Chapter 7

HARTSICK

This is who we are

We are children of the fire and we will always burn

Burn so bright, lead you through the darkest nights

Just so you'll know you're never alone

- Our Hollow, Our Home

I

"Vulpix, dodge and retaliate!" Seth screamed at the top of his lungs. Vulpix dashed to the side as Tangrowth's Power Whip caused its vines to come crashing down with tremendous force. She countered with Fire Blast. The flames erupted from her mouth, forming a massive fireball for a moment over her head that crackled with intense heat. The projectile soared through the air, leaving a trail of scorching embers in its wake. Tangrowth, too slow to avoid, braced itself for the sudden onslaught. The fireball crashed into its tangled vines, engulfing them in a raging inferno. The searing heat caused its vines to writhe and thrash in pain, filling the air with an acrid smell. A deep, guttural growl erupted from Tangrowth, echoing through the battlefield. As the battle-weary field burned, water suddenly began to rain down from the fire extinguishing system overhead. The flames that engulfed Tangrowth diminished and disappeared. The cool droplets fell upon its charred body, providing relief and soothing the scorched earth.

A scarlet light appeared around the Pokémon, obscuring it from view until it vanished completely. Erika, her brittle black hair framing her face, looked visibly drained, as if she was slowly fading away from life. She leaned over her Gloom, her trembling hands clutching it tightly, and huffed once more, seeking solace in its intoxicating fumes. “Fuck,” she remarked quietly, slowly lifting her head away from it.

Erika handed six Pokéballs to her strung-out looking assistant, the three she had used in her battle against Seth and the additional three from her previous encounter with Brian.

Her voice a hushed, erratic whisper, "Take... take these... to the Pokémon Center..." Her words stumbled out, punctuated by nervous twitches. The assistant, seemingly in a daze, simply nodded and hurried off. Erika, then collected a bit of honey-drool falling from Gloom with her finger, caking it onto her gums. Brian leaned in and whispered to Seth, "She's completely out of her gourd."

They walked towards Erika's side of the battlefield, their steps crunching on the smoldering ground. As Seth approached Erika, getting closer to her, he could see the toll that constant narcotic use had taken on her. Her eyes were dull and bloodshot, with dark circles encasing them. Her complexion was pale and sallow, with a gauntness to her cheeks that spoke of malnourishment. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached out to adjust her disheveled hair, strands falling out and revealing patches of scalp. It was clear that her addiction had ravaged her physical and mental well-being, leaving her a mere shadow of her former self.

Erika stretched her trembling hand out towards Seth and Brian, her eyes unfocused and distant. She mumbled something unintelligible, her words slurred and barely coherent. With a weak smile, she placed the rainbow badges in their hands, "C-congratulations, t-take these... you've earned them..." Her words trailed off, lost in the haze of her drug-induced state, as she withdrew her hand and stared blankly into the distance.

They both accepted the badges and started making their way out of the gym. "Well, that was a breeze," Brian chuckled.

"Yeah, she was barely conscious during the battle." Seth commented, “Maybe the others' fights will be that easy.”

"Sabrina," Brian said simply

"Yeah, I understand," Seth replied.

"Misty," Brian continued.

"Okay, I get it," Seth said, his frustration growing.

"Lt. Surge, the war hero," Brian added, driving his point home.

"I get it, Brian. We're fucked. Thank you," Seth said, in a pissed off tone.

“Yeah, no problem dude.” He said with a side smile.

"Why even do this League Challenge with me?" Seth asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"If I'm going to be traveling around with you guys while you take on the gyms, I might as well join in. There's nothing left for me in Pewter City or Kanto for that matter. I've already faced Brock years ago, so it just makes sense. Honestly, I would love to leave this forsaken country if I had the chance," Brian explained, his tone filled with a hint of longing.

"Yeah, no I get it," Seth responded.

