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 SIXTEEN
Abyss:
A red sun rises.
So it did. The crimson light bounced off the river surface and settled, slowly basking me in its warmth.
This dawn is yours.
The night's horror lay defeated at my feet. The victory had re-forged my will, and for the first time in the last ten days I knew exactly who I was.
Grasp it.
The Rival's protests were swept aside, The Lady's whimpers banished.
Embrace it.
I had begun this road in pursuit of vengeance. The felons had dared crossed my path and struck me repeatedly. Despite knowing who I was, they had tirelessly sought and plotted my demise. And though I admitted up until today I had felt doubt whether this was the correct course for my climb to the summit, doubts other aspects of my self had jumped on to plead their own cases of cowardice, last night had been a sign, a gift from Mistress Fate who had bowed at my presence.
For last night I had been tested at my weakest. When my body was failing and my mind was fractured, when the thoughts of retreat were at their strongest, fate had presented me my dragon: A beast hellbent on vengeance, stronger and prepared for me even more than the so-called leaders I had faced, had nearly succeeded in claiming my life.
Nearly.
Say it.
The beast would be mine; I would add it as another extension of my superior might, make it another member of my team for it was worthy.
Worthy of me.
Say it!
Worthy of The Champion.
))(())((
The glow in Paul's eyes subsided the same moment the first ray of sunshine hit last night's camp turned battlefield. He had been keeping Officer Danielle's wartortle under a hypnosis induced sleep all night, not taking any rest from this task against the stronger, better trained monster for even the most basic of necessities. His timely intervention had saved my life when everyone else in my team had been crushed under the wartortle's rampage, but I still couldn't help but smirk when Paul finally collapsed under the mental exhaustion.
Weak. Not worthy of a champion. Not worthy of The Champion.
I nodded to myself as I recalled him and then drew a sharp breath when a sudden pain on my side interrupted my thoughts. All night I had tended to my pokemon, healing and fixing their injuries to the best of my abilities, and in the process had forgotten to deal with my own broken ribs from the wartortle's assault. Groaning, my hands reached my nearby bag, and I hoped the few chilanol pills left would be enough to keep me together until I reached Lavender.
They won't be. For any lesser man. But you-
-are no ordinary man, I finished the thought and chunked a handful of the pills. The dry taste of chilan berry made me reach out to my bag for some water, but my attention shifted towards the passed out wartortle when I saw one of his ears twitch. With Paul out of the picture, it was highly likely the turtle pokemon would wake up any minute now, if it hadn't already.
I checked the trio of my pokemon surrounding Danielle's wartortle. Callidora had taken the front, she stood directly beside me and had already extended eight thorny vines ready to catch and bind our opponent's limbs before he had the chance to retract them into the safety of his thick shell. Her injuries had been the easiest to treat, the only damage she had suffered was from Pikachu's fully discharged contact attack. After an emergency treatment of cheri berries to help her get over the paralysis induced spasms and twitches, she was almost at full battle capability. The only visible damage I could see were the large, multiple black spots coloring five of the vines, ash gray areas from where Pikachu's sparks had caught flame. I frowned at the sight and pondered on cutting them now before the rot settled but decided otherwise when I took a second glance at the muscular arms and legs of the wartortle. A Callidora with less than her regular number of vines could prove catastrophic right now.
She will prevail. She is part of us, part of the team. She will do her duty, as she did last night.
Yes, when the wartortle had ambushed us, Callidora had been by far the one who had performed the best against him. She had seen through his feint and had saved both Dante and Pikachu's lives with her actions, and her injuries had been caused not by her foe, but by her own teammate.
Our starter acted rash last night. Unfit.
Disappointment swelled my heart at the sight of my pokemon positioned to the wartortle's right. Once, Pikachu's eyes had blazed with the fires of challenge, his oversized physique and bright fur crackling with excess electricity had proved him the absolute pinnacle of his species. Just yesterday he had taken down a seven-badger's monster, fearlessly throwing himself under the thundering hooves of Naomi's inferno incarnate rapidash, knowing fully well victory would come at the cost of life-threatening injuries, but it would have been worth it.
Judging by how he looked today, nobody would believe the two pokemon were the same. Gone was yesterday's unyielding monster, and all that faced me today in his stead were the cold, shriveled eyes of a defeated rat. Depleted of his naturally generated electricity, his fur had lost that healthy gold color and was now a muddy brown. And as if his broken spirit and insufficient charge were not enough problems on their own, I also had to deal with his crippled body; the wartortle's powerful jaw had not reached the bone but had teared through pretty much everything else. Stitching the muscle sinew together was beyond my current abilities, so I had only applied ointments to prevent infections and bandaged the wounds.
But it didn't take a medical license to see that Pikachu was immobilized, any further strain on his lower body and hindlegs could cause irreparable nerve damage. And so my starter sat motionless, silently and refraining from any unnecessary action, the only remaining indication of life in his body the hateful eyes directed towards the wartortle.
Never has he given his all and not won, I thought. Never until last night.
He is the apex within his species, but a pikachu can never amount to more than a pikachu. Last night was the first he matched against a physically stronger opponent unprepared and without our guidance.
He fared miserably.
You know this to be true:
He is not worthy.
I carefully considered this claim. Had Pikachu not helped win all my badges, had he not saved me from the burning tent in the battle under Mt. Moon? Had he not proved vital in our fights against the rockets north of Cerulean and on the S.S. Anne? How was he not a worthy Champion's mon?
Always with our directions. Always with our orders. He refuses the ball, does not cooperate in battles, and causes discord in the team. He is and never has been exceptional.
We are. And so far, it was us who carried him, levitated him to our level of greatness.
But this day is ours, and we must accept the truth.
He is not worthy.
I saw it so clearly now, how had I been so blind? Foolish I was to attempt this journey with a pikachu of all things, a weak species whose only merit was acting as nourishing prey to those greater. I made my decision; my starter would only stick with me until I reached Lavender where I would cash him in to afford stronger monsters, beasts finally worthy of my stature. I snickered when I imagined the profit I would make, luring rich suckers ready to pay atrocious amounts for Trainer Red's Pikachu would be so easy.
And I would not settle with Pikachu alone, no, Paul would follow right after. It was clear to me now for Champion Red to emerge, the weakest links of Pokemon Trainer Red needed to be shed. Only Callidora had shown the insight and potential necessary to remain at my team, and as for Dante…
An unknown. Has shown use and spirit but is physically weak. His growth must be observed.
Yes, there was still some time for Dante, he had been the easiest to treat last night with only a small shoulder wound and a few burn marks from indirect lightning; and now he prowled behind Danielle's wartortle crouched on four feet, waiting for my signal to strike should my plan to win Danielle's wartortle over go wrong.
But if all goes well…
A puff of smoke escaped Dante's mouth. Pikachu's lifeless tail twitched ever so slightly. Callidora's vines smacking against the ground gave me the final confirmation.
The wartortle was now awake.
The tension my pokemon felt was palpable as the turtle pokemon rose to his feet, and I marveled at his sight. I had misjudged his height last night, he was easily taller than myself, and the countless scars on his muscular limbs showed this beast was no stranger to battle. I was suddenly reminded of a single line in Officer Danielle's bio, "praised for her close-combat battle style", as I recalled how easily this pokemon had last night baited my team to close the distance between them and then how quickly he had dispatched them.
Danielle trained this one well, I allowed as I further inspected the beast under direct sunlight. His shell was impossibly thick, and his eyes blazed with a calculating fury as he checked his surroundings, his gaze first settling on Callidora, then moving quickly on to Pikachu and back towards me in less than a second. He didn't turn and expose his back towards us to see Dante, but nevertheless, I understood he was aware of him; he just didn't see my fire pokemon as that big of a threat.
