Chapter Text
“WHOO! What. A. Friggin’. Rush! I’m still buzzin’ from that!” beamed Wes.
The roaring of a powerful engine gradually died down as a man in a long blue coat came to rest his one-wheeled hovercycle by the sun-and-sand weathered gas pump. Lifting his reflective shades from his eyes, he threw the nozzle into the side of the eight-block vehicle and did a victory lap around his behemoth of a bike.
Reaching into the ride along car, Wes took up his two oldest friends in each of his arms – Espeon and Umbreon – and set them on the sand swept pavement. The two promptly began leaping to and fro, yipping and mewing with a shared ecstasy.
After breathing out the fire in his lungs with a conquering roar, Wes approached the lonely Outskirt Stand. The lonely gasoline station was as far south from the middle of nowhere as he could get in the time available to him. This outpost was attractive to many for a variety of reasons. To some, it was the perfect hideaway; to others, it stood as a testament to a time when railroads were Orre’s lifeblood… That is, until they became unprofitable.
As the team of three walked up the wood board leading into the entrance, Wes paused just in front of the empty doorframe. He saw something tacked to the frame flapping in the strong mid-day breeze.
“WANTED – ALIVE.” The paper read. “Reward: ₽1,000,000.”
Sandwiched between the text was an artistic sketch of someone that caught Wes’s eye. Glancing around, Wes ripped the poster from its nail, rolled it up, and tucked it into his inner coat pocket. He then stepped inside.
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“Ah… Yup! That should do’er!” Boasted an older man sporting a thick mustache. Shimmying out from behind, he gathered his weathered tools off the ground and slung his tool bag over his shoulder.
The repair man’s declaration was met with cheers from the patrons of the Outskirt Stand. No longer would they be subject to the tear-jerking melody of the traveling musician in the back who was buzzing away at his harmonica. About this time, Wes entered and took his seat at the end of the bar, swiping a lemonade off the counter while the owner’s back was turned.
Fwoop-pop! Fwoop! sounded off the television as the tubes warmed up. Suddenly, a striking jingle demanded the attention of the men and women in the window booths. The news began to play and the news anchor hasted to inform their viewers of a breaking discovery. Wes, after adjusting the long tails of his ribbed blue coat, got comfortable and sipped on his ill-acquired drink. As the anchor began rattling off context, Wes was playing out his personal highlight reel in his mind.
“… Authorities have just made a stunning announcement on the explosions heard from Eclo Canyon this morning…” Began the news anchor. Wes let out a satisfied sigh, thinking back to the mission he’d accomplished.
“I knew he’d be back for it..!” Rumbled a large and intimidating man
“The site of the explosion was a building tucked into the cliffs, and upon further investigation has been deduced to have belonged to Team Snagem…” The anchor continued as images of a smoldering sheet metal building were displayed on the screen; the patrons gasped with shock as each image flashed was more destructive than the last.
Wes was reminded of the smell of burning sulfur as he recalled his break-in.
“Finally. It’s ALL MINE!” Wes gloated, placing his hand on the mannequin in that smoke-filled room.
“The hideout of the infamous Pokemon abductors, who have already been marked for arrest, has perplexed law enforcement for years. This discovery comes just after the raid on Gateon Port three months ago…” the news anchor continued.
“No! Stop!” Bellowed a large man as Wes made a break for it, turning around and saluting his muscular mark as he leapt into the hovercycle and disappeared into the winding crevasses of Eclo Canyon.
“GRRRRAAHH! Don’t just mope around! Don’t let him get awa-GWAAHHH!”
“Unfortunately, the site was found completely abandoned by the time Chief Sherles and Pyrite’s police force arrived at the scene; only launching the investigation after a second explosion was reported…”
As rubble cascaded down the cliffsides and metal shrapnel rained down from the clouds of ash and embers, the muscular man and the crowds of bald cronies who’d been Wes’s victims staggered to their feet. Shaking his fists at the blackened sky the leader of them cried:
“I will rip through the earth until I find where you stand! Sleep with one eye open! Wes! WES!!”
“… The cause of these explosions are under investigation, but should become apparent eventually…”
The owner of the Outskirt Stand cleared his throat in Wes’s ear. Wes was, unfortunately, far too busy drowning a pleased chuckle in his ill-acquired drink.
“Sir!” Barked the owner. “I believe that belonged to that man over there.”
Peering over the rim of the cup, Wes spotted a man in tanned leather chaps and sporting strawberry blonde hair sizing him up. The man’s fingers strummed along their forearm impatiently as they watched their beverage shrink in Wes’s hand.
Closing his eyes with a sigh, Wes swiftly downed the last of it before handing it back to the owner with a pleased grin.
“Guess he needs a refill, hey? And don’t skimp on the ice this time, alright? If the heat doesn’t kill him, your penny-pinching definitely will.”
