.
Pikachu's fur lighted up and crackled, but I shook my head and scratched the top of his head. No, I wasn't bothered by Blue's words, we had had the exact same discussion in Cerulean, and I had already accepted he was right and was actually trying to improve on the belief backing my ambition. Besides, if he knew what lead I had based myself on in coming here to investigate, I was sure even he would admit the connection was flimsy and there was nothing to worry about. Pikachu sniffed the air hungrily, and soon a blaze of lightning lit the sky, a storm was approaching, and the rain's pace quickened. I hurried my way in with the rest of the guests.
Small tables were set up in front of a stage, and the guests were beginning to take their seats. I chose one still empty near the back, Pikachu between my legs, and was surprised when suddenly someone approached to sit next to me. A man about the same age as Jacob Silph offered me his hand.
"Caleb Luthor."
I recognized the name Jacob had told me about, this was the son of the owner of Goldenrod radio, the one with a trainer's name Silph couldn't remember. I shook the offered hand but said nothing back.
"You know, I've been wanting to meet you for a long time Trainer Red."
That's right, suck up to me. See the good it'll do you to convince me going live at your show, I turned to face the main stage where some sort of attraction was happening, Obadiah and Jacob Silph were at the center with a third person, a boy, asking for what I was guessing was a microphone.
"Testing. Testing- EEEEOUCH!" screamed Obadiah Silph as the microphone shrieked, and everybody had a good laugh. "Hello everyone, and thank you all for coming to celebrate young Marc's birthday here." Slow clapping interrupted his speech. "But there is actually another reason I've invited you all here, one that was going to wait for the end of this party, but unfortunately, due to a storm approaching we'll have to cut this thing short." The crowd awwwed loudly, and old man Silph dismissed the protests with a wave of his hand. "You see," he continued his speech. "You all might have missed it in my handsomeness, so are you ready to hear this? This might come as a shock: I am old." The crowd roared in laughter, and I missed the next part because Caleb had suddenly leaned near my ear.
"I've been trying to find you ever since Pewter, but boy, you don't rest, do you? So busy." He laughed.
I couldn't take it, this media parasite was seriously beginning to bug me. I whistled softly, and Pikachu jumped out up to the table, growling and fur charged. Luckily, with everyone busy listening to Obadiah, no one else saw this stunt.
"Back off," I warned Caleb.
"-and it is my great honor to introduce the next CEO of Silph Co-"
He looked at Pikachu in an unimpressed manner. "Always meddling in other people's business." He shrugged in a relaxed manner. "Like father like son I suppose."
"MY SON, JACOB SILPH!"
The loud announcement and following applause drowned not only the sound of me standing up abruptly and knocking my chair down, but also the roar of Pikachu's thunder aimed at where Caleb was seated just seconds ago, and the click of a pokeball opening underneath, dropping Caleb Luthor into a collage of shadows, making him disappear out of sight.
What just happened?
I tried breathing calmly but couldn't.
What the fuck just happened?
I needed to sit, find balance, I needed to-
WHAT THE FUCK DID HE JUST SAY!
Pikachu looked up at me worried as I tried grasping the edge of the table in front of me with both hands. Feeling dizzy and sick, I looked up, only to encounter the second horror of the night.
A tall, muscular waiter had just popped open a bottle of champagne and was now pouring the Silph family their celebratory drinks.
A tall, muscular, blonde waiter.
A tall, muscular, blonde waiter, with a same color, thick mustache.
So, how's your brother doing?
Duke's on the Anne mission. Good mission.
And even though I was at the far back end, furthest to the central stage, I swore I saw the waiter look up and glare directly at me, and finally smirk as the three Silphs drank from their glasses.
"NO!"
And thus began the third disaster.
My scream was unheard as multiple roars echoed around us, and the S.S. Anne shook violently, the lambs and chandeliers all falling and shattering. The crowd began screaming as the broken glass cut some of them, and then again more loudly as the ship leaned dangerously on one side. Everyone lost their balance, I tried grabbing Pikachu as I rolled on the ground, but the motion was reversed almost immediately as suddenly the ship leaned back to its other side. People were in panic, the white lights were gone and the emergency red lights had kicked in, increasing the stress people were feeling, and I supposed I was perhaps the only one in all my panic knew where to look, only to see the trap sprung.
