Thanks for the comment and for not spoiling! About time I got 8 posted :P
Chapter 8: In the House of Stone
A large mass of at least a thousand were gathered in a huge conference room. Scrolls and tapestries were set up throughout, and at the head of the room, a temporary "altar" was set up, complete with white candles and a podium. On the altar was a decorative red shield with a white script "T" insignia. The man at the altar was dressed entirely in red, his face hidden by the huge robe he wore.
"Welcome, friends, to today's sermon. As followers of The Holy Religion of the Ancient Society of Hirojuto, I, as your prophet and messiah, extend my warmest regards. Unfortunately, I must inform you that a major threat to the creation of our ideal society has revealed itself."
Murmurs could be heard throughout the entire congregation. The preacher interrupted all discussion by raising his right hand. All in the room came to attention.
"This new threat is far worse than the foolish governments and Pokémon Leagues who refuse to accept our teachings. No, I am speaking of the devil incarnate, who has officially made contact with some of our wandering missionaries."
"Devil incarnate?! What do you mean by that, Your Holiness?"
The man at the altar leaned forward in order to project his already commanding voice. "Just as I am a messenger of God and communicate between Him and you, my followers, Satan also has his own earthly messenger, who has been charged to stand against our God and all that He preaches. According to our missionaries who have had contact with this messenger of Satan, the evil one has taken the guise of a teenage girl. She has been seen in the company of members of the Pokémon League."
Fear and panic now gripped the entire congregation. Followers exchanged nervous glances and uttered phrases like, "Pokémon League? Definitely no good!"
"As I have revealed before, the Pokémon League has committed countless sins against us, and have allied with Satan. And this girl has associated herself with them. In addition, this girl reportedly is very skilled at the use of mathematics and the sciences. Beware if you have any contact with her, as she will try to use those tools of mathematics and sciences to convince you that God's teachings are wrong. The girl also is in possession of a Meowth, whose evolved form is said to be the preferred Pokémon of Satan and his minions. This is clear, irrefutable evidence that this particular girl is the messenger of Satan, and we must stop at nothing to destroy her and expunge Satan's presence from our world! I understand that this is a vague warning, but I will be gathering more information on this individual through our missionaries. Now, rise and we shall profess our allegiance to our Brotherhood and God's word!"
*********
Lisa headed up to her room and took a quick shower. She put on a green dress with a white floral print, a dark blue jacket, a pair of white stockings, and her open-toe shoes. Lisa flipped on the TV and went through the channels.
"If someone has caused you injury, call me right now! I'll crush every penny out of them that I possibly can! I'm Larry "The Knockout" Jones! In court, I'm not just your lawyer. I'm the nastiest SOB around, and you'll want a nasty SOB on your side for this battle! So call me right now at…"
"Trade in whatever piece of junk you drive for an $8000 minimum trade! Here's Liz from West Bluefield!"
"I couldn't believe it! West Town Kia paid me $8000 for my old '74 Pinto that went toward a brand new Sedona! Thanks, West Town Kia…"
Finding nothing decent on TV, Lisa headed over to Roy's house, Pokémon and her egg in tow.
Over dinner, Roy, Lisa, Dirk, and Alexis started some engaging conversation.
"Lisa, you do understand that every Gym Leader has been informed by the Pokémon League of your attempts to bring down Thrash. However, don't expect them to go easy on you. In fact they might be a bit harder on you to adequately prepare you for tough Thrash battles."
"Well, I wouldn't want it any other way. Even though losing does sting…" Lisa trailed off.
"You see, Team Thrash's best admins could pose a bigger challenge than any of us could. It's not that they're better trainers – they're not – but it's because they play by their own rules. They'll fight you five-on-one, they'll use chemicals to alter their Pokémon..."
"And they're armed to the teeth with military grade firearms."
