A Journey's Link

Chapter 9 - Rustboro

May and Serena got off the plane and saw a small, bustling town full of stone buildings. Everywhere they looked, they were met with architecture designed entirely around stone materials. Serena pulled out her Rotom phone to find the Contest Hall and Pokemon Center, which was the place they would be staying the night.

"The Pokemon Center should be that way," Serena said, pointing in a direction past the stone houses. May nodded and they both began walking towards the Center, ready to register for the Contest and get a good night's rest.

As Serena and May's plane departed, another plane landed, just missing the two coordinators walking away from the airport. The plane contained Ash and Goh, who were arriving in Rustboro City to claim the package from Mr. Stone.

"Finally, we're here," Ash breathed in relief, excited to finally be off of the plane. Goh slowly trailed behind, clearly ready to pass out in a soft bed. The two had slept in an unfathomable amount, leading them to miss their original flight and finally arrive in Rustboro City near the end of the day. "We should find the Pokemon Center quick, or I might fall asleep standing up," Goh whined, finding the location on his phone.

Ash was looking around at the city, full of energy and blissfully unaware of Goh's desire to rest. He started approaching a food stand set up in the airport but was interrupted by Goh pulling on his shirt. "Come on, Ash!" Goh began, aggravated. "We can't waste time getting food this late at night; it's time to go to sleep!" Ash pouted but reluctantly followed Goh to the Pokemon Center.

Inside the Pokemon Center itself, Serena was finished registering for the contest and was waiting for May, who was near the end of the process. She looked around the lobby of the center and saw advertisements for the event plastered through means of posters and monitors.

This is the biggest contest I've been to yet, Serena thought nervously. I hope I don't do anything wrong. What if I didn't practice Braixen's Fire Blast enough, or Sylveon's Fairy Wind? She shook her head, knowing that if she overthought her performance, it wouldn't help.

"You're all set for tomorrow, May!" Nurse Joy chimed. May smiled, thanking Nurse Joy for the help with the registration process. "By the way Nurse Joy, how many coordinators are registered for tomorrow?" May asked as she put away her Trainer ID.

"Let's see..." Nurse Joy whispered, pulling up a list on her computer screen. She showed May the total number, which shocked both her and Serena. "32. That's a lot more than usual," May noticed. Serena nodded in agreement; it was going to be competitive. "Thanks for all the help Nurse Joy," May said, grabbing her bags to head into the room she and Serena were staying in.

"Anytime, and good luck to both of you tomorrow!" Nurse Joy said with a smile. Serena and May smiled back and began walking down a hallway towards their room. Serena and May entered their room as the Pokemon Center doors opened with two young trainers entering. It was Ash and Goh, here to find a room to stay the night in until their trip to the Devon Corporation.

Nurse Joy greeted them. "Hello, welcome to the Pokemon Center! How can I help you?" She asked. Goh walked forward and asked, "Do you have any rooms available?" Nurse Joy nodded and began typing on her computer. "Let me take a look," she responded. After a few seconds, the computer chimed, revealing which ones were open.

"Looks like we have a room at the end of the hallway open," Nurse Joy said. "Here are your room keys and I hope you have a good stay!" Ash and Goh retrieved the keys and thanked Nurse Joy. Goh began rummaging through his bag, trying to find his Pokedollars to pay Nurse Joy. "Go on ahead, Ash. I'll catch up," Goh suggested, his head practically inside his backpack.

Ash chuckled and shook his head, walking down the hallway towards his room and glancing at the different paintings hung on portraits. He reached the door and began opening it with the key when he heard Goh's voice down the hallway. "Did you find the room?" Goh asked, running to catch up to his friend. Ash nodded in return and opened the door to a clean, homey hotel room.

Both trainers walked in, each claiming their own bed. As he set his bag upon the clean wooden desk, Ash noticed a bright glowing in his bag. It was the Z-Crystal that Espie had gifted him. "Why is it glowing now?" Goh asked, looking at Ash's bag across the room from his bed, which he had almost immediately jumped on.

Ash opened his bag further, giving him a clear view of the inside. "I have no idea," he responded, reaching into the bag and grabbing it. He gazed upon its radiant shine, straining his eyes in the process. It looks way brighter than it was yesterday, he noticed, putting it back in the bag to avoid hurting his eyes further.

A few rooms over, Serena was also having trouble with how brightly her crystal seemed to be shining. "Why is it doing that?" May had whined, covering her pillow with her face. "It's too bright to sleep!" Serena sighed and slowly got out of her bed, muttering, "I don't know, May." She walked over to the crystal, which she had placed directly on the desk, and stared at it, puzzled by its appearance.

Both rooms were weighed by the mysterious nature of their crystals, but with enough blankets, they managed to dim the lights being emitted from it, allowing them to sleep. Both Ash and Goh fell asleep quickly, while Serena and May lie awake, nervous but excited about their big performance. They quietly spoke about their strategies in the dark, eventually succumbing to the night and falling asleep.

[----]

Z approached the large metal door to his lair, which was guarded by a few masked members. "Hello, sir!" The guards chanted, stomping their feet in the process. Z was unresponsive; he instead looked around at the forest that surrounded the entrance to the underground lair.

"Sir, did you find the Crystal?" One of the guards asked firmly. "Shut up!" Z growled, causing the guard to flinch. "Just let me in," he muttered, pushing past the guards. He brought out his gloved hand from beneath his cloak and placed it upon a small scanner that sat on the rocky wall. "Sir, I was just curious-"

"Be curious elsewhere!" Z yelled as the scanner turned green; the guards became quiet and turned around, maintaining their station once more. The large metal door slowly opened, revealing the many hallways that led to prison-like rooms. Z walked passed these doors and through the long, gray concrete hallways that bore no personality whatsoever.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, Z was met with yet another door that required a specific password to be entered. He positioned his gloveless hand above the keypad, the paleness of his skin shining from the little moonlight that made its way in from the outside world. A small speaker crackled from the small padlock. "Keyword," it stated.

"Keyword is Magnolia," Z stated firmly; a small beep emitted from the cheap speakers and prompted him to enter a code onto the numbered pad. With a habitual nature, Z swiftly input the number sequence '639896', earning another green light and hearing the door unlock.

Z entered the room, which was completely dark barring a dim, green light at the other end. "There you are..." He muttered in satisfaction, approaching the large machine; wide tubes filled with fluid intertwined through its body, providing substance for the large Pokemon strapped on the structural foundation.

"You must feign patience for just a little longer, my creation," Z whispered as he ran his hand over the cold, smooth metallic surface. "We will soon acquire the fuel for your uprising that you desired so passionately." The Pokemon, which was covered entirely by metal restraints, made a quiet noise of protest, which Z ignored as he quietly chuckled at the vision of his plans.