"Did you know, there's an island where all the Pokemon are pink?" James asked, looking through the magazine in his hands. "The berries that grow on that island affect the Pokemon physiology and change the color of their skins."
"Pinkan Island right?" Ash asked, scooting closer to him. "I've read about it. I think our ferry actually passed by it, but since Whirlpools surround it, it did not stop at it."
"Do you think your Butterfree is from there?"
"I think so. Usually, Butterfrees aren't pink."
James put the magazine down and looked out the wagon. "The storm's getting worse. We're lucky Ethan found us when he did."
Ash shifted his faze from James to Ethan, who was driving the wagon pulled by Tauros. The man went around collecting lightning from the storm with the use of his Magnemite to supply power to villages where there wasn't power. Ash had gone through this experience before, but it still surprised him how not all places had power yet.
The duo had missed their ferry because of Ash's battle against Misty and had to wait for a day before the next ferry came. Ash and James decided to instead travel by foot. It would take longer, but James insisted on it so he could see more Pokemon and catch a few too. Who was Ash to deny his friend that when he himself was starting to feel cramped up from all the ferry travels?
-x-
Ethan had dropped Ash and James at the outskirts of Trovitopolis, the largest city in Mandarin Island South. The duo entered through the large gates with a welcome sign over it and were a little surprised to see so many police on the streets.
"Hey! You two!"
Ash and James watch as Officer Jenny rushes towards them with a worried look on her face.
"There's a curfew going on, what are you two doing out on the streets?"
"We just got into the city. What's going on?" James asked.
The Officer looked a little conflicted before sighing. "There have been sightings of a monster in the sewers. While no injuries or anything of the sort has been reported, the Mayor has ordered a curfew and is ready to team down to take care of it."
James opened his mouth to say something when he froze, feeling something… off. Even Officer Jenny seemed to stiffen. Both slowly look down at Ash and find the boy's face hidden by the shadow of his cap. It was Ash they sensed, Ash and his sudden change in emotion.
James had never felt something like this before from Ash. This was the first time he felt Ash's emotions so vividly.
"I'd like to talk to the mayor" Ash muttered.
"He- he's a busy man" the officer cleared her throat.
"It won't take long… It's something he might be interested in."
The officer paused a moment before agreeing to take him to meet the mayor.
-x-
"You think this monster is a Pokemon don't you?" James asked as he and Ash walked through the sewers. The boy had not wasted a moment when he was introduced to the mayor and told the man that he would go down to the sewers and deal with his monster problem. Of course, the Mayor was against it, but when the mention of how it would probably save him money since Ash was not asking for any compensation was brought up, the man readily agreed.
Also, the fact that the Indigo League Champion was offering may have played a part in it too.
"There are no monsters in this world, only undiscovered Pokemon" Ash answered, his mood still low and sour.
James could think about a few monsters. None of them were any form of grotesque creatures though.
"There was this giant Dragonite I saw once from Bill's Lighthouse. Bill thought it was some monster but it looked very much like a Dragonite now that I think about it" Ash added. "No doubt this is another Pokemon misunderstood."
Something told James that Ash was not guessing but knew for certain, almost like he knew exactly what this thing was.
The sound of a bell ringing stopped James' thoughts and his steps. Ashs topped as well and looked around. James could see the silhouette of something coming towards them and he took an involuntary step back. Ash on the other hand stood his ground and waited. The creature was thin with a bulbous head, like an Ekans. But James wasn't sure if Ekans grew that big. Perhaps it was another variant like the Pokemon he'd seen at Professor Ivy's Laboratory.
It stopped right in front of Ash and the boy reached out to caress its head. The creature seemed to react to that and wrapped itself around Ash before yanking him off his feet. James breaks into a run and rushes after Ash, who grips Pikachu close. The thing dragged Ash under the water and James dived right in. In the murky waters of the sewers, James couldn't see too well, but he could make out the silhouette of his friend. But suddenly even the silhouette vanished and James began to panic. He needed to find his friend… as well as surface to get some air. But something grabbed his ankle and yanked him deeper into the water.
-x-
"James… James wake up. James!"
James woke with a gasp, his clothes sticking to his body from how wet he was. Ash knelt beside him and behind him.
James quickly pulled Ash behind him and called out Scyther and Growlie. Then he froze. The creature, the thing he mistook for Ekans was not the creature but only a part of it. The thing slowly receded into… a giant Bulbasaur.
"Are you okay?" Ash asked, a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"It's a Bulbasaur," James said dumbly in reply.
"So you're okay" the boy grinned. "And I told you, it was a Pokemon."
"What's it doing here? Bulbasaurs don't live in sewers" James' eyes shifted to the smiling Pokemon's neck and his eyes balked. "Around its neck!"
Ash peeked and squinted. "What?"
"There's a tag" James crawled over to Bulbasaur, no longer afraid or aggressive. Bulbasaur allowed him to come close and inspect the collar around its neck. "It belongs to someone… and I have seen this initial before" he added darkly.
James ran his hand over the bulb of the Pokemon with anger in his eyes. He was not going to let this just slide.
-x-
Ash and James walked out of the sewers to meet the crowd of officers and the Mayor.
"So? Did you get it?" the Mayor demanded.
The audacity of this man… James wanted to punch him in the face.
"We did" Ash smiled tightly. "Meet the monster that's been haunting the sewers."
A silhouette appeared behind them and the Mayor and Officers took a step back. Bulbasaur came into the light and the Mayor blanched.
"If you notice around his neck there's a collar with an initial on it. Does it seem familiar?" James asked sharply.
Officer Jenny stepped for and took a look, before frowning.
"Mr. Mayor this is your initial is it not?" Officer Jenny asked.
"No use denying it either. All our election posters have it" James added. He'd seen some of the posters when he'd come into the city.
"So what if it is?" the man cleared his throat. "Bulbasaur was mine when I was young. It refused to evolve so I released it into the sewers. What use is a Pokemon that refuses to evolve?"
"You knew full well that Bulbasaurs do not live in sewers and this one might die down there" James snarled. "That is malevolent and a crime!"
"Watch your tone, boy! I am the Mayor of this city!" the man snapped.
"But you're not above the law" Officer Jenny turned to him with a glare. "Mr. Mayor you're under arrest for endangering the life of a Pokemon and attempting its murder."
The Mayor spluttered as the police took him away, while James knelt before the Bulbasaur and smiled kindly.
"Your previous trainer was a bad man and he never should have done to you what he did. But I won't do the same thing, I promise" he finished with a smile, revealing that he had captured the Bulbasaur. James then stood and turned to Ash, recalling Bulbasaur into his Pokeball. "You knew we'd find a Pokemon down there," James said accusingly, "and not a hunch but with certainty like you knew exactly what was down there."
"I only had a gut feeling, and I always trust my gut feelings no matter what" Ash explained with a shrug.
James inhaled deeply before sighing. The boy did trust his gut above all and James had learned it by now. Still… he felt as if there was more to this than that.
-x-
How could all of this have blown up in his face like that? He had a plan, he knew what he needed to do and knew nothing stood in his way to reelection. Yet here he was now, in prison and facing charges that were damning enough that he'd have to face a strong sentence. Perhaps he could do something to lessen his sentence…
"Mr. Mayor, a call."
The man looked up to see an officer with a phone in his hand. The officer held it out and the Mayor swiped it from his hand and put it to his ears.
"I'm very disappointed."
The man's face turned white.
"We've invested quite a bit into you… and I so hate a bad investment."
"Wait, sir-"
The call cut off and the phone fell from his hands. The man looked up to see the officer pointing a gun in his face.
"Wait- please!"
The cells fell silent once more a moment later.