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Chap. 44: Mourning Moonrise
It took Alex a moment longer to realize why Megumi looked like a Nipponese Goth Princess, and Kinta a surprisingly respectful young man in a suit dressed up to the nines for his first-ever date with an actual person. "Your... Your Dad...? He..."
Megumi sniffled, and nodded, before pressing a white handkerchief to her eyes. Her makeup was not running, modern materials had gone beyond the weakness to tears old products had, but she still dabbed at her eyes with care rather than wipe.
Kinta was a little more verbose, and sounded genuinely angry, "During the server crash. He- His Sync Rate was too low, they said, and Yggdrassil couldn't log him out in time. A matter of picoseconds, they told us."
"I'm so sorry," Elle said quietly, spinning to sit next to the young man on the bench and wrap her arms around him. She gave a pointed look at Alex, but a quick glance told him what he already knew: There was no more room on the small park bench for a fourth person.
"Me, too," Alex said awkwardly. He had never handled death well, his own mother's passing was proof of that. His broken, estranged but still friends of a sort relationship with Cora Feldman was further evidence, stemming from the same thing. It was, he realized in that moment, the exact reason he had chosen to take his year's sabbatical to play this game, now.
It was running away. Running from Cora, from his life, from his father's ill health and advanced age.
He wouldn't likely be there when the old man died.
It was absolutely not healthy, but Alex also knew he didn't care. He was a coward, at least in that respect. He was not afraid of dying, which could have been ironic. No, Alex Ward was afraid of living, when everyone else around him died. He had been since the death of Celes Ward.
"Fuck," he grunted, running a hand through his hair, "That's... shit. The crash, huh? It's... well, I suppose it's viable. A whole hell of a lot of our consciousness is tied up in the game, that's probably why it's so realistic. He'd basically be a- well, in a coma, if he didn't make it back through. Hard to imagine that being better, somehow. I know it's not any consolation, but..."
"That's basically what they told us," Megumi whimpered with a distinct hitch in her voice, "Which is fine, I guess... he was pretty old. We knew the risks. He had- They made him sign a waiver we didn't have to, because of his age. But he... he..."
"They wouldn't even let us see him," Kinta shouted suddenly, making Elle recoil and even Alex jump. Cock and Kole, the two Pokémon walking with them at the moment, both started too, the Growlithe actually, well, growling for a moment at the sudden noise.
Elle's face screwed up in confusion, "Why- Why wouldn't they let you see him? I mean, even if not so many people are religious these days, people still like... well..."
"There isn't a funeral," Megumi answered the unfinished question, her voice hitching again, "Th- This is it. All we can do to celebrate his life. No body, just... a report from some nameless GameFreak higher-up. They said his body belonged- belonged to the company. They have to figure out what went wrong, they said. They're... they're taking our father apart."
"They... what?" Elle asked, her face turning pale, "Wh- What?"
"Dissecting him," Kinta whimpered, now sounding more like his older sister rather than the tough young man he liked to pretend he was. "Pulling his brain and body apart to try and find out why he didn't get pulled out, or why his Sync Rate was lower, or... something. He wasn't the only one, either."
"There's an old lady we met on our second day," Megumi explained, "Mrs. Carlisle. She helped us out, gave us some extra supplies... said just being able to pet her favorite Pokémon, her Starter, was enough for her. Of course we got her to play a bit more, but she... she died, too. Never even left Pallet, but we got a notice on the in-game mail when we logged back in. She... she left everything she had in-game to us, except her... her Meowth. That got turned free."
"Crazy old lady," Kinta sniffed, before yanking himself out of Elle's hug and standing up to start pacing around the bench. "She barely knew us, but she said she sold everything she owned to get stuff in-game. And she gave it to us! She didn't even know us! Now she's... and we can't pay her back, and..."
"It's her choice, though," Alex reminded him, and gingerly reached out to put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Kinta shook it off at once, and he didn't try again. "She chose to do that, so... I don't know. Don't cheapen her decision. If you don't need or want the stuff, just... give it to someone else. But you shouldn't decide she's crazy just because she made a different choice than you would've."
