Chapter 15 - Prepare for Trouble
Thankfully there were no more unplanned delays once Audino finished healing the victims of the Masked Singer, allowing the party to make their way through Nimbasa's masses unimpeded. As a result, they managed to reach the Pokémon Center by nightfall for some much needed rest. Prescient as always, Absol had booked their battle for the late afternoon, so they could afford to sleep in a little.
"How's the receiver holding up?" Koffing questioned, as Hilda headed for bed.
"I haven't noticed a difference since I put it on; if anything my hearing is even clearer than before." Hilda replied happily, idly inspecting the innocuous looking necklace, twin rubies surrounded by obsidian expertly carved into the recognizable shape of a smug Absol's face. "Any idea how Silph Co managed it? Audino was pretty sure there would be a range limit, but if there is I haven't found one yet."
"No clue to be honest, all I know is that as long as you and Slowpoke both wear the matching set; you'll always be right next to each-other as far as the world is concerned. I will say, Absol got pretty excited over the phone when he bought the pair; something about quantum entanglement and a provable exception from wave function collapse, but the details went entirely over my head. I'm a fairy and a magician, not a physicist."
"If you don't know, then how does Absol?" Amoonguss questioned. "He looks barely a few months old to me, I'm half-expecting his parents to show up looking for him any day now."
"For most species, that would be the case, but Absol are an exception," Audino chimed in. "They, like myself, are appointed to a specific purpose by the Original One. Just as every Audino is blessed with the gift of healing, and charged to spread our talents far and wide, every Absol receives the gift of foresight along with an overriding mandate to use it in defense of His creation, and if an Absol needs to go on a journey to fulfil their purpose? Then no sane Pokémon would dare stand in their way, least of all their own kin."
"Are we sure our Absol isn't defective?" Joseph couldn't resist adding. "The only long-term goal he's pursuing involves becoming really rich."
"Every Absol is strange in their own way," Koffing chortled. "Nobody can bear the weight of the future unchanged. If anything, wealth accumulation is a reassuring goal; because it requires by definition the continuance of the world in which said wealth exists. You don't need a selfless hero to do objective good in the world; rational self-interest can be just as good when the stakes are high. Besides, whilst rather greedy, Absol still seems like the cautious sort. I'm sure he won't do anything too reckless whilst climbing the golden ladder."
"All hands."
A soft whisper, barely audible even with the amplification of her visor's built-in microphone. Yet across the entire deck, backs straightened and eyes sharpened, her voice alone breathing discipline into her men.
"We are now on the final approach; one hour until we arrive at our target. The SS Tyranitar is a small-to-medium class cargo vessel, specialized in the transporation of high-value goods across international waters. The vessel is currently stuck in port, the victim of a labor dispute between the sailors onboard and the company that owns it. Our primary target tonight is a Technical Machine containing the move Doom Desire, one of only seven extant copies in the world. To ensure a smooth acquisition, we have purchased the services of a consultant, who will assist us in finding the optimal path to the target."
Absol stepped into the light just then, a black fedora atop his head and a very smug expression on his face.
"Absol will be operating independently; our operational protocols are unchanged from the norm. There is no need to consider his safety; Absol is more than capable of avoiding any harm from all relevant actors, as befits a Pokémon of the eight-badge level. Beyond the primary target, take anything or anyone else of value, following our standard priority lists and keeping in mind the limited timeframe, as we will be aiming to be gone by the time the League arrives to investigate. As it stands, we're expecting mainly the former tonight as the SS Tyranitar is not rated for passenger travel, but if you do spot a good Pokémon or a disguised celebrity on board then don't hesitate. Porygon will maintain real-time updates on targets of opportunity as they arise, to be fed through your visor. Do not disembark without your visor, as this mission will be conducted under cover of darkness and you will simply become a liability."
A dangerous smile and a wave of Pressure from Absol brought the nearest men to their knees, whilst many more felt a cold chill settle on their backs. There would be no question of the fate of any liabilities tonight.
"Silph Co have been informed of our raid in advance, and have pulled back their men from the docks, citing a show of good faith as labor negotiations continue. This removes the majority of the guards that would ordinarily be present to secure the cargo; any remaining threats will be native to the crew and are not expected to exceed the four-badge standard of the Indigo League, given the salaries on offer. The sailors themselves are expendable, so fire at will. Any questions?"
After a full minute in which only calm breathing and routine communications could be heard, Hunter J smiled.
"Good. In that case, get suited up and ready for boarding action. Fifty minutes until arrival. Dismissed."
Unlike the Castelia gym, which had still been firmly on vacation mode during their visit, the Nimbasa gym was fully armed and operational two weeks into this year's league circuit. This much was evident before ever setting foot inside the gym, as a long queue had formed of trainers hoping to snag one of the limited walk-in slots for the day. Fortunately, Hilda had a reservation and thus could skip that whole process, with the receptionist simply informing the party that they were ten minutes early before directing them to the VIP lounge (the Unova Health Association sponsored every gym as a matter of policy).