Leaving the gym, Seth and Brian stepped out into the bright sunlight that illuminated the entire city, momentarily dazzling their eyes. As they adjusted to the brightness, their gaze fell upon a tall building across the street from the gym. Its windows shimmered and reflected the light in an intriguing manner.

"Is that an Absol?" Brian pointed towards the top of the building. Seth followed his gaze and spotted the unmistakable white and black fur of Absol standing atop the rooftop, its horn punctuating the skyline. It seemed to be observing them, its piercing eyes locked onto their presence. And just as quickly as it had appeared, the Absol vanished from behind the rooftop. "Well, that's probably not great.”

II

As Seth and the others walked through the streets of Celadon City, a sense of beauty enveloped the surroundings. The city struck a perfect harmony between its urban infrastructure and vibrant natural flora. He found himself reluctantly enjoying the peacefulness of the city, secretly understanding why some enjoyed living within the confines of Team Rocket's city walls. Apart from the haunting image of Sarah in a distant building window, the sight of children joyfully playing with their Pokémon under the watchful eyes of their parents brought a hint of catharsis.

"Do you miss the pleasantness inside the city?" Seth asked Brian as they strolled through the streets of Celadon.

"I don't know," Brian replied, running his hand through his black hair. "It was nice not having to worry about scraping together enough for yearly taxes, and well-paying jobs were readily available. Honestly, I didn’t think the tax system was such a burden till I met you."

"It must be nice," Seth sighed. "Anyone living outside the city when Team Rocket took over was prohibited from buying or even renting property."

"I won't deny there were perks," Brian admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness. "But I couldn't help feeling jealous of the kids today. My mother was taken from me to fight in that war, and with a junkie father, it was just me and Rachel for the longest time. Seeing those happy children just pissed me off because we were never given that chance. The chance to just be kids."

Seth nodded, a shared understanding passing between them. Despite having the opportunity to live with Sarah and her mother, he couldn't shake the pain of not being able to experience the joy of his own family growing up.

A deafening boom rocked through the city, capturing the attention of everyone including Seth and Brian. Eyes turned towards the eastern part of Celadon, where the top of a plume of fire, lifted above the rooftops. Children playing froze, their gazes drawn upward, while parents abandoned their watchful eyes on their little ones and instead scanned the sky in confusion. Pedestrians and their Pokémon alike shifted their focus, creating a momentary silence that enveloped the city before panic erupted.

The black smoke that filled the sky was almost like the alarm to ignite the panic. In the chaos, the entire crowd surged westward, leaving everything of unimportance behind. Yet, Brian defied the stampede, charging towards the smoke, the sound, the fire. "Brian, what the fuck, where are you going?" Seth's desperate call was drowned out by the roar of screams and shouts. "for fuck sake," Seth muttered to himself, as he raced after Brian, desperately fighting through the flood of people to catch up.

Finally catching up to him, Seth's heart sank as they witnessed the source of the explosion. The left section of Celadon Casino had vanished, replaced by a raging inferno and billowing smoke. Panic-stricken individuals streamed out of the front door, some of their bodies covered in flames while dropping and rolling, fighting for survival.

"Brian, we have to go, come on," Seth pleaded, his voice filled with urgency.

"You can be a selfish prick, Seth.” Brian's words stung, his anger and hurt evident, as he glared back at Brian. "If Erin were in there, you wouldn't hesitate. These people are just as important and the world doesn't revolve around you. I won't stand by and let people die when I can help."

Brian turned away from him and sprinted towards the casino. Seth stood there, torn between his own selfishness and the realization that Brian was right. "Selfish, fucking prick," Seth muttered to Vulpix but more to himself, resentment mingling with acceptance. “Brian!” he called out before chasing after him.

III

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

As Seth and Brian reached the casino, they were met with a horrifying sight—a woman scorched from head to waist, her lower body, what was left, completely obliterated. Seth's words escaped him in shock, "She was blown straight out of the building."

Brian's response was curt, "Yeah, come on."