With an exasperated snarl, the owner took the glass from Wes’s hand and rinsed it until it had lost mass. All the while the other patrons babbled amongst themselves.
"Hey, I’m kind of new around here. Do you know much about Team Snagem?” queried one of the younger people in attendance.
“They’re domestic terrorists is what they are!” Answered a more historied man a few booths down. “There’s no telling how many trainers have suffered at their hands.”
“They’re a bunch of heartless crooks! They rip off Pokémon from trainers without any moral qualms.” Added the TV repair man. “My nephew came to visit from Sinnoh, and they sieged the port town he was staying in. The police still haven’t found his Drifloon, and it’s been months!”
“There’s no forgiving that Team Snagem.” Inserted the woman from the front booth. “Why, I’d give a ‘hip, hip, hooray’ if they were crushed by their wretched hideout!”
“Cheers to that!” shouted a patron sat at the bar with Wes.
All but two of the patrons busied themselves with exchanging their stories. All the talking reminded Wes to check the time, and seeing how it was a quarter past four, he got up from his seat and whistled Umberon and Espeon to his side. However, the patron sat beside him turned and grabbed the tail of Wes’s coat.
“I’m guessing that you’re a trainer.” The older man pried with tears welling in his eyes.
“What gave it away?” Wes snarked as he gestured to his two Pokémon.
The older man breathed out a sigh and gave Wes a stern warning: “Hold your Umbreon and Espeon tight tonight, because who knows when you might run into one of those Team Snagem-folk. With their hideout gone, they’ll be crawling everywhere like venomous Beedrill looking for a place to nest.”
With a crossed look, Wes pulled his jacket loose from the pruned fingers of the stranger.
“Worry about yourself, creep.” Wes told the older man, whipping back around to the door.
Breaking out into the blistering afternoon sun, Wes heard some rowdy bellyaching back inside. As he neared the bottom of the ramp, the same man from the back booth had run up behind him and caught Wes’s shoulder. The stranger turned Wes around to face him, and Wes could count the throbbing veins in the strange man’s forehead.
“Where do you get off thinking you can just mooch off of me, huh?” the man asked.
“Consider this your warning:” Wes barked as he swatted the strawberry blonde’s arm away. “Go back inside and relax; maybe stay a while.”
The man’s teeth grinded together at the sight of this leech and being disrespected wasn’t going to slide. “I paid good money for that drink.” He said as a hand carefully reached for his belt.
“And nobody appreciates that more than me.” Wes added. “Look, I gave the guy the glass back and he’s probably got a new one ready for you on the house. Go back inside.”
The man gnashed his teeth at Wes. Seeing the sandy blonde’s two Pokémon partners, he quickly grew a grin.
“You’re a trainer, too, aren’t you?” inquired the strawberry blonde.
“Who’s asking?” replied Wes with an annoyed tone.
“Heh.” The stranger sneered. “I’ll take my winnings from you and give ol’ Chuck a tip for the ache you’ve caused me!”
Wielding two PokéBalls between his fingers the man let them fly! Suddenly, two spiney Zigzagoon manifested from within the blinding lights pouring from inside the capsules!
Wes turned to his bike. The gas was still pumping and he couldn’t let it go much longer or else his day would take a nosedive if it overflows and he has to pay for the fuel that spills over. He then glanced down at his two friends, who returned his look curiously.
“You boys think we can finish this up quick?” Wes asked.
“Vrri!” Reacted Umbreon.
“Hesp!” promised Espeon.
“You both know we’ve gotta be across the region by tomorrow, yeah?” Wes warned the two Eeveelutions.
“Umb.” Umbreon yipped to assure his trainer.
“Esp!” Espeon hissed with a cocky tone.
“Alright. Thou sayest.” Relented Wes.
Getting down and into the center of the sand-swept pavement, Wes leaned forward and eyed this unfortunate trainer. The trainer with his Zigzagoon dashed to the opposite side of the lot, howling in anticipation of an easy win.
“Yeah-hah! I’m burning now! It’s full-throttle time!” exclaimed the pink-haired man. “Sizzle and Barley ain’t pushovers – we’re gonna do doughnuts around you!”
“Easy, guy. Don’t burn out before we even get started.” Wes quipped.
“Name ain’t ‘guy.’ It’s Willie!” the trainer corrected, getting into his battling stance.
With the wind brushing Wes’s hair and carrying the twin tails of his long blue coat behind him, the fight for the tab began!
Straight away, Espeon knew he had to make sure his partner would be safe to get in close and do some damage. Once in position, Espeon used Reflect! A cascade of dazzling hexagons manifested on them, plating both he and Umbreon with a magical armor. It proved worthwhile when both enemy Zigzagoon moved in for a cheap hit with Tackle! Espeon skated backward from the blow, but quickly shook it off and leaped back into the action!