A good minute passed with all of us standing still, each party sizing up the other. I could see the gears in the wartortle's head turning; he was trying to put together why I hadn't killed him while he was helplessly asleep, and if he still had the chance to go for my life with the three this timed prepared but also injured pokemon in between. Obviously, he still thought me the murderer of his ex-trainer and was after my blood.
Act now before he strikes.
Slowly, I reached my arm out forwards and clenched all but my index finger into a fist, leaving my hand pointing towards him. Then, never increasing the speed of my movements, I pointed downwards and slowly dug the tip of my nail into the soft earth and began drawing an upside-down shape.
His jaw snapping in frustration was all the proof I needed to know he had recognized the letter R, the same letter I had so far seen sewn on the clothes of Butch's gang, James, and Jessie who Danielle had claimed to know.
Apparently, this wartortle was present at some of those meetings and harbored the same ill feelings towards them his master had felt.
How much more is needed to confirm him a gift from fate?
I broke the silence first. "I did not kill Trainer Lotus," I said, using Officer Danielle's lesser known trainer's name from her bio, and was rewarded with the instant look of surprise on her wartortle's face.
"They did." I dug deeper into the R's end with my nail, and hatred distorted the wartortle's features.
He is very likely to believe you.
This will be easy.
As all tasks should be in front of The Champion.
"And I'm after them," I continued my speech, "for revenge. You are not the only one hurt by their actions." I traced with my other hand the scar James had left on my face and noticed the wartortle was indeed following my finger. "And when I find them…"
I snapped my fingers, and Dante jumped from the wartortle's behind, making a perfect landing on my other side, and spit flames that scorched the R carved earth.
"And when I find them, I will end them."
Admittedly, I had thought this pre-prepared flamboyant show of mine would have sparked more of a reaction on the wartortle's face, but instead, I watched the previously established anger on his face melt and leave its place to a casual disinterest, his eyes weren't even watching me anymore but rested on Pikachu.
We're losing him.
I have another card to play, patience.
I cleared my throat, hoping the older records Bill had sent me about Danielle and her team didn't contain any false info. "In her last words," I once again addressed the wartortle, "Danielle explained to me why she had to release you. It was to protect you from the rockets' wrath, especially Jessie's." The wartortle's eyes blinked slightly faster and I understood this was another familiar name, but still his interest lay elsewhere.
Time to play it.
Not yet.
"But even the best trainers often misjudge their pokemon," I said. "Danielle was wrong in thinking you a quitter. You stuck around, spied on her apartment, and mistakenly thought me her killer. And for the last ten days you tracked me, planned against me, and seized the chance to strike me at my worst. Those do not seem the actions of a quitter to me."
Still no fire in those eyes.
Fine.
Now.
"And while we sit here," I took a deep breath to accentuate my point, "the real killers of your master are roaming free! So answer me, did I really misjudge you? Are you the kind of mon who would leave his master unavenged?"
I paused, ready to reveal my big gun. "Join me, else your anger will be forever misfocused. Join me," I hesitated only ever so slightly before using the nickname Danielle had given her wartortle, "Join me, Arsenal."
This did it. His entire demeanor shifted once he heard his old name, and he crouched and turned his face towards me, no, towards Callidora-?
Boom.
Not even Pikachu's quick eyes could have registered the attack, it was only natural for Callidora to be sucker punched. Faster than her vines, the hard shell hit Callidora face front, and before she could cry out in pain and release her defensive powders, the head and limbs of Arsenal reemerged from the shell's holes as powerful arms grabbed the startled Callidora from her sides, claws drawing greenish blood.
He couldn't!
Apparently, he could, Arsenal was that strong. He lifted Callidora with a grunt and threw her limp body exactly towards where Pikachu was; in a second Callidora was airborne and crashed on top of Pikachu.
How-
I jumped out of the way as Dante roared his flames towards him, but what good would they do against Arsenal, the duo's types alone were a mismatch. Ignoring the flames, Arsenal tucked his head and limbs back into his protective shell, and suddenly I understood exactly how he had managed to move this fast.
So did Dante, albeit quite painfully. The hard shell flew at almost the same speed as lightning and hit Dante mid-stomach, flinging him all the way back towards where Pikachu and Callidora were trying to untangle themselves from each other.
And just like that, in under a total of three seconds, Arsenal's hands found their place around my throat for the second time in the last twelve hours. He lifted me without loosening his grip, my feet helplessly dangled in the air as a calm realization settled in that this was it. In one move he would snap my neck, in less than a second, I would cease to exist, but in truth, I feared the death which faced me not one bit.
"Do it," I managed through my teeth, and the clawed hands flexed.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
And fell.
Instinctively, I checked my chest and heartbeat; yes, it still beat. And it seemed Arsenal hadn't dropped me in fear of reinforcements, Dante was still on the ground and Callidora had only now recovered from that throw, but I saw the fronds under her bud twitch and her nostrils flare. She was done with vines and restriction tactics, she was angry enough to kill and her razor-sharp leaves were ready for the deed.
I hurriedly threw my pokeball. To her utter disbelief, she was suddenly recalled back into confinement.
I would deal with her disappointment later. Right now, the mystery of why Arsenal hadn't killed me was more pressing.
But to my surprise, that question was easily answered when I looked up at the wartortle. Absolute disgust and frustration had distorted his face into almost unrecognizable features, but it was all directed towards where one claw was pointing.
Towards the scorched earth where I had drawn the letter R.
That was when I understood the mistake I had done in dealing with this pokemon: I had not factored in age and experience. Arsenal was not a starter trained to obey my commands like Pikachu, he was not a gift to me from a loved one like Callidora, not a cash trade like Paul, and not a desperately lost Dante. No, unlike my team's background, Arsenal had lived an entire history of his own, one filled with the memories of his own teammates, own victories, losses, and badges, one filled with the memories of a trainer he had loved so much he would move the earth and about to avenge her; and here I was, entirely disregarding that past, offering him a fresh new start with me.
Lesson learned.
The problem was not that Arsenal didn't believe my innocence, he was absolutely sold on the idea that it was the rockets that deserved true punishment. But in my proposition, I had only explained to him what I already was going to do and had asked directly for his obedience, an insult to the years of bond he had shared with his previous trainer. And he had repaid the insult in true pokemon fashion; claw for claw, tooth for tooth.
In short, I couldn't win him over so quickly. First, he needed to see me deliver, namely, I would have to find the rockets. Only after I had done my end, and only after he had truly avenged his ex-master would his pokemon pride allow him to shift allegiances.
Drives one hell of a bargain.
But we can see it. He is Champion material.
"Fair enough," I muttered, not sure if it was directed to the voice in my head or the invisible deal between Arsenal and myself I was about to commit to. I recalled Dante back to his ball and hesitated as my fingers brushed over Pikachu's.
He is worthless, crippled, and passed out. We still have a three-day long bike ride to Lavender. We cannot allow him to drag us down. Do it.
An ominous chill rushed through me as for the first time since my journey my starter ball saw voluntary action. The red light hit Pikachu, and the dematerialized body was trapped in a pure energy form.
I closed my eyes, disturbed by the action I had just committed. I just couldn't shake the feeling as if I had taken part in some atrocity.
For Champion Red to emerge, Pokemon Trainer Red must shed his skin.
"Yes," I whispered erratically, almost angrily to myself. "You're… right." I kicked a patch of dirt as I walked to my bag to pull out one shiny new pokeball and threw it at the watching Arsenal's feet.
"Nothing more than an arrangement," I announced loudly, toning the words carefully to make sure even if he didn't understand the meaning of my words, his instincts would point him towards what I meant.
"I will find you the rockets. We will kill them together, and once we do, you're mine. If we fail to, or if you run out of patience, I'll simply break this ball and set you free. In the meantime, I want at least your cooperation, if I can't have your loyalty. Deal?" I asked, raising one eyebrow.
He gave me one look before he bent over and took the ball in his hand. Just one.
But it was enough for me to understand last night and today had not been a fluke. That he could face my team anytime, anywhere, and always win.
