Chapter 44: Restless minds
A few weeks later, mid afternoon
Johto
Strategy's common room
The intense heat baked the surroundings. Johto writhed in the vice grip of a sweltering summer and it affected everyone. Execution, the rowdy group famous for brawling, screaming and fighting all lied around, sucked dry. Thanks to Platina, Team constellate had gone on vacation, Sinnoh was pleasantly warm this time of the year and the members were invited to the Berlitz family's private estate. As soon as they were called, they vanished without a trace. The monitoring of Cyrus and Charon fell on the other commanders who stayed at base and to the surprise of everyone; none of them done a good job. It was expected of Red; the man showed more interest in his team's battle prowess and spent much of his time with his pokemon or training with his team mates. The shocking factor turned out to be Green, despite the professor's diligence; he often neglected to look after the duo and instead sent Emerald. On top of a wobbling pile of books, the spiky haired brunette's face lay squashed, his precious lab coat half hung off his shoulder, exposing a pale arm and he was fast asleep, deep breaths echoing even louder than the sound of machine. Both Crystal and White watched as his chest rose and fell, it was an uncommon sight to see him clonked out in their common room, yet this particular scene happened more and more often.
"I guess it's the heat." White offered unhelpfully as she dropped an armful of books on the table and began sorting them out. Genetic experiments, the red chain, composition of blood, psychic beasts, all the books towered under Green's head ranged in those topics. He suddenly had an interest in them and spent all of his energy and effort into reading and researching. Not that their commander was particularly filthy (Red was fine with walking around in a sweat drenched shirt) Crystal noticed that more and more coffee stains began to show on his clothes. Once he was caught with a pen stuck behind his ear and his fingers stained with so much ink, Yellow threw a fit and outright commanded him to go wash himself. And he did so without arguing in return.
"I don't know...I mean, his behaviour is getting worse. He seemed obsessed...Almost possessed by something." The indigo haired female paused to take a good look at her superior, it won't do if he suddenly woke up and heard them gossiping, "it started a few weeks ago, we saw N walking down the corridor in a daze muttering something about horrible experiments and pokemon torture. There must be some misunderstanding though, but from there onwards; all three have been acting weirdly." Shaking her head, the Johto native began dusting the pictures and portraits displayed on the wall. She liked to keep everything clean and properly organized.
"All three of them? Even senior Red and Blue?" The books were packed and the glass doors slid shut in the small oak book cases dotted around the room. White looked around and spied more tomes peeking from underneath the central table; she sighed, tried to ignore them and eventually gave up. Picking them up, she scanned the titles and returned them to their proper places.
"...I'm not sure, however Gold and Silver told me that their superiors are also acting uncanny." Crys broke off.
"Do you know what the Red chain is made up of Senior?"
"Hmm? No, I suppose some type of mineral?"
"It's made of blood. To be more specific, blood of the three legendary pokemon, Azelf, Uxie and Mesprit." Emerald walked in and halted in his tracks, the short boy wheeled a cart befitting his size. The trolley brimmed with a variety of tools, gadgets and discs. Rald had decided that today seemed a good day to give the organization's computers a complete overhaul. In this way, it would be impossible to trace them electronically, but on hearing his leader's rasping voice, he stopped entering and stood agape on the threshold. What was Green talking about? In the corner of his vision, he saw Crystal turn; the duster fell out of her hands as she stared at superior with visible scorn. Behind the short boy, Yellow had also stopped and her visage had morphed to horror.
"Why?" Crystal broke the tense silence by hoarsely wording out her question. Green had fully roused and was busy tidying himself; he smoothed out his olive tinted shirt, hitched his black combat pants up and took off his coat. A hand ran through his brown locks, making them more dishevelled.
"Why what Crystal?"
"Why are you doing this?" Yellow stepped in and fiercely demanded, her hazel eyes displaying uncharacteristic fury. "You didn't tell us anything about this! We all thought the Red chain was created from some mineral found in Sinnoh! You said the Galactic people might have it and we could send Constellate and Execution to retrieve it...pokemon blood...Why Green?"
