Chapter 23:
The Incident at Copper Town
~~The Twins - Copper Town - Northern Province~~
It was around midday by the time the two Eeveelutions arrived at Copper Town. It was hard to believe, but all the action they went through was only just this morning. The small, snow-covered town was still calm and relatively quiet in the early afternoon coolness of the Northern Province.
"Finally, civilization!" Viridian exclaimed in relief. "I don't know how much longer I could go on without a bath."
Well, it was quiet.
"A bath? V, we need to find ourselves a place to stay first." Spectrum retorted to his sister's desire.
Viridian scoffed at the prospect. "I think not. We have been traveling non-stop for weeks! I-er, we need to get all this gunk out of our fur. For the good of both of us." She set off for the nearest public bathhouse she could find.
Spectrum sighed, rubbing his head. "Who's idea was it to follow that lead in Crystal City?" Viridian stopped in her tracks. "And who's idea was it to cross over Kyurem's Spine when she knew it would be more dangerous and take longer than taking a normal road?"
Viridian blushed in embarrassment. She tapped her digits together. "Well…"
"That's what I thought." Spectrum walked past her. "Now, let's find a room to stay in. My paws are killing me and it's been too long since I've seen a bed."
"Spectrum!" Viridian stared incredulously at her brother. "You're going to sully that nice, clean bed with your… dirtiness?"
He turned back to her, confused. "Yeah. What's so wrong with that?"
She cringed. "First off, ew. Secondly, if I'm going to sleep in a bed I'd rather be clean first.."
Spectrum huffed. "If you're so against it then why don't you go take a bath and I can go take a nap. Deal?"
Viridian mulled over the offer once or twice before resigning. "Fine," she sighed. "But I am not sleeping anywhere near you, got it?"
He rolled his eyes. "Why do you have to be so dramatic?" He chuckled at the frown he received. "Fine, yeesh. Then let's meet up at…" He spotted a shop. He pointed to it. "There. 'Gorgo's Eats' in maybe, say, two hours."
"Great. Sounds like a plan." Without further hesitation, Viridian sprinted off in search of the nearest bathhouse. "See you later!"
Spectrum sighed at her retreating figure. He waved after her. "See you later!" He watched her turn a corner, and then the Glaceon was gone. Without wasting much more time himself, Spectrum went to fulfill his end of the deal.
He wandered the snow-covered streets of Copper Town. He shivered at the chilling temperature. They may have escaped the harsh climate of Kyurem's Spine, but they were still in the Northern Province with the winter season fast approaching. He really hoped they would get to Prism City before the cold season set in.
Well, he could only hope. For now, he had to find them a place to stay and get out of this Arceus-forsaken snow.
VVVVVVVVV
"Um, excuse me?" Spectrum eventually grew tired of searching for housing and decided to ask a passerby for directions. He came across an Ursaring brushing snow off the porch of her townhouse. "Sorry to bother, but may I ask where the nearest inn is?"
The Ursaring shook some snow off of her fur before turning to answer with a smile. "Oh, it's no problem at all. Ya just need to-" She suddenly froze up, staring at him with wide eyes.
A few seconds passed like this and Spectrum started to feel a little concerned. "Uh, are you alright, ma'am? I didn't offend you or anything, right?"
The Ursaring flinched at his statement. She suddenly waved her hands vigorously. "Oh no no not at all sir!" She held a shaking paw up to point down the street. "J-just follow the street down and take a r-right. It'll be the f-first building o-on the right. Ya can't miss it!" She then proceeded to rush back inside her house and slam the door shut behind her.
Spectrum stood dumbfounded at the display. "Uh, thanks?" He unsurely thanked her, even though he said it to no one. He frowned as he followed her directions. "That was weird. Oh well," he shrugged. "Help is help."
He closed his eyes and let out a yawn as he sauntered down the street. His stomach grumbled. Sighing, he wondered if the inn he was going to offered any food. It's been a while since he and Viridian actually ate anything appetizing. They were mostly just surviving off of foraged berries they manage to stuff in their adventurer's pouches.
"Oof!"
Spectrum was suddenly thrown back onto his rear as he accidentally bumped into something. Damn, it felt like he just walked headfirst into a brick wall. He winced, rubbing his head to ease some of the pain.
Looking up he spotted a Golem who was rolled onto his back, flailing his short arms and legs in a vain attempt to right himself. Spectrum would have found the sight amusing had he not been the one to cause it. A multitude of gemstones littered the ground around them, varying in shapes, color, and sizes. The Golem must have dropped them when they bumped into each other.
Spectrum stood back up and messaged his rear. "Sorry about that, mate. I should have watched where I was going."
