Chapter 9 – Barlow's Disappearance! A Conspiracy Confirmed!
I have already said that friendship is important to me. That's still true, even though I have recently realised that my friends back home aren't truly my friends; none of them have helped me like I've helped them. Okay, Barlow's helped me before vice versa…but now that I know he may be in trouble, Ryder and I are on our way to help him. Hang in there, Barlow…
Alex and Ryder arrive at a volcanic island. There is a Ranger depot nearby, but the main focus is the small village – consisting of four buildings – and the cave up ahead in the distance. Behind Alex and Ryder, a group of Drifloon slowly float towards the cave.
"Alright, we need to get into the cave," Alex began. "But I don't think that's an easy task, since there's a defiant person in the way," she said sarcastically. She and Ryder enter the village. "Let's see if we can get in on our own…"
"I don't think you will, dear," an elderly woman approaches Alex and Ryder. "You will need the Elder's permission to enter the cave."
"Elder?" Alex queried. The elderly lady points to the house just behind Alex and Ryder.
"He and his granddaughter live in that house just behind you, dear," she directed.
"Thank you very much," Alex said gratefully. She and Ryder head for the said house.
Inside the house…
Alex and Ryder – after knocking, of course – enter the house and find an elderly man and a young brunette haired girl.
"Eh? Are you the missing Ranger?" the man asked. "Where're the missing Pokémon?"
"Grandpa, this Ranger's here to look for the Ranger who went missing," the girl corrected.
"The missing Ranger is my base leader, I have to find him," Alex explained. "Please, my partner and I need to access the volcano cave."
"I'm sorry, Ranger," the girl began. "Since our Mime Jr has been taken, Grandpa's been rather lonely as of late."
"Very well! I shall grant you permission to enter the volcano cave," the Elder agreed. "But I must ask you to find our Mime Jr in return."
"I'll find the other local Pokémon while I'm at it," Alex vowed. Ryder nods in corroboration.
Inside the volcano cave…
Alex and Ryder enter the cave, now that they have the necessary permission, and look around.
"Oh, man…! It's boiling in here! Now wonder why this place is called the Boyleland," Alex commented sarcastically. "How're you feeling, Ryder?" she asked with concern.
Ryder appears to be suffering somewhat. He's constantly sweating and coughing, as well as appearing to be ill. His sensors lift up feebly.
"I know. Don't worry, I'll make sure you maintain your health as we progress," Alex promised. She and Ryder start to venture deeper into the cave.
Alex and Ryder walk up some steps, and Alex notices a gust of wind heading for the other side of the cave. Ryder instantly races away and into the fresh air coming from behind him and Alex. Alex runs after Ryder and checks his health.
"Ryder! You okay?! Ryder!" she exclaimed in a panic. She instantly takes her phone out of her pocket and dials a number. She then holds the phone to her ear. "I knew I should've been more prepared…!" she complained to herself. "Chris, it's me! Listen, Ryder's not going to cope during the mission we're undertaking. I want you to send Phoenix over with a medical-pack for Ryder."
Not long later…
A Charizard flies across the ocean – holding a white hip-bag with a red cross on the front in one claw and a spare bag with extra medical supplies in the other – flying at full speed, quickly approaching the Boyleland. He approaches the ledge where Alex is tending to Ryder. Alex accepts the white hip bag and the other bag of medical supplies.
"Thank you so much, Phoenix," she exclaimed gratefully. She instantly uses the medicine to treat Ryder's flush. Ryder makes a minor recovery and watches Alex adding some more medical supplies to the white hip-bag. She puts the hip-bag around her waist, with the bag itself facing outwards behind her. "Can you tell Chris thanks for me? I'd tell him myself via the phone, but we can't waste any more time."
Phoenix roars softly whilst nodding, complying with Alex's favour. He nuzzles her before taking flight. Phoenix flies away from the volcano cave, taking the unneeded medical supplies with him. Alex helps Ryder onto his feet.
