A gnawing, persistent unease bit at Mycroft's heel as they made their way toward Cerulean. The decrepit city they'd left behind was nothing more than a minuscule speck in the horizon now, stray clouds of dust rising into the dark sky like fingers reaching for the moon. Even here, it wouldn't surprise him if Mullac still had eyes on them, somehow.
He stuck near the right of the dirt road they were traversing, next to Samantha, who spearheaded the trip with both hands on the wrinkly map she'd found inside her backpack. He felt a bit more comfortable at her side; not that he trusted any of these people, but at the very least she wouldn't randomly burn down the first thing she encountered.
"I've never gone this far west before," she told the rest, eyes glued to the map, "but as long as we keep going this way…"
"Who put the redhead in charge?" asked Ñako, stomping the ground with wild abandon. Muffin walked behind him, a constant frown on her face.
Samantha scowled, the bridge of her nose getting all wrinkly. "No one, and I don't want to be in charge either but someone has to get us to Cerulean."
She froze in the middle of saying that, which led Mycroft to crash against her back. The rest of the group stopped as well, half confused and half irritated.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, narrowing her eyes. "There! Look!"
"Already giving orders? I like that," said Silver with a smile. "Yes ma'am."
"Shut up and follow me!"
They did as they were told –some reluctantly– as she sneaked her way through some nearby bushes at the side of the road. Soon they were all kneeling in wet mud behind a tall line of brambles. Samantha's gaze was set on a familiar shape in the distance.
"See? There's a cabin in there," she told the rest, pointing at the lone, small building. "And the lights are on."
Sabrina raised an eyebrow. "We're hiding… from a cabin?" she asked, cigarette still hanging from her mouth.
"We don't know who's in there, and Mullac did tell us to be careful," she replied. "Besides, if what he told us is true, then there might be… others, looking for the same object as we are."
A long, awkward silence followed her statement, and some eyebrows were raised her way. Most of them realized her scenario was a bit too specific for it not to be a coincidence. However before anyone could bring it up, Siegfried spoke:
"Sammy is right. The prudent option would be to silently move through the tall grass until…"
His words were interrupted as Vard stood up, startling his companions and splashing mud all around him. He pointed forward with one finger, sporting a wide grin as he yelled:
"Humbug! Only a coward hides in the wet grass of Route 4!"
Mycroft stared at the man slack-jawed, a single thought going through his mind.
You cannot be serious.
The ninja was the first to reply. "Vard, this is Route 5."
"Humbug I say!"
Strong rays of light broke through his pink afro, and after a few moments emerged from it a Pokemon with black, long wings and a sharp golden beak. A Murkrow.
"What are you doing!?" protested Sammy, eyes wide in anger.
"Do not fear my friends, simply leave this to me!" he replied, raising his hand to the sky. "Yamikarazu, take me to the ceiling of that cabin!"
Rhin scoffed, "Yeah right, and I'm sure they won't see you with that pink cape of yours."
"Never underestimate your leader!" He grabbed onto the edge of his cape. "Secret technique of Vard Nº 32: Reversible cape!"
With a swift motion like that of a matador waving a red flag, Vard covered his entire body with the inside of his cape, which was pitch black.
"Sometimes my genius scares even me," he said from within his disguise. "I know you'd be trembling in fear like children were I to abandon you, so I'll leave you this camouflage!" He looked up at the Murkrow flying above him. "Yamikarazu: Aero-distortion!"
A strong flapping of wings was heard, followed by a sudden, thick layer of mist that started covering everything in between them and the cabin, to the point where it became difficult to see a few feet ahead. Sabrina recognized this as the effect of the move called Haze.
A moment after, Vard was lifted from the ground as Murkrow grabbed him by the shoulders, slowly carrying him through the air towards the cabin.
None of them spoke for a few seconds, either too dumbfounded or offended by what had just happened. Finally Ñako got to his feet, stretching both arms, and said.
