Had a tough time writing this one. School held me back this week, too; physics is a constant battle. lol
Enjoy!
Chapter 89
Exposed
Marina pulled down the brim of her hat.
"Who's that?" She forced her voice in a lower register. "I don't know who Marina is."
Agonizing silence followed. From the corner of her eye, she could see Silver scowl again. She looked away, trying to maintain an aloof poker face.
The Team Rocket grunts continued to trudge toward them at a quick pace. Silver's Nidoking snarled. It stomped, shaking the ground and drowning out the sound of their boots hitting the floor. They responded by releasing a horde of Rattata, Raticate, and Golbat. The second they surrounded the beast, Nidoking began mowing them down without hesitation.
Away from all this, on the girl's right, was an empty corridor. She bit her lip. Swallowing her regret, she motioned at King and began to sprint.
Sorry, Silver! She thought. I know you'll be fine!
The strap on her messenger bag snagged, squeezing the breath out of her lungs. Marina was forced to a stop. She felt her hat fly off her head, pigtails brushing by her shoulders. Slowly, she turned to see the face of her rival, who held a strong grip on her bag. She made a nervous grin. But inside, she shivered. The look he'd given to Team Rocket earlier was merciful compared to the furious glare he shot at her now.
Silver yanked her toward him.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked again. She waved her hands about.
"It's, it's not what you think!"
"You're stupid, but there's no way you're this fucking stupid."
"Silver—."
"You shouldn't dress like them to look tough. It won't work. Just looking at you makes me sick."
"No, I'm not trying to do that!"
"Then what ARE you doing?!"
She flinched. His scowl twisted. A sharp growl hit their ears, and King wedged himself between them. He shoved the boy away with a swing of his head. As he stood defensively in front of his Trainer, Marina rushed to grab at his fur.
"King, no! It's okay!"
King's scarlet eyes met hers, and he grumbled in discontent. But he remained where he was as Marina cautiously approached Silver. The boy crossed his arms, still clenching onto her hat.
"Don't tell me you joined them."
"I didn't," she insisted.
"That you of ALL people would go and join up with these—."
He looked over his shoulder. Standing over a pile of fainted Pokémon, which disappeared into the Poké Balls of their defeated owners, his Nidoking snarled at their enemy. The Rocket grunts kept their distance, watching the two kids with suspicion and puzzlement. Silver inhaled deeply.
"Weaklings," he spat.
"Hey, newcomer!" shouted a man. "I told you to fight him!"
Marina froze up. "I, um—. I have to go—."
"You're taking orders from them," Silver growled in disbelief.
"No, listen—!"
"Why the hell should I? But if you insist, I'll teach you why it's a terrible idea to join Team Rocket."
Silver raised his hand, preparing to command Nidoking when Marina grabbed his arm.
"I'm not!" She yelled. "Geez! I'm trying to sneak in, Silver! They've got the Radio Tower's Director down here and I'm going to save him!"
He paused at the outburst. His reaction was mirrored by the criminals behind him. They became pale, dumbfounded from the confession.
"You're not a newcomer?"
Marina looked at them and pursed her lips.
Oops.
"We've...We've been infiltrated!"
"This is what happens when we just accept anyone."
"They can't get to the Director!"
Nidoking's thick tail smacked against the cement. Silver rolled his eyes at them.
"Or what?" he hissed. "You can't even fight anymore. Stay out of this. Get out."
After another threatening bark from his Pokémon, the Rockets stumbled back and fled out of the basement. Suddenly, the chaos of battle was replaced by the quiet buzz of the lights above them. Marina sighed and let go of his arm.
"Geez, Silver," she mumbled with a small smile. "Of course I'd never join Team Rocket. I'm sorry, were you worried?"
Silver returned his attention to her. The raging blizzard in his steel-colored eyes had calmed. But, he tossed her hat aside and pulled at the black fabric of her shirt. She stumbled a bit, startled.
"Change," he said.
