Vindicator

Part 8

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Jason clenched his fist as he watched his Spearow struggle to rise from the ground. “C’mon, Spearow, don’t give up on me... give it everything you’ve got!”

To its credit, the avian Pokémon was doing its level best to comply with Jason’s command. Even through the haze of pain every spectator could see clouding its vision, even with its shaking legs threatening to buckle beneath it at any instant, it stubbornly refused to stay on the ground. “Rooowww... Speeearrr-rooowww...”

Hitmonlee, in the meantime, was bouncing back and forth on its clawed toes in perfect fighting stance, looking for all the world like it could keep this up all day. But Jason’s instincts told him it was close to falling. It has to be. Spearow’s hit it so many times, and it’s already fallen down from one of those Hi Jump Kicks. It’s got to be close. He chewed his lip. But I don’t know if I want to risk it. He thrust forward Spearow’s Poké Ball suddenly. “Spearow, return!”

Koichi didn’t appear surprised at the maneuver. “Retreating. A wise choice. And what will your next contender be?”

Jason palmed another ball and tossed it up. “Meet Zubat!”

A blue-furred, eyeless bat emerged from the recesses of the next ball and released an ear-splitting screech while it took to the air that Spearow had owned only a few moments previous. Jason could already hear Kelly’s protest in the back of his mind – I’ve barely done any training at all with Zubat. Enough to get him comfortable with battling the random odd Pokémon but nothing like trainer battles, let alone a gym fight. He’s still pretty weak. My only hope right now is that he’ll be able to outmaneuver Hitmonlee. Even then, that’s still only his first Pokémon – he’s already effectively taken out one of mine.

Koichi smirked. “Very well, then. Hitmonlee, Hi Jump Kick!”

Jason’s fist clenched so hard his fingernails bit into his own palm. “Zubat, Wing Attack!”

The two Pokémon passed each other in midair – Hitmonlee made a prodigious leap that made it look as though it could have cleared Lavender Town’s Pokémon Tower if it really felt like it – and clipped each other. Zubat’s strike landed first, a brisk slap in Hitmonlee’s exposed knees with the hard edges of its wings, but Hitmonlee took advantage of the momentum the strike gave it and turned its endeavor into a tumble that caused its toe-talons to rake across Zubat’s belly before Jason’s Pokémon could pass.

The damage, however, combined with the momentum, was enough to make Hitmonlee land most ungracefully on its back, rather than its feet. While it did struggle back to its feet, Jason saw from the way its chest heaved that it was well and seriously wounded from the hit. On the other hand, now Zubat was faltering; its wings flapped erratically, making it bob up and down in midair, and its chirp was considerably quieter than it had been when it came out. And that’s after just a single counterattack!

“Impressive,” Koichi remarked. “I can see your Zubat is stronger than it looks.” Then his head snapped to his Pokémon. “Hitmonlee, Double Kick!”

Time to get out of the way or change tack. “Zubat, give me the best Supersonic you can!”

Almost before the words were out of Jason’s mouth, Hitmonlee was already leaping once more to meet Zubat. But Zubat twisted at just the right moment for the first kick to touch nothing but empty space, swooping dangerously close to its belly once more. If it was possible, Hitmonlee barely touched the ground before turning about in preparation for its second strike.

Now, though, Zubat was prepared for its own attack, and it loosed a terrible scream that felt like a glass spike being driven through Jason’s eardrums. The brain-shattering noise caused combatants and spectators alike to clamp their hands over their ears in pain... but for Hitmonlee, the result was worse. At the moment the sound was uttered, it had been rising up to leap again, but the noise was such a jarring distraction that when it pushed off one leg and tried to sweep out with the other, its second leg collided with the first, effectively kicking its own feet out from underneath it while it soared through the air. It tumbled helplessly, end over end, until its dome-like head made a savage impact against the wooden floor that a human would not have survived.

Jason heard several gasps at the moment of impact and he couldn’t help but flinch at the sight. Koichi’s reaction was immediate; he brought up Hitmonlee’s Poké Ball. “Return!” he called.

The red beam caught Hitmonlee and dissolved it into neon energy almost before the Pokémon came to rest in a crumpled heap on the floor. Its trainer regarded Jason with a strange look on his face... in his eyes was a mixture of curiosity, and some other emotion Jason couldn’t quite identify. He’s not afraid of me, he definitely knows he doesn’t need to be... but he doesn’t look angry to me, not really. I think he knows it was an accident, that I wouldn’t have done that on purpose.