"You should be okay now, Ryder," she said softly. "Just let me know if you're feeling ill again, I can give you some ointment now." She and Ryder return to the volcano cave.
Inside the cave…
Alex and Ryder – now further into the cave – move northwards. Ryder stops Alex in her tracks and points down ahead of him; a styler. Alex instantly runs over to pick it up.
"This is Barlow's styler!" she exclaimed. "Someone turned it off. I think we should turn it on once we find Barlow."
Ryder faces Alex with his sensors lifted up. Alex faces Ryder in confusion. She looks over to where she and Ryder are headed next.
"If we come across Team Dim Sun, we'll ask them about Barlow," she answered. She and Ryder move further into the cave.
Further inside…
Alex and Ryder come across two Team Dim Sun minions, one of which has a Miniremo out. The minions notice Alex.
"Hey, what's a Ranger doing here?!" the first exclaimed in a panicky fashion. Alex loses her temper.
"I'll be the one asking the questions here! What have you done with Barlow?!" she demanded furiously.
"The other Ranger who came by looking for the missing Pokémon?" the second one asked. "Sorry, not telling." He types something into the Miniremo, and a hypnotised Kangaskhan approaches Alex. Alex saw this coming.
"Capture on! Ryder!" her capture disc is instantly released, and is soon powered up, compliments of Ryder's Aura Sphere. It isn't long before the Kangaskhan is captured. The Kangaskhan leaves after the Miniremo gives off a small explosion.
"Oh crap! Run away!" the minions exclaimed, fleeing from the scene. Alex and Ryder progress through the cave.
They run passed a wild Rhyhorn. The Rhyhorn appears to be in a bad mood, and decides to tackle Alex and Ryder. They both cry out in pain as they crash into the ground. The Rhyhorn goes about its business as normal. Ryder and Alex stand back up, but with difficulty.
"Ow…I guess the Pokémon here are agitated with Team Dim Sun here," Alex guessed, rubbing her left leg.
Northwards…
Alex and Ryder progress through the cave and see a metallic door ahead. They approach the door, but two more Dim Sun minions intercept them.
"Oh, no you don't!" the first one scolded. "You're not going through to the hidden harbour that easily!"
"A harbour in a volcanic cave? That sounds somewhat out of place," Alex commented.
"Yeah, well, you're still not going there!" the second minion snapped. The two men bring out a Miniremo and type on their respective devices. Two hypnotised Numel – one per Miniremo – appear and ambush Alex and Ryder.
Alex releases her capture disc and quickly captures the two Numel, without the need for Ryder's Pokémon Assist ability. The Numel leave once the Miniremo's explode.
"Uh oh…" the two minions run away from the door. Alex and Ryder take the opportunity to go through.
Inside…
They arrive in a much cooler environment; it really does appear to be a harbour, with the seawater and the crates stacked around the area. Ryder and Alex hide behind a crate and look over it. They see a bunch of Fire type Pokémon, a few Purugly's and a Mime Jr – all hypnotised by the Miniremo – entering the large cargo ship behind the Dim Sun minion controlling the Miniremo.
"They're the missing Pokémon alright," Alex whispered. "Mime Jr kind of gives that away. But how can one Miniremo control all those Pokémon?" Alex almost suddenly gasps in horror; she and Ryder are witnessing four Dim Sun minions taking Barlow – who is currently trussed up tightly – into the cargo ship.
"You don't know who you're messing with! Me, Barlow!" Barlow exclaimed angrily. Alex instantly hides behind the crate, with a petrified look on her face. Ryder continues to watch discreetly.
"Shut up! You're doing our heads in!" the minions complained. They eventually go into the ship.
"Oh, great…!" Alex quietly panicked. Ryder looks at her in confusion. "What're we going to do now…!?" Ryder tugs Alex's arm, getting her to watch the next scene they are about to witness.
