Finally my life is back to normal. Hope everyone enjoys
Chapter 17
“Absolutely?” Shelton asked.
“Will you please just let it go?” Dorian begged.
“Oh come on, please humor me. Do you actually know the literal definition of the word?” Shelton challenged.
“You know what, when we land in Orre I’ll let you crucify me for getting you a little wet. Somehow though, like always, I doubt that will be good enough.”
“For example, if I ask you if you can outrun an approaching thunderstorm and you say absolutely, to me that means that you’re completely and utterly positive you can. If you have even a hint of doubt, you shouldn’t use that word; because it makes me people think you actually know what the hell you’re doing. Do you know what happens to hair that’s been sprayed with hairspray then immediately has water dumped on it?”
“Just, I don’t know, wet down your hair and run a comb through it,” Dorian suggested.
“Thanks for the suggestion Dorian; I’m really surprised I didn’t think of that. I ABSOLUTELY appreciate your input,” Shelton hissed, rising from her seat and inching towards the back of the plane.
She crossed the narrow aisle past snoring elderly and screaming children with her head held low to avoid the embarrassment of people thinking Medusa had somehow boarded the plane. Shelton quickly closed the door to the bathroom behind her and let out an exasperated sigh. The whining of the jetliner steadily and slightly vibrated the mirror as she flipped on the light and took a long look at herself. Polished metal gleamed all around her, from the hoops in her ears to the toilet and sink in front of her. The silver of the room bathed her skin in a pleasant glow that made her think that it wasn't as bad as she thought. Sure, her hair had turned brittle with the copious amounts of hairspray mixed with the drenching downpour they went through on the way to Cerulean. Sure, her makeup had run down her face until she looked like a Zigzagoon. People had looked at her like she was some sort of side show clown when she and Dorian had checked into Cerulean International.
As she tried her best to wipe away the ruined eyeliner and plaster down the erect portions of her hair, she attempted to assure herself that she wasn't being stuck-up. As a struggling trainer who had challenged two different regions, Shelton was no stranger to camping for days without a shower or shaving her legs. Hell, for almost a week she lived without a toothbrush after an unfortunate encounter with a monstrously pissed-off Macargo. She had just spent so much time this morning trying to look nice that it angered her that an hour’s worth of work could be completely ruined by a little water. Well, the word flood was more appropriate. She and Dorian had only been thirty minutes outside Cerulean when the thunderstorm that had been following them for an hour finally caught up. How he managed to keep the motorcycle on the road through that was beyond her. Maybe she was being too hard on him.
As soon as that thought crossed her mind she always tried to physically slap the thought out. She knew she was being too hard on him, but he needed and deserved it. Her brother just straight up did not think ninety percent of the time. It wasn't enough that she took care of the finances, the house work, the yard work, but now she had been forced to go along with him across the world to make sure he didn't do anything to get himself killed. She was two years younger than him and now that they were in their twenties she still had to be his babysitter. Well, that wasn't quite correct either. Dorian hadn't made her come along, in fact; he had been quite content to go without her. She knew a small part of her wanted to rip Ethan’s head from his shoulders, but a larger part had no idea of what to do. Ronnie had been all she had besides Dorian and her Pokemon, and now she had a hole in her that couldn't be filled. Her own parents had died on the day of her birth, and as much as she wanted to feel love for them she couldn't. She genuinely smiled at the pictures she had of them, and marveled at the stories Ronnie use to tell of her parents. She didn't feel the love for them like she did for Ronnie and Dorian. Maybe that made her cold hearted, maybe it just made her more of a realist for caring for what was real instead of the memory of what was.
“Absolutely,” Shelton said while giving herself a smile.
Things would make sense after they found Ethan Bernard, or at least she hoped they would. Removing a hair band from her wrist she gathered up her hair the best she could and pulled it into a bun, finally crossing over to the realm of where she didn’t care what she looked like anymore. The floor of the plane shook spastically for a moment as she reached for the door, which in turn made her check her phone. Two hours left and they’d land in Phenac. After that they’d check in to their hotel and see if Dorian’s little vision or whatever was actually real.