The Golem, still flailing about on their back, shrewdly yelled. "Ya idiot boy! Look what ya made me do! Ya better hope them valuable Psychic Gems are in good shape or yer gonna deserve what's comin' to ya!"
Spectrum stared blankly at the Golem as they still struggled, and still failed, to right themselves again. He tried his damnedest not to laugh, but hearing the Pokémon threaten him in that compromising position? Something about it was comedy gold to the Jolteon.
"Just ya wait, boy!" The struggling Golem continued in his North Arkantian accent. "As soon as I'm on my feet, yer gonna be seein' stars!"
The large Pokémon continued to flail his arms and legs for several moments. He then huffed in exertion and his limbs went limp. He breathed deeply and heavily as if he had exhausted himself.
Spectrum gulped down his laugh. "You need some help, friend?"
"...if ya would be so kind." was the quiet response.
Rolling his eyes, Spectrum walked around to the other side of the Golem. He was careful not to step on any of the gems so as to not incur the wrath of the helpless Pokémon. He then braced his shoulder onto the rocky body and pushed. Slowly but surely, the Pokémon was righted once more.
"Heh, I thank ya, boy." The stranger quickly laughed off the animosity. He bent down and started to gather the gems he had dropped. "I won't beat ya up now, don't worry."
Spectrum chortled. "I wasn't that concerned in the first place, but thanks." He felt a cold and smooth surface touch his paw. Looking down, he noticed he had brushed one of the gems. Curious, he picked it up. It was a smooth, oval-shaped gem that held a brilliant green luster. Before he could study it any further his attention was torn away to the Golem, who had suddenly, and very audibly, gasped.
"You okay?" Spectrum asked.
The Golem's pupils were dilated and shaking. His arms threatened to drop the gems he had just picked back up. What got Spectrum, though, was that the Golem looked at him with fear.
"I-uh I need to g-get goin'," he suddenly said, starting to turn away.
Spectrum held up the gem he had picked up. "Do you at least want this back before you go?"
The Golem shook when Spectrum raised his paw. He held his arms in front of his face, allowing the gems to fall to the ground once again. "P-please keep it! Just d-don't hurt me!"
Spectrum's mouth curved downward. "I wasn't gonna hurt you. But this gem is yours, isn't it?"
The Golem only curled up his defensive stance further. "Ya can keep it! Just please leave me alone!"
A bit unsure, Spectrum took a step back from the fearful Pokémon. Just a moment ago the Golem was full of gusto. But now he really looked like he was fearing for his life.
"If you say so," Spectrum said, putting the gem away into his pouch. He realized staying any longer would probably worsen the Golem's current state, so he turned away and continued walking down the street.
As soon as he started to walk away he heard the Golem start shuffling in the snow. Looking back he saw the Golem retreating down the street in the opposite direction with the gems back in his arms.
"What the hell is going on?" He said under his breath. "First the Ursaring and now that guy? It's like as soon as someone sees me they freak out. I don't have anything on my face, do I?"
Only after his interaction with the Golem did the Jolteon start to notice things he hadn't before. He observed the other Pokémon he passed as he continued towards the inn. When he met their eyes they quickly looked away. Some would freeze in shock when they looked at him. In fact, they seemed to go out of their way to avoid his path. At one point he came across a group of Pokémon about to run into him. Before he could even do anything they parted perfectly down the middle and let him pass. They whispered something to each other and pointed at him.
"If you're going to say something, at least say it to my face." He warned them, unamused at the treatment.
He fully expected them to argue with him. Hell, maybe they would even try to beat him up or something. But he did not expect them to run away in fright with their tails between their legs. Did he look that frightening or something? He was just a single Jolteon. Right?
He tried to ignore the staring and whispering as much as he could. He noticed a Grumpig leaning on the wall in a small alleyway off to the side. They were wearing some sort of hat, oddly enough. They glared at Spectrum even when their eyes met. Trying not to cause any more trouble than he seemingly already has just by being here, he broke eye contact and carried on his way.
When he finally found the recommended inn, a small joint called 'The Snow Mound', he quickly went inside, not willing to bear the stares any longer. It was really starting to creep him out. He closed the door behind him, relishing in the sudden comfortable warmth the building was giving off. Thankful he was out of the snow, he studied the room he now found himself in.
Depending on what type of person you were, the lobby was either simple or just plain empty. Nothing but a few chairs and a counter, presumably where he was supposed to go to check-in. He strode up to the empty counter and rang a bell that sat on top. He waited a few moments and, as there was no answer, he rang it again.
"I'm comin', I'm comin', hold your damn horses, will ya?" A gruff voice answered the call. Rustling noises could be heard as large footsteps neared the counter. A Slaking suddenly popped up from underneath the counter itself. "Watcha want?"
