Information. It's an expensive commodity now. I had paid the keep to give me information but I knew that every word would be born of rumours and mistruths. The trick was to make him believe that he was in control. Ask the right questions. If I had asked him outright, "What have you heard about the masterball?" I would have heard drunks-tales and lies. Rumours that I had heard a thousand ways from a hundred mouths. The secret to stories and rumours is that somewhere, buried deep beneath exaggeration and egos, there are truths to be found. "What have you heard about the old capital?" I had asked. After a long and awkward stare, he went into the version of the story that he believed.
It had been brief and painstaking. I left with him believing he'd made the easiest trade in his miserable lifetime but he had told me something. A piece of the puzzle that was missing from the rumours I'd heard. "People say the old capital still stands out west. There are bunkers there deep under the ground where riches from the old world still exist, protected from all of this. 'Posed to be crawling with Mut's though."
Bunkers. People generally talked about riches in the old capital and that it was crawling with Mut's. "Bunker's" was new but it made a lot of sense.
"What about Keygen?"
"Keygen? The old research place outside the capital? That place was picked clean years ago. Nasty Mut's over there now. Not worth the risk to find a few fancy pokeballs that probably got fried by the bombs."
If the risk was too high to find functioning pokeballs, one of the most expensive luxuries around, then the Mut's must be really bad. I'm not after a few fancy pokeballs, but unfortunately, I agree with him. Keygen is too obvious.
I quickly put distance between me and the Store, a few sprays lighter but with enough provisions to get me to the next town. There are more questions. I'm getting closer though, I can feel it. I need to get out of this city fast. I've attracted too much attention. The biggest dealers will know I've brought spray by now and the bravest ones will know I've got three Pokemon on my belt. The target on my back is lit up like a neon sign on a moonless night. I take a different route to the way I came in; it's an obvious move but this city is on the large side and I have to take my chances. I step into an alley obscured in deep shadow. The kind of alley that screams trouble. That no outsider would step down if they had any sense about them. The kind of alley they shouldn't be watching.
I adopt my city walk, hunching down again and moving with haste. The conversation stops as I pass. An urchin takes off ahead of me and disappears into the hazy sunlight. Not a good sign. Two shadows form from the light before me. Big shadows. A quick backward glance shows me another. I can see him a little clearer, I recognise his patchy stubble and have no doubt that his hulking accomplice waits at the other end with another friend. I stop in my tracks and stand tall,
"This won't end well for you," I state loud and clear.
"You fink so, mate?" says patchy at my back with a thick rasp. His friends saunter forward into the shadow. "Well we fink that a man who is willing to drop some spray for a story has a lot more 'an he needs."
As well as being infuriating, he has that stink of a man deeply familiar with spray. I step forward meeting his muscle-bound friend and a lanky, raven-haired woman. Muscle's glances to the side, so that's where I direct my attention. She looks dangerous. Her eyes are clear and her skin is clean.
"Walk. Away."
She manages to turn her snarl into a smirk, my confidence having the desired effect. Lighting a tiny spark of uncertainty in her. There are two ways this can play out now.
"Kill him."
Damn.
I hop to the side as Muscles dives, putting a wall to my back and flaring my duster aside. No point in holding back now. I slap all three of my pokeballs, engaging their releases. My family springs free in a burst of light, Scyther, Charmeleon and Golduck landing on the ground before me. The leader throws two pokeballs of her own while patchy reaches down into his trousers. Stupid, those precious seconds while her balls fly and he fishes for his own come at great cost. Her balls flare releasing a fierce looking Machop and Beedrill. Not bad. Not Enough.
Scyther stares into the Beedrills red eyes, weighing it up. She swings slowly into the air, staring her foe down, assessing her advantage. She bursts into motion as the Beedrill pulls back and rises into the air. They meet and her blades clash against its arms at blinding speed, sending shockwaves that ring through the air. The Beedrill is no novice.
The Machop instantly seizes Charmeleon, they lock hands and the battle of strength commences. Charmeleon growls, his arms being gradually pushed down by Machop's greater strength. Knowing he is outmatched, Charmeleon drops the grip and spins swinging his flaming tail around. Machop catches it and lashes out landing a terrible punch that knocks him to the ground.
I dive into Patchy before he can pull the ball free, knocking him to the ground to the sounds of the battle behind me. He swears as I pull myself atop him and grab his neck. I glance back to see Muscles with his back to the wall, pupils completely white to match Golduck's as she stands motionless and seizes his mind. I dive to the side in time to avoid a glittering blade. The leader screams as Goldduck leaps and rakes claws across her back, drowning out the whimpering of the muscle-bound man.
Scyther glances down to see the leader run at her master with a knife in hand. Panic rises in her, she returns her focus to the Beedrill. It dashes in for another desperate attack but she does something foolish. She sacrifices the advantage. Beedrill drives its drill in to her side through her thick carapace. During its momentary victory it drops its guard and she swings her blade through the air, severing its arm. The Beedrill reels back but she drives on, blood raining down from her wound, and finishes the Beedrill, severing its head with a double slash. Breathing heavy and sweating, her vision blurs. She spins and shoots back down to the chaos.
