Gain Of Trust
CHAPTER 8
"...Hmm...It looks like neither of them have anything for the next two hours, but Webb is actually not in today. Mason is, if you'd like me to ask him for a meeting?" Ash gave a nod. The woman picked up the phone and dialed a number, staring at the computer as it rung in her ear. Ash felt a tug on his arm, turning and seeing Krystal giving him a look of suspicion.
"What?"
"You get just as cozy with women as Jack does, huh?"
"What? How am I getting cozy? I'm just trying to find these guys, I kinda have to be nice to do so."
"Too nice if you ask me..."
"Stop being jealous for two seconds, will you?" Gina dropped her fist on Krystal's head, the icy-blunette moving her hands to it and beginning to fake pout.
"Will you stop saying I'm jealous?" Krystal mumbled, Jack giving a quiet snicker to himself.
"Maybe if your desperation didn't show so much- OWowowOW!" Jack felt his arm suddenly be twisted behind his back, Krystal giving an innocent smile.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing! Gina, help me!"
"You know I don't help you unless Leader instructs me to do so."
"Will you guys stop fighting like children? Honestly, I shouldn't have to be worrying about kids this young..." Ash sighed, rubbing his forehead. Gina noticed her female friend's cheeks turn pink at the man's words, looking away before either of the men noticed.
"My point proven, as always."
"Alright, sir, Mason said he can see you right away if you'd like, but he only has half an hour. If I could just get your name here, I can send you right to him," the receptionist smiled, Ash's attention being drawn to the clipboard she was handing him.
"Oh, thank you very much," Ash wrote his name down, then paused. He quickly erased it, replacing it with 'Leader', then paused again. "If these guys are coming with me, do I have to write them too?"
"Just your name should be fine, so long as you don't cause any trouble," the woman responded politely, Ash taking a moment to think.
"...I'll put them down just in case."
"Hey!"
"Oh, don't act like you never cause trouble everywhere we go," Ash quipped, earning no response from the others. His electric partner laughed on his shoulder, the man returning the clipboard.
"Alright, just go through that doorway there, take a left until you get to the water cooler, then turn right and it's the first door on the left," the woman told him.
"Thank you very much," Ash flashed a smile, earning a warm smile back as he moved away from the desk to follow the directions he was given. He felt a poke in his back. "How was that too cozy, Krystal?"
"It just was..." the girl grumbled, crossing her arms as she followed him. In a matter of moments, they were at the door to the office they were looking for. Ash knocked on the door.
"Come in," he opened the door at the voice's prompt, the group stepping into the office. It wasn't too large, so it was only a few feet before there were a pair of chairs, followed by a desk. Behind the desk sat a man, dressed in a similar business suit they had seen moving through the building with an orange tie, and brilliant orange hair that didn't quite reach his shoulders but looked just as untamed as the bright flames its color represented. He placed the phone back on its holder on the desk, rising to his feet. "You must be Leader, correct?"
"Yes, thank you for seeing us on such short notice," Ash responded, the man flashing a smile.
"Short notice is the normal around here, so I'm quite used to it," the man chuckled, coming around the desk. Holding out his hand, Ash met him for the handshake. "So, what can I do for you today?"
"Well, I would have to say it's a strange request, especially being so sudden," Mason gestured towards one of the chairs, which Ash took a seat in.
"Callin' it," Jack moved quickly and took the other chair, leaving the girls to stand. They both gave Jack an unimpressed expression with a sigh. They both took to standing behind Ash's chair, Mason arching an eyebrow.
"I guess I can see which of you gentlemen are more favored in this group," he chuckled, returning to his seat behind the desk.
"That's right."
"Agreed."
"It's a hatecrime, man, you have no idea..."
"I told you three not to fight," Ash said sternly, stopping his companions from entering another childish argument.
"So, what is this request of yours?" Mason asked, folding his hand's fingers together on the desk in front of him.
"We were wondering if you would like to help make a change in the world. And I don't mean filing an important document, I mean taking the world by your grasp," Mason was surprised by Ash's words. "The four of us are planning something big for this world, and we were wondering if you were interested in lending your skills to the cause."
"And what exactly is this cause?" he asked.
