Private/Closed Myth of the 'Legendary' King (An Adventure PRP)

[pac_halo]

OoC: This is an RP between @Seyriub, @Zeypher, @The iFlare and I. Don't join in, but feel free to read along. BiC.
---------------
Driftveil was a beautiful city.

Of course, not beautiful to the average passerby, or beautiful in the sense of something attractive. It was considered beautiful for the things that lie under the surface. The underground portions of Driftveil were mind-boggling to say the least, and the most serene natural creation to say the most. It was most unfortunate that only Lewis felt such wonder and magnificence emitting from the dark underworld.

Lewis was just a simple man, and to him, he felt the sense of something greater whenever entering a foreign area. Even if such an area was bland and uninteresting, he was instantly enthralled by just the hope that something marvelous could be hiding beneath the surface.

"It just never gets old," Lewis said as he strode into Clay Tunnel for what felt to be the millionth time in his life.

An Excadrill walked close by, it's brilliant steel claws reflecting the light emitting from Lewis lantern. Similar to Lewis, Excadrill had always seen the beauty in places others couldn't. It had grown up with Lewis ever since it was caught. It had been a long ten years since Excadrill and Lewis first met. Even before it's capture, it was interested in everything that had to do with geology. There was a curiosity in it that only a Pokemon could know. Of course, since Excadrill was born in an artificially created cavern, the Clay Tunnel, there would be lots of features to be curious about.

As Lewis traveled through the cave, he thought about places he hasn't been to yet- The nooks and crannies that may hide to the casual passerby. Soon enough, Lewis approached a four-way intersection in the cave, where a cart track began and kept going into the dark abyss ahead. Lewis took a left and his Pokemon followed. Lewis had barely explored this section of the tunnel, as the other two sections were gigantic, sprawling networks of passages and mining operations. He had been able to occupy himself with identifying fossils of different Pokemon. Of course, he had never tried reviving such Pokemon, as such a procedure costs thousands of dollars.

Eventually, Lewis and Excadrill came to the end of the mine tracks. The light from his lantern shone into the dark cave ahead. They both pushed on until running into a final cave wall. The wall had strange characters imprinted on it. Lewis slung the bag off his shoulder. He reached in to receive an expensive camera with a large flash attached to it. He set the lantern near the characters as he took several pictures of the wall. The Excadrill looked away to avoid being blinded.

"This looks similar to the Unown alphabet," Lewis said. "I swear, we find these things everyday..."

Excadrill sighed in response.

"Excadrill, try and dig through it. The passage might continue past the wall," Lewis said.

The Pokemon obeyed and used it's claws to tear apart the wall. However, before Excadrill was even halfway done, the wall fell backwards, revealing another section of the cave. This part was a humongous cave, with two sets of clay staircases leading to more walls. The clay walls depicted a king, a chain, and two Greek symbols.

---------------

"Sir, you must believe me," Lewis pleaded. "There are hieroglyphs located inside of Clay Tunnel! We must investigate further!"

The Director of Unovian Culture stood in front of his desk, obviously not impressed by Lewis' wild claims.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Steely-"

"It's Steloine."

"Mr. Steloine," the Director repeated. "I'm afraid that the department has more important matters to attend to then your frivo-"

"Like those fake artifacts showing off the old Unovian monarch?" Lewis said angrily. "Everyone knew that was just some bullshit propaganda."

"Watch your ton-"

"Or how about that painting of another Unovian king fighting off Kabutops with his bare hands?" Lewis continued. "You should have known better. Kabutops haven't inhabited Unova yet!"

"Enough!" the Director roared.

Lewis leaned back in his seat and grit his teeth. They sat in a tense silence for a moment.

"You win. I will deploy some people to verify your findings in Clay Tunnel," the Director said. "Once that is verified, we will discuss further investigation."

Lewis sighed and left the office.

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

Jake sighed, trudging through the large crowd in front of the Pokecenter. Eyes on the ground, he struggled to avoid eye contact, lest the strangers try to start a conversation with him. Luck on his side, Jake emerged from the crowd, finally looking up to check his surroundings. As he glanced about his thoughts wandered back to the large crowd.

"Hey Beck, why do you think so many people are he-" Jake turned around to face his tall companion only to find himself alone. Face heating up with the embarrassment of people seeing him talking to himself, Jake's eyes returned to the ground, glancing up on occasion to make sure he was still heading the right direction.

Where could he have gone? Did I lose him in the crowd? Jake sighed. They were both heading to the same place, so he would bump into the older man at some point. Jake and Beck had been traveling together for almost a year, ever since Jake had stumbled across the tall, older man while he was traveling through Hoenn. The older man had helped Jake through the depression of losing his mother, and they had been traveling together ever since.

Jake jumped as a sharp peck on the top of his head jolted him from his thoughts. He glanced up, staring into the little green face of his Natu. The tiny bird hopped off of Jake's head, deciding to settle on the young man's shoulder. Chirping happily, the psychic type nuzzled up against the side of his trainer's head, trying to cheer him up. With a laugh, Jake snatched up the little bird, scratching it's head affectionately. The little bird had been a birthday present from his mother, a few days before........

Jake shuddered, shaking the thought from his head. Now was not the time to think about his mother. Instead, Jake turned his thoughts to his grandmother, and her recent gift for his 15th birthday. As he swung around the improvised bag to check his gift was still there, Jake bumped into a sign. As he peered at the sign and the building behind it, Jake sighed with relief. He was here.

Now to wait for Beck..... The young trainer sat on a bench nearby, waiting for his companion to show up.

 

[Seyriub]

Beck scratched his chin in deep contemplation as he looked through the various herbs that were spread out before him inside the confines of a glass counter.

Just a few minutes prior he had been walking down the busy street of Driftveil City with Jake, a trainer who he thought of as his own brother, and had suddenly lost the younger man in the chaos of the bustling crowds.

At the realization of having lost his travelling partner, the tall man had swerved his body around in a panic, desperately looking for his missing companion. But he was unexpectedly distracted from his fevered search when his probing eyes caught the sight of an interesting sign.

Melora's Herbs

Immediately, all thoughts of his misplaced partner evaporating, the masked trainer headed towards the shop of interest and immediately struck up a conversation with the herbalist that was sitting behind the counter. The herbalist was a rather old woman who looked like she was in her 80's, but her mind still seemed sharp as the two of them talked and debated on the various uses of different herbal medicines. It wasn't long before Beck decided to browse through the woman's wares and see if there was anything he needed to purchase for his ever-dwindling supply of herbal plants.

After some several long minutes of inward contemplation, Beck looked up at the old shop owner with a polite smile before pointing at a rather particularly spindly looking root that was sprawled out before him.

"I would like this one please."

The elderly woman returned Beck's smile with her own wrinkly one, happily shuffling towards the dirt-covered plant, reaching inside the counter before picking it up in her old withered hands and placing it on top of the younger man's outstretched hands.

"Of course dear, that will be around seven hundred pokedollars."

~...~

Beck waved goodbye as he exited the small store and turned around to see a familiar young man sitting on a nearby bench. Suddenly realizing that he had completely forgotten all about his 'lost' friend, Beck palmed his face and groaned in self-shame. Having been called an 'airhead' several times in the past, the formally dressed trainer knew that he had a tendency to get off track so to speak, but no matter how much he prepared himself mentally, he would always get derailed by anything new or interesting his eyes caught sight of. All of sudden, the trainer's feeling of guilt grew even worse as he remembered the fact that Jake wasn't good with crowds and immediately moved towards the younger man.

When the tall man finally reached the lone teenager he smiled sheepishly at his sitting companion and scratched his head in shame.


