CHAPTER 2 - PART 1 - The Grand Pyrite Hotel
CURRENT DATA:
SNAGGED POKEMON:
Makuhita - Known moves: Cross Chop and Shadow Rush - Ability: Guts
Makuhita was absorbed completely by Yuma's Poké Ball. The ball hit the carpet and began to rock back and forth, sending out a loud hissing noise every time that it moved. Trudly looked down to his Poké Ball, the one that had housed Makuhita. And each time that the new Poké Ball rocked, Trudly's Poké Ball cracked.
And then, with a soft ding from the middle of the carpet, Trudly's Poké Ball snapped in half, smoke coming from the inside.
"No!" Trudly yelled. "No! No! No! What did you just do?!"
"What did you just do?" Saharah asked.
Yuma held out his hand, allowing for the magnet of his snag machine to pull the Poké Ball in. He caught it and pointed the glowing blue button at Trudly.
"I just snagged your Pokémon."
"You s-snagged my Pokémon?! How dare you!" Trudly shouted. "Folly, what do we do?!"
Folly was frozen with fear. He took in a deep breath before he dashed out the door, leaving his companion behind.
"Not without me!" Trudly screeched. He took one look down at his broken Poké Ball before quickly following Folly.
Yuma took in a deep breath and then tucked away the new Poké Ball. He looked over at Saharah, who was now clearly suspicious of him. He wasn't sure what to say, but if it meant that they could break away from each other, then he was all for looking suspicious.
"You can save those Pokémon," Saharah said. "What you just did, it was amazing."
You can't be serious, Yuma thought. "It's stealing. I'm a thief. I need to get out of here. I brought you to the mayor's house. Now, I'd like to be on my way."
Without another word, Yuma withdrew Espeon and then left the mayor's house. Saharah didn't protest. She instead stood still. Yuma expected for her to follow, but was relieved when she didn't. Now, all that he needed to do was get on his bike and ride off into the sunset. Unova was waiting for him.
"You," a voice said from behind. Yuma quickly turned, finding a teenager dressed in a suit of green. He wore a helmet with a visor that hid his eyes.
"I don't know where the superhero convention is. Ask someone else, buddy," Yuma said with a grin.
The teenager pulled out two Poké Balls and held them at his chest. "I was told to take care of you."
"I'm fine by myself. Thank you," Yuma said before turning around, and bumping into Saharah.
"Hey, can we talk?"
"This chick just doesn't give up!"
"Grimer, Bayleef, let's go!" the boy in green yelled while throwing his two Poké Balls into the air. They both materialized and then growled at Yuma.
"And then there's this doofus!"
"Ace, that Bayleef! It's another Pokémon with the freaky aura! Do the thing!" Saharah said while she pointed at the Grass-type Pokémon.
Yuma put his hand against his forehead and then looked at the train that floated on the water. He wanted to just ignore Saharah and the boy in green, run to the train, and never look back. But he knew that they'd follow him.
He turned and looked at the two Pokémon. Saharah said that Bayleef was a Pokémon with the freaky aura which meant that she expected him to catch it. Bayleef was an extremely rare Pokémon to find in Orre while the Grimer was common in some of the dirtier areas, ie, anywhere but Phenac City.
He held out both of his Luxury Balls and then threw them into the air. Umbreon and Espeon both emerged and immediately took their battle stances. They were used to battling in succession. Ace just knew that he couldn't let them faint.
"Grimer, use Screech! Bayleef, Razor Leaf!" the boy in green instructed.
"Intina," Yuma muttered.
As Grimer started to let out a terrible noise from his mouth, Espeon stepped forward. The soundwaves that Grimer unleashed onto the field connected with her, but were promptly bounced off. They returned to where they came from, leaving Grimer looking weakened by his own attack.
"And Nokomis," Yuma said.
Next, it was Umbreon's turn. Bayleef stepped forward and swung the giant leaf on her head, sending dozens of razor-sharp leaves down the pavement. Umbreon dashed in front of Espeon, taking the attack for his partner. He then glared at Bayleef, and waited for further instructions.
"Psybeam and Dark Pulse!" Yuma commanded.