"Pokemon liberation," Ash said, followed by moments of silence. Ash did not want to overwhelm the man, as he did with the girls behind him in their first encounter, and the other three did not want to upset Ash. Mason exhaled, unaware that Ash's words had made him begin to hold his breath.
"...If I recall, Team Plasma had tried and failed that a few years ago, isn't that right?" Ash gave a nod. "They were a fully functional organization. Followers all across the Unova region. So if you don't mind my asking, I'd like to know what the four of you bring to the table that won't fail like Plasma did."
"Hey-" Krystal stopped, seeing Ash's arm extend in front of her.
"It's alright, Krystal. He has every right to be suspicious and skeptical, just like you and Gina were," the two girls glanced at each other. "Team Plasma failed not because they were a successful and influential syndicate, but because they did not follow through with their most favorable options."
"If I might ask, how so?" Mason inquired, giving Ash a curious look. Ash couldn't help but smile, recognizing the solid suspicion in the man's eyes. He was definitely a man who required facts before making decisions.
"Because after N, the real leader, had captured the legendary Reshiram, he did nothing. He left the real action to Ghetsis, the public face of Team Plasma, who everyone thought was the leader," Ash explained, Mason arching an eyebrow. "However, Ghetsis himself didn't really do much either. He continued the speeches on liberation across the region, but this was only the word of a syndicate who no one really knew anything about."
"So you say they failed because they had no influence in the world?" Mason asked.
"Exactly," Mason leaned back into his office chair, tapping his finger on the desk in thought. "I realize that I may be just another man today, but soon, I will become the champion of Kanto. Soon after will come Johto, and Hoenn, and I will keep going until I am the league champion all across the globe, where there will be no trainer with a higher rank than myself."
"That's pretty high talk, and the position of champion of each region would make you quite a big deal in the world..." Mason trailed off, considering where the man was going with his thoughts.
"But it's not a problem for Leader," he glanced up at the icy-blunette, who was smiling confidently. "Leader can take down any trainer who stands in his way, without a problem."
"Gotta agree with her," he looked over to Jack, who had his arms crossed behind his head. "Leader may not be famous now, but he certainly will be as soon as he wants to be. But for right now, we're just trying to get some more help just in case we need it."
"So my help would be backup, then?" Mason asked, Jack giving a nod. He pondered for a moment. "...Look, I'm flattered you came to me for helping with something so big, but I'm afraid I can't see the practicality of enlisting my help. I'm not a strong trainer, I haven't even succeeded at a single gym."
"That's not why I wanted to ask you," Mason's attention was drawn to Ash. "I asked for your help based on your life experience, just as I did with these two," he gestured to the two girls behind him, who each gave a nod.
"And what experience is that, exactly?" Mason asked, unsure as to what that could mean.
"Rejection by society," Mason arched an eyebrow at the icy-blunette. "Look, to show how serious we are about this, we'll be perfectly honest with you. Up until six months ago, Gina and I were actually living on the streets."
"What?" Mason blinked in surprise at the girl's words. Krystal nodded.
"Yeah. Both of us were brought to an orphanage when we were young, too young to even remember our parents' faces. The two of us grew up together in that orphanage, never even considered for adoption. It wasn't long after we first really talked that we were as close as sisters, and we promised to never leave each other's side," Krystal grabbed Gina's hand, who didn't seem to mind. "The two of us have been together ever since we were kids, after our parents turned their backs on us. And since there was no sign of being adopted, we ran."
"Ran?" Mason asked.
"We left the orphanage," Gina continued, surprising her friends. "We ran as far away as we could, and ended up on the streets. It wasn't long before we had to resort to stealing. The two of us always were quicker than the rest of the kids, so we figured we might as well make good use of it," Gina continued, Krystal squeezing her friend's hand gently.
"Then one day, Leader found us. He explained that he found us because of our history at that orphanage, and managed to track us down. He gave us the same speech he's giving you, and the same offer too," Krystal explained, her eyes wandering down to the man sitting in front of her. "Not only that, but he offered us something that we've never really had. The very thing that me and Gina have been searching for, every since we left that orphanage on our own..."
"...Acceptance..." Mason said in a slightly inquiring tone, the girl smiling with a slight shrug.
