Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.
Hi all,
Here's the next chapter. Delia makes a gruesome discovery in her front yard, and Lucas explores the cave, searching for the elusive Dratini.
Chapter 13
Delia's head snapped up when she heard a man scream outside. Mimey, who had been dusting, peered out through the curtains to see what was going on. Delia stood up, feeling a churning in her stomach. Mimey turned around, indicating that there was a danger outside.
"What is going on, Mum?" Ash asked as he and Misty prepared to stand. They were sitting on the sofa, watching television.
"Stay here," Delia instructed. They followed her order without question, surprised by the seriousness in her tone.
"Take care of the kids, Mimey," she said before peering out the window.
Her gaze was drawn to a gruesome scene unfolding on the front lawn—a man being attacked by a Banette. Was that Salem? It was the only Bannette she had come across lately.
Salem's hands were dripping with blood. She could not fully assess the man's condition from her current vantage point, but his constant screams were audible to her. A few feet away, a woman was face down on the lawn, either unconscious or worse.
She pulled back, allowing the curtains to close behind her. She was paralysed by indecision about what to do next, and the man's blood-curdling screams only exacerbated it. If it was Salem, she would not be able to stop him because he was much stronger than her Pokemon. She had only met him once and had no idea he was capable of such violence, despite the sinister vibe he gave off. What exactly was he doing here?
The man's screams abruptly stopped, galvanising her into action. Even though she knew it was pointless, she couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Delia dashed out into the hallway and flung open the door. She pulled a shrunken pokeball from her pocket and peered outside.
When the door opened, Salem raised his head, his red eyes locked on hers.
"Is that you, Salem?" Delia asked. "I think you have done enough. You need to leave!"
Her voice trembled despite her best efforts to project confidence. Delia clutched the pokeball tightly, ready to summon Chase if the situation demanded it. Salem turned and flew away, his form becoming transparent before vanishing completely. She paused for a moment before stepping cautiously out of the house, unsure if he had left.
The man's face was covered in blood, and his glassy eyes were staring up at the sky. Delia felt nauseous, and when she saw what appeared to be entrails sticking out of his stomach, she could not hold back the urge to vomit. She threw up on the front porch.
"What is going on? Oh, Arceus!" When the neighbour arrived to investigate the commotion, he screamed when he saw the carnage in the front yard.
Delia stood up and took a few shaky steps down the stairs until she came to the woman who was motionless on the grass. She avoided looking at the man because it was obvious that he was beyond help. Crouching down, she felt the woman's neck for a pulse, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips when she detected a steady beat.
The neighbour, a middle-aged man, approached her. "Is she okay?"
"From what I can tell, she is fine, but she requires medical attention," Delia said. "Do you have a cellphone on you? We need to call an ambulance and the police."
The man nodded and reached into his pocket for his phone. "Did you see who did this?"
"It was a Pokemon," Delia said. "A Banette."
The man paused and looked around nervously. "A ghost-type Pokemon? It could still be nearby."
Delia didn't expect Salem to return, but she summoned Chansey to calm him down. Chase stood guard while he made the calls.
"I better call the Pokemon Rangers as well if there is a rogue Pokemon on the loose," the man grumbled.
Two hours later, Delia opened the door for Officer Jenny. After her neighbour called the police and an ambulance, they arrived at the residence quickly. Their carriages were pulled by Rapidash, allowing them to respond quickly to emergencies. The man was beyond help, but the woman had only been knocked unconscious and would suffer no long-term consequences.
"Mrs Ketchum, I have a few more questions for you," Officer Jenny said.
"May we speak outside?" Delia asked. "I have children in the house, and I don't want them hearing our conversation."
"Of course."
Delia followed her outside and sat at the table on the front porch. "How long will the yard be occupied by law enforcement?"
"It's a crime scene." Officer Jenny answered. "They need to conduct a thorough investigation, which may take some time. You mentioned earlier that you don't own this house, correct?"
"It belongs to Professor Oak of Pallet Town," Delia confirmed. "I work for him, and he lent it to me so I could take a break from work."
"Is it just you and the kids who are staying in the house?"
"No," Delia replied, telling the officer about Lucas.
"Lucas is another one of Professor Oak's employees? Where is he at the moment?"