“Feeling better?” Dorian asked as she plopped down into the seat next to him.
“Yes, no thanks to you,” Shelton said with a sneer.
“Well, that’s one way to treat people. Anyway, the flight attendant stopped by while you were gone and told me there hadn’t been any problems with The Box.”
“Good, now let’s not talk about it anymore. It freaks me out that they’re just hanging around like that underneath us,” Shelton admitted.
“Agreed.”
Ever since the Air Kanto flight of 1991, trainers all over the world dreaded flying with their Pokemon in tow. That particular flight had made lasting implications for trainers traveling abroad that most now accepted as a necessary precaution. The incident that sparked the new laws implemented by the various continental governments had come at a tragic cost; the lives of 274 humans and sixty Pokemon to be exact. From what the FAA gleaned from the frantic calls made by the pilot, somewhere about halfway through the flight an elderly man accidentally released his Magmar into the cabin. The Pokemon promptly had a panic attack when it realized how high up he and his trainer were and unintentionally loosed several jets of flame. Though the Magmar had been returned to its pokeball almost immediately, the damage had been done and the flaming remains of the plane had crashed to the ground outside Pallet Town. That incident, combined with Unovan terrorists using Pokemon to try and hijack a plane out of Nimbasa City a month later led to new rules governing Pokemon transportation.
All Pokemon traveling with trainers from then on were remanded to travel in the cargo hold in a special device known as, ‘The Box’. Upon check-in, all Pokemon were returned to their balls and registered with that particular flight. Trainer’s submitted identification, and their Pokemon were stored in a special cube in the cargo area. The device underwent months of redesign before the final model was released to the various governments. Equipped with an electrical current running throughout that temporarily shorted out the pokeball’s ability to be opened, a transmitter that continuously broadcasted its location from anywhere on the planet, surrounded with enough armor plating to put a tank to shame, and six parachutes that opened automatically if the box had to be ejected, the risk of another of either incident was hard pressed to occur again. An extra crew member was added to all flights to watch The Box from a live feed inside the cockpit; and given the task of ejecting the device in instances of extreme life threatening jeopardy.
“What do you want to do when we get to Phenac?” Dorian asked.
“Sleep,” Shelton responded. “And if you’re thinking of talking about the reason why we’re going to Orre on a crowded plane, I’ll make sure you’re unconscious for the rest of the flight.”
“You’re certainly a bundle of joy today,” Dorian said with a roll of his eyes.
“Oh shut up,” Shelton said, reaching over and shutting the plastic curtain of his window.
Wrapping both her arms around his left she leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. “Wake me when we get there.”
The last thought she had before she drifted off was of Golduck.
********
“Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey,” Dorian cooed.
“Ugghhmufas,” Shelton replied, using her left arm to shield her eyes from the sunlight.
“Oh get up, we’re landing.”
As if the plane was confirming his statement, an almighty screeching filled the cabin as the plane touched down on the tarmac. The landscape outside slowly became visible as the plane slowed down, revealing an ocean of orange and red. It wasn’t as desolate as she imagined though, there were several patches of rolling green and shocking pink; along with splashes of brown trees and sparkling water. Whether this was just the natural décor that surrounded Phenac City’s mantra of being a desert oasis, or this was the fruit of Orre’s government’s attempts to revitalize the harsh landscape with their ‘re-greening’ undertaking, Shelton didn’t know. Regardless of which it was, the result was gorgeous to behold.
“You ready for this?” Dorian asked, absentmindedly bobbing up and down.
“What’s wrong with you? You look like you’re on your way to space camp. Chill out, we still have another hour of customs to go through, the Pokemon to collect, the hotel to check in to, and I’m hungry.”
“Fine, mother. It is kind of exciting though, right? We’re one step closer to finding him.”
Shelton felt something inside her mind give in slightly, and when she spoke she did it with a smile. “Yeah, it is.”
