The jeep took the shortest way to the Violet City PokéCenter. It was midday when they had left the Dark Cave, so the air conditioning blew refreshing air currents through the vehicle. As they passed trees and a small lake, they quickly entered the city west of the cave. When Graisey saw the boutiques and cafés, she realized how hungry she was. Kaiy sat quietly next to her, his glazed eyes staring into the void. She grew worried for her friend. Maybe he was hungry too, but she knew better. Kaiy had been unconscious for a small part of the adventure, and it ate at him. Always in control, and now, the complete opposite of it. He gave a deep sigh and turned to Graisey, a fake smile on his lips. As they drove over the bump, separating the gravel road from pavement, he held his head and squinted his eyes. He probably ached all over.
Graisey drifted her fingers along the Pokéballs on her belt. One, two. One, two. Route 31 is a short one, but it felt like hours. Graisey stared out of the window again, one, two. Where were their backpacks, their equipment? Her eyes widened, quickly glancing at Kaiy's belt, seeing the six Pokéballs made her shoulders drop in relief. As naturally as possible, trying not to draw attention from Kaiy, she peered into the open trunk of the jeep.
"It's all there. No worries." Kaiy kept looking out of the window, not even moving a muscle.
"Oh, good." Adjusting her posture, she went back to her Pokéballs. One, two.
How do people normally sit in cars? Am I sitting normally now? What should I say to Kaiy? How come his outfit is not damaged at all? One, two.
Then the jeep came to a stop. Their driver, probably instructed not to disturb them, left the vehicle without slamming the door. He walked past Graisey's door, but she waved him off as he wanted to open it. He faintly nodded and opened the trunk, placing their equipment in the hall of the PokéCenter. The man, dressed casually in light gray jeans, a black turtleneck shirt, and rugged brown boots, went to sit on a nearby bench. He clearly had all the time in the world, no pressure.
"Should we… get out?" Graisey had no idea what to do with her mouth. Should she smile, give a worried look? She tapped on her knees; Kaiy remained silent.
"I'm just… You know… Our packs and… yea…" Insecure, she slowly left the jeep, and surprisingly Kaiy followed her. Literally. He used the same door as she did, shuffling over the backseat, doing his very best to avoid eye contact.
What do I do with my mouth? Should I help him out? Hold the door?
As Kaiy hung his legs out of the jeep, he awkwardly let himself drop. With a quick reflex, Graisey helped her friend.
"I'm fine, just…" He didn't sound angry or upset. When he walked towards the PokéCenter, just a few meters from the jeep, Kaiy's steps were slow. His shoulder hung low, but he didn’t seem to be in much pain. His usual confident demeanor was gone, replaced by a shadow or a heavy weight. She watched him struggle, unsure of how to help. She finally realized what the Ranger was going through.
Defeat.
They entered the PokéCenter, the automatic doors sliding open to reveal the bright, sterile environment inside. Its funny how all the PokéCenter in Johto look the same, apart from the local accents, This one had violet cushions on the circular benches and the walls were decorated with feathers. The colorful feathers of different Pokémon are probably a hint towards the local Flying-type Gym. Nurse Joy looked up from the counter, her smile fading slightly when she saw the state of the pair. Graisey gave a weak signal, pushing her hands down out of Kaiy's vision. Nurse Joy understood; she’ll wait and let them come to her.
Kaiy didn't even acknowledge the nurse, walking straight to a bench and sitting down heavily. Graisey watched him from the corner of her eye and set for the counter. "Please, help him," Graisey whispered to Nurse Joy, her voice breaking a little.
Nurse Joy nodded and winked, motioning for Chansey to bring a tray with supplies. Graisey sat next to Kaiy, close enough to offer support but giving him space. She watched as Nurse Joy and Chansey, adorned in a pastel green apron, tended to his injuries, cleaning small cuts on his face and checking for more serious damage. The older wounds from the battle in Cherrygrove are healing nicely. Kaiy winced but didn't protest, his eyes still distant.
Graisey’s PokéGear vibrates loudly, pulling her back to the present. Her mother’s name flashed on the screen—a rare occurrence, only reserved for emergencies. Her heart skipped a beat as she answered, stepping away from the bench.
