"Ugh, my head," Robert groaned, his eyelids fluttering as he slowly regained consciousness. His surroundings were dark, a faint yellow glow coming from somewhere. He pulled himself into a sitting position, holding his head. "Dang, I feel horrible."
"Are you okay?" A figure had knelt in front of him, outlined by darkness.
"I just said I felt horrible..." Robert groaned again, fumbling for his waist.
"Don't bother," the person shook his head, shifting so he was leaning against the metal wall opposite of Robert. "They took your pokeballs and backpack the moment you arrived."
Robert rubbed his eyes, getting a good look at where he was. He seemed to be trapped in a metal container of sorts with this person. A fire-lit lamp was in one corner next to the door, providing minimal light. Nothing else stuck out to Robert, so he looked back at the person he was with. His eyes caught a small bundle next to him and he inched forwards, setting a hand on what he now realized to be a Pokemon. He couldn't see its face, but from the dark fur and body, he assumed it was a Zorua. It was sleeping on what looked like the tattered remains of a white shirt, but as Robert examined closer, his eyes widened.
"He's breathing slowly," Robert realized, heart skipping a beat. "What's wrong with him?"
The person's features had been mostly hidden in shadow, but when he turned, Robert could now see his pale skin. He had shadows beneath his seemingly gray eyes and his long green hair looked matted and unwashed, hanging down his back in a ponytail. He wore a black shirt, a blue, gold, and black pendant hanging from a chain around his neck.
He shook his head, taking off a dirty cap from his head, setting it in his lap. "They kidnapped me and Zorua well over a week ago. He's been in a poor state ever since they hurt him and they haven't even tried to treat him. And I can't do anything myself..."
Robert closed his eyes, feeling Zorua's heartbeat. For now it was steady, but Robert suspected it wouldn't stay like that if he didn't get treatment. He glanced at his fellow prisoner and said, "I'll do what I can, but without supplies I can't do much either." He held out his hand. "My name is Robert."
The guy considered the hand for a long moment before bringing up his own and grasping Robert's. The grip felt a bit weak, but it was firm. "You can call me N."
As Electivire's fist descended upon me, a blast of heat hit me as a jet of flames cascaded upon the Electric type. Electivire tumbled backwards and into the river, fighting the currents to stand. I jerked my head around to see Alex leaning against a tree, breathing hard, her face screwed up in concentration as her Ninetales padded forwards, snarling at Electivire as he pulled himself onto the bank. He made to move forwards, but paused when both Lucario and Greninja appeared on either side of Ninetales, both posed to fight. Electivire bared his fangs before turning and leaping over the river, disappearing into the trees.
At once I pelted towards Alex, catching her before she slipped off the trunk. "Are you hurt?" I asked, worried as I held her shoulders.
She smiled weakly, trying to straighten. "Yeah, just dizzy from that gas. I saw you in danger and I-" She went limp as her head bumped my chest. I shook her. "Alex? Alex!?"
Lucario hurried over, placing his palm on her back. He closed his eyes and I felt his aura rise around him. He pulled his paw back, nodding at me and giving a reassuring nod. I sighed in relief, putting my back against the tree and sliding down it, letting Alex rest her head on my lap. "Dang't. I should have remembered to check for your vitals and breathing..." I stared down at her, bemused. "You make me forget a lot of things when you make me worry for you, I hope you realize that. Though," I leaned my head back, staring up into the swaying branches. "I guess I should stop making you worry for me so much..."
Ninetales padded up to me, a glittering object in her mouth. I sat forwards a little, careful not to disturb Alex too much, as I took the thing from her mouth. I stared at it. It was Robert's modified Pokedex. It didn't appear to be damaged, which might have had something to do with the hard metal casing he had put on the back. I unconsciously tightened my grip on it. Robert had been abducted and who knew what would happen to him.
I looked back up at Ninetales. "Think you can carry her until she wakes up and gets her strength back?" When she nodded, I gave a tight smile. "Good. Now let's go get our friend back."
"So you have two friends named Zeno and Alex?" N leaned his head back, staring straight up. "Were they abducted as well?"
"I don't know," Robert admitted. "But I have hope that they'll come for us. If there's anyone you can count on saving your skin, it's Zeno. And with Alex's temper, oh yeah, they'll come for me."
"You have some high hopes in these 'friends' of yours," N sounded genuinely surprised. "How do you know they just won't abandon you?"
Robert gaped at him. "What kind of friends would that make them? They'd have to be downright horrible to do that." Robert shook his head in disbelief. "We've come this far as friends and I would definitely look for them if they were kidnapped. I have complete faith in them."