"What the?" Spectrum was admittedly flabbergasted by the sudden appearance. "Where did you come from?"
The Slaking scratched his stomach. "Whatchu mean?"
Spectrum furrowed his brow. "I-what- oh never mind. Do you rent out rooms here?" He brushed off his confusion, not wanting to put in the energy to even think about it. He was way too tired from this weird day to care and just wanted to rest his eyes for at least an hour or two.
"Aye, I do." The Slaking yawned as if he had just woken up from a nap. "You want one or something?"
"That would be pretty great, yeah." Spectrum was a little put-off by the innkeeper's attitude, but he decided to take what he could get. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with my face, is there?"
The Slaking picked something up from under the counter and slammed it on top. It was a thick, aging book. Probably a ledger for keeping track of the residents. He flipped open to a page with a blank space. "You're lookin' like a normal Jolteon, a' least from what I've read. How long ya plannin' on stayin' fer?"
Spectrum sighed in relief. "That's good. You wouldn't believe the looks I've been getting. You'd think I was being mistaken for a criminal or something." He felt a lot better, but that still didn't solve just why he was being treated weirdly. He then answered the Slaking's question. "Just for tonight. Oh and for two. The number of beds doesn't matter either." He quickly added on.
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow. "Yer traveling with someone else? That's mighty brave of ya."
Spectrum's relief dissipated like salt mixing in water. "I'm sorry?"
The Slaking finished his work within the ledger. "I'm sayin' if ya want to evade the law, goin' alone is much harder to track than goin' with another Pokémon." He then opened up his massive hand in front of the Jolteon. "45P, by the way."
Spectrum dug through his adventurer's pouch. "I don't think we're connecting here. What do you mean by 'evading the law'? I haven't done anything wrong here, have I? Is that why everyone is avoiding me like the plague?" He found where he kept his money and handed the Slaking the 45P.
The Slaking pocketed the money. "Hmph. I must admit, that trick o' yers along with that innocent act is pretty good. If I was anyone else, I'd sure be fooled." He plopped the room key on top of the counter. "You best be careful, lad. With what you've done, I wouldn't be surprised if someone recognized ya on the way here."
Spectrum hesitantly grabbed the key off the counter and stuffed it into his pouch. "'What I've done'? I haven't done anything! I just got here for Arceus's sake!"
His cry was only met with the Slaking rolling his eyes. "Whatever ya say, lad. Just be gone by early mornin'. I don't want to be in trouble fer harborin' ya." And with that last word the Slaking dipped below the counter once more.
"Hey wait!" Spectrum tried to get the Pokémon to stay and explain. Rustling and footsteps were heard once more before it went silent. He was gone. The Jolteon could feel a headache coming on.
Spectrum walked up the stairs and found his room number. Inside was a singular bed next to a window along with a nightstand beside it. Other than those two items, the room was barren. He plopped onto the soft bed face first and absorbed the feeling. He closed his eyes.
He pushed all thoughts of today aside. He didn't want to think about it, he just wanted some sweet shut-eye. He would figure it all out later, presumably after he talked about it with his sister. She would know. She's pretty smart after all.
Speaking of, he wondered if she was being treated the same as him. Did she ever find that bath at least? She better have, he chuckled to himself. He wouldn't dare say it to her face, but she absolutely reeked.
~~Viridian - Bathhouse - Copper Town - Northern Province~~
Viridian released a sigh of contentment as she exited the bathhouse.
"Thank goodness for that," she chirped happily. "I wish Specs had at least said something to me before. I must have reeked." She ran her paw smoothly over the light-blue fur on her forearm, appreciating how soft it now felt.
She wondered just what she should do now. Given the time, she still had around an hour left before she met with her brother. She definitely still had some time to kill. The only question was, where would she do so?
She lazily scoped out the area around her. Since midday was coming up soon, the streets of Copper Town were much more populated than before. They left trails of all shapes and sizes across the powder snow that had gently lined the walkways. Considering the climate of the Northern Province, most of these Pokémon consisted of Ice, Steel, Rock, and Ground types. Of course, Pokémon of other typings lived here as well, but they had to bear the coolness of the region to survive and often needed the assistance of Fire Stones or specific Psychic Gems to do so.
Her eyes lit up. A Fire Stone, eh? She could probably get one for Spectrum before they skip town in the morning. It would stop her from having to hear him complain about the cold again, at least. Sounded like a plan, then. And so she set off to find a shop with gusto.