"Right. However, there is something special about you. Even though you were battling while tired, I still sensed that you have a strong bond with most of your Pokémon, Nidorino being the exception. But that's to be expected when you first catch a Pokémon that didn't go willingly. Plus, the Nidorino species is aggressive by nature. Otherwise, though, you do appear quite skilled at raising and training Pokémon, and I believe that the Pokémon G-Men saw that in you as well. I am certain you can go far. Just don't give up. You will win some battles and lose some others. It's just part of the Pokémon training experience." Roy seemed like a much nicer guy outside the gym.
Lisa started to blush. "Thanks. And don't worry. I made so many promises and I will not let my family, my friends, or the Pokémon League down. I can accept losses from most people, but I can't afford to lose against Team Thrash."
"That is true. If you fall in battle to them they will most likely take you prisoner... or worse."
Alexis added, "Lisa, you're a great person who cares deeply for your Pokémon, and you're highly intelligent. None of us could even compete in that math competition, much less win. And you obviously have a strong drive to reach your goals. With those attributes combined, you've got what it takes to become a top-class trainer, and you've got the skills to take down those Thrash clowns. Don't worry, I'll have your back if you need it. Here's my number. Feel free to call if you need me."
"Thanks a lot, everyone."
"Now, Lisa, I want you to get a good night's sleep tonight. If you are still tired in the morning, don't challenge me until you get fully rested. Our rematch will be much more satisfying that way."
"Okay, gotcha. By the way, how good are you guys at Mario Kart?" Lisa had noticed Roy's GameCube and copy of "Double Dash" in the living room.
After a night of kicking Mario Kart butt and taking Mario Kart names, Lisa headed back to the hotel and Alexis went back to the Pokémon Center. Lisa slipped into her nightgown and neatly draped her outfit over the back of the room's leather office chair before settling into a good night's sleep. Her alarm clock went off at 9:00 but Lisa slept right through it.
*******
Atop a huge high-rise building sat an elegant penthouse with marble flooring, crystal chandeliers, expansive windows, and huge decorative pillars. A tall man, his face completely obscured by a red hood and cloak, sat in a huge black leather recliner behind a massive steel desk. A huge red plaque reading "Thrash Brotherhood" in elegant gold script hung on the wall behind him. Facing the man were a dozen individuals, some in the red Thrash uniform, some not. They stood before their superior, awaiting their next mission.
The figure behind the desk began speaking in an electronically altered, Darth Vader-esque voice, sans the heavy breathing. "As exceptionally effective members of the Brotherhood, you twelve have been selected to advance our cause by seeking assistance and information in other regions. Now, here is your mission, therefore it is advised that you listen closely and that you do not fail, otherwise there shall be dire consequences. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the agents replied in unison, not wanting to show any signs of weakness.
Calmly and methodically, the leader revealed their objective. "Your assigned mission will be code-named Operation Kanto Investigation. You shall depart for it as soon as our Orre operatives return with their objectives completed. You will report to our production factory and storage facility and wait there until I inform you that we will be commencing the mission. Then you shall fly to the Kanto region using the Brotherhood's private jets. There you will seek out information regarding the now-defunct Team Rocket's Pokémon genetic alteration experiments, and capture the resultant specimens if you are able to do so. I have sent each of you documentation via inter-office mail with specific locations I want you to investigate. I shall be awaiting news of your success. You are officially dismissed. But bring in Betty and Fred; I need to have a word with them regarding their recent failures."
The agents filed out of the penthouse. Fred and Betty were nervously pacing back and forth outside, dreading their scheduled meeting with their boss. One of the other agents told them, "The boss will meet with you now. I wish you the best of luck."
*********
When she finally woke up, Lisa put on the same outfit she wore to dinner the previous night and headed to Roy's gym at about 2:00 in the afternoon. She had the chance to sleep late and was ready to show Roy a hot battle. She stepped into the gym.
"Lisa, I trust you're ready this time. I won't hold anything back, and I don't want you to, either. Dirk, shall we begin?"
"Sure thing. The match between Gym Leader Roy and Lisa Northwood will begin. Three Pokémon each in a one-on-one battle. Only the challenger can substitute Pokémon. Begin!"
