Chapter 7
Designated Driver
January, 3029.
Driving along the highway towards Lumiose City, the second detachment of the First Regiment assessed the situation at hand. "Who would target a company like Triple C? I always saw them as any other construction company. They've even been doing charity contracts for the city ever since the flood. This job that we helped with on the mountain is supposed to shelter the poverty stricken pokemon in the city. To be against that seems comically evil to me." Tyrene said, sitting in the passenger seat.
"You have to see it from a competitor's point of view. After the flood, the Regional Construction Service fell apart along with many of the other government funded services that made our city function. A lot of these private construction businesses sprang from the Earth to help in rebuilding the region after the flood. All in good faith too, for a while. It's only been a few years since reconstruction has settled down, but Triple C has still been working as hard as they've been since day one. From the profit they made from all the work they've done in the past 15 years; they continue to outbid competing construction companies for more and more contracts to build for the city. They also are able to recruit more working pokemon as well. This leaves less work and less pokemon for other companies in the hypothetical pool of potential resources." Mavis explained as she drove the van, swimming through the spotty traffic.
Tyrene shook her head. "Surely there's a more legal way for the other companies to solve this besides killing Shauna." She said. "Yea. Yea. But what Clay also suspects is that whoever is after Triple C will try to destroy the mountain project too. Two years ago, Triple C had an apartment complex they were working on for the same cause that the mountain project serves as. To shelter homeless pokemon. But it mysteriously demolished in the middle of the night. Triple C faced a lot of legal trouble because it was believed that their building crumbled because their architects simply made horrible mistakes. If it wasn't for Shauna's persistence to prove that there was foul play involved, Triple C most likely would have dissolved." Mavis explained.
"Still, murdering the CEO? That's just cartoonishly evil." Tyrene huffed. "You're right. But as Rangers we need to be prepared for the worst. And it's not the Ranger Code that dictates that but our own experience." Mavis said.
Mavis looked in the rearview mirror, seeing Owen sitting upright. He was sound asleep. "So… You said Owen does something when he's sleeping?" Mavis asked. "It's Mismagius who put him to sleep. It's more like an intense hallucination. While he's under her spell, she can show him everything that she sees, and she can show him anything she wants him to see." Mavis eyed Owen again. It appeared more so that he was reading a book in his lap instead of sleeping. He sat completely still in his state of slumber. "Is that so?"
Soon they would enter the city limits. Streetlights and glowing apartment buildings flew by as they grew closer to their destination. The sparse traffic during these late hours allowed them to pass wiggle through the city blocks at record time. To see the Deoxys Borough so empty left an ominous feeling in Tyrene. She remembered Owen taking her out to a local bowling ally during her off days when she first began her training under the Pokemon Rangers. She would always try to outscore Blastoise, despite their massive strength disparity.
Suddenly, Owen woke up. "What was the address again?" he immediately asked. Mismagius corporealized beside him, bearing her same glowing smile. "909 Ferris Pass, Suite 3." Mavis said. "That's the penthouse at the top of the building right?" Owen asked again. "That's right."
"No one is there." Mavis stopped the van at a stop sign and turned around to face him. "What do you mean no one's there?" she asked. "It's empty. Mismagius showed me every inch of that place and it was empty."
Mavis tapped the screen on the van's dashboard. She opened up a voice messaging system and began recording. "Clay. Plan B." she said before ending the recording. "We'll go to the house anyway on the chance that she had a late night out." The van began moving once more. Mavis raised a phone to her ear. The soft tone of ringing could be heard as the van was silent.
No answer. She tried calling again. No answer. For the remainder of the drive, Mavis continued attempting to reach any phone number associated with Shauna Creetley. They finally arrived at the small, luxurious apartment building still with no response from Triple C's CEO.
Mavis parked outside the entrance, turning off the headlights. At this time of night the lot was motionless, where most of the tenants' cars were parked neatly in a row. "Now let's see what Mismagius saw." Mavis said as she began typing on the dash again. She then pressed a button and dispensed a small disc-shaped contraption. She faced Mismagius, holding the disc with two fingers. "Fly up to the highest floor of this building and stick this to any of the windows." She instructed.
With a soft cackle, Mismagius took the disc. Owen rolled down his window to let the small ghost-type pokemon escape into the air. Her appearance faded when she left, leaving only the disc fully visible. She reached the tenth floor, the highest floor of the building. She laughed to herself as she placed the sticky side of the disc against a window next to the penthouse balcony.
Back in the van, a notification appeared on the dashboard showing that the contraption had been set. "Watch, you two." She said. Tyrene and Owen leaned closer to the dash, watching her remotely initiate the disc's function. With a flash, a 3D render of the floor's interior appeared on the screen.
"Wow. Is that everything inside?" Owen asked. "Sure is. Obviously there's no color or texture to anything in the generated image, but we can see the shape of everything that was scanned." Mavis glided her finger around the image of the penthouse interior. They analyzed every shape present. "I don't see a person or pokemon anywhere." Tyrene said.
"What's the plan then?" Owen asked. "We sit here and wait. Clay and the others are busy with their half of the mission, once we hear back from them we will fill them in on what we found and determine the next step. Besides, I'm betting we may catch Shauna coming home before we hear from Clay anyways. That'll be the best case scenario." Mavis said.
Tyrene looked out the passenger side window. The fanciful, futuristic exterior of the apartment building glimmered in its neon colors. The giant sign over the entrance that read 'Deoxys Heights' pulsed with a gradient color change of greens and blues. She looked around at their blackened surroundings, taking in the stillness of the streets as if they were pieces of a puzzle freshly dumped onto a table. 'What are we not seeing?' She thought.