…It didn't take as long as she thought, as there seemed to be one just a few buildings down from the bathhouse. She hopped giddily in joy from her luck. She really wasn't looking forward to running around Copper Town for this one store. She patted some of the snow off of her paws using the floor mat in front of the store before entering, a bell revealing her presence.
The space was relatively small, with most of the inventory being supplied on the walls. Only a desk sat in the center of the room, and what a desk it was. Presumably, the piece of furniture was for a larger-sized Pokémon. Strewn about the desk were papers that Viridian had no business reading, so she didn't.
Remembering what she had come here for, she scanned the shelves that lined the walls in search of her quarry. She had to give some credit where it was due. The owner of this shop had quite the collection. Dozens of Stones and Gems for virtually any need were present. Though a shop like this would probably need to cater to that to remain open, she pondered.
Just then Viridian heard a door open up on the far side of the room."Why h-hello there. Are ya lookin' fer a-anythin' in p-particular?"
Viridian glanced at the new Pokémon, probably the owner. It was a visibly nervous Golem, whose fake smile could not hide the sweat marks on his brow. Viridian raised her own brow in response.
"Jeez, chill out man. I'm not that scary looking, am I?" She sarcastically answered.
Curiously, the Golem released the tension in his body and voice, looking somehow relieved of something after she had spoken. "Oh what a relief. Yer female."
Viridian smirked mischievously. "Are you looking for a date or something, big guy?"
The Golem instantly blushed, looking quickly away. "What?! No! Not at all!"
She dropped her smirk into a frown, her eyebrow twitching. "Oh really? I'm not up to your standard, is it? I just would be good enough for you, right?"
The Golem's eyes were wide with shock. He threw his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean any offense! I-it's not like I wouldn't date you or anythin'..."
She played up her reaction. "So what is it, then? Don't tell me," she gasped. "You just don't think our species would belong together, is that it?"
"No!" He vigorously shook his head in denial. "Look, I'm sure yer a wonderful girl an' all but I would rather spend my days with someone I've personally known fer years an' we would travel the world an' have picnics an' bask in the sun…" His voice trailed off momentarily, his words becoming just thoughts.
Viridian cracked. "Pfft. Dude, what the hell was that? I was just messing with you." She giggled at how easy this Golem was to mess with.
The Golem froze in disbelief at her behavior. He facepalmed, groaning in embarrassment. He could not believe he had just lost his composure like that so easily to this random Glaceon. He looked really stupid just now, didn't he?
Viridian gathered herself, toning down her laughter. "See," she smiled. "I'm not that scary, right? I'm just a normal Pokémon like everyone else. Don't be so nervous, man."
The shopkeeper sighed in defeat. "Did ya need help with anythin'?" He grumbled.
Viridian placed a paw behind her head and smiled apologetically at the Golem. "If you could just point me to where you keep your Fire Stones, that would be great." He pointed to a certain spot on one of the walls. Spotting the Stone, Viridian waltzed over to pick one up. "I'm sorry for that, by the way. You just seemed so tense and I wanted to lighten the atmosphere a bit."
The Golem observed her for a few seconds, his rapid heartbeat now dropping to regular levels. "It's fine," he relented. "If ya knew the scare I've been through today, you'd be tense too."
"Oh, really?" She asked him, bending down to polish a Fire Stone. She didn't need to do much, as the frozen flame encapsulated within its crystal surface shone as brightly as a real fire. "What happened?"
"Keep this between ya an' me, alright?" The Golem suddenly said in a low tone. Viridian, curious as to where he was going with this, nodded in compliance before picking up the Stone with her mouth. "I think," he cautiously glanced around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. "I think I encountered the Shifter."
Viridian reached the desk and placed the Stone on top, ready to complete her purchase. "The who?"
The Golem stared at her incredulously. "Ya know, the Shifter." He said putting an inflection on the last part as if that would help her understand.
Viridian dug into her pouch to find her money. A part of her felt like she had heard the name before, but she couldn't quite remember. "Is that like some famous person or something?"
The Golem raised his brow. "Ya don't know? Ya must have seen him aroun'."
She found her money and started counting it. "Maybe. What's he look like?"
"Well, he was-" the Golem seemed a little uncomfortable. "He was… one of yers."
She lightly frowned. "An Eeveelution?"
The Golem nodded. "Yeah. A scary lookin' Jolteon wanderin' around. At least, I think it was a Jolteon. I've never been one to study history, to be honest, so I could be wrong."
"A Jolteon, huh?" Viridian shook her head. "I wouldn't worry about it."
"How can ya be so sure?"
"Because," Viridian started, placing the correct amount of P onto the table. "Unless my brother has been doing things in his free time, I don't think he's someone to be that scared of."
