The new morning comes with a shining sun. But not for me – my broken organic clock usually makes me get up much earlier than that. Also, lying unconscious in the hospital for nearly a day may be counted a little as a rest too.
Anyway, I opened my eyes and looked up. How this new day will influence my life? I don`t know. I ask this question each morning. And… maybe, I don`t want to know.
Something is not right, still. As I remember, I was falling asleep on the bed, and… I`m still in it. But without clothes. And the nice scent of woman makes me think that somewhere my plan was imperfect.
I carefully turned my head to the left and saw Erika lying right near me.
Damn, I did it again, didn`t I? I didn`t even wanted to sleep with her… Well, maybe, I wouldn`t actually refuse to, this woman is quite attractive, but the situation isn`t fitting at all… I just don`t need another responsibility to her.
"Are you… going?" Erika suddenly asked sleepily.
"I don`t know. Maybe." I coldly replied and sat on the bed side. "I need to pull my thoughts together." And that was true. So many things happened recently I even lost the count. I throw myself from one to another, and then to the next one. Sometimes I even forget what I did earlier. What I wanted to do. That`s not a good thing.
I got up from the bed, quickly dressed up and headed to the kitchen. The coffee machine appeared to be extremely convenient as I made a cup of coffee and sat to drink it. Strangely, I didn`t feel hunger now, not at that moment.
Soon Erika joined me with coffee and small toast. We had our silent breakfast until it stopped to be silent.
"So… Where are you going now?" Erika asked me with interest.
"This is a question I want to ask myself too." I replied honestly. "We managed to deal with the Celadon hideout of Rockets, but now they`re gone. Maybe I should visit the hideout again and try… to search of what`s left."
Sudden sorry look on Erika`s face worried me.
"Oh, you don`t know…" She sadly whispered. "The Game Corner was burnt yesterday morning. News said it…"
Damn it… I really had hope to look through that place once again and find something useful for me. I squeezed my fists in anger willing to punch something but I slowly exhaled and calmed down.
"So… There`s nothing left in that place. I don`t know where to seek them now, have no trail now."
"Maybe you should rewind a little back? Why all this began?"
I found her advice unusually useful, and tried it out.
"I came to Celadon City because I had the trace of missing grass pokemon – from here, and even earlier – from Cerulean outskirts. Mr. Fuji directed me to your city too, and that`s all. Rockets took their guys back. Mr. Fuji is in a really bad state to ask him something, and that`s all. Investigation is at dead end."
Well, it didn`t help much. Erika understood that and was quiet for some more time.
"Do you know what`s the main problem?" She asked.
"I can`t focus now. So many things happened in so little time… Too fast! But… I don`t have the time to stop and think everything through…" I put coffee away and grabbed my hair. It`s been a while since I panicked mentally like this…
"Maybe… You should slow down a bit and give yourself time to think?" Erika said to me with very cared voice. "After all happened here and in Celadon… You really need to pull yourself together."
"But… when?" I raised my eyesight at her. "Right at this moment the truck with bunch of pokemon are moving… somewhere. Bunch of pokemon that my Harry wants to return back. That I PROMISED him to return back."
Woman lowered her eyes down. She tried to help me somehow, advice something but the situation is really tough. Anyway, she found what to say.
"You can`t chase pokemon if you don`t know where to go, right?"
Yes, she is right. I don`t know where Rockets moved and where I have to go. And what do I have now? Do I have anything now?
Damn, I DO have!
"Oh yes, Erika, you gorgeous thing!" I rushed to the gym leader and kissed her in the forehead. "Thanks a lot, what I would do without you!"
And after that I ran back to the shelf and grabbed my greatcoat. Somewhere in the depth of it I took PokeDex and opened it. I already did this process before despite absolutely not liking it, but I need to do that again.
Erika appeared behind me with complete confusion on her face.
"What`s on your mind again?" She asked.
"Shush!" I raised my finger to mouth and turned away.
"Hello?" The familiar male voice sounded in the device.
"Hey there, Bill! Nice to hear you." I greeted the inventor.
"Oh, Ven, it`s nice to hear you too. I was worried, how did everything go?" Bill asked me immediately. That made me remember that I didn`t report to him in days.
"It was terrible. Like, the worst! We nearly died and I was badly shot in my shoulder." I kept the second of dramatic silence to continue then with an optimistic tone. "But your work was just perfect, great! I owe you. But there`s one thing I still want to ask you. Guess what?"
"The scanner results?" Bill also managed to carefully guess me at once.
"The scanner results." I repeated after him satisfied.
"Yeah… I extracted the data from my scanner… But I don`t think it can be much of use to you right now."