Kaiy’s gaze tracked Graisey’s pacing for a moment before something on the television caught his eye. The screen was muted, but the images were unmistakable—a report from Goldenrod City News about the Dark Cave.
Kaiy saw himself and Graisey leave the structure, with their Pokémon. Graisey, still on the phone, followed the report and felt embarrassed, compelled to keep watching the screen and listened intently to her mom. They saw Kaiy shouting and the policeman interfering. Shortly after, Mr. Pokémon gave his interview. The interview closed with a close-up of the reporter at the scene.
Kaiy shot up, reacting to the television. "Hey, pause the news!" He looked to the counter where two Blissey, wearing the familiar white caps with red cross, were preparing something.
"That’s impossible, and please sit down again." Nurse Joy replied calmly. But Kaiy was hysterically looking for something. He pointed at the wall, cables sticking out of it. "Where are the computers?"
"We are getting new ones, could you please?" Nurse Joy started to become agitated with the nervous Kaiy. He stepped away from the bench; Joy shook her head disapprovingly, took her equipment, and went back to her counter. With his RangerGear next to his ear, Kaiy made a call as well.
"Marshal! Did you see the report? A Distress Signal, just now? Hold on."
Graisey watched her friend who, for some reason, had renewed energy.
The door of the PokéCenter slid open, and Mr. Pokémon walked through. Graisey interrupted her mom on the phone, “I have to go mom, I will call you back soon... Yes, I’m fine… Love you too.”
Stuffing the device in her pocket, Graisey met Mr. Pokémon.
"Hello, dear girl, how was the drive?" Mr. Pokémon gestured to another bench on the side, not waiting for an answer. "It was very good of you to contact me before going into the cave.”
Graisey acknowledged with a nod, then asked, “What is going on?” Her tone wasn’t angry, but there was a clear demand for answers in her voice.
Mr. Pokémon settled into the bench, maintaining his strong posture. “Yesterday evening, I brought the girls to a doctor with the help of Eduard, your driver," he began. "At the medical center, the girls explained what had happened in the cave.”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Graisey leaned in slightly, her eyes narrowing with focus. “What did they say?”
“They talked about the sudden cave-in, they were scared, understandably so,” Mr. Pokémon continued, his voice steady. “Eduard asked me if this could be the work of a strong Pokémon, and I mentioned it might even be a Legendary Pokémon.”
Graisey frowned. “And the girls overheard?”
“Yes,” he confirmed, nodding. “While one girl got her arm treated, the other stepped away to make a phone call. I’m not sure who she contacted, but within an hour, I was getting calls from friends asking about a possible Legendary Pokémon in the Dark Cave.”
Graisey’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “So a bolt rumor started.”
“Exactly. I realized the situation could get out of hand, so I instructed Eduard to go to the Dark Cave the next morning. He saw you enter the cave, and not long after, a few Trainers began gathering at the entrance.”
Graisey’s expression tightened. “That explains the crowd.”
Mr. Pokémon nodded. “While Eduard was packing your equipment, more people gathered. Then, suddenly, there was a loud explosion.”
Graisey’s heart skipped a beat at the memory, but she remained silent, letting Mr. Pokémon continue.
“Eduard called me immediately. By the time I arrived, the turmoil was escalating, so I decided to step in and draw attention to myself. I explained that you were investigating something for me—nothing to do with Legendary Pokémon.”
“So, you managed to calm them down?” Graisey asked, her voice laced with relief.
“Yes, once they realized it wasn’t the story they’d hoped for, they lost interest,” Mr. Pokémon said with a faint smile. “they won’t bother you anymore."
Mr. Pokémon’s eyes remained fixed on the excitable Kaiy, who was pacing the room. The contrast between Kaiy’s battle-worn face and Graisey’s unblemished one didn’t escape his notice. “Why is he hurt and you are not? You were both at the Dark Cave, were you not?”