"Wh... What?"
He turned away and blindly pointed at an open storage unit. "Just...do it. They'll know you're coming anyway."
"No thanks to you," Marina said with a pout. But she listened to him and walked over toward a pile of dusty boxes.
She felt a relieving chill as she peeled off her failed disguise. The extra layer was beginning to make her feel sweaty, anyway. Most importantly, she switched out the awkward boots for her more maneuverable pink shoes. When she finished and walked back over to him, he eyed her outfit with an odd frown again. But he chose to ignore it this time. He glanced at Nidoking and held out its polished, black and gold Poké Ball.
"Return," he said. The girl watched it disappear.
"I didn't know you had a Nidoking."
"It isn't mine." He shoved his hands in his pockets without looking at her. "It's my father's. I don't battle with it. I can do better than that."
"But...why did you send it out just now?"
"I only use it against Team Rocket."
She blinked. "...Why?"
"Because it's ironic."
"Ironic? What does that mean?"
Silver changed the subject. He gave her a disapproving look.
"So, you were trying to be sneaky. Why not battle them instead? You could probably take them."
"I tried," she shrugged, "but there's too many guarding the Radio Tower. Didn't you see them out there?"
"Didn't I tell you to stop fighting Team Rocket?"
"I can't just sit back and do nothing, you know."
"Look. This is my business. I'll fight them; I'll beat them. You stay out of it."
"I know, but this is everyone's business," Marina argued. "Everyone in this city is affected. I have to help!"
"...Fine."
Silver brushed the hair out of his eye and retreated. Surprised, she watched him walk away. When he faced her again, he blocked the path further into the warehouse. She quickly recognized the meaning behind the amount of space he put between them.
"But that reminds me," he said. "I owe you a battle. A real battle. And I repay my debts."
"What? Right now?"
He responded with a toss of a Poké Ball. His Golbat appeared and unwrapped its vast wings from around its body, taking flight. Marina hurriedly stepped back and shook her head.
"Wait, I don't want to!"
"I won't lose disgracefully like last time," he claimed wearing a focused frown. "I'll prove I don't need all that softhearted garbage you and everyone else keeps blabbing about."
"That's not it!" She exclaimed. "This just isn't the time!"
If Team Rocket uses harmful radio waves like in Mahogany, then...! No, I have to hurry!
"If you can beat me, I'll let you fight Team Rocket. Golbat, Wing Attack!"
Silver pointed at King, and the bat swooped down. Marina yelped, covering her face while King ducked just in time. When she recovered, she shot a frustrated glare in the boy's direction.
"Silver!"
"Another Wing Attack!" he ordered with a smirk. Marina whipped around toward King.
"Flamethrower!"
King replied with an eager bark. Almost instantly, he ignited the flames on his neck and torched Golbat when it took another dive. It fluttered back, shaking off the smoke, and King bolted forward. She rushed to command him again.
"Lava Plume!"
"Keep your distance! Air Cutter!"
The Pokémon exchanged attacks, filling the air with fiery gusts. Golbat flew low to the floor for relief from the heat. Marina observed its charred blue skin and nodded to herself.
"Smokescreen!"
"Dodge! Confuse Ray!" Silver called out.
"Flamethower!"
Golbat quickly escaped the Typhlosion's smoke cloud and stopped to blind him with a nauseating flash. It was engulfed in fire less than a second later. King stumbled about, but Golbat flailed wildly until it hit the brick floor. Silver recalled the Pokémon and released another.
"Feraligatr!"
The mighty Feraligatr towered over King, smacking his large, lethal jaws together. He unleashed a howl upon seeing his opponent. King only managed an uneven grunt before he disappeared from the battlefield.
"Return!" Marina switched him out and shouted, "Lyra, go!"
Lyra the Lapras gracefully extended her long neck. As she peered down at the Big Jaw Pokémon, Silver's previous arrogance melted into agitation.
"Whatever happened to 'mirroring our first battle'?" he asked. Marina crossed her arms.