Feeling the intense heat, Seth released Torterra from its Pokéball. The massive Pokémon immediately retreated, resenting the temperature from the scorching flames. Seth quickly gave his command, "Torterra, gather as much dirt as possible and try to extinguish this fire."

With a nod of understanding, Torterra moved towards the left side of the building. It raised its front feet and brought them crashing down on the ground, causing the earth to rise like a wave and settle within the inferno, attempting to smother the flames.

"Flapple, you ready to help?" Brian addressed his Pokémon perched on his shoulder. He reached for his belt and released the remaining Pokéballs. As he did, a vibrant red light illuminated the ground before him. Two Pokémon materialized; Ceruledge stood tall, her body covered in sleek, purple metallic armor that seemed to suck in the sunlight. Her sharp, piercing eyes stared at the fire erupting from the building. Fraxure, on the other hand, appeared fierce and rugged. His scales were a deep shade of green, and its powerful jaws exuded a sense of strength. The sharp, protruding tusks on its cheeks added an intimidating edge to its appearance. Seth followed suit, releasing Primeape. He clenched his fists together, his eyes fixated on the burning building across the street.

As everyone stepped into the burning Casino, the intense heat washed over them, causing sweat to bead on Seth and Brians’ foreheads. The walls and ceiling were charred and crumbling, with smoke rising to the tall ceiling and escaping from the giant hole in the left side of the giant room. The once vibrant and lively atmosphere had been replaced by an unsettling silence, broken only by the crackling of fire and the occasional creaking of the weakened structure. The inferno danced hungrily, devouring anything in their path, including the once gleaming slot machines, poker tables, and roulette wheels, now reduced to twisted metal and melted plastic. Among the wreckage, the sight of lifeless bodies, their clothes singed and their limbs contorted, painted a grim picture.

Screams of anguish and desperation filled the air, drawing Seth and Brian towards the source of the noise. Amidst the wreckage, they discovered a woman trapped beneath a collapsed slot machine. Her disheveled hair was singed and her face bore the scars of the intense heat, with blisters forming around her damaged eye. Seth, struggling to speak through coughs and smoke inhalation, called upon Primeape for assistance. He lifted the heavy machine, allowing Seth and Brian to carefully extricate the injured woman. "Take her outside, come back… when you're done," Seth instructed, and Primeape swiftly carried her away to safety.

Seth's voice strained through coughs as he spoke to Brian, "We can't stay here much longer, Brian. The smoke's being funneled out, but we're still at risk of carbon monoxide.”

“Okay, let's check back here, I think I see something." Brian responded.

Seth and Brian examined the back wall of the casino near the service desk, their attention was drawn to a charred poster. Just above it, where the full poster used to be, they noticed a green button. To their right, a seemingly endless hallway beckoned. Before they could venture further, Primeape returned to the group, moving cautiously to avoid the thick smoke.

They cautiously made their way down the dark hallway, the only source of illumination coming from the fire of the main gambling room. The hallway stretched ahead, devoid of any decorations or purpose. It seemed like a forgotten passage, leading to nowhere in particular. An acrid scent of burnt debris hung heavily in the air.

It led them to a staircase concealed beneath a previously trapped door, now flung open. "Shit, look at this, Seth," Brian called out. At the top of the stairs lay a gruesome sight—a dismembered Team Rocket member dressed in black, his arm ripped off just below the shoulder. Fresh, deep scratches marred his face, oozing with blood that pooled on the steps beneath him.

Seth approached, his eyes fixed on the gruesome sight before them. "Damn, I wish I could have watched it.”

“No dumbass,” Brian responded. “No burns, he was ripped apart by something. Also, there isn't any smoke coming from down there."

"Let's check out that staircase. If we don't find anything, we need to get the hell out of here. Agreed?"

“Yeah, Sounds good.” They descended the blood-stained steps and into the staircase a red light constantly flashing with an even louder alarm ringing than was in the Casino’s main room.