The plane began its slow and deliberate turn towards the terminal with the boarded passengers beginning their usual routine of wondering how fast they could circumvent the other passengers and get to the door. Bags were retrieved from the overhead bins, courtesy nods were thrown, and people shuffled as politely as possible towards the door at the front. Since she and Dorian were seated at the rear of the plane they silently agreed to just wait until everyone had disembarked before following suit. They both got the expected smile and curtsy from the flight attendant as they stepped through the door and down the stairs to the ground below.
The first thing Shelton noticed was that the air was dry and thin, almost suspiciously so. She wolfed down deep gulps of air and found to her surprise that Dorian was doing the same as well. After breathing in the same recycled air from the plane for the last twelve hours their lungs were unaccustomed to the actual thing. It wasn’t just that though, the air was different from what she had grown up with in Kanto and later Johto. There the air had at the very least a hint of moisture at all times. It wasn’t as hot as she imagined it would be either. Surely the temperature was approaching the upper nineties, but it felt almost cool against her skin as she and Dorian followed the waving employees towards customs at the far side of the tarmac.
“Orre’s pretty liberal about incoming I’ve heard. I say we’re through in twenty minutes,” Dorian said.
“Bet you fifty credits the wait is over forty-five,” Shelton dared.
“You’re on,” Dorian grinned.
After more than an hour wait to get through customs, and another thirty minutes to collect their bags and retrieve their Pokemon, Dorian angrily handed over the money he had bet. Finally, they we’re back in the bright sunlight and waiting in line for the taxi service in front of the main terminal. Dorian had released Vibrava, who had settled down to the ground to people watch after taking a few laps around the roof. After they hailed a cab and loaded their bags they climbed inside and attempted to endure a twenty minute ride towards Phenac with the driver who seemed to have no greater pleasure in life than to complain about the problems that foreigners brought to his region. About ten minutes into it though Dorian had sarcastically made some comment about the driver’s possible ancestry and how they were the only reason he had a job at the moment, which not surprisingly landed them both on the side of the road with their bags piled neatly beside them.
“Are you capable of not being a smartass?” Shelton honestly asked.
“Oh come on, the guy was being a moron. I’m not going to sit there and listen to him complain about how underdeveloped my region is when he can barely articulate words that have more than three syllables,” he replied.
“Granted. But did you have to suggest his ancestry had some Snorlax mixed in?”
“Probably not, but it was pretty inspired, right?”
“Definitely Dorian, and believe me, despite the looks of utter hate I may give you, it was completely worth us being thrown out on our
ass in the middle of the desert,” Shelton said dryly.
“For some reason I think you might be being sarcastic.”
“I’d probably stick with that idea for awhile, you might be onto something.”
It was almost thirty minutes later before they were able to catch another taxi. The rest of the ride was thankfully uneventful, in part because she had threatened Dorian with serious bodily harm if he opened his mouth for anything except breathing. As the cab entered the outskirts of the city, the thought of hitting him with something very heavy vanished.
If the area outside the airport had been gorgeous, the actual city of Phenac was easily a step above. Streams of sparkling water randomly leapt from fountain to fountain in the shade of lightly billowing palms. Sunlight glinted off the white marbled buildings and streets in such a way that it inspired thoughts of cleanliness and well-being. People walked freely across intersections and sidewalks, all with a pace that seemed lethargic and content. As their taxi slowed to a halt in front of their hotel Shelton thought she glimpsed the gargantuan top of the scarlet bazaar at the edge of the city.
“Thank you,” Shelton said as she paid the driver.
“My pleasure, little lady,” the driver said with a smile.
Removing two pokeballs from the holster on her hip she released Machoke and Shuppet. The Pokemon had completely different reactions upon being released. Whereas Shuppet joyously rocketed into the sky, cackling loudly and spinning around, Machoke stayed rooted to the spot. After a few moments of stillness and frantically looking left and right, Machoke spied Shelton and quickly lumbered over where he crouched down and slid both arms around her waist.
“Oh come on honey,” Shelton giggled, shaking him off. “You’re almost seven feet tall now; nothing is going to mess with you.”
“Besides, Vibrava’s got your back,” Dorian added.
