Chapter 3
"We do it in the dark with smiles on our faces. We're dropped and well concealed in secret places, we don't fight fair."
-Fall Out Boy, The Take's Over, the Break's Over
"Huff, huff." I run as fast as possible. I'm getting desperate in my run, as I try avoiding anyone and everyone because if I get challenged to one more battle, I'm in trouble. As I run, I notice that the environment gets blurrier and blurrier and my panic rises. The buildings seem to get closer and closer so I'm approaching the safe zone.
"Excuse me, miss?" I get immediately approached by a girl with the longest dark blue hair I've ever seen the moment I walk into Striaton City. She has large blue eyes under glasses and a lab coat. I've heard of the Scientist Trainer Class and how they like to use X things like attack or guard. I can't do this anymore!
"Oh no!" Not another call to battle! I don't like these trainer rules. How is it that when you make eye contact with someone, it automatically means you're required to battle? Who invented these rules? Madge, my Lillipup has fainted and lost her will to battle and Ganon's close enough to fainting.
"Huh?"
"Please don't make me battle! I don't think it'd be a fair fight."
"I'm not here to battle. In fact, my only Pokémon is with my sister in our apartment. Actually I was told by my colleague Professor Juniper that three new trainers would arrive and that I could ask them for help. You fit the description of the one named Bianca. I talked to White earlier, but she's currently taking on the Gym."
I let out a sigh of relief.
"If you want, we can walk and talk to the Pokémon center. My name is Fennel, by the way."
"Why yes. I'm sorry for being a little irrational earlier. I just want my Pokémon to be healthy," I say honestly. "Being a trainer can be grueling. I've only been doing this for two days and I'm starting to understand that it isn't as easy as some make it out to be. I still find it really fun, though!" Just not the kind of job I see myself doing for the next few years or for the rest of my life.
"That's perfectly understandable," Fennel says. "I never had time to be a trainer and I was more interested in science than training, to be completely honest. I'm a PhD candidate for Castelia University and my thesis topic is the Munna line and its power to manipulate dreams. That's where you and White come in. I need you to collect some dream mist for me over at the Dreamyard. Lately, there's been an odd shortage of Munna and Musharna and I think some battling might be required and battling isn't something I do. It's just past the Gym on the right, in that direction," she points towards an area with a large, slightly unkempt hedge.
"I can do it. No problem!" I say when we stop just in front of the Pokémon Center building.
"Great! Well, I'll leave you to it, then. It was nice meeting you, Bianca!"
I go inside and heal my Pokémon. I also go ahead and use up almost all of my money in potions and Pokémon treats and make a room reservation for the night. I'm glad I don't have to spend what little I have left. I check my funds. "Great. I only have a hundred left. I don't think I can go buy some food for myself with it. That's okay. At least my babies will be able to eat and be happy!" I take out Madge and Ganon out of their balls. "Hey guys! Lunchtime!"
Ganon eats with a such desperation while Madge eats slowly, as though eating wears her out. I've watched Ganon and Madge interact for the last day and I've noticed there's no change in either of their behaviors. Ganon tries to be talkative (I think) and friendly towards Madge, but she's hesitant, almost as if she's afraid of him. I'm not totally surprised by it, considering she has a docile nature and she was a wild one so I'm hoping she'll open up to me.
I really hope she does. I've always wanted a Lillipup friend.
"Are you two all done now?" Ganon, of course finished minutes ago while Madge is struggling with her snack. I'm glad the Pokémon Center's jukebox is playing over my growling stomach. What I'd do to have some coffee right now! "Okay, let's go explore the Dreamyard, guys!" I call them back into their Pokéballs to rest.
The Dreamyard isn't quite what I thought it'd be. Striaton seems like such a neat and organized city with this small talk kind of urbanized place, but this gives off an abandoned vibe. There's what used to be a building as it's completely demolished. The grass is overgrown and a darker shade of green than what I've seen on my journey so far. I don't know why I get this odd sense of peacefulness. I think I like this place, though. There's something about it that strikes me as mystical.
I close my eyes and take in this moment for all I can. Everything is so quiet.
"Excuse me, miss?"