He still felt obligated to speak up regarding that matter. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. Do you want to stop the match now and make sure your Hitmonlee’s okay?”

But Koichi shook his head. “No, I don’t think that will be necessary. Hitmonlee’s cranial region is notoriously tough, and since Hitmonlees have no necks, they have a considerable advantage over those who do. But I would advise perhaps a touch more caution when you face your next opponent.” He brought forth his second Poké Ball and threw it. “Come out, Hitmonchan!”

And there it is, Jason mused, while the new combatant coalesced before him. This Pokémon was more humanoid than its counterpart, looking for all intents and purposes like it was trying to dress as a human for a boxing match. But everyone knows boxing came from this Pokémon. That’s how we developed gloves to look like what Hitmonchan’s hands actually are... even clothing to match the bulky, extra layers of epidermis they have to cover their torsos.

Jason pointed at Hitmonchan. “Zubat, let’s Astonish him!”

Zubat let out another shriek, this one not quite as ear-splitting as its last, and the edges of its wings became cloaked in murky shadow. The scream was enough to fake out Koichi’s Pokémon, which raised its fists with both arms up in front of its face in a defensive pose. Jason resisted the urge to pump his fist in victory. Faked him out!

But now he knew that Zubat’s element of surprise would be gone with that maneuver, even as it struck a glancing blow across Hitmonchan’s arms, and he had Zubat’s ball ready in case it were to fall. Koichi evidently knew he would have to pick up the pace and adapt, as well; he shouted, “Hitmonchan, Thunderpunch!”

Jason winced again. Great, Zubat’s gonna get fried if that lands. “Zubat, try another Supersonic!”

Those that were watching the match knew to cover their ears ahead of time this time, and so the noise was only half as damaging to Jason’s hearing as it had been when he hadn’t known what to expect the first time. But although Jason was proud of Zubat for having the concentration necessary to pull it off, he still felt a distinct jolt of fear shoot across his chest when he saw that the sound had apparently not thrown Hitmonchan for enough of a loop. Its bulbous red fist careened towards Zubat with all the speed of a bullet, crackling with yellow sparks; the strike landed dead center, and had they not been in an enclosed space, Jason felt confident the punch would have thrown Zubat into the stratosphere. As it was, the small bat smashed into one of the support pillars and tumbled toward the ground.

Jason hurriedly called out, “Zubat, return!” and aimed the ball’s energy matrix as best he could to intercept Zubat. The stream of energy shot just beneath the creature, but maintained itself for exactly the instant he needed in order to catch it and draw it back.

Koichi crossed his arms and tilted his head. “And our next opponent shall be?”

Jason observed Hitmonchan for just a moment while he considered his response. The Pokémon still looked quite ready to fight, but it seemed to be swaying back and forth somewhat uncertainly. Maybe Zubat’s Supersonic attack did more than I thought. I’ll need that advantage. With Thunderpunch, I don’t dare risk Gyarados, especially not after the battle with the bikers. I might be able to manage with Gastly, but he’s obviously got moves that can still hit a ghost and Gastly isn’t powerful enough yet. Butterfree wouldn’t do me much good here, either – if Hitmonchan has Thunderpunch, he’s got Fire Punch and Ice Punch, too, all of which hurt Butterfree as bad as Butterfree could ever hurt Hitmonchan.

Pretty much leaves me with one option.

He pulled his second Dusk Ball from his belt and tossed it into the arena. “Show yourself, Kangaskhan!”

As if it wasn’t enough that Kangaskhan’s arrival in the dojo had its own flair – the trademark orange bolt wreathed with purple smoke – the light within the building seemed to grow dimmer, as well. No longer did the sun seem to shine as brightly through the skylights... instead, Kangaskhan’s ground fog propagated through the training arena like a springtime morning dew. The ghost’s image within that fog developed slowly, as if it was having trouble asserting itself even with the reduced light, and even at its most solid appearance a moment later, all eyes could still clearly see through it.

But none could deny it was there... particularly not after its deep voice rumbled the floor. “Khaaan...”

