Ten minutes later and the autocade had reached the outskirts of the Pokémon Protection Zone. As Denise captured Kaphares in a D-Ball, Charley gave Caley a hearty pat on the back, wishing the trainer and his companions all the best for the remainder of their journey. With the ranger’s uplifting words granting a needed confidence boost, the travellers ascended in a northerly direction amongst the far-rockier peaks of the Upper Mountain Range.
“I think we were all reminded of some valuable points from that experience,” Rose stated after some time had passed. The others glanced at her with raised eyebrows.
“What, that all electric Pokémon have issues?” James blinked.
“Tatto is a haven for twoips?” Errol pulled a face.
“Being a car hurts a lot?” Cory piped up, rubbing the back of his neck and wincing. Rose sweatdropped.
“Not quite the points I was thinking about,” she remarked. “I meant the value of allowing people outside our circle of association to help out. If it hadn’t been for Charley’s Pokémon Ranger skills, we would have never got Kaphares under control. It’s just something to keep in mind, guys. I’m not telling you to let your guard down completely, but just give others the benefit of the doubt. We may well need their help a lot more in the next few days.”
Butch uttered a dissatisfied snort. He was fairly certain the last part of the statement had been aimed at him, but he wasn’t going to start trusting others that easily. As far as he was concerned, everyone was a potential threat. Denise cast a glance over her shoulder with a partially forlorn expression, which Caley managed to catch a glimpse of.
“What’s up, Neesee?” he inquired worriedly.
“Oh, I was just wondering where that Rouba got to,” she responded. “It vanished shortly after it helped me distract Acha and…well I guess I kinda liked having it around. Its unnatural enthusiasm made a welcome change from the pessimistic attitudes I’ve had to put up with.”
“Well wherever it went, I hope it stays there,” Adam muttered, folding its arms. “The only bird Pokémon I like are the ones fried and served up on my plate with-“
“ROUBAH!”
At this point, a slim, brown shape flew out from behind a particularly large rock and collided with Adam, causing him to scream and clutch at his head defensively. Before anyone had a chance to come to Adam’s rescue, the creature was already back in the air and heading for Denise’s arms. She caught it in astonishment, her face breaking into a wide grin once she recognized who the ambusher was.
“Rouba! You came back!” she exclaimed.
“Just what we need,” Jessie groaned sarcastically. “More sources of irritation.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Cassidy snapped.
“Take a guess, yellow peril,” Jessie smirked, childishly pulling down her lower eyelid. While James and Rose frantically attempted to prevent this childish remark deteriorating into another catty squabble, Caley and Adam looked on in bemusement, Butch rolled his eyes in disbelief and Denise turned her attentions to Cory and Errol.
“Since we have two adept Pokémon translators on board,” she began, glancing back at Rouba. “No reason why I can’t ask you if you have a name already. It’ll save me the trouble of trying to think up one and you the trouble of trying to get used to being called something else.”
“I’d be happy to help,” Cory volunteered, before lowering his head slightly toward the twitchy figure. “So, what’s your name?”
<Goe Wai!> came the excited, somewhat high-pitched voice. <Either that or Levi Lone, possibly Nochua Gane, the others got me confused using so many different names and I guess I’m easily confused and all.>
Cory bit his lip while Errol suppressed a snigger.
“Levi, that sounds like a nice name,” he responded politely. Denise nodded with a grin.
“Would you like to travel with me, Levi?” she asked the Pokémon.
<You guys are great fun!> came the jittery reply. <Especially that human over there with the hair like a nest, not like the others, they weren’t fun at all, too bad, I guess I don’t get on well with other Pokémon or something.>
“I wonda why…” Errol muttered under his breath, while Cory grimaced slightly at the comment.
“He’d love to,” he told Denise, with the best attempted smile he could muster.
Night fell, but despite this, Caley was determined to continue ascending the mountainside. Everyone knew just how fast their window of opportunity to reach Alia Summit was closing, so they thought it best not to complain over the decision. As the darkness thickened further and the temperature dipped, however, they started to have second thoughts.
“Uh, Caley?” Adam piped up, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice as he clasped tightly to the trainer’s shoulders. “Are we lost?”
“I can’t tell,” Errol shrugged, glancing around. “Every rock looks da same as da next.”
“Be thankful you can see the rocks, Errol,” Jessie grumbled, staggering from side to side in a drunken fashion. “I can’t even see my hand in front of my face.”
“Me neither,” James whined. “And not even Li’s glow is helping to shed light on the situation.”
The man stumbled forward as his foot caught upon a particularly uneven part of the track, causing Errol to reach out and grab his friend round the waist.
“Whew!” came the thankful exclamation. “Thanks, Jess…”
While Jessie blinked in confusion over James’ misdirected gratitude, Caley scratched his head and consulted his Pokédex watch. He was beginning to wish he’d bought some more batteries for his flashlight, for it was obvious the group wasn’t going to get very far under such aphotic conditions without one. Especially when his watch’s built in map was giving the trainer no clues as to their current location.
“C-can’t we just find somewhere t-to sleep until morning?” Adam stammered, fidgeting anxiously as the hoot of a passing Noctowl echoed overhead. “Somewhere w-with walls, and windows… and doors with locks. N-nice, big locks.”
“Scared of the dark, are we?” Butch commented.
“No!” the boy snapped, his voice quietening rapidly soon after. “It’s seriously c-cold out here!”
A Murkrow’s cawing discounted Adam’s statement, sending the boy into a huddled lump on the ground.
“That’s it!” he exclaimed in distressed tones.
“I’m not moving from this spot until-“
His sentence cut out as amongst the vocal exchange of the surrounding nightlife there was heard a soft melody. Everyone turned in the direction of the sound with puzzled expressions. Undoubtedly it seemed a figure was playing an instrument of some kind, but surely that wasn’t the case here. Who on earth would wish to do such a thing in the middle of the chilly mountainside at this time of night?
Regardless, it was certainly proof that others were nearby. This was good enough for Adam who was already back on his feet, uttering excited exclamations. But before anyone could make a move, the song faded away into the night. Jessie cast an unforgiving glare at the spot she assumed the teenage boy to be - certain he had scared away whomever had been playing with his almost-nonsensical racket.