"Sorry. Maybe next time?"
Y'know, when Team Rocket isn't everywhere. At the snarky but wary thought, she glanced over her shoulder around the warehouse.
"Humph. Feraligatr, Thrash!"
"Body Slam, Lyra!"
With a confirming nod, her grounded Lapras waited for Feraligatr to launch his assault. As he mauled her with sharp claws, she returned with slamming her neck into him. He slowed considerably, but continued wailing on her without rest. In return, she jabbed him with her horn with every hit.
"Okay, now Thunderbolt!" Marina ordered. Her rival looked at her with a start.
"What?!"
Lyra's horn sparked brightly, and a powerful blast thrust Feraligatr away. Electricity arched across his body, causing him to flinch. He heaved a painful cry, collapsing.
"How in the…?!" Silver exclaimed.
"Whew," Marina winked at her Pokémon, "perfect timing, Lyra!"
Her Lapras glanced back at her for a brief moment. Marina smiled. She regained her focus once a new Pokémon arrived on the battlefield. It appeared as if Silver had sent out three Magnemite at once, but the creatures hovered about in perfect unison. It twittered shyly upon seeing Lyra's ready glare.
His cute little Magnemite evolved, Marina thought. This'll be dicey.
"Water Pulse, Lyra!"
"Thunder Shock! Let's see how you like it!"
A wave of water splashed forcefully into Magneton, who rose back up just before hitting the ground. Modest sparks exuded across its glossy form. It fired the attack at Lyra, who cringed at the hit.
"Water Pulse again!" Marina grabbed her bag's shoulder strap, watching Magneton with intense focus. "Whittle it down!"
"What, does it know Earthquake too?" Silver asked her sarcastically.
"I dunno," she curtly replied. "Keep going, Lyra! Water Pulse!"
Lyra and Magneton continued to bombard each other, causing hot water and electricity to spread and sizzle around them. Despite the super-effective nature of Magneton's Thunder Shock, it was significantly smaller than the blast that Lyra had delivered earlier. Even so, Lyra began to tire. Her breaths grew slow and heavy while Magneton seemed to show little struggle in its static faces. Marina gazed hard, searching for signs of weakness.
I think it's moving slower now. We can't wait any longer.
"Brine, Lyra!"
Her Lapras cried out, and the puddles around her shifted. Lyra lowered her head, and Magneton released another attack. She retaliated by unleashing a torrent of water blurry with salt. The force was about the same as her Water Pulse, but her Magneton reeled back.
"Thunder Shock! Now!"
It made fretting chatters in response, firing electricity blindly in Lyra's direction. All three of its segments then froze and dropped into a little junk pile on the floor. Silver clicked his tongue and recalled it. He paused as Marina did the same to her injured Lapras.
"Good job, Lyra! Return," she said. Her hand hovered over her belt, making her next choice with conviction. She met eyes with her rival. Silent, she waited to throw her Poké Ball until the moment he tossed his.
"Haunter!" he exclaimed.
"Prince!"
The Ghost- and Psychic-types barely had the time to situate themselves on the sodden battlefield before their Trainers called out attacks.
"Psychic!"
"Shadow Ball!"
While Haunter developed a dark sphere in its hands, Prince had already crafted a pulsating web of energy around the ruby gem on his forehead. He released the psychic blast at lightning speed, tearing through the premature Shadow Ball and its unprepared owner. Haunter was flung into the nearest storage unit, causing the shutters to rattle. It disappeared as quickly as it had come out.
"Humph!" Silver grunted and tossed the next Poké Ball with force. "Houndoom!"
A large, threatening dog Pokémon howled before Prince, who bounded backwards to put space between them. The water around its paws sizzled and evaporated within seconds. Exposed bones scattered its form, giving it an ominous look.
"Prince, return!" Marina called out. The fox looked back at her.