“Bravaaaa,” the diminutive dragon agreed.
“Do me a favor and grab the bags for me, okay sweetie?” Shelton asked.
After taking a steadying breath, Machoke acquiesced and followed them up the steps. Inside, trainers and tourists alike lounged in strategically place leather sectionals surrounding the reception desk. The owned Pokemon inside were generally of the smaller variety and almost all of them stopped what they were doing to stare at Machoke’s impressive stature.
“May I help you?” The receptionist asked.
“I have a reservation under Street; I want to check in.”
“No problem,” the bored looking woman said, turning to her monitor. “Ah, here it is. One smoking adjoined room, two queen beds in each, is that correct?”
“Hold on a second,” Dorian interrupted. “You got us an adjoining room?”
“Yeah, so?”
“I want my own room.”
“You’ll have your own room; they’re separated by a door in the middle.”
“Whatever, I’ll just get my own room.”
“No, you won’t. We don’t need to waste more money on another room when we already have separate ones,” Shelton said, turning back to the receptionist. “The adjoining room will be fine.”
She heard Dorian mutter something about her being a ‘killer of joy’ before he pouted and walked away towards Vibrava who was playing with another trainer’s Eevee. Did he always have to be so damn difficult?
“I apologize Ms. Street, but your room is being cleaned right now. It should be ready in about an hour. You’re welcome to leave your bags here if you’d like to leave the hotel while you wait.”
“That’ll be fine.”
Shelton handed over each of their suitcases and walked back to Dorian on the far side of the lobby.
“Apparently the room is being cleaned and won’t be ready for an hour. Want to check out the bazaar while we wait?”
“Sounds good to me. We need to check out the main fountain for the door anyway.”
“Oh come on, Dorian. Can we just give it a day or two before we start cloak and daggering our way through the city?”
“I just want to check it out, chill.”
“Fine, let’s go.”
With Vibrava perched on Dorian’s shoulder and Machoke and Shuppet following close behind, they stepped back out into the midday sun.
“Are you going to let Nuzleaf and Growlithe out?”
“In a minute, I’m trying to think,” Dorian replied.
“About?”
“What do you think? About Ethan
fucking Bernard, and trying to remember how to open that passageway, that’s what.”
“Yeesh, calm down. Let’s just check it out on the way. Like I said before, it’s not like we’re going to run into him on the way.”
Dorian nodded and kept walking, though she saw more of a directness and intention in his stride. Though she said that she didn’t think they would see Ethan Bernard while they were in Phenac, it was entirely possible that they would. Dorian’s experience with the shard still made her uncomfortable. His mental journey with it went way past supernatural and crossed straight over into unbelievable. She had known Dorian her entire life and despite her reservations, she had believed every word he said. Dorian had seen three shards in Ethan’s pack, and with three more scattered around the planet it did seem logical that he was trying to gather him. To what end Shelton didn’t know, and to be honest she didn’t care. The goal was taking in Ethan Bernard, whatever he was doing or trying to do be damned.
“There it is,” Dorian said.
Shelton looked up as they entered the city square and saw the fountain. From her view it looked to be perfectly round and stretched out over seventy feet in every direction, with several streams of water erupting from its center. Various water Pokemon played throughout the interior of the fountain while their trainers lounged on the wrap around seating that followed its curves. She even saw a Golduck swimming lazily near the northernmost curve, taking measured strokes with both webbed hands. It almost pissed her off to think that that Golduck still had the benefit of all its limbs when her own was still trying to learn how to do everything right handed.
“I was almost at this exact angle when it brought me here. In fact,” Dorian said, moving over few feet to his right. “I was right here, and almost straight in front of me was this button in the rock. It wasn’t a button though actually, it was one of the smooth rocks on the bottom that acted like a button.”
Shelton moved forward to the edge of the fountain and saw that the floor of the pool was actually small bumps in the shape of small smooth stones.
“It’s weird, Shelton, I just, I can still see it.”
“Okay, well, first off we need to come back when everyone is gone and we can have som-“ Shelton started.