Then a faint glow appeared a short distance ahead. The group craned their necks as they tried to make out what the glow was emanating from. As it increased, it began to pick out the details of the surrounding mountainside. Very soon, a golden-coloured figure could be seen poised quietly upon the rocks with a small lantern dangling from its long tail.
“What is that?” Cory inquired softly.
“I…don’t know,” Caley shook his head. For reasons unknown to him, his Pokédex watch was being far from helpful. First with information as to their whereabouts, and now with regards to the creature watching them. If it had been one of Team Rocket’s experiments then he’d have access to its statistics. But there was nothing – the Pokédex screen simply read:
Data unavailable.
The trainer was cautious about opening his senses to the creature after what happened with Kaphares earlier in the day. But with time and his strength fading fast, what other choice was there? Concentrating deeply, Caley found himself surrounded with a most unusual sense of perception. Faced with a heightened knowledge he was unable to obtain. And then he saw the creature flinch, its eyes wide with alarm at having been mentally intruded upon. The lantern clattered to the floor and for a moment or so, neither side made any attempt to react. As the creature leant down to retrieve its source of light, Caley examined the expectant look upon its face and chose to make the first move.
“Let’s follow it,” he suggested.
“Can’t be any worse than staying here,” James shrugged, pursuing the trainer as he made his way toward the creature. The others exchanged accommodating expressions and tagged along. Noting their approach, the creature simply turned and wandered back where it came from.
After a few minutes of ascending a particularly steep incline, the travellers reached the peak and found themselves confronted with the sight of a towering obelisk constructed of hundreds of rectangular grey panels.
“It’s that flying pyramid Brandon Austin used to own!” Cassidy spluttered while the creature stepped gracefully over the uneven ground.
“Heh, always wondered where he’d dumped that thing once he quit being a Frontier Brain,” Butch remarked. “Talk about an environmental eyesore.”
“I dunno, I think it looks pretty cool,” Adam spoke up, causing Denise’s mouth to drop open slightly in surprise. Adam, taking an interest in technology? What next?
“But why leave it here?” Cory exclaimed.
“Oh that’s an easy one,” a completely new voice spoke up.
“It’s our home now.”
Everyone glanced at the golden-coloured creature, thinking that it had been responsible for the answer to Cory’s question. Instead it redirected their gazes to a taller figure leaning upon the trunk of a nearby tree with a Manectric by her side. This figure was undoubtedly human, with violet-coloured hair pulled back into a ponytail which reached past her shoulder blades.
“The name’s Irene,” she indicated, while the Manectric glanced up somewhat accusingly. “I noticed you were having a spot of trouble navigating in the dark. What exactly are you doing awake at this time of night anyway?”
“We were in kind of a hurry to reach Alia Summit,” Caley responded without hesitation. “We’ve got some…important business there.”
“Well Astra seems to think you’re decent enough folks,” Irene smiled. “You could stop by our place, at least until morning.”
“Were you the one playing that music?” Rose inquired, while James smiled to himself at being called decent. It was still something he needed to get used to.
“Nah, that was Astra’s doing,” the young woman shook her head, motioning to the other Pokémon next to her. “Harplaias are natural musicians, creating serenades brings them and others inner peace.”
Astra demonstrated her skill by balancing daintily upon one leg and curling her tail round in an arc. As the moon emerged, the lengthy, blue tendrils dangling from the sides of the Pokémon's face began to move independently and an array of translucent bars formed in the space between the tail’s curve. Waving the tendrils across these ethereal strings returned the soothing melody from earlier to the ears of Astra’s audience.
“So beautiful…” Denise sighed happily. Jessie looked on, tilting her head to one side as if attempting to direct memories into the required area of her brain. The sound felt so familiar to her and yet she couldn’t pinpoint when or where she had heard it before.
“But a Harplaia?” Caley piped up. “What is it? Some kind of new Pokémon species?”
“Far from it,” Irene smiled faintly. “These Pokémon have been living for a long time, maybe even thousands of years. They’ve just kept themselves hidden from human eyes. It was necessary, considering their needs and capabilities.”
“I…don’t understand,” Caley scratched his head.
“Not many people do,” Irene shrugged. “That’s why my dad has spent nearly all his life travelling the world researching these ‘Star Types’. He calls them that because he believes they’re the missing link to that urban legend of Pokémon having come from space.”
“And how come you ended up with Brandon’s Battle Pyramid?” Butch asked, beginning to sound suspicious yet again.
“He’s been extremely interested in my dad’s work from the get-go,” Irene responded, her eyes taking on a distantly admiring appearance. “Upon leaving the Battle Frontier, he donated the pyramid as a means of travel and storage.
Since we landed in Tatto, however, it’s become something far more important.”
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
As a portion of the seemingly endless corridor inside the Battle Pyramid’s lower level slid open, the group found themselves stepping into a hall that was bathed in an unusual yellow-white aura. The source of this unearthly glow appeared to be a cluster of small green and blue-grey Pokémon with purple disc-shaped protrusions above their eyes.
“You can see we’ve become rather…overrun with unexpected arrivals,” Irene explained. “Mostly these Rafect. They all emerged from underground when Brandon and my dad began excavating and they seem to really like it here. Thankfully my friends have been helping watch over them while I went out on patrol with Astra and Jehiel.”
She motioned toward the Rafect, prompting a second examination from Caley and his companions. Now they could see more familiar Pokémon positioned amongst the group, namely a Blaziken, a Walrein and a Breloom.
“Hey Uriel!” Irene called in the Blaziken’s direction as she approached.
“We have some visitors for the night!”
Upon hearing the young woman’s voice, several of the Rafect leapt up from their sitting positions and skittered over. Denise began to giggle as the majority of the glowing figures surrounded her with squeaks of excitement and glowing brighter as a result.
“What’s happening to them?” Adam spluttered, rather unnerved that Denise may get hurt in this unfathomable process. Irene chuckled at the boy’s expression.
“They’ve found an excellent source of joy, it seems,” she commented. “Dad noticed that Rafect thrive a lot better when around those with positive temperaments. I guess the happier you are, the more they like you!”
Uriel lifted a claw and gave her audience a thumbs-up sign, while more Rafect approached the remaining members of the travellers and looked them up and down with curious expressions. One reached out toward Adam, grasping at his sleeve and insisting he follow it toward the remainder of the group. Rose smirked to herself at this before following.
“About these ‘Star Types’…” Caley began, while his associates wandered off to immerse themselves in the playful atmosphere. “What is it about them that makes them so unique that they have to be kept hidden away from everyone?”