"He is outside the city on an errand for Professor Oak."
"When will he return?"
"I imagine sometime in the afternoon."
Officer Jenny continued to ask a slew of questions for the next few minutes, and Delia could tell she was building up to something.
Officer Jenny snapped her notepad shut and looked at Delia intently. "Do you know who the people who were attacked here today are, Mrs. Ketchum?"
"No, I have never met them before," Delias said. "What's this about?"
"The man's name was James Turner, and the woman's name is Jessie Maple. They are both small-time criminals who work for Team Rocket.
"Oh my!" Delia cupped a hand to her cheek. "Do you think they were here for a particular reason? Were they planning on robbing Professor Oak's house?"
"I am afraid it is even more sinister," Officer Jenny said, referring back to her notepad. "We found a bag next to James' body that contained several items specifically designed for torture and..."
"What?" Delia asked after Officer Jenny paused.
"Sexual gratification," Officer Jenny finished, and Delia felt a chill run down her spine.
Delia rubbed her arms, feeling a sudden chill as she realised she had narrowly escaped a terrible fate. Her thoughts turned to Ash and Misty, wondering if they, too, had fallen victim to Team Rocket's depravity. She had been repulsed by Salem's actions, but she couldn't deny that he had saved her and the kids' lives. Should she be concerned about the man's death, given what he had planned for her?
"There is trace evidence in the bag that implicates them in several unsolved crimes," Jenny explained. "These include cases of torture, rape, arson, and murder. It is unclear if these people were acting on behalf of Team Rocket in this case or their own depraved agenda."
"Do you believe I was targeted for a specific reason?" Delia asked.
"Yes, we believe it may be related to Professor Oak. Was there anything that suggested Professor Oak was worried about something? Maybe it was something he said or some odd behaviour?"
Delia paused, unsure whether she should share the information Professor Oak had given her. There shouldn't be anything wrong with telling Officer Jenny what she knew, because it was bound to come out once Oak had dealt with the problems in Pallet Town.
"There is another reason as to why I came to the city," Delia said.
Officer Jenny took notes as Delia told her story. The officer appeared uneasy about the direction her case was taking, but she persisted in asking questions to get off the details. Delia chose to keep Salem's identity hidden and claimed ignorance when Officer Jenny asked her about it. Despite the Pokemon's dangerous nature, she didn't want him to face any consequences, and it wasn't widely known that he belonged to Sabrina.
"I appreciate you sharing this information with me," Officer Jenny stated. "From now on, I will have to proceed with caution. It would be best if I left Professor Oak and Miss Kuroi to handle the situation in Pallet Town. Until this situation is resolved, you will be under police protection."
"Thank you," Delia said, sighing with relief.
All she wanted was for this terrible ordeal to end so that she and Ash could resume their normal lives.
Two hours earlier.
Lucas continued into the cave until he turned a bend, and he could no longer see the opening. He shone the torch over the walls and the ceilings of the limestone cave, looking carefully for any hidden Pokemon. In such a confined and dark space, it would be easy for him to be ambushed before his Pokemon could react.
"Icarus, you don't have much room to move in here unless the cave opens up further on," Lucas said. "Remain on my shoulder and keep an eye out for trouble."
"Pidgey!" Icarus pecked at his hair.
"Max, you're the vanguard."
"Kid?" Max tilted his head.
"It means you take the lead."
"Kid!"
Lucas had to bend down repeatedly as he walked through the tunnel to avoid hitting his head on the low ceiling. The ground was covered in a thin layer of water left over from the previous high tide.
Lucas soon came across his first wild Pokemon. The sound of chirping caught his attention, alerting him to its presence. Lucas raised his torch, casting light onto the ceiling. There, he spotted a Zubat hanging above him, its fangs gleaming in the torchlight.
Species: Zubat
Level: 17
Condition: Perfect
Threat Level: Intermediate
"Thundershock," Lucas commanded.
Max fired an arc of lightning just as the Zubat launched itself from the ceiling, narrowly avoiding the attack. Rather than confronting Max, the Zubat flew deeper into the cave.
"That can't be good," Lucas grumbled. "If he has friends ahead, he may return with them. Stay alert."