She stopped because all the water Pokemon in the pool stopped swimming at the same time. They looked around at each other in a shared confusion that made her very nervous. It was at that moment that she felt the ground shake beneath her feet. Shelton looked down to the blocks of marble that made up the street and saw that the lines between the stone were vibrating steadily. She could hear Dorian talking but for some reason she couldn’t hear what he was saying, she was too focused on the stones. It was more than just the lines vibrating now; the entire street was bucking wildly up and down. An almighty crash of shattering stone rang out about fifty feet to their right as something exploded out from under the surface of the earth.
“Get back!” Dorian shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her backwards.
Shelton reached over with one arm and broke his grip and took a step forward. She saw him come around again yelling something, but to her relief he stopped when he saw the smile etched on her face. Shelton took another step forward as Vibrava roared and the assorted people on the square began to run and shriek. What they were running from though had to be, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful things Shelton had ever seen.
The Steelix was easily thirty feet long, it’s snakelike body carving deep ruts into the ground as it slithered out of the hole. Screeching filled her ears as its segmented body slithered across the street and out of the hole it made. Its monstrously armored head waved slightly from side to side as it roared a challenge to anyone present. When none presented itself, the Steelix turned its red eyes toward the building it had appeared next to. The Pokemon rolled itself into a crude ‘u’ shape and swung its tail with a grunt. The building the Pokemon had aimed at suddenly had a skylight as the roof practically exploded up into the air when the Pokemon’s tail struck. Bits of mortar and drywall shattered against the Pokemon’s solid steel skin as the pieces came back down, but the Steelix made no indication that it felt it at all.
“That’s a
fucking Steelix,” Dorian said aloud.
“Looks like it,” Shelton said, barely blinking as she continued to watch its serpentine body.
“What the hell is it doing?”
The Steelix had begun to arch its massive head up and down into the building whose roof it had just demolished. As Shelton struggled to understand why it was doing that, she saw the crumpled remains of the sign that used to hang from the roof. ‘Phenac City Diamond Exchange.’
“It’s going after the diamonds in the store,” Shelton laughed. Sure enough, when the Steelix arched its head back and gulped, she saw that its mouth was covered in a glittering dusting of shattered diamonds.
“Well, fine, whatever, let’s just let it do whatever and let’s get as far away as possible,” Dorian said with a nervous laugh.
“You go if you want, but I’m not leaving without it,” Shelton grinned, slapping the button on her Pokeflect that expanded the sapphire shield of energy around her.
Before Dorian could protest, Shelton was already sprinting to the far left of the Steelix, towards the northernmost edge of the fountain. Shelton planned out every strategy she could while she ran, weighing every option as she got closer to the Pokemon she was intent on capturing. Machoke was obviously out, too prone to panic attacks when Zigzagoons tried to play with him that putting him up against this Steelix would likely give him a brain hemorrhage. Golduck was still healing, and besides that, she never wanted him battling again. Kecleon’s type disadvantage and move-pool wouldn’t pose much of a threat, which left one option.
“Shuppet, shadow ball!” Shelton shouted.
Her ghost Pokemon swooped forward and low in front of her, black energy forming in her open mouth. When the sphere was charged and crackling with violet energy Shuppet blew it towards the steel type. The attack connected and bounced off the Steelix’s back and arced straight up into the sky where it dissipated. The Steelix lifted its head to glare at Shuppet, then after a moment returned to rooting around inside the ruined store.
“Shuppet, try it again with more power,” Shelton suggested.
Shuppet nodded and began charging the necessary power again, but instead of shooting it out again, she dipped her head low and allowed it to settle down on the point that topped her head. Once it was there she closed her eyes in concentration and started adding more energy to the ball, which promptly doubled in size and darkness.
“Hey Steelix!” Shelton shouted. “Look at me! I think I’m gonna go and use my hands to pick something up off the ground; doesn’t that piss you off!?”
The steel Pokemon turned at the mention of its name and roared at Shelton. The sound shook more brick from the ruined storefront and made her skin break out in goose bumps.
