Outcast

Part 2

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Jason might have been inclined to take his brother’s advice a little more seriously if he felt like his contribution was worth the effort. The tasks set before him daily were the epitome of boring. From one day to the next, he simply couldn’t help but feel like, little by little, he was continuing to slip further behind his brother.

If he was beginning to learn anything from his social studies classes – which encompassed introductions to sociology and psychology – it was that in his case, some external motivational factor was required. So despite his continued lack of work ethic, he did his best to get better grades in school. He’d already heard all the tired old speeches about applying himself for his own good. He wondered just how many teachers in the world realized that this wasn’t effective motivation for the majority of their students. If he had to guess, he would have said three or four. However many there were, one thing was certain: none of them worked for Tangelo Hall Academy.

No, for Jason, the overriding motivation was being able to match his brother – and for now, that meant acquiring a Pokémon for his fifteenth birthday. And not just any Pokémon. Daniel, when his fifteenth had arrived, was allowed to have any one Pokémon he wanted, specially bred for him and given him at the moment of its hatching. Despite constant prodding and prying from his younger brother, Daniel had been careful in keeping secret the identity of that Pokémon... as well as the two that had followed it. Even now, Jason felt he had nary a clue to go by. Daniel showed no preference for specific Pokémon, and the fact that he worked most often in land-based breeding and training grounds didn’t mean anything – that was simply where their father had assigned him to work this year.

Jason had finally decided that he didn’t need to know what Pokémon Daniel had gotten for his birthday. The truth was, all Jason needed to know was what he himself wanted. But he wasn’t entirely sure what exact Pokémon he wanted. What he was certain of was that he wanted one which could challenge anything his brother would have picked. Just to get a leg up on him in something, so that somebody out there would recognize he was worthy of his own respect.

But what would Daniel have chosen for himself?

Jason found himself doodling in his notebook one day after having completed an algebra test – one which he actually felt confident he had aced. He had drawn up a rudimentary table of Pokémon types. We have full reign over just about every Pokémon commonly found in the wild. I’ll bet he wouldn’t favor Pokémon that specialized in just one type, so that pretty much rules out Electric-Types... and Psychic-Types. Those are too commonly found, anyway. He scribbled out the correspondingly labeled boxes. So I probably wouldn’t have much to worry about in the way of lightning or mental attacks. What’s weak to psychics? He circled the boxes labeled “Fighting” and “Poison”. Croagunk, I guess. But I don’t know... He looked back to the “Electric” box he’d scribbled out. Electric-Types? That’s easy, Water- and Flying-Types.

He looked up, a sudden grin spreading across his face. Only a couple Pokémon are both of those... Gyarados and Mantine. And Gyarados is bar none one of the scariest Pokémon out there. That’d be awesome to have! He stuck the end of his pen in his mouth as he considered the option. Thing is, Gyarados isn’t a basic Pokémon, it’s stage 1. And Danny wouldn’t need an Electric-Type Pokémon for it to have electrical attacks, which would absolutely fry a Gyarados. I’d need to be really specific about the one I wanted, and I would need somebody else to train it up from a Magikarp. That sort of makes me lose out on the initial bond that’s important for trainers to have, right from the start. Gyarados is a hard Pokémon to control even if you’re an expert trainer.

His expression soured. That’d be no good. If I were to have any hope of getting one I could handle, I’d either have to train it up from a Magikarp myself... or I’d need to at least make sure I was there as it’s growing. Both so that the bond can be established. Doesn’t sound like my idea of fun.

...On the other hand, I’m not sure how confident I would be in standing behind a Mantine. A Mantyke, that much less – those are just too cute to be taken seriously. If I want others to show me respect, and they won’t give it to me like they should, I need to show them I have something really terrible at my disposal.

A pair of fingers snapped in front of his face suddenly, once, then twice. “Hey, spaz, wake up!”

Jason flinched, blinked, then recoiled when he saw who had shaken him from his reverie. It was Rocky Lancaster again, but today he was sans the predatory look he could usually be found wearing. Still, the sound of his voice wasn’t kind. “Gonna come out of it, Creight, or you need a little more convincing?”

“Uh. No, no thanks. I can take it from here.” Jason’s eyes darted to the clock – the bell had rung almost three minutes ago and the students from his period were long gone, to be replaced by whatever math class Rocky was about to start. Quickly he gathered his books and got up to leave.