"Hey, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

 

[The iFlare]

"Man! What a beautiful day out! It's been a while since we've been on the road, hasn't it buddy?"

The sun beamed down pristinely on a rather short trainer, around eighteen years of age. A Flareon was travelling along with him exclaiming in in agreement. The trainer laughed and look out into the distance, they were in scenic Johto, heading on to route 39.

"Hmmm... What was it that Izzy was saying to me before we left? Oh yeah! 'Remember, Francisco, you need to make sure you have all of the supplies you need for taking care of your Pokemon!' Man, she's always nagging me over stuff I already know. Still, I should probably check my bag anyway."

Francisco began rummaging through his pack to make sure he had everything he needed. Potions, check. Revives, check. Food, check. At the sight of Francisco pulling out food, the Flareon trotted closer to his trainer and began to sniff at the food.

"Aww, Flame, you glutton, we just ate an hour ago. Let's save this for a little bit later, alright? I'll bring everyone out and we'll all eat together. Sound good?"

Flame wasn't too content with that idea, but he grunted and nodded sarcastically.

"Alright, so it's settled, everyone will eat later, maybe in two or three hours."

Francisco and Flame had just headed out of Goldenrod City. After two years of staying there mourning his mother, Francisco received a letter from his cousin and some of his friends, stating that they were all heading out again to Orre together.

"Man... Marky, Dustin, Albert, Steph, Leah, Hyperion... Sergio too. They're all headed out to Orre, Flame. Did I tell you that?"

The Flareon looked up at Francisco with an attentive look and replied, "Flare?"

Francisco looked down and stroked Flame's ear.

"Yeah, buddy. They all left. The letter said that the Orre region is starting a new Pokemon League and is in need of Gym Leaders, and that they were all going to go there and try for the positions..."

Reading that letter was what had made Francisco decide he wanted to leave home again and continue his journey. Seeing his friends and family go out and pursue such a goal, it made him want to try and realize his dream again.

"You know buddy, it was because I saw them chasing those dreams that I decided we should go out and chase ours again. It's inspiring, you know?"

Francisco chuckled, and smiled at his first pokemon, who returned the smile, and got excited at what his trainer was telling him.

"So, where to now, Flame? Do we try to redeem ourselves in Unova? Maybe we should head to Kalos, we haven't been there yet. Oh! Maybe when everything is settled in Orre, we can go there and challenge all of our friends! Maybe that's where our sought-after Champion title resides, eh?"

----------------------------

"Hey, Fury, Crusoe, what do you guys say to a little sky battle training after dinner?"

Francisco and his pokemon had set up camp for the night and were getting ready to eat. Fury, a Charizard who wore a black sleeve on his right arm that had a mega stone attached to it, was elated with the idea of a little post-dinner training session with his teammate. Crusoe, a Dragonite, was a bit on the fence of the idea, though. It didn't matter. Francisco and all of his pokemon passed out after gorging themselves. They all ate a week's ration of food, which meant that Francisco would have to buy more when they got to Violet City the next afternoon.

When morning broke, Francisco's pokemon awoke to their trainer standing aloof, pondering as the morning breeze brushed his face. Flame and Fury, Francisco's first two partners, approached him to see what was bothering him. Francisco could feel that his pokemon were worried that he might be lost in thought about his mother again.

"Guys, I'm fine... I just, had a really weird dream last night."

Francisco was trying to hide the fact that he indeed was, in fact, thinking of his deceased mother. Francisco's pokemon ignored what he had said, and they all gathered around him. All six of them embraced him. They missed her too. Francisco shed a tear and said softly.

"Thanks, guys."

After a few seconds, the group hug ceased, and Francisco regained his composure.

"You know what guys," Francisco addressed his pokemon "Let's continue on to Violet City! I heard before we left home that there was going to be a battle tournament there! Sounds like fun, doesn't it?"

All of Francisco's pokemon lit up at the notion and they were off...

 

[pac_halo]

"So, you were right all along," the Director said through his cell phone. "There really is more to Clay Tunnel."

Lewis rolled his eyes and forced himself not to spout back a sarcastic remark.

"And the cave markings- The symbols, the chains," the Director continued. "Do you have any idea what they might mean?"

The image of the cave flashed in Lewis' mind once again- Printed on the wall, there was a man with a crown upon his head (Presumably a king) holding two iron chains that connected to two symbols- Alpha on the king's left, and Omega to the king's right. There were clay stairs leading to a platform to where one could touch the incisions made to the stone. Underneath both of the symbols, there was more text scrawled in Old Unovian and, strangely enough, Old Kantonian- The ancient language that Kanto and Johto natives once spoke, thousands of years ago.

"Well, the translation is rocky and definitely imperfect," Lewis replied. "But I was able to get the most of it down."

"Great. Send me a copy of it later." the Director said.

"Sure. And, about the team..."

"Since we here at the Department are a bit..."

"Broke?"

"Y...yes, broke. Anyways, we have your team members. The names are Beck Lorata and Jake Lashlie."

"Where do I meet them?"

The director bit his lip and said nervously, "Well, that's where we have a small problem. Y'see, we don't have the resources to recruit these members ourselves, so..."

"Oh my god, you're kidding me."

"Unfortunately not. We can send you a list and resources to recruit them-"

"Hold on. You just said that you didn't have the money to get them."

"Well, our reputation is a smidge tainted..."

"Whatever. Just send me the list."

Lewis' cell phone soon received the e-mail after he hung up.

Jake Lashley- Specialized in Human Medicine and First Aid

Beck Lorente- Specialized in General Survival and Legal (and perhaps illegal, although I'm not sure) Herbal Sciences and Agriculture

Both located in Driftveil City. It may be a little challenging to find them, as I have no pictures. Jake has brown hair and brown eyes. Beck has black hair and a sort of goldish-brown eye color. They're almost guaranteed to be near each other, so if you find one, the other one's not far off.

Kevin Easton
Director of the Unovian Department of Culture and Geology

Lewis typed rapidly to reply.

Here's your translation.

Lord Controller great leader, ruler of Unova. Man with greater Poke-Men than entire armies. Grand king leaves to far away land. He names it Johto. He says he meets Leader Alph. Name is of foreign tongue. Hopes to lead more great Poke-Men.

That was all I could get down. The rest of the glyphs are either repeats or completely illegible.

P.S. How did you get that info on Jake and Beck?

There was no reply.

---------------

Lewis unzipped his brown coat as the burning Driftveil sun beamed down on him. He wiped his forehead as he searched for Jake and Beck. He had decided to search near the herb shop, the one just down the street from his own home.

"Hey, I hope I didn't keep you waiting," a man said.

The boy the man was talking to was sitting on a bench, looking rather relieved to find his partner.

Maybe that guy is a da- Hold on a second... Lewis thought. Black hair and brown hair. I may have just found them!

Lewis strode forward to greet the two.

"Hey, are you Beck Lorente and Jake Lashley?" he said. "If not, do you know where I might find them?"

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

Jake stared at the ground, preparing to guilt Beck into buying him new medical supplies. It was damn near impossible to suture a wound with no thread. Although Jake had ways to deal with minimal supplies, he still needed to restock. And if the supplies were free, even better.

Jake stood up slowly, forcing his hands to shake as he continued to stare at the ground. It was time. As Jake raised his head to bombard Beck with as much innocence and anxiety that a fifteen year old could muster, a voice called out.

"Hey, are you Beck Lorente and Jake Lashley? If not, do you know where I might find them?"