"Go, Geodude!"
"This is it," Lisa thought. "I can't lose like yesterday. I have to give it my all."
Lisa grabbed a Pokéball from her purse and lobbed it onto the rocky battlefield. Lisa's spherical ice Pokémon emerged from it.
"Okay, Spheal, you're up! Water Gun!"
The battle started out just like last time, with Geodude hiding behind some rocks. The volleys of water splashed harmlessly off the barrier.
"Not again…" thought Lisa, gritting her teeth.
"Rock Throw now!" commanded Roy as he pointed at Lisa's Ice-type.
"Duuude!" The rocky gray Pokémon began picking up rocks and heaving them at Spheal as he watched the incoming projectiles.
Spheal started rolling to avoid the rocks. Lisa realized she needed to capitalize on her Pokémon's movements. But it wasn't long before she came up with a plan. A smile forming on her face, she commanded, "Okay, Spheal, let's turn this into an Ice Ball!"
Spheal encased himself in a layer of ice as he continued to bounce off the jagged rocks that lined the gym, instantly freezing them.
Lisa was now ready to implement the next stage of her strategy. "Okay, jump up and stop rolling! Launch Water Gun!" she called out.
Spheal got some air from a ramp-like rock formation, then proceeded to shoot Water Gun attacks at each of the flash-frozen rocks, shattering them into thousands of shards and eventually destroying the one where Geodude was taking cover.
"All right! We've eliminated all hiding spots! Now it's time for Water Gun!"
"Nice work getting rid of Geodude's cover," Roy complimented. "But this is far from over."
Geodude dodged the first two shots but was hit directly by the third blast of water. The strike knocked the hard-skinned gray Pokémon to the ground. It slowly began to struggle back into contention.
"Nice work!" Lisa called out. "Now let's finish it!"
Spheal released two more liquid blasts while Geodude was down. Both found their mark, hammering Geodude with more watery fury. The rocky Pokémon remained on the floor, but was now motionless. It made no motion to get back up.
"Geodude is unable to battle. Spheal is the winner!"
"Awesome work! We did it!" Lisa cheered, jumping up in excitement.
The middle-aged Gym Leader already had his next Pokémon at the ready. "Let's try Aron! Go!"
Roy sent out a tiny Pokémon with blue eyes and a shiny armor-like outer coat. Its hard exterior was speckled with small circular holes that resembled black spots. The Pokémon's face showed no emotion.
"Aron, the iron armor Pokémon. Aron's thick armor allows it to destroy objects twenty times its own size with a well placed Tackle."
"I'm switching for now. Spheal, return! Nidorino, you're up!" Lisa was nervously shaking as she threw her Pokéball into the battle.
"Okay, hopefully my strategy will pan out…" Sending out the disobedient Pokémon was certainly a risk, but the girl hoped that she could use his violent temperament to her advantage.
Predictably, Nidorino snorted and looked away from the battle as well as Lisa, holding his head high arrogantly.
Roy's demeanor was noticeably different from the dinner the night before. Smirking, and with his hands on his hips, he shouted, "Ha! Looks like your Nidorino still refuses to respond to you! Aron, Tackle!"
Lisa smiled. "I hypothesize that Nidorino's not going to attack unless provoked. So I'll just let him get first strike and fall right into my hands."
As soon as Aron landed a charging hit on the purple creature, Nidorino rushed right into battle and executed a Double Kick that sent the armored Pokémon sliding backward.
Nidorino's sudden burst of energy took Roy by surprise, as he watched the attack with eyes and mouth hanging wide open. Taking a moment to regain his composure, the Gym leader game his next attack order. "Tackle it into the air and juggle it with Metal Claw!"
Lisa did not bother issuing a command. Knowing Nidorino would act on his own anyway, she decided to save her voice.
