This chapter is one of the longer ones. With that it contains a lot of plot. How? I can't tell you that. Read, review, and enjoy.
Chapter 22: City of Lights
“The…Nine?”
“They’re the top executives of CLOUD. They’ve been around the longest or have the most amount of skill. Like I said before, they’ve noticed that Team Lustrous and the Black Organization have their eyes on you.”
Back in the Pokémon Center, Piper began to question the four trainers and their connections to the two syndicates. All had told their story except Kaylie. She had been hesitant, not sure if she should let Piper know that her brother was a high ranking officer in Team Lustrous.
“So then Kaylie, were you just along for the ride?” Piper asked. “Is your connection simply because you travel with others that actually have a connection?”
“No…” Kaylie replied. “My…my…”
“Her brother infiltrated Team Lustrous before,” Jayden quickly finished, lying for her.
“Then maybe he has some intel that we can use,” Piper said. “We’ve mostly been taking stabs in the dark.”
“…he died a long time ago.” Kaylie looked down at her hands, fiddling with them above the table. A single tear fell out of her eye, hitting her palm. “My brother can’t help me anymore.”
With a sigh, Piper stood up, nodding to the trainers. “Well if you would like to join us in our fight then you’ll have to meet with the Nine. They’ll be at the battle tournament tomorrow, observing and looking for anyone they think may be able to help. You won’t need to participate, but it might help so they’ll know where to place you.”
“We’ll be there,” said Lorin with a smile.
“Then I’ll see you guys there.” With a wave, Piper exited the Pokémon Center, carefully looking around her as she walked out.
All four trainers stood up, Jayden sighing as he approached the counter. Nurse Joy appeared from the back, the standard smile on her face.
“How do I sign up for that tournament?” Jayden asked.
“You can sign up right here,” Nurse Joy answered happily. “The tournament is being in the downtown district of the city. The line for the sign in will be ridiculous so we have entry forms here. You just need to write down your name and three Pokémon that you will be entering.”
Grabbing four sign up papers, Jayden walked back to the counter and passed them out. Both Jayden and Kaylie quickly began writing down the necessary information while Hope and Lorin looked at the paper confused.
“Why did you give me a signup sheet?” Hope asked. “I only have one Pokémon.”
“You find out a lot of things while you’re away,” Jayden said, still writing. “Isn’t that right Sinnoh Task Force agent Hope? I know you’ve been hiding some strong Pokémon from us.”
“Wha…what are you talking about?” Hope stuttered, shocked by Jayden’s claim. “Noctowl is my only Pokémon. You know that. How long have I been traveling with you?”
Looking up, Jayden chuckled and pointed at Hope’s belt. Five Poké Balls hung from her waist. With a chuckle he continued to write on his signup sheet, whistling as he finished it. He turned back to Hope, placing the pen in his pocket.
“You claim to have one Pokémon.” Jayden placed his piece of paper back on the counter, giving Nurse Joy a quick smile. “Yet you carry more than three Poké Balls on your waist. Now you could say that they’re empty, but why would you only have four extra Poké Balls? No one has carried empty Poké Balls on their waist for over fifty years. Now come clean.”
“…I…I have no idea what you’re saying.” Hope looked away, biting her lip.
Lorin sighed, shrugging his shoulders. Writing down his name on the paper, Lorin looked at Jayden and smiled. “Well Hope, I don’t know if you’re really a Task Force member, but Jayden seems pretty sure about it,” he said, “but that also means that Team Lustrous could have figured it out. Assuming that it’s true that is.”
Hope stayed silent, still staring at the ground. Her fingers lightly grazed the top of one of the Poké Balls at her waist. After a sigh, she finally looked up, staring into Jayden’s eyes.
“How did you find out?” Hope asked.
“Around Ecruteak there were a few Task Force members,” Jayden explained. “They couldn’t say much, but they let me know that the Task Force had been present in Johto for quite some time, carefully watching the Black Organization.”
“That doesn’t exactly say she’s one of them though,” said Kaylie, placing her sheet on the counter as well.
“That by itself doesn’t, but then they told me they ran into trouble when one of their members had been captured by Team Lustrous. They sent a member after them, to find out what happened. I lined the dates up and the day we met you in the café was about three days after they sent their person after them.”