No good, Prince, her eyes tried to communicate to him. He showed no dissent as he vanished into the sphere in her hand. She stared at it pensively. Houndoom is Dark- and Fire-type like when it was a Houndour. Now then. Lyra's too exhausted, so—.
"Hey, hey."
Silver snapped her out of her planning. She looked back up at him, and he glowered at her.
"Why so serious? I thought you battled to have 'fun'."
"I have to make sure my team can still battle Team Rocket."
"Focus on the fight right now."
"I am," she reassured and clipped the ball back onto her belt. "Prince is my ace, but I'm sure he wouldn't be able to handle your Houndoom."
"You'll be regretting it once it's your last Pokémon," he boasted.
"Phany, you're up!"
"Donfa!" Phany waved his trunk around as soon as he appeared, greeting his snarling opponent with glee.
"Return!" Silver immediately called back his Houndoom. A small, catlike Pokémon took its place. "Sneasel! Icy Wind!"
"Earthquake!" Marina responded.
A fierce breeze iced over the damp floor. Phany shuddered, fighting his discomfort as he pushed himself onto his hind legs. When his front feet landed, they cracked the brick and created a tremor. The unnerving sound of clanking metal and shaking lights overtook the warehouse. Sneasel shrieked and fell over at the assault, but quickly stumbled back to its feet.
"Icy Wind again!" Silver commanded.
"Take Down, Phany!"
Phany charged forward with a howl. He headed straight into the small blizzard, maintaining his speed as he lunged to tackle Sneasel. The cunning little Pokémon jumped out of the way.
"Faint Attack!"
At Silver's orders, Sneasel sprinted up the elephant's back and took multiple swipes at his tough hide. Phany wriggled until it tumbled off. Sneasel landed and dodged Phany's next reckless approach.
"Up close is no good," Marina said to herself. "Earthquake!"
"Icy Wind!" Silver quickly responded.
Another tremor shook the area, putting an end to Sneasel's assaults and evasions. It collapsed almost instantly. Silver sighed and re-released his Houndoom without a word of introduction.
"Flamethrower!"
"Earthquake, Phany!"
The building erupted into chaos, the earth shaking violently and the air burning brightly. Phany cried out and retreated at Houndoom's vicious flames. Marina backed away as well, covering her cheeks that became painfully dry just from being near the heat. When the assault finally ended, Phany tenderly tried to shake off his burns.
Wow, that's hot! Marina thought and fanned her face with her hand.
"Houndoom! What are you doing?!"
Silver's voice drew her attention to her rival. He glared at his fallen Pokémon lying limply on the floor.
"You're not this weak. You just evolved! Get up!"
Marina raised her voice, frowning. "It can't fight anymore, Silver."
He clenched the last Poké Ball tight in his hand. But he loosened his grip. Houndoom morphed into a beam of red, returning inside its container. The girl waited a bit, but walked over to her Donphan to pet him.
"Great job, Phany. Houndoom has really strong ranged attacks. We would've been in trouble if it took you out!"
"Don, don!" Phany cheered. He huddled up next to her, carefree of his battle scars. She leaned over to give him a big hug and tap him with his ball.
"Get some rest now. You deserve it."
Adjusting the strap on her bag, she stood back up and turned toward Silver. He was still, staring blankly at where his Pokémon had been. His scowl had weakened into a mellow frown. She took a few steps closer, and he shifted his gaze to a different part of the floor, avoiding having to look at her shoes. Uneasy, she hesitated. She didn't want to provoke him like in Mahogany Town.
"That was a full fight," he eventually spoke. "No interruptions. Fully healed... No excuses. I thought I could finally beat you; to prove everything before was all a fluke. But this...this is worse than last time. Why? ...Why do I lose?"
A vulnerable glimmer shook in his eyes.
"How did you get this strong?"
Silver...
Marina squeezed her hands together. The boy grew more upset the longer she stayed silent. He made a face that was meek at best, filled more with hurt than anger.