“Hey, Creight.”

Jason rolled his eyes – he really didn’t want to deal with parting shots from the bully, but manners obligated him to answer the person speaking to him. “What?”

“Whatever it was you told your old man, don’t think it’s gonna make me like you. I’ll take the job but I don’t have to enjoy it or those pansies I’m gonna be working with. Got that?”

A wrinkle formed in the center of Jason’s brow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, no?”

“No, and I’ve got to go to class.”

“Well, wait until history, maybe I can jog your memory then.”

Jason scoffed as he turned back to the door. Now I get the feeling I’m going to be doing quite a bit of jogging myself.

—

Upon arriving home, Jason immediately went into his father’s office. Carson Creight was, as usual, sitting at a cluttered desk and scrawling what looked to be some archaic form of Farfetch’d-scratch on a “fill-in-the-blank” brand of report. Jason rapped his knuckles on the open door as he stepped inside.

“Mr. Creight glanced up from the report for all of one instant. “Jason. Come in, why don’t you. What’s the occasion?”

Jason offered no preamble. “Did you offer Rocky Lancaster a job for CBC?”

“Not exactly. Your brother recommended the name to me a couple of weeks ago. Sounded like a kid lacking direction and focus and Daniel seemed to think CBC could offer him both.” The patriarch looked up from his work and gave his son a wry smile. “I have to admit, the job interview was... enlightening.”

“Dad, he’s a bully and a thug. I guarantee you he’s gonna steal stuff.”

“Not if he’s earning money to count the ‘stuff’. And you’re going to show him how.”

“What?”

Mr. Creight tilted his head. “Jason, I’m your father, not a complete ignoramus. Even before you started complaining, I knew you weren’t happy with the position I gave you. So I’m solving several problems at once. Janice Forester gave her two weeks’ notice last Thursday, and you know I believe in promoting from within. Her departure means everyone gets bumped up. Your days on inventory are numbered; you’ll be running the register soon. But before you do, I need you to make sure this kid understands and performs the job he’s been offered to the absolute best of his ability. You’ll be supervising him until then.”

“You’re kidding me, Dad. Rocky’s a moron. You can’t count on him.”

“Which is why I’m counting on you, instead.” Carson laced his fingers over the paper he’d evidently finished filling out. “How strong is your objection to this boy being hired here?”

“I suppose I don’t have a problem with him working here, but what about the inventory? You know you can at least count on me to report the numbers right. What happens when he takes something off a shelf and doesn’t report it? How much would we lose if we didn’t have the right man for that job?”

“I’ve encouraged you to bring in a classmate you would trust, since you’re my current man for that job, but I haven’t seen any efforts made to that end. There was a job opening, everyone in this family knew about it, and your brother had a man for it first. Maybe you should learn something from his initiative.”

“You really want to risk a gut instinct on Rocky Lancaster?”

“Of course I don’t. And I’m not; after all, I did just have security cameras installed back there. And let’s face the facts, here... ever since his grandfather passed away, nobody has given him a break. He’s been raised by your classmates to believe that he won’t ever get one, no matter how hard he tries. He needs one. I believe in compassion as much as I do in practicality. He’ll get his chance here.” He looked back down to his paperwork. “In any event, the deed is done, so if you’re looking to hammer out exactly why Daniel decided your classmate would be such an excellent fit for us, feel free to go ask him yourself.”

Jason narrowed his eyes, but the clip of his father’s tone made it clear the conversation was over, as far as he was concerned. “I guess I will, then.”

—

At first, it had seemed odd to Jason that other breeders out of the land-based grounds were so uncomfortable in telling him exactly where Daniel was. Evidently his status as Daniel’s kin was not enough for them to give him a proper and clear answer on that account. He had no rank to pull with them, but if he had, he’d have done it just to get them to spit it out. He didn’t even notice at first just how many personnel were not on the grounds – all he saw were people standing in his way.

Perhaps Jason would have been inclined to speak civilly and rationally to his older brother if it had been some other classmate he didn’t particularly like. Or maybe he would have been inclined to talk things out with him if he saw Daniel behaving in a manner that befit his status as the favorite son of the Creight family and heir to the empire that was rising fast beneath their feet.

But once he was out of the building and on the open grounds, he was having a hard time picturing himself doing anything at all – save for standing there and witnessing exactly what was happening.