Jason’s view of Koichi was considerably more obscured now, between having to look through his own Pokémon’s intangible body and the fog it was generating, but he could see the gym leader’s expression had cracked, and he knew this would be the best opportunity he was ever going to have. Let’s hope you know some moves that’ll win this for us... “Kangaskhan, Fake Out!”

Koichi visibly swallowed before offering his plan for counterattack. “Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!”

Jason allowed no cracks in his own expression as the Pokémon moved to face each other, but inwardly he felt himself smirking. That’s right, fight like you’re facing a Normal-Type Pokémon. Both of those moves are incredibly fast, and a Hitmonchan is faster, but that won’t do much good for the attack you picked. Against a regular Kangaskhan, that would be crippling. But this is a ghost... you can’t just slug her.

In the time it took for him to develop that thought, the sequence was already playing out – Hitmonchan launched itself forward with a punch that could have shattered a boulder, but instead of landing in the center of Kangaskhan’s chest, the Pokémon’s fist passed straight through it. Hitmonchan staggered almost entirely through Kangaskhan’s phantasmal image before it realized it hadn’t actually hit anything, and it spun about in confusion.

But just as its eyes landed on Kangaskhan’s image, that image abruptly vanished from view entirely – then reappeared behind Hitmonchan and brought both wide arms behind itself. It boxed Hitmonchan’s ears with its palms; the resulting sound was a thunderous clap that almost shook the building from its foundation. Hitmonchan’s outcry was drowned out by the rumble, and it fell to its knees, only barely able to maintain its balance.

Jason felt his chest swell up. Hitmonchan’s got to be dizzy from that. And now for the finisher... “Now, Kangaskhan, Double Hit!”

If it was possible, Kangaskhan became even more intangible on that command, but its image was still barely visible through the fog. The purple smoke suddenly roiled and shifted then, and gave way to an abruptly solid Kangaskhan tail that slammed into the pit of Hitmonchan’s stomach. Hitmonchan doubled over and gasped for breath, but it had only time enough for a single gasp before the tail swung around and smashed into its back, throwing it across the room. It was bowled into another support pillar, and came to rest slumped against it.

“Hitmonchan!” Koichi ran to his Pokémon’s side and touched its shoulder. “Are you all right? Can you stand?”

But Hitmonchan’s response was merely to slump down against the pillar instead, knees now too weak to carry it farther in the battle.

“Kangaskhan!”

Heads snapped around to see that Jason’s Pokémon did not seem content to leave it there; fog billowed toward Hitmonchan, and Kangaskhan’s image solidified. Now the larger Pokémon was stalking forward with a scowl on its face that declared intent to further punish its fallen opponent.

But Jason already had the Dusk Ball in his hand. “Kangaskhan, return!” he said quickly; the flame-colored energy beam wreathed Kangaskhan and drew it back into the ball before the ghost had a chance to deal any more damage.

Koichi brought out Hitmonchan’s Poké Ball and similarly recalled his Pokémon, then looked up at Jason and stared at him for a long moment. “That is the very Kangaskhan whose death you seek to avenge, isn’t it?”

Jason replied with a single silent nod.

“Even if its appearance had not been enough, I would have known from the anger surrounding it. That anger may as well have been visible.” He shot Jason a harder look. “What do you intend to do with it when your mission is complete?”

“Let her go,” Jason answered promptly.

“You would release a creature as powerful as that? It offers you no incentive to try to keep it?”

“She’s more than just a creature... and she’s not really my Pokémon, she’s just with me for this. She’ll be at peace if we get this done. And speaking of getting it done, you did offer to give me information in exchange for defeating you in battle.”

Koichi got to his feet, offering a firm nod in response. “And so I shall.”

–

Jason accepted the tray of capture balls from Nurse Joy once more, smiling politely and nodding his thanks to her. “You’re awfully fast.”

“It’s my job,” she answered simply. “Hope to see you again!”

He rolled his eyes as he turned around to leave. Maybe take after a cousin or two and find a better salutation than that... He approached Kelly, who was leaning against a wall near the door with her arms folded and legs crossed. She was giving him a pointed stare over the rims of her glasses, a sure sign that what she was thinking was not something he’d be interested in hearing.

Nevertheless, after a sigh, he bit. “What?”

“You planning on keeping a team meant for gym battling with you through the wild grasses? It might be a good idea to have a better spread.”

He planted his hands on his hips and cocked his head to one side. “Sooner or later, you’re gonna run out of reasons to bust my chops, right?”