That should I fail my promise, he would settle for my life instead of the rockets', and there would be nothing I could do to prevent this.
Click.
After the flash of red light, I was the only one left on the field. Slowly, I walked towards where Arsenal previously stood and reached for the ball, clipping it to the right side of my belt. When I returned to the Aggronator, small mud stains had formed on my sneakers.
The wet ground from Arsenal's aqua jetting, I noticed. In her prime, Danielle must had been a force to be reckoned with if she had taught Arsenal aqua jetting: A technique that allowed water pokemon to start an unbelievably fast tackle attack by releasing high pressure jets of water which propelled them forwards. Provided their target was in a linear direction, an aqua jetting pokemon was almost always guaranteed to reach and strike his opponent first, though this technique was very difficult to maintain since the rival pokemon rarely stood still and a missed aqua jet attack would leave the monster open for an easy counter.
But judging from effectiveness Arsenal had utilized this style against Callidora and Dante today, it seemed he would not suffer from such a problem at all.
Truly, Trainer Lotus has put extreme effort into her team, I thought sadly. I kicked the pedals on the Aggronator and the bike jumped forwards. I can only imagine what a monster Blaine is to have killed half of a team that had Arsenal in it.
It matters very little "what a monster" they are.
True, I agreed and joined the chanting.
For all will fall equally before us.
For all will fall before The Champion.
))(())((
The graffitied outer city walls were illuminated by Dante's tail fire.
"God is dead, but the Devil roams free."
Not the worst welcome I could expect from Lavender Town.
A few hours ago, I had emerged from one of the exits of the Rock Tunnel cavern system that connected route K10 and Lavender Town. The journey had lasted a total of two and a half days; after settling the situation with Arsenal, it had taken only a few hours to reach Rock Tunnel's entry point, and only another two days to exit the caverns – once we were on the rocky, rough terrain, I had really gotten my money's worth from the Aggronator 430. I had cycled through the tunnel road with relative ease, and Dante had accompanied me throughout the entirety of the journey, his ablaze tail acting as a necessary light source. I also had been relatively lucky with the wild pokemon I had encountered: A colony of mawile had snapped their jaws at me as I had passed but had refused to approach closer, and one lonesome loudred had just grumbled at the sight of me.
As if they could have stopped us.
My exit point from the caves had however been slightly off, I had emerged too far east. I knew that an easier, manmade path to the city existed somewhere near the western exits, but trusting the Aggronator's capabilities, I had decided against backpedaling and had simply cycled downhill until I had reached a portion of the city walls. The only one injured by this ordeal had been Dante; he had already been suffering from fatigue since I had forced him to travel at my bike's pace in Rock Tunnel, and during this final off-route part of our journey, he had many times lost the ground under his feet from exhaustion and rolled down the steep hill until he was stopped by crashing against something larger like a tree stomp or protruding boulder. At the end of it all, his leathery skin was covered in numerous bruises and small cuts, most of them bleeding.
And yet, he has endured, as expected of one with potential.
I agreed with the thought and therefore still did not recall Dante despite his many open wounds; if he couldn't even handle a two-day's long journey and a few scratches, he was not worthy to be on a champion's team. Besides, since the sun had already set when I had arrived by the city walls, I still had need of his light to find the city's gates, and it was so that I encountered the red colored graffiti.
God is dead, but the Devil roams free.
I grinned to myself as I switched gears. Lavender didn't know it just yet, but God was very much alive, and he was about to bless this city with his presence once I found my way in.
"Move it," I snarled towards Dante who dutifully dropped on all fours and picked up his pace. I had to hand it to him, not once had he disobeyed in the slightest manner throughout this journey. He had not lifted a single defying gaze or given a complaining growl; he had acted exactly like the perfect pokemon, demonstrating utter and complete obedience.
It's because he is used to abuse.
The thought was so sudden, accompanied by such contempt that I hit the brakes in surprise. It took me a moment to recognize the acidic voice of The Rival, his voice had been missing in my head along with The Lady's for the past two days, and frankly, I had never questioned their absence. The gift of sleep that had come with the quiet had stopped me from any further inquiry on the subject.
But now the voice had returned, and it forced me to look at, no, see Dante, see what exactly I had put him through, see the bones sticking out from the past two days' weak diet and extra effort, see the half-closed eyes on the verge of passing out, see the dried out blood gushing from his open wounds. Horrified, my hand reached to my belt, of course I had to recall him, of course I had to rush him to a pokecenter and make sure everything was alright. Disgusted by myself, I held his pokeball in trembling hands, ready to click the button and-
We CANNOT pamper him!
"Urrggghh…" My two hands grasped my head by the sides, what was happeni-
Do you imagine Lance cuddling his dragonite at night, wrapping them in blankets? Do you think Agatha babies her gengar, do you think Leonal Oak fought a war while shielding his team from the world's horrors?
No, and they were only champions. You are THE Champion. Dante can rest when his duty is done.
My breath steadied, and my hands held the handles again.
You still need his light until the city gates, only after should he be allowed to rest. So, he will either finish the journey, or he will not. He is either worthy The Champion, or he is not. There exists no in-between.
"Yes," I whispered, then gradually my voice increased. "Yes! So, MOVE IT!" I outright yelled the last part to my charmeleon as I switched to an even faster gear and pushed the pedals. With a metallic groan, the Aggronator darted forwards, Dante running just behind.
And when Lavender Town's gates were finally in sight after another hour of cycling, Dante proved he was at least somewhat worthy.
He only collapsed after we took our first step into Lavender.
I shook my head and sighed as I recalled him.
Couldn't even make it to the pokecenter on his own two feet.
Disappointing, was my last thought on the matter.
))(())((
You are magnificent.
I touched the mirror with my right palm and agreed with the voice in my head.
I am magnificent.
Travelling long distances, cycling on rough terrain, and activities like cave dwelling had all shaped my body into an athletic, perfect figure. The lines dividing my abdominal muscles were clear, my broad shoulders made any shirt I wore a tight fit, and the tan I had received from regular time spent outdoors added a healthy glow to this lean, but muscular body of mine. No trainer my age looked this strong, no trainer emitted such a confident, intimidating aura.
I was seventeen, and ahead of a good ninety-percent of trainers much older than me. I was nowhere near my prime, and already the world bowed to me.
But…
Slowly, my finger traced my scar's reflection on the mirror – only one of the gifts James and his victreebel had left on me while he had tortured me, along with the many smaller scars and burn marks from the return fire of Jessie's wobbuffet. My finger moved even lower and found the hole on my shoulder where Butch or Rex, couldn't exactly recall which, had shot an arrow at, and finally, my hand grazed at the sucker marks distributed evenly across my torso left by Caleb Luthor's, Archer's octillery.
I tasted bile in my mouth and watched my eyes narrow with visible hatred in my reflection.
These scars, these were the proof that someone had dared hurt me. That someone had dared leave their mark on me.
They were the constant reminder that I too had once been less. Not perfect.
Ordinary.
The glass cracked; I didn't even notice in anger I had put my fist through the mirror. I ran water over the wound and slowly picked out the stuck glass shards, watching a small amount of blood turn the sink red.
Gritting my teeth, I faced the truth behind my anger. It wasn't that I had been injured by lowly thugs like the rockets which boiled my blood so much, which made me desire vengeance this much.
It was that they had gotten away with it. That those who had dared gone against me were still out there, alive and well, minding their own daily business while I stood here covered in battle scars; it was that fact that ate me from the inside.
We'll get them.
I mouthed the words as I thought them, I could almost hear them as my reflection leaned closer and whispered all which I knew to be true.
They were here, in this town. If they still are, we'll find them. If they've left, we'll track them.