Hope chuckled, filling out the entry form. “Well, you are right about one thing. I do have more than one Pokémon, but I am not a member of the Task Force. They asked me to join repeatedly after my brother had, but I had other plans. I was going to travel the world and capture so many Pokémon. After my brother disappeared they let me in on all their information. We’re only associates, not team members.”
After placing her sheet on the counter, Hope walked towards the elevator, pushing the up button. Looking back, she motioned for them to follow. Once they had a room checked out they headed up to the fifth floor, placing their bags on a bed before laying down to rest.
“…do you guys think we’ll be able to rescue my brother here?” Hope asked once she turned off the lights.
“For sure,” Jayden answered confidently. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“It’s just…last time didn’t go over so well,” Hope admitted.
“We’ve gotten stronger,” said Kaylie. “On top of that we have another person to help out. With the four of us there is no way we’ll lose to them.”
“It’ll be a cake walk,” Lorin told her. “Let’s just get some rest. The tournament is tomorrow after all.”
----------------------------------------------------------
“…aaannnnddddd welcome to the West City Annual battle tournament! This is the forty-seventh year in which this tournament has been held! Today we will see some amazing battles from trainers all over the region! The number one battler today will receive this wonderful ribbon!”
In the downtown district of West City was a large dome. Thunderous roars of applause erupted from the open top. Lines in front of the entrance stretched as far as three blocks, each person buzzing with excitement. Inside the dome was a large battlefield, appearing exactly the same as the ones located in the gyms. The spectator stands surrounded the field, going up to fourteen rows. A large screen hung over the middle of the arena, projecting the field so anyone high up could witness the battle.
“…and that’s two down!” the announcer shouted into his microphone. “Donny only has one Pokémon left while Celeste still has three!”
“Looks like I’m up next,” said Hope, standing in the doorway to the field. “Wish me luck.”
Walking past with his head hung was Donny, the boy who was swept in his match against a girl named Celeste. He made a groaning noise before slunking off to the bathroom. Celeste, a short girl with blonde hair, bounced to the group of four trainers, a large smile on her face. She saw Lorin and her eyes lit up, small giggles coming out.
“Did you see my battle?” she asked in her squeaky voice. “I was awesome right?”
“You were great,” Lorin said, giving her a thumb up.
Celeste suddenly turned a shade of pink, her words sputtering out as gibberish as she stared at Lorin. Hiding her face, she waved to them as she ran off, giggling all the way down the hall. Taking in a small breath, Hope walked out to the field, her opponent already on the opposite side. The announcer, wearing a bright orange suit and pink bowtie, suddenly appeared on the side of the field.
“Now it’s time for the third match!” he yelled, his voice echoing throughout the arena. “It’s Hope versus Serena! You know the rules; three on three! No substitutes! Battle begin!”
Serena, a girl of about Hope’s height, smiled confidently as she stared across the field. Both of the girls drew their Poké Balls, launching them onto the field.
“Quagsire appear!” Serena shouted.
“Noctowl, rise!” yelled Hope.
In a brilliant flash of light, Noctowl emerged from his Poké Ball, quickly circling the field, hovering above Hope. On Serena’s side appeared a light blue bipedal Pokémon. It had a broad head, its small eyes placed near the center. Thumping its tail, the creature smirked, carefully watching the flying Noctowl.
“Quagsire, Hydro Pump,” Serena commanded.
Jumping back, Quagsire took aim at Noctowl, sucking in a large amount of breath. When he blew out, a large stream of water shot out, rocketing towards Noctowl. Easily dodging it, Noctowl quickly flew towards the Water type. When he was a few inches away from Quagsire, he flapped his wings, shockwaves coming out and hitting Quagsire all over. The Water Fish Pokémon stumbled backwards, surprised by the attack.
“Looks like Hope is off to a good start,” commented Jayden as he entered the waiting room with Kaylie and Lorin. Inside the room were televisions displaying the current match as well as couches and tables for the waiting trainers to sit at. Besides the three that just entered, there were eleven other trainers in the room.
“You three must be with the four that signed up late right?” one of the trainers, a man of about twenty, asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” another man asked.