Umbreon ran in front of his partner and thought it wise to retaliate with Wes’s guidance.
“They’re separated!’ Wes advised. “Umbreon, get in close and use Bite!”
While the other Zigzagoon was retreating, Umbreon rushed past and delivered a swift retaliatory Bite to its scruff! As he cleaned his fangs with its quills, Umbreon saw the Zigzagoon’s partner charging him with another Tackle attack; With some quick thinking and a swing of his torso, Umbreon hurled the tiny raccoon Pokémon in his maw at its partner! That stroke of genius scored big points with Wes.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Wes cheered, clenching his fist.
By this time, many patrons inside the Outskirt Stand had taken notice of the battle, save for two who were busy having their own fight with their second serving of food. The lady from the first booth took a coin from her purse and fed it to the jukebox, then turned it up to 30!
“Seems we got an audience, boys.” Wes remarked when the music began to dance with the wind. As his two Pokemon returned to either side of him, he surveyed the situation.
“Let’s make an example out of this cheapskate! Umbreon, Espeon, we’ll take the one on the right since it’s already weak.”
The two Eeveelutions banded together to finish off the Zigzagoon that was giving them trouble, trusting their trainer with the one Umbreon softened up and got into position. With the swish of his forked tail, Espeon’s eyes glowed a sinister red while Umbreon’s glowed a bright blue. With another swish, a beam of energy struck Umbreon dead on! Espeon had used Helping Hand, lending his partner a fraction of his own power for their next attack. Seeing this, the two Zigzagoon looked at their trainer with fear, trembling as they pleaded for any sort of guidance.
“Uh… Barley, you go wide ‘n—GAH!” Willie shrieked. By the time he had strategized, Umbreon was closing in fast with his silver fangs on full display!
“S-Sizzle! Take a shot at it with Tackle!”
It was too late. Umberon closed the gap and clamped down hard into Barley’s throat! The Pokémon yelped in pain and thrashed about before Umbreon chucked its body to Willie’s feet. But while Umbreon was showboating, he suffered a retaliatory blow to the side! The hit sent him tumbling across the dusty pavement.
“Hold ‘em still for me, Umbreon! I need a good shot!” Wes ordered.
“Whatever it is you’re planning, don’t think for a second I’m letting you make a feel outta me!” Willie cried out defiantly. “Sizzle!”
The Zigzagoon’s ears perked up as it turned back to its trainer.
“That Espeon’s the problem. And their Reflect is almost ready to fade! Soften it up as much as you can, and I’ll try to get Barley back on his feet!”
“Don’t even bother.” Wes shouted.
Umbreon drew Sizzle in, taunting it into an attack to keep it from getting to Espeon.
“A little more… There!” Wes declared.
“There?” Willie echoed, confused.
Wes grinned as his left arm raised level with his shoulder. There was an odd-looking device resting on that arm: a type of purple shoulder guard tucked against his neck, and a loose-fitting orange wire snaking down his bicep into an oddly shaped gauntlet strapped to his forearm. Raising his hand, Wes monologued at his opponent.
“You grabbed this arm earlier, remember? Little could you have known this arm would grant you the honor of being the first on my path to ultimate conquest!”
… Click-click.
“… I said… ULTIMATE CONQUEST—!” Wes reiterated.
… Click. Clickclickclickclick.
The battle paused for a moment. Wes’s heart dived into his gut as he realized something terrible had occurred.
“Come ON you stupid thing! I know for sure I… Oh, don’t tell me I… Crud. I didn’t. No! I definitely… Nope. Maybe in this pocket…!”
Willie, along with the small audience they’d drawn in, tilted their heads and scratched their noggins with confusion. Umbreon and Espeon nearly fainted from humiliation.
“Heh… Heheh… Um, it would seem in my haste I… Ah… I kinda-sorta-maybe-definitely forgot to pack a couple things before we left, boys.” Wes explained with a twinge of embarrassment.
“Espeh….” Sighed Espeon.
“L-Look! Let’s just finish this! Alright? No use dwelling on it!” Wes argued.
Wes’s eyes darted over to his hovercycle which was still getting filled up at the pump. It was at that moment he remembered he was going to have to pay for all of it, even if it spilled out!
“Umbreon! Quick detour! Go get that pump out of the bike!”
Umbreon scanned for a path and ran to the hovercycle. Willie shook off his bewilderment and sent his Zigzagoon after Umbreon, hoping to intercept it.
Unfortunately for Sizzle, Espeon was ready. With the flick of his tail a burst of psychic energy pelted Sizzle in the back! The recoil sent him flying across the makeshift arena. Espeon had used Confusion, but Barley was able to knock Umbreon off course with an attack of its own, tackling Umbreon’s side.