I dried my hands and exited the bathroom of the king size suit I had rented in Lavender's only luxury hotel. My clothes and pokebelt were on the bed, the belt missing two of its pokeballs, Dante's and Pikachu's, since I had left them at Lavender's pokecenter. Pikachu wouldn't fetch a good price injured and I still had use of Dante. I put my clothes on and reached for the belt, my fingers accidentally touching the metal casing of one of the pokeballs clipped on.
"Ow!" I cussed loudly, the ball was scorching hot. Overheating, I noticed. Due to no release during our prison sentence.
Another problem the rockets had caused.
I frowned, would the balls hold? I had been meaning to mend them ever since Cerulean, but back then I had been eager to catch up to Jessie, and the routes I had taken had shown no trainer's market. Maybe now in Lavender I would finally find the time to…
Time spent on useless repairs is time wasted on finding our enemies.
Yes, of course, he was right again. I had no time to waste with such bothers when Jessie was loose somewhere in this city, the pokeballs would hold until the job was done.
I took one last glance at the cracked mirror before I exited my room to hit the streets of Lavender and smiled at the sight of my fractured reflection.
Magnificent.
))(())((
The fog in Lavender was thick and the dark clouds gathering above me were the sign a storm was approaching. It was nighttime, the streets were empty, and both Callidora and Arsenal were out of their pokeballs, following me while keeping a wary distance from each other. I had let Arsenal out because I had thought him witnessing me prowling the streets of Lavender for information on Jessie would do me good in proving I had every intention of keeping my side of our deal, and Callidora was out because I believed her the only one with a chance to stop the wartortle should he suddenly decide to turn on me.
Plus, the intimidation factor added by these two pokemon was a welcome added bonus.
I had started my search in the back streets of Lavender, questioning the beggars and junkies if they had caught any sight of a red haired female outsider with a muscular built, and had worked my way up to the bars and establishments that offered more questionable ventures, but frustratingly, once I had eliminated the false leads and bogus claims, I was left with nothing worthwhile at all. With how small of a population Lavender Town supported, I had honestly never expected it to be this hard to find someone who at least remembered seeing a woman that stood out so much like Jessie did. Initially, I had thought of refraining from bribing the gate guards for a quick peak at the entrance logs, but it seemed circumstances were pushing me towards it.
A shape in the distance caught my attention. Covered by the fog, I couldn't quite make it, but it seemed unnaturally large with a grotesque shape, definitely not human. My body tensed, I knew Lavender Town was the only city in Kanto's history that had never suffered from a wild pokemon invasion so the chances of it happening now were slim, but it was better to be prepared than sorry. A soft whistle, and Callidora was at my flank. I felt annoyed when I saw Arsenal not reacting and realized I would need to go over my personal command signals with him, but hopefully there would be time for that later.
Slowly, careful in each step, we approached the hulking monstrosity in front of us, and when we were finally confronted by its true nature, I couldn't help but laugh: The shape was nothing but a statue fixed in the center of the town square, a mass of stone where numerous smaller figures had been carved out. As far as I could tell, the figures represented manmade weapons of a bygone age; swords, shields, and lances, bows and arrows. Underneath the statue, a lighted small sign read: THE BATTLE OF LAVENDER FIELDS.
I frowned and pondered why anyone would wish to create an artistic homage to the greatest recorded number of human loss in Kanto's history.
Everybody in the country knew this battle's importance, it was taught in history lessons even in elementary schools. It had occurred before Leonal Oak and his unification, before the concept of trainers had been established, during a time when the seven cities of Kanto had each been independent kingdoms. The battle was fought between Saffron and Fuchsia and was over land; both kingdoms were suffering from an expansion problem, and the only unoccupied landmass was everywhere east of Vermilion and south of Rock Tunnel, which also covered the grounds of today's Lavender Town, a lovely field back then where wild lavender grew.
Comically named though, the Battle of Lavender Field hadn't actually occurred right at the exact spot where today's Lavender Town stood, it had been more to the west and closer to today's route K08. A battalion of the Fuchsian Khan's raiders had been pillaging villages under Saffron's protection for far too long, and the Royal Knights of the Saffronian God-King had been dispatched to deal with the threat but to also set their kingdom's borders further east by cleansing any Fuchsian stronghold in sight. Naturally, the Khan had not sat idly and let this happen, a squad of his deadly Shadow Warriors had already been sent and waited as reinforcements. Eventually, the two armies had clashed in glorious battle, where sword met sword and lances broke through shields.
Or so it could have been, had the battle not unknowingly occurred on the breeding grounds of wild ghost, dark, and psychic pokemon.
The result: Slaughter.
What did a human army's chain of command mean against voices whispering into soldiers' heads and ordering them to slay their own comrades? What mattered the quality of a blade's steel against opponents intangible? And what good were marksmanship skills if the targets remained covered in darkness, leaving archers blind?
Was it a coincidence that both kingdoms began implementing an earlier version of the trainer system once the Battle of Lavender Fields had concluded with both armies defeated against the common enemy, the wild, while suffering a total recorded loss of thirty-seven-thousand-eight-hundred-and-fifty-three human lives?
Many historians thought not.
The founding of Lavender Town itself had been many years after the battle, after the unification, during Kanto's second champion Co-Al's reign. The area had been thought lost to humanity because of the aggressive way the pokemon defended their breeding grounds, and colonization had been taking place more in the newly discovered Cinnabar Island, but a biologist specializing in the three types of pokemon had thrown an outlandish theory which had sparked Co-Al's interest. His theory was simple and was built on three facts.
One: These three types of pokemon lived to much older ages compared to humans and bred very rarely, making their offspring far too valuable to lose; hence the reason behind the fierce hold on their breeding grounds.
Two: Ghost, psychic, and dark types were natural competitors, rival species that clashed on sight. The connection psychics had to our space-time based reality was at direct odds with the anti-matter qualities of ghosts which allowed them to bend the laws of physics; and for some still unknown reason, dark types were completely undetectable on the astral plane both psychics and ghosts utilized, making them the perfect predators to these two powerful types of pokemon.
And finally, three: Such rare, competitive species with few offspring could not maintain their existence if they constantly clashed and also insisted on breeding in the same lands. It just wasn't biologically possible, at least one of the three had to be either driven out or extinct by now; which clearly wasn't the case.
So, the conclusion: Behind that protective invisible border where the hordes of monsters shred any outsiders to pieces, there had to be a neutral zone, a place the species had made an instinctual agreement not to hunt or fight. And if this held true, and if a human settlement could be built on that exact spot, then Kanto would suddenly gain the securest city in the whole nation, perhaps the whole world; a city whose borders would be protected by both the fiercest of pokemon species and walls, weaponry, and trainers, defenses that included the human nature.
Naturally, Champion Co-Al had been interested, and an army of trainers had escorted settlers and researchers to find this theorized peace-zone, and eventually, since the theory had proved true, today's Lavender Town had been built, still the placeholder for safest city in Kanto even today. A few routes and roads that led to the city were added and these were regularly patrolled by the highest class of rangers, but often this was also unnecessary; after a few clashes where both sides had lost too much, the wild pokemon had understood as long as the humans did not dwell too deep into the swamps, forests, and hills where their young lived, attacking innocent travelling humans would bring armies of League trainers with, which would be a battle they couldn't afford. So they had restricted themselves to driving off unwanted other species' of pokemon, the reason why Lavender Town had never suffered from a wild attack.
The one question no one during Co-Al's time had asked and was today still unanswered was this: Why did the majority of psychics, ghosts, and darks always came here, to this specific area to live and breed in the first place? As far as ecologists could tell, this area offered nothing more special than Mt. Silver or the Safari Zone, areas mostly wild and without human contamination, areas one would think a pokemon about to give birth to would prefer. But no, always did ghosts old enough to breed return here, always did darks lay their eggs here, and always did psychics nurse their young into adulthood here; and nobody knew why.
And it matters absolutely not. Our focus should remain at the task at hand, finding a clue about the rock-
"Hey, mister, you the one looking for the missus who took Jifu?"