"What do you mean?" By that statement he managed to really frighten me. He is my only hope now!
"Don`t hurry! I do have a thing for you." Bill calmed me down a little. "Wait a second…" The sounds of button clicks made me thing he is going to turn something on. "The most of recording is just silence and forest noise, but at one moment… You can hear this!"
Bill played the recording right through PokeDex connection. At first it was just the silence, but then a couple of very distant shots sounded.
"What`s that?" Erika whispered in my ear, reminding me about her existence again. I warned her with a sign and continued listening.
"And nearly after a minute, you can hear this…" Bill rewound the record a bit forward, where I heard that…
A terrible distant cry of some pokemon. The really terrible cry of unknown pokemon.
"And nothing more." The inventor stopped recording at that moment. I tried to move aside the question whether my S.S. Anne operation was worth it firstly, but then pulled myself together. Because it seems not to be.
"Do you know what pokemon was that?" I asked him and then turned my head back to Erika. I addressed the question to Bill, but she shook her head negatively too.
"No, I don`t, never heard that. This is definitely a pokemon not from our region, I guess." The inventor answered me. "Do you think this can help your investigation?"
"Depends on the question if we manage to define this pokemon somehow…" I caught myself on a thought if this can really help. How can this really help? "Can you please send this to professor Oak?" I asked Bill after some seconds.
"Yeah, I thought you`ll say that. I prepared the mail, but waited for you to permit." Bill said and giggled quietly.
"Wow, what a responsible Misty`s ex you are!" I said him.
"That… That didn`t sound like praise at all." Bill replied as if he expected to be praised.
"It shouldn`t be. However, you did well, that was a right thing to do. You can`t be too careful in… our scope of work." I placed myself in an armchair and looked up.
Do I trust professor Oak enough to handle him this job? Should this be a secret at all?
I think I need at least to invent another explanation to this, just to make sure.
"So… Are we adding professor to our investigation squad?" Bill suddenly distracted me from my thoughts.
"Ah, yes. I think we are." I answered him and sighed loudly. "Let me know when he replies, okay?"
"Okay. I`ll be online and ready if you need my help."
"Thanks, Bill, I appreciate that. I`ll return the favor someday." I said without even thinking. To return this person the favor, I need to invent something of my own. Something crazy like he invents, or even crazier.
"Don`t worry about that. Let`s think that your retrieval of my scanner was… pretty big deal for me. Be safe and… I hope your… shoulder will be all right." Bill replied and turned off the link. Well, that`s a relief, my total debt to everyone is a little less now. Although, owing Bill maybe is the best of the worst things I could have.
I put the PokeDex away and stared at the space before me. Maybe, now I have another clue that can lead me to my car, the one that seems to be much better than chasing the bandits across the whole Kanto region. Do I need to continue battling Team Rocket now?
Yes, I do. This is personal now. Especially after they shot me. And I want to finish their dark businesses here. Once and for all. Also, I have to fulfill my promise to Harry.
Harry… This particular pokemon always seems to be on his own even while being in a team. That is so like me. I wonder what will he do when we finish off Team Rocket?
What will I do?
"You seem to have a lot to think now." Sweet and soft voice of Erika behind scared the shit out of me and made me jump in my armchair.
"Whoa, don`t… Don`t do that again, woman, please!" I gently yelled at her and got up from my place. I don`t like when people startle me. I hate it!
I approached the window and looked outside. This side of PokeCenter comes out on a pretty nice field right nearby. I guess it can be used for pokemon battles – judging by the amount of damage to the ground there, the previous ones were quite heated.
The familiar guy with his Haunter was doing something there. A couple of children surrounded him there, maybe asking to play with the rare ghost pokemon. I hope he is smart enough not to let them.
Damn it, yes! Douchebag! He mentioned before that his boss was somehow connected to Team Rocket. And he still has the papers to make pressure on him.
"Dumpling, to me!" I passed the lying Charmeleon and immediately woke him up and rushed out of my room while putting the greatcoat on.
"Hey, where are you going?" Erika shouted to me behind.
"Getting the last chance to success, my dear." I stopped for a second. "As a gym leader you would like to see that, let`s go!"
"I`m… not going. I`m heading back to Celadon City." The woman said confusedly.
"Okay then!" I cheerfully replied, waved at her and left the room.
We went down the ladder and approached the nurse behind the counter.
"Good morning, mister Vengeance! Would you like to take your pokemon back?" She nicely greeted me.
"Thanks, milady. Yes, I would like to." I leaned on the counter and smiled widely despite the endless chain of horrible thoughts about random nurse knowing my name.
While woman was searching for my pokeballs in her storage, Dumpling finally caught up with me and gave an unpleasant look.