"Alright, that's the last of the Pokémon," the higher-up looking Dim Sun man began. "And the Ranger as well. Now, you are all to patrol this area until we leave in two minutes!"
"Yes sir!" the four Dim Sun minions complied.
"Remember! If you see a Ranger snooping around, truss 'em up a smidgeon on the tight side and then report to the captain!" the admin instructed.
"Yes sir!" the Dim Sun minions obeyed. They head for the loading bay to start their patrol.
"What do we do?" Alex asked in a quiet panic, having digested what he heard. "If we get spotted, we'll never be able to save Barlow! If we stay here, we'll never be able to save Barlow!" she complained. She suddenly has an idea. "Ryder, listen up. You won't like it, but it's the only chance we have."
A few minutes later…
Alex and Ryder – separately – sneak around the crates. On purpose, Alex makes herself trip up.
"Ow!" she exclaimed. Her tone of voice indicates that her pain is false, but realistic.
"Hey, it's that Ranger from inside the cave!" one of the minions exclaimed. Ryder – having witnessed the slip up – almost moves in to save her, but resists, remembering what Alex told him. He appears to be holding both Alex's styler and Barlow's styler. The three other minions join the one who 'spotted' Alex and assist him in restraining her. Unbeknownst to the minions, Alex smirks.
'Man, that was so easy! I guess this team isn't the smartest in the world,' she thought to herself. 'I can't believe this is working!'
"Okay, now we can report this to the captain," one of the minions said with relief. Two of the other minions hoist Alex onto her feet; she's now tied up around her waist with the rope one of the minions had brought along. They escort her to the admin. Ryder sneaks along after them. The minions approach the admin.
"Sir, we've found a Ranger in the area," one of them stated. "What should we do with her?"
"Stick her somewhere and report to the captain," the admin instructed. "But keep her away from the other one."
"Yes sir!" the minions complied.
"Military dialogue much?" Alex asked playfully.
"Silence! You shouldn't be joking, now that you can't intervene," the admin scolded. "Take her inside, I'll tell the captain we can leave now."
"This is your captain speaking," the intercom began. "We are now heading back to headquarters. Please get on board and be quick about it!" The Dim Sun admin, the minions and Alex all move into the ship. Ryder quickly, yet quietly, follows them.
Inside the ship…
Ryder sneaks around, following two minions, who are both escorting Alex somewhere, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
"I cannot believe you got yourself into this mess so easily," the first minion taunted. "The other Ranger was more of a challenge!"
"Well, he's more muscle-bound than me, what do you expect?" Alex asked sarcastically.
"Something else to happen at the time, maybe?" the second one asked mockingly.
"You mean like this?" Alex asked playfully.
"AAAAGH!" Ryder fired two Aura Spheres, one for each minion. They're both knocked out cold. Alex runs over to Ryder, who then unties her. They then high-five one another, smiling.
"I told you it would work, didn't I?" Alex asked, receiving her styler from Ryder. She puts it back into place. "Now that we're on board, at last, let's find Barlow." Ryder nods in agreement as he and Alex run off in search of Barlow.
Not long later…
Alex and Ryder move along a corridor with three doors. The first two doors they encounter are locked, but they enter the third.
"Who's there!?" Barlow asked demandingly. "You Dim Sun guys want to taunt me some more?!" Alex and Ryder approach him.
"Barlow, it's us," she told him quietly.
"Whuh? Alex?! What're you doing here?!" Barlow asked in horror.
"Rescuing you, of course," Alex responded quietly.
"Thanks, Alex. But we can't see what's what in here," Barlow began. "You need to light the room up."
CLICK!
Ryder flicks a light switch in the room. It brightens, causing Alex and Barlow to be temporarily blinded.
"Ow…that works, I suppose," Alex muttered.
"Too bright…it's better than the dark, though," Barlow stated. "But I wish you didn't have to see me like this."