"All right, looting it is."
"Huh?" Sabrina stared at him, frowning.
"If you think about it, it'd be too much of a coincidence if the guys who want to kill us just happened to be in the only cabin in the entire route," he shrugged.
Sabrina considered this, being the only one who understood his intentions right away. After a few moments she rose to her feet as well, sighing as she threw the cigarette to the ground.
Siegfried was the next to stand up, sporting a frown full of worry. "You'll need help if something happens."
"I'm going too!" Silver said, still holding on to Molly and with the Rattata Vard had given him resting atop his head. "Molly, Raty, let's go help our leader Vard."
"Yes, sir!"
All five of them –including Wolfswift who followed without a word– disappeared into the thick of the fog on their way to the cabin, their bodies swallowed by the mist, leaving the remaining four trainers staring at nothing.
"They… they can't be serious, right?" asked Muffin, forming a nervous smile.
Mycroft placed his palm against his face, sighing deeply into it. "God, what is wrong with them!? Why are they all so useless!?"
----------------------------------------
Sabrina was slowly getting used to the group's stupidity, to the point where the actions of the freak with the pink afro only somewhat managed to surprise her. She would've liked to believe this was a good omen, but only time would tell.
The ninja did have a point, though. At worst they would find an empty cabin without anything to steal inside. The chances of running into someone hostile were astronomically low, or at least that's what logic dictated. God knows her bad luck had displayed the ability to shit into even the most solid of logic in the past.
As if prompted by her thoughts, she saw as Vard reached the ceiling of the cabin and set foot on it, smiling as he turned around to face them.
"I am okay, the great Vard will never l–!"
The roof tiles broke from under him. Through the thick of the fog she saw the dark figure that was his body fall down at an alarming speed, followed by the sound of him crashing against something hard which shattered upon impact.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"It looks like he fell," said the one who talked a lot, pointing out the obvious.
"Oh my god," Sabrina whispered, rubbing her temples. "I'm guessing the whole stealth plan kinda fell off." It took her a moment to realize the pun she just made. "If we're gonna pillage we might as well do it already."
The gunfreak with white hair stared all around him, clearly confused.
"Pillage? Where?" he asked. "Who just talked?"
"Oh yeah, you… Wolfsomething," the ninja gave him a poke on the shoulder. "Stay here and watch our backs."
Without another word he approached the cabin like a kid excited for his Christmas presents. He stopped just before the door and raised his leg as high as he could, a deranged smile on his face. She didn't need to be psychic, which she was, to guess what he was about to do.
"GOOOOOD DAY!" Ñako yelled as he kicked the door with all his strength, making it fly off its hinges and into the inside of the cabin.
----------------------------------------
The first thing he saw was Vard, his torso slightly buried into the wooden floor and two halves of a broken table sticking up from either side of his body. Next to him was a chubby man somewhere in his forties, one hand holding a fork, the other raising a glass of water to his lips; he was frozen. On the opposite side of the room, standing beneath the sill of the door leading to what looked like a kitchen, was an old lady with a silver plate on her hands, which had one glass and a jar full of water.
Vard raised his trembling hand and gave Ñako a thumbs up, still covered in splinters and planks. "Your leader is fine!"
"Uh…" the old lady looked at Vard, then at Ñako and then at his husband, "V-visitors?"
The rest of the group arrived at the door. Siegfried let out a sigh, halfway between relief and exasperation, as he entered the cabin.
"Vard, you should be more careful with that bird of yours," he said, his voice that of a scolding parent. His knees bent slightly down as he performed a cordial bow towards the old couple. "My most sincere apologies, you two. Me and my friends thought this cabin was abandoned."
"Oh… yes, it's fine dear," the woman said, forming a nervous smile.
"Is it!?" Her husband asked, standing up from the chair, brow furrowed.
She shot him an icy look and the man crossed his arms, looking to the side.