“Y’know, I’m not entirely sure,” Irene shrugged. “I know as much about them as you do. I’m not all that interested in archaeology, I’m just your average Pokémon trainer. I’d been hoping to take on the Tatto Expedition while I was here, but dad’s latest endeavours have kept me in the pyramid watching over his new charges.”
The young woman heaved a happy sigh, her eyes taking on the faraway appearance from earlier.
“To be honest, I wish I was in Baaleth’s place right now,” she murmured. Caley blinked in puzzlement.
“Who’s that?” he inquired.
“Oh, Baaleth’s my Lunatone,” Irene explained. “I befriended it during my travels in Hoenn. Right now it’s acting as a direct communications link between me, Dad and Brandon…but I’d much rather be down there in person.”
“How come?” Caley asked, completely oblivious to the signs of affection Irene was displaying. “I thought you said you weren’t interested in archaeology.”
Irene opened her mouth, but before she could explain further she began to blush and glanced away, somewhat embarrassed. Caley continued to look puzzled, but knew better than to pry. Instead he glanced up at the translucent part of the pyramid’s slanted outer wall. Tiny, white tufts were drifting downward in abundance, just beyond his reach.
Jessie was next to catch a glimpse of the dancing flakes, and a warm smile began to spread across her face. It wasn’t to last long. The Rafect cuddled under the woman’s arm pulled away suddenly as if it had been stung and stared up at her with an expression of fearful upset, its inner light fading rapidly. But Jessie was far away now. Something about those snow flurries had cast her mind back to a time of youthful innocence, a time of meagre possessions and a time where so many questions had been left unanswered. Questions of her abandonment.
She had to go outside.
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
“Yeesh, where’s the bathroom in this place?” Butch muttered to himself as he wandered through the corridors of the pyramid’s secondary level. “You’d have thought somewhere so high-tech would have had proper signposting. Do they want people to get lost in here?”
The man’s grumbling faded into silence as he picked up on some unusual noises from the other side of the wall. Moving slowly toward a nearby doorway, Butch pressed gingerly on the shutter-release button, causing the door to slide open before peering into the room.
“What the…?”
The area bore all the usual trappings of a scientific laboratory - computers, testing devices and shelves upon shelves of documentation, but was completely devoid of human life. Butch drew closer to a whiteboard covered in technical jargon, eyes narrowing as he tried to work out what any of the hurried scribbles could possibly mean. After several minutes of unsuccessful deciphering, Butch glanced down at the desk below and an open journal upon it. Closer inspection proved this to be written in the same handwriting, with somewhat more understandable results.
“For many years I have longed to know where Pokémon came from,” Butch read out loud.
Many have held the solid belief Pokémon arrived on earth from space, and I have been one of those people. Seeking means to prove this theory, my endeavors led me first to Kanto’s Mt. Moon, where I documented the curious behavior of the Clef species. They proved to have a great passion for flight – constructing machines quite unlike any I have seen before with an intelligence most remarkable.
A longing for the great beyond, perhaps? Far from the boundaries of this planet? Undoubtedly so – but why? Maybe this was the link I had been searching for.
Further studies of the Clef species proved inconclusive. I moved onward to Hoenn and Mossdeep City’s Space Centre. During my stay, several probes were launched, each returning with no clear evidence of astral life.
“It is only now, working alongside Brandon and Vito, I have been privileged enough to discover the true answer to the burning question many scientists like myself have asked,” Butch continued. “And that is-“
“Pokemon indeed came from space!” an excited voice rang out from behind him, making him drop the journal in the process. Butch swung round and came face to face with a man in his mid forties with a shock of messy brown hair and large, round-rimmed spectacles.
“But from where in space, you ask?” the stranger continued, unaware of Butch’s annoyed expression at his unexpected shock.
“From here, of course! Now how remarkable is that?”
“Alright, smart guy,” Butch raised his eyebrows at this seemingly absurd statement before flinching again as the man flung himself into his personal space.
“Seymour!” he cried. “Professor Seymour Vanyue, to be more precise.”
“Fine. Seymour,” Butch groaned. “If they came from here, how did they come from space at the same time?”
“Well naturally they had to go out there first…” Seymour folded his arms. “Some of them just happened to return here afterward. But don’t you get it? Somewhere, Pokémon have already managed to colonize a planet. And they did it before us!”
“But something doesn’t add up here,” Butch scratched his head. “What about Lunatone and Solrock? And Deoxys? There are eyewitness reports which clearly state those Pokémon arrived on earth encased in meteoric rock!”
“And research has since concluded these very same Pokémon are artificial,” Seymour responded knowledgably. “Just like our mecha and cyber Pokémon, Lunatone, Solrock and even Deoxys are constructs of the Pokémon colony living in outer space. Like the Clef species, it is without doubt these Pokémon have intelligence far advanced than those of the Pokémon that live on earth.”
Butch bent down to gather the journal from the floor with a stunned expression upon his face. Flicking through the pages, he attempted to piece together what Seymour had told him with what he had previously seen in the room below. Images of Pokémon, both familiar and unfamiliar, passed across his vision.
“And these are the ‘Star Types’,” he concluded quietly. “I guess if I were a super-intelligent Pokémon, I’d want to leave here too. No doubt they’d be classed as outcasts by Pokémon and humans alike here. So why did they come back?”
“I am uncertain at present,” Seymour responded with slightly saddened tones. “There is much to learn about this kind of Pokémon and we have only just begun to scrape the surface.
I imagine we shall gather much from our stay in Tatto, though!”
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
Snow…snow…I love it so…
Once Irene had showed the weary travellers to their rooms and all were huddled up under cosy, warm blankets, Jessie slipped back out into the night with Triply in tow. There was no way she could possibly sleep, not with such persistent thoughts playing in the back of her mind. Jessie was certain it wasn’t just the sight of snow that had triggered the thoughts – she had noticed the silhouettes of some tiny dwellings upon a mountainous ridge nearby. Something was impelling her to draw closer to them.