"I know what you're going to say. It's the same as what that Lance guy said: that I don't treat my Pokémon properly. That somehow love...and trust...can beat training, knowledge, and skill. It all sounds so stupid. But...is that really what I lack? Why? I...just don't understand..."
He wasn't looking at her at all, but his conflicted voice pleaded with her to talk.
"Training, knowledge, and skill are all really important," she explained. "But morale is, too. Pokémon have feelings just like we do."
"Appealing to their feelings just makes them weaker."
"It doesn't. If you know someone's got your back one-hundred percent, wouldn't you always want to try your best? More than if you didn't like them?"
Silver clenched his fists and walked closer.
"I have to get stronger by myself," he snapped. The girl fidgeted, but stood her ground.
"What do you mean by that?"
He looked away again. "They shouldn't be part of the equation."
"But they are. Pokémon battles are always a team effort. They trust you're making the right decisions, and you trust they can carry out your plan. And as their Trainer, it's your responsibility to make them both healthy and happy. Let them have some fun outside battles. Feeding them and healing them isn't enough."
"There you go again, acting like an expert."
"Lance agrees with me, and he's the Champion."
Silver didn't reply at first. He grasped a tuft of his hair.
"So does this mean I have to be like him? Like you? That's...not who I am."
Marina frowned. Around them, the floor sustained cracks and small puddles from their battle. She slowly drew circles with her foot.
"You don't have to," she replied. "I mean, if you acted just like me, then Wani-Wani wouldn't have wanted to be with you."
The boy slowly let his gaze reach her face. She made a self-deprecating smile.
"I could tell the moment we battled for the first time. When I had Wani-Wani, he was always distracted. He didn't like to be cuddled, and he kind of ignored me. My other Pokémon weren't like that so I thought I did something wrong... But with you, he was different. He looked to you and mimicked you. He liked you so much that he didn't even think about running back to me.
"No one's telling you to change who you are, Silver. But just...be a little nicer. Figure out what they like, and work together with them—in your own way."
"Is that really enough?"
"I think so." She gave him a hopeful look. "I know you can do it. You've helped me when you didn't need to. You're not a cruel person."
Silver let out a deep breath. His shoulders relaxed. Marina walked up to him at a gentle pace and faced the hallway leading deeper into the warehouse.
"Now let's go together," she offered.
"What?"
"Let's beat Team Rocket together!"
He met her beaming face. But he closed his eyes, turned his back on her, and headed for the exit. Disappointed, Marina reached out in vain. She felt torn between following him and pressing onward, but her sense of urgency rooted her feet to the ground.
I hope he's okay, she worried. And I wonder if I got through to him...
Once Silver's long crimson hair flickered out of her sight, she sent out King again for safety and forced herself to carry on.
Without the camouflage to hide her, she fought through the remaining resistance separating her from their hostage. Unlike the wide open streets, the narrow hallways helped ease her worries about being surrounded again. Members of Team Rocket became few and far in between as she continued into a cluttered basement. She passed a staircase. While curious, she risked the winding halls to complete a thorough search of the area.
"Hyuk hyuk hyuk!"
She jumped at the peculiar laugh as a pair of Rocket grunts appeared from around the corner.
"I remember you!" one exclaimed. "You got me good at the hideout!"
"How did you get this far?" asked his coworker, perplexed.
Marina ignored their words and instinctively released her Pokémon. "Prince! Muu-chan!"
The men responded in kind, but their Raticate and Koffing didn't stand a chance. Koffing was floored by Prince's Psychic, and Muu-chan effortlessly evaded Raticate's attacks before knocking it out with a Thunderbolt. The enthusiastic Rocket grunt clapped his hands at their defeat.
"Hyuk hyuk hyuk! That's how!"
"We…got disposed of," the other man simply said. "By a kid."
She crossed her arms and tried to speak coldly. "Where's the Director?"