Jake froze, dropping the act. With the idea of confronting a stranger front and center in his mind, Jake's anxiety kicked into full gear. Should I tell the truth? Or lie? But why would I lie? He seems trustworthy. But I don't know him. It could be a trap. But a trap set by whom? Perhaps we made an enemy? But who?

His anxiety flourished, countering every choice Jake made with something that could go wrong. As a result, Jake froze up, anxiously avoiding eye contact with the stranger.

 

[Seyriub]

"Hey, are you Beck Lorente and Jake Lashley? If not, do you know where I might find them?"

Upon hearing a new voice, Beck Lorente turned his head around to look at the new arrival. Squeezing through the narrow passage between the bustling crowds and walking happily towards them was a young man around average height wearing a blue polo and brown overcoat on top. Coupled with the rather full looking black bookbag, the stranger gave off a 'smart' kind of vibe.

However, despite his 'indoor' style of clothing, Beck noticed that the other man didn't have a body type matching his vibe at all. In fact, their new stranger friend seemed to have a physique that seemed to suggest of arduous outdoor work.

'A field scientist then? Perhaps he's a travelling professor, in any case, he doesn't seem to mean any harm.'

Assessing that the newcomer wasn't an immediate threat, Beck lowered his guard and let the tension in his body relax. But at that exact moment, the tall man felt his companion freeze up and immediately moved in front of the anxious teenager in order to block his view of the incoming 'scientist'; all the while keeping a careful eye on the said man.

"And may I ask who's asking?"

 

[The iFlare]

"Violet City! Man, oh man, it's been a while!"

Francisco and his posse of pocket monsters walked into town together. Once inside the city limits, Francisco withdrew his entire team and looked for the nearest pokemon center. He knew that sign ups for the competition would likely be taking place in the pokecenters around town, and if not, then information about where sign-ups are taking place could be found there. On his way to the pokemon center Francisco found himself caught up in his thoughts.

You know, Fran. If mom could see you now, she'd be really proud that you're chasing your dreams again.

Francisco entered the pokemon center. Right away, he spotted a registration desk for the tournament, which would take place the next day. It was a short tournament aimed at bringing a population of strong trainers into Violet City to make the town a bigger spot on the map. The prize was one hundred thousand pokedollars and a commemorative ribbon. With registration being free, it was sure to attract the attention of a lot of powerful trainers, both local and foreign. Excitement welled up inside of Francisco at the thought of battling others on his level, as opposed to the training he did with his nephew, Eli, and his Mudkip. Francisco pulled out his trainer card and placed it on the desk.

"I want in."

 

[pac_halo]

"And may I ask who's asking?" the man said.

"Lewis Steloine. I'm with-" Lewis paused and decided to say, "I mean, I'm an independent researcher."

Lewis checked his phone for the time. It read 12:02 PM.

"I need help, and an organization said that you two have the skills to help me," he continued. "Perhaps we can discuss it over dinner? Are you available at six o'clock at Leon's?"

Leon's was an extraordinarily expensive restaurant that sold the best food in Unova, if not, the entire north. First impressions are everything, he thought to himself.

 

[Seyriub]

Beck stretched his lips into a grim line as he digested the 'researcher's' words.

'Organization.'

It wasn't a word that the herbalist was very fond of, considering the fact that he'd had a few run-ins with a couple of nasty ones in the past. However, the words 'I need help' brought forth an uncontrollable urge from his heart to aid the newcomer, which threaten to override the reasoning within his brain.

Beck inwardly sighed, showing none of his inner discomfort, as he felt his fatal flaw flare up once more.

The man knew it was abnormal. The sudden urge to help someone so unconditionally, no matter how grave the consequences, was not something people would call sane or normal; in fact, quite the opposite. This flaw was also the reason why he got into so much trouble in his younger years and the masked man was not in a hurry to repeat his past mistakes any time soon.

In anycase, he would have to discuss this with Jake first before his instincts decide to take over.

Concluding his line of thoughts with a quick blink, Beck opened his mouth to speak as he turned his body toward Jake. Placing a firm hand on the younger man's shoulder to wake him from his shock.

"May I have a few private moments with my companion first? I wouldn't want to make any decisions without his consent after all."

 

[pac_halo]

"Yes, of course," Lewis said, "Please, take all the time you need."

Lewis rubbed the back of his neck as the summer heat intensified.

 

[Seyriub]

Beck nodded politely in thanks before fully turning his body to face his younger brother figure and whispering in a hushed tone.

"Well? What do you think?"

Although Beck's body instinctively screamed at him that it wanted to go, he didn't wish to bother his friend with his abnormal selfishness. Hence the reason the taller man controlled himself in order to let the young man decide.

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

Jake shuffled his feet nervously as he stared at the ground. He hated having to make big decisions. The teen cringed as his anxiety kicked into high gear, scrutinizing each option and the possible outcomes.

He might really need our help. But we don't have to help. We could walk away. But Beck wouldn't like that. Can we trust this guy? What if he tries to steal our things? Or worse, our Pokemon? Over and over, throughout the chaos, one thought kept rolling through Jake's panicked mind.

What should I do?

Jake clenched his fists, nearly ready to scream in exasperation. This was going to drive him insane. There was no obvious right choice! He grabbed his head in frustration, tempted to curl into the fetal position. Just as he was about to snap, Jake heard a few familiar happy chirps.

Confused and curious, Jake looked up, glancing about until he found the source of the chirping. His Natu, Xavier, was nestled comfortably in Lewis' hair, chirping happily as he rolled about atop the man's head. The young man couldn't help but laugh. He walked over to the stranger and plucked the little bird from his makeshift nest. Jake glanced back at Beck, smiling shakily.

"Let's do it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jake grimaced as he glanced back up at the sign, double checking to make sure they were at the right place. Leon's. The teen sighed. He rather disliked expensive restaurants. He always feared he would be judged, and the bills were often quite ludicrous. This place seemed no different. You could practically hear the customers' wallets screaming as they were emptied of their precious cargo.

With a deep breath, the young trainer plunged into the cash-sucking hell-hole, searching for the man from earlier.

 

[pac_halo]

Lewis was extremely lucky that he could convince the Director to pay for the meal. If Lewis couldn't afford Fossil Revitalization, then there was no way he could ever pay for a meal for three people at Leon's.

He had gotten a circular table, which he was even more lucky to get- even with it's ludicrous prices, desperate males and important celebrities flocked to the restaurant and, usually, it was extremely crowded. Thank goodness it's a weekday. Lewis thought. Lewis himself was dressed in a standard suit, the very same he wore for his uncle's wedding four years prior. It was painfully tight.

"Sir, may we begin with drinks?" the waiter said.

"Just some ice water," Lewis replied. "I have two others coming, so..."

"Of course, sir. Thank you." The waiter bowed slightly, and speed-walked away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the two people he'd been waiting for. He sighed in relief and waved in Jake and Beck's direction.

 

[Seyriub]

Beck tightened the black necktie around his neck with an unfamiliar tug as he arrived inside the extravagant restaurant. It wasn't often he wore the accursed thing as it tended to get uncomfortable over long periods of time, but today was an exception. The two of them, Jake and him of course, were having dinner at a restaurant and a fancy one at that. There was no way he was going into this particular double-rare event without looking his proper best. All those days starving in the woods, eating nothing but herb leaves and berries felt like a far off memory now.


However, despite his merry thoughts, Beck still glanced around the restaurant worriedly, trying to look for their arranged tablemate as fast as possible. Despite it being the weekend the establishment still seemed to be fairly crowded and the tall man was concerned for his crowd-skittish companion. Taking a quick glance at Jake, Beck could already tell that the young man beside him was very quickly nearing his limits. But as soon as he saw the resolve that burned in the trainer's eyes, the herbalist stayed his hand and stretched his mouth into a small secret smile.