"Ah, of course, I forgot to introduce myself!" Siegfried added, rubbing the back of his head, a warm smile on his face. "My name is Siegfried, and I'm a Pokemon trainer."
"It's a pleasure, dear," the woman nodded, leaving the plate atop another, smaller table next to her. "We don't see many trainers around here these days. My husband and I… we're in charge of a daycare, as you can see."
She pointed at a small wooden stand protruding out of the wall. Two Pokemon eggs rested on top; each covered in differently colored spots and patterns. Both had a small piece of paper stuck to them with a name: Caroline and Nobu.
"It's a shame we don't get many clients these days," she sighed, the lines on her face exacerbating. "Times being what they are."
Siegfried was about to reply politely when he felt a tap on the shoulder. When he turned around he found himself face to face with Sabrina, whose eyes had a gleam in them he didn't like one bit.
Let me handle this one, her gaze said.
----------------------------------------
Sabrina stared with disdain as Siegfried went on and on, putting on the scout boy act and getting on the old couple's good side. He'd probably get one of the eggs for his troubles too, if things kept going his way. She looked at the plank; there was still another one there. It wasn't too late to perform a little magic.
Besides, she needed something to distract Silver and the ninja before they got bored and started doing something stupid. She cracked her knuckles and gently pushed Siegfried aside, presenting herself to the owners of the cabin.
She adjusted her hat, already forming that fake, courteous smile she'd used before. She could almost hear the unanimous Oh no in everyone's minds.
"I deeply apologize for any trouble we might have caused you, my wrinkly friends," she said, imitating Siegfried's bow. "As my companion said, we thought this house was empty, which is why we choose it to film the choreography for our next single."
The couple blinked a few times, until the woman mumbled:
"S-single?"
Sabrina tilted her head to the side, faking surprise. "Oh, do you not recognize us? Then allow me to introduce our group."
She extended her arms to the side, as though encompassing the five other people with her.
"We… are Rosita Storm," she declared with a smile. "The founding band of the musical genre Death Metal Trash Cumbia."
She had to try hard not to laugh at everyone's expressions once they processed her words.
"A-ah…" the old man said.
"That one over there is Silver, our singer and lead guitar, accompanied by Molly, his faithful assistant." Without missing a beat, the aforementioned winked and raised his hand as if greeting his fans. "The one outside is Wolfswift, our drummer." White hair guy reacted at the sound of his name, looking around in confusion. "Next to me is Ñako, main bassist." The ninja started playing air guitar, eyes tightly closed in concentration. "And my very educated friend here is Daniel Agostini, master of organ and tambourine."
Why am I the only one with a different name? was written all over his face.
"And of course, the man fallen from the sky." She pointed at the pink afro freak, who promptly got to his feet and glamorously draped himself in his cape. "Vard, choreographer and master of outfits."
Another moment of silence. She needed to get to the point fast.
"Ah, how impolite of me. I am Sabrina, the manager." She pressed the button on her Pokeball, and a flash of light materialized on top of her hat. The bloodthirsty Vulpix started shaking his head up and down as soon as he appeared. "And this is Rokon, the band's mascot."
"I…"
"In any case!" she interrupted, clearing her throat. "We are very sorry for your troubles; I assure you that our roadies will pay for all the damage done to this cabin." She looked at the two eggs, it was time for the final act. Summoning all the seriousness in her she spoke again. "But before we go, and if it's not a bother, my venerable elders… would you mind doing a favor to one of our youngest fans?"
The couple nodded slowly.
"Jaime is 8 years old, and is suffering from a terrible disease for which there is no cure…"
Again!? she swore she could hear from the minds of Ñako and Silver.
"His biggest dream has always been to witness the birth of a Pokemon, and we wish…" She lowered her head, leaving space for a dramatic pause. "Since our music isn't enough… we would like to, at the very least, fulfill his dream before he has to pass into the next world. Would you… Would you be kind enough to help us accomplish that?"