"Oh, don`t look at me like that. In the army you would be awaken with much more brutal methods… water-type methods…" I said to him. In return, the pokemon seriously pointed at the only pokeball on my shoulder belt. "Yeah, fine." After that I returned him back to capsule, to continue the rest.
Dumpling was almost immediately followed by Erika, very displeased too by something. She approached me and raised her forefinger like going to threaten me, but then suddenly stopped and just breathed heavily.
I questionably looked at her and then slowly and carefully moved her finger away.
"Be cautious with that finger-gun of yours. Keep it for a real purpose. What asshole upset you now?"
"You… you! You didn`t even say a goodbye!" She yelled at me.
"What for? We met again right in a minute after that!" I gave a proper look to this angry gym leader. There`s something beautiful in anger… But in anger that stays inside a border.
"I`m going back to Celadon City, didn`t you hear me?" She repeated like I didn`t heard her the first time. But it wasn`t necessary – I heard her the first time.
"Of course, I heard you. I made some conclusions and planned my whole week, according to your statement. I had to change a couple of plans because of you. So what?"
Erika was angry no more. She looked… disappointed? No, not disappointed. Sad, maybe? Why would she?
"After everything we`ve been through, you let me leave that easily?" She whispered.
And here comes the real effect of damned Contract. Crap, I tried to avoid this, and failed again. Another broken heart, another scratch on my black wall, another slap, maybe.
"Listen, Erika. After everything we`ve been through I knew you pretty well. I understand that if you decided to stop our journey and head back home – you have a reason for that. And I won`t argue. I respect you and your choices. That is all."
The small shiny tears appeared on her eyes while I was talking. She rushed to me and hugged in the end.
"You were not like this when we met." I told her remembering what first impression she did on me. It was like completely another person. Adventures do bad things to people…
"And you stayed absolutely the same." She replied and released me.
"You wanted the adventures, big spoiled girl. Why changed your mind?" I cunningly looked at her.
"I think I got enough of this. You interested me from the very beginning. Your marvelous battle at my gym… Then the assault on Team Rocket headquarters, the firefight and then suddenly - the ghost tower! I bet your life is much more interesting if you act like all this is a regular thing to you."
"Oh, you can`t even imagine, woman…" I quietly commented her while looking around. Her stories about me can be not very pleasant for regular people to hear. Especially to those who SUDDENLY connected to the Rockets.
"Firstly, I was just interested. Then surprised. Then confused. Then amazed. And scared! I felt so many different emotions that… Well… These days were really great. Thank you for this. But not for blowing up my gym." I think this woman is overreacting a little. Also proves my theory about her. And makes people suspect me as a terrorist.
"Yeah, sorry for that part. It was really necessary."
"I still can`t understand your logics… Maybe, I should not. That`s much more fun this way." She made a step back and nodded. Or, maybe, even bowed. "I will return back home, restore what… Team Rocket destroyed, get their activities in my city under control and then try to help your investigation. The incident on Route 3, I remember correctly?"
I wasn`t fond of her listening to my talk with Bill. But her help could be very good. On the other hand, I would not want to attract too much people to it. What if they find my car before me? That can be just catastrophic!
But I know I can`t stop her from doing so.
"Yes, Erika, thanks a lot." I nodded showing her a whole bunch of appreciation.
"Call me soon. I registered myself in your PokeDex." She smiled and turned around to go back to our room.
In my PokeDex? Can this thing actually connect with regular mobile phones? If so…
No, paranoid Ven, no, stop. They CAN`T track you down using just a phone call.
Or can they?
And so, I was thinking bad thoughts and looking at Erika`s ass, slowly moving away until her hostess turned right and disappeared behind the wall.
"Here are your pokemon, mister." Finally, the shy nurse got the courage to interrupt this too emotional moment and handed me over the four pokeballs.
"Thank you. Did you examine my Golbat, by the way?" I turned to her while fixing capsules on my shoulder belt.
"Yes, but there`s nothing wrong with it, actually. It`s in full health now!" The woman replied to me confusedly.
"This is strange… Lately he looks so… I don`t know… sleepy or apathetic, maybe?" I tried to remember all suspicious moments of his behavior.
"Ow, that`s what you mean…" Nurse immediately calmed down. "This is a problem every Golbat trainer faces sooner or later. This specie is known for drinking the living creatures` blood, this keeps them healthy and in good mood. In wild, this is no problem, but… trainers don`t usually know what to do with it."
Now I remembered my Golbat`s PokeDex entry that mentions that, and why I didn`t think about this at all?
"But there is the way to solve this problem, right?" I asked her with hope in my voice.