"Don't worry about it, Ryder and I can untie you now, since we can see what we're doing," Alex said reassuringly.
"It's a no-go, Alex," Barlow stated. "They trussed me up on the tight side. You may have to cut the ropes."
"Or better yet…Ryder?" Ryder charges an Aura Sphere close to Barlow's ropes. The ropes soon break because of the Aura Sphere's energy burning away at them. Ryder cancels out his Aura Sphere.
"Nicely done! Thanks, Alex, Ryder," Barlow thanked with gratitude. "Now let's pay a visit to the captain of this ship!"
"My sentiments exactly," Alex agreed. "I want to know who fell for our plan to get Ryder and I on board." She goes over to the door on the opposite end of the room and attempts to open it. She scoffs. "Who leaves one door open and the other one locked?! Honestly!"
"Allow me," Barlow said, taking a few steps back. Ryder pulls Alex out of the way. "Target…CLEAR!" Barlow runs towards the door.
"Barlow, what're you-"
CRASH!
Barlow breaks through the door, but Ryder and Alex flinch when Barlow makes contact with the door.
CRASH!
Barlow crashes through a second door. Ryder and Alex flinch after that as well.
"Whoa…Alex! Take a look at this!" Barlow shouted. Alex and Ryder run out of the room and into where Barlow ended up.
They find themselves in a strange looking bedroom. They see a large desk with a tall mirror and a bunch of hairspray cans on the desk in front of the mirror, and several rails of oddly familiar-looking clothing.
"This must be the captain's quarters," Barlow commented. Ryder sniffs the air and sneezes.
"I think the smell is of the hairspray on the desk," Alex guessed. "Hairspray…and rails of yellow shirts with red body warmers? Okay, this is creepy now…"
"Let's find the captain."
Down the hall…
Alex, Barlow, Makuhita and Ryder are about to head for the deck when Dim Sun minions surround them. Alex and Barlow ready their stylers.
"Hold it! You two aren't getting away that easily!" one of the minions snapped. Five Miniremo's – two on Barlow's side, three on Alex's side – are set up, and five different Pokémon appear; two Magmar and three Magcargos.
"Capture on!" Barlow and Alex release their capture discs at their targets; Barlow aims for the two Magmar, Alex aims for the three Magcargos. The captures are easy, however, as neither Alex nor Barlow have difficulty taking care of them. All five Miniremo units explode and the five Pokémon flee. The minions soon flee as well.
On the deck…
Alex, Barlow, Makuhita and Ryder look around; nobody is out on the deck. They approach the stairs to the bridge, but not before someone exits the bridge, intercepting them.
"Mr Kincaid? What're you doing here?" Alex asked in confusion. Ryder snarls loudly and angrily at the familiar-looking man. "Ryder, what's gotten into-" Alex suddenly gasps in horror.
"You okay, Alex?" Barlow asked.
"That explains it!" she exclaimed. "The things we found in the captain's quarters, Mr Kincaid's sudden leave of absence at the Ranger School, the basement being off limits; Mr Kincaid's been in cahoots with Team Dim Sun all along!" she accused angrily.
"Clever," Mr Kincaid replied simply. "I am not a teacher, nor have I ever been one to begin with. My real identity is…"
RIIIIIIIIIP!
He tears his outer layer of clothes off, revealing a dark outfit – similar to that of the Team Dim Sun admin – and a cloak. He instantly put on a pair of dark shades.
"Kincaid!" he declared. Alex is left bewildered.
"Next time, come up with something…different," she taunted.
"I must admit, you certainly took a different approach in getting here than I expected," Kincaid commented. "Allowing yourself to be captured just to get on board quickly? I never would've expected that from you."
"What?" Barlow faces Alex in astonishment. "That's how you got here?" Alex nods once smirks.
"How long did it take you to realise you've been duped, Kincaid?" she asked mockingly. "An hour?"
"Shut up! If I'd have known you were the one my minions brought on board, I would've thrown you overboard myself!" Kincaid snapped.