The Zubat fled in the same direction that the arrow was pointing, which indicated the location of the elusive Dratini.
He continued until he came to an intersection. The path ahead of him continued, while another path branched off to the right.
Lucas paused, undecided about which path to take. He chose to turn right and follow the branching path. He reasoned that there was still enough time before high tide to thoroughly explore the cave. After a dozen steps, he heard the distinct sound of fluttering wings behind him. He spun around. A swarm of Zubats flew through the tunnel he had just exited, but they didn't notice him, thankfully.
Did the Zubat call for backup? Fortunately for him, he had chosen to turn right. Staying completely still, he refrained from making any noise that might give away his position. Despite lacking eyes, Zubat could detect movements using ultrasonic waves.
"Kid!" Max gave Lucas a thumbs up, indicating that it was safe to move.
"Let's keep moving."
Lucas reached a dead end after another minute of following the tunnel. It opened up into a small circular cavern with a pool of water in the centre, which had formed due to a hole in the ground. He couldn't determine the depth of the water because it was too dark. The ceilings and walls were covered in a strange moss that emitted an iridescent blue glow, casting an otherworldly radiance over the surroundings.
"What is this moss?" Lucas took out a knife and cut some down. He ran his fingers through the slimy texture, which reminded him of seaweed. "I might as well harvest it because it could be valuable, but I should leave some behind."
"Kid!" Max called out in alarm.
Lucas heard a splash from behind him. Icarus launched himself off his shoulder, and Lucas dove down just as a jet of water hit the wall right where he had been standing.
As he rolled over, he frantically searched for the assailant who had attacked him. It turned out to be a Tentacool, partially submerged in the water, and now engaged in a fight with Max. The tide must have brought it in.
Species: Tentacool
Level: 19
Condition: Perfect
Threat Level: Intermediate
Lucas stood up and hastily backed away from the pool of water. Using his Insight skill, he learned that the Pokemon possessed a special ability called Liquid Ooze. Fortunately, this was not a cause for concern since Max didn't possess any moves that could drain his opponent's condition.
Max sent a Thundershock at the Tentacool, which responded by unleashing a spray of purple acid. The two attacks collided in the air, resulting in a distinct sizzling sound. The area above the water was temporarily obscured by a hazy mist, making it difficult to see the Tentacool.
"Remain vigilant!" Lucas commanded. Icarus returned to Lucas and perched on his shoulder, protecting him while Max fought the Tentacool.
"Use Thundershock on the water!"
Max followed the command and released a bolt of lightning that struck the water. Tentacool jumped out of the water at the same time, deftly avoiding being shocked. Instead of sinking back into the water, it floated a few feet above the surface.
Lucas quickly figured out what was going on. The Tentacool could manipulate water molecules, which allowed it to move out of the water. Fortunately, it should be slower than Max because it cannot move as quickly out of the water.
"Max, use Quick Attack!"
Max charged forward, but due to the distance he had to cover, Tentacool was able to launch another attack. Tentacool shot a series of golden rings from its body at Max.
Max energetically jumped over the rings and landed on his opponent. With his hands raised high above his head, he delivered a devastating hammer blow to the body of the Tentacool. The opponent staggered backwards, eventually collapsing to the ground while emitting electric currents from its body. The Tentacool had been paralysed by Max's special ability, Static.
"Max, its defence is weak," Lucas said. "Unleash physical attacks on it."
Tentacool was weak to electricity, but its special defence was extremely strong. It would be more effective for Max to use physical attacks to inflict damage and create more opportunities to paralyse Tentacool.
Max pummelled the Pokemon's blue shell with a series of punches while the Pokemon lay helpless. Before it recovered from its paralysis, its condition changed from Perfect to Excellent to Healthy. Max jumped back as the tentacles raised and lashed out at him.
"Quick Attack!"
Max charged ahead, colliding with Tentacool as the Pokemon instinctively raised its tentacles to mitigate the impact. Tentacool was knocked back despite his defence. It was paralysed once more, but this time there was a cost. Max screamed in pain, clutching one of his arms. The text displaying his condition above his head was flashing green, indicating that he had been poisoned.
"Sneaky bastard got a cheap shot in," Lucas grumbled. "Max, you need to finish this fight quickly!"