N still looked skeptical. He opened his mouth to say something when the square door swung open, sunlight streaming in. Robert and N were both forced to shield their eyes as a large figure was outlined by the light. He took a couple more steps in, his heavy boots making him sound like he was stomping on the metal. He had a tough-looking face with a scar down the side of his left cheek and not a single hair on his head. He wore gray cargo pants and a muscle shirt that perfectly outlined his muscular features, his arms the very definition of 'guns'.
"You again," N moved fast, pushing Zorua behind him as he glared at the man.
The man laughed, the tattoos on his bare neck and shoulders rippling. "You're amusing, kid." He bent and grinned toothily at him. "If I really wanted to I could beat you to a pulp and get to that pup in no time. Thank your lucky stars that the boss wants you shipped alive and in good condition. Or don't, because you might have a fate worse than the death I could grant a freak like you. Now," He straightened, turning to face Robert, who felt a twinge of fear. "What shall we do with you?"
"You could, uh, let me go?" Robert held up his hands, smiling weakly.
"No, no I don't think I will," the man shook his head. The next moment happened in a blur and Robert found himself slammed against the wall, pinned by the huge hand around his throat. N stood quickly, but a large Machamp quickly stood in his way, both sets of arms crossed as he placed a foot lightly on Zorua. N hesitated, then took a step back, face hidden by his cap.
"Getting rid of you would be beneficial to me," the man gripping Robert by the neck said calmly, as if they had sat down for tea and were having a casual conversation. "I would hate to do extra work. However," his grip tightened, nearly cutting off Robert's windpipe as his eyes widened. "The boss might actually be pleased to have an extra lab rat." He released his grip and Robert crumpled to the floor, gasping for air. "He might even give me extra. He is generous from time to time."
He walked out and motioned for Machamp to follow. Robert turned, still sucking in long breaths of air and managed to get a good look of the outside before they were shut in with the only source of light coming from the lamp.
"Shipping containers," Robert said once he was able to speak again.
"Come again?" N looked up.
"We're in a shipping container," Robert heaved himself into a sitting position. "It's obvious now that I think about it. That means we have to be in Virbank City. They have one of the largest ports in Unova."
"I thought Castelia City did as well," N raised an eyebrow. "How can you be sure we're in Virbank and not Castelia?"
"Because," Robert rubbed his throat, sore from the rough handling, and allowed himself to grin despite the situation. "He said he was shipping you alive. Why capture me near Virbank and bring me to Castelia and then ship us back to Virbank?"
"Why would he only ship us between Virbank and Castelia?" N asked after a minute.
"Probably because they have a base of operations in Castelia," Robert said thoughtfully. "Knowing my comic books, the secret headquarters of a criminal organization is bound to be in a big city. It only makes sense."
"Okay," N shook his head, looking confused. "We're in Virbank. Does it matter?"
"Yes," Robert said seriously. "Because if we're still in Virbank, there's every chance my friends will be able to find me. I'd bet my own life on it."
"For the billionth time," Alex said irritably as I asked her how she was feeling. "I'm feeling better." This, I was certain, was likely only mostly true. I had a sneaking suspicion she had a headache, but I didn't press the matter any further.
Earlier we had arrived back at the ranch where a couple scientists had set up a makeshift lab, antidotes already brewing under the watchful care of a Gothorita. She levitated a bottle and gave it to one of the scientists in a lab coat and he shook it gently and nodded approvingly. He, having noticed Alex, awake and still on Ninetales' back looking groggy, looked worried and asked where Mr. Aspen was. Deciding it was probably fine, I told him of what happened, starting with finding the drugs and up the point where Robert had been kidnapped. He had gone pale and went to call someone. Another scientist, having heard the conversation, hurriedly told us he had seen a helicopter flying in the distance while they had been driving to the ranch and it looked as if it was heading to Virbank City. Certain that the Pokemon on the ranch would be in good care, Alex and I set off for the city.
"So it was those three again?" Alex asked as we entered Virbank City, both of us having ridden Arcaneis here as fast as possible. "From the alley?"
"Yeah," I nodded, rubbing Arcaneis on the nose. "Seems like they weren't in prison long." I coughed, the smell of smog thick in the air.
"Probably broke out," Alex rubbed her eyes as they walked.
"I don't know," I mused. "You think we would hear some news on it." I held up Robert's device. "This thing does get the news, right?"
"I think so," Alex stepped closer, peering at it. She tapped a button, but nothing happened; the screen remained black. "Come to think of it, I don't even know how to turn it on."
"Um..." I experimentally pressed another button. Nothing exploded in my face, and while I counted that as a win, it still didn't turn on.