"Red approved of the idea." The brunette snapped as if telling his aide this bit of information will manage to calm her. Maybe it would, Red was her idol, the person who the sun shines out of, recently Green noted changes in her and no longer will the name of his best friend light her pretty face up. Privately he felt glad.
"But-"
"There's no other way." Tired of standing in the entrance, Emerald finally made his presence known and forcefully pushed the cart inside, he had also picked up on his commander's unusual mannerisms and being the hacker of the group, he decided to try and find out what exactly gnawed on his superior's brains. One night, he diligently went through all the camera records in the base. Every main room was monitored with a few cameras and although Rald would've happily bugged all the members' rooms, Green forbade him to do it (what a spoil sport!) Privacy must be respected. Anyhow, he sifted through the records, spending the entire night inside this very room with only coffee, energy biscuits and the dim glow of his monitor as company. Eventually, a certain event, taking place a few weeks ago caught his attention. A private meeting amongst the top trio and it showed them using the Galactic executives to create the Red chain. Emerald was shocked, flabbergasted and appalled. He forced himself to re-watch the video till the events imprinted itself in his brain. Only in the coming weeks did he realize the decision proved to be quite damaging to his seniors. Of course, if they had another way, they would make full use of it. The leaders bore the full brunt of the horror they saw and inwardly, the Hoenn native admired their tenacity. They would go to any lengths to fulfil their goals.
"Dex-criminals" Green's monotonous voice rang in the air, "It's by time we live up to its name. Besides, the other groups are engaged with things far sinister than what we are doing."
"Is that your justification?" Yellow spoke up again, "...You created a clone and none of us said anything because we understood it was a needed experiment. Besides Mewtwo is generally destructive so we had to get rid of it. And now you are draining the legendary psychics of their blood, tell me Green, what exactly is going to happen if they are crippled for life? They govern our emotions, willpower and knowledge..."
His mind whirled, the rest of the blonde's words were drowned out by the noise of blood rushing around his ears. Yellow often admonished him or told him off when he did something unfavourable but her arguing against him was something new. She had a point and that is exactly why the three of them decided to keep the making of the red chain a secret. Harming legendary pokemon always proved to be a grave, fatal mistake. But it had to be done. They wanted a new universe and if this was the way to do it, then so be it. Perhaps his scowling underlings needed a wakeup call. He was the boss around here.
"If there we had another option Yellow, don't you think we would've exploited that chance already?" Instead of something harsh coming out of his mouth, he explained his thoughts gently and it embarrassed him. In the periphery of his vision, he saw Pearl flash him a grin and knew the male blonde was well aware of what they were doing; Pearl was present at the scene when Charon announced the materials of the red chain and the boy didn't bat an eyelid. In a way their hearts had hardened, despite everything, they were no longer moved by events that should, in a manner of speaking, shock people who had good conscious.
"Yes...I'm a bit disturbed that's all. But, like you said, I'm sure you researched other ways and since there were no other options...I understand." Yellow fidgeted with her hands and quickly veered to the left when Green approached her. The jade eyed male blinked and turned to look at her, there were a couple of documents in his hands and he needed to get these to Red. Unfortunately his secretary moved away from him with crimson dusting her cheeks. Was she so angry with him that her whole face turned scarlet? Shrugging, he ordered Pearl to get those papers to Red pronto and knew the Sinnoh boy will spend the entire afternoon goofing away with Diamond. The rest of his team resumed their previous tasks. Emerald's stubby fingers flew over the keyboard as he began his operation. White busied herself with organizing the filing cabinets and books whilst Crystal vacuumed the floor. On the far end of the table, Yellow sat stiff in a wing backed chair, her face still flushed and her tiny hands poised over a document with a pen. Green glanced at her and noticed her ponytail becoming loose, several strands of corn-silk hair trailed down her face. His blissful reprieve shattered when a clamorous tone broke into his thoughts and he contemplated on giving the offender a piece of his smouldering mind when he noticed his own gear played the sound. Digging a hand into his pocket, he fished the equipment out and received a mild, pleasant surprise when he spied the caller ID
Professor Sycamore.
And just like that, the whole moral fiasco with the red chain was forgotten.