Both of the men wore black suits with black ties. Their shoes, also black, were so shiny that a reflection could be seen in them. Their brown hair was slightly slicked down, being spiky in the back.
“Yeah we are,” Jayden answered. “We didn’t even get into town until yesterday. A friend recommended that we check it out.”
“If you can call Alexander a friend,” Lorin said under his breath, a jab from Kaylie’s elbow soon following.
Two girls, a tall one and short one walked up to them, their hands held out. “We wish you luck in your fight,” the tall one said, shaking hands with Jayden.
“Everyone here is preparing for the Silver Conference so it’s bound to get ugly,” the short one told them, her hand left hanging.
“That’s good to know,” Kaylie said. “At least this won’t be a walk in the park.”
“Not after you find out what we have in store…” a man in a corner muttered, not audible to the others.
After a loud cheer, the trainers turned their attention to the television. On the display it showed Quagsire on the ground, Noctowl slowly descending above him. A red beam of light sucked Quagsire back to his trainer, the girl scowling. Tossing another ball into the air, a large rat emerged, landing with a loud thud.
“And next Serena sends in Raticate,” yelled the announcer. “How will Noctowl fare here?”
“Show them Confusion,” ordered Hope.
Noctowl’s eyes began to glow light blue, a light blue aura surrounding Raticate. The rodent was lifted into the air about ten feet before being dropped. Hitting the floor hard, the Normal Type jumped back up, shaking the damage off.
“She won’t be taken out by just a fall,” Serena told Hope. “Hyper Fang!”
Baring her fangs, Raticate charged Noctowl. Leaping into the air, the rat bit into Noctowl’s wing her teeth sinking into his feathers. The bird let out a screech, throwing Raticate off instantly. Landing on the field, Noctowl turned his head at Raticate, trying to figure out her next attack pattern.
“That Hyper Fang might have taken out all of Noctowl’s aerial moves!” the announcer shouted, saliva flying out of his mouth.
“Now use Take Down!” commanded Serena.
Once again, Raticate charged Noctowl, this time much faster. Crashing into the bird, Raticate threw her full force behind the tackle, sending Noctowl spiraling back to Hope. Her Pokémon lay at her feet unconscious. Another thunderous roar of applause came from the crowd, some even chanting Serena’s name. Hope quickly recalled Noctowl, swapping his Poké Ball for another.
“I haven’t used you in a while, but please work with me,” Hope whispered to the Poké Ball. “Empoleon, rise!”
“What the hell is that thing?!” Jayden asked, stunned by the large Pokémon that appeared from Hope’s Poké Ball.
Standing in front of Hope was what appeared to be a large penguin. A golden trident head was placed in front of its face, his feathers a dark blue. Lifting his fins in the air, he let out an ear splitting roar. Looking back at Hope, the Pokémon smirked. After looking across the field at his opponent, Empoleon began to laugh, taking a seat on the ground.
“That’s an Empoleon,” another trainer in the waiting room said, staring at it in awe. Walking to the television, she touched it softly, running her finger along Empoleon’s outline. “It’s the final form of a starter Pokémon from Sinnoh. It’s a dual Water/Steel Pokémon.”
“Show her a real Hydro Pump,” Hope told Empoleon, the same smirk her Pokémon had now on her face.
After a few seconds of sitting down, Empoleon jumped up nearly five feet in the air. Opening his beak, the same stream of water that Quagsire launched came from him. The only difference being that Empoleon’s was just about five times bigger. The impact from the water knocked Raticate off the field and into the wall just below the stands. Sliding down to the ground, Raticate didn’t move, her whiskers drooping.
“With just one attack Raticate has her world rocked by Empoleon!” the announcer commented, saliva now almost covering his hand. “How can Serena get past this powerhouse?!”
“I hope I don’t face Hope,” Jayden said, laughing nervously. “Her Empoleon is wicked strong.”
Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard in the distance, smoke rising into the sky. The cheering stopped, everyone turning their attention to the city. A few seconds after the explosion a low rumbling started, slowly getting louder. Soon, the whole arena was shaking as if an earthquake was tearing it apart. The hanging lights in the hallways shook back and forth, people screamed as they ran for their lives, people tripped and fell down the stairs or were trampled by the others.