You never cease to amaze me.

Beck's eyes then caught sight of a waving figure and turned his head to see their arranged dining partner beckoning them over. Sighing a quick breath of relief at having found him quickly, the masked trainer nudged the tense Jake for attention and guided the boy over to their table. When the two of them were properly seated and comfortable, Beck gave Lewis a polite smile and greeted him.

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long."

 

[pac_halo]

"No, of course not," Lewis replied. "Thanks for showing up."

Lewis settled in his chair and leaned forwards.

"Now, I'm going to skip the pleasantries and start right out with the mission," Lewis continued. "There is a huge cavern with human language scrawled on its walls. Of course, this wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't Old Kantonian on the walls. This knowledge- this mystery- could throw everything we know about world history out the window."

Lewis paused for effect.

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

Jake sighed, scratching the back of his head while he rolled this new information around in his skull. A few cave paintings and ancient scribblings changing history? The young trainer chuckled to himself. What could they possibly contain, the instructions to make fire? Jake gave Lewis a tired, yet amused gaze.

"Look, I'm no archeologist. I wouldn't know a damn thing about history. I'm a doctor, a medic, if you will. I fix broken bones and stitch up wounds." The teen crossed his arms before continuing, "All in all, I'd like a little more information before I decide." Jake grinned shakily. It wasn't often that he would throw his opinion into a conversation, and his nerves were
beginning to get to him.

The young trainer sipped from his water, coughing as it went down the wrong tube. "A-Anyways, go ahead....."

 

[pac_halo]

Lewis was finding it increasingly difficult to hold his tongue, but despite this, he held back a few choice words.

"That's what I was just getting to," Lewis said. "These scrawls connect Kanto to Unova before Unova was even colonized."

"In the year 5000 BCE, Kantonian kings marched into Johto and added it to their empire- No big deal. 1200 CE, Kanto-Johto began to colonize other regions, like Hoenn, Sinnoh, and finally, Unova. This led archaeologists to believe Kanto-Johto never knew that these regions existed until 1200. Various writings and books from the time period support this. But if there's Old Kantonian in Unova- A language that died out 200 CE, long before colonialization -then it creates a huge discrepancy in the info."

Lewis sighed and continued. Their waitor had yet to arrive.

"All I need you two to do is make sure I don't get jumped by some idiots trying to claim the discovery themselves," Lewis said. "Stay with me until I get the mystery sorted out and you can go home."

Lewis smiled and said, "Now, do you have any questions?"

 

[Seyriub]

Beck rubbed his chin with a troubled expression and looked at the man sitting in front of him with a conflicted heart. He and Jake were medicine men and generally just peaceful explorers with a few battle experienced Pokemon. Although the two of them could probably take on some common thugs without any problems, such as small time organization goons and thieves, as soon as some serious opponents showed up they would be in trouble. The implications that this contract could also go long term didn't serve to help alleviate Beck's worries either.

However, it wasn't the first time that the duo had taken on a bodyguard assignment and the masked man just wasn't about to back down so easily. This man in front of him had asked for his, no, their help after all.

Before finalizing his decision, Beck threw one last quick glance at his partner, his heart growing heavy with guilty as he remembered all the times he had gotten Jake into some dangerous situations due to his selfish desires. He just hoped that this one wouldn't end up like some did in the past.

I'm sorry Jake...

And with that final thought, the herbalist hardened his heart before taking his hand off of his slightly stubbled chin and holding up two of his weathered fingers with a polite smile.

"Just two. How much will our pay be and will it just be the two of us protecting you?" Beck said as gestured towards himself and his younger companion. "Because I'm not sure if we can provide adequate protection for you in case this request turns out to be a long term contract."

 

[pac_halo]

"The most important part of the deal," Lewis said. "Two hundred thousand Pokedollars. Each."

Lewis himself wasn't supplying the money. Shortly before the dinner, the director and he discussed payment for the two. When the subject was brought up, the director immediately said a hundred thousand. If the director is willing to pay the two that, Lewis was fine with it, as long as it didn't come from his bank account.

"When I say protection, I mean staying alive," Lewis said. "It isn't cost effective to go to a hospital every time someone gets hurt, and it's good to have someone who knows what the hell which plant does. Saves us a lot of time and cash buying the finished drug."

Lewis paused to sip his water.

"It'd be great to actually get some muscle on the team," Lewis said. "But we couldn't find anyone in Unova who wasn't either preoccupied or disinterested in the job."

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

Jake drooped in defeat, a bit upset that Beck hadn't consulted with him before accepting the job. Beck often made abrupt decisions without Jake's input. Although the teen had come to expect and anticipate these sudden changes of plan, it still hurt when Beck didn't ask Jake his opinion. Now that his partner had made up his mind, there was nothing to do but go along with his choice. It's not like it can be too dangerous. Who else would be after some old cave paintings anyways?

With a resigned sigh and a nervous smile, Jake extended his hand to Lewis.

"Well, you've got yourself a pair of allies."

 

[Seyriub]

Beck smiled as he saw Jake take the initiative to give the other man a handshake, his eyes taking on a hint of pride as the trainer took another brave step in order to conquer his nervousness. The herbalist then creased his brows as his thoughts turned to their client's troubling answer and let out a unnoticeable sigh. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so eager to hear out the other man's problems.

'There's no turning back now, it's too late for regrets,' A quiet, yet horribly sweet voice suddenly whispered into his ear. 'You and I, both know that.'

Beck closed his eyes in silent anguish and the smile on his face morphed into a grim line as he once again heard the over-familiar voice in his head.

..I haven't forgotten.

A repulsively intoxicating giggle resounded throughout his mind and the voice breathed into his ear once more with a hint of winter's chill.

'Of course you haven't Beck, because in the end...'

The voiced paused as if it wanted to savor his inner turmoil before it faded into the deep recesses of his mind.

'I. Won't. Let.You.'

And the voiced giggled once more as it slowly died away into a lingering echo.

Beck slowly opened his eyes as the voice finally disappeared and let out a silent breath of relief. The tall man then looked up before stretching his dried lips again into another well-grounded polite smile and nodded approvingly at Jake's answer as if nothing had happened.

"As Jake says, you've got a friend in us. So please, don't hesitate to make use of us."

As Beck finished saying his piece, a corner of his heart grew sour with bitterness at the fact that he had been once reminded of his never-ending burden anew. The man then glanced once more at Jake with the corner of his eyes, watching the younger man as another hint of something flashed within the molten depths of his golden eyes.

If only, I were more like you Jake.

A hint of jealousy.

 

[pac_halo]

"Our first stop is Violet City, off in Johto," Lewis said. "There, we can find the Ruins of Alph."

Lewis reached for a book that he had left in his lap before hesitating. Eh, maybe now isn't the best time to show them.

"The texts talked about some 'Leader Alph'," he said.

Before Lewis could continue, the waiter arrived.

"Good evening, sirs," the waiter said. "What will you be having?"

Lewis planned on only a side salad, but he was feeling rather festive- This is it! I'm going on a proper adventure! This is going to be great! Lewis thought. He decided to order a plate of lobster mashed potatoes.

After all, we are going to eat a little on the cheap for the trip. Might as well eat like kings for tonight!

"Jake, Beck, please, get anything you want," Lewis said. "We're not paying for it anyways."

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

Jake sighed, muscles relaxing as the tension dissipated. It felt amazing to finally have come to a decision, to have his anxiety disappear into some dark corner of his mind, if only for the time being. Jake picked up a menu, browsing the options.