"Fuck you," the boy grunted, and stormed off.
"Kinta!" Megumi shouted, standing up as quickly as he had, "Get back here and apologize!"
In response, her brother only lifted a hand in a one-fingered salute at all three of them. Megumi shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry, he... he isn't taking this well."
"I get why," Elle replied with a shrug, watching as the boy, who was just hitting true adolescence, continued to walk away. "This is tough for me to hear. I can't even imagine what it's like for you two."
"He's..." Megumi sighed, and her voice dropped from furious indignation to sadness again, "He's got a right to be angry. I am, too. Apparently it's in the contracts, though. We signed our bodies away if we die inside the game."
"That's insane," Alex muttered.
"It's what Mega-Corps do," Megumi replied sadly, shrugging helplessly. "What are we supposed to do? They run the world. Both of them, in this case."
"Yeah," Elle agreed, seeming quite as lost for words as Alex was.
He watched closely as Kinta grew further away. Just before he would have gone around a building and out of sight, he watched the teenage boy drop to the sidewalk with his back next to one of the myriad storefronts in the local shopping district on the east end of Pewter City and put his head in his hands. All around him, people moved without stopping, leaving the boy alone in a sea of humanity. Even if most of it was programmed NPCs, it was still depressing to see. He sighed, ignoring Elle, who was pointedly, looking toward the now empty spot on the bench. "I... I lost my mom pretty young, too. A year or two younger than you, Megumi. Older than Kinta, of course, but... I can tell you, as a teenage boy, that can... can really mess you up."
"My mom's gone too," Elle confessed, "Drugs. Glow, actually."
"Mine was a car accident. Killed my best friend's mom, paralyzed her dad... he killed himself out of grief a few years later."
Megumi sniffed, "My... I suppose I don't have any right to complain, I guess."
"Bullshit," Alex protested, and this time he did sit next to the Asian girl, "You have every right to complain. It's insane that he died for... something like that. It's even more crazy they wouldn't let you have a proper funeral. I wish... I wish I'd known when we were logged out. I talked to a few people, maybe I could've... I don't know, convinced them to at least... let you two see him."
"He was such a nice man," Elle said lamely. "I mean, we barely knew him, but he made me laugh a lot that night."
"You know he actually did it?" Megumi chuckled, clearly forcing herself to focus on something positive. "He actually fucked a Pokémon?
Megumi's giggle sounded almost hysterical, though strangely muted too. "He... He promised Kinta and I he would, just to try it. I still haven't myself, but... Dad did."
"Which one?" Elle asked, seeming unable to help herself as she grinned widely.
"Kinta's Bellsprout," Megumi told them, grinning more sincerely now, if still a bit shakily. "Dad kept grumbling about it, so Kinta finally yelled at him to fucking try it before he judged him. Even said, 'It's not my fault you haven't had a blowjob since Mom died, so quit taking it out on me,' can you believe it? Of course, Dad started yelling right back, so Kinta actually threw Leafy- that's his Bellsprout- out, and told her to tie Dad down. Of course, Dad fought back. Won. But he saw Kinta was serious, I guess. So later that day, he... he came to talk to me. Asked me what I thought. I told him to go for it, and tell me how it was, 'cause I was curious, too. Should've seen his face..."
"I bet it was hilarious," Alex smiled.
"It was! Anyway, he... that night, he asked Kinta to borrow Leafy. And handed him back the next day. Really, really red-faced. He didn't apologize or anything, but we knew. Both of us, 'cause Kinta was laughing about it all day, until... until the server crashed."
"Fuck, that same day?" Elle commiserated.
"Yep. At least... at least he got some fun. B- Before..."
Alex sighed, and put his arms around the girl. "I'm sorry that happened, Megumi. I know it sucks, and... and I don't know how I'll handle it when my dad dies. He's pretty old. Been on life support basically for a few years already. I hope I handle it half as well as you."
"I don't think i'm handling it well at all," Megumi half-heartedly chuckled, waving vaguely in the direction her brother had gone, "Lost my brother, lost my dad, lost my mind... Only thing I've got is a Badge. Kinta got the Skybound Badge along with me, but he had to borrow Dad's team since he had two Grass-types. I won 'cause of Ice moves on my Shelldon."