“What’s going on?!” Jayden shouted as all the trainers in the waiting room fell to the ground.
“UGH! No idea,” Kaylie answered, narrowly avoiding a sliding couch.
“We’ve got to get out of here!” Lorin said, jumping towards the door.
Once he threw it open, all the trainers ran out, running to the nearest exit. Many people crowded the streets, screaming as they ran for their lives. Looking into the sky, Jayden pointed to the smoke, a large cloud heading up into the atmosphere.
“There,” he said. “It looks like Team Lustrous couldn’t wait for the end of the tournament.”
“We have to go there,” Kaylie told them. “What if they have Hope’s brother?”
“Alexander hasn’t lied to us before so I don’t see why he would now.” Jayden drew a Pokéball. Tossing it into the air, the ball cracked opening, releasing a large black and yellow wasp. Instead of having arms it had two large stingers. “Beedrill, we’re going to need your help. Fly to that smoke and make an L in it if you see guys in white.”
The wasp buzzed before flying off in the direction of the smoke. Lorin began to cough heavily, small amounts of liquid spilling out of his mouth. Wiping his chin, he nodded at his friends before they ran into the large crowd of people, trying to make their way to the smoke.
“Look!” Lorin shouted after they had been running for five minutes.
To the side of the smoke was a tiny flying Pokémon, diving in and out of the cloud. Slowly, the shape of an L was formed. Beedrill flew back down to his trainer, buzzing hard. Jayden recalled him, gritting his teeth.
“It’s time we get Hope’s brother back!” Jayden said, his eyebrows arching.
“You can’t go any farther,” a voice said from above.
Crashing down in front of them was a large man in a white robe, the classic Team Lustrous uniform. On his chest was a large medal with a star in the middle. His blonde Mohawk lay flat on one side. The trainers slid to a halt, the man towering over them.
“I can’t let you ruin Master Aeolus’ plan,” he told them, his voice deep and booming.
“What exactly is that?” Lorin asked, placing his hand on a Poké Ball.
“If I told you that it would ruin the surprise.” The man laughed at them, drawing his own Poké Ball. “Go on. Draw your Poké Balls! We fight!”
Emerging from the ball in his hand, a large bull appeared. Whipping its two tails, it lowered its head, its horns pointing straight at Lorin, Kaylie, and Jayden. Each one tossed a Poké Ball into the air, sending out Croconaw, Cyndaquil, and Charmeleon.
“Your puny Pokémon won’t stand a chance against my Tauros!” the man shouted. “Horn Attack!”
Charging the three opposing Pokémon, Tauros swung his head all over, attempting to hit one of his targets. Cyndaquil slid under him while Croconaw and Charmeleon jumped to the side. Once she was completely behind him, Cyndaquil released a barrage of fireballs, each hitting Tauros in the back. Turning around, Tauros snorted, seemingly taking no damage.
“Croconaw, Water Gun!” Kaylie shouted.
“Charmeleon, Metal Claw!” yelled Lorin.
Slowly backing up, Cyndaquil jumped away when Tauros charged her. Releasing a stream of water, Croconaw hit Tauros in the face, momentarily blinding him. Charmeleon slid in close, his claws a silver color. Slashing at his belly, Charmeleon flipped backwards, a smirk on his face. Tauros roared into the sky, shaking the water off.
“Did those attacks do anything?!” Jayden wondered.
“Crush these weaklings!” the man yelled. “Stomp each one of them!”
Jumping into the air, Tauros came down like a rock, landing on top of Charmeleon. The breath instantly left the Fire type, a shocked look on his face. Croconaw and Cyndaquil jumped back, each one firing another attack. Jumping back into the air, Tauros avoided the attack, causing the Pokémon to hit each other instead. Cyndaquil screamed as she rolled backwards, the water doing a significant amount of damage.
“Damn!” Jayden cursed. “We have to figure out some way to beat this guy. It doesn’t look like his Tauros is taking any damage at all!”