Graisey hesitated, glancing at Kaiy before responding. “Yes, we were. When I saw the lasso from his RangerGear break, I hid away. Kaiy had to focus on the moment and not worry about me. Quickly after, the explosion followed and…”
Suddenly, Kaiy interrupted, his voice urgent. "I have to go to Goldenrod City! Now!" He held the Premier Ball in his hand, his energy renewed.
The woman shut down the television with a black remote. A dead silence fell over the small group of people. The Murkrow shifted uneasily on the pole. It was used to unnerving situations, but this time, it felt different. Its owner had just laid down the remote again, took a glass of water, sipped a little, and looked at the three people in the room. Her robot-like movement showed no emotion, but the tension was palpable. The three others gave each other bewildered looks. Suddenly, the woman threw the glass against the wall, shattering it into small pieces. The Murkrow flinched, just like the three others in the room. They turned pale. No one dared to open their mouths. Let alone breathe.
"Why." The woman in control didn't ask; she demanded. Chaos ensued in the minds of the three. They started to look at each other, trying to keep their cool but failing miserably.
"Why were you there?" She folded her hands and just waited for someone to speak up. One of them, a slender woman, stroked her blond hair behind her ear, trembling as she found shards of wet glass. She kept staring at the table, eye contact was no option.
The woman in control brought her folded hands to her face, leaning on her elbows. She sat at the head of the table, on her left was the pole with her Dark-type Pokémon, on her right, the people she could boil alive. The room felt unnaturally cold and claustrophobic. A single standing lamp had the unfortunate task to cast its rays dimly over the three.
"One final time, I will ask nicely: why. were. you. there." They knew she was beyond angry; her voice didn’t give it away. She emphasized each word precisely, stone cold.
"We… wanted to see, ma’am." This voice, on the other hand, trembled like a guitar string in slow motion. The man dared not look in his superior's direction. He nervously pulled on the stray hairs of his handlebar mustache, fearing what would happen next.
"See what, precisely?" The woman had her calm face turned to him, a mask for the storm that brewed behind it.
"The Graveler, I mean the Trainers, and how they would face it." The Murkrow dragged his beak along the uneven edges of the pole, creating an uneasy sound that resonated through their bones. The woman in charge fixed her gaze upon him. She remained silent, expecting him to finish his sentence. Murkrow stopped, and a silence filled the room again.
It was the third person who took the word.
"The uuuhm…" he coughed to get rid of his raspy voice, "When we had heard what devastation that Talonflame inflicted, we were curious what another Pokémon might do. In another setting." He looked nervously at the woman, a mistake. "Ma’am." he muttered as he looked uneasy at the table again.
"So let me get things straight." The woman in control stood up; the light metal chair made friction on the perfect wooden floor. "You first of all, had a party in Palm Hills because your cousin asked you." She looked at the blond woman, who was maybe 23 years old. "Then, you happened to see a stray Talonflame. In Johto." She shifted her gaze to the man with the mustache, while putting emphasis on the word 'Johto.' "You decide to Intoxicate it, and let it loose." Her eyes now fixed to the third person. "To top it off, you go out of your way to Intoxicate yet another Pokémon, endangering our mission by drawing media attention. Because; you were curious."
"I really don't see the big deal of it, we weren't caught." The fuse was lit, the storm that had been brewing would unleash its full potential because the slender woman broke under the tension.
"Not a big deal? You were seen! On camera! For the whole nation to see!" Now her voice went into a crescendo, Murkrow flew to the opposite side of the table.
"Yes, but still, it was hard to spot us on the news…"
"Oh really!" as she turned to the third person, "A single white van that has been driving around Cherrygrove and Palm Hills is now seen on national TV! At the place of turmoil, the Dark Cave!" She snatched the remote and pointed it at the screen. It turned on and the video of the interview played again. Then she paused the screen. On it, the front of the white van was clearly visible, for a split second. But what was worse, the man with the handlebar mustache stood out like a sore thumb behind the wheel.
She threw the remote on the table, it rolled over to the end where Murkrow caught it gracefully. Unexpectedly, she drew a blade, hidden in her mantle, and smacked it flat on the table. The tip pointed at the man with the prominent mustache.
Before she and her Murkrow left the room, she spoke a final word with enormous power behind it.
"Shave."