I turned abruptly at the sound of the noise, how had this person sneak up on me, why had Callidora not warned me-
Children.
Three girls and four boys, all varying between the ages three and ten, had surrounded Callidora and were – I had to squint my eyes just to confirm I wasn't imagining it – petting her. The kids only came up to one leg of hers, but here was my ivysaur, happily bending her front knees to reach down and allow two of the girls to scratch behind her ears while a pleasant gurgle escaped her throat. She at least gave a sheepish, guilty look my way before she dropped down entirely and sat to give the playful children easier access, a younger boy even tried climbing the spot between her neck and bud.
But what was more surprising was when one of the older boys, obviously the leader of the gang, gave some sort of nod with his head towards Arsenal - the same monster that just three days ago had trashed my three-badger combat team on his lonesome and had come twice in one day very close to killing me - and received a slight nod back from the wartortle. His confidence obviously boosted, the boy smiled, I noticed one front tooth missing as he turned to me.
"Cool mons, mister, a saur and a tortle, we know'em from Jifu's drawings." I recognized the voice as the one which had first called to me and, shaking myself off from the initial oddity of the sight before me, decided to continue the conversation. These children quite obviously survived on the streets and were likely to hear news most adults wouldn't even know.
"Who's Jifu?"
"A crazy old coot, mister, at least that's how the grownups describe him," answered the boy and was immediately met with the protesting cries of the younger kids.
"Shut up! You know it's true!" he snapped, but by the way he bit his lips as he said it, I could understand he was trying to put up a tough act. Whoever this Jifu was, he obviously meant dearly to these kids.
"And you've seen Jessie take this… Jifu away?" I tried refocusing on the topic.
The boy sniffed. "Dunno about any Jessie, mister, but I've seen this freaky tall missus with red hair drag him from his place by Lurkers with my very own eyes, mister. And Weeping Sallie here," He pointed to one of his comrades, "swears on her immortal soul she saw'em both pass the Haunter's Kiss and move towards the Blindspot."
"Tis true, I swear it on the Alpha!" The shrill voice of Sallie cut through. "And I would've followed'em even further, except… except Jifu saw me, and… and…" She couldn't finish her sentence as she bawled into tears and cries, which the other younger children joined quite quickly.
The first boy scratched the back of his head before continuing the story. "Sallie says Jifu shook his head, mouthed her not to follow… which if she weren't such a scaredy skitty, she wouldn't do!" His harsh tone made Sallie cry even louder, and no one could get another word in until she was calmed.
Possibly feeling embarrassed by his unnecessary outburst, the gang's leader now spoke in a louder and quicker voice, desperate to finish the tale and leave the issue behind. "You see, mister, this all been two days ago, and we haven't heard from Jifu since. We…" he carefully chose his words as he eyed the other children, "…worry. Jifu tells the most awesome stories, he knows everything about monsters and he teaches us! He always gives us candy and can stitch our clothes, and he even showed us how to make hats and ships out of paper!"
His eyes teared up a little. "And… and… he's a friend, mister!"
The kids all nodded at this statement, a few of them also tearing up, but nothing like the crying from before.
"So see, mister, we been thinking of going out the Blindspot and searching ourselves, but we ain't strong, mister, and the mons out there ain't peaceful, we'd die."
I felt my respect for this about ten-year-old kid grow immensely when I heard the calm in his voice at the mention of the word die, I knew many adults who wouldn't be able to show such maturity.
"And when Bucky heard from Fat Lowell he saw a trainer with two strong mons ask around the grown-ups' places for a red-haired missus, we thought," He cleared his throat, "we thought, maybe she's the same one that took Jifu, maybe she ain't, but we at least owe it to Jifu to ask."
"That's the story, mister," He had a moment's hesitation before asking. "Will you… will you help us find Jifu?"
Seven pairs of hopeful eyes looked up to me.
A trap. A plot to assassinate us.
Hardly, I countered. The rockets don't know Danielle snitched, they have no reason to expect me here. It's more likely something to do with this Jifu fellow, I'm betting he's the reason Jessie was sent here the first place.
We are the bringer of their end, their enemy, The Champion. Why would they bother themselves with someone less?
I don't know, but this is the only lead we have.
"Your name?" I asked the boy. He seemed surprised at me asking.
"Spike, mister," he muttered, playing with the hem of his muddy shirt. "Least, that what folks call me."
"Then listen, Spike," I said. "I do not care about your missing friend."
I would expect the kids to show more emotion, they were the ones who had found and asked me for help after all. But no, not even Weeping Sallie had uttered a single cry, they had just lowered the eyes on their stone-cold faces and kept silent.
They're used to disappointment from adults. Except from Jifu. The way they react to his name is astounding.
"I see, mister," Spike turned his back, and the children dropped from Callidora's back, gathering around him. "I wish a pleasant night in any case, mister."
"Did I say you could leave?" I snapped, and the gang of children froze in their place at my voice. "I have no interest in this Jifu you speak of, but the red-haired stranger, Jessie, she is a target. And if your story is true, then your Jifu and my Jessie, they're together, out in the wild, in the… Blindspot, through the Haunter's Kiss." I had no idea what these two were, I guessed them to be local idioms for certain landmarks around Lavender.
"Take me there," I ordered. "As far as you can go. Then point me to the right direction. And I'll find and take care of Jessie. If your Jifu remains alive, I see no reason why he should not return to you once the threat on him has been cleared."
"Pray to Arceus!" It was Sallie and not Spike who spoke this time with a beaming smile that seemed to light her whole face. "Thank you, mister, I'll show you to the Blindspot, thank you, mister!"
"Get to it then." I gestured her forwards with my chin as Arsenal and Callidora flanked me. "And next time you ask something of me, leave that withered beast alone."
She looked up confused at my words.
"Arceus won't do you any good," I said. "You want to pray? Pray to me."
Pray to The Champion.
))(())((
The Haunter's Kiss turned out to be the cracked entrance to an old pipeline that went under the city walls and, according to Sallie, ended "where the fog was as thick as cream and the clouds never stopped rumbling above".
The Blindspot.
Rightfully named.
The glowsticks and torches in my bag did nothing to pierce the mist, and the noise of thunder echoed so loud I could swear the thunderstorm was happening in my head rather than up in the sky. With my two most important senses blocked, all I had to guide me was Callidora's elemental connection to the forest - I presumed the many obstacles I kept stumbling and hitting on to be trees – and Arsenal's strong eyesight, evolved to see even in the deepest parts of rivers and lakes where no surface light reached. The wartortle had taken point position and carefully maneuvered around the outlines of shapes too blurry to be identified, and Callidora had extended vines that tied us all loosely together by our ankles, occasionally tugging on our bindings and giving us direction. I didn't question on what basis she decided our route, I trusted her instincts enough to know she kept us on the safest path.
Path… to what?
Ka-boom.
With that last crash of thunder, a new noise was added to the deafening symphony surrounding us: The patter of heavy raindrops falling. Neither of my two pokemon minded this new addition, water from the heavens was in fact a welcome gift for my grass and water type, but I was left soaking wet within the minute. And my discomfort wasn't even the worst part: The rain would now wash away any tracks belonging to Jessie and her hostage, Jifu.
Like I could even see any tracks, I thought grimly. I had been confident in my skills and knew it would have been easy to find prints left by two humans in the undisturbed wild, but I had underestimated the true extent to which the nickname Blindspot was accurate. It was impossible to see, hear, and now with the cold the rain brought, even feel anything in this area.
I need to go back, I thought. The weather is against me, and my team isn't entirely suited for this. Both Pikachu and Dante could provide much needed light, and their senses of smell are stronger than Callidora's and Arsenal's. They could catch Jifu's scent; I'm sure the kids have some rags that belonged to him.
The two are in a pokecenter, it will take too much time to wait on them. And retreat does not suit us.
This is not retreat, I fought back. This is strategizing. We need to-
A buzz in my pocket interrupted the argument. Although I couldn't hear the pinging sound, I understood my pokedex was vibrating.