"Kid!" Max used another Quick Attack on the downed Tentacool. Its condition had deteriorated further, so it was only a matter of time before it fainted.
Instead of pummeling the Tentacool again, Max picked him up, despite the wound on his arm. He slammed the Pokemon into the top of a nearby rock. He kept doing it until its condition had deteriorated to Critical.
Tentacool managed to recover from paralysis, yet rather than attacking Max, it used its tentacles in an attempt to pull itself towards the water.
"Perhaps I should let it go?" Lucas pondered, feeling sorry for the Pokemon.
Max was having none of it and launched a Thundershock at the Tentacool. It fainted and collapsed to the ground.
"Kid!" Max raised his arms before wincing, having forgotten that he was injured.
"Hold on, Max," Lucas said as he ran over to him and pulled an antidote from his inventory.
Max's condition had deteriorated as a result of his poisoned status, and if he didn't treat it, it would continue to worsen. While certain status conditions may heal naturally over time, poison requires treatment, especially when it enters the bloodstream through an open wound.
Max sighed in relief as Lucas sprayed the antidote on his wound. In front of Lucas, the poison seeped out of Max's wound, leaving it completely clean. Lucas fed Max some healing salve, and the wound vanished as if it had never existed.
"Put the Tentacool back into the water," Lucas said.
Max complied, but he was rough about it. Tentacool landed in the water with a huge splash. Lucas shook his head before returning his attention to the moss. "Keep an eye out while I gather the moss."
Lucas gathered as much moss as he could in twenty minutes, leaving enough for it to regrow. He was surprised to discover that sometimes new moss appeared in the same spot where he had just harvested it. He was initially confused but soon realised that his Green Thumb skill was at work, providing him with an additional harvest.
After putting the moss in his inventory, Lucas and his companions returned to the intersection and took the straight path this time. He kept a close eye out for the Zubat, but they didn\t appear to have returned yet.
He continued down the main tunnel, stopping to explore several branching tunnels along the way. While he didn't come across anything noteworthy in the first few tunnels, he did come across some more wild Pokemon. They were not as powerful as the Tentacool, so Max handled them easily. When he entered the next branching tunnel, his Itemfinder beeped, prompting him to retrieve his small shovel. At the end of the tunnel, there was a raised patch of ground with some mushrooms growing on it.
He dug up the ground and discovered another wooden chest. When he opened it, there was a neatly wrapped piece of candy inside. It looked like a rare candy from the games, which got him excited. He never imagined they would exist in this world as well.
"Kid!" Max extended his hand for the candy, his eyes shining with greed.
"Should I test it on one of my Pokemon?" Lucas mused.
Did it function similarly to the game in that it raised a Pokemon's level by one? Should he really waste it on a low-level Pokemon if that is the case? Surely he would find more of them, right? Perhaps he will try one just to see how it works.
"Pidgey," Icarus said, reaching down from his perch and attempting to grab the candy with his beak. Lucas closed his hand before Icarus could grab it.
"What is the deal with you two? Your reactions give the impression that you are addicted to it. Just to be clear, it's not cocaine, okay?"
They just stared at the candy, completely ignoring him. "How about we play a game of rock, paper, scissors to see who gets it? I will do it for Icarus since he doesn't have hands."
"Kid?"
"I will show you how to play," Lucas said.
He demonstrated the three hand gestures to Max, who quickly caught on to how the game worked.
"Are you ready?" Lucas asked, and Max nodded. "Rock, paper, scissors!"
Max had chosen rock, while Lucas had chosen paper. Max exclaimed in disgust, staring at his hand as if it had betrayed him.
"Pidgey!" Icarus clacked his beak at Max, mocking him.
Lucas fed the candy to Icarus and then checked his menu to see what happened. Instead of a level-up, Icarus received ten thousand experience points, which disappointed him. Although the amount was sufficient to level up Icarus at his current level, it would be insufficient once he reached a level higher than twenty. The only benefit was that he didn't have to worry about wasting the candy because experience points were far more versatile than level-ups.
"It's still an incredible item," Lucas murmured. He immediately spent Icarus' experience points, raising his level to sixteen.
"Kid!" Max sighed, clearly disappointed.
"You will get the next one," Lucas promised, patting Max on the head.