But doing so was hardly an easy task - the clouds of snow danced and swirled as Jessie staggered determinedly up a frozen slope towards her destination, Triply clasped firmly about her shoulders like a plump, living scarf. Eventually the woman arrived at the peak of the ridge, where an unexpected sight met her eyes. The tiny, neglected wooden dwellings she had seen previously weren’t the only buildings to exist there. Somehow the entire mountainside had been carved into solid, angular steps – each one more sizable than the last. And stationed all the way up the mountainside were scatterings of decaying houses, the occasional dilapidated store and even a Pokémon Center with a noticeably large hole in its roof. Jessie suddenly felt tears brimming in her eyes - this little town in the middle of nowhere seemed so familiar. And yet she could not help but wonder what could have possibly happened to cause it to become so desolate.
Logic told her it had involved a particularly vicious fire, at least. While many of the buildings were blackened, closer inspection revealed that several still retained their interiors, though tainted by heat and smoke. Carefully picking her way amongst the remains of the nearest house, Jessie glanced sadly upon framed photographs of those who had once resided within the walls. She only hoped they had managed to escape the flames in time.
Triply pricked up its ears and glanced round swiftly, causing Jessie to do the same. As they did so, a figure in the doorway instinctively ducked backward with a panicked squeak. Blinking in puzzlement, Jessie wandered toward the doorway to see a silvery-coloured shape with a zigzag tail darting through the snow. For a moment the creature glanced expectantly over its shoulder at Jessie and her furred companion, before continuing toward the lower slope. Jessie took the hint and gave pursuit.
“Spyeh! Spyeeerah!” the creature exclaimed loudly, motioning toward a door which had been partially left open. Jessie glanced momentarily at the snow-covered well nearby before examining the blackened window frames of the hut which the creature had entered. This particular dwelling showed considerably more damage compared to the others.
Entering the hut, Jessie was able to get her first proper look at the being she had been giving chase to. It bore a strong resemblance to a Grumpig, but instead of dark grey and purple skin, it was a mixture of silver and dark green. At the tip of its angular tail there was a violet-coloured orb and its head sprouted two curious antennae with faintly-glowing tips. Jessie got the feeling this was yet another specie of Star Type Pokémon.
“So…what did you bring me here for, huh?” she inquired. The Pokémon responded by ducking into the corner of the hut’s singular room and digging frantically. A minute or so later, it brought out a small tin case which it offered to Jessie for examination. Frowning, the woman took part of her sleeve and rubbed the lid of the case to remove the thin layer of moist soil.
Then her mouth dropped open. Despite its tarnished condition, the inscription upon the case shone back at Jessie, almost defiantly. She felt herself reaching out with her fingers and gently running them across the symbols, one by one.
“Together we shall have…our White Tomorrow.”
Those were the very same words her mother had carved into the case she had forbidden Jessie to touch as a child. But surely this wasn’t the same case. Triply and the star type Pokémon watched as morbid curiosity drove Jessie to prize open the lid and take a look inside. There, lying on a scrap of velvet fabric, was a photograph of a young man with sleek, russet-coloured hair and a slim, blue diary with 1978 printed in gold leaf upon its cover. Jessie sat down and put the case upon the floor before pushing the photograph aside, carefully removing the book and opening it to the central pages. It was in remarkably good condition for its age, giving the impression it had been treated with utmost care.
May 28th, it read.
It has almost been a year since dear Halen passed away and yet I still find myself steeped in anger over my inability to prevent his death. Lately I have begun to question the rational thinking of my superiors, particularly that of Madam Boss. While I understand the need for funds to support the organization, it should not be our sole priority as upholders of the law. If Halen had not been forced to participate in such a risky money-making scheme, this would never have happened.
I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I’m starting to regret ever signing up to Team Rocket.
Jessie almost dropped the diary. Team Rocket, upholders of the law? Since when? And who was this ‘Madam Boss’? Giovanni had never spoken of anyone preceding him as leader. She continued reading.
May 31st
Things appear to be looking up. Following the remembrance service, I was approached by two of Halen’s colleagues who gave me what they stated was a recording of the phantom Pokémon Mew taken in the Kantoan mountains. Apparently the legendary Pokémon is believed to be able to bring creatures back to life.
As farfetched as it may seem, any lead is better than this empty feeling eating me within. Seeking Mew would not be an easy task. I would have to leave my life with Jessie in Cosma Town behind. It is a hard decision and a big step, but if it’s a step toward regaining my husband, I am more than willing to take it.
Triply glanced up worriedly as Jessie slowly lowered her arms and stared down at the book upon her lap, shoulders shaking. So this diary was the one that had once belonged to her mother - this was the home she had spent her early childhood in, before everything seemed to fall apart. Jessie could already feel all the repressed frustration and hurt at what seemed like such casual abandonment returning. But this time the woman pushed the feelings back and read the next entry.
June 4th
Madam Boss has agreed to let the Mew expedition go ahead. This will be the last time I get to write here for a while, as I leave for Kanto tomorrow morning. Thankfully I do not have to worry about Jessie’s circumstances, a close friend of mine has already offered to look after her until my return.
Jessie is visibly upset about my decision, and understandably so, having recently lost her father. But this may be the chance we’ve both been hoping for to see him again. I know she is too young to comprehend such things, and I will miss her dreadfully. Jessie is such an intelligent daughter and so much like Halen – there isn’t a day that doesn’t go by that I have not gazed upon her face and seen the potential reflected in her beautiful blue eyes. I don’t want to lose out on watching her grow up for the world, but I don’t want Halen to either. He was so proud of Jessie.
Once I get him back, we can move on from the distressing state Team Rocket has become. It’ll be just how it used to be - him, me and Jessie, together as a family.
Until next time, signing off.
Miya Matthews.
The diary dropped to the floor as Jessie broke down in tears. All this time she had bubbled with anger, thinking her dad had simply upped and left and her mom had cared more about her career than her own daughter, and here was written proof of a loving, dedicated father and a mother’s enduring, almost desperate longing to reunite her family. Rubbing at her eyes, Jessie looked upwards at the remains of the wooden boards over her head and wondered where Miya had ended up. It had been more than twenty years since the words in the diary had been penned. Maybe seeing either of her parents again was just a far-flung dream tossed upon wisps of snow.
She wasn’t going to let her hopes be lost though, despite the odds. Jessie’s life had revolved around unbelievable hopes and distant dreams since she could remember and there was no reason for her to stop now, especially since this particular dream meant so much to her. Returning the aged objects to the tin case, Jessie gave the star type Pokémon a grateful smile.