The Golem looked shocked. "Yer brother?" He scratched his head. "I should have figured. Ya just don't see Eeveelutions around anymore, so it would be a bit crazy to think two of ya would show up at the same time and be unrelated. So he's not the Shifter?"
Viridian chuckled. "Him? I don't even really know who this 'Shiter' is, but my brother is absolutely not him."
"That's a relief." The Golem relaxed, his expression brightening. "Hey wait a minute!" He suddenly exclaimed, startling Viridian. "That guy took off with my Teleportation Gem!"
"Oh great," she groaned in frustration. She reached back into her pouch to pull her money back out. "I'm sorry, he's an idiot most of the time. How much was it?"
"Oh, don't worry about it." He dismissed her attempt. "Those things never sell anyway. All they do is take ya a few dozen feet at most. It's in better hands with him, honestly." He mumbled.
"Well, I'll make sure he apologizes to you before we leave, how 'bout that?" She grinned at the Golem.
He hummed in thought. "I'll take that." He pocketed the money for the Fire Stone, the transaction complete. "Anyway, you really shouldn't go around not knowin' about the Shifter. It'd be dangerous to be mistaken fer someone like that."
Viridian's lips slanted in thought. "You keep saying that name. It sounds kinda familiar, but I just can't put my paw on it."
"It should sound familiar. Everyone knows who he is. Here," he bent down and opened a desk draw. After some messing around he pulled a newspaper out. He spread it out on the desk facing the Glaceon. "It's a week'r two old, but this'll tell ya everything."
The title immediately piqued Viridian's interest.
"Prism City in Chaos! Assassination Attempt on the Star of Arkant!"
And a few lines later, her heart stopped.
"...the other culprit is identified as the winner of the Autumn Festival Fighting Tournament, also known as Rainbow the Shifter."
Every new line she read in the article sank her gut more and more. A cold sweat ran down her brow. She bit her lip. Rainbow…
She bolted out the door as quickly as she could, leaving behind a very confused Golem. She needed to find Spectrum and leave the town as soon as possible. Who knew where Rainbow would be now if that article was weeks old? They needed to pick up the trail at Prism City, they didn't have time to stop and rest.
But she had other problems as soon as she found herself back in the snow-filled town.
"Looky here, boys. We got ourselves a rare catch."
Viridian would have grimaced at that comment, but she decided to not let it show on her face. She had to remain outwardly strong against the Pokémon that now surrounded her. She counted six, all looking at her with a leer in their eyes.
"May I help you, gentlemen?" She asked casually, staying composed. She had dealt with a multitude of bandits during the few months she and Spectrum were on the road, she knew the best chance she had to get out of this was to not let her emotions get the better of her.
Their apparent leader, a Raticate, sneered. "There's a mighty big reward to be had for an Eeveelution, even more so if they come with the Shifter. Just come with us quietly and we won't have to hurt you."
Viridian grit her teeth. "You aren't just ordinary bandits, are you?" She noticed some of the other Pokémon lean forward slightly, ready to go after her at a moment's notice.
"Heh. Maybe or maybe not. We'll let you decide that."
Viridian tensed as the six Pokémon readied to pounce on her. These guys were not willing to let her go, she could tell. She didn't doubt her own strength, but even she couldn't take on six at once. She wouldn't be able to talk her way out of this either. She had to run, she needed a distraction. Well, luck seemed to be on her side as she heard the door to the shop open slowly.
"Excuse me, but what is all this commotion about?" He was sweating, trying to keep his voice as level as possible. He locked eyes with Viridian and lightly nodded. Her eyes widened in understanding. Reluctantly, she let him take charge.
The Raticate growled, clearly annoyed that someone came between him and his prey. "Move it, round face, or you're gonna regret it." The other five now looked like they were about to strike the Golem.
The Golem held up a shaky hand, revealing he was holding an activated Fire Stone. The heat must have been painful for any other Pokémon to hold, but his Rock typing gave him a good level of resistance.
"Do ya gentlemen know what would happen if a high heat source is introduced to water?" He asked them, voice steadying as he gained confidence. They only answered by closing the distance towards him, clearly already fed up with his act. In a panic, he threw down the activated Fire Stone. "Ya make steam!"
As soon as the Stone touched the stone a wall of steam erupted from the ground cutting off the bandits' vision of the two. The Golem turned and hurriedly gave a thumbs up to Viridian. She smiled at him with glee.
"Thank you!" She shouted behind her as she took off down the street, using the improvised smokescreen as cover. The Golem went back inside before the bandits could recover. Good, she thought, he was safe for now.
"Damn bastard!" She heard the Raticate roughly shout out. "Where'd that damn Glaceon go?! Find her!"