Aron charged in for another attack, but Nidorino jabbed its horn into one of the holes in Aron's armor, then flung his head around, eventually sending the tiny silver Pokémon flying and crashing against the wall. Nidorino began growling angrily as he pointed his ears straight into the air. Lisa could also see that her Pokémon was baring his teeth.
As Aron got back up, the enraged Poison-type quickly charged in and delivered two more quick kicks. The Poison-type's rampage left Aron unconscious.
"Aron is unable to battle. Nidorino wins!" Dirk announced.
"I am impressed so far, Lisa. Your head is certainly in the game this time around, but you'll still need to find a way past my trump card! Onix, you're up!" Roy pitched out a Pokéball containing his prized Pokémon. The huge gray snake batted Nidorino aside with its long, jagged serpentine body.
This preemptive strike did nothing to calm Nidorino's rage. He let out the loudest roar that Lisa had heard from him yet, and proceeded to launch his assault.
Lisa smirked. "When Nidorino gets mad, he's something fierce!"
Nidorino delivered two swift kicks to the rock snake but Onix slammed its tail on Nidorino, then used a sweeping motion to send him flying toward a wall. Nidorino made no attempt to get back up, as he appeared completely exhausted.
"No! Nidorino!" Lisa recalled her fallen Pokémon, quivering a bit.
"Nidorino is unable to battle. Onix is the winner."
Lisa weighed her options, rubbing her chin in thought. "Spheal, it's time I brought you back in here! Use Water Gun!"
The blue Ice-type reemerged, happily barking and eager to rejoin the fray. He opened his mouth and shot out several small volleys of light blue water. Onix used its tail to try to block the incoming attack. Lisa could see that Onix had taken some damage, as it seemed to reel a bit from the hit. But then, before Spheal could react, Onix used a sweeping tail motion to knock Spheal around the gym.
"Spheal, try to get some air to stop rolling! Then use Water Gun!" yelled Lisa, struggling to stay composed – and keep her fidgety hands from ripping her pantyhose.
Without a rocky ramp to boost him like last time, Spheal used his two front legs to boost himself into the air, then shot a Water Gun at Onix.
"Onix, Dig now!" commanded the Gym Leader, pointing at the ground.
Before the attack was able to hit, Onix had disappeared underground, leaving displaced dirt and a gaping hole in its wake. Spheal landed, and the ground began to shake. Onix reappeared right under Spheal and slammed into him from below, sending him skyward. He eventually came down with a huge crash.
Lisa began sweating and pulling at her dress. "Oh, no! Are you okay, Spheal?" Despite her yells, the Ice-type couldn't muster the energy to get back up.
"Spheal is unable to battle."
Still sweating, Lisa pulled out her Luxury Ball. "Meowth, I'm counting on you. Give it your all!"
In a burst of light, Lisa's little cat Pokémon appeared, meowing loudly and staring down her much larger foe with her large eyes. The Gym's light reflected off the gold coin on her forehead, creating an almost blinding burst of light.
"It's come down to our last Pokémon! Who will win?" Roy asked the nervous Lisa, who was fidgeting with her dress, knees shaking.
Lisa soon regained her composure. She had thought up a plan." We'll begin this show with a Water Pulse!"
"Onix, Dig!"
Meowth's first Water Pulse was thin and didn't look too strong. Before the kitten's shot of water could hit, Onix crashed through the ground and disappeared. The liquid splashed harmlessly off a wall.
"Too slow!' Roy taunted.
"Meowth, you know what to do," Lisa said with a smirk.
"Meeeowth!" Meowth nodded and approached the hole, then started using her Water Pulse and Pay Day attacks to plug up the hole where Onix was hiding. The ground started to shake and Meowth jumped aside with plenty of time to avoid Onix as it finally broke through a layer of earth, concrete, and coins, getting splashed with water in the process. It let out howls as it emerged, sending coins and debris flying in all directions.
Meowth quickly hit it with a somewhat stronger Water Pulse than before, and the force of the pulsating attack ended up sending the giant stone snake crashing backwards. With a roar, Onix smashed into a wall, sending pieces of concrete flying.