“I’m not sure how you knew it needed doing or how to even do it,” she began, putting the case into her phase pack. “But you’ve helped to straighten out a few things in my head. Thank you.”
“Spyeh-rah,” the Pokémon returned the smile before following Jessie and Triply back out into the clearer night air. The snowfall had ceased for now and the parental revelations had left Jessie feeling strangely refreshed. At last she was able to enjoy the night sky for what it was; a breathtaking act of nature. Leaving the uninhabited structures of Cosma Town behind, Jessie and her two Pokémon friends strolled quietly by the fence where the mountainside took a plunge toward the ocean. The cliffs may have been of considerable height, but one was still able to hear the crashing waves as they pummelled relentlessly on the rock face below. It was a truly relaxing scene.
At least for a few moments. Both Triply and its star type companion flinched as they detected faint sounds from somewhere down the cliff face. The latter was quick to turn around and dash back toward the Battle Pyramid before Jessie could ask what the matter was. She figured it best to follow.
After all, if there was trouble to be dealt with, it was best tackled in numbers.
***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***
“Quit wriggling, will you Maddie? We’re going to fall at this rate!”
“Well get your foot out of my face, Lyn!”
For the two women clinging to the side of Cosma Ridge, trouble was indeed the theme of the moment. The plan had been simple enough – scour the rock face for its weakest point before breaking through to the caves within. Descending the cliff had been achieved by use of Venusaur's vines and a thin patch of wall was soon found with Nincada’s sensitive antennae. However, just as Lyn and Maddie were about to hack into the rock, their safety lines vanished, leaving them completely stranded.
“This is all your stupid Venusaur’s fault!” Lyn snapped, while her Nincada hung onto her purple bobble hat for dear life.
“Don’t you realise she might have had to hide to avoid us being found out?” Maddie insisted, wiping part of Lyn’s boot print from her cheek.
“And who would possibly be out here in the freezing cold at this time of night?” came the frustrated response. “When I get back up there I’ll-”
“You dare hurt Baby and I’m gonna make you wish you were never born!” Maddie growled.
“I already do,” Lyn groaned. “You followed.”
A moment later, Baby’s somewhat anxious face peered over the top of the cliff before she sent her vines back down to secure Lyn and Maddie once again. Reassured of their safety, the two women returned to work.
“So tell me…” Maddie piped up after a few moments of chipping. “Why did he want us to do this again?”
“Something he caught wind of while working at Silph,” Lyn responded in a somewhat more amenable manner. “Thirty five years ago, someone in the company discovered a vial of a weird metallic liquid labelled ‘Mycunium’ in one of the mechanics laboratories. This substance didn’t appear anywhere in the periodic table, but it apparently has massive capabilities. In their ignorance, technicians of the past used it as fuel and lubricant, consequently bringing robotic toys and construction droids to life. Further experiments proved it could even cause existing Pokémon to become so strong they would evolve into previously undiscovered species!”
“Wow…” Maddie gasped, her eyes growing round as a result of all this new information. “So how’d something like that end up in a lab in the first place?”
“Well at first, they’d assumed it had been manufactured,” Lyn shrugged, taking a swing at the rock face with her pickaxe. “Despite one man taking ownership for its creation, attempts at replicating the substance failed. Eventually the heads of Silph settled upon another theory. The Mycunium had to have been harvested from somewhere. Ever since then, the scientists have been searching this planet for such a location.”
The woman leant back slightly with her feet braced against the rock, grinning and resting her weight wholly upon the vine wrapped securely about her.
“But it seems our client beat them to it.”
“And how’s he so sure it’s here?” Maddie frowned with noticeable doubt in her voice.
“I don’t question our source of income, sis,” Lyn remarked dryly. “If the guy says he has his means of knowing, then that’s good with me. Besides, if there IS Mycunium here, no reason we can’t take a sample for ourselves and use it to make our Pokémon stronger.”
“But I wouldn’t want to hurt Baby…” Maddie looked awkward. Lyn snorted in amusement.
“All the more for my team then,” she responded. “Just think of how rich and famous I’d be with one-of-a-kind Pokémon at my side!”
“Well I gotta admit, it does sound tempting,” Maddie murmured, pushing her blue hat up from her eyes. “Not even Giovanni has access to a substance with that kind of power.”
“Yeesh, you still got your narrow mind focused on that old man?” Lyn smirked. “I’m pretty sure that guy is already hitched. You really do need to get out more.”
Maddie began to blush furiously at this statement. Lyn knew that hadn’t been what her sister was implying; their time spent in Team Rocket had been one of almost constant competition for their boss’ approval. And now, despite having managed to erase all traces of ever being in the organization, Maddie couldn’t help feeling wistful about her potential place as a Super Elite vanishing from her sights. And Lyn couldn’t help teasing her senseless about it. Eventually, Maddie responded in the best way she knew how.
“Shut up and keep digging,” she grumbled, before her next strike caused her upper body to topple though the partially-crushed wall.
***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***
“So anyway, I got to talking with this Professor Vanyue guy…” Butch relayed to Cassidy as they stood out on the balcony of one of the Battle Pyramid’s upper floors. “And apparently Star Type Pokémon are just ordinary Pokémon that have been enhanced.”
“Like my Persep and your Radeu?” Cassidy blinked, leaning upon the railing.
“Yeah, only these creatures are thousands of years old,” Butch gave a nod. “Not to mention intelligent enough to colonize other planets.”
Cassidy did not reply. For a moment, Butch wondered if the woman was preparing a callous remark on how ridiculous he sounded. But the look in her eyes as she gazed up at the starlit sky through the upper windows was far from cynical. Instead it bore a distant confusion.
“Somehow that sounds familiar,” she murmured after a little while had passed.
“Was it something your parents talked over with you?” Butch inquired casually. Cassidy went to answer, then caught herself in mid-breath before turning her head away.
“It might have been.”
“What’s the matter?” the man frowned, attempting to peer round at his companion across the railing. “Every time someone comes even remotely close to linking you with the Agrarian Seers you get all edgy. Is there something I’m not seeing here?”
“There’s nothing to see,” Cassidy responded with unusual quietness. “I don’t want the others to know of my past…not yet. The truth is…I guess I’m scared of slipping up. After being in Team Rocket for so long, there’s habits I’ll need to break. What if I relapsed? If I’m going to be representing the Seers from now on, I don’t want to start off by giving them a bad name.”