“Not by the looks of things.” One corner of her mouth quirked upward in an almost-half-smile; then she retracted the expression in exchange for one of much greater seriousness. “Tell you the truth, though... Kangaskhan scares me. I don’t think you should be taking her with you everywhere we go.”

Jason shrugged. “She did fine in the gym fight. You were worried she wasn’t going to listen to me, but she did.”

“Only for as long as you needed her to, but she was ready to pummel that Hitmonchan into the ground. The only reason she didn’t was because you recalled her. Same for when those bikers had us cornered. I don’t think she knows when to stop. Maybe she’s even forgotten how to.”

Jason narrowed his eyes. “So you think I should send her to Professor Oak? I doubt he’d know how to handle her any better than I could.”

“He’s a Pokémon professor, Jason, knowing how to handle exotic and difficult Pokémon is in the job description. Maybe he could even find a way to help calm her down.” She tilted her head. “Who said you had to take on the burden of handling her all by yourself?”

“She let me capture her so that I’d do what I promised I’d do. I’m not going to give that burden to Professor Oak or anyone else. Nobody else volunteered for it. This one’s mine.” He turned around, moving towards the transfer terminal. “You may be right about me needing to change up the team for traveling, but I’m not gonna send her in and make her someone else’s problem.”

She let out a scorning laugh. “Are you kidding me? You risk making her someone else’s problem every time you get into a battle. What if she gets away from you before you can recall her and she decides to beat a Pokémon, or God forbid a person, to within an inch of their life?”

He couldn’t come up with an adequate response to that question, though it had occurred to him – it was why he had kept Kangaskhan’s ball clutched so tightly in his right hand while the gym battle had taken place. He hadn’t dared to miniaturize it or return it to his belt after what had happened with the bikers... even without that incident, he’d seen how close Kangaskhan and Gyarados had come to blows just by meeting each other in the flesh.

Koichi’s words rang in his ears. “You seek a gym leader capable of careless brutality. You will find the embodiment of that description in the leader of the Vermilion City Gym, home to Electric-Type Pokémon and highly charged attitudes. That leader is one Lieutenant Surge, and while his military record may suggest he commands respect from those around him, in truth he is little more than a thug and a bully who preys on all who show to be weaker than he. Even the trainees of his gym fear him greatly, knowing that at any moment, he might choose to bring callous wrath upon their heads... or their Pokémon.”

After a long moment of silence lapsed between them, he finally offered up the best reply he could think of over his shoulder. “Maybe we should be hoping Lieutenant Surge is the guy we’re looking for so that she can just take out her revenge and be done with it.”

He could feel her disapproving look boring into the base of his skull even as he manipulated the computer. “Really not funny, Jason.” She approached from behind. “You know there’s nothing you can do to the guy that did it, whoever it was, without proof. And it’s gonna be hard coming up with that proof, you know that too.”

“I know I can’t do anything to him. That doesn’t mean I’m gonna be able to stop her from doing whatever she wants to him. But all of this is pointless if we don’t find him.”

“Yeah, that’s going to be something else altogether. But for now, why don’t you focus on just keeping Kangaskhan out of it if at all possible? You know what you’re going to be up against in the next gym, maybe you should work on that.”

“Which is why I’m standing here.” He inserted the balls containing Butterfree, Zubat, and Spearow into the transfer machine and watched as they disappeared in a bright flash of light, to be replaced by three identical Poké Balls.

Kelly peered over his shoulder. “What did you get?”

He tucked the replacements into appropriate slots on his belt and flashed her a grim smile. “What I need in order to keep Kangaskhan out of the fight and give Surge a shock to his system.”

–

The little girl’s face was a mask of concentration. Jason, by contrast, was standing in the grass with an expectant look and folded arms. “You know, you’re welcome to give up at any time,” he said. “Really. I’m not going to think any less of you if you do.”

She scowled. “Bite me!” she spat out, and she tossed out the second – and final – Poké Ball she had. “Go, Pikachu!”

Jason closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment at the cry of his opponent’s only remaining Pokémon as it emerged from its ball. “Seriously, kid, you’re going to get your Pikachu hurt for nothing but a little bit of money.”

“Hey, I need the experience, too!” she returned.

“Against this?”

She narrowed her eyes. “You tell me exactly how I’m supposed to know you have an Onix with you when I challenge you to a battle!”