At the edge of the Deoxys Borough which bordered Lumiose City's Central District lay one of the many party avenues of the great city. Wellerton's was a hotel/casino that served as the special spot for the local upper class to get together and party away from other venues on this street that were crowded with tourists and world renown celebrities. Hidden away in the building's upper floors were the open bars, dance floors, and exclusive pokemon arena.
In the arena, A Kabutops and a Hitmonlee were piecing each other up on the floor. Spectators watched on from the upper ring of the arena at booths and tables. They cheered at the occasional blast of energy from one of the pokemon that would light up the arena with color. In one of these booths, Shauna Creetley gazed at the battle with a blank stare as decisions weighed on her mind.
"See? They've changed these conditions drastically!" Across the booth from Shauna sat a handsome young man in a finely fitted black suit. His slicked back hair and his cleaned up, angular face glistened from the arena lights flashing beside them. The businessman spun a thin tablet around on the table and slid it toward Shauna. "Here, read those last two sentences again and tell me what's on your mind. Because what's on my mind is that Golquin Construction is proposing a merger, NOT a buyout. After all, you're right, the legal business your company has gone through is all in the past. And I believe what Golquin has written in this proposal shows that they believe you've made a full recovery too! Trust me, I would not pass this onto you in person if I didn't believe this was nothing but beneficial for you."
Sitting beside Shauna was her husband, Falon. He held his hand up to ease the businessman's rambling. "No need to hurry, Bonmichael." He said in a calm, low voice. Shauna still watched the fight in deep thought. The businessman sat up and gathered himself. "Forgive me. This proposal has gotten me a bit excitable. Here, I'll leave my tablet with you while I use the bathroom. But of course, no rush." The businessman, Bonmichael said as he stood and walked away from the table, disappearing into the arena's crowd of spectators.
"Do you think he would trick us?" Falon set a mighty hand on Shauna's shoulder. Shauna kept watching, her eyes darting around the arena and the rest of the crowd gathered around the ring, all while sitting completely still. "Falon… Bonmichael isn't lying. Every time I refuse a new deal involving me handing authority over to some third party, he always relays the message and meets with the other companies just as he meets with us. Because he gets paid. But there's a third par- no, a fourth party." She said.
"How so?" Falon asked. "Look around." Shauna said. Falon leaned back in the booth and turned his head. Across all the arena, out of the many heads present at this late-night scene, a majority of them were glaring back at where Shauna and Falon sat. Falon was speechless. "What… Did something happen?" he gasped.
"What I've learned over the years since the flood is that the Regional Judiciary Board has no power. The real justice system has…" Just then, an Aromatisse holding a pan of drinks walked past their booth. The pokemon's scent wafted into their booth as Shauna and Falon were still stunned by the amount of eyes on them.
Suddenly Falon burst into a coughing fit. "Oh my gosh, Falon! What-." As Shauna inhaled, she felt the air stop short in her esophagus. With one gasp she determined that their lives were in danger. She reached into her jacket pocket and grabbed her phone while her face began to turn red. Seeing that her phone had no service, she pressed the app Gino had installed for her upon their first meeting. A verification popped up on her screen notifying her that an SOS had been sent. She then put her phone back in her jacket and turned to her husband, trying to get him to stand. By now, Falon began fading away from consciousness. Shauna looked around frantically looked around for help, but no one was moving towards them, and there were still many just staring at them from afar. She threw her arms around her husband and closed her eyes, praying that the SOS message got through.
Back in the van, a notification burst onto the screen demanding attention. "We're moving!" Mavis shifted gears and peeled out of the parking lot. "Where are we going?" Tyrene asked while she clutched the passenger door handle as Mavis sped around corners and through empty city blocks. "Wellerton's"
"What's Shauna doing in a hotel?" Owen clutched Mismagius as they drove. "Probably nothing good. Rich people, am I right?" Mavis smiled as they reached the edge of the Deoxys District. The scenery was different from before. Now the streets were packed with people and pokemon hopping from venue to venue, as the road was lined with bars and restaurants with a few extravagant hotels sprinkled in between.
They made it to the drop off lanes for Wellerton's. The music was still blasting from nearby clubs as people and pokemon were funneling in and out of the hotel entrance. Mavis parked the van. She glared out the window at the lively environment. "…"
"Stay in here one moment." She opened her door and stepped out, with her gaze still fixed on the hotel. She stood with scenarios swarming her head. Plans on plans tumbling over each other in her train of thought. But something was keeping that final piece in the mental puzzle from finding its place. As if the typical nightly activity outside the hotel served as a blockade.
Mavis stepped back into the van, shutting the door. "Here's the plan." She began. Tyrene, you will go directly to where Shauna's phone last gave us a ping. I will go below ground level towards the parking garage entrance and investigate the route between the hotel lobby and the parking garage actual. Owen, you take the van and park in the parking garage and watch over Tyrene as she and Blastoise investigate the upper floors of the hotel. From a distance. I'm putting a lot of faith in your communication between yourself and Mismagius."
"What do you think is going on in there, Mavis?" Tyrene asked. "…My guess is Shauna was lured here for some business reason. And now she's in danger from whoever called her out, but they won't outright harm her. My guess is she wants us to diffuse this situation she's gotten into, whatever it could possibly be."