"Maybe," Alex turned a knob and it seemed to click into place and the screen flashed blue. "Aha! But this is just a Pokedex screen?"
"How about this?" I turned the knob again and the screen changed to a map of Unova. "Okay, I'm starting to see why Robert uses this a lot." I turned the knob two more times before it turned to a screen titled The Daily Unova. "Okay, this should be it." I touched the screen and swiped up, scrolling past news articles. Nothing seemed to stand out, just some stuff called Elesa's Latest Fashion, Shocking Clubsplosion Winner, and Triplets' Restaurant Business Booming . Further down were articles that weren't big news stuff, but nestled between two articles called, Calling for Pokémons' Freedom, TP and Grimsley's Grim Past Revisited was an article labeled Three 'Pokémon Abusers' Released from Jail.
Eyes widening, I clicked on the article and quickly scanned the contents. "I don't believe this! They got off scot free!"
"'Three citizens accused of having been abusing a couple of Pokemon in Aspertia City have proved to have been on false claims,'" Alex read. "Okay, that is so wrong. What about Marshal? He's an Elite Four member. Does his word count for nothing?"
"They mention him near the bottom," I said, just having scrolled down. "It says they're not going to press charges for his false accusation. Figures. They don't want to attract more attention to themselves than necessary." I turned the knob several more times and it flickered off. Tucking it away, Alex and I began walking through Virbank. There weren't any huge skyscrapers around, but instead close to where we had just entered the city was the Virbank Complex. Smoke rose heavily from that area, which seemed to be the main cause of the air pollution here.
"Think they might have taken him in there?" Alex asked.
"Worth a look," I narrowed my eyes. However, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Workers and Pokemon were going about on their daily routine and at the far end of the complex was even a small park with a couple of benches viewing the ocean. Why anyone would build a park in this complex of all places didn't make any sense until a guy in an orange vest and hardhat stumbled past us, collapsing on a bench with a sigh of relief. A Timburr hopped over the bench and sat beside him.
"Hey," He turned to look back at us, tipping his hat up in greeting. "We don't get many people at this park because of all the smog. What brings you two here? And might I say," he arched an eyebrow. "That Arcanine of yours... Is that some sort of, uh, Mega Evolution they call it?"
"No," I shook my head, thinking hard and not entirely paying attention. Nothing seemed off about this place and if Robert wasn't here, then we would have to search the whole city.
"I have a question," Alex said, moving forwards.
"Shoot," the guy said, unwrapping a sandwich from his bag.
"You didn't happen to see a large helicopter fly through the city earlier by any chance did you?"
"Hm..." He chewed slowly. "Y'know, I think I did, yeah. You saw it too, right Timburr?"
Timburr nodded and pointed his log to the left. Alex and I looked where he was pointing. The land curved inwards, so across the water was still Virbank City. However, where he seemed to be pointing was a large port area, shipping containers stacked along in rows.
"Thought it was right odd," the man pondered. "That a helicopter would land over there."
"Thank you very much," Alex bowed her head quickly and grabbed my hand, pulling me along. "C'mon Zeno."
"I know," I tugged my hand free, whistling for Arcaneis to follow and he and Ninetales bounded after us. "We need to get there as fast as possible." I climbed on top of Arcaneis as Ninetales knelt to let Alex board and we sped out of the complex. We dashed down the street through Virbank as streetlamps flickered on and the darkness of night fell.
"Yes, he's still in good condition." The silhouette of a man leaned against a shipping container, phone pressed to his ear. He yawned silently, glancing at his Natu, wishing he could sleep peacefully like that. "Of course, sir. Once the ship arrives, he'll be shipped straight to you, alongside a bonus. No no, I don't expect a bonus to my paycheck. Oh how I wish you would," he added silently.
He shut the phone a minute later and sighed, lighting a cig. It was a pain to deal with his boss, but he dared not speak those thoughts aloud, not even when he was sure he was alone. He had just stamped out his smoke when he heard a distant commotion. He came out from behind the container to look down a row of containers that led towards the entrance of the Port. He saw smoke outlined by an array of colorful lights shining bright into the dark of night.
"What the hell?" He grumbled, stalking towards where he could hear the noise get louder. "What are those guards doing?"
"Do you hear that?" Robert sat up, cautiously moving to the door.
N looked up from where he was holding Zorua, who seemed to be getting worse. "What?"
"I think..." Robert pressed his ear against the metal, straining to listen. "I think that's music?" A loud thump against the side of the container made Robert stumble back. A couple shouts of pain and something heavy slamming into the door was followed by silence. Robert shared a glance with N before they heard something metal being slashed and the door to the container swung open, several figures outlined by the soft glow from the lamp.