“Umbreon! Hurry, bud!” Wes cried out.
Umbreon growled and lunged into Barley with another bite attack! As it whimpered, Umbreon once again tossed it, but this time aimed right at the pump!
“Grwaa-GOH!” Yipped Barley as its body collided into the side of the motorbike! The force of the hit was enough to trigger the self-fill lock and jostle the pump loose! The Pokemon itself collapsed to the ground, meaning only Sizzle was left standing.
Espeon had been fending off Barley by his lonesome for some time now, and had managed to keep him at bay, but Sizzle was relentless! As the Reflect faded away, Sizzle rushed in and began to attack Espeon, putting the pink Pokémon on the run!
Seeing that his partner was in trouble, Umbreon’s rings glowed a bright yellow as charged after the enemy. Umbreon leapt into the air and quickly dove back down at Sizzle using Secret Power! A rash of needle-like protrusions that appeared from the rings on Umbreon’s body collided into the Zigzagoon! A cloud of sand exploded into the air from the impact, but as the dust was blown away by the wind, Umbreon’s rings still shined. It was over, and Wes had won. And not a moment too soon! The music just finished playing.
“Tch…” scoffed Willie. “Parched… burnt to cinders… And I’m still waiting for that drink... What a day…”
Kneeling to his fallen Pokémon, Willie smiled and returned each to their PokéBall.
A small clapping from behind Wes turned him around to see the small band of spectators. The small clapping quickly erupted into wild whistles and cheers as the patrons of the Outskirt Stand came out to congratulate him (and Willie, to a lesser extent) on a well-fought battle.
Umbreon and Espeon bathed in the praise, meanwhile Willie got a pat on the back from the older man with the harmonica. Wes drew near to the crowd despite being unsure about how to handle all this admiration.
“I watched you from in there.” Remarked the lady who set the backup track into motion. “Why, if I were ten years younger, I’d grab hold of you and wouldn’t let go!”
“Ah… Thanks?” Wes replied sheepishly.
“Are you a Colosseum victor?” asked one of the younger men. “I swear I’ve seen your face somewhere, but I just can’t put a finger on it…”
But before Wes couldn’t stomach another compliment, a couple of late comers stumbled down the ramp holding their bellies.
“Fwaah!” burped the one sporting a fiery yellow mohawk. “We sure pigged out, eh? Gotta love it when the Boss leaves his credit card out.”
“Heheheh,” cackled the other who had his head covered in an odd two-pronged beanie. “Yeah. But we bagged ourselves a massive haul. And if we play our cards right, he might just treat us to dinner again! I tell yah, pal, life does NOT get better than this!”
"Boss?" Wes pondered silently. "Wait… WAIT! Those faces. Those voices!"
He didn’t recognize them inside, but now it was as plain as day. Wes began shouldering through the crowd and stopped the two men trotting down to their vehicle. Umbreon and Espeon saw what was happening and pulled away from the unending head pats and belly rubs to be by their trainer.
“C’mon. Let’s get out of this heat.” Complained the man with the mohawk.
“What’s up with you two?” Wes interrupted. “Couldn’t bother to at least congratulate me on a masterful battle?”
“Battle?” each man queried to the other obliviously. The one in the odd beanie wiped some steak sauce off his lips with his sleeve, finally coming out of his food coma.
“You didn’t see it?” Wes asked with astonishment. “What a crying shame! It was one of the greatest battles to ever happen! The poor guy is over there getting consoled right now.”
The one in the two-puffed beanie looked at their friend with a scheming smile.
“Nope. Nope!” The mohawk retorted.
“I’ll make it quick—!” Begged the one in the beanie.
“Do yah got cotton in your ears? We can’t. Not right now.” the mohawk groused.
“Then what’s the point of having it if we can’t use it?” the one in the beanie protested.
“It isn’t about… Gah! Fine. Enjoy your power trip. I’ll go cool down the truck.” The man with the mohawk relented.
“Got your boyfriend’s permission, huh?” Wes interrupted.
“What’s with the venom?” replied the beanie-sporting trainer. “Am I supposed to know you?”
“Gee, I guess ol’ Chuck slipped a brain worm into that steak you pigged out on, huh?”
“Oh. Oh-ho-ho! Big talker, huh?” Responded the man in the beanie. “What? Gotta compensate for a lack of skill with a wealth of smack-talk?”
“Wanna shut me up?” Wes added. “Let me take a peek at your Pokemon, little man.”
“Little…! Learn my name. It’s Trudly! Got it?!”
“Gimme one good reason why I should bother. Two, and maybe I’ll consider it.”
With Umbreon and Espeon already in position, Trudly held a PokéBall in each hand and popped them open! From within the blinding lights manifested a Dusclops and a Spinarak, each letting out a powerful battle cry – one which Umbreon and Espeon met with a chant of their own.