“Makes sense,” Butch replied without giving it a second thought. “In which case, I’ll do my best to keep your roots under wraps as best as possible. But whether that trainer kid will find out or not is another matter entirely.”
Cassidy smiled faintly at the thought. Caley wasn’t the one she was most concerned over accessing such information. Besides, it’s not like she had any defence against a psychic anyway.
“Those Seers sure do know a lot more than they let on,” Butch spoke up in a somewhat disgruntled fashion. “If they were already aware of the Star Type Pokémon, makes you wonder what else they’re hiding under those robes of theirs.”
“There are things even most Seers don’t know,” Cassidy responded airily. “Sometimes ignorance is the better option.”
“Not in this case,” came Jessie’s breathless voice from by the doorway. “There’s problems down below.”
Cassidy’s angrily shocked expression at the unexpected audience rapidly switched to one of vague amusement.
“Do we honestly need to know about your digestion issues, Jessie?” she remarked teasingly. The magenta-haired woman gritted her teeth.
“You know full well that’s not what I meant!” she snapped. “Something is happening down on the cliffs and if you two don’t help me wake the others quickly, it’ll be too late to stop it.”
“Wait a second,” Butch raised an eyebrow. “What were you doing out there on the cl-“
“That’s not important!” Jessie exclaimed before turning on her heel and dashing down the corridor. Butch and Cassidy exchanged nonplussed expressions before the former shrugged and both gave pursuit.
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
It wasn’t long before Irene and the remainder of the Battle Pyramid’s guests were woken from their slumber. Without further question, Irene had given instructions for Jahiel and Manakel to keep watch while she, Astra and Uriel strode into the deeper recesses of the structure. Caley was insistent on accompanying Irene and her Pokémon on the trip in return for her kindness. Though Irene was somewhat reluctant at first, she knew she wasn’t going to be able to change Caley’s mind and Astra’s pleading expression didn’t help matters. Neither was she able to quell the determination of his travelling companions and persuade them go back to bed.
As they approached the mouth of the excavation site, it was more than apparent that the Battle Pyramid had been strategically positioned over this sizable hole to keep it well concealed.
“Can’t criminals at least be thoughtful enough to commit crimes at a reasonable hour?” James moaned wearily, clutching at his right arm with his left as the group purposefully made their way through the semi-darkness. “I need my beauty sleep.”
“Wrongdoers aren’t known for their consideration, James,” Rose remarked, passing her hands over the rocky wall with some interest. There didn’t appear to be oddly-carved shapes, runes or anything that would have depicted further discovery of artefacts from one of the world’s lost advanced civilisations. It just appeared to be an ordinary cave.
In which case, whomever was attempting to break in must have had access to inside information. This thought alone was somewhat worrying.
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream echoed around the walls, causing the members of the group to exchange accusing expressions with each other before realising it had been none of them who had uttered the sound.
“I’m pretty sure it came from dataway,” Errol announced firmly, pointing a finger toward the left hand passage where the main tunnel split into three smaller passageways. Astra was the first to dash in the suggested direction, with Irene and Uriel following close behind. Caley and his companions were mostly quick to give chase – Adam took a moment or two of silent convincing by Cory that staying in the dark alone wasn’t much better than staying in the dark with others and running toward the source of frightened screams. Soon they came across whom was responsible. Two women, one dressed in a dark blue jacket with jeans, black boots and a blue bobble hat, the other in a similar outfit of purple tint, were poised defensively behind a Venusaur, Raichu and Meowth as five angrier Pokémon with silver and dark green skin and angular tails surrounded them.
“What’s happening, Lyn?” the woman in the blue outfit gibbered. “He never mentioned anything about these…whatever-they-ares!”
“Well whatever they are, it doesn’t look like they’ll be letting us get to what we’re after any time soon,” Lyn responded gruffly, while the trio of Pokémon examined the unusual new species with somewhat unnerved expressions. Cassidy squinted for a moment before looking to Butch.
“Do those women look familiar to you?”
“Yeah…” Butch responded in lowered tones. “They’re Madelyn and Lyndsey Richardson, Team Rocket Class A Elite agents best known for their skills at breaking and entering.”
“Not to mention being completely incompatible,” Cassidy rolled her eyes as she recalled a few memories. “Worse than Maya and Dinah, from what I recall.”
“Least neither of them had disturbing obsessions over me,” Butch responded with a slight shudder. At this point, Lyn glanced up and caught sight of the newcomers to their situation. Irene was quick to step in and interrogate.
“Who are you?” she snapped. “How did you get in here? This is a restricted area.”
“Not restricted enough, sweetheart,” Lyn responded patronizingly, glancing over Irene’s shoulder at the figures behind. “There’s already enough Team Rocket agents in here to make up a small unit.”
Irene, Uriel and the Star Type Pokémon swung round in unison with surprised looks on their faces. It was just the distraction Lyn had been looking for. She glared firmly at the Meowth and Raichu standing next to her before pointing at her distracted targets.
“Claudia, Electron, get them!”
“You too, Baby!” Maddie ordered, catching on to her sister’s plan. The three Pokémon dived toward Irene and her companions, the Raichu with one paw clenched as it prepared a devastating Focus Punch and the Meowth charging into an Aerial Ace attack. But instead of making contact with their assumed victims, one of the nearby creatures stepped into their path, raised both of its own paws and caught Electron’s fist in mid-swing. A second took Claudia’s blow head on with little effort. The surprised Pokémon found themselves flat on their backs, with Baby’s disorientated bulk landing atop them shortly afterward.
“Those were our most powerful Pokémon…” Maddie whimpered, taking a step back. “They’re way too strong, Lyn! What am I gonna do?”
“Stand your ground and stop acting like such a coward,” Lyn growled, before returning her attention to Irene who was offering a dark expression.
“That was a cheap trick,” Irene muttered, Uriel snorting in disgust. “You’re lucky these Spiera are pacifists or you’d be toast by now.”
“Who said it was a trick?” Maddie smirked, regaining some of her confidence while Caley and his friends shuffled uncomfortably. “Some of the people behind you are in fact very competent Elite rankers. Isn’t that right, Cassidy? Been a long time since we last saw each other, hasn’t it?”
“Don’t drag me into this,” the woman replied somewhat bitterly, gazing at her feet. Irene’s mouth dropped open a little while Astra blinked in confusion.