Ryder suddenly gasps himself; 'thrown you overboard' were the words that horrified him the most. Alex faces him in confusion.
"Ryder? What's wrong?" she asked.
"I have never liked that Lucario ever since I laid eyes on him," Kincaid muttered. Alex looks at Kincaid in confusion before she, Barlow, Makuhita and Ryder are pushed down the steps, where a hoard of Dim Sun minions surrounds them. "Minions! Take care of them!"
"Yes sir!" they all complied. Four Miniremo's are revealed and activated. Four Rhyhorn appear and attack Barlow and Alex. However, they're captured almost as soon as they're summoned. The Rhyhorn then leave the deck after the Miniremo's explode.
"We're sorry, sir! We'll leave now!" the minions exclaimed shamefully. They jump overboard, which bewilders Alex and Barlow.
"Pathetic," Kincaid sighed. He has a Miniremo and a hypnotised Drapion at his side. "Minions! Take them down now!" he fumed. More minions show up and surround the two Rangers.
"Alex, I'll take care of Kincaid, you handle the small fry!" Barlow advised. Alex nods at him.
"Got it!" she complied. Three hypnotised Stunky are set on her while Barlow sets his styler on the Drapion.
A few minutes later…
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The Miniremo's blow up as the Stunky's flee. The remaining minions jump overboard on their own free will, ashamed of themselves.
"Whoaaaa!" Barlow falls down the steps. His styler and broken capture disc land next to him.
"Barlow!" Alex and Ryder run over to him, as does Makuhita. "Are you okay?!"
"It's no good…my styler's broken," Barlow said angrily. "Alex, it's up to you and Ryder now."
"Ryder? What good is he going to do?" Kincaid asked tauntingly. "He doesn't even know how he came to be here in Almia!"
"What's your point?!" Barlow asked interrogatively.
"My point is…I know how Ryder came to be here," Kincaid answered.
"Tell me! What happened to him!?" Alex asked furiously.
"The answer's simple; I kidnapped him," Kincaid answered bluntly.
"What?! How?!" Alex asked in horror; Ryder is also in horror, as he has lost all memory of how he ended up on Nabiki Beach.
"I wanted to take control of a powerful Lucario," Kincaid continued. "I searched all over, and then I found Ryder on an island somewhere, not too far from the city called Station Square. I kidnapped him and brought him here. He would've ended up at HQ if he hadn't broken free and jumped overboard."
"That's how it happened?! I knew I was right not to trust you, but this is just too much!" Alex cried with disbelief.
"However, I never knew who Ryder's trainer is or was," Kincaid continued. "So, I was horrified to see the very Lucario I kidnapped failing to recognise me and standing by your side."
"So you pulled that 'Tangrowth came from the basement' trick to weaken him again!" Alex accused, now with tears in her eyes.
"Lucky guess. However, you and Keith ruined that plan when you used your stylers to capture the Tangrowth instead of allowing Ryder to fight," Kincaid explained. "But consider yourself lucky; my analysis of Ryder shows he has yet to master his Psychic attack. A Pokémon who can't master an attack is not worth my time. And to be frank, Alexa…Ryder isn't worth my time anyway…or yours."
"How dare you talk about Ryder like that!" Alex fumed, instantly standing onto her feet with her styler at the ready. "Ryder is one of the best Pokémon I've ever had, and one of the very best I've raised! I know he'll perfect Psychic one day, so don't you dare talk about him like he's a piece of crap! At any rate, why was the basement off limits?!"
"Oh, that? I was only positioned at the school so I could find a genius," Kincaid answered, unfazed at Alex's rage. "And I have found a genius in Isaac."
"You used the Ranger School for that?! You're sick!" Barlow raged.
"So, Alexa, are you still willing to challenge me? Despite hearing the harsh truth about your pet?" Kincaid asked tauntingly.