“Pft! That guy took a loss from this?” scoffed Trudly as he thrust his hand forwards. “Duskull, start out with a Will-O-Whisp! Spinarak, hit ‘em with Infestation!”
As Duskull waved its limbs at Umbreon, Spinarak came out from behind the Ghost Type and skittered toward Umbreon before spraying a gross-looking silk at him! Umbreon began to gnaw at its fur from the itch, distracting him from the flaming orbs rocketing towards him!
“Espeon! Guard him and use Confusion on the Spinarak! Umbreon, take down that Duskull with Bite!”
Espeon did just that – leaping in front of his partner, a hexagonal forcefield reflected the Will-O-Whisp attack right back at the perpetrator! Duskull was now suffering from severe burns on its ethereal body.
“Hah! Return to sender, anyone?” Wes mocked.
“Magic Bounce, eh?” remarked Trudly. “Cheap tricks don’t win battles, loser!”
As the battle raged and quips were exchanged, the mohawk-sporting buddy of Trudly was running the AC in their hover truck on full blast while adjusting the mirrors. As he did so, the truck suddenly dipped to one side when Trudly’s Spinarak leaped into the truck bed to try to break line of sight from the Espeon. She landed on top of a bag that the two men had stashed there and bag seemed to thrash around afterward. After the man in the driver’s seat scanned around to make sure nobody noticed, he swatted his hand at the tiny spider Pokemon.
“Hey! Shoo! Keep that stupid battle over there!” the mohawk barked.
Spinarak hissed but leaped down from the truck and scurried back into the fray.
“Sorry, Folly—Ough!!” called out Trudly before taking a knocked-out Spinarak to his gut.
“Quit messing around, man! We…! We gotta… Hold the phone...?”
Turning the passenger side mirror a certain way, Folly got a good look at the opposing trainer. The longer he looked over their physique and their attire, the heavier his heart became.
“TRUDLYYY!” Folly shouted at the top of his lungs.
Crawling over the seats and hanging off the side of the door, Folly began yelling his friend’s name repeatedly! Umbreon and Espeon had just demolished two of Trudly’s Pokemon, and with clenched teeth he began to reach for his third when he heard Folly call him.
“Hey! What gives?” Trudly barked. “I’m in the middle of putting this idiot in his place!”
“We got to go. Now! I’ll explain on the way.” Folly yelled, swinging open the passenger side door of the hovering truck.
Trusting Folly’s judgment, Trudly pulled his Duskull into its PokéBall and ran from the battle.
“What the..? Hey, hold it!” Wes shouted as he chased after them both. “You can’t just bolt! You still got another Pokémon!”
Before he could catch them, the truck had already lifted off and was tearing through the desert at a breakneck pace.
“I guess they put two and two together. Those cowards!” Wes cursed before spinning on his heels and dashing to his hovercycle.
Leaping into the cockpit while his partners climbed back into the sidecar, Wes revved up the engine and switched on the nitro! His one-wheeled hovercycle ground the sand and gravel beneath it to fine dust as the machine reared upward, launching after that pair of runaways.
“Hit me with a number seven!” Wes ordered Espeon. Espeon then used its psychic powers to open a CD case and insert an album into the CD player.
He can’t have a chase without a rocking soundtrack to back him up, right?
The race was on and Wes was gaining on Trudly and Folly. Flames and smog sputtered out from the long exhaust pipes weaving outward from the engine, framing Wes’s malicious smile in his prey’s rear-view mirror.
“Folly!!” Trudly screamed.
“I know, I know! Don’t flip on me!” Folly shouted back. “We’ll lose him in that canyon over there.”
Folly shifted gears and took their zero-G truck into a stoney crevice, and Trudly got to watch as his friend out-maneuvered that menacing hovercycle.
“Nice one!” Trudly praised. “How long to Phenac City from here?”
“Only about ten minutes I’d wager.” Answered Folly. “It’s a straight shot, and there’s no way around except through here.”
“You’re a genius!” Exclaimed Trudly.
“That’s what they call me!” Folly boasted snootily.
Their boastful chatter was interrupted when they heard the screeching of rubber hitting rock; A few pebbles fell into their seats, leading their eyes upward where they saw Wes riding his hovercycle along the wall of the canyon! Under the side car of his hovercycle was where his hover tech was mounted, and with the side car itself attached on a hinging arm, he used it to suspend himself on the wall.
“Espeon! Make ‘em see stars!” Wes ordered.
Espeon put his paws on the edge of the side car and used Swift! With a tail-flick, a flurry of stars homed in on the olive-green zero-G truck’s side, almost sending it into the opposite wall on impact!
“You trying to kill us?!” Folly raged.