"Would this be a possible conflict scenario?" Tyrene asked. Mavis turned and opened a compartment in the driver side door and pulled out a folded up, black turtleneck. "As Rangers, we never know. Wear this. It's as bullet proof as the combat vest you're wearing, and you won't stand out as a Pokemon Ranger inside."
Tyrene took the shirt. It was heavy in her hands. "The downside is that the shirt doesn't have pockets like the vest does, so you won't have all your cool gadgets ready to use inside. But that's what Owen is for. Act as though he is always watching over you." Mavis said. "Because I will be." Owen added.
Tyrene and Mavis entered the hotel, dressed in their seemingly casual clothes. Blastoise walked alongside them, watchful of all the people and pokemon around the two women. They approached check-in. "Hello! A room for two with XL pokemon accommodation please." Mavis greeted the front desk manager. "Of course."
Because of the off season for tourism, room availability was abundant for many of the otherwise full hotels in popular areas of the city. Mavis took two room keys from the desk and gave one to Tyrene. They walked to the set of elevators to the side of the lobby. "Remember Owen and I in your ear." Mavis winked at her before walking off towards the other side of the lobby.
Tyrene took a deep breath as she waited for the elevators with Blastoise. There were elevators of varying sizes to accommodate the size difference between pokemon species. Tyrene and Blastoise were the only ones waiting for the large size. "Remember, floor 6. Go to the very end of the hallway on the right and go into the stairwell." Owen reminded. Tyrene kept her focus on her surroundings, staying quiet and casual. She looked at Blastoise standing proudly next to her. "Are you nervous?" she asked. Blastoise shook his head and gave her a thumbs up. "Excellent." She huffed. "Can't think of a safer place on Earth."
Owen sat in the parked van on a lower level of the parking garage. Just over the tops of bare, coniferous trees growing outside, the broadside of the hotel was in clear view. Mismagius hovered in the passenger seat. "This is a good spot." Owen pressed a button in a series on the driver side door. The windshield of the van rolled up slightly. "That's cool." Owen said, admiring the 6 inch opening now at the base of the windshield. "Hand me my rifle, Missy."
Mismagius floated into the back of the van. A few seconds later, a long barrel hovered into view between the front seats. The MGV-10, a railgun developed during the ocean skirmishes 3010 by Professor Rutigen, this sniper rifle was made with the purpose of piercing structures with as little destructive force as possible. The MG series are famous for their incredible range and accuracy over open spaces, thanks to the aid of its radar system built into its bulky chassis. Along with its scope, the rifle used a computer to generated an image of the landscape as far away as the rifle's calculated maximum range of fire (5000-7000m). The screen to display this image extended out just above the rifle's bolt carrier.
Owen leaned to his right to grip the enormous rifle, mounting it on the center console. "Time to relax. Missy, you take over." Owen said. Mismagius let out a maniacal cackle before becoming incorporeal. Owen then nodded off to sleep, before waking up with an emotionless expression. Invisible, Mismagius tilted her head. Owen tilted his head in a similar fashion, positioning his eye right before the scope. Mismagius laughed to herself again, before phasing through the shell of the van and floating towards the hotel.
Tyrene and Blastoise stepped off their elevator. The nostalgic feeling the dim lamps hanging from the walls and carpet with colorful, diamond patterns that ran up and down the hotel hallways reminded Tyrene of all the trips her father, Dr. Williams took her and Owen on for his cross regional science conventions. There was the occasional sound of laughter and talking here and there as they passed by the many rooms, heading towards the hallway's very end.
Just as Mavis informed them, there was a pale door waiting against the wall just on the other side of the entrance to the stairwell. Tyrene looked at the screen of her GPS device once more to double check. Sure enough, the signal's location Shauna had sent out was just beyond the pale door. "Maybe this is a closet and she's hiding."
She opened the door. Behind, a thick black curtain hung against the frame. Tyrene pushed past the curtain. Blastoise tucked down and followed her into a dark, dank hallway even narrower than the hotel room corridor. In the darkness, Tyrene kept coming upon more curtains. She'd fold them out of the way, revealing more and more hallway. It was as if they were backtracking through the entire building.
However, the signal leading Tyrene to Shauna's previous location tells no lies. Seeing they were getting closer on her screen, Tyrene kept pressing forward. The curtains eventually cleared out, revealing the rest of the hallway. The black-painted brick walls were worn with scratches and stains. The narrow passage stunk of alcohol and Tyrene could feel the bottom of her boots start to stick to the floor with each step. At the end of the hallway was a steel door, illuminated by a dim red bulb.
Disregarding the negative emotions this cramped environment exuded, Tyrene made her way to the eerie door with her fists clenched. She has a mission to complete, there's nothing else to it. She pushed against the door with Blastoise right behind her, and they were hit with a wall of sound. Behind the door was a rave of lights and large crowds of people and pokemon dancing in this club. Tyrene turned to make sure Blastoise could slide through the door frame.
As she turned around, she was met with a glowing, smiling face. "Welcome, young lady! Do you have your ID handy?" A tall man in a glittery red suit tipped his comically tall top hat in greeting. He wore white luminescent make-up which allowed his face to glow bright as day in the dark room. Tyrene recoiled at this man's sudden appearance before taking on her interpretation as a party goer's persona.
"Sure thing! I got it right here." She said with an artificially cheery voice. She retrieved her civilian identification card and handed it to the doorman. He looked at it and raised an eyebrow. With a dramatic gesture he whipped out a black light from his coat pocket and waved it across the surface of Tyrene's ID.
"Well look who we have here! I recognize that name anywhere, you're the esteemed daughter of the glorious Dr. Williams!" The doorman bowed. "It is a pleasure that you selected our establishment as your restful venue this evening."