This made her think deeply. Maybe this nurse isn`t the most experienced of them all, but now, at least, I know what`s wrong with my pokemon.
"I heard that some trainers actually let their Golbats drink the blood of defeated wild pokemon during training. As for me, this doesn`t look nice at all. But overall… Golbats are very rarely and hardly trained." The nurse sadly told me and looked at my pokeball with a small dent – the one that belongs to Moment.
For some reason I remembered that Team Rocket uses quite a lot of Zubats. I have no idea why – maybe, because caves are just filled with these creatures and they are easy to capture – if they are not Moment, of course. Oh, how much problems they`re gonna have when they evolve them!
"You shouldn`t worry, actually. This doesn`t affect its battle skills." The nurse tried to cheer me a little.
"But how can he battle with all his might if he thirsts for blood?" I asked her in return. "How can he fight under me if I don`t meet all his needs?"
"Maybe, you shouldn`t have caught such troublesome pokemon..." Woman quietly said.
I lowered my eyes and noticed that I squeeze Moment`s ball in my hand. Shouldn`t have caught? I earned trust and respect of this pokemon. I taught him many things that can help in battle and life. Maybe we have spent not very much time together, but we already went through fire, water and shit together! If there is some problem, we can solve this.
"How can you tell such a thing?" I was offended by her words and raised my brutal eyesight at her. "You, a respected Pokemon Center nurse!"
"I`m sorry. I didn`t mean to…" She retreated a little back from the counter.
"Nevermind. Thank you for your good job, and for the explaining. We will think of something." I nodded her and quickly headed outside of the Pokemon Center.
Damn, I didn`t expect these women to delay me so much. Douchebag must have already left, and how am I supposed to find him now?
Oh, there he is – right at the exact same place. All my anxieties were useless.
"Stop right there, criminal scum!" I pointed at him while quickly approaching. "I need your head, quickly!"
"You again…" The best friend of mine snarled. "Don`t drag me into your stupid games!"
"Where were you working?" I approached Douchebag and put my hand on his shoulder.
"What?!"
"Where. Were. You. Working?" I repeated the question seriously.
"Why would you need that?" Douchebag made a threatening step forward, but didn`t do anything else. The kids quickly scattered from the scary me, and Haunter tensed too.
"You were working in the PokeMart, right?" I stared at Douchebag. "In the Viridian PokeMart."
"Yeah, so what?"
Suddenly I caught myself on a thought that I wanted him to ask me how I found it out. I wanted to tell this very much. But this douchebag didn`t even bother to ask.
"That means you should know the man called… Red Rob, right?"
"Yes, I know him. What the hell do you need?" He sounded really pissed off.
"To send him a message… And you… will be my messenger." I replied with a very menacing tone.
"Oh no, I will not. I don`t know him and I know nothing!" He lied loudly and boldly.
"You don`t know who was the courier on your shop, do you?"
"Have no damn idea." He crossed hands on chest and turned away.
Well, this is my own disadvantage. He definitely knows something about the connection of Viridian City PokeMart to Rockets, but won`t tell. Interrogating someone who you could barely call a… 'friend'… is hard thing to do. I would really like to smash his face a couple of couples times, but this is not right. This is personal, and there can`t be anything personal in a delicate matter like interrogation with scaring and beating people.
Still, I can find the way to his black plagued heart. Someday. But this one will have much more violence.
"And now tell me what are you doing here?" I addressed Douchebag again. "We ended the crisis Pokemon Tower. We survived. We had a meal after that. Well, at least, I had…" After catching Douchebag`s eager look on me, I quickly proceeded forward with my speech. "Why didn`t you run away to the next gym? That`s your goal now, right?"
That made him look away. I found his weak spot.
"Oh, I see what`s happening here. You found a girlfriend. Considering that you`re a complete douchebag and an idiot, only the same person can agree to this… Or you have found another archrival to mock instead of me. I will be offended if it`s true."
"Shut up! I was waiting for you, to challenge you to a battle as we wanted!"
That was expected. Not wanted, but expected. I wonder how this will turn out now.
"You`re so predictable, Douchebag. How many pokemon you overfed with legal drugs after our last battle? All of them? Even more? And what battle do you expect me to give you?" I tried to make him think about his methods. I don`t like his methods. They make me look more pathetic than I am in real.
"Oh, a very funny one. And important too. Because I challenge you to a battle with a real bet!" He smiled darkly.
"A bet? What is it?" Now this became much more interesting to me.
"It`s simple… And not as offensive for you if… I mean… WHEN you lose."
Douchebag raised his eyesight at the Haunter hovering behind him.
"If you lose… you give me your Haunter!"