"That's your Squirtle...?"
She nodded at Alex's question, smiling wanly, "Yeah. Dad's Magby- he never named him- kinda goes to both of us, according to my dad. I guess he... thought maybe we'd be staying together for years in the game. But I don't know. Kinta... well, the longer we've been playing, the more I get the feeling he's itching to go out on his own. At least he has his Pokémon, right?"
"Sure," Alex nodded, looking over at the boy he was now sure Megumi, sitting beside him, hadn't been able to keep track of as he moved off. "And I know that's old enough to be on their own in this world, but... he's still young. He'll need someone to go to for advice, at least, and maybe keep him from... well, making some bad choices. I can... go talk to him, if you want."
"Would you...? I mean... I don't want him to just take off," Megumi replied, "especially not when we're both hurting because of Dad, but... A part of me kind of wishes he would, so I wouldn't have to worry about what we're gonna do. At least he's being taken care of financially out in the real world. Here...?"
"We'll both help keep an eye on him," Elle said gravely as Alex stood up. "I know I'm only a year older than he is, but maybe that'll help. Maybe he'll listen to me, if he won't listen to Alex."
"You two are amazing," the girl said, shaking her head as Alex gave her a smile then headed off after Kinta.
Adisa sighed and rolled her shoulders. It had been an interesting experience being inside the Rocket base. She had not realized she had even been underground, much less how far underground, until she had been released from the medical bay. Nor had she been aware of just how massive the underground complex was. Sixty-seven people were full-time residents, including the two medical staff, a doctor and a nurse, who had treated her. And that was just the underground facility! There were also storage rooms, secret tunnels for moving merchandise that, according to Morley, was 'contraband in the eyes of the Indigo Pokémon League,' the local government. Morley had not seemed to mind her questions during the walk out of the facility, and had answered honestly as far as she could tell.
Some of it, according to him, was weaponry. A few cases of firearms (just in case, he had said). Some half were simply living supplies, the sort of thing residents of an secret underground base might use in their day to day lives, everything from clothes to cooking utensils, or foodstuffs. Some, he had admitted, were chemicals of a more recreational sort. Nothing too hard, he had assured her, and for the first time that day Adisa thought he might have been lying, but Morley was so smooth and sure in his explanations she couldn't be certain.
What had really shocked her to the core was the above-ground facilities.
Two hundred and eighty-eight girls lived in the forty-floor structure. Outside each bedroom, at least in the brief walk down one hall from the secret entrance to the base, had a holographic display of the girl that lived there and a name. The holograms switched, fading quickly every ten seconds or so, from fully clothed, to half-dressed, to nude, and just a bit fuzzy. The worst part, for her, was the pricing lists beside each girl, by the hour or even day.
"P- Prostitution?"
"Yes," Morley had replied, seeming unconcerned, "It's a good cover. Why? Is it not legal where you're from?"
"I mean, it's not... not legal, in some cases," Adisa replied, "it's just... kind of frowned upon. In some ways, where I'm from is pretty lawless. In others, the laws are very strict. This is one of the few areas where it's pretty much just something people look the other way about. But this is... out in the open."
Morley had nodded, smiling, "It sure is. Ariana is the Executive in charge of this operation, and the satellite operations around Kanto. This is her main base, and the largest of her brothels. Also the most fancy, I suppose. But she does good business. Everyone needs some attention sometimes, and not everyone wants to satisfy their needs with Pokémon all the time."
"Still, I... I'm just surprised, I guess, at how big and clean it is."
"We don't have to operate in secrecy, like we would in, say, Johto," Morley shrugged, "or even worse, Unova. In most of the world, we try to be progressive, as a people. Where was it you said you were from...?"
"I didn't," Adisa told him with a coy smile.