Tyrene looked around at the crowd yelling and singing along to the music together. Beyond their heads she could see the cage of the pokemon arena in the center of the venue. "I wouldn't call this place restful…" She mumbled under the deafening sound of music.
"So what brings you here tonight?" the doorman asked. "Oh I'm just visiting a friend. She said she needed to be picked up." Tyrene said. "I see! Well don't let me hold you up!" The doorman stepped aside. Tyrene nodded in thanks and stepped into the club confidently with Blastoise right behind her. She wasted no time in reaching her target. Despite the tight crowd of people, and the occasional drunkards trying to get Tyrene's attention, she pushed passed them as if they weren't there. She kept a demeanor of unbreakable focus, reinforced by both her training, and the fear of this unknown environment around her.
The tie keeping her wits about her was the primal feeling of her pokemon, her protector, sticking close to her back. Blastoise held his enormous arms out like a shield around Tyrene as they maneuvered through crowds. To keep her close and inside his protective reach was second nature.
Tyrene found the dot of Shauna's signal at last come upon her position. Seeing her own dot merge with Shauna's brought in a wave of uneasiness. She stood still and gauged her surroundings. To the right was the pokemon arena. The base of the protective glass dome dug into the floor right beside Tyrene's feet. In the arena's pit, she could see a Hitmonlee and Kabutops battle each other. Their duel appeared to be a long endeavor, as each blow was slow and heavy, and each swing of a limb sprayed a streak of red against the arena's inner walls.
She looked left. A row of booths filled with party goers drinking and smoking to their heart's content filled the seats, paying little attention to the pokemon battle going on nearby. She peered into one of the booths, seeing two people passed out completely. She investigated them for a moment, trying to pick out each detail as best she could in the dim parlor.
As she made out each feature, the loud ambience began to silence around her. Her eyes grew wide. She knelt down and touched the closest body to her laying in the booth. "Shauna!" Tyrene shook Shauna's limp body. Shauna gave no reaction as she lay motionless against her husband. Tyrene placed a hand on Shauna's neck and another on her wrist. The rhythm of the pulse she searched for was absent.
"Shit…" Tyrene felt her blood freeze realizing Shauna was long gone. For a moment she forgot the goal of this mission. "What do I do…" It had only been 12 minutes since they had received Shauna's signal. Throughout this duration, Tyrene and the team only moved with speed and efficiency. And yet she found that they still were not quick enough.
"Uh oh! Are these your friends? Never a good feeling to go past your limits!" The doorman appeared again, his bright face materializing beside Tyrene and Blastoise from the club's blackened space. Tyrene didn't say anything, keeping her eyes locked on Shauna.
The doorman slipped to the other side of Tyrene where Blastoise was standing. "It is rather late already! Taking them home would be the responsible move, if you need, we have our own taxi network which serves the most hardcore and exclusive party goers! I can call them a ride right now-! if need be." He leaned forward beside Tyrene, pushing his face into her line of sight.
What could they have done better? How could they have moved faster? Why did they go to Shauna's house? Why is Shauna at the club in the first place? Failure's torment occupied Tyrene's attention, as she paid no mind to the conversation the doorman tried creating. She didn't see the glint of the suppressed pistol that he pulled from his jacket, aiming it towards her neck.
February, 3025.
"NGAHH-!" Tyrene slammed into the ground beneath her. She panted with frustration as she rolled over and supported herself with exhausted arms. "Do you see what I'm trying to teach you?" A voice above her spoke. She looked up agitatedly, taking the hand of Commander Kayle who helped her to her feet.
"You tell me that Blastoise's purpose in a combat situation is to make up for your own lack of physical strength. But as you've just learned, things can turn south for you in the blink of an eye when he's not around. Never assume you will be a tight knit duo for every operation. A situation can and will arise that requires you two to separate in the future. Even for a split second." Kayle lectured her.
He slapped his wrinkly hand on her shoulder. "You'll get there. Because you do have an understanding of Blastoise's strengths down to a tee. What you need to figure out, is how you're going to copy them."
Just then, Blastoise darted into the training facility and ran to Tyrene's side with a big gust of wind following. "Hey there big guy! You just a little too late before I was able to murder Tyrene and steal every valuable on her person." Kayle smiled. Blastoise snorted and stomped his foot with annoyance, which would have cracked any normal flooring into rubble, had this not been a top quality pokemon training facility.
'Damn!' Kayle thought to himself. 'The building I told Blastoise to run to was a mile away and he got here only a few seconds after my fight with Tyrene ended. He may be big but his speed is out of this world.' Kayle turned and walked away to their battle position. "This training is paying off way better than I'd anticipated." He said under his breath. "What?" Tyrene asked. "I said come on! We're going again!"
January, 3029
While Tyrene was disconnected by the gravity of the situation she believed to be lost, Blastoise kept his steadfast focus centered completely on his trainer. The instant the overly friendly doorman revealed his weapon from concealment, Blastoise grabbed Tyrene by the collar of her heavy shirt and flung her into the air. The doorman shot Blastoise in the chest. The bullet shattered against the pokemon's hard shell. "Woah there, big g-!" Blastoise pummeled the doorman with a single, mighty punch, launching his lanky body into a group of partiers next to them, knocking them over like bowling pins.
Tyrene's sudden increase in momentum snapped her out of her trance. With quick assessment, she formed a new plan as she twisted through the air. 'Blastoise saved me from something.' She thought, landing on her feet. 'This place is hostile.'