The two Pokémon faced their opponents. Espeon howled and unleashed a straight beam of kinetic power from the marble on her forehead. The beam blasted into Grimer, dragging his body across the ground. Umbreon leaped into the air and formed a ball of black energy in his mouth. He launched it downward. Once it reached the ground, it exploded, releasing a wave of dark energy. Bayleef was hit first, and as soon as Grimer managed to recover, he was knocked down once again.
The boy in green saw that his Poison-type could no longer continue. He withdrew the Pokémon, but he knew that he couldn't run away from the battle.
"Shadow Rush!" he ordered.
"Toxic!" Yuma shouted.
Bayleef stood up on her hind legs and did a battle cry. When she came back down, she started to dash with no regard for her own safety. Umbreon met her halfway. The two Pokémon collided, and Umbreon was knocked back. However, it was not for nothing. Bayleef suddenly came to a stop as a purple aura surrounded her body.
"Wait, what happened?" the boy in green wondered.
"Intina, use Shadow Ball!" Yuma commanded.
Espeon ran in front of Umbreon and then lowered her head. She formed a ball of ghostly energy in her mouth before she launched it forward. As it shot toward Bayleef, it picked up speed and expanded. Upon impact, it exploded, and Bayleef was brought to her knees.
Yuma took that as a sign that he needed to wrap things up. He grabbed an empty Pokémon from his belt and then held out his right arm. The machine's cogs whirred as they generated the blue energy. Yuma looked at Bayleef one more time and then threw the Poké Ball. It connected with Bayleef, and to the boy in green's surprise, absorbed his Pokémon. The ball hit the pavement and then started to rock back in forth. The Pokémon struggled, but it was no use. In a matter of seconds, the ball let out its signature ding, a sound that Yuma was all too used to by now. The ball on the boy in green's belt cracked and fell to the ground.
"What did you do?" the boy asked.
Yuma shrugged and then walked to retrieve the Poké Ball. "There's no honor amongst thieves. Bother me again, and it's not just your shadow Pokémon that I'll be snagging."
The boy in green stamped his feet. "My friends are also in town! They'll find you, beat you, and take that girl! You best be careful!"
"Your threats mean nothing to me," Yuma said.
"Ace!" Saharah called from behind. "C'mon! We have to go!"
Yuma looked back at her. She was running toward one of the water train stations. He would have opted to ignore her, but to his surprise, his two Pokémon were following right behind her. He had to go on the train anyway, as it was the fastest way to get to his bike. But, why did he have to get on the same train as her?
He did anyway, no matter how angry it made him. For some reason, his Pokémon took a liking to her.
The ride back to the main square of Phenac City was quiet. Yuma could tell that Saharah had many questions, but there were too many people around. If anyone overheard them talking, they might tell someone.
As soon as they were at their stop, Yuma was the first off the train. He dashed for the area where he parked his bike. He didn't have to take her with him. He just needed to get to his bike and go. Even if Umbreon and Espeon didn't want to join him, they at least had Saharah to stay with. Yuma was still unsure how much he wanted to drag them along to Unova. Orre was their home.
But before he could reach his bike, two Pokémon materialized in front of him. One was a creature that bounced up and down on its tail as though its life depended on it. The other was a chubby crocodilian Pokémon that stood up on its hind legs.
"I was told that you might be running away," a voice said calmly from behind.
Yuma looked back to find a boy dressed in a similar leather suit to the boy that he fought before, only this one was blue. Saharah and the Pokémon caught up with Yuma. Saharah hid behind him while Umbreon and Espeon were quick to take their positions up front.
Behind them, there was a sudden flash of light, and a third Pokémon appeared. This one had a lanky body with fire coming out from its head and bottom.
"Three on two isn't fair!" Saharah exclaimed.
"Give us the girl," a boy dressed in a red leather suit said.
"Take her," Yuma muttered. Umbreon glared back at him.
"Quilava, Dig!" the boy in red shouted.
Yuma looked back at the Fire-type Pokémon as he leaped into the air and then came back down. He quickly burrowed into the ground and disappeared.
"Spoink, use Psywave, and Croconaw, use Bite!" the boy ordered.
"Nokomis, you're on defense!" Yuma instructed.
Umbreon quickly got in front of Espeon. Meanwhile, the Pokémon that bounced on its tail released a wave of kinetic power while Croconaw opened its jaw as wide as it could and collected dark energy. The wave connected with Umbreon, but effectively did nothing. Crocownaw then lowered his head and started to sprint down the white concrete. Umbreon lowered his body while he prepared to take the attack.