Viridian turned a corner and kept running. She had lost them for now, but they would search the town from head to toe looking for her and most likely Spectrum. Just like the shopkeeper, they had mistaken him for Rainbow the Shifter. And from what she had read in the article, they would stop at nothing to claim the bounty on Rainbow's head. Even if that meant mistakenly turning the wrong Eeveelutions in instead.
In any case, she had to find Spectrum and ditch Copper Town before they were found out. She just hoped Spectrum hadn't gotten into any more trouble while they were separated. Scratch that, knowing him he's probably already fighting someone.
Her thoughts were confirmed when she heard a large crashing noise ahead. She swore in her head. Sometimes life was on her side and sometimes it was most definitely not.
~~Spectrum - Copper Town - Northern Province~~
"I don't suppose we can sort this out peacefully?"
"Forget it. You're coming with us one way or another, Shifter."
Spectrum scanned the room, trying to find a way out. While he was sleeping oh so peacefully, these idiots decided to blow up the wall to his room. "And I keep telling you, I don't know who that is."
One of his opponents, the Grumpig with the weird hat he had seen earlier, glared at him. "No amount of acting is gonna make us believe you."
The Grumpig's partner, a Geodude, flexed her rocky fingers. "Come on, boss. Let's get him already!"
The Grumpig reared his fist back, the purplish-pink energy of a Psybeam charging up. "Last chance to surrender peacefully, Shifter."
Spectrum winced as he backed into a corner. He had nowhere left to go. Right now, those guys were between him and his only exit. He had to think of something quickly or he was done for. The Geodude had other plans, however, running out of patience and charging Spectrum with a fist raised.
Now Spectrum was very much not a fighter. Between him and his sister he was definitely the weaker of the two, but don't tell her that. What he could do was dodge and run like his life depended on it.
Once the Geodude got close enough on her blind charge he leaped into the air and over her head. Then he placed his two hind legs on her head and used it like a springboard, catapulting himself up and over the Grumpig. He smirked at his genius acrobatics.
"You're gonna have to try better than that if- OH CRAP!" His gloating was strictly cut off as the Grumpig fired his Psybeam. He was tracking Spectrum the whole time and decided to shoot as soon as he had a clear shot, which Spectrum had just unknowingly given him.
The beam connected dead on. Luckily Spectrum was behind them at this point, so the Psybeam launched him out of the second-story room and onto the street below. He hit the ground on a messy heap.
"What the hell…" he winced as he touched the wound on his chest. The pain was searing, much more than he had initially anticipated it to be. "Just how strong are these guys? I thought they were just idiots."
"Do not mistake us for your run-of-the-mill bandits, Shifter." Spectrum glanced up to see the Grumpig charging another Psybeam from the room, overlooking him. "We are bounty hunters."
"And I'm not this 'Shifter' person!" His plea fell on deaf ears as the Psybeam was fired. Spectrum hastily erected a Light Screen, but it nary made a difference as the attack easily pierced through it.
Spectrum only had time to throw his paws up in defense before he was blown back once again by the powerful beam. He came to a rolling stop a dozen or so feet back, dizzy and disoriented.
He felt his singed forelegs and cringed. "Damn that hurts." This Grumpig was absolutely no joke. With as little battle experience Spectrum had, he had little hope of winning one on one. He needed to find Viridian. At least with her, they had a shot. He picked himself up and started to run.
"Where do ya think yer goin'!" He heard from his left. Without warning, he was punched in his shoulder, hard. He went tumbling to the side, losing his footing. "That's payback!"
Great, the Geodude had recovered. And she looked pretty pissed at Spectrum's little stunt on her. But that didn't matter. As long as he got to his feet he could outrun them both. He stood up from his spot on the ground but yipped in pain when a stinging sensation came from his left shoulder.
That one punch had damaged it pretty badly. He could barely move it without feeling pain, much less actually running with such an injury. Had these guys really hurt him this badly from just one punch?
The Geodude approached him slowly while the Grumpig stayed still with another Psybeam charged already, covering his teammate in case Spectrum tried anything else.
"Is it too late to surrender peacefully?" He said hopefully. The Geodude only grinned.
"We are long past that my friend." She replied. "The bounty just wanted ya alive. So as long as I don't kill ya, anythin's on the table."
"I thought as much." He plainly responded. Spectrum tried to move, to get out of the way of the Geodude, but his shoulder was just in too much pain right now. He braced himself as the Geodude swung her fist with a Smackdown.
An attack that didn't connect, much to his surprise. Instead, a blue blur was suddenly thrown into the attacking Pokémon. She gasped in pain as something bit down on her arm, spreading a cold sensation throughout her small body. It was a small chance, but an Ice Fang had the potential to freeze the target.