"Grab Shauna! Defensive Evacuation!" Tyrene instructed, drawing her holstered weapon. Blastoise plucked Shauna's limp body from the booth and dashed to Tyrene's position, carrying the dead CEO in one arm.
Defensive Evacuation was a protocol used by Tyrene and Blastoise to form up as a single unit and vacate the area. With his free arm, Blastoise grabbed Tyrene and tossed her up onto his shoulder. Tyrene hunkered down over his shell, facing everything behind Blastoise.
Suddenly the lights flashed on. Everything in the club became bright with light. Tyrene figured it was due to the Doorman's gunshot that they lights were flipped as an emergency. As they rushed for the exit, she could see the club's attendance in its entirety. Half-naked drunkards were stumbling about. Pokemon so high beyond reality tipped over in awe at the blinding lights. Chaos shortly ensued as Tyrene carefully scanned the crowd as Blastoise closed in on the exit door.
Within the crowd, Tyrene noticed a few scattered individuals beginning to stand out. They were fully clothed, completely composed, and all glaring towards Tyrene and Blastoise's direction. They pulled out concealed firearms and began shooting at the two. Tyrene flipped over to Blastoise's frontside as Blastoise turned away from the gunfire. The suppressing fire ricocheted from Blastoise's shell, putting dents in the walls and ceiling around them.
A bullet met the back of Tyrene's shirt as she swung behind Blastoise. It felt like a baseball pitched against her back, knocking the wind out of her. Thankfully the heavy shirt did the job Mavis promised it would, allowing no bullet to pierce through its hide.
Suddenly, at the exit door, two more armed assailants burst into the club, aiming their guns towards Tyrene and Blastoise. Then, a hole burst open in the wall adjacent to them. An unknown projectile obliterated the two blocking the door, blasting their bodies to bits with a single shot. "Yes! Owen still sees us!" Tyrene shouted.
Back in the parking garage, Owen sat in the van with his rifle. His unconscious focus was unwavering as he gazed at the visions of Mismagius through his scope. Where anybody else would see the outside wall of the hotel, all Owen could see was Mismagius dancing at the center of his crosshair. She waved towards Owen in a beckoning manner. She spoke no words, but throughout all of Owen's being he knew she was asking for one thing and one thing only.
"Shoot me."
Like acting in a dream not yet lucid, Owen fulfilled Mismagius' wish. In his trance he let out a calm breath and pulled the trigger. The tungsten pellet traveled out the barrel at the sound of a low thud. Besides the distortion of air caused by the speed of the bullet, no light projected from the barrel's tip. The bullet's trajectory was straight as line and hindered by no matter standing in the bullet's way. It pierced through the hotel's granite shell, through the wood beams and drywall of a random guest room, through the concrete walls of the secret passage to the club at the heart of the building, and finally through Mismagius' incorporeal being.
The bullet decimated the gunman Mismagius hovered in front of, out of sight. The other shooters began to seek cover after the two massive bullet holes punched through the entire building. The suppressive fire began to taper.
Underneath the hotel, standing by the revolving doors to the parking garage, Mavis leaned against the concrete wall watching her phone. "We're in motion…" she said to herself. On her screen she scrolled through security feed on her phone. Through a few cameras she could see the commotion Tyrene and Blastoise were caught in. Not a moment later the first shot Owen fired into the building blew debris across the camera lens before its picture refocused. "I believe that warrants this." Mavis said as she pulled a nearby fire alarm. A siren began to blare throughout both the building and the parking garage.
She then held her phone up to her ear, listening to her ring tone sound. "…Talk to me." Clay's voice echoed from the other end. "Come to Wellerton's in Deoxys. 6th floor is where the action is. Building is evacuating as we speak." Mavis said just as a few hotel guests hurried through the doors into the parking garage, complaining to each other about the fire alarm siren. "On my way." Clay said before hanging up.
Mavis then called Gino. "Speak." Gino greeted. Mavis clicked her tongue to his bluntness. "We're engaged at Wellerton's in Deoxys. Update me on any company that might appear from outside the perimeter." She informed him. "We're 4 minutes from the house. Be cautious in the meantime." Gino then hung up. "I'm doing great Gino thanks for asking!" Mavis sighed.
She then noticed a figure walking through the parking garage doors. This tall individual walked with purpose, unlike the other guests hurrying about the garage. They were covered completely, wearing a grey trench coat and brimmed hat. Their face was concealed by a black face mask and round, chromatic goggles. Mavis watched the tall person's gloved hands fidget. As their arms swayed with each step, Mavis could see in their opposite arm from her that they held a handgun firmly. The tall stranger continued in a straight line towards the elevator.
"They should be more discreet than that." Mavis criticized before buzzing in Owen on her earpiece. "Heads up, Owen. You may have a visitor heading your way." She said. "Awesome. I'll head to you." He said. Mavis through her head back and slumped against the wall. "I like it when Clay lets me be gamemaster. That means I don't have to play."
Back at the van, Owen paged Tyrene. "I'm leaving my position so I can't back you up anymore for right now." Owen said as he slid the large rifle towards the back of the van. He wiped his eyes in exhaustion. "Mismagius should know I'm awake now since the connection is broken. She should come back."
Owen started the van and pulled out from his space. He drove slowly down the ramps as he made his way towards the bottom floor of the garage. About halfway down, the back left tire of the van suddenly popped. "What the…" he parked the van.