Jason looked up at his Pokémon, a towering snake comprised of boulder-like segments that were nearly as hard as true cave rock. Its length dwarfed that of Gyarados, and its roar was perhaps even more intimidating than that of Jason’s faithful companion. Certainly it was much deeper; the ground trembled at the noise. He looked back at the girl and her determined Pikachu. “Isn’t that kind of the risk you take when you’re the one issuing the challenge?” he asked.

“An Onix is no fair!” the girl protested. “At least give me a chance to win! You already beat my Rattata senseless with that!”

At that proclamation, Kelly spoke up. “Sorry to say, but she has you there, Jason... give her something else to fight, would you?”

He let out a sigh. “Whatever. All right, Onix, return.” It took a long moment for the sheer mass of Onix’s body to be converted into energy and drawn from the field; when the deed was done, Jason found himself feeling slightly surprised at just how much more of their impromptu battling arena he was able to see. He plucked another ball from his belt and, after resizing it, tossed it into the open space before him. “Let’s try something a little closer to your Pikachu’s size. Sandshrew!”

The new combatant resolved from its energy form and let out a chirp of pleasure at having been selected. Sandshrew edged to its left, while Pikachu did the same, the two circling about each other until they were almost entirely on the “wrong side”.

“Pikachu, Quick Attack!”

“Sandshrew, Scratch!”

Pikachu charged forward at full tilt; its speed gave it priority over Sandshrew’s first attack and it was blindingly fast. It crashed headlong into the pit of Sandshrew’s exposed belly, drawing a cry from the Ground-Type Pokémon... but with the impact came an opportunity for Sandshrew to fight back, and so it did, obeying Jason’s order to the letter and drawing a vicious claw across Pikachu’s back.

Didn’t do much to either one, Jason considered, as the two opponents bounced away from each other and continued circling. Needs a little more power behind it. “Sandshrew, Swift!”

“Pikachu, another Quick Attack!”

Pikachu’s attack again took precedence and it crashed into Sandshrew once more. But Sandshrew cast Pikachu aside, then tumbled to one side and opened its small mouth – from its maw ejected a spray of star-like rays that pummeled Pikachu perhaps worse than Pikachu had just done to Sandshrew. Pikachu bounded away with a grimace, but no less determined an expression.

“Do it again, Pikachu, Quick Attack once more time!”

Jason’s instruction was almost simultaneous. “Okay, Sandshrew, now use Poison Sting!”

This time, when Pikachu impacted Sandshrew, the response of Jason’s Pokémon was to stick its paw in its mouth, then withdraw its claws and thrust them up into Pikachu’s belly. Pikachu staggered backwards, and Jason could see the familiar violet hue of Pokémon poison dripping from the wound Sandshrew had created. Very quickly, Pikachu began to look woozy on its feet.

The girl jumped up and down in frustration. “This still isn’t fair! Sandshrew knows all these attacks and it can’t get hurt by electricity!”

“It’s more fair than Pikachu battling Onix would have been, though, isn’t it?” Jason countered.

–

“Hey, you got an Onix, bring it on and don’t be such a baby!”

Jason’s brow furrowed into a scowl. Despite the advantage his Pokémon had over the opposing Pikachu, it didn’t sound like his opponent was willing to budge an inch on condescending to him. That’s gonna change in a quick hurry if he keeps talking like that, though, he silently promised. Instead, he gave the man on the other side of the arena the best smile he could manage – strained and grim. “Sandshrew looks like he’s doing fine for himself, so I don’t see the point.”

Lt. Surge glowered at Jason across the field. “Pikachu, Iron Tail!”

In reality, Jason could tell that Sandshrew was feeling the burn from dancing about with Surge’s Pikachu. Protected though it was against Pikachu’s type-specific attacks, it was panting from the exertion. Surge had trained his Pokémon well and it had an advantage of speed over Sandshrew. Now it was applying both its speed and its power as it raced forward; its tail glistened with a strange sheen that seemed to turn it into a blade before Jason’s eyes.

It always comes down to speed versus power. That move’s a nice balance of both, and if it connects, Sandshrew might be out of the match. Let’s see you apply just a bit more power to this. “Sandshrew, show me another Swift attack!”