I saw both Jacob and Marc Silph run away from their father, who was either injured or had passed out, as they courageously tried helping others to their feet, escorting them to the emergency exists, performing acts everyone else would consider heroic, but the truth was only known to me, as I could see their eyes. Their fearless, adrenaline filled, reckless eyes that reeked of drug manipulation, making the Silph brothers act on impulse with disregard to their own safety, their own sanity.
And as they were away from their father, they of course missed when the teleporting trainers of Riana Security barged in, most of them injured, but still trying to do their duty to the fullest, as they began porting out VIP guests out to safety, starting with Obadiah Silph. I saw the heartbroken father reach out for his children as the trainer only doing his duty grabbed on to him and bampf! Disappeared.
More bampfs could be heard if listened carefully over the deafening sounds of metal over metal grinding, snapping, breaking, and finally, as the roof broke free, torn open wide for the pounding rain to batter at us in all its fury, the perpetrators for the attack were made clear with thunder once again lighting the sky, and those who weren't passed out, screamed in wordless horror at the gaping, endless mouths open in front of us.
The giant wyrms roared, and their voice brought the howling wind with them, thunder flashed, and the gyarados hit the S.S. Anne all together again, once more bringing the ship dangerously close to tipping point. We were caught in a mating dance of dragons, the coupling of gyarados, the omega level undisputed terrors of the ocean. One was enough to flatten cities, and here were more than fifty.
We're all dead.
Two of the smaller atrocious pokemon dove in, their heads were small enough to fit through the opening, and I watched in horror as the fearless Silph brothers pushed the would be gyarados victims out of the way, only for themselves to be-
A blinding light cut its way to the dragon.
The great wyrm cried in pain as lightning fried its side and an oversized icicle pierced through the eye. The head slithered backwards, and disappeared out of the hole, taking only one of the brothers with it.
Only one.
"GO RED!"
I didn't even need to hear Blue's cry as I dashed towards Marc Silph, both Pikachu and my rival's two pokemon providing cover fire against the gyarados. The rain made the floor slippery, but I was closest to him, I would make it, I would-
"No, you don't."
And suddenly I was covered in a mass of red constricting tentacles, binding my legs and arms, crushing my windpipe. Pikachu dared not attack with his lightning in fear of killing me also, but he wasn't even given the chance as he jumped out of the way of the snapping jaw of the houndoom. Struggling for breath, I barely saw Caleb Luthor and a parasect at his side walk their way towards the lying still body of Marc Silph.
No. No, no, no!
No...
The parasect pulled out its bloody pincer from the body of Marc Silph. I was on the verge of passing out as I heard Caleb approaching.
"I never told you my trainer name, did I? I am Pokemon Trainer Archer, lifelong rocket, at your service." He gave a comical bow. "And now you die, Trainer Re- Ah, Arceus dammit."
I gasped for breath as he recalled the octillery on me, and also the parasect at his side. "Don't you hate it when you're interrupted?" he asked.
What? What?
"Hope to see you later, Trainer Red," he said, attempting to jump and pull Marc Silph's body with him into a shadow created by his houndoom.
But Pikachu wouldn't have it. A thunderbolt hit Archer on his side, and I heard a painful cry and smelled burnt clothes, but more importantly, I saw many small pills drop onto the wet floor from his jacket just before Archer managed to shadow out of here with the young Silph. Reaching out, I managed to grab a handful and stuff them in my pocket when a heavy body dropped in front of me from the sky.
"Are you okay?" yelled Trainer Alexa on her skarmory. My throat injured, I could only give a thumb up, not sure if she could actually see it through the heavy rain. "Make it to Gary's position!" she cried. "Help's on the way!" She took flight back to the air.
I realized what she meant with Gary's position was the makeshift barricade Blue's heracross had constructed out of the knocked over tables while I was busy with Archer. With the gyarados still clashing above us, Pikachu and I ran our way back to him and jumped over the tables, landing safely in the middle of a circle of the remaining injured guests of Obadiah Silph. Blue was leaning his back on a turned sideways table, and his jolteon was on his one side sending bolts. A giant cloyster on the other shot icicles.