"AHHHH!" The sudden and all too close noise from behind me makes me jump in total surprise, causing me to lose footing and nearly twist my ankle. I manage to salvage the situation before it gets worse. When I look back, I see it's an ordinary looking young teenage girl wearing a yellow dress and a matching headband. I take a deep breath and give her a nervous smile. There's nothing wrong with her.
"Oh I'm so sorry. I wanted to ask you if you were a trainer?"
"Oh me?" I ask nervously. "Why yes, I am."
"That's so cool! I have a bit of a problem and I wanted to know if you could help me?" She sounds sincere in her asking so I nod my head.
"Well of course I can help! I want to use my Pokémon for whatever good I can achieve." Even though I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing other than attempting to collect badges.
"See, my Pokémon kind of overbred."
"Huh?" How does a Pokémon overbreed?
"I gave my extra Pansear away to this lovely, yet arrogant looking boy with green hair and I have these two newborn Pans. I saw you walk into the Dreamyard and I followed you here since you look like a trainer."
"Oh. Well, if it's no hassle, I wouldn't mind taking one of them off your hands." It would be just one more to love!
"Really?" Her face lights up in joy.
"Of course not!" I extend my hand and sway it a little bit nonchalantly.
"What's your starter?"
"Huh?"
"It's important for me to know who you started with. The Gym Leaders here base it around who you started with and go for the type advantage."
"I started with a Tepig." I look into my bag and begin to fumble with it for a moment and take out Tepig's ball. The sheen of light grows and...
"Pup? Pup?" Madge's form takes place instead.
"Whoops! Sorry! Wrong one!" I recall Madge back into her ball and finally find the other ball among all of my other things. Ganon comes out and makes a circle around the girl.
"Great! Here's your Pansage, then! Please take care of him, all right?" She takes out a Pokéball from her pocket and entrusts it to me. I throw the ball onto the floor and a green monkey a little bit taller than Ganon pops up. His beady black eyes dart all over the Dreamyard, his leafy tail wagging forth in just as a hectic manner. His eyes fall on Ganon and he begins to scream for his life.
Pansage makes a quick jump upwards and latches himself onto my dress. "Aww!"
"I forgot to mention this one's a timid Pokémon, it doesn't take very well to new surroundings. Anyway, I'm going to the trainer's school. It was nice meeting you!"
"It was nice meeting you t-whoa!" Pansage jumps higher and higher, reaching all the way up to my shoulder as far away from Ganon as possible. Then his tiny hands smack straight into my line of vision, obscuring the world as I see it. "Whoa! Whoa!" I spin around in a circle as Pansage screams more. Then the world crashes down.
I fall hip first into the ground and the world is visible again.
"Tepig?" Ganon questions when I regain a sense of what just happened. What I see happen next is something I should have honestly expected: the Pansage walks off into the tall grass.
"Hey! Wait! Pansage! Pansage!" I quickly get up, not bothering to dust off the bits of dirt and grass on my skirt and follow the Pansage. Ganon runs just ahead of myself as I try to catch up to him as he makes his way around the corner of the obliterated building, on the other side of the wall. As I get closer, I notice that Pansage stops in his tracks and completely halts.
When I finally reach him, Pansage repeats his past actions and hops up to my shoulders. "Pansage..." I begin scolding, but his hands frantically point northwest of where I'm standing. Two other people are here as well. They're oddly dressed, like knights from a fairy tale or some kind of medieval kingdom. I feel like I've seen these outfits before somewhere but before I try to place them, I hear Ganon growl menacingly for the first time. I grab Ganon from the floor and hide behind the shadows of the destroyed building.
"TEP!" Ganon keeps growling in my arms while Pansage won't stop shaking. Light smoke comes out of my arms and I see that it's coming from Ganon's snout.
"Shh! Keep your voice down, Ganon!" They must be something bad if my Ganon is reacting like this. I don't understand, though. Knights are supposed to be good, aren't they?
"I don't get it," the taller knight says out loud. "Why are we here on this stupid mission? This area is obviously abandoned and ugly."
"You idiot," the smaller and I figure, female knight, judging by her voice says, "We were sent here to find that Munna. Lord Ghetsis says that with dream smoke, we can find a way to influence people through dreams and we can get them to release all Pokémon through nightmares."