"A home," the businessman stared at her curiously. "He said if we refused, he would still give us a chance for a home, after everything was done. And after spending my whole childhood in an orphanage, with no one showing even a hint of wanting to adopt me, hearing that made me happier than I've ever been."
"Yeah, you should've seen her. She cried tears of joy later that day, harder than ever," Gina added, the icy-blunette's face beginning to heat up.
"Wait, what?" Ash asked, turning around. Krystal's face warmed up more, glaring at her friend.
"I told you never to say that!" Gina smiled coyly and looked away, feeling a light punch on her arm from her childhood friend. "Dumb B-cup-OW!" Ash sighed in exhaustion as he recognized the familiar shriek of pain from Krystal, which usually corresponded as the reaction to Gina yanking on the younger girl's ear very sharply. Just as it did this time as well.
"...So you're not just working together...You're all like a family?" Ash paused for a moment, giving a light sigh.
"We sure are," Jack responded, giving a smile. "Krystal and Gina may have joined in later, but we're all still pretty close. Not to mention Leader and I actually do share blood."
"And I feel bad for Leader every time you bring that up..." Krystal sighed, crossing her arms. Mason looked back and forth between the two men.
"...I must admit, I was wondering since you walked in if your resemblance had been my imagination or not," Mason mentioned, the two men glancing at each other.
"Although this is slightly getting off track. What I was getting at with bringing up our past of the orphanage and the streets, is that Leader is really wanting to help us, not just ask for our help. He chose the two of us because of our past, which means he chose you for yours, too."
"What do you know of my past?" Mason asked curiously, Ash crossing his arms.
"I know stories. Stories of a young man who had just started his first job in a corporate office after giving up on becoming a trainer. He worked diligently for a few years, quickly gaining better reputation in the office."
"Seems you've done your history...Which makes me wonder where you got this from..." Mason eyed him cautiously, Ash looking towards the window to the side of the room.
"But despite being a great employee, and being friendly to everyone he meets, his boss was the only person to not see that. His boss always piled up his work, never giving him recognition for the work he finished, even if it meant working overtime and even costing him his holidays," Ash explained calmly, Mason's grip on his chair's armrest beginning to tighten. "Then he brought it to the attention of his boss. He declared that nearly everyone around him had gotten some form of benefit since their start at the office, whether it was a raise or a promotion, but he had never received anything. Which prompted his boss to tell him the very thing that changed his opinion of the world."
"...What are you getting at...?" Mason said slowly. Ash looked back at Mason, giving a serious look. "...I don't know where you're going with this, but-"
"You weren't wrong for what you did, you know," Mason paused at Ash's words. "There's no excuse for treating another human being like the way he did."
"Wait, you didn't tell us this before we got here, what happened?" Krystal asked. Ash and Mason stared at each other, then Mason sighed.
"...He said that I should've stuck to being a trainer, because even a pokemon could do better than me," the two girls and Jack gasped. Mason leaned back into his chair, his hand moving to lace through his hair.
"And earlier that day, he was admitted to a hospital with a broken jaw and dislocated shoulder," everyone's eyes were on Ash in shock at his words, except Mason. The man nodded slowly.
"...I just couldn't handle it...I was frozen after he said it for a few moments, and I could hear him saying more afterwards but it was like background noise, I couldn't understand it...And how he talked about a Pokemon like it was just another living being made to work...! I just...snapped..." Mason's thoughts flashed back to the day in question, recalling the image in particular of a beaten businessman at his feet.
"He compared you to a pokemon? For an office job?" Jack asked, earning a nod in response. "...That...is seriously messed up. I mean, pokemon are amazing and all, but a desk job...?"
"Then that employee disappeared for a few months, and re-joined a different company across the region," Ash added, Mason giving him a curious look.
"...Who are you?"
"Just a man who wants redemption for those who have suffered. And for the world to recognize those outcasts for who they really are," Mason watched Ash rise to his feet, holding his hand out across the desk. He smiled. "So I don't care if you're a trainer, an office worker, homeless, or whatever. I just want you to make the world see you for who you want to be seen as."
"...Huh..." Mason glanced at the phone on the desk beside him, pondering in his thoughts.