Then a thought struck him. Could he eat the candy and gain experience points as well? It was a nice idea, but because of the way the System worked, he earned more experience points than his Pokemon overall.
He harvested the mushrooms before leaving. He used his gloves because it was another ingredient he didn't recognise. Lucas reminded himself to look for a book on plants found in the Viridian City area when he returned.
Lucas returned to the main tunnel and proceeded forward. The arrow was still pointing straight ahead of him. A number beneath the arrow indicated the remaining distance to the Dratini, which showed he didn't have much longer to go. Because he didn't know what else was in store for him, he double-checked his Pokemon's condition before continuing. A few moments later, he hit a dead end. The arrow was pointing directly through the solid rock in front of him.
"Now, what am I supposed to do?" Lucas kicked the wall in frustration. "Ouch!"
He bent down to examine his injured ankle, which he had injured due to his foolishness. As he did so, he felt a gentle breeze brush against his hands. Curiosity piqued, he directed the light to the side of the tunnel and discovered a small, narrow crawl space. There appeared to be just enough room for him to crawl through. Could this be the route that would lead him to the Dratini?
"Kid!" Max pointed to the hole before pointing at himself.
"If you want to go first, I'm not going to argue," Lucas said. "I'll be right behind you."
Lucas and Icarus followed Max into the crawl space. He scowled as he crawled through a layer of water on the ground, soaking his clothes. Fortunately, the crawl space was relatively short, spanning only ten feet before opening into a new tunnel that ran alongside the previous one. Could this tunnel serve as another means of leaving the cave?
The Dratini was in the opposite direction, so he followed the tunnel further down. A familiar blue moss on the walls illuminated his way. The tunnel gradually curved to the right as he continued along it. He soon came to a point where the tunnel opened up into a large cavern ahead of him.
Lucas approached the entrance to the cavern, turning off his torch and making as little noise as possible. The scene that awaited him was nothing short of breathtaking. It was similar to the first cavern he had explored, albeit on a larger scale. Instead of a pool of water, he found himself staring at a large pond. A tiny island was nestled in its heart, surrounded by lush green foliage and vibrant orange flowers. On the outskirts of the cavern surrounding the pool, there were several raised rock shelves, as well as an abundance of moss hanging from the walls and ceilings.
After calculating the remaining distance to Dratini's location, he concluded that it had to be on the island. The only problem he had was figuring out how to get to the island. The water was murky, making it impossible to see anything more than a few feet below the surface. He didn't want to take the chance of encountering a Pokemon lurking in its depths.
"Pidgey!" Icarus raised a wing and pointed off to the right.
Lucas discovered a Pokemon on one of the rock shelves, exactly where Icasrus was pointing.
Species: Quagsire
Level: 28
Condition: Perfect
Threat Level: Intermediate
"Dammit," Lucas cursed. He was sure the Pokemon would notice him if he went any further into the cavern. There was also a chance it had already noticed him. Furthermore, the cavern was large enough that there could be more Pokemon that he couldn't see, besides any Pokemon lurking in the water.
"Pidgey!" Icarus launched himself off Lucas' shoulder and flew towards the island.
"Icarus!" Lucas hissed, but his voice was too low for the Pokemon to hear him.
Icarus landed on the island and clacked his beak at something hidden from Lucas' sight. A head poked up and looked at Icarus with interest. The two Pokemon appeared to be speaking to each other, and Icarus waved its wings as if emphasising its point. Dratini slithered out of its hiding place in the foliage, allowing Lucas a better view of it.
"Beautiful," Lucas breathed.
Dratini had a sleek, serpentine body of vibrant blue with a pristine white underside. Despite its slender physique, it measured nearly two metres in length. The most alluring aspect of Dratini, however, was its soulful purple eyes, which seemed to peer deep into one's very being.
His thoughts were interrupted when Icarus chirped, rising into the air and flying back towards him. The Dratini followed him, slipping into the water and swimming across the pond's surface. Lucas quickly retreated into the tunnel to have some privacy with the Dratini away from the other Pokemon in the cavern. This was his best opportunity to acquire a Dratini.
Icarus was the first to arrive, and he landed next to Max. Dratini appeared in the tunnel a moment later and cast a wary glance at Lucas. Lucas scanned the Pokemon with Insight as soon as it was within range and took a look at its parameters.