"What the?" I muttered as I dug into my pockets. "How the hell is there signal here?"
I held my pokedex close to my face. The screen was black, and the buzzing had stopped, nothing out of ordinary.
A glitch? I asked myself. Or did I imagine it?
And just then, my dex buzzed again, but this time, I also caught the small blue light at its corner blink once.
No way. No fucking way.
I tugged on the vine around my ankle with one hand, signaling the two pokemon to stop, while still keeping my dex close. It was once again lifeless, but if I was right, then it would soon agai-
There.
Unbelievably, the buzzing returned, and the light blinked again. My suspicions confirmed, but still feeling confused, I unlocked the screen, but no, no background program was running.
Then how the hell is the pokemon tracking function on? I thought. Did Bill mess something up?
I felt dissatisfied by this answer, it had been a long time since my first meeting with Bill and my dex had run smoothly ever since. So why is it acting out now? I thought as my dex again buzzed in my hand. And more importantly, what is it tracking?
It matters not. Take this leap of faith. Follow the breadcrumbs. When has fate ever worked against us?
My lower lip curled as I considered the question. It was true I had no other plan here, but it was also true I was in the wild, and not the cute wild like Viridian Forest, but the uncharted lands around Lavender, where feral ghost, psychic, and dark types lived. They had learned to steer clear from the manmade routes, but anything deep in their breeding grounds was fair game, and I really didn't want to go up against hordes of monsters just because my pokedex was acting weirdly. If there was any guarantee this would lead me to my target I wouldn't hesitate of course, but the chance of this ending up a wild farfetch'd chase was too great.
Hence it is called a leap of faith. Have faith and you shall be rewarded.
Have faith in… what exactly?
Yourself. Ourself. The Champion.
I made my mind.
Pulling on the vine, I brought my pokemon within earshot. "I'll take point!" I yelled trying to overcome the sound of the storm. "Make sure I don't hit anything!"
I chose to believe my words made it through and began walking in a random direction, checking the dex in my hand.
The frequency of the light and buzz increased slightly, signaling me closer to my unknown target.
Gotcha.
Now to not let go of the scent.
It was a… tedious process. I kept walking, only changing course when the time period between the pokedex's next light and prior increased. Twice I hit a cliffside too steep to climb, and once I almost fell through a hole forcing me to circle around and find a safer course. After an hour, I was on the verge of giving up; my only drive was that the frequency and intensity of the buzzing had increased so much I felt enough curiosity to at least see this imaginary thing my dex was tracking to its end, no matter how large a disappointment it would much likely be. The only upside of this whole venture was the total lack of wild pokemon, they were unnaturally scarce, no, missing-
Before I could finish the thought, I suddenly stepped outside the fog.
A moonlit shore and clear skies awaited me. I could feel the sand under me, and the calm waves of the sea contrasted with the storm I had left behind. A second later, Callidora and Arsenal also emerged from the foggy line separating this hidden paradise from the Blindspot with a look of surprise on their bestial faces. They sniffed and licked the air hungrily, and I could see the act leaving them even more confused.
"Yeah," I muttered. "You and me both."
Just to test it, I turned to reach my hand palm side up back into the fog. Once again, I felt the rain. I pulled it back and tasted the droplets; definitely raindrops. I pushed my hand back and watched it disappear, its sight blocked by the thick mist, and pulled out, then in and out, in out, again and again. The result was always the same, the fog never dispersed and never went beyond its unnaturally defined border, and it always completely obscured anything within.
Fascinating.
Mesmerized by this natural wonder, I involuntarily shirked when Callidora poked me on the side. I saw her pointing with one vine towards a large, singular shape I had missed earlier, an erect form protruding skywards from the middle of the sea.
Already aware of the answer, I held my pokedex up and pointed the screen towards the mysterious structure, and naturally, my dex vibrated and flashed its light like crazy. Whatever its tracking function had set itself on; it was definitely out there.
All I had to do was swim.
A leap of faith, was it? I groaned and recalled Callidora as I made my way to the shore. I was just about to also recall Arsenal when the turtle pokemon held out one clawed fist, warning me not to.
"It's the sea; that's saltwater," I tried explaining as I took out my shirt and put my pokedex back into my pocket. Time to test if it's really waterproof. "You're a freshwater monster, you can't swim ther-"
My jaw dropped when Arsenal rushed into the water, dove deep, emerged further out, then swam back. He smugly got out of the water and shook himself, wetting me even more with the droplets.
Never get into an argument with a pokemon over water.
But how could this be freshwater? I tried calculating my location as I took my first step into the sea, no, lake, for Arsenal was right, this was unmistakably freshwater. Judging from Lavender's position on the Kanton map, I had assumed I had now reached the eastern seaboard, and as far as I knew, there existed no lakes this massive in this part of the nation…
No, that's not entirely true, I corrected myself. The areas around Lavender have never been thoroughly explored because of the wild, and the constant storms make scouting impossible from above. This place may have always been here, but nobody might have been able to pass the Blindspot and find it. Frankly, if not for our dex, we wouldn't find it either.
So then, this makes us explorers, eh? Rangers of the unknown? For some reason the thought amused me. Waist deep into the water, I called out to Arsenal who had dove a second time and ventured out without me. I stepped forwards while waiting for him, soon the water would be too deep to walk.
If this is all uncharted, I smiled to myself, then I guess naming rights lie with me? I waved a hand in front of me parallel to the water surface. I dub thee Lake Red.
Snap.
"Mew damn it!" My foot had stepped on and broke something. Worried about it being some poisonous water creature, I put my head underwater and tried finding it, but the water was too murky and dark to identify anything, so instead, I decided to reach down and search blindly with one hand. I pulled up once I came in contact with something prickly and hard, and rubbing my eyes to clear my sight, I checked what the object was.
And then immediately threw it away.
It was a skull.
A human skull.
A minute passed until I could collect myself, not daring to move even the slightest muscle. Something out here has once killed man, I reasoned, my eyes darting over the surface.
And I had alerted that something by disturbing the water.
Never swim in uncharted waters.
I almost screamed when Arsenal rose behind me, announcing himself with a great splash.
No, was my first thought, he's killed us! But after a moment passed, and the water surface calmed itself, and still no freaky horror show with tentacles grabbed and dragged us deep down to drown, I admitted that perhaps, I had overreacted.
"Right," I muttered. "There's nothing here, there's nothing here. That skull just belonged to one ancient idiot who didn't know how to swim and drowned naturally." I glanced at Arsenal and once again noticed his strong physique. "And even if there were, we would take care of it."
Arsenal snorted bubbles.
More confident now, I pointed towards the shape ahead. "That's our destination, where we'll hopefully find… something. Care for a lift?"
The answer was apparently no.
Right. I watched him swim ahead without me. He's not mine yet.
I took a deep breath as I launched myself forwards and began freestyle swimming.
This better not be some trick Bill installed in my dex, I thought while reaching out as far as I could with my strokes. Or not turn out to be something unrelated to the rockets. Or end with me becoming seaking food.
Fate never disappoints us. It will not begin now.
First time for everything, I added at the end and felt him surprised at my response. First time for everything…
))(())((
It was a tower.
Not like a modern lighthouse, it was something medieval but incomplete; part of an ancient castle, where the rest of the stone-built structure had submerged and crumbled away in time. I couldn't even begin to guess its age, but I was sure the tower predated Leonal Oak, making it older than a thousand years. And as for its actual height, it was impossible to know since only a portion of the tower stuck out, but even that part was probably taller than Tin Tower; I counted seven floors from the outside, the rest was rooted deep into the lake's bottom. I swam in circles around this ancient structure looking for an opening to slip in, but it was Arsenal who found a crack large enough for both of us, and after we entered and climbed out of the water to dry stone, I was presented with even more disturbing facts about this structure.