"Hello? Is this Green Oak from Kanto, Pallet Town?" An affable voice with a slightly lazy drawl enquired. The visage of the man was one who did not care about his looks but still appeared handsome anyway. A thin stubble outlined his jaw and deep grey eyes peered inquisitively out of the tiny screen. "I have a proposition for the pokemon professor." and Green replied.
"Yes this is Green Oak," the trainer smiled genially; "you said you have a proposition for me? And I'm honoured that you know of my name." The other members of the strategy department briefly paused in their tasks to listen to him, who was their leader acknowledging? Whoever the person was, they must be pretty important because certainly Green won't be smiling like an idiot if the caller happened to be some common individual. Yellow stopped writing in order to see the huge, zany grin decorating her senior's face. It is a rare treat to see the normally brooding trainer smile so widely but here he was, nodding his head like an excited school boy and thanking the caller profusely.
"I'm currently researching a new type of evolution called mega evolution." Strategy's team leader bopped his head several times per second, "Green, it would be my utmost honour if you could help me with my work. I've already contacted Samuel Oak but he referred me to you and since you are his grandson I feel even more delighted!" Sycamore's eyes crinkled, "currently, I've already established everything and even done a few experiments...But you know the scientific community, they will never accept anything unless the same trial has been conducted by at least another professor. Mega evolution is something concrete and if I could show you the evidence, I'm sure you will understand. Unfortunately, right now this is highly confidential and all under wraps; imagine if people found out that their pokemon can evolve one stage higher than their final form. If criminal organizations find out, I shudder to think what could happen." The Kalos professor laughed heartily and continued, "please make your way to Kalos after two months and feel free to visit my laboratory!" The spiky haired brunette sincerely thanked him, "oh yes, I've invited Steven Stone as well." and on hearing the last statement, his eye involuntarily twitched. Nevertheless, anticipation shone in his emerald irises and he snapped the poke-gear shut dreamily. The opportunity is a dream come true. Out of all the other competent professors, Sycamore invited him to see the ground breaking research of mega evolution. After the call ended, Green realized that he had no idea what mega evolution was. The professor merely mentioned it was another step of evolution, but did a possibility of a new stage of evolution exist?
His brain already began processing several theories and when Yellow sat down next to him, he still reeled on excitement. All this simultaneously crashed when his secretary called his name.
"Senior Green? Who was that person on the other end?"
Yellow, Crystal, Emerald, Pearl and White...He had a huge responsibility right here and he totally forgot about them. He knew his team was capable of taking care of themselves. The thought comforted him somewhat as he absolutely wanted to go to Kalos, even if Steven Stone also attended the event. He had to go! Green was the grandson of Samuel Oak, arguably the most prestigious researcher and professor in the pokemon field. All sorts of questions would be thrown at him if he failed to show up. On the other hand, he had a little group to look after and he knew Red would not be pleased if he simply decided to leave everything and go.
"A professor from Kalos, his name is Sycamore. He wants me to help him with a type of evolution research." Happiness gave way to distress and he tugged at his hair helplessly, the blonde's irises grew wide with wonder.
"You have to go don't you?" She shuffled closer to him and he felt slightly euphoric and uncomfortable by her attention, "I mean, the facts you learn there might help us eventually."
"...Yes," an unsure smile graced his lips, "I really have to go."