Morley had smiled right back, a moment before his arm had crossed her neck and he had slammed her against the wall. That same smile never left his face, though his eyes were a bit cold when he hissed, "From another world," he told her, "Don't worry... I won't spill your secrets, Adisa Chuke. Rocket already knows them. We know a lot about you, invader. But don't worry, like I said. You're a good fuck, and I like you. Keep playing the game, toe the line, follow orders, and we won't have any problem. I don't personally care what you are, or where you're from, as long as you do what you're told. For now, that's going to be returning to the Bridge. Reassignments are going out in a few more weeks, and we'll probably move you then. Until then, keep up the good work. If you do, you'll be rewarded. And if not, well... remember, we do know you're from a whole different world, Adisa. I don't want to have to end your invasion personally... but I will if I have to. Don't think for a moment our time together would keep me from putting a bullet in your head, or worse."
"I- I understand," Adisa had replied, her pulse racing.
"Good," Morley had released her at once, "Let's keep going, then, we've both got places to be. Come on."
She hadn't met Ariana, and the brief moment in the hall had shaken Adisa more than she cared to admit. But a scantily-glad girl a year or two younger than herself had met them at the door of the brothel with all of Adisa's equipment, gear, and Pokéballs, plus one more.
"A gift from Rocket, to remind you of your loyalties," Morley had explained. "Don't open it until you get out to the Bridge, they... aren't known for being great in population centers. This one's young, but I think he suits your style. And open him where there's plenty of room."
She had only nodded, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts as she had put her belt and backpack on, then been ushered out the door with a quick hiss, "Don't come back here unless you're in need of help or personal relief. Too much traffic draws attention."
The whole way out of the city, which was beautiful, her fingers had itched to open the new Pokéball, and see what was inside.
She had only been able to hold back because of the sudden worry about what she was doing with Team Rocket. She believed Morley, about too much. That they were capturing Legendary Pokémon like Zapdos to protect people, she believed. That they were smuggling drugs and even weapons, she believed. That prostitution was legal, prevalent, and apparently very lucrative, she believed.
She also believed him that he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she made a problem for him, or Rocket.
"What have you got yourself into, girl...?" Adisa muttered to herself as she neared a corner.
A moment later, she hit the ground on her ass as a pink-haired girl had walked into her. "Watch where you're going, cutie," the rosette chirped with a giggle, "sorry, I probably should, too. Don't worry, my Chansey will fix you right up. Won't you, Bliss?"
"Ha- Happi!" the small, pink ball of cute cried as she waddled forward and pressed her hands to Adisa's knee. Yellow-green energy flowed outward, and a moment later, the minor aches and bruises of the impact and fall were gone.
"I... that's amazing," she whispered, looking at what had once been a lightly scraped hand, and was now perfectly intact.
"I know," the girl smiled, "Don't worry, Bliss loves to heal things, so honestly, it's probably good she got a chance. Even if it sucked in the meantime. I'm Robin."
Adisa took the offered hand and was surprised at the strength the short, large-breasted girl displayed as she was hauled to her feet. "Are you... a player?"
"A player?" the girl giggled, "Well, I'm not an NPC."
"But... your eyes...?"
The girl leaned in conspiratorially, "I'm a Combinant," she whispered, "like you. Don't worry, Adisa Chuke, I'm on your side. We'll meet again."
Before she could make heads or tails of it, the girl was gone, melted into the crowd. Even her extra height over most of the people in the park-like streets of the city didn't help her spot the shock of pink she expected from the short girl. "What the hell...?"
It took Alex a good two hours to convince Kinta not to take off on his own, but using a combination of points like, 'all your gear and money is in your PMC room,' and, 'your sister needs you, too,' he was able to pull it off. All in all, the young man was rather proud of himself for talking some sense into the younger boy when he was was so messed up about the same subject, but at the end, Kinta had agreed, "Alright, alright, bro, just... leave it. I'll stick around. I know she means well, it's just... she can be a bit over-protective. Now, with Dad gone, she's... Whatever."
At least he had seemed to understand why his sister's behavior had changed, so when the two were next to each other again, Elle and Alex had both watched them exchange a (manly, of course) tear-filled hug, then sit down to talk about a plan for moving forward. Their next goal was the Armory Badge. Three Fire-type Pokémon should be plenty for either or even both of them to get the Badge from Stirling's Gym, even if she would be harder for Megumi, who had the Skybound Badge. After that, they would be heading for Cerulean City.