“That was insensitive, I apologize. Here, let’s just shake hands and put this behind us.”
“LIIIXXXX!” Steelix roared again, sliding his body around to face her.
“Shuppet, now,” Shelton whispered.
Shuppet screeched loudly as she released the glowing ball of energy. The super charged ball streaked through the air and collided with the side of the Steelix’s head in an explosion of silvery ghost fire. The sheer magnitude of the explosion forced the Steelix’s head almost to the ground but it quickly righted itself and came back up to its full height to glare at Shuppet. Pulling its head back and then forward, the Steelix retaliated by blowing a rather impressive sheet of purple and red flame straight towards Shuppet. She dodged the attack by executing a corkscrew in the air and diving low, the skirt of her body barely an inch above the ground.
“Double team three times and charge another shadow ball,” Shelton commanded.
Shuppet continued to fly low to the ground towards the Steelix who twisted its tail around in front of itself into a defensive stance. As Shuppet came within thirty feet of the steel type she split herself into six glowing copies that circled the Steelix while bobbing up and down. The Steelix lashed out at two of the copies with its tail and destroyed them, while it took out another with a well placed dragonbreath attack. The real Shuppet and her two copies all started charging shadow balls in their mouths as the Steelix started slithering down the road towards Shelton. All three of the Shuppet suddenly fired simultaneously at the Steelix. The Pokemon deflected all three with a wave of its tail and sent them spiraling up towards the sky.
“Shuppet, will-o-wisp!” Shelton screamed.
Growling at Shelton one final time, the Steelix turned back towards Shuppet and readied itself. Shuppet shot forward and spun in a quick circle in front of the Steelix, conjuring a ring of grey flames that zoomed towards the target. Seeking to block the attack, the Steelix lifted its tail and tried to batter it aside, but found to his surprise that it wrapped around the last three feet of its tail and scorched it black. The Steelix roared in rage and snaked its head forward to where Shuppet floated and released another dragonbreath point-blank into her face. Shuppet screeched loudly and lost altitude, body smoking heavily.
Just as Shelton was about to issue another command, no less than twelve jets of water suddenly shot from the fountain behind her and struck the Steelix full in the face. The icy blasts of water forced the steel type to the ground where it began beating its head against the ground in pain and frustration. Shelton turned and saw that the water Pokemon playing in the fountain from earlier were slowly creeping closer while keeping the streams of water steady on the twitching Steelix. Despite Shelton’s insistent yelling for them to back off they continued their assault and she turned back to the Steelix in time to see it slowly disappear into the hole it had created when it came to the surface.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Shelton said.
“You’re acting pretty calm,” Dorian said as he trotted over.
“What?”
“That Steelix just demolished a building, ate who knows how many diamonds, then charged you. And you seem fine.”
“I am fine, and it wasn’t its fault. What the hell’s the problem with all those water Pokemon?”
“I’m assuming they thought you needed help, so they helped,” Dorian stated, making it sound like she might be the dumbest person in the world.
“I had it under control,” Shelton replied.
“Oh yeah definitely,” Dorian agreed sheepishly, doing his best to hide a laugh.
“Screw it; I’m going back to the hotel. You guys just, well, do whatever bye,” Shelton said with a groan.
Shelton wasn’t surprised to hear Machoke lumbering along behind her, and after a few minutes of not seeing Shuppet she assumed that she was staying with Dorian. Shelton was pissed, almost livid actually. That Steelix had been so beautiful, so strong. It had taken the roof off the building like it was nothing. That Pokemon exemplified power in its rawest form. Body of solid metal, thirty feet long, that Steelix was a powerhouse. Shelton could have trained it up the right way too, she knew it. For a moment she pictured an empty field with Ethan Bernard standing in the middle of it. Him looking up, then screaming as the Steelix slammed his head into him until his body was nothing more than a thick paste.