"More than ever! And don't you dare call Ryder a pet ever again!" Alex cried angrily. "Capture ON!" she shouted, releasing her capture disc at the Drapion.
After a certain degree of difficulty…
BOOM!
Drapion flees after the Miniremo explodes. Kincaid snarls with fury. Ryder, however, is left stunned; he had forgotten the harsh reality of how he arrived in Almia.
"This isn't over yet, Alexa!" Kincaid vowed, summoning a hypnotised Gliscor. Kincaid grabs Gliscor's arms and it pulls him away from the ship.
BOOM!
Something exploded somewhere else on the ship. Alex, Barlow, Makuhita and Ryder race into the bridge. Barlow instantly takes the helm.
"Uh oh! The Kingston Valve has been unplugged!" he exclaimed. "The ship's taking on water and is sinking fast!" He opens various communication channels on the ship. "Hello, can anyone hear me?! It's Barlow, Alex and I have taken control of Team Dim Sun's ship!" While Barlow's communicating with someone, Alex goes over to Ryder.
"Ryder? You going to be okay?" she asked worriedly. Ryder tries not to look at her, but lifts his sensors up regardless. "Oh, Ryder…I know it's horrific, but the main thing is you don't need to worry about Kincaid wanting you again…! But right now we need to do something!"
"Barlow, if you and Alex can't make it to a pier in time, abandon ship and save yourselves," Crawford advised on the radio. "Good luck."
"What?! There's no way I'm leaving the Pokémon behind! Come on, Ryder!" Alex exclaimed enthusiastically. Ryder looks away from Alex, looking ashamed of himself. Alex sighs.
"Fine, I'll go by myself!" she stressed. Ryder looks up at her in horror.
"Go where?" Barlow asked.
"To put the Kingston Valve back into place," Alex replied. "If it's back in place, we won't need to worry about the ship sinking!"
"I see… I think you have four minutes or so before the ship starts to properly sink," Barlow estimated. "Hurry!"
"I'm on it!" Alex runs out of the bridge. Ryder's conflicted.
In the cargo bay, a couple of minutes later…
Alex manages to get to the Kingston Valve. She and a befriended Machoke attempt to push it back into place. They eventually do so, and the Machoke leaves.
Back at the bridge…
"Hey, the water's stopped coming in!" Barlow exclaimed happily. "Alex did it! Okay, now where to go from here…?"
"Maku!" Makuhita points out of the window. Barlow looks out of the window and looks at what Makuhita's pointing to.
"Perfect! Nice eye, Makuhita!" Barlow complimented.
In the cargo bay…
"Okay, time to get back to Barlow and Ryder," Alex sighed to herself, with relief. She's about to walk off…
"Wh-whoaaaa! Aaaaaagh!" the ship makes a sudden turn, causing Alex to lose balance and to fall.
At the Ascension Square…
The cargo ship crashes into and destroys the small pier. The Boyleland Pokémon – including Mime Jr – flee from the ship. Luana, Crawford, Ms April and Lamont arrive on the scene quickly.
"Barlow's done it! The Pokémon are saved and all!" Crawford cheered. "Too bad about the pier, though."
"I'm just glad the Pokémon are safe from harm," Lamont stated. "The pier is of no significance." Alex slowly makes her way out of the ship, holding onto her right shoulder.
"Alex?! Are you alright?!" Ms April asked, with extreme worry. Alex topples over, but she manages to prevent herself from falling flat on her face.
"I think so…" Alex sighed.
"Where's Crawford?" Luana asked worriedly.
"In the bridge, last I checked," Alex answered. Soon enough, Barlow, Makuhita and Ryder appear on the roof of the bridge.
"Alex! Mission clear!" Barlow shouted to Alex. Ryder jumps down to help Alex; his sensors are raised.
"It's alright, Ryder," Alex whispered happily, giving him a soft cuddle. "I'm not mad at you. I wasn't in the first place."
To be continued…