Sandshrew blasted another series of star-shaped energy bolts from its mouth, each one careening into Pikachu without fail. But no single ray was enough to stop Pikachu from advancing, and even the full conglomeration didn’t quite slow it down enough; it leapt into the air and was in mid-attack when the final bolt struck, causing it to go into a wild spin that only increased the momentum of its gleaming tail. The tail slashed across Sandshrew’s small chest and Sandshrew let out a pained shriek, then toppled backward and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Jason winced. That had to hurt. Back to your ball. “Sandshrew, return.”

Surge was already in the process of recalling his Pikachu, and he leveled another glare at Jason from the other side of the field. “You lucked out on that one, kid, but now the gloves are off. Go, Raichu!”

Jason tilted his head at the sight of the new Pokémon. It’s just an evolved version of what I was fighting before. Keep up the offensive I was pushing with Sandshrew and I ought to be able to come out of this just fine. It was supposed to be a 3-on-3 battle... Voltorb, Pikachu, now this, and all I’ve lost is Sandshrew. All right, then... “You asked for it. Let’s go, Onix!”

For as long as it took to return Onix to its ball, it seemed to take twice as long for the massive Pokémon to emerge from it, resolving only after a prolonged moment of energy spilling out from the capsule. It let out an earth-shattering roar that rumbled the building around them. Surge didn’t appear to be intimidated, nor did his Pokémon – but then again, Jason doubted very much a gym leader would have that particular word in their vocabulary.

Nevertheless, Jason could see Surge grinding his teeth in evident frustration. As long as I keep kicking out Ground-Type Pokémon, electricity won’t work. He’ll have to resort to moves that don’t take advantage of Raichu’s natural abilities. I, on the other hand... “Onix, Rock Throw!”

“Raichu, use Magnet Rise!”

Jason’s eyes narrowed; while Onix’s attack did strike true and a large thrown rock battered the opposing creature, Raichu’s own move still went off without obstruction, and it generated electricity that crackled all over its body, causing it to rise up into the air several inches above the ground. “What’s that about?”

“Magnet Rise allows my Raichu to levitate itself, as you can see,” Surge leered. “That means he can’t be affected by any Ground-Type moves you might have waiting in the wings! Taking to the air is so much better, at any rate.” Then he turned back to the battle. “Now, Raichu, use Rock Smash!”

That’s a problem! “Onix, Rock Tomb!”

Onix summoned up a rash of boulders, each larger than the last one, and again hurled them at its opponent – but instead of throwing them one at a time, they scattered all at once and closed in around Raichu from every angle. But it wasn’t quite fast enough to prevent Raichu from dealing its blow, a vicious slam of its axe-blade tail against Onix’s midsection that drew a loud roar from the larger Pokémon. Only after the strike was completed could Onix focus enough to retaliate properly, and Raichu was pummeled by the stones of the Rock Tomb attack, which momentarily buried it beneath a pile of rubble.

Jason blinked as his brain caught up with the moment. “I didn’t even know Raichu learned Rock Smash. It’s an Electric-Type Pokémon, not Fighting-Type.”

Surge aimed a grim smirk at Jason. “Can’t assume I got nothin’ to fight with, kid, just ‘cause Raichu can’t zap your Onix into submission. A few rocks won’t stop him from taking you down.”

“Well, maybe this might. Onix, Screech!”

Almost the instant Jason said it, Onix complied with its master’s command, and instead of belting out another bass roar that threatened the structural integrity of the gym, it ground together the glass and metal deposits within itself to release a terrible earsplitting soprano shriek that drew winces from gym leader and trainer alike. It was also more than enough to give Raichu pause even as it was struggling out of the mess of rocks that Onix had made around it, and it momentarily cowered from the awful sound.

“C’mon, Raichu, another Rock Smash attack!” Surge encouraged.

But Raichu was still making its way out of the rock pile, and Jason took advantage of the delay. “Onix, Rock Tomb again, use the same rocks!”

That didn’t require much effort from the rock snake Pokémon, and it used its mental command over the stones that surrounded Raichu to bring them up, then back down again – Jason was reminded of someone picking up a bag of ice that was stuck together and dropping it on a surface to shatter the cubes away from each other. It seemed to have much the same effect in this instance, and despite the altered magnetic field around Raichu that was allowing it to levitate, the stones still brought it to the ground.

“Looks like he’s stuck,” Jason chuckled. “Now, Onix, use Rock Throw!”