He reached for the door handle to get out and investigate but he froze. 'Wait a minute.' He thought, turning to look out the window. 'This van doesn't have normal tires. This is a Pokemon Ranger combat vehicle. These tires don't just pop.' Owen looked around the van, seeing a few cars parked here and there besides the mostly empty spaces. Nobody normally leaves their cars this high in the garage.
He scanned and scanned his concrete surroundings. "Maybe this van has radar or something" he looked at the dashboard. A tap on the windshield made him jump suddenly. He looked up and saw a live round spinning against the outside surface of the windshield. "Shit!" he hissed as he grabbed his pistol, holding it at the ready as he carefully observed his surroundings once more.
Again, he saw no one. He noticed the bullet still spinning against the windshield slowly chipping into the bulletproof glass. "What the-?" It formed a small crack, which grew larger and larger. Owen scrambled out of the driver seat and into the back seats of the van. He scavenged in the back storage for a bullet proof helmet.
To his horror, he saw several more bullets spinning against each window of the van, drilling their way through the thick glass. As quickly as he could, Owen threw on a helmet and vest, leaving the straps unfastened. All the windows shattered from the bullets entering the vehicle. The bullets flew like they had just been fired, piercing through the seats and floor of the van.
Owen felt several bullets enter his left leg and arm, as others pummeled his armored body. He gasped from the pain, but he kept his voice quiet. After the short burst of fire and glass shattering, the parking garage fell still again. In his agonizing silence, Owen listened to his surroundings.
He heard heavy bootsteps echo throughout the garage. He shakily lifted his head just high enough to see through the windshield. Coming up the ramp of the garage floor, Owen saw a brimmed hat rise into view, followed by the wearer's face and body. The surface of their chromatic goggles reflected the concrete floor.
Owen clutched his wounds. Shards of glass clattered as he shifted on the van's floor. Fear began to set in as the pain grew. But he was determined to not let a single sound give him away. The bootsteps came beside the van, first stopping by the driver-side window. Owen held his breath.
Glass crunched under the boots of the stranger. Owen lay completely still, having faith that the combination of his armor and the glass covering him would obscure his human shape. He heard more glass shatter as the back windshield blew out, showering him in even more shards. But he didn't react.
He heard the back doors of the van open. He heard some stuff shift around. Then he heard the most horrifying tone of voice call into the vehicle. "Come out." it sounded like the voice of an undead beast whose throat had been baked in the sun.
Owen was now petrified. He lay in wait as there was more shifting in the back. Suddenly, he caught a glint of red light out the corner of his eye. Behind the front passenger seat, in the space between the seat's bottom and the van's floor was a red button against the base of the center console. On the button were letters in print which spelt out 'Evacuate'.
Like a brain surgeon maneuvering tweezers through a cerebellum, Owen moved his free hand through the loose debris covering him and pressed the button. With a sudden burst of momentum, the van rocketed forward. Owen was pressed tight on the floor from the van's sudden speed and the loose glass against his skin sliced into him with the momentum.
Owen felt the van fly down the ramp, and then slam into the ledge of the short concrete wall of the parking garage. The wall was destroyed and the van kept flying forward as it began to free fall through the air. From the fall, Owen rose up to the van's ceiling and then flew out the back where the doors were swung open. For just a split second, Owen was free falling with nothing around him but the lights of the city and the shower of glass.
He then stopped in midair as the van below him smashed into an empty employee lot against a dumpster. He lay in a pair of arms. Tiny, soft, supporting arms. He opened his eyes and craned his neck to see Mismagius' face smiling back towards him. "Missy-!" he gasped in overwhelming relief. "Holy… We need to leave!" he said as Mismagius lowered him to ground. She wailed at the sight of the wounds on his limbs and the cuts on his face. "I will take care of those, but for right now…" Owen grabbed Mismagius' sad face to get her to focus. "Like shadows of the darkest night, let's hide ourselves away from sight."
The inside of the club fell silent again after Owen's rifle shots pierced through the room. Blastoise looked up from his protective stance around Tyrene and Shauna to see that the rest of the gunmen had fled the venue. Tyrene cautiously poked her head around Blastoise's arm. The lights were still on. The music in the club hadn't been cut, but rather turned down and could be heard between the siren intervals of the fire alarm. Many of the party goers sober enough to move had evacuated the club, but some still remained, cowering beneath tables and booths.
Blastoise looked down at Tyrene kneeling against his chest, waiting for an order. "This is our chance." Tyrene whispered, beginning to collect Shauna into her arms. She suddenly heard a strong gust of wind blast throughout the club. Behind Blastoise, she saw red eyes glaring down at them. "Behind you, Blastoise!"
Blastoise felt strong claws grip the top of his shell. He tried to jump away, but the outrageous strength of his attacker had caught him by surprise. Blastoise was thrown from his spot, towards the pokemon arena dome at the center of the room. He slammed against it hard, causing a crack against its surface. "Piece of shit! HAXORUS!"
Haxorus, the dragon-type pokemon known for its axe-like jaw, audaciously glared at Tyrene before engaging Blastoise once more, slamming him into the dome and shattering it from Haxorus' incredible force. Tyrene watched the two pokemon disappear into the arena.
"What… What…" Tyrene looked down at Shauna in her arms, and then back towards the arena. "I'll come back!" she declared to herself, throwing Shauna over her shoulder, and slamming through the exit door.
Tyrene ran through the dark hallway that they had come through earlier. She ran through her improvised plan in her mind. Get outside. Drop off Shauna by someone, anyone, and tell them to call an ambulance. Go back inside. Help Blastoise fight Haxorus. 'I have to move faster!' she told herself as she bolted through the dark hallway.