Afternoon
Sinnoh
Sandgem Town, Berlitz mansion
Whi-2 sighed contently and sipped on a lime green juice as she lay sprawled on a deck chair before an outdoor swimming pool. Even if the holiday arrived a few months late, the young girl happily pushed thoughts of her work aside and enjoyed the current leisure. Sweeping her hair to one side, she looked across and spied her commander who also lied in a similar fashion, her leader's frame was wrapped in a fitting royal blue dress embroidered with white opaque stones which Platina gifted her and Whi-2 agreed that it flattered her already beautiful from. The two males in their department were currently in the water. Ruby looked like he was shooting a film; the teenager floated on an orange water bed wearing swimming trunks and with sunglasses obscuring his face. One hand indolently trailed the surface of the crystal blue water whilst the other held a glass. He appeared perfectly at ease, the sun glinted off his shades and pearly white teeth. Submerged in one corner of the gigantic and rather elegantly designed pool was Silver. His adopted sister dragged him out of the room after he shut himself in and decided to while the holiday away watching his favourite animation. Blue pulled him out, forced a pair of swimming shorts on him and slapped his hands away when he tried to cover his gaunt form with his hands. She patted the scar on his stomach, hauled him throughout the mansion and eventually dumped him in the pool. When he hit the water, he gasped and came up for air, pulling strands of his crimson hair away from his face, barricading himself in one corner, he stood and shivered. Several of the maids who came to deliver drinks and other refreshments eyed him with a mixture of emotions and one young lady became so engrossed on his vibrating self that she tripped and spilled the contents of her tray on the sidewalk. He wondered what they found so appealing, he is just a scrawny guy, shivering and wet with hair plastered all over his face. What's there to like?
"Are you having fun Silver?" Blue sat down next to him and dangled her legs in the water. Seeing her, he got out of the pool, walked a few paces and then sat down. Immediately a man wrapped him in a fluffy towel and he eagerly accepted the warmth. Silver tinted irises took in the opulent view around him. The scene could've come out straight from a holiday brochure. The pool was situated on the roof, a giant oval framed by palm trees and exotic plants on one side, the other area had no decorations and he could see mount Coronet rising out in the horizon. The rest of Sandgem seemed small and insignificant to the giant palace they currently stayed in. Silver would never get used to such grandeur but his adopted sister blended in like she belonged to high society. Perhaps she was before Team Rocket whisked away everything. A pair of platinum earrings hung underneath her ears, catching and reflecting the diluted light of the afternoon sun. Blue enjoyed herself and seeing her so care-free, he too smiled.
They deserved this break, especially her after what she went through to retrieve him. The horror continued as she watched Azelf, Uxie and Mesprit get drained of their vital body fluids to further their goal. Blue sunk in a depressed mood for some time and when Platina proposed a getaway, they eagerly fled for a brief time of luxury.
The moment they arrived at the insanely huge doors, Whi-2 bounced with delight and then tamed herself when the butler looked at her sternly. In fact, all of them were given a once over before being politely escorted in. The youngest gasped at the marble tiles, pillars wreathed in ivy and a chandelier so huge, she could've gotten lost in it. They were shown their rooms and a few minutes later, bell boys brought up their luggage. Whi-2 was blown away by the sheer size of the place she would stay in. A huge oak bed completely dominated one side; a Persian rug covered the floor whilst a full body sized mirror reflected her form. Here, she scrutinized her appearance and decided that the maids dressed better than her. A walk in wardrobe offered nothing and sheepishly, the young girl started unpacking her casual clothes and filling it in. The scenery from her French windows was breath-taking, clear skies broken by snow-capped mountains. A knock on the door had her scrambling up from the floor and when she opened it, a woman stepped in. She took in her shorts, sneakers and printed t-shirt with mild displeasure, handed her a dress and stepped out. The dress was made of black velvet and lined with gems at the collar and around its short sleeves. After putting it on, she experimentally twirled and rewarded by the midnight fabric swirling around her. At seven o'clock sharp, a servant escorted her downwards to dinner.
She had to pick up her jaw from where it hit the floor. Both Ruby and Silver were also forced into formal wear. The fashionista wore it proudly; however Whi-2 saw that the skewed bandanna covering his forehead didn't agree well with the head maid. Platina, resplendent in a frilled blouse and pencil skirt, ushered them all in. The rest of the event passed by in a blur but the young girl remembered eating with the delicate chiming of china ringing in her ears. Fatigued by the out of world experience, she was ushered back up into her room and fell asleep almost immediately, the soft silk sheets providing an irresistible cocoon.
When she woke up the next day, bright and early thanks to the butler, Platina outlined the week's events. To their dismay they were informed that the heiress would not be able to join them.
"I have some occupation to attend to Ms Blue," they were sitting in the noble's room which looked like the size of Whi-2's entire house, "I'm sorry, but it is crucial."