There, Megumi had intimated to Alex, she would like for them to meet up for 'a quiet conversation'. About what, she would not elaborate, but even he had picked up on the not-so-subtle looks she gave him as he brought back her brother. Not just admiration and happiness, but something deeper, more primal, which made him think back to the letter she'd left right after they had met, and the signature there. ISquirtle4U.
That had been nine hours before.
The last half of the day had been spent hiking, and battling. Eight Trainers had been defeated between them, each with a team stronger than any either Elle or Alex had faced outside of the Gyms, or Morley Vaan's freakish Golurk.
Their destination, thankfully, was in sight. It was a good thing, since the sun had set an hour before and neither were confident enough in their skills to hike an unfamiliar trail up a mountain in the dark. The horizon still glowed with the lights of Pewter City behind them, but the direct view had been cut off aside from the twinkling glow of The Aerie atop Mount Fennel. That, Alex estimated, was now twenty or more miles behind them. Thirty, maybe, if Pewter was further across than he'd thought. He wasn't a great estimator of distance beyond what you might see in a Mega-City, where the longest dimensions tended to be up, and up some more, aside from the biggest streets.
The valley they were moving up wasn't terribly steep-walled, but it was rocky and jagged enough that neither wanted to risk climbing it, even if doing so might improve their view. Kole and Surtr helped provide some light, but without being in true darkness, neither seemed inclined to give the pair more than just the normal glow of their flaming fur or breath, about as much as a small campfire between them, Alex thought.
The woods had long since shifted from mixed conifer and deciduous to straight pines, a little after they had stopped for a late mid-afternoon lunch. Strangely, after leaving Megumi and Kinta to try and pick up the rest of their lives now that both their parents were gone, neither of them had much of an appetite.
Talking had been less common too, both of them, Alex thought, dwelling on existential matters. It was true they had only known Megumi and Kinta's father for one night, and for the life of him Alex couldn't even remember the man's name. Had he even introduced himself? But he was still a friendly man, and free with humor, especially at his son's expense. Alex was reasonably sure that, even if he was scarred for the rest of his life, he had mostly been laughing with his son about being walked in on, not at him.
Neither could remain silent when they saw the edifice rising before them out of the valley as some low-hanging clouds were blown away by the evening wind.
Mount Moon was not the largest either had seen by any means. Even the Mega-Cities tended to build inside and atop mountains rather than remove them, and Mount Fennel was massive in comparison to the one they were facing now. But it still rose in a single massive cliff from their side, as if someone had deposited half of a mountain ahead of them. The rest of the spire, Alex realized, was what resulted in the jumbled, rocky landscape they had been hiking, as if half the peak hadn't vanished, but had instead tumbled into a hundred million smaller fragments, rolling and settling over millennia and eons to what they were traversing.
Behind the mountain, a few lingering wisps of clouds still circled, creating a strange, almost mystical halo of blue-white around the jagged, broken, flat-topped peak. Even in the dim light, he could see it was an impressive sight, rising above the other, lesser mountains around it. A couple more miles off and up, the red and white glow of a Pokémon Center sat amid a few other lights from, he presumed, outbuildings. Elle had mentioned something like that during the hike, at some point. There wasn't a full town by any means, but Trainers traveled through the area often enough looking for rare Pokémon or Moon Stones, which the Mountain was famous for as one of the only spots they could be found natively, that the League had built the PMC a century ago, and over time a few other support buildings had joined it along with residences for the workers, and a few Rangers to keep the local wildlife both safe and in controlled numbers.
It was beautiful... and then Elle gasped, breaking the quiet, steady thumping of their feet on the rock and gravel trail, as silver-white lit up the whole valley, themselves included.
Most iridescent was the mountaintop itself, which seemed to glow under the moonlight that rose from behind the mountain, bathing it in radiance.
"Wow," Elle murmured.
Alex had to agree. "I love this game," he whispered, "Let's go. I can't wait to get up there."