“I think I have an idea,” said Lorin. “It looks like he’s not taking any damage, but we all know that’s not the case. He’s trained his Pokémon to have a high pain tolerance. If we can damage him enough then his body will shut down and render him unable to battle.”
“We should go for the legs first,” Kaylie suggested.
“Cyndaquil, use Ember now!” Jayden shouted.
Slowly getting back up, Cyndaquil ignited the fire on her back once more, the flame burning much more intensely. Releasing a barrage of fireballs, Cyndaquil soon turned it into a stream of fire. Jumping above both attacks, Tauros landed on the street hard, slightly cracking it. Just as he landed, Charmeleon slid in front of him, slashing at his legs. Once he was cut, Tauros jumped back, shocked by the quick movement of Charmeleon. Not letting him breathe for a second, Croconaw unleashed a stream of water onto the bull. The water hit him in the knees, knocking him to the ground.
“That’s the way,” Jayden cheered.
“I don’t think so!” the man shouted.
Tauros jumped back to his feet just as he hit the ground, panting heavily. All three of the opposing Pokémon were breathing heavily as well, their movements slowed. Observing all three, the man’s eyes fell on Croconaw, noticing his breathing being the heaviest.
“Tauros, take out that Croconaw!” he said. “Hit him with Take Down!”
Tauros galloped towards Croconaw, full force behind him. Jumping at his opponent, Tauros lowered his head, his horns barely missing Croconaw as the latter jumped to the side, stumbling as he landed. As he fell, Charmeleon and Cyndaquil fired a stream of fire which covered the Normal type. Croconaw regained his balance and fired his own elemental stream. Tauros lay on the ground defeated, unable to move.
“Now hit him with Flame Wheel!” Jayden shouted as he pointed at the man.
“Take him down with Headbutt!” Kaylie yelled.
Both Croconaw and Cyndaquil regained their breath before dashing towards the man. Flipping in the air, the flame on Cyndaquil’s back engulfed her as she spun towards the man. With a side step he quickly avoided Cyndaquil, but was met with Croconaw’s skull in his gut. Saliva splattered out of his mouth as the man fell back to the ground, clenching his stomach.
“Let’s go,” Lorin said, dashing past the man.
Kaylie and Jayden soon followed with their Pokémon right behind them. An explosion sounded a few feet from them, rubble and dust flying everywhere. The force from it knocked Lorin off his feet, slamming him into a crumbled building. His two friends stopped abruptly, running to his side.
“I’m fine,” he told them, jumping back to his feet. Letting out a groan of pain, he spat on the ground before wiping his chin. “These fools think they can throw Lorin around? Well they’ve got another thing coming!”
Continuing toward the smoke, several figures came into view, all standing atop a small building in front of the smoke cloud. They all wore a different version of the Team Lustrous uniform, seeming much more classy and fancy. Some had chains connecting each side of the hood, the chain hanging on their chest. Coming to halt, Lorin, Kaylie, and Jayden looked up at them, scowling. Sticking close to their trainers, the Pokémon watched all of them carefully, ready to attack on command.
“This is the farthest you will go,” a woman said, stepping to the edge of the building. “Team Lustrous would like to ask you to please surrender.”
“You reckon they’ll just give up all easy like?” a man asked, a toothpick in his mouth. He bent over, peering at the trainers. “We’re gunna need to use force. There are seven of us an’ only three of them. It’ll be easy I reckon.”
Each one of them drew a Poké Ball before jumping down, all of them landing with a soft thud. The woman who spoke stepped forward, holding her Poké Ball as if she held a diamond in her white gloved hands. The three trainers backed up, but were soon surrounded. They all had a smirk on their face, some even chuckling.
“It’s time for you to battle,” the woman said.
“We can’t battle these people,” Kaylie whispered to the other two.
“Why not?” Jayden whispered back.
“Because you moron they’re Pokémon are going to be insanely strong!” Kaylie told him. “We have to figure a way out of here and fast.”
“But what about Hope’s brother?” Lorin asked quietly, carefully watching the Team Lustrous members.
“Yeah we can’t just leave him here.” Jayden gritted his teeth, tensing up as the woman approached them.