“I thought about it,” Wes added. “But I’ll stop if you both come along peacefully!”
The end of the crevice was nearing. An echoing roar ripped through the air as Wes gassed up the engine and sped ahead. He blasted ahead of Trudly and Folly, beating them to the exit of the crevice. Swinging around, he stopped the hovercycle parallel to the exit.
“He’s got us blocked in!” Trudly shrieked, grabbing Folly’s shoulder.
“Oh, no he don’t!” Folly growled, tensing up and gripping the steering wheel.
SMASH! Folly floored the pedal and the truck ran through Wes’s hovercycle, sending the monstrous machine spinning out to the side while the two bandits made their getaway.
When the world stopped spinning and Wes could feel his fingers, he turned to Umbreon and Espeon straightaway, brushing the sand off their fur coats.
“You two okay?” Wes asked, leaning over to the passenger car. His two Pokémon growled fiercely, showing their trainer they were ready to get Trudly and Folly now more than ever.
After surveying the damage, Wes determined the hovercycle held up well enough with only a couple of bad dents in the exhaust pipes that he could straighten out later.
“Let’s go.” Wes said as he twisted the handlebar and fired up the engine. ”Phenac City must be where those two idiots scurred off to.”
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Taking a sharp turn into the city gates, Trudly and Folly leaped out of the zero-G truck and ran to the bed. Each grabbed an end of the oblong bag in the back, which began kicking and squirming in their hands. The city’s gatekeeper took notice and stopped to ask the two men what they were doing just long enough to allow another engine to roll into earshot.
“L-Leave us alone, lady!” Barked Trudly, nearly losing his end of the bag when he heard a tire screech to a halt outside the city walls
“What are you doing?” Yelled Folly. “We’re almost there!”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Scoffed Trudly. “Between that guy and this thing not settling down, it’s hard enough to hold down my lunch!” Directing his gaze to the bag, he began speaking gently to whatever was inside of their bag.
“Okay, okay. Settle down in there. Just relax for a little while longer—EEP!”
Heavy boots stomped up behind them, Wes revealing himself to his assailants. Trudly shrieked, startling Folly into dropping his side of the bag. Trudly lost his grip immediately and dropped his end as well, letting the bag hitting the ground with a loud thud.
“YOU’RE TELLING ME HE SURVIVED THAT?!” Cried Trudly in horror as he looked on Wes’s fierce countenance, gripping Folly’s shoulders and shaking him.
The commotion had drawn the curiosity of the peaceful passersby. With all watching as the scene at the gates of Phenac unfolded, Wes drew closer with a smirk and spoke:
“What’s with the pale faces? You look like you’ve seen a phantom.” he mocked as Umbreon snarled at the two from the left of him. “I barely got to say, ‘thanks’ for rearranging my hovercycle’s engine!”
Espeon appeared underneath Wes’s right side and took offense at the sight of the two maniacs. But as Wes drew breath to order an attack, suddenly, a third-party entered the conversation from… Inside of the bag?
“Mgflpmmmgg… Bleh! Help!! Kidnappers!!” shrieked the small voice of a girl from inside of the sackcloth. “Please, help! Anyone!”
“What is going on?!” screamed the gatekeeper, finally fed up with the two men and the drama they’d brought into the city.
“Tch! They told me that tape was brand new.” Groused Trudly. Squeezing his fists in frustration, Trudly stomped his foot on the bag, eliciting a yelp of pain from inside and a gasp from the crowd. “Quit your shouting! You’re scaring people!”
Folly bared his teeth at Wes, his anger seeping through his sunglasses. Stomping over to Wes and pointing a finger at the sandy blonde he began to rebuke him.
“Listen up, punk!” Folly snarled. “You are messing with some dangerous men, and we are done entertaining you. Now, sit down, or I will make you.”
As quick as a whip, Folly unleashed Pokémon of his own: a Lotad and Whismur took up the fight against Wes, appearing at either side of the mohawk-sporting trainer and hissing at the two opposing Eeveelutions.
Without hesitation, Wes got into his battle stance and snapped his fingers on his right hand. Immediately, Espeon unleashed a blast of Confusion at the Whismur while Umbreon dashed toward the Lotad and used Bite! With the rage inside them, their attacks were bordering on lethal. The blood-curdling cries of Folly’s Pokémon said it all – the battle was decided before it began. As his Pokémon tumbled to his feet, Folly choked on the humid air of the oasis town; he felt his heart sink into his stomach as all the red strings in his mind tied together.
“The ruthlessness in the news report… Those evil eyes… Those Pokémon…!” Folly reasoned aloud until his panic exploded in his chest. “You… No, please! You can’t really be him!”
“Somebody, please have a heart!” sobbed the girl in the bag. “Those robbers are trying to murder me! Help!”