But then, the ground started to rumble below Umbreon. Quilava erupted from the ground, forcing Umbreon to leap to the side. Espeon was now wide open; Croconaw ran past Quilava and bit down onto the Psychic-type. He whipped around his head while she let out a shriek. With one quick snap of his head, he threw her to the side.
"Intina!" Yuma shouted. "Nokomis, use Dark Pulse! Go!"
Fueled by anger, Umbreon ran forward. He howled and blasted a black ball against the ground. It exploded and unleashed a wave of black energy across the makeshift battlefield. The energy washed over all three of the enemies' Pokémon, and Spoink was instantaneously knocked out.
Yuma observed the battlefield. Quilava and Croconaw quickly recovered from his Umbreon's Dark Pulse. However, his Espeon was nearing her final moments in the battle. He knew that he couldn't take any risks. He lifted his Luxury Ball and allowed the red light to collect Espeon.
"Running away?" the boy in blue wondered.
Yuma then placed Espeon's Poké Ball in the inside of his jacket pocket. He eyed the Poké Balls of the new Pokémon that he just caught. Slowly, he pulled one of the balls out and held it in front of him.
"Ace, what are you doing?" Saharah asked.
"Be quiet," he barked. "Go, Makuhita!" He threw his Poké Ball into the air, and it exploded. Makuhita slowly appeared from the white light. He held his arms down and cocked his head at the Croconaw and Quilava.
"That's one of our shadow Pokémon," the boy in red exclaimed. "Do you even know how to use it?"
"It's just a Pokémon," Yuma said. "I'll figure it out. Nokomis, use Moonlight! Makuhita, Cross Chop!"
The day was sunny, so ordering for a maneuver called 'Moonlight' seemed odd. Umbreon held his head up high and closed his eyes. He began to absorb in the lunar energy around him, healing him from the attacks from before. Meanwhile, Makuhita stood still. He slowly turned his head and looked at Yuma. His mouth opened into a mischievous grin.
"Shadow Rush!" both of the boys commanded.
Croconaw and Quilava rushed down the field. An aura of black energy surrounded them before they both collided into Makuhita and Umbreon respectively. Makuhita, surprised by the attack, turned to Croconaw and then started to growl. He pounded his belly and then dove forward, slamming his body into Croconaw.
"Nokomis, Toxic!"
Umbreon lowered his head and then quickly turned his body around. He gently ran his body along Quilava, who stood up straight and opened his eyes wide from shock. Slowly, his dark aura was replaced by a purple one, and he slouched over, looking sickly.
"Switch your target, and use Dark Pulse!" Yuma instructed.
Umbreon darted down the field, putting himself between Makuhita and Croconaw. He then howled, unleashing a wave of dark energy forward. The wave wafted over Croconaw, forcing him to roll backward.
Umbreon let out a victorious cry, but his celebration was cut short. Makuhita grabbed him by the tail and then flung him backward. The Dark-type landed hard in front of his trainer, who had never seen anything like it.
Makuhita then crossed his arms and started a headlong dash. He struck against the already immobile Croconaw, sending the Water-type into the air.
"Croconaw!" the boy in blue cried out.
Yuma looked up at Croconaw. The Pokémon had been knocked out and didn't even bother to flail out in panic. "Here's my chance."
He quickly loaded one more Poké Ball into the machine on his arm. He aimed and then threw the ball into the air. The ball was carried by energy from the machine, and it curved upward. It connected with Croconaw, absorbed him, and then returned to the ground.
The boy in blue and the boy in red watched as the ball rocked back and forth. Within thirty seconds, Croconaw stopped the internal struggle and was caught. The boy in blue held out his Poké Ball while it started to smoke. It cracked in half and fell to the ground.
"No!" the boy in blue shouted.
The boy in red then eyed Yuma. "I don't think so!" He quickly withdrew his weakened Quilava. The two boys exchanged whispers before they turned around and left, leaving Yuma, his Pokémon, and Saharah.
"We should give chase!" Saharah said.
"No," Yuma muttered. He withdrew Umbreon and then looked over at Makuhita. The Pokémon played with Croconaw's Poké Ball, stepping on and lightly kicking it. Yuma didn't know what happened inside a Poké Ball, but he could imagine that the Croconaw did not like being teased. He returned Makuhita with the red light and then quickly retrieved Croconaw's Poké Ball.