Cyndaquil jumped in between her and Jayden, her fire burning brightly. Laughing a little, the woman stepped around Cyndaquil, grabbing Jayden by the face, pulling him away from his friends. Unleashing a barrage of fireballs, Cyndaquil jumped at the woman. To her surprise, and dismay, the woman pulled Jayden in front of her, the fireballs hitting him in the back. The boy let out a scream of pain, his legs giving out. The woman grabbed his face once more, this time looking at him closely.
“Just as I thought,” she said.
“What is it Doris?” one of the men asked.
“This is Lillian’s boy,” Doris announced. “He looks just like her.”
Picking him up by the face, the woman named Doris tossed Jayden back to his friends like a rag doll, hardly exerting any strength. Scrambling to his feet, Jayden rubbed his face, slight red marks on it. Cyndaquil rubbed her head against his legs, whining a bit in an attempt to apologize for hitting him.
“I can’t have you hurt Cyndaquil. Sit this one out.” Recalling his starter, Jayden pulled out another Poké Ball, gripping it tightly. Soon, Kaylie and Lorin followed suit, deciding that their current Pokémon needed to rest. “The only choice we have is to fight. If we stick together than we can make it!”
“Don’t go makin’ death wishes boyo,” a voice said from behind them.
In the street not too far from them stood an old man with a wooden cane in his hand. He had the largest smile on his face, his gold tooth shining in the sunlight. Behind him were nine other figures, the rays of sunlight distorting their features. They were all clad in grey blazers, minus one of them. The one in different attire rushed forward, an orb like object in hand. When they got close enough, Kaylie’s face lit up.
“It’s Hope!” she yelled as the girl skidded to a stop in front of the circle Team Lustrous had formed.
“Just you wait guys,” Hope told them. “I’m going to get you out of this mess and then we can save my brother!”
“Not just you girly,” the old man said. “You have CLOUD’s Nine backing you.”
“What has Team Lustrous done to deserve so much attention?” Doris asked, chuckling as she backed up. “First the Black Organization, then these children, and now CLOUD. I knew we were popular but this…”
“Team Lustrous, you have taken my brother Sam against his will and I’m here to tell you to release him!” Hope demanded.
“You mean Sam Prescott?” the man from earlier asked. “You reckon that we made ‘im come against his will?”
“That’s not how Team Lustrous works,” another woman said, laughing hysterically.
“You either want to join us or we blow you off the map,” Doris explained. “We approached Sam about joining us and let’s just say that he’s still walking this Earth.”
A look of terror took over Hope’s face, her once defiant and ambitious nature vanishing into thin air. Her arm fell to her side, the Poké Ball falling to the ground. “He wouldn’t…he’s not like that…YOU’RE LYING!”
“I’m not a liar,” Doris told her, shaking her head. “Your brother joined us of his own accord. He saw that we were going to be able to show him things he’d never have known if he stayed a simple researcher.”
Falling to her knees, tears came to Hope’s eyes. Her worst fear had been realized. The goal that she was dead set on accomplishing was a lie. Now she had nothing…now she was nothing…
“Get up Hope!” Jayden shouted. “Even if your brother did join with these guys we still have to stop them! They’ve hurt you, Lorin, Kaylie, me, and countless other people! We can’t just let them get away with that! Stand up and fight!”
Jayden’s words reverberated inside Hope’s head, shaking her feeling of uselessness off. Jumping back to her feet, Hope grabbed her Poké Ball and launched it, tears of sadness flowing out of her eyes. Empoleon emerged from the ball, roaring as he landed on the ground.
“That little girl has an Empoleon,” the man with a tooth pick said. “I wonder if she even knows how to handle a beast like that.”
“Now’s not the time Phil. It’s time to initiate the plan,” Doris said, enlarging a Poké Ball. “Let the light envelop this city!”
Each one of the Team Lustrous members drew a bright white Poké Ball tossing them into the air. Light spilled out of them, forming an assortment of creatures. One resembled a large grey dog while another appeared as a small black fox. Jayden launched his Poké Ball forward, Pidegeotto bursting from the light. Out from Kaylie’s Poké Ball came her Aipom while Lorin released a small pink sheep.
“It’s begun,” the old man whispered as he and the other eight from CLOUD drew their own Poké Balls. “Let the war begin…”