The attack order was just in time, too, because Raichu was using the Rock Smash attack Surge had demanded of it to destroy the obstructions around it. It scampered on all fours straight at Onix, bladed tail whipping about in preparation for another vicious attack – but Onix’s aim was no less true than it had been before, and it brought a boulder-sized stone to bear directly at Raichu’s head. The two met long before Raichu reached Onix, and the impact was enough to send Raichu spinning on its side for several revolutions before coming to rest a couple yards away from Onix. Between the awful knock to its head and the dizzying spin it had just endured, even if it was still conscious, it was in no shape to battle further.

“Raichu...” Surge muttered, and he heaved a sigh before bringing up the Poké Ball in which the creature normally resided. “Return.”

Jason grinned up at Onix. “You did a good job, buddy. Return.”

His Pokémon recalled, Jason stepped forward into the middle of the arena to meet Surge there. The enlisted gym leader also stepped forth, unflinching, and offered Jason a single nod of his head. “You did good, kid. You earned this.”

He held out his hand; Jason brought his palm up underneath, and Surge dropped a small trinket into it. “That’s the Thunder Badge, kid, yours along with the wager I made. Twenty-four hundred, fair and square.”

As they made use of their PDA’s to complete the monetary transaction, Jason peered at Surge. “There’s the other thing we talked about, too, you know.”

Surge scoffed. “I been through a war, kid. I know what killing’s like. It isn’t poetry in motion, just downright sick. S’why I use Pokémon that paralyze my enemies. I got no reason to kill anything or anyone if I don’t have to. But you knew that even before you walked in here, didn’t you?”

Jason shook his head. “I didn’t know it, no, but once I got here, I knew it couldn’t have happened here. The gym’s all wrong and... well, you don’t seem like the sort who’d let anything like that happen.”

“Damn straight, I wouldn’t. People don’t like me much, kid, but I got respect for life, even the lives of Pokémon. Disable ‘em, lesson learned. What does killin’ them do? Nothin’ much.” Now it was Surge’s turn to shake his head. “You came here for nothin’, kid. We both know I’m not who you want.”

“So who is?”

The larger man shrugged. “Couldn’t say, I dunno. But you want someone devious. Someone who thinks about the big picture. Me, I’m just a grunt sort, I get my orders and do my best to follow ‘em while keepin’ me and my men alive. This guy’s gonna be smart. What’s the word? Cunning.” He narrowed his eyes. “Best bet is down in Fuchsia City, kid. You want a cunning gym leader, that’s the one you’re after. Knows a lot, can suss out a lot more. Even if he isn’t who you want... bet you he can tell you who is, a whole lot better than me.”

“You know him?”

Surge closed his eyes and shook his head. “Not man-to-man or anything, but I know enough. What I need to know to steer clear.” Then he opened his eyes again and stared into Jason’s. “Hey, listen up, kid. This sounds like serious business you’re sniffin’ around. Don’t get yourself into so much trouble you can’t retreat. Live to fight another day and all.”

Jason’s mouth twisted to one side at that proclamation. “Kangaskhan’s not alive but she’s still fighting.”

“Yeah, bit of advice there – you’re no Pokémon. You don’t get a second chance at this.” He scratched his head. “Hell, I’m not even sure why your Kangaskhan did.”

Jason shrugged. “Someone thought they could just bury her without being noticed in the Pokémon Tower.”

But Surge shook his head. “No way, kid. You don’t put a Pokémon away in the Tower just to bury it. It’s got a reputation, that place. People lay their Pokémon to rest there all the time hoping they’ll come back.”

Jason frowned. “But... they were trying to hide the body there.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. You said they were takin’ orders from someone else. Maybe that someone else told them to put the body in the tower.”

Jason blinked. “But that would mean...”

–

He stared at the computer screen, fingers laced beneath his chin. From his right side came the soft purring he had come to both expect and largely ignore from his favored – if not his best – Pokémon... but this time his hand reached out to stroke its head and scratch it behind the ears.

The screen showed two files, side by side. One of Jason Crate, active Pokémon trainer and employee of Pallet Town Research Laboratory, just recently registered for competition in the Indigo Pokémon League.

The other of Jason Creight, son of Carson Creight and employee of Creight Breeding Center of Tangelo Island... listed as missing for nearly seven months.

The faintest smile touched his lips.

“I look forward to meeting you.”

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© Matt Morwell, 2011