"..."
The old couple exchanged a look, not quite convinced that what the strange woman in the worn hat said was true.
"Well…" said the man. "The first egg… I guess you could have it, since its trainer hasn't shown up."
"Are you sure that's a good idea, dear?" his wife asked, eyebrows knit together. "Maybe there's a reason they couldn't come to retrieve it."
"Then all the more reason to give it away," he argued. "The longer we have these in our possession, the higher the chance the authorities find out, and you know what they think about us."
He grabbed the one with Nobu written to it and handed it over to Siegfried, to Sabrina's great indignation. She formed a scowl that could've frozen a lake and took a cigarette from her pocket, raising it to her head so Rokon could light it.
"Can we get out of this shithole already?"
The couple turned towards her, startled by her sudden change in attitude. But before they could say anything a strong, fruity smell entered the cabin from outside, followed by the sound of wooden heels hitting the ground. The group of trainers turned to face the door anxiously, hands going toward their Pokeballs in unison. Yet they were not ready for the person that stepped into the room.
"Granny, sorry for entering…" A cheery, slightly grating voice flooded the room. "Oh… oh no, what a disaster! What horror!"
Under the sill of the door stood a tall young woman who looked to be in her early twenties, and who would've certainly looked more at home in the cover of a magazine than in a run-down shack in the middle of nowhere. A long, beautiful curtain of blonde hair -died pink at the tips- fell down to her waist. She wore a short jean skirt and a bright pink top. The fruity smell emanating from the gum she was chewing on filled the room in seconds.
"Oh my gosh, like… this 'door off its hinges on the floor' thing is very modern, I love it! Gives it this rural vibe, you know?" she said with a cheery smile. "Oh my, I love this one's hair? What do you use to style it?" she walked next to Vard, studying him as if he were part of the house's decoration.
Every single person in the room was stunned by either the girl's beauty or her strange way of speaking. The old lady was the first to address her, clearing her throat as she did so:
"Caroline…" she smiled nervously. "What a pleasant surprise; we were just waiting for you. Here, allow me."
She handed the remaining egg to the girl, who held it in her hands with delicacy.
"Told you they'd make a nice egg! I'm like… totally a genius, am I right?" she grinned from ear to ear, her teeth pearly white.
"Y-yes, it looks like he'll be very strong, judging by the color of the egg. By the way, is Nobu with you?" the woman asked, her gaze veering toward Siegfried. "Would he like his egg as well?"
"Nah, he liked the last one you gave him so like, he doesn't want that one." She pointed to the egg in Siegfried's hand. "He said you can have it."
"Oh, what a good news for you, then!" The woman turned towards Siegfried, smiling. "Though… Nobu should've told me he didn't want the egg. A responsible trainer doesn't abandon his Pokemon in situations like these," she scolded Caroline.
"Uh… yeah," the girl replied, clearly not grasping the gravity the situation. "Anyway granny, I gotta go! The boys are waiting and like, it's really cold outside and we gotta travel a looong way. Oh hey, you're hydrating?" She looked at Sabrina and Ñako, who were next to the table with the jar full of water. "Aw, I like that! Drinking lots of water is important for your skin, you know? Anyway, gotta go!"
She waved enthusiastically and left through the door, leaving a room full of very confused people behind. Sabrina blinked a few times, still unable to fully process what had just happened.
"Did… did she say that the boys were waiting for her outside?" she asked, still somewhat shaken.
Ñako gulped. "Ah… I wasn't really listening, to be honest."
He addressed the old lady, "Excuse me, who was that… uh, trainer? We would like to… be part of our band. Yeah."
"Oh, Caroline?" she said. "All we know about her is that she's a very talented trainer, despite what first impressions might make you think."
Sabrina raised an eyebrow at that statement, though before she could say something she heard Silver's voice calling to her.
"Hey, Flaca!" he yelled, peeking his head into the cabin. "We might have a situation outside."