Instead of the cramped, uncomfortable benches and bottled water available to regulars in the main waiting area, the VIP lounge featured self-service drinks and snacks, adjustable air conditioning, a wide-screen television and an Ampharos reclining on the couch next to a sign saying 'HUG ME!'
"Awwwww!" Hilda wasted no time following that particular instruction, jumping atop Ampharos and squeezing her for all she was worth.
"Wow, I can actually feel that," Ampharos remarked, raising an eyebrow. "You're not another Zorua playing trainer, are you? A Ditto maybe?"
"No, just someone who understands that training is for humans too, not just their Pokémon," Audino sniffed. "A rarity these days, by all accounts."
"Oh, definitely. I might be somewhat biased, seeing as I mainly encounter the ones visiting this room and they're mostly sponsored by the big corporations, but the trainer qualities just goes down every year. The Pokémon come from top-notch breeders and daycares, while the trainer hasn't got a clue if you're lucky. There's always been some of this, admittedly, but it definitely wasn't so bad back when I was on the road with Elesa."
Ampharos blinked, finally registering who she was talking to as she looked at Audino then back to Hilda.
"Oh, you're the mini-Joy! No wonder you're so sturdy, ha! Well, best of luck in your gym battle! Burgh talked you up a lot to Elesa, so I doubt she'll give you the standard experience."
There was little to be said after that; Hilda enjoying her fluffy reprieve until the intercom called for her to make her way to the arena.
"Five minutes to arrival. Deploying ECM."
Porygon opened a link to the dockside network, the public-facing connection used primarily by visiting sailors and staff members on break. Running through a list of common exploits active in the current digital landscape, it took mere seconds for them to strike gold. A junior member of the IT staff was fond of viewing pornography on his work PC; with some of the sites in question storing both username and password in plain text. Those same credentials got Porygon onto the dock's intranet - and whilst Mr. Porno lacked access to the truly sensitive elements of the security suite, a network admin with the required access had helpfully saved his login details in an unprotected text file.
"Three minutes to arrival." Porygon dutifully reported. "Target A compromised. Target B remains active."
Sadly, the SS Tyranitar had significantly better security; perhaps due to the adversarial circumstances of the labor strike, all inbound communication had been switched off, stopping Porygon from replicating his success there as well.
"No matter. We just need to delay the response from onshore; the boarding action was never going to be quiet. Bring us in."
As the airship tilted to the right, a hatch opened, revealing their target, 20,000 feet below. Unwilling to wait even a second longer, Absol took a running leap straight out into the night sky.
"You're insane, you know that right?" Hunter J's Salamence quipped as it dove alongside him. "Why go through all this trouble to get something you were already buying?"
"I can't afford to wait months for it to arrive," Absol shot back. "I need Doom Desire as soon as possible, for the good of Unova and my bank account. Now, give me some fire! As hot as you can make it!"
"I can believe half of that at least…" Salamence muttered dubiously, but nonetheless did as he was asked.
In the night, a false sun rose, filling the air with light and power so fierce Absol felt he would burn alive were it not directed outward and away from him. Closing his eyes, Absol descended into the river of space and time, pulling upon the memory of another lifetime, of twin dragons ever at odds whose powers nonetheless complemented one another perfectly. Drawing power from the heat around him, with five thousand feet left to fall, Absol's chosen move manifested upon the world. Fire into lightning, as it must always be.
"Fusion Bolt."
A colossal beam of white lightning rained down from on high; smashing into the SS Tyranitar with the fury of a fallen God. Not enough to destroy the vessel outright; Absol could only manifest a small portion of the original Move's strength and Salamence's Sunny Day was not quite as effective a powerup as Fusion Flare, but it still got the job done. The ship's deck had been scoured clean, leaving only charred and blackened metal even as arcing bolts traveled onward; making short work of any active electronics throughout the ship. There would be no witnesses to Absol's presence today save for eye witnesses, and he didn't plan on leaving any of those either.
Immediately after the high of his success came a wave of fatigue that shot through Absol; more than enough to kill him even a short month ago. Thankfully, Koffing's training regimen had focused heavily on his stamina for numerous reasons, such that the exertion now left him only mildly exhausted as he plunged into enemy territory, just a few hundred feet left to go.
"Acid Armor."
Taking on the aspect of a friendly Vaporeon he'd gotten to know quite well, Absol stuck the landing as a puddle, seeping through the ship's cracked hull into the hold below. Salamence didn't bother with such subtlety, smashing straight through the weakened steel with a mighty roar. Hunter J's airship, now level with the boat, extended a landing ramp, the first of her men setting foot on-board. Doom Desire was almost in Absol's grasp, and the only things standing in his way were however many sailors called the SS Tyranitar home, a few of whom were staring at him in shock right this moment. Which, well, that ruined the element of surprise quite thoroughly, which meant there was left nothing to do but get stuck in.
Grinning widely, Absol reached out to the shadows that were part and parcel of life inside any ship, eschewing the usual claws in favor of shaping them to his will, even as the first sailors snapped out of their stupor and reached for their Pokéballs. What emerged was a technique he'd always admired on the big screen, now brought to life at last.
"Ninja Art: Shadow Stitching Jutsu!"