Behind one of the curtains Tyrene felt like she collided with a wall. She tumbled backward to the ground, still holding Shauna's body. As she tried to sit herself up, a foot pressed against Shauna's body and pushed Tyrene back down to the ground. From behind the black curtain, a hauntingly familiar face glowed in the hallway's darkness.
The doorman smiled as he stomped on Shauna's body, pinning Tyrene under the corpse. 'Finish the mission'. Tyrene grabbed her pistol by her side. As she pointed it at the doorman he kicked it out of her hand, taking his other foot and stomping on her face. 'Finish the mission'. With her other hand Tyrene grabbed her combat knife concealed in her pants and jabbed it into the doorman's calf.
He groaned in frustration, stumbling back from the pain. Tyrene pushed Shauna off her and leapt to her feet. She couldn't immediately see where her gun had gone in the dark. Not before the doorman lunged in for another attack. She jumped back away from him, clutching her knife at the ready. The doorman swung with his right arm. Tyrene jabbed her knife into it.
It felt like the knife stopped against metal. Tyrene took the full force of the doorman's punch, throwing her back through one of the black curtains. She dropped her knife from the shock. This was the second heavy blow Tyrene suffered. Blood poured from her face. She felt the crack in her nose pierce against her flesh. Her vision was blurry from her head rattling and blood dripping into her eyes.
The doorman's face floated through the curtain. He smiled at the sight of Tyrene sprawled on the floor. 'He has a fake arm' Tyrene thought. She wallowed at how her preparedness and training amounted to nothing right now. She analyzed her opponent and acted accordingly, utilizing the skills she had learned from her training. 'I can't win like this'.
"Don't turn in just yet. The night is still young." The doorman said, kneeling down beside the dazed Tyrene. She felt a faint prick in her shoulder, like a needle's injection. "Shit." She mumbled as her consciousness rapidly faded. "Shiii…."
Inside the venue, the arena seemed wider within now that Blastoise was inside it himself. He stood defensively, facing his opponent. He understood that in order to reunite with Tyrene in this scenario, he had to beat Haxorus. The dragon-type pokemon faced Blastoise alone in the arena.
"Wrap it up. I don't want to be here all night." A voice echoed down into the arena. Blastoise looked up to see a finely dressed man standing at the edge of the dome covering that had been broken by Haxorus slamming Blastoise through it. It was darker up above the arena. Blastoise couldn't make any more distinctions about the man beyond his suit, with the exception of a glowing stone he held in his right hand. The stone shimmered in a variety of colors. The man knelt down beside the cracked opening of the dome and spoke. "Mega evolve."
A primal feeling of despair washed over Blastoise. He watched Haxorus quickly transform in response to the stranger's words. The dragon-type pokemon grew larger, his claws sharper, his jaw wider. It was like he had been reassembled into a more efficient version of himself.
Blastoise was aware of mega evolution. He himself had experienced it once before during his training with Tyrene with the Pokemon Rangers. He remembers how the energy felt flowing through his veins. He remembers the lightness of his body, the strength his limbs were capable of. Strength so far beyond what he was used to. He remembered his own transformation and how much more deadly he felt through it all… And the agonizing pain that came with it. It was a brief but pivotal memory leading Blastoise to become more aware of his seemingly limitless potential as a pokemon.
And now he stared at that potential realized, baring its fangs right back at him. "Dragon Pulse." The man spoke again. Haxorus opened his gruesome mouth. Purple flames gathered from his throat. He blew an enormous blast of fire breath towards Blastoise. Blastoise gathered his energy to shield himself, strengthening the durability of his shell.
The blast knocked Blastoise from his feet. The ray of purple flame threw Blastoise against the arena wall, busting open its edge of reinforced concrete. Blastoise felt immense pain from the bludgeoning of the wall behind him and the unusual burning sensation from his front.
Blastoise tried to collect himself from the blast, but he noticed Haxorus rush towards him with incredible speed. For the time it took Blastoise to look up, Haxorus was right before him. Haxorus whipped Blastoise with his tail. Blastoise planted his feet and went to grapple the tail attack. Haxorus' tail followed through like a sledgehammer through glass. Blastoise was stunned as he flew through the air. Never had he been knocked away so effortlessly.
Blastoise tumbled and slammed into the wall on the opposite side of the arena. He rose on one knee, only to get pummeled by Haxorus' axe-like jaw. He threw Blastoise into the air, a gash appearing on Blastoise's chest. Haxorus then blasted him with a beam of purple energy propelled from his throat. Blastoise could barely react before the fierce energy collided with his hide.
Blastoise fell to the ground like a meteor. He lay still for a moment. In no way in his mind could a picture a victory for himself. Not against this opponent. Haxorus paced back and forth at the other side of the arena, silently beckoning blastoise to get up so he could exert himself even more. To paint his strength upon the canvas of Blastoise's body.
Then, in his elevated state of strength and awareness, Haxorus felt it within his very being to look up, as if it were his essential, primal instincts speaking to him. He saw his trainer in the suit still standing at the opening of the broken dome. Behind his trainer, he saw the silhouette of a pokemon looming in the darkness. The light of the arena barely reflected from his face, beside the smoothness of its trident-like horns glimmering. The piercing gaze of Empoleon stared back at the battle hungry Haxorus.
Empoleon passed right beside the trainer and dropped through the hole in the dome towards the arena floor. The trainer jolted to the side in surprise, only now noticing the appearance of this new pokemon. Empoleon rose and faced Haxorus. The trainer clicked his tongue in frustration. "Haxorus, we're leaving." He said, turning away from the hole in the dome.