Wordlessly I released Callidora. If she was surprised to suddenly find herself in Hell, she at least tried not showing it on her face. Her extended vines reached out and began binding the tables surrounding us together, strengthening our defense. Pikachu also ran and took his place next to Blue's jolteon, and the two electric types tried holding back the onslaught of gyarados.
"Silph?" Blue asked, shouting.
I looked at him, he probably had missed Caleb Luthor taking the body and leaving amidst the chaos and rain. I shook my head and he nodded grimly.
"Any other monsters of use?" I yelled. It was his turn to shake his head.
"Invictus is useless in this situation, I called him back after having him assemble this fort. Partner, I, I lost him in the chaos, and Sky would be ripped apart. These two only. You?"
"Calli and Pikachu are already out, I have an untrained persian and a fire type against the strongest fucking water mons in existence, no thanks. And I'd rather save Paul until after we sink."
"We're not going to sink," shouted Blue, sure of himself. "Those remaining from Riana Security ported most of the guests, us and these guys are the only ones left. Problem is-" The deafening noise of a steel beam crashing against the floor interrupted him.
"Problem is," he tried again, yelling. "We're probably off the ship's designated course, the porters don't know where to teleport back to pick the rest of us up, and the storm's interference is blocking our dexes. That's where Alexa comes in, she's trying to fly above the storm and send a signal with her pokedex. Once she manages that, they'll know where to come. We just have to hold on."
"And you thought about all this on your own?" I shouted back as I tied myself to one of Callidora's vines, unwillingly impressed despite the crisis.
"No! Alexa did, her idea. We just have to stay put!" he answered as he too tied himself to the literal life line of Callidora.
A minute of silence passed as we stood between our pokemon trying to fend off the sea beasts and Callidora tying our numbers together. Crawling on the floor, I managed to pull myself closer to Blue and threw my back next to him. "Blue," I whispered. "There's a high chance Alexa's not going to make it. And if these gyarados widen that hole, once they're in, we can't defend ourselves with tables."
"You think these people need to hear that?" He pointed at the many injured and passed out cowering in front of us.
"No," I said. "But you can save another good half of them. Use that alakazam of yours. Grab as many as you can and port the fuck out of here. Save yourself and them."
He looked at me strangely, his abnormally spiky hair now flattened and down on his face because of the rain. "Why do you care for them?"
"Because you're right," I confessed. "This, this is on me. This is my fault."
"What about you?" he asked after a short pause.
"I'll hold off," I lied. "Maybe Alexa will make it. At the least I have a water pokemon, and I'm tied to the others, once we sink, Paul may be able to swim and drag us away from the storm."
The sky brightened, as the largest yet lightning flashed through the dark clouds. A second later, we heard the deafening thunder clap.
"I will not settle. I will not compromise. And I will not save half, when there's a chance for all," Blue said. "Because you were right too Red. I can't be a different champion, if I keep acting like the rest."
"So we all die," I finished.
"No. We all live," Too tired for anything else, he dropped his hand to his side on my lap, palm side up. "So, you with me, brother?"
I looked at the people in front of us, paralyzed with fear. I saw his starter and mine, side by side, sending their bolts to fend off the impossible, unavoidable end, together.
Arceus fucking damn this stubborn bastard, burn in hell.
I grabbed his hand.
"I'm with you, brother."
))(())((
NATIONAL TRAGEDY
Last night, Obadiah Silph, best known as the CEO of Silph Corp., invited the most prominent members of Indigo's high society on a cruise tour aboard the S.S. Anne to celebrate his youngest son's, Marc Silph's birthday, and announce his own retirement and transfer of title to his elder son, Jacob Silph.
Last night the S.S. Anne sank.
Investigations are still ongoing, but from what we could gather, the main cause of the incident seems to be the ship's captain's inability to refrain from alcohol. In a drunken fit, the captain has steered the S.S Anne off the determined course, and into the middle of a mating ritual between a bed of gyarados (Click to read more on the biology and destructive capability of these monsters).