"But that makes no sense. What about the Darkrai and Cresselia Pokémon? How do they factor into this?"
"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. Now shut up and help me search."
What? Pokémon release? What are they talking about? Wait a moment. I heard stuff about this yesterday. White and Cheren were talking about the same topic for quite a few hours, despite my general confusion. This has to be connected, no doubt. I don't know why I focused so hard on teasing White about that boy she met then. I mean, if a guy's cute, then why not talk to him?
"Bianca? What are you doing here?" The voice comes from the other side of the building, where I got Pansage. When I look, it's White just innocently standing there.
"Shhh!" I grab her by the arm and pull her into the shadows with me.
"What was that?" The female knight says.
"Hey! It's those guys again," White says.
"They're going after Munna. Wait a second, are you here because of Munna too?" I ask.
"Yeah. I promised that scientist chick I'd help her after getting my badge." Her eyes glance up and down, surely noticing the two Pokémon I have latched to my body. "Also, why is your Tepig angry? Oh and you have a new friend too. He's just like Cilan's."
"Isn't he adorable? He's a little bit afraid and truth be told, so am I. I don't think these people want to use that Munna for good purposes." When I finish my sentence, I hear a cackle from the female knight.
"There you are, you little brat!" I see the two knights surround a tiny pink Pokémon with a purple flower on its body that hovers just over the ground.
"MUN-NA!" It begins to cry.
My eyes widen at the poor thing's distress. "Oh no! White, we need to save it." Every inch of my body wants to run towards the poor creature and save it.
"Bianca. I don't think it's a good idea for you to-"
"Come on you stupid thing. Do the thing with the smoke," the male says. The Munna cries even harder. The man then kicks Munna and it falls to the floor.
"NO!" I can't stay here hiding like a coward. "HEY! YOU JERKS!" I come out running at them. Ganon wiggles himself out of my arms, his snarls worse than ever before.
"Bianca, no!" White whispers, but I ignore her. I don't care that I'm rushing into the situation without backup or experience. I saw what I saw and I'm not going to just stand there hiding because if I do, then I'm no worse than the ones who kicked the Munna.
"That's not right. How dare you treat this poor, innocent creature like that!" The voice that comes out of me doesn't feel like my own. It sounds like a rabid, possessed Bianca rather than my usual self. I don't know what's gotten into me, but justice needs to be served and they need a stern talking to. My body is burning, all of it, rage consuming me in its fire. I'm not holding back anything.
It upsets me more when they stare at me with a look of nonchalance, as though I'm just a blip in their plan.
"Go away, little trainer," the male one says. Now that I'm close, I can get a better look at their faces, considering they were really blurry from where I was standing. They look like twins with large blue eyes and ginger hair.
"No," I say, defiant. I'm staying my ground. I'm going to save this Munna, even if it gets me in trouble.
"Then I'll make you. Patrat! Get them!" the male one releases a Pokémon I'm all too familiar with.
"Go Purrloin," the female releases another Pokémon I've battled quite a lot on this day. The same Pokémon species that almost took out my entire team about an hour or two ago.
"Bianca!" White steps into the fray.
"Great. How many of you trainer brats are here?" the female knight says. "If there are any more of you, just come out now."
"There's no more of us. You know, I saw you guys yesterday in Accumula, I thought you guys had this relatively kooky, but well meaning approach, but now I'm starting to think otherwise. For people who stress liberation due to abuse, that's pretty hypocritical of you," White says. "And for that...Oshawott, go!" He attacks the Purrloin with a Water Gun.
"Ganon, use your mighty powers of flame. Incinerate!" Of course, I mean for him to use Ember, but he understands nonetheless.
"Dodge it!" The male orders. It manages to listen to its owner as Ganon spews out flame after flame after flame at him. The Patrat stops momentarily to catch its breath from all of its dodging.
"Use Tackle!" Ganon manages to unleash his mighty tackle on the Patrat and it goes down in one hit.
"Oh no!" The man says, digging into his pockets and giving me almost five hundred in cash. Both he and I glance over at his comrade and she's down on the floor defeated already.
"This is embarrassing," the woman says. "We lost to a bunch of kids."
"Well, you shouldn't have kicked the Munna," White says, her hands against her hips.