Species: Dratini; Dragon Pokemon
Gender: Female
Status: Wild
Favourability: -
Favourite Food: Gold Waxycap Mushroom
Condition: Perfect
Level: 17
Next: [15/100%]
Exp Cache: -
Current Level Potential Met?: Yes
Special Ability: Marvel Scale
Attack: 40
Special Attack: 41
Defence: 31
Special Defence: 30
Speed: 47
Luck: 15
Moves:
Wrap
Twister
Thunder Wave
Aqua Jet
Dragon Tail
Description: This Pokemon is full of life energy. It continually sheds its skin and grows steadily larger.
Hidden Stats
Intelligence: 8
Endurance: 6
Energy: 7
Aptitude: 8
Affinities
Normal: 12%
Water: 33%
Dragon: 37%
Thunder: 7%
Move Proficiency
Wrap: 18%
Twister: 24%
Twister: 21%
Aqua Jet: 27%
Dragon Tail: 13%
Egg Moves {Not acquired}
Dragon Breath: - Dragon Affinity: 50% required.
"Amazing," Lucas muttered.
The species certainly lived up to its name, as Dratini had incredible hidden stats. He wondered if this was typical of the species or if he had just gotten lucky with the Pokémon Search ability and found a Pokémon with exceptional potential on his first try.
Her normal stats were also nothing to scoff at, though he expected them to be slightly higher given her aptitude. On the other hand, this could be because she is a wild Pokemon who hasn't yet fully realised her potential.
Furthermore, the Pokemon had a diverse set of moves and affinities, which saved him a lot of time and effort in improving. The final evolution of this Pokemon, Dragonite, was undeniably the driving force behind his desire for it.
Something in her parameters piqued his interest. Her favourite food appeared to be very similar to the mushrooms he had recently picked, based on their appearance. Could it be the reason the Dratini chose this location as their home? Perhaps he could use it to help him catch the Dratini?
Lucas took a mushroom from his inventory and held it out to the Dratini to tempt her.
"Hey, beautiful," Lucas said. "Do you want this mushroom?"
He was well aware that he was taking a huge risk, but he was greedy. He assumed that because Dratini was more intelligent than other wild Pokemon, he wouldn't attack him right away. It was a huge assumption to make, and it could turn out to be a huge mistake. But if he could get his hands on Dratini and activate his Pokemon Friendship skill, his chances of capturing her would improve. It was only effective below level twenty, but she was at level seventeen.
Max stood close to him, keeping a close eye on Dratini as it slid along the ground towards them. Lucas held his breath as it got close enough to touch. He activated Pokemon Friendship as soon as he felt its tongue brush against his hand. Dratini devoured the mushroom. She didn't leave once she was finished, instead looking at Lucas with curiosity.
"Would you like to become my Pokemon?" Lucas asked.
Dratini tilted her head, staring at him for a moment. "Tini!'
Icarus turned to Lucas and attempted to translate for him. He pointed at Dratini, then himself, before clacking his beak.
"She wants a Pokemon battle?" Lucas asked. "That sounds reasonable. Why don't we get—"
Lucas paused as a sound caught his attention. He spun around, as the sound was coming from the tunnel further down. It sounded like rushing water.
"Tini," Dratini called out in alarm. She turned around and headed back for the cavern. His Pokemon raised the alarm a split second later.
"Run!" Lucas screamed as the rushing water became more audible. How could the tide be coming in now? There were still a few hours to go!
Icarus flew ahead, while Lucas and Max chased after him, their feet pounding against the ground. When Lucas arrived at the cavern, he wasted no time in scaling the nearest rocky ledge, unconcerned about the presence of other Pokemon nearby. Max was right next to him, making his climbing abilities look insignificant in comparison. They climbed higher and higher with each step, attempting to reach the highest point in the cavern.
A massive deluge of water flooded into the cavern, an unending torrent that threatened to submerge the entire space. Lucas watched in awe as a massive Pokemon swept into the cave on a powerful wave. At that moment, he realised he was in deep trouble.
So, what do you think? What is the Pokemon that has arrived? Will Lucas and the gang be able to escape?
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Thanks for reading.