“But…their intentions-”
“Were well concealed, naturally,” Lyn interrupted enjoyably. Errol gulped as he felt the air around him begin to stir with the growing suspicion and anger of many faces, hidden amongst the darkness. “Why else would they have followed you down here? They’re impostors, the lot of them.”
“That’s enough!” Butch snapped. Lyn had managed to strike a nerve – he was fed up of being made out to be something he wasn’t. Before anyone could protest, the man had snatched a Pokéball from his belt and tossed it to the ground. Noxitar emerged from the burst of brilliant white light, looking equally stern.
“Well that’s a fine way to act!” Maddie exclaimed. “Turning against one of your own.”
“I’m not like you!” Butch yelled. “I quit Team Rocket for a reason, because I don’t want to be used any more! I don’t want to be thought of as a cold-blooded murderer! I want to do something decent with my life!”
“But we’re not in Team Rocket either,” Lyn replied calmly. “We work for someone better now.”
“They sure can’t be much better if they had you break into this protected place to steal the Star Type Pokémon,” Denise piped up. Both Maddie and Lyn burst into laughter at this point.
“What makes you think we were after those freaks?” Maddie grinned in amusement. “Oh no…we’re after what they’re hiding.”
At this point, the hairs on the backs of the Spiera surrounding Maddie and Lyn rose in unison. Jessie shot James a somewhat worried look.
“For pacifistic Pokémon, they sure look ready to dish out a beating,” she remarked.
“Yeah,” James grimaced. “I’m sure glad I’m working with those Spiera and not against them.”
“We have yet to convince them what side we’re on,” Rose bit her lip, while Adam watched Butch advancing recklessly.
“That shouldn’t take long,” he pointed out.
“Grass-top’s already decided to stick his foot in.”
“Noxitar!” Butch yelled with unusual dramatics. “Show those women just how deep the rift is between us now!”
With an equally-dramatic roar, the enhanced Tyranitar swung one of its clawed arms round and plunged it into the rocky ground. Irene, Uriel and the Star Type Pokémon stumbled backward in alarm as a violent tremor reverberated throughout the cave. It was more than enough to shake Butch out of his angry hysteria.
“You idiot!” Jessie exclaimed, glancing up worriedly as a sizable crack spread from the point of Noxitar’s impact and snaked up the cave walls. Clouds of dirt had been thrown into the air as a result of the unexpected earth movement. “What did you do that for?”
“I…” Butch blinked, his face giving the impression that he’d recently emerged from a trance. “They got me mad. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Too right, ya weren’t,” Errol groaned. Maddie glanced at Lyn expectantly.
“This place could collapse any minute. We’ve got to make a break for it,” the latter decided, the tone of her voice dictating she was uncomfortable with the idea. “Client or no client, we won’t get any kind of payment if we don’t get out alive.”
“Got it,” Maddie agreed, before returning Baby to her Pokéball and casting a quick, sad glance over her shoulder. “He sure isn’t going to take this well…”
Lyn also returned Electron and Claudia to the safety of their electronic containment before the two women dashed deeper into the dusty air, back the way they had come. Caley ran to Irene’s side wearing a deeply apologetic expression
“I’m sorry I never told you…” he began.
“It’s okay,” Irene replied seriously. “I understand why you would keep your pasts as Team Rocket members a secret. Not everyone would take it so well.”
“That is true, but maybe if I’d said about it, this mess wouldn’t have happened,” Caley sighed. Then he flinched as a shard of rock hit the top of his head.
“There isn’t any time to escape the way those thieves did,” Irene said. “We’ll have to stand our ground and hope that Fissure attack doesn’t cause a full network collapse. Have you any means of providing protection against this rock fall?”
Caley nodded, before redirecting his attention to his companions. “Everyone get as close together as possible. Sloane, Cory…I’m going to need your help with this.”
While the trainer released Kota beside him, Astra hurriedly tried to convince the unimpressed Spiera that Caley was in fact trying to help and not make the situation even worse than it already was. Jessie, James and Errol clung together in one of their typical fearhugs while the remainder of the travellers stood and watched Uriel using her clawed fists to shatter larger pieces of earth that were breaking away from the cave ceiling and raining down around them. Caley, Sloane, Cory and Kota positioned themselves around the cluster of apprehensive figures before raising their hands. At this point the rumbling that grown so loud it was impossible to hear audible speech. Instead, Caley delivered a loud mental command.
Psychic, NOW!
James shrieked as an ample slab of the cave ceiling plummeted toward them at relentless speed. Just as it seemed the group was about to be crushed, the slab appeared to explode into many pieces above their heads. Rose began to smile in realisation as she caught sight of a bluish flicker surrounding them. Hopefully this shield would hold out until the worst of the tremors subsided.
After a quick, surprised glance at Sloane, Irene had focused her gaze intently upon Cory as the small, pink-purple Pokémon maintained his portion of the shield wall. Astra and the Spiera were also showing considerable interest. It was obvious they had not seen anything quite like him before. Irene had begun to wonder just what type of Pokémon Cory was, when a fizzle and a high-pitched cry shattered her thoughts. Unable to redirect their attention, Caley and his two psychically-endowed companions could only increase their efforts on the shield to make up for the sudden unexplained energy loss. Cory lay sprawled across the ground, unmoving with wide, glazed eyes staring up at the ceiling. Errol uttered a gasp before running to his friend’s side.
“Kid!”
“What happened?” Denise spluttered, following. The tremors were fading now, enabling Caley, Snorlar and Kota to release the shield and turn to see the reason for such a terrible noise. “Did he suffer some kind of backlash from pushing his psychic abilities too hard?”
Errol did not answer, but as he gently turned Cory’s limp body over, the others noticed a particularly cruel-looking silvery shard protruding from his arm. Without further thought, he grasped it with both hands and forcefully pulled it out before holding it to the light.
“How could dis have got through da shield?” he murmured, deeply concerned. Irene approached and took a closer look. She drew back, clasping a hand to her mouth while the Spiera chattered worriedly amongst themselves.
“I think I know,” came the solemn response after a few moments silence. “As for what it’s done to the little guy…
…I think we’d better go see my dad.”
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
“Well now…” Vito murmured with a deeply-satisfied smile as he held up a shiny component to the light of his work lamp. “This certainly is an interesting development.”