"Just what in the world is going on here!" A voice I've never heard before yells in such a commanding way. A tall, tall man in a strange robe? Blanket? Snuggie?-comes out of nowhere. He's unlike anyone I've ever seen before, with long green hair with gray at the roots, half wrinkled, half scarred skin, and a red thingy on his eye (a monocle?). Nonetheless, the two knights cower in fear. I feel Pansage quake in fear as he hangs on my shoulders. Ganon does not react, however.
"L-Lord Ghetsis!" The female stammers, her haughtiness brought down quite a few levels.
"We-We tried to get that dream cloud from that Pokémon and we-"
"SILENCE! What happened just now is despicable. I am ashamed to be the superior of you two. You are a hindrance to the name 'Plasma'. You are an embarrassment to our king. I demand you go back to the base and you will face immediate punishment for your failure."
"No!" The girl says, crying.
"Oh Arceus no! We're not worthy! We're-We're Team Plasbad!" He suddenly runs off, forgetting about the Patrat he used to battle. She follows afterwards, but her Purrloin is nowhere to be seen.
My eyes divert back to the man known as Ghetsis, waiting for him to address us directly, but when I look back in his direction, there's nothing but pink smoke surrounding us.
"What?" White manages to say before the smoke overwhelms us and makes us cough. When the smoke clears, she's the first to react. "Bianca, look!"
Hovering over the injured Munna is another, slightly larger pink Pokémon surrounded by other Munnas. Ganon is the first to react, addressing the Pokémon with kind gestures. White's Oshawott follows.
"Wow that was spectacular!" Fennel says, also coming out of nowhere.
"That was weird as hell," White mumbles.
"What you just witnessed was the epic power of Musharna! See, Munna can conjure up dreams and manipulate them, but Musharna are much more extraordinary than that as they can warp reality from a person's mind. Man, this is just perfect for my thesis! Thanks!"
"Uhh, wait a second," White begins. "Where did you even come from? How much did you see?"
"Oh, I saw when you two fought those Team Plasma people. I've seen them hover around here for the last few weeks, but it got worse in these last few days. I don't know what's up with them but I don't buy their message."
"Me neither," White says.
"Musha. Musharna." The Musharna hovers excitedly as the injured Munna gets back up. Its Munna brethren help it out. Both Ganon and White's Oshawott come back to us along with one of the random Munna. Fennel takes out a bottle and encapsulates some of the dream mist from it.
"Thank you so much! I promise I'll credit you when I present my thesis and um, here! For your trouble!" She gives us both a thousand in cash each. "Oh, and if you want, you can come to my apartment and have dinner with me and my sister. We can have you test out my invention. Anyway, I've got to get going. I'll see you later!"
Both White and I are now left alone. "Bianca, I-"
"I'm sorry I stepped in and Leeroyed everything. I know I could have gotten hurt, but I had to do something!"
"No, it's not that. Look." Ganon and Munna are having an intense conversation. Oshawott isn't doing much. When Pansage gets a look, he slides down from my body and approaches the other Pokémon with tentative steps, joining the conversation between Ganon and Munna, not feeling intimidated by them anymore. The three then stop what they're doing and all glance up at me at the same time. Munna floats up to me, its tiny body directing facing mine. This is right around the time I notice that the other Munna and Musharna are long gone. The Munna gives me a wistful look.
"Dude, I think she wants to join you," White says.
What? "Me?"
"Well, yeah. I know you went all Leeroy Jenkins on Team Plasma, but someone had to go and fight for their beliefs. I haven't seen you rage like that since we were fifteen. That was pretty awesome."
"Really?" My eyes dart around Munna, Pansage, White, and Ganon. They all seem to agree with White. The feeling that I'm unfamiliar with comes crashing down on me, but I welcome it. It's uplifting and invigorating and unlike anything I've ever felt before. I suddenly recognize it and realize it's something I've always found hard to come by. I gush about boys all the time, but can't approach them. I study hard, but blank out over tests or oral exams. I rehearse conversations in my head (mostly with my dad), but stutter and mumble but this. I know what this is. This is a surge of confidence.
It...It feels amazing!
Please do review, it makes me so happy to see your comments!