The arena doors behind Haxorus opened automatically. Haxorus huffed and slammed his tail into the floor, causing the entire building to rumble. The shaking caused the injured Blastoise to fall to the floor again, after barely picking himself up. Empoleon didn't move. Not once did he look away from Haxorus as the large dragon-type pokemon exited through the reinforced doors on the arena floor. Blastoise lifted his head to look at Empoleon standing between him and Haxorus, before succumbing to his injuries and losing consciousness.
"Is that all…?"
Tyrene gasped awake. She looked around, her cheek pressed against the cold, concrete floor of the dark hallway. It felt like an eternity had passed in an instant. Memories of her mission came flooding back. Quickly she remembered where she was and why she was there. Looking up she could see the shadow of Shauna's limp foot a few feet away.
"Miss Williams! Please! Be still." The doorman whispered into her ear as he fastened the bindings on her hands. "You shouldn't have woken up so fast." Tyrene recoiled in horror at the sound of the doorman's voice. She couldn't move has he held her against the ground as she tried to squirm free from her capture. Suddenly, a heavy force came down upon her left arm. She felt her humerus split in two from the doorman's blow.
She cried out in pain. Her splintered bone dug into her tissue while it was compressed under the doorman's boot. "My friends prefer to see you sooner rather than later. They won't tolerate any additional detours" The doorman informed calmly.
Tyrene's tears wet her cheeks and the floor beneath her as the doorman began dragging her by the ankle towards the steel door leading back into the hidden club. As she was dragged closer, the walls glowed brighter from the dim red bulb hanging by the venue's entry way.
'I… can't do anything…' Tyrene thought as she wept. The growing of the red light's illuminance stoked the cinders of fear deep within her. An unfamiliar terror set in. She craned her neck to see Shauna's body slowly get further and further away. "No!..." Tyrene groaned. "… I won't… let my team down…" she spat through bloody teeth and flowing tears.
Just then, the curtain beyond Shauna's corpse fluttered open. From a figure clad in darkness, two rifle shots blasted through the hallway. The Doorman launched backward, letting go of Tyrene's ankle. Feeling she was free, Tyrene rolled over in shock. Through ringing ears she could hear the Doorman's laugh. "HA HAHAHAAAA! ALMOST!" The Doorman's face looked like it was cracked like glass. His glowing face flickered, revealing the mute spots of the two bullets that met their mark. Beneath the cracks was a most crazed smile Tyrene had ever seen.
More shots were fired. The Doorman hastily slumped backward into the steel door and slipped into the venue. The soldier from darkness hurried over, assuming a defensive stance over Tyrene while he watched the door. "We're out of here, Tyrene." Clay's voice emanated from behind the black mask and night vision goggles.
Tyrene began sobbing uncontrollably. "…I can't move!..." She cried, trying to lift herself with her good arm. Clay looked down at Tyrene beneath him, keeping his weapon trained on the door. "I will carry-." "Shauna's dead! We… didn't make it in time!" Tyrene gasped for air, tormented by the pain in her arm and her face.
A hand slipped below her stomach. "1.. 2.." With a swift, strong motion, Clay slung Tyrene over his shoulder, causing her little pain. Clay kept his focus on the door as he backed up. He then dragged Shauna's body behind the hallway's first curtain away from the steel door. The very moment they passed through it, Clay holstered his weapon and with his other arm he lifted Shauna onto his free shoulder and began running toward the hallway's other end.
Clay carried them out through the now empty hotel. Tyrene's ears were ringing as she watched the passing of the floor beneath her. The dark concrete soon lit up from the lights of the stairwell, only to get dark again from the exterior fire escape on the side of the building. Tyrene could see the fluids dripping from her face and splattering on the floor behind Clay's quick feet.
She only felt shame while being carried. The course of tonight's events was something she had trained for her whole career. Tyrene knew how dangerous this job could be. No Pokemon Ranger beginning their service in the present day was more prepared for the role than she. Yet she could not fathom a more insurmountable defeat than the one she'd just suffered. How incapable she felt. How outclassed she felt. What a wretched concept she thought that no matter how much preparation she could stockpile to fortify her mind with battle readiness, it could never fortify her body.
Clay ran towards one of the many Pokemon Ranger emergency response vehicles parked outside of the hotel. Mavis was already standing beside one of them, talking with one of the first responders. The back doors were swung open, and the battered Owen was sitting there with Mismagius on the vehicle's ledge, while another first responder tended to his wounds.
"Make way!" Clay announced, hurrying towards the group. "You found her!" Owen leapt from where he sat, getting out of Clay's way. Clay jumped into the back of the ambulance and laid Tyrene onto the open bed. A first responding Clefable began working immediately, identifying every wound on Tyrene's body. Tyrene stared solemnly at Clay as he turned, carrying Shauna's lifeless body. "She didn't make it." Tyrene could hear him say as he handed Shauna off to another first responder. Her vision was hazed. The image of Clay was vague, seeing him move around against the night sky beyond the ambulance doors.
Owen snuck into the van and knelt beside Tyrene while the Clefable reoriented Tyrene's broken arm. "I'm here." Owen said, followed by some clouded words Tyrene was too dizzy to make out. Clay's face suddenly appeared back inside the ambulance. "Let me see my soldier." The way his voice seemed to always seize command let Tyrene know it was him. "Tyrene." Clay's face became clear in front of hers. "You found her. Good work."