She checked in with the receptionist and to her surprise found that her room was ready. After informing her that her suitcase was awaiting her upstairs, the receptionist gave the expected smile and slid her a keycard. In the elevator Shelton returned Machoke to his ball and found that her and Dorian’s room was at the very far end of the third floor. Except for the thick fake plants lining every inch of available wall space, the hotel room was just like every other she had ever stayed at. A mattress that was almost perfect except for being just slightly too firm, the scent of used air, and fluorescent lighting in the bathroom that managed to highlight every imperfection on her face. The first thing she did was change out of her dress and into a t-shirt and some sweats. After that she checked the mini-fridge and found to her delight that it was stocked with every kind of alcohol she could imagine. Shelton took out a miniature bottle of whiskey and sat down on the bed. Lighting a cigarette and taking a long draw from the bottle, Shelton began to think.
It wasn’t like her to go out on a limb like this based on some half-baked theory. Dorian’s vision or whatever he went through was something out of science-fiction. He’d been convincing enough sure, but now the idea was wearing on her. What Dorian said he went through had brought them to a completely different continent; this wasn’t just a walk down to the corner store. They had used Ronnie’s money to get here and now she was questioning herself again. The only thing she was sure of was Ethan Bernard. Video evidence verified he was the one that did this to Ronnie, but the reason she agreed to go had nothing to do with what Dorian went through at all. While she was fighting Ethan’s Scyther in Pewter, she had seen Ethan running forward to attack them, and he had been so fast. Inhumanly fast actually, more so than any Pokemon she had ever met. Shelton knew she was here to avenge Ronnie’s death, but a small part of her was curious about Ethan Bernard. How could someone be that fast? If Ronnie’s death drove her here then the mystery of who Ethan Bernard was made her put her foot on the gas.
Shelton stubbed her cigarette out in the ashtray beside her and laid down. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, and while she slept, she dreamt of Ethan Bernard.
********
As Shelton Street slept and Dorian Dvakna pondered their next move, Marco and Ethan’s Scyther moved through the shadows cast by the streetlamps outside of their hotel. He had landed in Phenac a little over two hours ago, and had found out where Dorian and Shelton were in less time than it took him to get through customs. Hotels really needed to beef up their security in a big way. Upon landing he simply found a phone book and dialed every hotel in the city asking for them until one had said, “please hold while I connect you”. After ending the call before it could connect, he had his answer and his destination.
The Scyther was an annoyance to say the least. One of the firm points Bernard had made was that his Scyther had to witness what happened, when it happened. It wasn’t that Marco particularly disliked Pokemon, but they were too unpredictable to be relied upon, and this Scyther was the reason for the rule. Maybe it was because they were both killers, or kindred spirits, but Marco could smell the blood on her as soon as he released her from her pokeball. The Scyther was antsy, quick to anger, and undeniably vicious. Marco had commanded her to stay by his side was she was out, and not to do anything without his express command. He was sure that the only reason she obeyed was because Bernard had put the fear of Arceus in her before he handed her over back in Pewter. So, with a somewhat firm agreement between them, they waited.
Marco had witnessed Dorian Dvakna enter the lobby of the hotel about thirty minutes ago, and though he had yet to confirm the exact whereabouts of his second target, it was a safe assumption that she was already inside. Hours passed as Marco watched the entrance to the hotel, and though the passing time stirred the Scyther up more and more, an occasional glare from him kept her in check.
Dorian Dvakna appeared at a little past three in the morning. He walked with purpose, but he also stopped every few yards and looked around, like he was expecting someone to jump out at him. Not only that, but Marco saw in the low light that he was clutching something hidden in the back of his jeans; probably a dagger or some kind of blunt instrument. From his research and what he had been told by Bernard, both of his targets used Pokemon only, so Marco didn’t think he had anything to worry about in terms of firearms. Reaching into both holsters under his armpits, Marco checked both his weapons and chambered a round in each.
“Follow me and stick to the dark. Let’s see where he goes,” Marco told the Scyther.
*******
“What?!” Shelton snapped sharply as someone poked her in the ribs.
“Nunnuz,” Nuzleaf said from the dark.
“What?”
“Nuzleaf, leaf!”