What in the world....

Jake glanced about the menu, unable to decipher the strange items. Pâtè? Dulse? The exasperated teen shook his head, unsure of what to order. Suddenly his eyes lit up. There was one option.

The young man pointed to Lewis with the slightest hint of a smile.

"I'll have what he's having."

 

[Seyriub]

Beck's lips twitched as it threatened to curve into an amused smile. Not having much experience with a fancy establishment, such as the one that he was currently in, the herbalist was having some trouble coming up with something to order as he browsed through the menu. Life didn't freely give luxuries after all.

However, seeing one of Jake's dumbfounded faces as he scanned through the fancy looking menu was one luxury he would happily take.

...But as amusing as Jake's current expression was, Beck's dilemma still remained and the masked man turned his eyes upon the perplexing words once more.

....Coq au Vin.....Flamiche...

Beck's face stiffened up as he read the incomprehensible words.

...Just what was he suppose to order...?

"I'll have what he's having."

Beck's painful expression froze as he looked up to see Jake pointing at their client and slowly began to smile as he realized what had happened.

Jake. You're a genius.

The tall man then put up a hand with his signature smile and opened his mouth to order.

"I'll have the same as well."

 

[pac_halo]

"I'll meet you in Violet, then," Lewis said. "In about a week. Don't worry, they'll compensate you for the plane tickets."

---------

Lewis woke up abruptly as the plane came to a landing. He looked to his left and saw the surrounding metropolis, with blinking lights interrupting the dark night. At last.

They had arrived in Goldenrod, only a short cab ride to Violet.

If there was one place that could be the capital of the world, Lewis thought. Goldenrod would be it.

The plane wheels came to a screeching halt. After barging through the crowds and hailing a cab and paying an absolutely relentless fee, Lewis stepped out and exhaled. He entered Violet City's Pokemon Center and dialed up both Beck and Jake.

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

"That'll be nine hundred Pokedollars sir."

The cashier gave Jake a friendly smile, as the teen forked over the cash. After receiving a rather sing-songy "Thank You!" from the cashier, the young man turned from the counter to reflect on what he had just spent nearly a thousand dollars on.

Inside the shopping bag lay a pokeball, an antidote, a few bandages, and a single bottle of antiseptic. Now soundly broke, Jake snagged the pokeball from the bag, holding it up to a little Sewaddle on his shoulder.

"Well, Holly, what do you think?"

With a happy purr, the little bug type tapped the ball, popping inside. Jake put the ball away with a smile, glad that he was able to get his newest partner a ball. Pretty soon, he'd have to start training her, both in battle and in medicine. But until then, the young man was just happy to have another friend.

"One New Voicemail."

Jake blinked, jarred from his thoughts by the robotic voice coming from his pocket. He reached in, pulling out a simple flip phone. Flipping the device open, the teen held it up to his ear. As the message played, a slight smile crept across Jake's face.

Sure took your time, huh Lewis?

"Hey Beck! Guess who finally showed up?" Jake tossed the phone in the direction of his tall friend.

 

[Seyriub]

Beck raised a brow as he turned from the selection of pokeballs in front of him in order to catch the airborne object that was quickly flying towards him. Deftly snatching the said object from the air, which turned out to be a flip-phone, the herbalist quickly realized just who it was that his partner seemed to be referring to.

Having memorized their client's number some weeks prior, Beck instantly recognized the number that appeared on the black rectangular phone screen. No doubt about it, this was Lewis' phone number and it appears that the man himself had finally arrived at their rendezvous point.

An unbidden smile rising to his lips, the masked man looked up from the screen to see his smiling compatriot and tossed the phone back to the teenager.

"It seems our client has finally arrived," Beck said happily as he walked towards the cashier. "You got everything you need Jake?"

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

Jake sighed as he caught the phone.

"More like everything I can afford." The young man began pointedly counting out missing supplies on his fingers.

"I couldn't find any antibiotics, needles, surgical thread, or anesthetics." He patted the pokeball containing his newest team member. "I can teach Holly to thread together some silk for suturing, and how to weave bandages. However," the teen shook his head, "I don't have anything on hand for any sicknesses. Only injuries."

Jake scratched his head. "I suppose I'll make do though. I've been in worse positions in terms of supplies."

I just hope I won't have to do a surgery without a sedative....

Clearing the rather gruesome thought from his head, Jake gave Beck a sly grin.

"Ready when you are!"

 

[Seyriub]

Beck smiled politely as the cashier handed over his newly bought supplies in a plastic bag and turned to Jake with a reassuring look. Being a medic wasn't easy, especially for someone as young as Jake, as the responsibility wasn't something anyone could make light of.

However, the masked man wouldn't trust anyone else when it came to treating his injuries - Jake was just that skilled.

"Well then," Beck said with a helpless smile. "We'd better get moving then hm?"

And with that, Beck walked past Jake while humming a cheery tune, not missing the chance to ruffle the medic's hair with his free hand, before heading out through the mechanical doors of the Pokemart.

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

Straightening his hair, Jake paused to transfer his supplies into his bag. The deed done, the teen tossed the useless shopping bag back to the cashier with a curt nod. Swinging his bag over his shoulder, Jake followed his partner through the exit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The automatic doors slid open as Jake stepped into the Pokecenter. The young man glanced about, quickly spotting their client among the few other trainers in the Center, sitting off to the side, focused keenly on a television . Jake slowly made his way over to where Lewis was sitting, before plopping into a seat next to him and glancing at the screen that held the older man's attention.

"What'cha watching?"

 

[pac_halo]

"A local channel," Lewis replied. "Some sort of battling tournament."

On the screen, there was a finely dressed commentator introducing himself and the competitors.

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. I'm your host, Lawrence Nichols and this- is- the Violet City Tournament!" the announcer said enthusiastically.

The camera swapped to an arena divided into two halves by streaks of chalk. A picture of a Pokeball seperated the two halves. A list of the competitors appeared on screen.

Alice Kinders
Carson Davis
Francisco-

A line of dead pixels obstructed the last half of Francisco's name. The list of names continued down the screen. Finally, the camera swapped back to the arena.

"The final round will begin, Violet City!" the commentator said. "After these messages."

The channel went to commercials.

I bet we could find some muscle for the team in this tournament, Lewis thought. At the very least, we could see a good match before we head to the hotel. Let's see if the Director feels like paying another salary.

Lewis flipped open his cell phone and called the Director.

"You," the Director said. "Do you have any idea how much you spent at Leon's?!"

"Like, sixty dollars or something," Lewis said. "Yeah, it's a bit expensive for three pe-"

"Oh no. You did not spend sixty dollars. You spent..." the Director checked his computer to get the proper total. "Two hundred and twenty six dollars."

Lewis nearly screamed "WHAT?!" in the middle of the crowded Pokemon Center. I spent two hundred twenty six dollars?! How?! What did we order?!

"I hope you like sleeping and tents and living on fast food," the Director continued. "Because that's all we have money for. Seeya."

Lewis snapped his phone closed and leaned back in the chair.

"Well, Jake," Lewis said. "I hope you like camping."

"'Cause we're gonna have to camp."

Ya know, let's see if any of these competitors wanna join before talking pay to the Director, Lewis thought.

 

[The iFlare]

Francisco stood in his corner of the battle field, spaced out in thought.


I know this is just a local tournament, but some of these trainers are a lot tougher than expected. I'm actually really psyched to be here in the final round right now.


He smiled and then thought out loud, "This is great!"


The commentator's voice could be heard on the intercom.