Despite facing a situation no one could prepare for, the trainers of Riana Security deserve high praise, for if not for them, many more lives would be lost. Hired only to keep an eye on for potential party crashers, the trainers acted swiftly and fearlessly in the face of certain death, and although having lost 4 of their own numbers in initial contact with the gyarados, they managed to teleport 58 of the 103 invited safely to the shores of Vermilion, including Obadiah Silph, Baoba Kaiser, Elijah Luthor, and Joseph Stone.
The real problem showed itself later. Because a pokemon can only teleport to a location it is familiar with, the trainers were unable to return and rescue the rest of the guests, since the S.S Anne was now off course and nobody could pinpoint its whereabouts. Leader Surge was alerted of the crisis, rangers were gathered, but by the time anyone could find the ship, those remaining would most probably lose their lives.
Indigo has to thank her lucky stars that Pokemon Trainers Red, Blue, and Alexa were also aboard that night. Survivors less injured and were willing to give interviews claimed a coordinated defense from Red and Blue held off the gyarados just long enough for Alexa to fly above the storm and send a signal via her pokedex. Locking in on her position, rescue squads led by Leader Surge managed to port in and rescue another 23 of the guests, including the three trainers.
Unfortunately, there was nothing to do for the 22 that had already lost their life. After porting everyone they could to safety, Surge's squad returned to the scene to bravely attempt recovering the bodies, a slight consolation for the mourning families. Our insider claims all but two bodies, those belonging to Caleb Luthor and Marc Silph, have been successfully recovered.
This morning, Sinnoh and Kalos champions Cynthia and Diantha have offered condolences for the tragedy occurred, and Hoenn champion Steven Stone is flying in personally to pick up his father, Joseph Stone.
There is no word yet from Champion Lance on the issue.
I closed my pokedex.
Pikachu was resting on the bed in the room the pokecenter provided us with, and I was close to joining him, my body was exhausted to its limits, and a new scar pattern was added: Sucker scars from Caleb's, no, Archer's octillery on my arms and legs. But what kept me awake right now was not the sight of those ugly marks, or the guilt I felt that I somehow could have prevented all those deaths, or the fact that I was the only one who truly knew last night's events were no tragic accident, but a carefully designed plan by the rockets for reasons unknown. No, what kept me awake was something both equally less, and much more important.
Like father like son.
He could have of course been lying. With trainer names protected under league laws, there was no way he could know who I truly was, yet alone who my father was, when even I couldn't find anything on him.
But somehow, my gut told me he was telling the truth.
What the hell does this mean?
I opened my hand to stare at the one clue I had, the one clue that would lead me to the rockets, and ultimately, the truth.
A handful of pills.
Closely examining them, I noticed they were color coded; red, blue, yellow, green, violet. Then I noticed there were small writings inscribed on each of them.
XAttack. XDefense. XSpecial. XSpeed. XAccuracy.
X.
'Ex'.
Of course.
In my hands was the rockets' miracle drug. This was what had made Dante indestructible, undefeatable when he was with Nolan. This was the chemical that bypassed every test undetected. And this was what the rockets dealt in the underground, this was their main income on money which allowed them to afford large scale operations like the one in Mt. Moon and covert ones like last night's.
Through this, I could hurt them.
How poetically everything fit.
I dialed the number on my dex.
"Bill? It's Red. Remember that favor? I need you to analyze something." I shook the pills in my hand.
"And then, I want you to track it."
))(())((
Author's Note:
Longest chapter ever, apologies, I simply couldn't find a place to cut this one shorter. Nothing to add here, except congrats to anyone who saw the "ex" - X thing. Red had of course only heard X being mentioned by Butch, so it was normal of him to think the drug's name as ex, seeing that's how X is pronounced. Lots of references to many prominent NPCs from the games, and Archer's octillery, houndoom, and parasect are based on his team in the Pokemon Stadium 2 game. I suppose gyarados attacking the ship can be considered an anime reference, though that wasn't my intention.
Next update: Possibly near the end of the month, I suspect sometime between the 23rd and 27th.