"Although, I'm not asking you to entirely abandon your life, I'm simply offering you a chance to rewrite what you choose," Ash added, the man giving him a curious look. "In addition to yourself, there's also another man who works here I was hoping to see. The only employee from that old office who trusted you, and chose his friend over his job."
"Wait, you mean...?" Mason started, but stopped as everyone's attention was redirected as the door to the office opened.
"Hey, Mason, I know I'm not scheduled today, but would you mind-" everyone looked over to see another man in the doorway, of similar stature and appeared as Mason, except that his tie and hair were green. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you had anything scheduled today."
"It's alright, it was a drop-in," Mason said, rising to his feet. Ash looked at the man in the doorway curiously.
"...I don't suppose...You're Webb, is that right?" Ash asked carefully, the man giving a slightly surprised look.
"Yeah, that's me. I'm sorry, have we met before?" he asked, looking at Ash carefully who only smiled back.
"No, but...actually, we were hoping we could have a word with you," Ash said, stepping towards the man and holding his hand out. "The name's Ash, but you can call me Leader."
"He's gonna forget he said that again, isn't he?" Krystal asked with a smile, Gina giving a smirk with a nod. Mason looked at each of the individuals in the room, his eyes resting on Ash for a few extra moments before he smiled. He picked up his phone, holding down a particular button.
"Yes, it's Mason. I know it's sudden, but...I think I'm going to need some time off."
"May?!"
"Thanks, Venusaur!" the brunette called down, watching her grass-type on the lower ledge disappear into the beam of light, which returned to the sphere in her hand. She rubbed her hand over her wast where her pokemon's vines had been wrapped around, giving a frown. "From that far down, that hurt more than I thought..."
"May!" the group ran happily away from the entranceway back towards the ledge a short distance away. Sure enough, ahead of them, was the brunette in question who had become trapped not too long ago, now standing before them with a smile.
"Hey, sorry to keep you guys waiting," she said happily, feeling her younger brother tackle her into a hug.
"What happened?! Are you alright?!" he asked quickly, the brunette giving a smile as she tussled his hair as she always had when they were kids.
"I'm fine, Max. Looks like you're in worse shape than I am," the rest of their friends had a chuckle at that, relieved to see their friend okay.
"But...How?! How did you get out of there?" Max pulled back and asked, his older sister gave a short nervous laugh, confusing her friends.
"Honestly...I'm not sure I believe it myself just yet..."
A short time ago...
Every muscle in May's body had tensed up completely. The brunette was unable to move. All she could do was stare in horror as the two glowing lights moved closer, out of the shadows of the deeper part of the cavern. Blaziken moved in front of her defensively, lighting its wrists out in front of it as brightly as possible. May's eyes widened even more as within the expanded light, she noticed the two lights were held within two confined spaces, side by side, with an icy material expanding around them and beyond further away from her. The ice was connected to a strange grey material, resembling a neck, which expanded further and shaped into a strange four-legged body shape, the front two legs being shorter than the rear two. Halfway down the back, more ice split off as two pillars as they pointed upwards to either side of the body, with two strange crystal-like points on each end. As the strange figure took another step forward, shaking the ground slightly, May could barely manage her thoughts.
"...The dragon..." May's mouth was unable to communicate the thought to her partner, who still stood defending her. The creature turned its body slightly, its eyes fixated not on the pokemon opposing it, but on the girl.
"...You refused to choose truth...or ideals..." May's senses returned to normal at the voice's words, realizing it must be coming from the creature in front of her. "You insist...you cannot live with one, and not the other..."
"...That's right," she stepped beside her fire-type, putting a hand on its arm as she couldn't reach its shoulders. The Hoenn starter looked at her curiously, the brunette giving a smile. Blaziken hesitated, then slowly returned to a neutral stance. "Like I said, if I choose one, I could never live with myself if I never learned what the other was."
"And yet...you strive to discover both...with your friend..." May bit her lip, giving a nod. "...You mentioned the dragons...had fought, and there was a victor..."
"Yes, Zekrom and Reshiram fought. Zekrom won, and he's helping Ash with his plans to liberate pokemon from trainers all across the world!"
"Liberate pokemon...?"