"With all the other competitors eliminated, we are left with our two finalists! In the red corner is a trainer whom older pokemon league fans may be familiar with. A trainer who had been making his name for himself in the pokemon League since he was just ten years old! Making it to the Final Sixteen at the Indigo Plateau, the Final Eight in both Sinnoh and Hoenn, and the Final Four in Unova! Ladies and Gentlemen, it's Francisco from Goldenrod City!"


After the lengthy introduction, the crowd went wild. They roared and chanted. It all left Francisco in awe.


Woah, this crowd seems really hyped for the battle. This event really is turning out bigger than I thought.


The commentator continued.


"In the blue corner! A young upstart from our very own Violet City! He's traveled far and wide, visiting regions like Kalos and even Orre. Ladies and Gentlemen! Please welcome your very own Horace Radcliffe!"


The crowd went absolutely bonkers. They roared and chanted Horace's name. Horace was about six feet tall; wore a wind-breaker and ironed jeans; had short, blue-grey hair; and had a slightly athletic frame. You could tell he loved to backpack across the regions. But there was an air of power about him as well. Francisco grinned and chuckled.


"Well, we know who has homecourt advantage now, at least." He looked across the field at his opponent, "Hey, Horace, you've got a lot of fans here. So I'll be expecting you and your pokemon to give it all you've got!"


Horace grinned, and replied back, "I'll be expecting the same effort from you and your pokemon!"


The referee stood to the center of the battle field.


"The battle between Francisco of Goldenrod City and Horace from Violet City is about to begin! This will be a three-on-three single battle and both competitors are allowed to make substitutions at any time. On my mark, you may commence!"


The referee stood off to the sideline and waved a green flag, signalling the trainers to begin.


Horace yelled out first.


"Come on out! Hariyama, I choose you!"


Francisco quickly threw a safariball, "Crusoe! You're up!"


The two titans of pokemon shook the arena as they landed. The Dragonite and Hariyama glared intensely at eachother.


The commentator quickly started speaking.


"Wow, these two are already cooking with gas! It's Dragonite versus Hariyama. We saw both of these pokemon sweep entire teams in the first round for their trainers!"


Francisco quickly gave Crusoe a command, "Crusoe, use Dragon Dance!"


The Dragonite let out a huge roar as he became engulfed in a light show of flame-like aura and visible bio-electricity. The pokemon's figure could be made out, seen getting bulkier and more warrior-like.


Horace began giving Hariyama instructions.


"Hariyama use Fake-Out to stop Dragonite in its tracks! Then follow up with a Heavy Slam!"


The Hariyama charged Crusoe and smacked him with its hulking hands. Crusoe grunted. Before Hariyama could use Heavy Slam, Francisco uttered another command to Crusoe.


"Use Thunder Punch."


Crusoe, who's attack power and speed were now heavily bolstered by the use of Dragon Dance, shoved it's electrified fist into Hariyama's gut, and then used the momentum to take himself and Hariyama air-borne. Once in the sky, Crusoe sent Hariyama flying upwards.


Francisco quickly gave another command.


"Ok, now tag it again with Dragon Rush!"


Cloaked in a blazing, bluish aura, Crusoe quickly flew above Hariyama and with a double front flip, landed a devastating blow with his tail onto Hariyama's head, sending it into a plummet back down to Earth. It crashed and left a huge crater.


Horace quickly called out to his pokemon, "Hariyama, are you ok?!"


Hariyama was remarkably resilient. It was still able to stand. However, sparks of electricity could be seen flaring around the pokemon, it was paralyzed.


"Hari... yama..."


Horace was quick to ask "B-but how? Fake Out is an attack that makes the target flinch. Why didn't your Dragonite Flinch?"


Francisco smiled as Crusoe landed in front of him.


"Crusoe's ability is Inner Focus. He isn't afraid of moves like Bite and Fake Out because they won't cause him to flinch. He'll always keep his head in the game and take initiative. Still, I have to applaud you. If Crusoe had Multiscale instead of Inner Focus, that Heavy Slam after Fake Out combo could've done him in, considering how much heavier the average Hariyama is than a Dragonite. Good show."


Horace grinned.


"Hariyama's not done yet. Use Stone Edge!"


Hariyama grunted as it worked past its Paralysis to pound the ground with its enormous hands to send up standing stones at Crusoe's position.


Francisco got serious quickly.


Stone Edge is super effective on Flying-types. If I let that hit Crusoe, it'll be all over.


"Crusoe! Leap Up! I want you to send those Stalagmites right back to Hariyama! Use Dragon Tail!"


As the jagged stones spiked up from the ground Crusoe leaped just above them and sent them flying towards Hariyama with just a swipe of his tail. The stones flew across the field straight towards Hariyama, striking it with incredible force.


Hariyama cried in great agony, "HARIIIII!!!"


Francisco instantly gave the finishing command, "Finish this with Dragon Rush!"


Cloaking himself once again in that fiery, blue aura, Crusoe charged at Hariyama, breaking the sound barrier behind him as he accelerated forward. He grunted and roared wildly as he charged on.


"PAAAAAAARRRGGHH!!!"


In a fraction of a second, Crusoe hit Hariyama with such force that the impact could be heard for miles!


"No! Hariyama!"


Crusoe stepped away from his opponent. Hariyama laid there unconscious. The referee raised a red flag.


"Hariyama is unable to battle. This bout's winner is Dragonite!"


The crowd roared, they were both outraged and entertained. This was an upset for them, but any outcome would have been a great one. They cheered and cheered. Crusoe roared loudly flexing his arms and releasing Dragon Breaths into the air to display his strength.


"PAAARRRGGGHH!"


Horace withdrew Hariyama and grinned as he looked at his pokeball.


"You did great, Hariyama." He looked up and called out to Francisco, "Wow, your Dragonite is really something else."


Francisco rubbed the underside of his nose with his index finger and chuckled.


"Yeah, well, you almost had us with that Stone Edge. That Hariyama of yours sure is tough. One hit from that and Crusoe would've been a goner!"


Horace clenched his fists.


This guy is ridiculous.


He grabbed another Pokeball off of his belt and tossed it.


"Druddigon, let's clean some house!"


Druddigon hit the scene in a lightshow. It began spitting Flame Throwers and Dragon Breaths as soon as it was released from its pokeball.


Francisco smiled as he thought to himself.


Crusoe should be ok. Druddigon isn't the fastest Dragon-type out there, and Crusoe is boosted by a D-dance already. Still though, this is a questionable choice he's made. Does he have some sort of trick up his sleeve? I've got to be careful.


Horace commanded Druddigon right away as the crowd started roaring, "Druddigon, take that Dragonite down with Rock Tomb!"


Francisco gave Crusoe the order to dodge right away, but it wasn't soon enough. Crusoe was caught under the titanic stones.


"PAAAAAAARRRGHHH!!!"


Dust clouds shrouded the battle field and the commentator chimed in, "That's a devastatingly powerful and supereffective Rock Tomb from Druddigon! If Dragonite managed to take that dead-on hit, it may still have trouble moving!"


The smoke cleared and Crusoe laid under a pile of boulders, Druddigon stood atop the rubble mass, cocky in its success.


Horace smiled, "Now Druddigon, finish Dragonite off with Draco Meteor!"


Damn it. It's all over, Crusoe can't move! Francisco knew he was right where Horace wanted him.


Druddigon's eyes and mouth glowed with a harsh purplish light. It bellowed deeply as the sky darkened and a vortex opened above. From the vortex the beast summoned blue-purple meteors the size of small cars. They plummeted towards the pile of boulders that held down Crusoe. Druddigon leaped off of the pile just before the meteors made contact. Crusoe yelped in pain as the meteors threw more combat dust into the air.