Spectrum didn't have time to thank his savior as he heard the telltale sound of a Psybeam being released. "V watch out!"
Viridian spotted the incoming attack and, with all the neck strength she could muster, tossed the frozen Geodude still in her jaw into the air. The makeshift projectile intercepted the Psybeam, causing a large explosion that spread the powder snow on the street into the air, blocking the Grumpig's vision of the two.
Viridian turned to her stunned brother. "You okay?"
The Jolteon was honestly floored by what he had just witnessed. "That was so badass."
She smiled sweetly. "Thanks. I do try." She jogged over to her injured brother and scanned him. "That shoulder looks really bad, and those injuries on your chest and forelegs are nothing to scoff at, either."
"I'm fine, sis." He forced himself to flex his left foreleg. "See? I can move alright. We need to take care of that Grumpig."
She frowned at his fake confidence. "With those wounds? Not a chance." She forcefully psyched him down into a seated position. "You are going to sit right here and watch me kick his ass, got it?"
Spectrum tried to resist her forcefulness but failed to measure up to her strength. "I'm not going to sit on the sidelines for this. I'm not that weak. I can handle this." His argument fell short as he struggled to even find the strength to stand.
Viridian clenched her jaw. The snow cover was starting to dissipate, she didn't have much time left. "Specs, I'm not calling you weak." He stopped struggling as she gained his attention. "I may be stronger and better at battling, that's just how I was trained. But you're the smart one, you're the resourceful one, and most importantly you're the fast one. Faster than anyone I know. And right now, I need that speed more than anything. You remember that Gem you picked up from that Golem earlier?"
Spectrum dug into his pouch and brought the oval-shaped Gem out, looking shocked. "How do you even know about that?"
She shook her head and pointed to the Teleportation Gem. "That doesn't matter right now. The point is that Gem will teleport you a small distance away from here. I want you to use it to get out of here."
Spectrum looked offended at the plan. "V, I'm not going to leave you behind like that! It's just one more guy! We can handle him and leave no problem!"
"Except it's not!" she snapped at him. "It's not only him!" She glared into his eyes. "I'm already being chased by six more, probably just as strong as that Grumpig!"
Spectrum's eyes sank. He didn't even think about that. If there were even more of these bounty hunters around, they didn't even have a chance to fight them all off.
"Do you get it now?" She asked him softly. " We can't win, and we can't escape. Not both of us. At least with the Gem, one of us might be able to."
Spectrum mulled over the Gem. "You're my sister, V. The only family I have. I'm not going to leave you behind while I run away like a coward." He steeled his eyes in resolution. "Either you use it, or we go down fighting together. Either way, I'm staying."
"Done with your little talk yet?" A crude voice asked.
The siblings froze, breaking out of their talks. They didn't even realize that the snow cover had long since faded. They were surrounded on all sides by the six Pokémon that had chased Viridian, the Raticate being the one that had spoken.
Six attacks were ready and waiting for the twins to make a move. The Grumpig still had a Psybeam aimed at them like a sniper from his overlook. They had even broken out the Geodude from her icy prison, and she looked no worse for wear.
"Don't mind 'em." the Geodude spoke up. "Let 'em get their last words out 'fore we tear 'em a new one."
Viridian placed herself in front of Spectrum, her teeth bared. "What cowards, needing eight Pokémon just to fight two." She discreetly flexed her paw out to Spectrum, asking for the Teleportation Gem. He grimly nodded, thankful that she was going to use it, and gave it to her.
The Raticate only shrugged. "You can never be too careful in this business. Now," he nodded to his teammates, who all tensed up and waited for his order. "I'm feeling a bit generous. One more chance to surrender peacefully, you hear? If not?" He cracked his neck. "Well, it won't be too pretty."
She smirked, putting on a brave face. "Yeah, maybe for you."
Spectrum spoke up, whispering to her. "Don't worry about me. As long as you can escape and finish the mission, then I'm satisfied." The Teleportation Gem glowed. It was ready to go.
"Do me a favor," she said in a low tone. She took off her adventurer's pouch and gave it to him. He looked at it, confused, before looking back at her. "Look through that when you get the chance."
"What are you-" He couldn't finish his question as Viridian shoved the charged Teleportation gem into his injured chest. On instinct he gripped it. He looked at her in horror as the glow of the Gem started to overtake him.
"There's a flaw in your logic, Specs. One thing you forgot." She charged with reckless abandon toward their enemies. "You're all I have too, dammit!" She screamed out to the world. "Now get the hell out of here!"