"Ace, that was amazing!" Saharah exclaimed.
"It was theft," Yuma replied. "I have to get out of here. Whoever these people are, they're all over the place in Phenac City. My Pokémon and I are leaving."
"What about me?" Saharah wondered. "I need to get home to Agate Village!"
"Well, good luck with that. There's a bus that'll take you there," Yuma said. He adjusted his jacket and then turned around, trying to remember where he had parked his bike.
"I don't feel safe taking the bus. Is there no way that you'll take me?"
Yuma's shoulders slumped. "Are you serious? Why should I take you with me? I'm going to Pyrite Town. Ever heard of it? It's the worst of the worst there."
"I have nowhere else to go right now," Saharah said. Her eyes started to well up. "I'd like to go home, but they'll just kidnap me again. Please, Ace. Take me with you."
Yuma could hear her voice breaking up. He pinched the bridge of his nose and then sighed. "There's no Pokémon Center, so you're paying for our rooms."
"I can do that," Saharah exclaimed excitedly.
Yuma quickly found his bike. He turned his key, and the engine started. Saharah looked at the small sidecar and slightly recoiled. The seat was covered with Umbreon and Espeon's fur.
"You either get in or you stay. Decide now," Yuma shouted.
Saharah gritted her teeth and slowly crawled into the sidecar. Yuma tossed her a pair of goggles as soon as she was in.
"Put these on," he said. Before she could, he revved his engine, and the bike started to levitate. He pulled back on the handle, and the bike rocketed forward. Within a minute, they were outside the perimeters of Phenac City and on their way through the desert.
The sound of Yuma's engine echoed throughout the desert. It was a sound that Yuma had come to love, but it wasn't a sound that he could currently enjoy. His heart beat quickly. If he couldn't get out of Orre soon, he wasn't sure of what would become of him.
Then, he heard a sound that made him uneasy. He adjusted his mirror so that he could see directly behind him. He could see three figures riding on smaller motorbikes. They all wore red.
"Son of a-"
"Look over there!" Saharah exclaimed while pointing forward. A mile to the north was a massive black dust cloud. It was a sight that Yuma had adjusted to, and he usually would do everything he could to avoid them.
"Pyrite Town is a straight shot, but I'm sure I'm already busted. It's do or die, ain't it?" Yuma thought to himself.
"I've never seen one so close! My grandpa used to tell me all about them!" Saharah shouted.
"Well, you're gonna get very familiar with them. I know this will be hard for ya, but please shut your mouth for a while."
"Huh?"
Yuma's engine violently revved, and he turned slightly to the right. His motorbike shot directly for the storm. Yuma looked in his mirror, noticing that the Snagem bikes had slowed down.
"Wait, what are you doing?!"
"I'm gettin' us there safe!"
"Let me out! Let me out!"
Suddenly, Saharah's cries came to a stop as Yuma entered the duststorm. Even with his protective goggles on, he couldn't see a thing. He knew the desert well, but that wouldn't prevent him from running into any assortment of random cacti.
The sand and wind that whipped around them mixed with the sound of Yuma's engine, creating a terrible marriage of sound. The sound was overbearing, and he felt his sense of hearing go dull. He was okay with it though, as he could no longer hear Saharah's pleas to get off of the bike.
What exposed skin Yuma had was beaten by the sand. His cheeks were scratched and clawed at with every millisecond that they were in the storm. They were only inside for roughly a minute, but the anxiety that ran through both of them made it feel like a lifetime. In a sense, Yuma had hoped that he could crash into something if it meant ending the experience. His Pokémon would be safe in their Poké Balls until the storm died down.
And then, they emerged from the storm. Yuma held his breath for longer than necessary. He turned his head and looked back. He saw no signs of his former teammates. He waited for his hearing to come back, and to his delight, he heard no other engines. The two had seemingly escaped.
"You bastard!" Saharah screeched.
Yuma had been to Pyrite Town more times than he would like to admit. It was a place where criminals could come, go, and spend their time without too many of the authorities getting involved. He also knew that the very few authorities within Pyrite Town were corrupt or incompetent.
It wasn't the safest place in Orre, but it was still a place that brought Yuma comfort.