Francisco sighed and clenched his fists, "Damn it."


As the smoke cleared, Crusoe laid under a pile of rocks unconscious and the referee raised a red flag.


"Dragonite is now unable to battle. Druddigon wins."


The Arena was rocking. The whole crowd went nuts as they chanted Horace's name.


Francisco pulled the Safariball out off of his belt, "Sorry, buddy. I was careless." He pulled the unconscious dragon back into his Ball, "That was impressive."


Horace got cocky, "Yeah I know. I'm told that I'm pretty awesome. You're in a hole now. How can you possibly hope to deal with me now that your Dragonite's out?"


"Tch." Francisco was unimpressed, Horace went from humble to asinine after just one victory. "You know, this battle's not over yet. I wouldn't get so cocky. Flame, let's do this!" Francisco tossed a Pokeball and from it came his first-ever Pokemon.


"Flare," Flame was calm and collected.


The commentator spoke again, "That Flareon is Francisco's first-ever Pokemon. It has made an appearance in every single one of Francisco's recorded League runs, and this is its first appearance in our local tourney! This Flareon may look cute and cuddly ladies and 'gents, but make no mistake, it is one of Francisco's toughest Pokemon! This fight is still just getting started!"


Horace began, "Fine, we'll just end this quickly! Druddigon use Rock Tomb!"


"Flame Charge."


Flame heeded his Trainer's command, Flame became engulfed in flames. With light speed, he bursted across the field and rammed Druddigon in the gut before it could even begin its Rock Tomb attack. Druddigon was sent flying back into the wall of the arena.


The commentator spoke again, "Oh my! If we had ring-out rules, Druddigon would have just lost! Fortunately for it, we decided against that format! But ladies and gentlemen, did you see that? It happened in less than a split second! If you blinked, you missed it! Just how monstrous is this Flareon? How much speed did it gain from that ridiculous Flame Charge?"


Horace grunted, "Hey Druddigon, are you ok?"


Druddigon stood up.


"Enough of this. Flame use Iron Tail!"


The Flareon charged at lighting fast speed towards the Druddigon. Flame slid behind it and smacked it back into the Arena with his steely-glowing tail. Druddigon flew to the center of the field, and landed face-first into the ground.


Francisco continued to issue commands to Flame, "Tag it with Iron Tail again!"


Horace interjected, "Oh, no you don't! Druddigon, return!"


Druddigon became engulfed in light as it was pulled back into its Pokeball just before Flame's attack could connect. Flame's tail smacked the earth with a loud impact sounding similar to a crack of thunder.


"Go, Greninja!"


Horace threw another Pokeball. It opened up and in a flash of light a Greninja took the scene.


The crowd roared and the commentator spoke once more.


"Greninja is well known in this town, ladies and gents! It was Horace's first Pokemon and, like Flareon, has made an appearance in every single one of Horace's recorded Pokemon League runs. Also like Flareon, this is Greninja's first appearance in our Local Tourney!"


Horace smiled, "Greninja, finish that Flareon quick with Water Shuriken!"


Greninja materialized five large Shurikens, truly fluid in shape due to being made from water, and hurled them towards Flame.


"GRENIIIINJAAA!!!"


The projectiles flew quickly towards Flame. Francisco had to think of something quick. He knew that Flame could only take one or two of those Shurikens. Suddenly, it hit him.


"Flame, knock those Water Shurikens right back with Iron Tail!"


Flame quickly repelled the Shurikens one-by-one with his metalicized tail and he swang it back and forth.


"Flare! Flare! Flare!"


Horace couldn't believe what he was seeing, before he could issue another command Francisco had already taken the floor.


"FLAME USE SUPER POWER!"


Flame became engulfed in a red aura. At light speed, he bursted across the field, hitting Greninja dead-on.


"GRENIIIIIINJJAAAAAA!!!"


Greninja cried out as it was sent flying into the barrier by an explosion of red aura. It landed back on the ground after bouncing off the barrier. It was unconscious. The referee raised the red flag.


"Greninja is unable to battle. Flareon in the victor."


The crowd was silent. Horace was at a loss for words.


"H-how? My Greninja--"


Francisco stopped him before he could continue.


"Flame's speed had been boosted by Flame Charge earlier in the match. That affect is still in play now. His movements are quick enough to deflect Water Shurikens on top of the fact that, at this point, he just completely out speeds your Greninja. Furthermore, Super Power is one of the most powerful Fighting-type moves a Pokemon can learn, and Greninja is a Dark-type. You shouldn't be surprised. It was a good effort, though. Flame's attack and defence have been heavily lowered by Super Power's use, he's a sitting duck right now. That was a last resort strategy for me, really."


"Tch." Horace withdrew his unconscious Greninja, and sent Druddigon back out. The referee waved the green flag.


Francisco grabbed Flame's Pokeball, "First thing's first. Flame, come back, buddy."


Flame materialized back into his Pokeball. Francisco grabbed another Ball of his belt and tossed it.


"Ok, 'Leon, let's finish this quick!"


An Empoleon took the stage. He was tall, and very much regal-looking. He was calm, and silent.


The commentator spoke again, "This time Francisco is making a substitution. Flareon has been withdrawn, and a fresh-looking Empoleon has been sent out. Druddigon has already taken large amounts of damage. Ladies and gents, it isn't looking too good for our Horace."


Horace commanded Druddigon right away, "Let's do what we can! Druddigon, use Draco Meteor!"


The crowd roared and cheered, both to promote a good battle, and to keep their hometown boy in the game.


Francisco smiled, "This battle is over. 'Leon, use Blizzard!"


Empoleon silently whipped up a Blizzard that engulfed Druddigon. The snowstorm consumed the dragon, and its cries were muffled by the sounds of frosty winds. When the snowy winds cleared, Druddigon laid there, unconscious. The referee raised the red flag for the final time.


"Druddigon is unable to battle. The victor is Empoleon and the match goes to Francisco from Goldenrod City!"


The Commentator spoke "And that's all she wrote, folks. Two years out of commission, and Francisco hasn't lost a step. He is the Violet City Tournament's champ. He will be recieving the grand prize of one hundred thousand pokedollars and the Violet City Tourney Ribbon!"


Horace withdrew Druddigon, Francisco withdrew Empoleon. The two trainers walked to the center of the battlefield. Horace towered over Francisco.


"That was a good match. You earned that win, Francisco." Horace was humble once again.


Francisco smiled, "You battled good and hard. In truth, no matter who won, either one of us would've deserved this win."


The two trainers shook hands, Francisco walked to the judge's table and recieved his prizes, and the two left the arena.

 

[pac_halo]

Lewis' eyes shone as the camera returned to the commentator.

That was awesome. He thought.

"Jake, Beck, c'mon," Lewis said. "We've got one more stop before Alph."

Without waiting for their response, Lewis lifted from his seat and asked a woman nearby where the tournament was located. She had taken down a Violet City Tournament poster from the wall, and Lewis assumed she worked for the people who created the tournament. Lewis had assumed correctly. After a few moments of discussion, Lewis went back to Beck and Jake.

"Well, she works for the tournament," Lewis said. "And she said we can find the competitors just south of the Sprout Tower. I hope this Francisco guy is willing to join, we're in dire need of some muscle. You just never know what might happen-" Lewis was interrupted by the TV.

"This is Channel 4 with breaking news!" the reporter said. "We come to you live in Castelia City, Unova."

Lewis gave his uninterrupted attention to the television.