"Yes! I know that means nothing to you, since you've never been captured by a trainer before, but I really do need your help to stop him! And I'm not asking for my sake, I'm asking for the sake of every pokemon who is with a trainer!"
"...You think a captured pokemon...would not want to be seperated...?"
"Of course not! My pokemon and I are best friends, and we love each other! I could never have made it a day without any of them! They're my family! So for their sake, and every trainer and pokemon who have the same love and care for each other like we do, I do not want to have to let them go!"
"...But this reality you speak of...What is the point of releasing pokemon?"
"That's what I don't understand, and I want to find out. But in order to do that, I have to get close to Ash and stop him from what he's doing," the brunette regained her confidence, stepping closer to the beast in front of her. "I know humans have only ever come here out of greed and desire. And I'm not denying that's why I'm here, but please...My greed is not only limited to myself. Even if somehow...For some reason, Ash doesn't tell me the truth...I still can't let him get away with liberating pokemon!"
"..." May stood nervously as the dragon stared her down in silence, not responding. Moments continued to pass in silence, the brunette giving a nervous glance to her starter behind her, who watched the dragon curiously in caution. "...What is...your name, human...?"
"...It's May," she replied hesitantly, suddenly starting to feel nervous again. The dragon's eyes glowed brighter, rearing its head back and giving out a devastating roar. May and Blaziken clutched their palms against their ears to drown out the noise, but to no success. The ground suddenly began shaking beneath them, the pair beginning to stumble before it quickly subsided. Looking at the dragon in confusion, her eyes were drawn upward to the ceiling of the chamber, noticing that the ceiling was still shaking. But the ground beneath her was fine.
"...May...you are the first human...to come here...and prove themselves..." the brunette tilted her head in confusion. How exactly had she proved herself...? She almost jumped as the dragon stepped towards her once more, so that its head was only a foot or two away from her, lowering it to the ground. "Worry not, young one...I have no intention of freezing you..."
"Uh...You don't?" she asked, the dragon giving a slight nod. "...Oh, uh...Thank you, very much..."
"There's no need to be nervous, I am no threat to you. Proving yourself means that you were able to answer my question clearly."
"You mean...choosing truths or ideals? So the right answer is neither?"
"In your case, yes. I ask that question not to get a definitive answer from humans, but to test whether or not they are overconfident as to what's in store for their future."
"Their future...?"
"Correct. All humans before you have answered with confidence, sure that they were to find the truths or ideals they sought after coming to me. But I am not all-knowing, I am but a single pokemon, cut off from the world as my image brings terror to those who see it."
"So...That's why you never leave? You don't want to scare people?"
"I suppose. Solitude has always been my domain, so I have never thought of choosing anything different. I had decided that I would remain here, and with the repeated visitation of humans, I decided that I would wait for the right human to motivate me to leave."
"Motivate you? How?"
"To not ask for a truth, nor ask for an ideal, but to ask for help in finding it themselves," May tilted her head slightly in confusion. "You did not demand I give you the answers or ideals you seek, but instead asked for my help in finding it on your own. Not only that, but you are a human who has not only sought my help for your own merit, but for the sake of all trainers and their pokemon."
"Oh, um...Well, I can't just let Ash do what he's doing, it'll make a lot of pokemon and trainers sad," the brunette responded, the dragon giving a slightly nod.
"And I believe your words," May was startled as she heard a strange noise from the darkness behind her. In a matter of moments, she could barely make out a small light in the distance from where she had come from. "I have opened a tunnel in the far side of this chamber, it will lead you to a small cliff outside the caverns."
"Really? You can just do that?" she asked.
"Of course. Ice is my domain, and therefore the ice here is under my control," the dragon responded, the girl flashing a smile to the dragon.
"Wow, that's awesome! Thank you so much!" May noticed the dragon's eyes fixate on her, then they closed.
"I suppose now is the time for you to catch me, is it not?" May blinked in surprise. "The exit I made is small enough for you to fit, but not for me. It would be more convenient for me to leave in one of those contraptions...A pokeball, you humans call it?"
"Whoa, wait, wait!" the brunette looked back at the exit, then back towards the dragon. "Are you...Are you saying you're okay with coming with me? You'll actually help me?!"
"Indeed. I, Kyurem, agree to lend you my power."
END