Upon arriving, Yuma found a small garage to park his bike. He had used it many times, and he knew that other Snag'em members didn't. He locked up his bike and met Saharah outside. She had removed her jacket and socks and made her best effort to dump out as much sand from them as possible.
"Where do we go next?" Saharah asked. "I think we should go and investigate into those boys who tried to kidnap me!"
Yuma glared at her. "You can't be serious? You want to get involved with them? Go for it. But, my Pokémon are so beat up at the moment. If you expect me to get involved, you're just being selfish."
"Oh, yeah," Saharah muttered. "I promised that I'd pay for our room! Let's go!"
"Room?" Yuma wondered. "You ain't bein' cheap on me, right?"
But, Saharah was already out of earshot and on her way to the Pyrite Super Grand Hotel.
The Pyrite Super Grand Hotel was once a glorious place for tourists to visit. Its now faded neon sign used to light up the night streets of Pyrite Town. The way it was built was an architectural marvel roughly thirty years prior. It was a must-see sight during Orre's heyday.
However, the hotel had not once been renovated since it was originally built. The carpet had been ripped and torn in some areas. What wasn't ripped was faded. The wallpaper was stained and left to slowly peel.
The hotel was now an eyesore.
The same jazz track that wasn't even famous thirty years ago played in the lobby and hallways, but the quality of the speakers had worn down leading to a dull sound.
But, luckily, the sound of the music was drowned out by the noise of other patrons. Their conversations and cheap one-night stands could be heard through the walls.
Yuma didn't mind. In fact, he hoped that it would make Saharah miserable.
It didn't.
Saharah put her ear against the wall and tried to stifle her laughter. She turned to Yuma and waved him over, but he didn't oblige. Instead, he placed his five Poké Balls onto a small tray that would heal them overnight. It wasn't as fast as staying at a Pokémon Center, but it would be enough if they ran into trouble in the morning.
Saharah stepped away from the wall and fell onto the bed. The comforter was maroon in color, and it smelled like dust. She didn't mind. She rolled over and eyed Yuma.
"So, Ace. We're at a hotel. How does that make you feel?"
"I was hoping to be alone," he answered.
"What? Really? Being here doesn't put you in a mood? You don't want to try something? You are about the age when boys get a little bit antsy, right?"
Yuma glared at her. "I'm fifteen, and no thank you. If I wanted something from you, I would have made a move."
"Have you ever kissed a girl? Do you even know how to make a move?"
Yuma removed his blue leather jacket and placed it on the rack. Saharah's eyes widened at the sight of the machine attached to his arm.
"I've kissed a girl or two. Not that it's any of your business. But, in my field, I find that I make a lot more money when I focus on raising my Pokémon. My colleagues, or ex-colleagues, would lounge around in places like this with easy women. None of them were nearly as successful as I was," Yuma said. It was the most words that he had spoken to her yet, but being in the disgusting hotel helped to relax him.
"I see! I never could get into raising Pokémon. There's not a lot of point in doing it in Orre. My grandpa was a fantastic Pokémon trainer when he was younger. He was one of the first to take part in the league in Unova. Have you ever thought about moving there? What kind of work requires Pokémon training in Orre?" she asked. She sat up on the bed and tilted her head.
Yuma sighed. He stuck his fingers on the edge of the machine near his neck and tried to scratch under it. "You wouldn't like me if I told you what kind of work I do. Also, I can't trust you."
Saharah stood up from the bed and approached Yuma. She got in as close as she could without him recoiling. She slowly raised her hand and put it on Yuma's arm.
"You can trust me. I trust you. I'm very thankful that you helped me today," she looked at him in the eyes. "You sure you don't want a kiss goodnight?"
He lightly pushed her away with his machineless arm. "I'm fine. You should get your sleep. I'm gonna be on the floor. Please don't wake me up unless necessary."
Saharah watched as Yuma moved around the old desk chairs to make room for himself. He lay on the floor and turned away from Saharah. She eventually relented and went back to the musty bed by herself.
UPDATING DATA...
SNAGGED POKEMON:
Makuhita - Known moves: Cross Chop and Shadow Rush - Ability: Guts
Bayleef - Known moves: Razor Leaf and Shadow Rush - Ability: Overgrow
Croconaw - Known moves: Bite and Shadow Rush - Ability: Torrent