"Riots threaten Unova's capital, with peaceful protesters and violent rebels alike scream at the Central Palace, home of Unova's monarch and parliament," the reporter continued. "The rioters claim that they refuse the monarch's right to rule, and, because of parliament's corruption, that the parliament has no sovereignty either. More at eleven."

"Let's go guys," Lewis said, shaking his head.

 

[Seyriub]

Beck hummed sadly as he watched the newscaster deliver the grim news before turning his head away from the screen and adjusting his half mask.

'Imbeciles, the lot of them.'

The man grimaced at the sudden harsh whisper that resounded in his head and the sharp pain that accompanied it's venomous tone. Moving a shaking hand from his mask, the herbalist tightly gripped his temples while closing his eyes to shut out the searing pain- praying that it would leave him.

'So free from burden, so free from pain, so blind to the privileges that protects them from the sufferings that we had to endure.' The voice paused from its spiteful rant before returning to its usual sickly sweetness. 'Isn't that right, Beck?'

The former bounty hunter grit his teeth, trying to withstand the angry onslaught of pain.

'Their happiness should've been ours.' It said lovingly, the words caressing his ear with an irresistibly tantalizing touch. 'It's just not fair.'

"...Leave me alone," Beck whispered softly; his voice strained and hoarse from the agonizing torment.

'Oh but I can't,' The voice giggled happily. 'Do you want to know why?' The voice continued on, not caring for the anguish she was causing for the suffering man. 'It's because...'

Beck braced himself apprehensively, amidst the raging pain, waiting for the words he somehow knew it would say-

'...You don't want me to leave,' It finished with an alluringly tempting whisper.

But all the more didn't want to hear.

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

Jake hopped up from his seat energetically to follow Lewis, yammering excitedly as swung his bag over his shoulder. No matter where he was, or what situation he was in, nothing fired up the young trainer more than a good battle.

"We're gonna try and recruit him? Awesome! He certainly looks strong. Do you think he'll join us? I hope he does, his Dragonite is so cool! So were his Empoleon and Flareon! It's too bad I don't have Pokemon like that. I'd love to battle him! Do you think he woul-"

Jake's words fell short as he noticed Beck clutching his head, seemingly in agonizing pain.

"Beck? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Worried, the teen quickly assessed the situation. It's likely not a broken bone, or Beck would be doing more than just whispering. He hasn't hit is head hard enough to cause serious harm, Lewis or I would have noticed.... A headache perhaps?

"Beck, I'm going to have Aya use Heal Pulse to try and help you with whatever is causing you pain. I just need you to sit sti-" Jake was interrupted by an agonized whisper from his partner.

"...Leave me alone.."

Shocked that Beck would say such a thing, Jake returned Aya's ball to his bag.

"S-Sure. Just thought I'd help is all," Jake stuttered as he turned to follow Lewis. "Just...let me know if I can help, okay?" Feeling confused and a little dejected, Jake shuffled towards Lewis.

 

[The iFlare]

"Man, you can really tell that this is a new Arena," Francisco thought aloud to himself, "They didn't even have a nurse on staff to heal Crusoe. Well, the PokeCenter isn't to far from here. No sense in wasting a revive when I'm near a Pokemon Center, right?"

Francisco's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to find he had received a text from Izzy.

Hey, Fran. Go check your News App. I know Unova is where you left off on your Journey, but with what's going on over there right now, I'd wait before you go back.

"Hmm? What does she mean by that? Better check the App."

Francisco texted his sister back saying "Thanks" and then quickly went to the News App.

ECONOMIC STRIFE LEADS TO RIOTS IN CASTELIA CITY. The Capital of Unova is currently being bombarded by riots and protests from both Violent Rebels and Passive Protesters alike. They are denying the Monarch's right to rule and stating that the Parliament's corruption has lost them their right to sovereignty as well.

"Wow," Francisco thought to himself, "A lot sure has changed in two years. I remember when I was in Unova, it had one of the strongest economies in the world, and everyone was content. Of course, the Monarch was more of a figurehead then, and the Parliament had completely different members. This is troubling, though. The whole world uses the same currency. If the value of the Pokedollar is falling in Unova and causing riots, there's no telling what it'll do to the other regions, especially Johto, since we export most of our products to Unova and depend on it as one of our main economic supporters. I hope this all blows over."

Francisco continued on to the Pokemon Center. As he neared the building he saw three tall men, two adults and a teenager, walk out. They seemed to be heading in the direction of Sprout Tower, where he had just come from.

 

[Seyriub]

Beck blearily opened his eyes as he felt the pain begin to subside from his head, leaving nothing but a wholly disoriented mind as the man stumbled to grasp at his surroundings. The voice, seemingly amused as the herbalist helplessly staggered about, whispered into his ear one last time before fading into the darkness once more.

'Don't forget love.....You need me and whether you like it or not, I'm here to stay.'

Tears stung the corners of Beck's eyes as the guilt assailed his heart like a savage storm. The tortured man opening his chapped lips into a hoarse whisper as he recalled a beloved memory from a much happier time. A time when things were better. A time when he could actually feel the smiles he made on his face. A time when he had-

"Till death do us apart..."

The masked man paused, the fog clearing from his eyes and mind as if a sudden revelation had dawned on him. Slowly straightening his posture, Beck took the hand off his face and stared at the appendage with a growing resolution.

That's right. It all makes sense now. Unbeknownst to the delirious smile growing on his face, Beck clenched the hand he was staring at with a happiness that bordered upon the insane. ....All he had to do.... Lifting his head, the young man turned his sight upon the two men walking out of the building before moving his body to do the same. Was just to take it all back.

With his very own hands.

And so the trainer followed his friends out of the the healing center; the walls already beginning to build within himself as he took the first step out of the building complex.

The world had finally gone quiet.

 

[pac_halo]

Lewis tried to seem impassible of the events that just transpired. In his head, he felt several different emotions- first sadness, then anger, then confusion, then fear. Seeing Beck just tell Jake off was not a happy sight, but Lewis didn't have the time to question Beck's actions- he had to catch Francisco. Lewis began to make his way towards the tower, but a short man dressed in red caught his eye. Lewis immediately recognized him from the tournament and walked towards him, pushing his way through the crowds of family and friends who had come to cheer on the other competitors.

"Hey, you'd be Francisco, correct?" Lewis said. "That was a phenomenal tournament there. How would you like to go on a little expedition?"

Without waiting for an answer, Lewis began to explain the mission to him. He described the contradiction between Kantonian colonization and the hidden wall in Clay Tunnel, his occupation, and their destination. Despite his fatigue due to the jet lag, Lewis spoke at a million miles an hour.

"So," Lewis gasped. "Whaddya say?"

 

[ThatDamnEmu]

All thoughts concerning Beck's strange reaction fled from Jake's head when the young man realized who Lewis was speaking to. With a near-inhuman squeal of pure joy, Jake darted forth. He began to forcibly shake Francisco's hand, speaking at a speed that was almost too quick to comprehend.

"Ohmygod,it's you! It's really you! You're Francisco! You're awesome! That battle it was fantastic! That Hariyama didn't stand a chance against your Dragonite!" Jake went on to give an extremely detailed recounting of the battle, punctuated by his own childish sound effects. "...and then Leon used Blizzard! It was all 'Fwooooosh' and it was over! Could I have a picture? Or an autograph?" The teen gasped excitedly, " or both?!"

Jake finally released Francisco's hand, reaching into his bag for Xavier's pokeball. "I'm not nearly as good as you, but would you battle me sometime?" There was a gleam of excitement rarely seen in the young trainer's eyes, his love for battling showing in full force.