"Hmm..." the older female picked up a cherry from a nearby fruit bowl and ate it with deliberate slowness, "work with the nobles of Ransei perhaps?" a knowing gleam entered her eyes and her subordinate stiffened visibly.
"...Yes." she hesitantly replied, "I have to do some correspondence they sent me, due to my activities in the organization, I've neglected it and they are not too happy."
"Then we'll just relax in your mansion!" Blue chirped, "I wouldn't go anywhere and leave you behind, that would defeat the purpose of this vacation, so don't mind if we go all out." Nearby, Ruby trailed his hands down yards of cashmere and other rich fabrics. Next to him, Silver ignored the world and buried his nose in an epic novel. His hair was shoved underneath a grey beanie and somewhere, the head maid suffered from a heart attack at his unkempt looks.
"Please enjoy yourselves...I wouldn't have it otherwise."
And thus the group spent each day getting to know the humongous mansion. They first explored the rooftop pool and over the course of the week, whilst Platina slaved away with her documents, the rest of Constellate spent their time with idle laughter and fun. Silver spent much of his time in the library, tucked away in an oversized armchair and reading about espionage, disguising and other topics Ruby wouldn't bother himself with. The Hoenn native on the other hand spent much of his time with the dressmakers and the little team was both happy and exasperated with his enthusiasm. Blue and Whi-2 mostly hung out together and bonded, talking about life in general and how things were proceeding back at base. On the last day of their short vacation, everyone's mood morphed into despondency and none of them wanted to leave. As usual, Ruby threw a fit because he misplaced something.
"My sweater!" he wailed as Blue tapped the glazed floor impatiently with her foot. The teenager dove inside the oversized luggage carrier and began to fling things out, a pair of shorts flew into Silver's face and the quiet adolescent forcefully removed the article of clothing and gave it to his trusty weavile so the dark pokemon could tear it into shreds. Seeing this, the flamboyant boy stopped what he was doing in an effort to salvage his already un-wearable pants. Throwing his senior a heated glare (the red head shifted a few paces backwards because when Ruby got angry, he dished out assaults akin to Red) and continued to moan and complain and sift through his clothing. Platina walked and next to her a maid had his sweater neatly folded in his hands. Articulating a hurried thanks, he lunged, grabbed it off the blushing female and crammed it in.
All set.
Platina's parents saw them off at the foyer. The little group humbly relayed their thanks over and over again. Being rich, kind and generous, Constellate was invited again and Blue accepted the invitation warmly. This time, she promised to bring the entire group with and maybe they could talk business. The Berlitz family was interested in the Organization's deeds and their goals were rather intriguing. Thanking them once more, the motely group waked out in the morning sun and on to the train station where they would board a vehicle for Kanto. The members talked about their wonderful experience and unlike when they first came in, they left with wide smiles gracing their faces.
Several days later, late evening
Johto
Mahogany Town
The town nestled in a valley surrounded by low lying hills. Brown and green dotted the area and it was a relatively small place, out of the way, but linked to the major places nearby. Already the sun dipped and the town plunged into darkness, however the last vestiges of the burning orange light gave a spectacular view. In the distance, the sharp outline of the Bell tower broke through the horizon, its spire gleamed an ethereal gold. The shadows of people on the streets grew longer as they closed down their shops or simply headed back home for a well-deserved rest. Soon, street lamps were lit, dotting the roads with pools of sickly yellow light. Mahogany town was very quiet now as everyone shut their doors and opted to knock off for the night. Squatting behind a brick house, an individual glanced at his watch and peered at the entrance of the famed souvenir shop. An hour passed without a single customer entering; finally, late at night a trio appeared. They were loud and he watched as the three adolescents went inside the shop. He perked and shot up from his uncomfortable posture, looking left and right, he shoved his hands deep inside the pockets of a shabby trench coat and decided to go inside.
"You will see three of them, aged around twenty two, enter the shop really late at night. One of them you will recognise instantly, the other two are his best friends, an indigo haired lady wearing a puffy white hat and a pale faced youth who is notorious amongst every other police force in the Pokeverse. His name is Silver. Be very careful around them." His superior's tired voice bled through the public phone.