IV

The staircase wound down several flights, revealing a horrifying sight with each step. The lifeless bodies of Team Rocket members and their Pokémon lay scattered, their forms contorted in unimaginable ways. Blood stained the walls, and the air was heavy with the metallic scent of violence. They weren’t just killed, they were destroyed. From scorch marks to, some being severed in half, an Armaldo had its arms completely ripped from its body, Sarah's ravaged corpse, one team rocket member seemed like every body part on her was simply bent in half, as if she was trying to violently fold into a ball.

Pressing forward, guided by the eerie purple flames of Ceruledge, they finally reached the bottom floor, only to be greeted by a desolate hallway. As they moved forward, the blaring alarms abruptly ceased, plunging them into an unsettling silence, punctuated only by the intermittent flashes of dim red emergency lights.

"Brian, what's the plan here?" Seth asked, his voice filled with concern. Brian, ignoring Seth's questions, opened a door to their left and stepped inside, followed by Ceruledge and Fraxure. Reluctantly, Seth, Primeape, and Vulpix followed suit, entering a corridor that extended for about 50 yards. Immediately, their eyes were drawn to the glass cages lining both sides of the walkway.

"What are you looking at?" Seth asked. Brian stood frozen, his gaze fixed on a cage to his left. "Brian!" Seth called out, trying to break his friend's trance. Inside the cage laid a pink, amorphous blob with a face, constantly shifting and morphing into unrecognizable shapes. "What the actual fuck is this?" Seth exclaimed, his disbelief evident.

A sign next to the cage revealed its identity: Specimen 89, aka Ditto . As if sensing the nearby Flapple perched on Brian's shoulder, the Ditto transformed into an exact replica of Flapple who began flying around the cage. Brian was transfixed on what unfolded before him and simply let out a “Fuck me,” under his breath.

Proceeding down the corridor, they passed by the successive cages housing Dittos, each displaying their transformative abilities. Different Dittos shifted and morphed, mimicking the forms of Primeape, Vulpix, Flapple, Ceruledge, or Fraxure as they continued towards the back of the room. Those that didn't change had their fluid bodies constantly in flux. Most of the Dittos were pink, except one which was blue, but all wore a seemingly happy expression for such a dark and dismal setting.

At the end of the corridor, a desk in front of a slightly larger cage had an envelope with, Fuji Project, written across it. The glass cage behind the desk stood prominently, its presence both captivating and unsettling. Suspended from the ceiling two sturdy metallic prongs, reached down with a sense of purpose. Arcs of mesmerizing blue electricity crackled and danced between them, casting an ethereal glow on the surroundings. The cage contained what the sign labeled " Test Subject: Mew, " floating gracefully within. Its petite form exuded an ethereal aura. Its body was small, covered in smooth, pale pink fur that seemed to emit a gentle presence. The large, round eyes of Mew sparkled. Two short, stubby arms extended, each ending with small, dexterous paws. Its slender long tail swayed gently.

"We can't leave them here, Seth," Brian said with determination in his voice.

Seth nodded in agreement, “No we can’t.”

"Ceruledge, use a bitter blade to cut an opening in Mew's glass cage," Brian commanded. Ceruledge extended its purple blade-like arm, swiftly slicing a circle in the glass, causing it to fall and shatter onto the ground. Mew emerged from its confinement, emitting a soft purring sound as it floated around the group, expressing its gratitude.

"I'm completely baffled by all of this," Seth confessed. "Let's focus on freeing the Dittos and then make our way out of here."

Primeape began forcefully smashing the glass walls of the cages, while Ceruledge and Fraxure carefully used their blades to cut through the remaining enclosures. As the cages were opened, the Dittos flooded the corridor, fluxing their bodies under the floating Mew.

As Seth and Brian watched in astonishment, the Dittos in the room commenced a mesmerizing transformation. Their fluid forms melded and shifted with remarkable synchronicity, converging into solid mass. Within moments, the sea of Dittos had morphed into an ocean of Mews. The multitude of Mews floated gently in the air, their pink bodies shimmering with an otherworldly radiance. The soft purr of their collective energy filled the space.