“Hm?” Brandon grunted while Ba’aleth, Irene’s Lunatone, hovered uncertainly overhead. Ever since he and his archaeological work partner had unearthed the sizable chunk of meteoric rock from amongst the more-recognizable minerals within the cave, he had been studying the contents of an electronic datafile in an attempt to make a link with similar previous findings. In the past, other meteors had been sighted making impact on the earth’s surface, some of these sightings had been as far back as 1933. Further research had proven the meteoric rock to have simply been an outer covering for a far more advanced means of transport - a shield against the penetrating effects the earth’s atmosphere dealt to anything entering it. But something still didn’t make sense. How were the Star Type Pokémon who had built the flying craft able to power them?
“I believe I’ve figured out the fuel conundrum,” Vito spoke up with perfect timing. “The substance responsible for making these spaceships function is the same substance which enables the Star Type Pokémon themselves to function.”
Brandon raised an eyebrow at this, prompting Vito to continue with his theory.
“Purebred Star Types have shown some inhuman qualities, have they not?” he insisted. “They survive without the basic factors of life that normal Pokémon and humans need to continue existence. Without requiring air, food or water to live, wouldn’t that class Star Types as a more…inorganic species?”
“I suppose,” Brandon replied thoughtfully.
“In which case it wouldn’t seem at all absurd that the life source they do depend upon could also be used within machines,” Vito said with unwavering firmness. Brandon shut his laptop before taking the component from Vito’s hands and examining it.
“Maybe so,” he murmured. “But remember Silphichryllium. In the past, they somehow gained access to this substance for a short time – that is how creatures like Voltorb, Magnemite and Beldum came to exist.
What proof do we have that it would not cause other mechanical creations to become living beings?”
Before Vito had a chance to reply, the syncopated thuds of several pairs of feet were heard echoing toward them. Irene dashed into view with Astra and Uriel close behind. Errol followed, clasping Cory’s small body protectively in his arms.
“Dad! Dad, you gotta help us” Irene cried, motioning toward Cory with a note of panic in her voice.
“What are those people doing down here?” he exclaimed, before Irene had a chance to finish her sentence. “You know what my instructions were. No one but Brandon and I were to come down here, for the well-being of the Star Types.”
“That’s exactly why I came down here!” Irene insisted frustratedly. “Some thieves tried to break in and we managed to drive them away, but in the process of protecting us from the resulting earth tremors…I think this Pokémon was poisoned.”
This caused several horrified gasps to arise from the group behind her. But Vito appeared to have other things on his mind as he glanced at the shard Irene was now holding out to him.
“Poisoned?” Errol spluttered. “What is dat stuff?”
“That is not important,” Vito replied firmly.
“Damn right it’s important!” Errol snapped. “Dis is da kid’s life we’re talkin’ about an if we don’t know what poisoned him, how are we supposed ta save it?”
“Time is short,” Brandon spoke in emotionless tones as he approached. “Bring the Pokémon here – we shall see how strong his chances are.”
Errol growled, but did as he was instructed. The others simply kept silent and exchanged puzzled glances. Why were Brandon and Vito so determined to keep the identity of this mysterious rock under wraps? Did it have something to do with Maddie and Lyn’s earlier break-in attempt?
“This is certainly no Pokémon I have seen before,” Vito murmured to Brandon as he pulled over a small mirror on an adjustable stand. “And surely not a Star Type, otherwise it would not have been affected like this.”
“It appears that way,” Brandon nodded, plugging a set of wires with small suction cups on the ends into his laptop. Caley felt an urge to ask why that was, but refrained from it as it didn’t seem either of the men were about to tell them a thing. He frowned, feeling somewhat helpless.
“The readings I am getting from this creature are most unorthodox,” Brandon remarked, before staring firmly at Caley with emotionless dark eyes. “It appears you are no stranger to enhanced Pokémon.”
“It’s not what it looks like!” James blurted out.
“We rescued him,” Caley added without flinching. “Along with other Pokémon mutated against their will by Team Rocket.”
“Mutating Pokémon…it certainly sounds like something they would do,” Vito muttered in disgust, while Irene shot Butch a curious glance.
“So your Pokémon partner was…?” she began.
“Seriously misdirected, yup,” Jessie smirked, referring to Butch’s earlier outburst. The man glowered at her in return, but said nothing. He knew Jessie was right – he shouldn’t have let his anger get the better of him, no matter how insulted he felt. Beyond everyone’s vision, no one noticed Cory’s form beginning to stir upon the table.
“Its altered DNA means recompiling the scan data of its internal systems is going to take a few minutes,” Brandon concluded.
“In the meantime we’d better administer some circulation delay serum to make sure this foreign substance doesn’t completely contaminate his body.”
A smash was heard, coupled with a ferocious cry as a lithe, shadowy figure leapt into the air behind Brandon and Vito and disappeared into the darkness of the passage beyond. Vito swung round in alarm, his eyes wide as he and the others took in the severed wires which had previously held the suction pads to Cory’s body, now lying upon the empty table amongst shards of glass.
“Was that thing…?” Denise began, glancing down the passage while Vito examined the broken mirror above the table with a confused expression.
“Cory…” Errol murmured worriedly. He had managed to catch sight of his companion’s face a moment before he vanished. The look in Cory’s eyes was unlike anything he’d seen on the Pokémon before. What if this contamination had awoken the very nature in him he had been longing to keep concealed? Errol made a move to run down the passage, but Brandon reached out and snatched him by the arm.
“You must not go down there,” he stated simply. “That area has been untouched, even by us. Let the Star Types deal with your friend.”
“B-but…” Errol stammered, while the others looked on in concern. “He’s not…dey don’t know what dey’re dealin’ with!”
“What do you mean?” Cassidy pulled a face. “He’s a gumball, a softie, what’s he possibly going to do?”
“A lot, if what I t’ink’s happened has happened,” Errol muttered, attempting to pull away from Brandon’s grip. “Now lemme go!”
He succeeded in breaking free, but instead found his shoulders clasped by two familiar pairs of hands.
“Brandon’s right, you can’t go down there,” James nodded firmly.
“Not until you tell us why Cory’s got issues,” Jessie added.
“It ain’t his fault!” Errol spluttered as he struggled instinctively. “Don’t youse dare judge him!”
“Calm down, buddy!” James bit his lip as Rose approached.
“Listen to James,” she agreed. “We can’t help Cory unless we have the full picture.”
Vito and I