Daniel was without a shirt, and had on only a pair of muddy carpenter’s pants. Both fists were up in fighting stance, and of all things, he appeared to be squaring off with a Machop that barely even stood half his size. The elder Creight’s muscles, already stark in appearance, rippled with the exertion of throwing a jab down at the Machop, which deftly caught the fist in one hand, then gripped Daniel’s arm and twisted around, hurling him into the mud.

Daniel let out a surprised grunt when he hit the ground, then snarled as he got back to his feet and charged the Pokémon. This time the Machop wasn’t prepared and Daniel’s fists slammed into either side of the shorter creature’s head in a brutal boxing of its ears. It cried out in agony and fell back; the momentum of Daniel’s charge forced him to keep moving and he lost his balance, falling prostrate atop the injured Pokémon. The Machop howled again at the unexpected weight of its human tormentor.

Jason’s jaw quivered as he watched his brother get back up. He thought he’d seen what a feral look was in the face of Rocky Lancaster... but what that petty kid was able to produce offered absolutely no comparison to the look on Daniel’s face now. The crown prince of the Creight Breeding Center wore a mask of predatory satisfaction, like one Jason might have expected to see if he ever thought his brother was about to murder something.

Jason wouldn’t have thought it possible... but Daniel certainly looked ready to murder the Machop.

At that moment, there was only one thing that came to his mind, only one word that he could find it in him to utter.

“Stop...”

Daniel didn’t seem to have heard the word. In fact, he didn’t appear aware that Jason was even there. A deep growl issued from his throat, and his lips peeled back over clenched teeth.

“Stop...”

His fingers curled into white-knuckled fists.

“Stop.”

He raised his right fist high over his head, ready to drive it into the defeated Machop’s exposed belly.

“Stop!”

This time, Daniel heard the outcry, and he stopped short and looked up. There stood his brother, motionless, save for his quivering jaw and darting eyes – now Jason saw into Daniel’s eyes fully. Difficult as it was for Jason to believe, there seemed to be virtually no humanity in them, only the instinct and anger of a bully whose prey had fought back.

But Daniel relented, and stood back from the beaten Pokémon. The Machop made no motion to rise from the ground, a clear signal that it was defeated... Fighting-Type Pokémon were notoriously prideful and stubborn, so to acquiesce to an aggressor was a response to a life-threatening situation.

Anger of a different kind threatened to overwhelm Daniel’s features, the kind that Jason could identify with. He had been caught doing something cruel and intolerable, and the person catching him was his brother, a source their parents would have no reason to doubt. Part of Jason began to wonder if this had been the only time such abuse was happening, or if there was more going on than he could begin to guess.

Daniel tried to discard the expression and scoffed as he planted his hands on his hips. “The hell are you doing here?”

“I... I...” Jason tried to push past his own tongue but couldn’t seem to find his way out of stuttering.

His older brother took several steps in Jason’s direction. Instinctually, Jason backed away the same distance. Daniel stopped short. “Hold on. You don’t think I would...” He trailed off, then let his arms fall to his sides. His expression changed again, and if Jason hadn’t seen what he just had, he might have thought it was one of caring. “You’re my brother, squirt, not some rogue Pokémon. I would never hit you.”

The younger Creight was dumbfounded, but he was able to locate his language skills this time. “‘Rogue Pokémon’? Is that what happened, that Machop just go a little nuts on you or something?”

“Listen. It’s one of the Pokémon that our ‘mysterious client’ at Viridian Gym wanted us to breed up. Or at least, it has the hallmarks of the kind he wants. He wants them aggressive and ready for a fight. But that one...” Daniel chucked his thumb at the downed Machop. “...was beating up on a Sandshrew infant. I tried to get between the two of them and the thing wanted to take me on. I was defending the Sandshrew.”

“You were defending a Sandshrew baby.”

“Yeah. It wasn’t supposed to be anything more than that, but the Machop wouldn’t let up, and...” Daniel threw his hands up. “...things just got out of hand. I didn’t mean for it to go that far.” He reached out and placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Trust me. I didn’t start it and I wouldn’t do that to a Pokémon if I was thinking straight.”

Jason backed away, causing Daniel’s hand to slip off his shoulder. “I don’t believe you.”

“Why not?” Daniel took another step toward Jason; the younger Creight again drew away. “Jason, why don’t you believe me? Have you ever seen me do anything like that before?”

“Why isn’t anyone else here?” Jason abruptly asked.