“Come on, I’m trying to sleep, he can do whatever he wants.”
Nuzleaf sighed loudly in exasperation and flipped on her lamp.
“Nunuz!”
“Christ!” Shelton cried, flinging up her arm to shield herself from the brightness. “Fine, I’m up! Now what are you talking about?”
“Nu, Nuzleaf nuz, nu Nuzleaf Nuzleaf nuz,” he explained.
“He was acting weird how?”
“Nuzleaf nuz.”
“Like he was possessed? What are you talking about?”
“Nuzleaf, leaf leaf Nuzleaf.”
“Oh Christ, he’s probably at the fountain looking for that stupid button,” Shelton moaned. “He’ll come back later, just go back to sleep.”
“Nuzleaf!” he responded with an angry glare.
“You’re not going to give this up, are you?” Shelton asked.
“Leaf!”
“Fine, let me get dressed.”
Shelton quickly slipped on a pair of jeans and her boots, and after pulling her hair back into a bun and pocketing one of her batons, she threw her arms out wide at the miniature wooden figure standing by the door. Nuzleaf opened the door and left her to follow, which she did quickly after checking the clock by her bedside. Three-thirty in the morning, just perfect. Why couldn’t Dorian have just waited until the morning? Was it really that pressing?
They exited the lobby with Nuzleaf in the lead, catching sight of the receptionist from earlier in the day asleep with her head face down on the counter in front of her. Phenac City was dead at this hour, and their only companions were a few drunken morons who yelled at them as they passed by a side street. Unabated they kept walking and found Dorian exactly where she expected; waist deep in water near the middle of the fountain, his hands beneath the surface. As she approached the edge of the fountain she watched Nuzleaf jump into the water and start trudging towards him. Dorian whipped around when Nuzleaf splashed in, his right hand shooting towards the small of his back. When he looked past Nuzleaf, his face fell and he hung his shoulders down lower.
“Seriously?” Shelton asked. “Dorian, its three in the morning, have you completely lost your mind? Get out of there and let’s get back to the hotel. We’ll check it out tomorrow, I promise.”
“Shelton, you don’t understand, I can’t. I just, I need to do this now, it keeps calling for me.”
“What keeps calling for you?”
“The shard. It woke me up; it wants me to hold it. I know the button is around here somewhere. I have to find it.”
Just as Shelton was trying to come up with a counter argument, she heard two soft pops behind her. She caught a glimpse of yellow and as she stared forward, Nuzleaf fell backwards into the water. Two more pops echoed across the square and she heard the tinkle of breaking glass a millisecond later. Shelton spun around and heard Dorian yelling behind her, but she couldn’t pay attention to him because something was coming out of the shadows.
The Scyther from Pewter City was bent low to the ground, its feet a blur as it rushed forward, moving its head from side to side as it charged. Before Shelton fully processed the situation her baton was already out and extended to its full length. She backed up as the Scyther streaked towards her, the synapses in her brain firing wildly as it got closer. Shelton jumped backwards into the fountain as the Scyther raised its arm to strike and threw her baton as hard as she could. The weapon struck the Pokemon in the neck, which threw off its balance and sent it crashing into her stomach. Shelton was flung backwards from the impact and was instantly soaked up to her neck in lukewarm water. More pops echoed across the square as a humanoid figure became visible at the edge of the street. Shelton felt a strong arm grab her and haul her backwards as she struggled to catch her breath.
Turning around, she saw Dorian dragging her with his right arm, and the unconscious form of Nuzleaf with his left. The sticky sweet smell of stun spore hung over them like a cloud, making her eyes water. Shelton looked back towards the edge of the pool and saw the Scyther once again rushing towards them, with a man holding a gun in each hand close behind it. She pushed her hands down in order to get upright, and while her left hand found a firm grip, her right hand sank lower as one of the cobbled bubbles of stone sank beneath her weight. There was a sudden grinding sound of metal on metal and she found herself weightless as a large hole opened up beneath her.
As the Scyther and the man closed in on them, She, Dorian, and Nuzleaf fell into the blackness below.