“Do you got cotton in your ears?!” Trudly barked at the bag. “We’re kid-nap-pers! K-I-D-N… Uh... Anyway! That guy over there is the only robber here!” He rebutted.
Folly whipped his head around at Trudly.
“Wha…?”
Walking over, Folly raised his voice and punched his friend in the head.
“You dingbat! What’d I tell you about running your mouth without my say-so?!”
The low growling of irate Pokémon began to creep up behind the two criminals. Trudly and Folley’s muscles coiled tight as they felt Wes’s shadow engulfing them. With a callous tone, Wes spoke to the two men.
“Weak trainers like yourselves are an abomination – to put it plainly, you make me sick. So, let’s make this quick and painless: tell me what I want to know, and you just might make it out of this in a nicer body bag than that one there. Deal?”
Folly pushed down his terror for a moment and returned his fainted Pokémon to himself. Taking a stand, he defiantly screamed at Wes with his full chest.
“Don’t push your luck, you devil! I swear, the next time I see that ugly mug of yours I will trash you, those Pokémon, and everything else you care about! Just wait until headquarters hears about this!”
Grabbing Trudly by the arm, the pair shouldered through the frightened crowd and disappeared into the sea of faces. Wes tried to give chase, but they had vanished before he could get far.
“Those dim-witted dogs!” Wes growled as he scanned for them before realizing its futility.
His attention was demanded once again by the shrieking of the gatekeeper.
“Someone, please help! This knot is too tight for me!” she cried. “This girl needs us!”
“I’m coming!” Called out an athletic-looking man who plowed through the crowd. Sliding to a stop, the athlete began pulling at the knot to no avail. Wes turned around and witnessed the incompetence of this athletic brunette trying to untie the mouth of the bag and groaned dramatically.
I hate people, mused Wes in his mind.
“Move.” Wes said as he came to inspect the situation.
Calmly tugging the rope from the other side, the knot came undone instantly. With the help of the brunette, the two boys sat the bag upright and the hem unveiled the face of a young girl; her hair was red and messy from being mishandled. Her sapphire eyes peered out from behind her tangled bangs, blinking away the tears she’d cried in silence. As she looked up from her prison, the heavens glowed a pink and golden hue which acted as the backdrop for her deliverer. As her eyesight began to return, her breath escaped her lungs at the sight of the man who’d spared her from her fate.
Her eyes met Wes’s for just a moment, but it lasted an eternity in her mind. Her fair skin brightened at the behest of her beating heart as the sunset framed Wes’s tan face with a divine glow; the wind danced with the twin tails of his long, blue coat and his stature was that of a triumphant warrior. As she reacquainted herself with the world around her, the athlete and the gatekeeper gently unbound her wrists.
“Who…” She squeaked meekly as she rubbed her wrist. “Wh-where am I? Where did those two brutes bring me?”
“It’s okay, miss,” replied the gatekeeper. “This fine gentleman here chased off those goons. And don’t fret – you’re in Phenac city; you’re safe now.”
“Hey! I helped, too!” added the athlete desperately. “And if you were wondering, my name is Dash and I’m—.”
“You couldn’t help yourself out of a glass jar if I unscrewed the lid for you.” Wes countered coldly as he pushed Dash aside, extending his hand to the scared girl.
She pondered it for a moment, bringing her shy hand over her heart. Looking into Wes’s amber eyes, her worries began to melt away. As her tears retreated, a soft and giddy smile took hold of her.
“Is that so~?” she giggled. “Well, thank you very much. And you are…?”
“The name you’re dying to learn is ‘Wes’. And, yeah, these folks just watched the battle of their lifetime. Too bad you couldn’t see it for yourself, huh?”
Raising her eyebrow at her champion, she delicately took his hand.
“W-woah!” she squealed as she nearly fell over with her first step, Wes caught the frail girl and steadied her in the bend of his arm, letting her hold onto the orange wire snaking down his bicep.
“I… kind of did.” She replied sheepishly, casting her gaze down to the sidewalk.
“Say now, where’s my cut?” Wes scoffed with a half-smile. “I gave you my name, so cough it up – tell me yours.”
“Urk!” the girl stammered. “R-right! My name! it’s…”
Wes finally got a good look at this girl he’d found. Her face was delicate and clean, and her attire testified of a well-adjusted life: sporting a baby-blue jacket trimmed with pink Whimsicott fluff. It covered over a purple crop top that left her belly exposed. The jacket itself didn’t quite reach beyond the waist of her pearl-white skirt. But what caught Wes’s eye was that brass crescent-shaped charm freely dangling from the girl’s choker.
“Moonshine, am I right?” ............................................................................................. “Rui- No, not even close! Hehe!”
Some in the crowd began to swoon, while others began to gag.
“Oh!” Rui recalled. “Those two! You battled them, right? Did they use…! Oh… No, never mind me.”