Daniel blinked. “What?”

“I asked everyone where you were and they didn’t want to tell me.” Jason stepped back again, this time with purpose – he was retreating to the grounds entrance. “You’re the pretty one. You’re the bigshot. They know if you’re here. They should know where you are but they kept saying they didn’t. Why was I the first one who saw you?”

Now Daniel’s face became stern, and his voice carried a warning tone. “Jason...”

“I wasn’t, was I?” Jason gripped the handle to the door. “Someone knew.”

Daniel’s face twisted, and he lunged forward.

Jason twisted the handle and swung the door wide; the heavy metal slab caught Daniel unprepared and knocked him backward while Jason dashed through and made his escape. He took one turn after another through the halls, trying to think of the most random route he could take to throw off his brother and get himself to at least temporary safety.

Jason knew the complex just as well as anyone else, if not better... and there was a larger broom closet he had always gone when playing hide-and-seek with his brother that Daniel had never bothered to check. A twist this way, a turn that way, and he knew he wouldn’t be found.

But even as he quietly closed and locked the door behind him, he realized that he wouldn’t be able to hide in here forever. And if I stay here, Danny will get back home before me and try to cover it up before I can talk to anybody about it.

He sat down on the floor against a cabinet of towels and banged the back of his head against the frame in frustration. I know I’m right, I’ve gotta be. There was someone else who knew he was doing that. Maybe even a lot of people. The way they were all looking away from me, like they didn’t wanna know anything. Maybe they all knew. But why would they let it happen? Why would they all just walk out and let him do that?

He ran a hand through his hair. Man, if only there were security cameras out there! He clenched his eyes shut for a long moment and clasped his hands over his head, trying to clear it so that he could focus... a difficult task when it seemed like his brother was now actively out to kill him.

Then he opened his eyes again and blinked in abrupt realization. Janice Forester. She was working lead for a lot of the land-based breeding. She’s supposed to be quitting – maybe she knew something?

He tried, and failed, to suppress a shudder at the thought. What if she did see something? Wouldn’t she have tried to tell Dad about it? She was one of the leads on those grounds. Without her, Danny’s just about in charge of the place – he gets run of the mill on Ground-, Fighting-, and Rock-Type Pokémon. And he’s treating them like that. If he’s done it before, she’d have told somebody...

Jason was not in the habit of wearing a watch, and he now cursed himself for never establishing it. He looked around the closet; its stocks of cleaning supplies appeared half-drained, and he had seen Todd, the janitor, raiding it earlier. He felt reasonably confident he would not be found in here – not soon, anyway. And even if he was, Todd was a reasonably friendly and sympathetic guy.

He let his eyes drift half-closed. He knew what he was going to do next. I definitely need to talk to Janice. And then I need to talk to Dad... Danny’s probably already doing that right now, though. “Explaining” the situation. Jason knew that Daniel’s story, no matter how convincing it might seem to someone who hadn’t been there, was too fishy to be completely true. No other humans on the grounds? That, in and of itself, was strange. Typically one could find three or four others there. And everyone Jason had met in the hallways on his way to see his older brother had acted almost embarrassed to know where he was.

But if they knew, why didn’t they say anything? He blinked. Or maybe they told Janice, and she told Dad. But... wouldn’t we have heard about it? Certainly someone would have gotten chatty over the subject. If not his family, then his co-workers... some of whom had demonstrated or declared jealousy over Daniel’s rapid ascension through the company’s ranks.

Dad needs to know what the truth is. And he should know nobody else was even around to try and stop Danny, either.

But without a method of measuring time, he knew he couldn’t be certain when he could leave safely. He considered just waiting until a janitor ferreted him out – maybe it would be Todd; on the other hand he might encounter someone not quite so amiable. But he wasn’t comfortable with the idea, as he had a growing awareness that for every minute he was in here, it was another minute he was AWOL.

I really should get out of here, he thought. By now, Danny probably figures I’ve either gone into hiding or I’ve gotten away, so I can be reasonably sure he’s gone to talk to Dad. And if he’s talking to Dad, that means he’s not looking around for me.

He got to his feet, reached for the doorknob, and gingerly cracked the door open to peer into the hallway. There was no one to be found there, and no noise, save for the steady low hum of the air conditioning through the duct work. Quietly, he stepped into the hall and started toward the employee entrance.

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© Matt Morwell, 2011