"Just past here…"
They moved out of her way. King, Prince, and Muu-chan all remained poised and ready beside her, watching the Rocket grunts retreat. Since their post had been overrun and stripped of their one duty, there was no reason for them to linger. They took off down the path Marina had traveled. One couldn't help but burst out laughing again and called out to the girl.
"That was a blast! I'll remember you!"
Marina gave him an amused glance, but marched forward. Industrial crates and cardboard boxes had been stacked up to create a makeshift room at the end of the hallway. Inside, a tired businessman sat in a folding chair in the corner. He waited in tense anticipation, having heard the commotion of battle outside his prison. He held the brim of his hat tightly as he watched her arrival.
"Are you okay?" Marina asked. At her friendly temperament, he sat up straight.
"You came to rescue me?"
"Yup! You're the Director, right?"
"Y-Yes. Thank you!" The disheveled man's hope quickly turned into desperate panic, and he gasped. "Hold on; the Radio Tower! What's happening there? Team Rocket's taken it over, right?"
"Yeah, and they're all over the city too."
Rummaging through his wrinkled suit, he pulled out a card and forced it into her hands. She looked at the tangled lanyard attached to it.
"Take this card key," he told her. "Use that to get through security on the third floor of the Radio Tower. I'm begging you to help; you need to get up there and stop them!"
"Aren't you coming?"
"I…I can't. But you have to hurry. They're only trying to call their old boss back for now, but there's no telling what they'll do if they mess with the transmitter."
"That's what I'm worried about too," she replied and placed a hand on his back. "Come on. It's okay now; let's go!"
"No," he refused and remained in his chair. "It's...safer here now. The staircase nearby leads to the Goldenrod Department Store. I'll go up there soon and try to call the police. They've likely taken out the cell phone towers too, but it's worth a shot."
"The Department Store? Really?" Marina gasped, but quickly regained her composure. "But what if Team Rocket comes back?"
"You've chased them off; I'll be fine. Now, please, hurry! Get to the Radio Tower and stop them from broadcasting."
"If you're sure…stay safe!"
"You too," he leaned back against the wall with a relieved sigh, "and thank you."
With a dutiful nod, the girl hurried out of the tiny room with her Pokémon. The moment she spotted the staircase again, she scaled them at full sprint. It led to a vast storage room, complete with garage doors leading to the surface for easy transport of goods. Several tough-looking employees with Fighting-type Pokémon approached her—having held off Team Rocket from infiltrating the mall from underground. But upon explaining the situation, they led Marina to the elevator and promised to keep an eye on the Director downstairs.
Outside, the she was welcomed by the sight of the Pokémon Communication Center. After giving her team a quick heal up, she faced the empty streets yet again. Black specs wandered about far in the distance.
Last time didn't work at all, she reiterated. I've just gotta sneak past them somehow.
Her eyes darted up at the sky.
I've got Kenya, but…if we're seen flying right over them, we'll be sitting ducks.
Shuddering at the thought of being attacked by Golbat on all sides, she discarded the idea and searched around her. An elevated train track passed over the main road. Marina grabbed a Poké Ball.
But maybe…
Calling forth her Fearow, she climbed onto his back and motioned him to fly. They soared over the eastern part of the city. Weaving through skyscrapers and apartments, she pointed out the glistening metal track that appeared amidst the gold-painted buildings.
"There!" she called over the wind.
Kenya descended. Marina tensed up when she saw a pair of Rockets loitering in an alley close by, but neither noticed her land. Keeping low, she traveled along the track. From her perspective, it seemed to lead straight inside the tower, but the train station was situated right next door. She passed by the line of oblivious Team Rocket grunts and jumped down.
Made it! She smiled and pumped her fists a little. With the Director's card key in one hand and a Poké Ball in the other, she slipped inside the Radio Tower.
A/N: Sorry about the delay! I promised this last week. orz Usually Silver's pretty easy to write but this was a hurdle.
I'm hoping to get the next chapter by Wednesday or Thursday. I'll keep my profile updated in case things change. 'Till next time!