"Sir...Where are you?" Looker couldn't keep the tone of desperation out of his words.
"I'm with Anabel in headquarters." the investigator could pick out sarcasm, "apparently I have been sitting idle for a year and now I must handle all the paper work caused by the Hoenn disaster. They are taking me for granted aren't they? Who does Anabel think she is? E-mailing me tons of work when I'm busy tailing the Dex-criminals? And now, come to Kalos indeed, no thank you, I'm fine sitting in my office and doing things I should be doing!" the anger outlined with a snarl. "Keep in touch; I'm busy so I'll see you later." The line went dead and Looker spent a few more minutes listening to the flat, stretched out beep before replacing the phone in its cradle. This particular conversation which took place a few days ago played out in his mind as he stepped over the threshold.
The musky smell of incense and aged wood hit his nostrils. Looker scanned the tiny shop and was surprised to find it deserted save for the elderly couple manning the register. Nodding politely to them, he scoured the store, looking at cards, statuettes of the legendary pokemon carved from wood, marble and various types of stone. Key chains and straps dangled before his face and he trudged to the very back and stared at the wall intently as if it held the question to his life's answers. Aware of the couple staring at him attentively, Looker scratched the back of his head, apologized and exited. Outside there another officer waited patiently for him.
"Well, did you find anything?"
"Not really, but the three people who entered the store simply vanished."
Falkner stroked his chin thoughtfully and narrowed his eyes, "that's a start, let's go in and question the couple, they might be hiding more than a few wanted criminals." The cyan haired man brushed his bangs to the side and confidently strode in with Looker at his heels. The old man and woman jumped in fright when he came in, his dark blue police uniform screamed a warning underneath the well-lit store. Smiling kindly, he walked to the counter and held up a picture. The couple's eyes widened and at once Falkner had his answers, still he worded out a question.
"W-we don't know those people." The elderly man's voice shook with obvious fright and his wife whimpered. The picture showed a newspaper clipping of Gold who stood proud in an arena surrounded by hundreds of people. Next to him was a blurred, black and white shot of Silver. The last showed a pretty female with loose hair curling around her shoulders, she wore an apron and her hands held a broom. "I'm sorry, we are just an old couple selling souvenirs...If you are interested in my wares..."
"We are interested in the people who are obviously hiding underground." The couple quaked and held onto each other, "I understand you don't want to divulge any information because there is always a chance they might've threatened you. Thank you for your information, we will be leaving, I'm sorry to disturb you."
Outside, a muted screech of tires could be heard. Several dozens of people hung in the shadows cradling pokeballs and weapons. If anyone walked down the road, they would've seen nothing, not even the cars. But the place crawled with more than a dozen officers. Light mirrored off their black gear and with the occasional glint, they could've been mistaken for oversized insects with gleaming exoskeletons. The policeman stepped out and a man approached him.
"Armed and ready sir." he saluted and his arcanine growled in affirmative.
"Good," the police deputy half turned and his eyes reflected the store, "we are storming in."
A/N: Did everyone enjoy the outing with Team Constellate? And more importantly…Green getting chewed out, not something that happens every day. Much gratitude to those who read and reviewed! At Silver: Galactic didn't make the chain yet, they theorized a way of making it and I'm not really sure how the process goes, but deriving the red chain is extremely painful for them, so even though the trio will remain alive, they will be extremely fatigued due to the constant loss of blood. Dead people? Hah! You will have to read in order to find out. Chap 42 goes on way after this. It's basically the ending of the arc. At GrotesqueChimera you are welcome :) At Eevee: Your latest review made me really sad, but if you don't want to review any longer, I understand. Just let me say that I enjoy reading your reviews immensely, I don't find them annoying/insane or anything because I like the feedback you give me and your little scenes and reactions are very colourful. Yellow switching affections? I wrote a bit on her background and thoughts (coming later) as well as Green's interactions with his family. Well, I don't really think there is a 'right way' to review. Trust me; I've seen some nausea inducing stuff written on other stories. At Jack54311: Divine retribution! Why not? You just gave me a good idea and yeah…things will go wrong :)