Like how all the torches were lit.
And how my feet were sticky from ectoplasm.
Someone's been here.
I stuck a finger into the thick goo splattered across the walls and floors, and watched the slimy substance stretch and stretch until it finally broke when I shook my hand roughly. Ghost blood, I realized. I checked the spindling corridor stood in again. Lots of it.
There's been a battle. Recently. And the victors are still likely here.
I put a hand to Arsenal's chest to stop him from moving, and to his credit, he listened. Just to be sure we were on the right path, I pulled out my pokedex again.
Up, I noticed. We need to go up.
I didn't like it.
Show faith.
…Fine.
But I don't have to be stupid doing so, I thought as I released Callidora. One glance at our surroundings, and she immediately understood what was needed. An old trick during her times with Melanie, various odors mixed in her bud were released in the air, slightly masking our smell, and small vines and mushy seeds stuck to the bottoms of mine and Arsenal's feet.
I gave a quick test jump, and the seeds did their work. Softening the impact, only a soft mush echoed in the silent halls. Satisfied, I grinned towards Arsenal to make sure he understood what Callidora had helped accomplish here: As long as we stood near her, our scent would be less detectable, and her seeds had made our steps almost soundless, giving us a clear advantage of ambush should the need for a fight arise.
The impressed look on his face made me grin even wider.
Yes, she's impressive, I happily thought as I walked forwards. The torchlights showed a circular stairway at the end of the hall. Yes, she's worthy.
But the idea was mine. I climbed the first step, Arsenal and Callidora still behind me. I make her worthy; she is only so because of me. I slyly glanced back at the turtle pokemon. And soon you will be like her-
"Still no signal."
I almost stumbled on my last step when I heard that voice. It sounded hoarser than I remembered, but there was no way I could ever forget it.
James.
The scar on my face burned, and I smiled. The hour of vengeance was one corner away; once I turned, I would order Arsenal to rip James' body in half, an order I was sure he would gladly obey.
"Try again."
Arsenal's meaty fists clenched when he heard this voice, this was one both he and I were familiar with: Jessie. He gave a brief nod my way with a look of appreciation, I guessed to him this constituted as fulfilling the first half of our bargain, finding the rockets.
Which only left the other half.
Ignoring the still silently buzzing pokedex in my pocket, I began thinking strategy. Our enemies didn't know we were on them, and judging from how tired their voices sounded, they had spent the last few days without rest. I recalled upon the large stains of leftover ectoplasm on the lower floors; had Jessie and James spent their last few days wiping out all the wild pokemon in this tower? If so, then it was likely that most members, if not all, of their team were battle-weary and injured.
Which meant currently my enemies stood at their weakest.
"Nope. No signal." I could hear James mutter.
I made my decision and signaled Callidora forwards, bud aimed up front. She stopped just before turning that last corner, I wanted her positioned there as a defensive measure in case the rocket duo rushed to the stairs. Meanwhile, Arsenal and I would both wait for an opening to charge; we held the initiative and could hear our opponents' movements, there needed be no haste in giving up this advantage. Should we hear the rockets move away, we could silently strike from behind, and should they move towards the staircase where we were, then they presented the perfectly lined up target in these narrow halls for Arsenal's aqua-jetting. No matter much battling experience the duo had or how thick their protective suits I remembered from Mt. Moon were, Arsenal's explosive shell force would knock both of them out.
"At least no hordes in sight," Jessie said. I assumed the hall ended with an opening where they could see out towards the lake. "So much trouble for one old man."
I next heard the thud of a kick and a whimper which slowly turned into soft chuckling.
"They won't let me go, you know," a third voice gurgled. The kids' friend, Jifu, I thought. "I'm patient zero. I'm the bringer of end times, the apocalypse, and they know it."
He giggled. "You can't meddle with millions of years' worth planning, you know, not even your beloved boss can. But me, my genius has bought me my insurance, and they dare not force me: How do you think I've been hiding in Lavender of all places for the last seventeen years, don't you think with what I've done, they wouldn't kill me by now?"
"Jessie," James interrupted with a voice smoother than silk. "Do please quiet the dear Dr. Fuji."
Fuji? Wasn't it Jifu?
I winced when I heard what could only be a fist smashing against one's face.
"Finally, silence. Should've done this more in the last two days," James peacefully murmured.
"The orders were to bring him in alive, and I don't think he can survive that many hits at his age," Jessie said in a resigned tone. After a minute of silence, she continued. "But he's right, they won't let him go, and we can't fight them forever. We can't even escape: No porting, shadowing, flying, and down to one mon, we'll be lucky if we survive the night; they'll send another horde soon."
Down to one mon – they're defenseless.
They are mine.
"If only that thing wasn't in the lak-"
I gave the signal.
"JAMES-UGH!" Jessie was too late to warn her partner as Arsenal exploded from his starting point. The thick protective shell hit her mid stomach, and she crumbled from the pain, but Arsenal wasn't through just yet. I felt an immense amount of pleasure watching his clawed hands close around Jessie's neck; like he had always intended, he would strangle Trainer Lotus' true killer slowly, he would make her suffer.
And meanwhile James himself was too busy trying to free himself from the sudden vines that ensnared him, but since Callidora had wrapped around the wrists and joints multiple times, his struggles were worthless. Smiling, I finally stepped out of the shadows, basking in the sight of my victory, of my long timed rightfully earned revenge.
A Champion's blood banquet.
"You!?" James eyes widened briefly in surprise, but like the warrior I knew him to be, I saw him quickly adapting to the situation. "Kid, you're making a huge mist-"
I snapped my fingers, and another vine slithered out of Callidora, stuffing his open mouth full, then I took a more detailed glance at the scene in front of me. This hall ended with an open balcony where a passed out elderly man lay, and Arsenal had the dressed in black body armor Jessie up against the wall near. I counted the pokeballs as I took her belt, the wartortle taking no heed of my actions and concentrating only on Jessie's face in front of him. There were ten, but the warmth proved each had a monster within.
So when Jessie meant "down to one mon", she meant something along the lines of one in the open or one uninjured. I twisted the belt in my hand, keeping it away from the trainer. I can't allow them to access more balls – in this situation, even injured mons would fight crazy to save their masters.
"I know you have one mon in the open – tell it to come out. I feel like anything funny going on," I addressed James, nicking my head towards the now purple from asphyxiation Jessie, "and you'll be joining your partner on that path of pain. Understood?"
James nodded, and I signaled Callidora to retract the vine in his mouth. He didn't give any oral order though: I saw him concentrate on something for just an instant and the look disappear. A mental command, I reasoned and reached to remove his belt as well. A psychic type. And my guess proved correct when a small blue pokemon flew in out of the opening, a soft ringing sound echoing as it flew by.
Panic settled in James' voice when he saw Callidora's bud opening. "Kid, listen to me. That chimecho is the only thing masking our presence, you put it down and we all-"
Completely ignoring him, a burst of powder from my ivysaur's back put the windchime pokemon to sleep as I examined James' belt. He carried more equipment than Jessie but less pokeballs; a small blade and empty dartgun were clipped to the belt where on the other side hung six balls, only one of them cold enough to be empty. The free running mon is his, I thought while recalling the asleep pokemon and watching his face carefully. I didn't like how his eyes darted every few seconds towards the knocked-out man I presumed to be Jifu, it seemed the only fear he felt in this situation came from failing his mission.
Then make him fear us.
A poisonous, thorny vine hit James across the face. He grunted at the slash as I mockingly traced my own facial scar pattern.
"Kid, you NEED to listen," he tried again. "Soon, that man will wake up, and once they detect him – urgh!"
The vine holding his wrist tightened, breaking the delicate bone structure. I felt pleasure incomparable to anything I had ever experienced as I watched his face grimace in pain.
"Do you remember Mt. Moon, James?" I asked gleefully. "Do you remember what you said to me? I don't need to – torture is such a crass word." I mockingly imitated his voice. "Well, I don't need to torture you now, James."