“Did they, what, Moonshine?” pressed Wes as Rui’s delighted demeanor faded.
“This will sound strange,” Rui sighed. “But… Did they- oh, come on! I’ll sound silly…”
“You got me on the edge of me seat. What do you know about them?” Wes insisted.
Rui pressed her lips into a thin line as she glanced down to her boots, tapping her toes together nervously. Finally mustering the confidence to speak, she blurted out, “D-Did they use a peculiar Pokémon?! Eep! I said it!” then quickly retreated into the windbreaker of her jacket.
Dash piped up again, advising he saw nothing out of the ordinary beside how pitifully Folly did against Wes.
“The boy scout is right.” Wes added. “I didn’t see anything that would make me worry.”
“Oh…” Rui groaned. “No… No, that’s alright.”
“Miss,” interjected the gatekeeper. “We should get you to the Pokémon Center. Those two men treated you awfully and it would be best if we get you checked out. Sir, would you escort her with us?”
Wes looked around. The crowd began to disperse, and he didn’t see Trudly or Folly anywhere. As he weighed his options, his best and only lead was this girl who didn’t see a thing. Still, she probably knew something of interest if those two went to the trouble of making her their prisoner.
Wes noticed Dash was still vying for Rui’s attention. The sandy blonde chortled and wrapped a possessive embrace around Rui’s midriff, coaxing out a squeak from the red head.
“What kind of gentleman would I be to let a lady like this get harassed by a mean old doctor? I’ll help out, just this once.”
Rui beamed and walked beside Wes, who was following the gatekeeper and Dash. The afternoon would turn to evening, and evening to dark. The busy city of Phenac had quieted down, and Wes had a lot that he needed to mull over.
----------------------------------------------------------------
“Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!”
Running in the late hours of the night, the moonlight reflected off the bald head of a holdout from Team Snagem. Tasked with retrieving anything of use from the hideout after the fires died down, he finally found his way back to the smoldering hideout. Combing through the scrap metal and chunks of cement in the courtyard, he could find nothing but their pride among the wreckage.
Tum...! Tum! Tum! Tum! Floodlights sounded from all corners of the yard.
“Gyaaah!” The grunt screamed as the spotlight blinded him for a moment.
From behind the broken doors of the hideout sauntered an older man decked with a noble blue vest with medals pinned to their chest. Speaking through his waxed mustache with a gruff voice, he gloated over his catch
“Coming back to look for scraps in the trash. Dogs, the lot of you.”
Out of the shadows of the canyon arose a multitude of bounty hunters with their Pokémon. All eyes were trained on the bald man in the red vest, looking for their opportunity to strike.
But, out from behind the noble man came a much less intimidating officer in a tall blue hat.
“Chief Sherles! I just got a report that a Snagem Member was seen running back to… Oh.”
“Johnson,” Chief Sherles groaned. “We already knew that. Get back to searching the interior for clues.”
“Right… I’m on it, Chief!” Johnson, the chief’s number-one officer, exclaimed enthusiastically before running back inside.
“Offisah Sherles!” sneered the Snagem Grunt. “Ya won’t find not’n in there. Anything of value was blown to smithereens! Ka-boom, n’ all that.”
“We’re aware of the lack of evidence,” Sherles admitted with a narrow glare. “Which is precisely why we’re here.”
“Come again?” the grunt asked in surprise.
Sherles folded his hands behind his back and began to pace along the outer rim of the blinding spotlights.
“We can’t find a thing besides some busted up PokéBalls and broken alcohol bottles. However, we got word a few hours ago you were making a beeline.” Chief Sherles monologued. The glowing eyes of his hired help pierced the darkness, aiding his intimidation.
“Harassment’s a crime, don’cha’know!” Retorted the grunt. “Besides, anything of value here got stolen or destroyed.”
“Stolen?” pressed Chief Sherles.
“Yeah, it’s been boilin’ fer months- Ey! Why am I talkin’ to a cop?! Just forget I said a thing.”
Sherles chuckled and said, “I wish you would – it could net you better prison food and an easier life sentence.”
“So, you want me to squeal?” scoffed the grunt. “Not a chance! Team Snagem forever!”
“Not about Team Snagem – we already know enough about you animals to put you away for 3 lifetimes each. We want to know who did this, why, and whatever it is they took.”
The grunt looked around the area to assess his options. The glowing eyes of Pokemon from the dark were terrifying enough on their own, and fighting his way out wasn’t smart. But as he considered the nature of Sherle’s request, a wicked grin sprawled out on his clean-shaven face.
“Offisah, you didn’t even need to ask. Just don’t expect any names.”
“I will see you at the station.” replied the chief as he slapped handcuffs on the Snagem Grunt’s wrists, ordering some of his hired help to lead him away.