"What? No!" He tried to drop the Gem but it had already dissolved, preparing him to teleport. It was too late to stop it now. As Viridian engaged with the bounty hunters, a splitting headache swiftly entered his brain.
"Ahhhh!" he screamed out in pain. It felt like every fiber of his being was splitting in two. "What's happening to me?!"
"What the hell is happening to that kid!" he heard one of the bandits say. His voice was high-pitched and panicked. As Spectrum clutched his head in pain and screamed in agony, the other onlookers observed something weird.
His body was glowing with a vibrant pink outline, and it vibrated at an extremely fast pace. From the bounty hunter's experience, this was not how a Teleportation Gem was supposed to look. Something was very wrong.
Pink energy shot out from the struggling Jolteon in the form of small lasers. One of these lasers quickly approached the Raticate. In a panic, he tried to dodge out of the way. But he was too slow as it just barely nicked his toe.
And then he was gone.
Nobody or noise or anything. He just… disappeared.
"What the hell?!" One of the bounty hunters cried out. "What did that bastard do to Gris?!"
"Stay away from those lasers!" Another one shouted. "Look at what's happening!"
Throughout the town, whatever the lasers touched disappeared. Pokémon, benches, light posts, whole buildings. Empty lots of ground now stood where a house or shop once was.
The bounty hunters were in a frenzy. Momentarily forgetting about their bounty they ran away to cover, hoping to not get touched by the mysterious pink lasers.
Viridian just stood there. She was honestly scared of what she was seeing. She was struck from her stupor when she heard her brother scream in absolute agony. "Spectrum!"
At the center of it all, Spectrum was curled on the ground. The pain in his head was so great that he couldn't think. His hind legs scraped the ground and his mouth was frothing. His eyes were wild. He felt like his own soul was being ripped from his body.
Viridian cried out his name once again but to no avail. He couldn't hear her. She tried to reach out to him, but a force repelled her. No, it wasn't some force. It was her instincts telling her that she should not touch him no matter what.
The pink glow surrounding the Jolteon grew brighter and brighter, so much so that it could rival the sun. And his howls of pain only grew louder and louder as well.
"That's it!" She heard a voice over Spectrum's hoarse screaming. She looked behind her and saw the Grumpig bounty hunter. He stood resolutely with his Psybeam raring to fire. "I'm killing him and ending this madness!"
"No!" Viridian stood in between him and Spectrum. "If you think I'll let you kill him, you have another thing coming!"
The Grumpig snarled. "Look around you, girlie! I already lost one of my men to that thing, and I won't lose anymore! If I let that monster keep going, the whole town and everyone in it is going to disappear!"
She bared her fangs. "You take that shot and you're dead."
"Fine, if you want to be like that," he grunted. "Austa!"
Viridian was swiftly punched across the face by the same Geodude she had beaten. She flew to the side, no longer in the way of the Grumpig's shot. The Geodude gave a thumbs up. "Kill this thing, boss!"
The Grumpig nodded and without further hesitation fired his beam of Psychic energy, aiming right for the downed Jolteon's heart.
"Stop! No!" Viridian desperately held her paw up to Spectrum, as if she could reach him in time. But she couldn't, and the beam struck dead center.
"Spectrum!"
As soon as the beam landed, everything turned pink. The glow around Spectrum grew so bright that it took over everything else. Viridian, the Grumpig, and the Geodude all had to cover their eyes at the brilliance of it.
It seemed to last an eternity.
And then it was gone.
The light was gone. The screaming was gone. The beams were gone. Everything the beams had touched was still gone as well.
And Spectrum was gone, only a smoldering patch of ground where he once was.
VVVVVVVVV
Later, when everything settled down, this event came to be known to the public as the Incident at Copper Town. 12 reports of missing Pokémon, and 43 reports of missing property.
No deaths were reported, strangely enough, as within the coming weeks, the Pokémon who were reported missing came popping up all over Arkant with no idea how they got there. They described being touched by pink light and then they were suddenly somewhere else.
Houses, benches, streetlights, and whatever else you can imagine were found scattered throughout the country as well. One house was found at the bottom of a lake, one at the top of a mountain. The sign for a shop called 'Gorgo's Eats' was even found halfway through someone's kitchen window all the way in Glass City.
Only a select few eyewitness accounts were made. Each one said the same: that the Incident was caused by a singular Pokémon, a Jolteon in fact. These accounts, however, were quickly shrugged off, as absolutely no one could believe such a ludicrous story.
And as time went on, everyone forgot about the event. It was only one particle of sand in the deserts of time. As long as no one important was hurt or killed, it didn't really matter anyway.
But to those Pokémon who lived in Copper Town and actually witnessed the event, they would remember it for the rest of their lives.