The Machop gives chase to Charmeleon, attempting to seize the advantage, but he rolls and jumps back to his feet. With a deep breath, Charmeleon's eyes flare red, his tail fire roaring briefly, and he spits a blazing fireball. Machop raises its hands to take the brunt of the flame. It screams as its hands sear and the skin burns away. Charmeleon maintains his attack and rushes the Machop head on, slashing with extended claws. The Machop blocks the blows taking deep gashes in its arms, its anger building. It screams in rage taking one of Charmeleon's strikes to the face and seizes his arms. With a bone-shattering kick, it drives the air from Charmeleon's lungs. Charmeleon struggles, but the enraged Machop pulls him in close and wraps him in a crushing embrace.
Patchy skitters away from me as I watch Golduck attack the leader with ferocity. He manages to pull his pokeball free and tosses it to the ground between us. I scramble to my feet and turn to see the leader now slashing wildly at Golduck, who hops backwards, leading her away. I chase after her as another burst of light flashes behind me. I barge into her back, causing her to fall forward and land hard onto the ground next to where Muscles whimpers, dropping her blade as she hits the clay. I dive for the knife where it's landed next to my struggling Charmeleon, grab the clammy, worn handle and drive the 6-inches of steel into Machops leg. It sinks to the hilt, dragging a terrible scream from the Machop.
Scyther lands on the hard clay beside Golduck as they both stare down the Sandslash. Patchy cackles confidently, standing behind the creature. She breathes heavily as a gentle fog clouds her mind, the blood loss slowly taking its toll. Golduck glances at her and stares in shock as she sees the deep wound. Sandslash bursts into motion, diving at them with razor sharp claws. Scyther knocks Golduck aside and intercepts. Their claws meet in furious blows. Scyther's limbs feel sluggish, she tries to dodge but claws rake across her arm cutting cleanly through her carapace and knocking her to the floor. Standing above her, Golduck sweats profusely, her claws stretched out to the sides, her pupils flashing white as she draws what little moisture hangs in the air around her. She screams as she blasts a sharp torrent into the Sandslash, ripping it from its feet and sending it sprawling through the air.
The Machop screams, dropping Charmeleon as it reaches for the dagger embedded in its leg. Charmeleon spins and lands a vicious blow to its head with his powerful tail, slamming the Machop to the ground. He dives atop it, pins its arms and legs down, and takes in a deep burning breath. He holds the fire within, his skin beginning to glow and his tail flame growing white-hot. In an explosive powerful burst, his flme tears through the Machops chest, leaving a searing hole.
I turn on my side and see a small stream of blood crawling from beneath the Leader's head. A sharp pain flares in my back, tearing a pained grunt from me as Patchy pulls back for another kick. I roll to the side, the pain coursing through me despite adrenaline flooding every muscle. Patchy gives chase as I climb to my feet. He throws a wild swing, which I block easily and deliver a solid uppercut to his chin. It knocks him to the ground as an intense wave of heat blasts across us. He staggers to his feet again, looking dazed. He's finished, he's just too stupid to realise it. I ignore the pain in my back and rush in. He swings again but he's even sloppier this time. I grunt in pain as I deliver a solid hook to his jaw, feeling the knuckles in my hand creak. Patchy drops out cold.
The Sandslash bursts from the ground behind Golduck as she helps Scyther to her feet. It slashes its claws toward them but Scyther steps forward taking the full force of the blow. Scyther slams to the floor, her body limp. Golduck screams as she leaps forward and rakes her claws up the Sandslash's soft torso, leaving trailling lines of blood. She drives her claws forward with her fingers extended in a rapid strike and pierces deeply into the Sandslash's neck. It drops to the ground, finished.
I glance around and see the aftermath. Charmeleon stands above a smoking corpse, breathing heavily. The Leader lies peacefully on the clay, her chest slowly moving in shallow breaths. Patchy snores uncomfortably--it sounds like his tongue is falling back into his airway. Golduck stands above the Sandslash, staring down morosely and bathed in crimson. Scyther lies behind her on the ground...
"Scy?"
I run over to where she lies in a pool of her blood, Charmeleon at my back while Golduck stares down at her. I lift her body, soaking wet in hot blood, and roll her onto her back. She isn't breathing. I place my ear to her face, listening for anything. Any sign. No, not you Scy. Please, not you. I pull her close to me and embrace her fiercely. Come on. Please... please. I take her pokeball from my belt and in a final effort, try to call her back. Nothing happens.
I drop the ball, worth a thousand fortunes but worthless to me now. I gently take her into my arms again, my oldest friend, and weep. Golduck and Charmeleon hold onto me, I hear their tears patter on my duster.
It should never have come to this. I should never have come to this place.
My tears fall and coalesce with the blood as I carefully place her on the ground. The sadness swallows me like a great void, dragging me down into the depths of a black ocean. She deserved so much better than the life I gave her. She's gone now because of me.
I'm so sorry, Scy.
I turn and hug the other two, holding what's left of my family tight. Sharing in our pain while the world stands still around us. This didn't have to happen.
I let go when I feel like I have the strength to stand again. I call them back and head out of the alley, away from this city, this awful place, leaving death in my wake. Patchy isn't snoring anymore. The only sound is my boots on hard clay and Muscles' whimpering.
I'm tired of this world. It's time to finish what I started.