Amidst the congregation of Mews, the original Mew, or what Seth assumed was the original, hovered gracefully above the rest. Then, without warning, the Mew vanished from sight.

The remaining Mews, as if guided by an unseen force, turned their attention towards Seth and Brian. Their large, luminous eyes locked onto the two observers. And just as swiftly as they had transformed, the sea of Mews vanished into nothingness, leaving the room empty with the exception of the shocked and flabbergasted expressions of the group.

“What… what… the fuck?” Seth stuttered out.

“I don’t even know where to begin.” Brain retorted as they walked towards the room's entrance.

With all the Dittos and Mew freed, only one remained, Specimen 89, positioned still in its cage, its form shifting between each Pokémon in the group, a content smile adorning its face after each transformation. "Should we catch it?" Brian asked, uncertainty lacing his words.

Seth pondered for a moment before replying, "I suppose so." He tossed a Pokéball towards the Ditto, and as the ball shook three times before becoming still. "What a bizarre day."

V

As Seth and Brian along with their Pokémon, stepped out of the door, they were confronted by a Team Rocket member, a woman with fiery red hair cascading down her shoulders. She wore the signature black uniform adorned with the iconic "R" logo. Her piercing blue eyes glared at them with fury.

Standing beside her was a menacing Houndoom, its eyes glowing with an intense red glare as it growled menacingly, its sharp fangs bared. The woman's voice sharp as she addressed Seth and Brian, "What were you doing in there? What have you done?"

Without hesitation, Brian’s commanding voice roared, "Fraxure, use Dragon Claw!" With a burst of speed, Fraxure charged towards the Houndoom, jabbing his tusk into its side, sending the Houndoom crashing into the nearby wall.

The injured Houndoom struggled to regain its footing, blood oozing from its wounds, and retaliated by unleashing a searing Flamethrower attack. Sensing the imminent danger, Seth commanded his Vulpix, "use Flamethrower!" Flames erupted from Vulpix's mouth, meeting the incoming fire, neutralizing the Houndoom's assault in a display of fiery clash.

Meanwhile, Brian's Flapple took action, unleashing a corrosive Acid Spray towards the now fixed in position Houndoom. The purple toxic sludge struck the injured Pokémon directly in the eyes, causing it to shut off its flames and howl in agony as its head and eyes disintegrated before them. Its screams filled the hallway as it flailed in pain.

Seizing the opportunity, Ceruledge, guided by Brian's command, darted towards the Team Rocket member. With a swift, precise strike, Ceruledge's bitter blade sliced through the woman's body, cleaving her in half. Her anguished screams mixed with the scent of burning fabric as her clothes caught fire from the searing hot blade.

The hallway now lay silent for a few moments. Then flames abruptly engulfed the other side of the hallway, casting an intense glow that illuminated the entire floor. Seth couldn't help but express his frustration. "Oh, for fuck's sake, what now?" he yelled, feeling overwhelmed by the relentless chaos around them.

Suddenly, a Charmeleon emerged from the fiery scene on the other end of the hallway. Seth and Brian watched in awe, as a bright white light began to emanate from the Charmeleon's eyes. Its body began to be encircled by blazing fire. However, the flames vanished, and in their place, two magnificent wings stretched out from its back. Charizard, roaring with a deafening intensity, asserting its dominance over anyone unfortunate enough to be in its path. With a burst of speed, the Charizard took flight, disappearing from view, leaving behind a trail of vibrant orange light that illuminated the other side of the floor.

Just as Seth and Brian tried to comprehend the extraordinary sight they had witnessed, a young boy, not older than sixteen, stepped into view after the Charizard. He wore a red and white cap that partially concealed his brown hair, and a matching red and white jacket that adorned his figure. Walking beside him was an elegant Espeon, its graceful movements mirroring the calm demeanor of its trainer.

"Seth," Brian said, shaking his shoulder to bring him back to reality. "Let's go." They left the devastation of the hideout and the stranger behind.