He screamed silently when Callidora's vines broke the other wrist. I grinned. "But I very much enjoy doing so, James. This, this is deliverance. You deserved this when you marked me."
When you marked The Champion.
"The story over there," I pointed at Jessie and Arsenal, "is different though. He has first claim to the kill because of what Jessie did to Officer Danielle." How I delighted in watching his eyes bulge in recognition of the name, in a way, this deliverance came not only from Arsenal and me, but also from her beyond-the-grave self too.
Together, we watched Jessie's eyes slowly close. "How long you reckon she can go without air?" I asked cruelly. "Arsenal's been wanting to do this for quite some time, I don't think he'll like it if she dies before he feels she's suffered enough. But don't worry," I stroked James' cheek. "He won't get to you. Not before you name every single rocket in existence, not before you tell me who your boss is, where you manufacture X, and why you targeted the Silphs."
"And then," I demanded, "you will tell me everything about my father."
"That's what this is all about?" James snorted and looked up to me defiantly. "You're chasing ghosts, boy, but if you don't free us, soon the real ones will come knocking, and that will be no joke."
He tilted his head towards the balcony. "Don't believe me? Look down, Pokemon Trainer Red. Look down and see the abyss, see the true depths of this thing you have no understanding of, and then fucking release US!" He shook violently at that last part, startling me with his leftover strength, but Callidora gritted her teeth and held through.
Lies. Empty threats.
He still does not take this seriously. Make him.
I would, mew dammit, I would. I would tear off his pathetic armor and make Callidora paint my fucking portrait on him with his own blood, cut off his limbs, leave him crippled, disfigure his face, and pry the answers I sought from him out of his seviper tongued mouth before I finally killed him, I would, and, more importantly, could do all that, but-
A searing touch burned through my side, and every eye present in the hall, man and beast both, fixed itself on the glowing bright pokeball hung to my left.
And all of them widened in terror.
The liquid energy had built up too much. The worn-out casing was suffering from overheating.
There were only seconds remaining before it blew up.
I threw it with all the force I could muster to the opening, outside.
I was too late.
BOOM.
The deafening noise of the explosion shook the foundations of the tower, a force of wind threw everyone off their feet. The blast pushed me all the way towards the staircase where I hit the wall and slumped down until my bottom touched the stone ground, and I briefly saw Arsenal tucking his limbs into the protective safety of his shell, but that of course meant Jessie was now released and also caught in the blast force; and James did not waste this golden opportunity.
No!
The four-legged Callidora had better balance, so while I and Jessie were thrown like ragdolls across the hall and Arsenal's shell slid smoothly on the stone walls towards us, she had only suffered a moment's imbalance, but it was enough for James to tug with all his might against the distracted Callidora's vines.
I never cut off the burned ones!
One by one, the vines snapped at their weak points where the rot Pikachu's zero-distance discharge had settled, and Callidora shrieked out in pain. Furthermore, even with two broken wrists, James was a strong enough man to find the strength to lunge at the weaponry I had carelessly left out in the open: The two pokebelts holding a total sixteen rocket trained pokemon.
But at the same time, something more horrifying was happening. The blown up pokeball had released its pent-up energy, and now a solid form was building where my aim had been, on the balcony, over the still knocked out Jifu whose clothes had ripped apart from the blast directly occurring over him. The red light materialized into a pink fat pokemon with a perpetually dumbed down look on his face, and Paul my slowbro landed on Jifu's back.
And as it turned out, after the explosion, this added weight was too much for the old, extended balcony to handle.
"NO!"
I didn't know who cried out louder, James or me, as we both watched the floor underneath them crumble, but it was me who stood up and ran towards them while it was he who grabbed the two belts and rushed towards the passed-out Jessie in the opposite direction, to the staircase. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Callidora face them, and my ears heard Arsenal's defying roar and the click of multiple pokeballs at once, but my focus was on one thing only: The helpless look on my pokemon's face as he fell out into the dark, the terrified moan he gave as he plummeted.
"PAUL!" I reached out my hand, I could catch him, I could catch him, I could catch him-
Leave him.
A moment's hesitation.
The TRUE enemy escapes!
Only a moment's.
Leave hi-
"SHUT UP!"
I lunged forwards.
It felt as if my head was hammered to a pulp as The Champion's psyche burst wide open. His mask dropped, I could now feel the ugliness held within, the disgusting, selfish ego of self which had drove me mad, and I tried avoiding this delusional creature's hold, but…
All of this can wait.
Both my hands reached out. I barely felt my knees bleed as I slid on the floor to close the remaining distance.
But the pain of Paul's spikey tail digging into my hands was the ultimate blessing.
I had caught him.
Attaboy Red.
"I got you," I muttered. I didn't care that his weight was dragging me down, slowly sliding the rest of my body to fall, or that Jifu the elder was falling, falling, and falling until his body hit the water surface flat from an impossible height, or that my dex's eternal vibrations had stopped in my pocket.
All that mattered were the violet eyes I gazed into looking at me from an upside-down angle.
"I. Got. You."
I didn't add the and I won't let go part.
But somehow, Paul understood.
And because he understood, the parasitic shell clamped tight on his tail let go, releasing the main body.
"NO!"
"NO, NO, NO, NO!" I clutched at the now lifeless shell in my arms and screamed. "NO, NO, no, no…"
"No."
No.
Until my voice was only whimpers.
I didn't know how long I stood there holding it, I only knew it was long enough that the spiky exterior had penetrated my skin and my blood had dried. Long enough that the noise of battle behind me had ended and an Arsenal with a nasty bump on the head and a green blood-oozing Callidora were gently picking me up and pulling me back into the safety of the hall. Long enough that James had successfully escaped me with his companion despite the severely disadvantaged situation he was in and was now probably already in the lower levels of the tower, maybe even in the lake, for all the good that would do him.
Long enough that I had stared into the dark pool of the abyss and had seen possessed skeletons holding cursed doublade rising, many gengar and dusklops emerging from the depths of the lakes' shadows, and hundreds of sableye crawling on the water surface; all of them heading here.
Long enough that I had noticed for one second a creature staring back at me from the abyss, a form reflected on the water surface as if was trapped and unable to pierce through into reality, but still powerful enough to manipulate its surroundings. Long enough that a second's worth glimpse of the beast would be forever embedded in my mind despite my inability to bring its cursed name to my lips; the draconic gold-black striped serpent and the spiked ghastly extensions spread symmetrically on each side of the slender form imitating fallen angel wings.
Long enough that I understood I was surrounded by the hordes of beasts obeying monstrosities of such level my feeble human mind could never comprehend.
Long enough to understand I would die here, this place would be my tomb, and that I deserved it.
I lay down and shut my eyes, content and awaiting the release, when he interrupted my peace.
Done with the pity party? The Rival in my head was as merciless and tactless as ever.
I straightened up in surprise.
Done? Good. Now let's get back to fucking work. We don't get to die here, Red.
Arsenal roared his challenge to the abyss, Callidora growled her threats to the dark.
We have a promise to uphold.
))(())((
Author's Note:
After an unplanned hiatus of one month, I'm back. I apologize to all my readers and hope that this delay in the updates will not throw anyone off the story. Last month, a family emergency forced me to buy a last-minute plane ticket back to my home country, and in my haste and worry I forgot to take my laptop, where all my future chapters are stored. Having just resolved everything, I only returned to my college dorm and laptop the day before. Again, apologies to all who were rightfully disappointed in this delay, and special thanks to those who asked my situation and showed understanding and support in the messages.
About the chapter: 'Member how in chapter 14 Red mentioned his pokeballs needing repairs? Foreshadowing! 'Member how in chapter 6 Red noticed it was thanks to Callidora that Melanie and her mons were moving undetected and stealthily? Foreshadowing!
Next update: In two weeks, sometime around the 15th and 16th.