"It's not over by a long shot! Onix, Bind it now!" commanded Roy. The Onix recovered and quickly used its long body to wrap up Meowth. As it continued to put the squeeze on Meowth, Lisa feared the battle would end the same way as before.
As Meowth cried out in pain, Lisa looked on, still pulling on her dress and quivering. But Lisa soon came up with a brainstorm about how to deal with the situation. She stopped shaking and her panicked look slowly morphed into a smirk.
"Meowth, use Water Pulse straight up into the air!"
Meowth did that, and the water rained down directly on both Pokémon as gravity took over. The small cat Pokémon seemed to be hurt a bit by the raining water, but with her fur now soaking wet, she was able to slip right out from Onix's Bind.
Once free, she let loose wave after wave of rippling watery fury at her foe. Onix crashed through the floor to avoid the water but Meowth ran over to the hole and sprayed more Water Pulse blasts into it. Lisa could hear the giant stone snake was starting to come back above the ground.
"We've got 'em on the run now!" Lisa observed.
The huge Pokémon emerged from its hiding spot, ramming into Meowth and sending her flying. While in midair, the cat managed one final hit with a well-developed blast of water. Onix howled in pain before succumbing to the attack. As it slammed on the Gym's floor, its heavy body sent up a cloud of dust and debris. Meowth neatly landed on her two feet next to the fallen Rock-type.
"Onix is unable to battle. The winner is Meowth and Lisa!"
"All right! We did it! The first badge is ours!" Lisa jumped up and pumped a fist in the air.
"Meowth meowth!"
Roy approached Lisa. "I knew that if you just focused on the battle, you would be able to win. You used your head to come up with strategies that were able to beat even my defenses. Now, I believe this is yours. Here is the official Pokémon League Pebble Badge along with this carrying case for your badges. Now, I wish you the best of luck as you continue to train and grow stronger. Perhaps we will meet again someday."
"Thank you. My first Gym battle. It will be something to remember."
Lisa bid Roy and Dirk farewell before heading to the Pokémon Center for a quick refresh. Then Lisa, with Meowth in tow, headed out toward the east and the next destination.
Passing by a sign that read "Route 504", Lisa looked toward the horizon, and only saw a huge mountain range. This, apparently, was the southern part of the mountain range that separated Fourtix from Orre to the north. Looking ahead, the road was dirt as usual, but it was well-kept and a meandering stream flowed alongside the path. Small pools of blue water could be seen scattered along the entire path. At the path's end was another foreboding mountain range.
The path seemed relaxing enough, though, and Lisa started to make her way east. She soon came across a girl training over in some bushes. When the girl saw her, she ran out to the path to meet Lisa. The other girl wore a green top and a blue denim skirt. Waving and running her hands through her black hair, she introduced herself.
"My name is Shannon. I'm good friends with Alexis. In fact, we've been best friends since we were only two! She's told me an awful lot about you."
"Really? What has she been saying?"
"That you're a good up-and-coming trainer who has a lot of potential. And the fact that you're doing the whole Pokémon journey thing wearing high heels… that takes guts."
"Thanks," Lisa replied, rubbing the back of her head. "My feet are hurting like heck, but that's the price I'm willing to take so that I look my best."
"What do you say to a quick battle? One Pokémon each."
"Okay, sounds good. I'll be using Meowth."
"Nidoran, I choose you!" Lisa had seen this Pokémon before – it was part of the group of Pokémon that Nidorino was trying to protect when he first attacked her. Shannon's Nidoran was colored blue and only had a tiny spike on its head as opposed to a full-blown horn Various spots of dark blue were speckled on her body..
"Nidoran, the poison pin Pokémon: The female Nidoran prefers defense over offense. Though its horns are smaller than the male's, both inject poison of the same intensity."
"Watch out for it, and use Scratch!"
"Meow!" Meowth quickly rushed in and slashed at the Nidoran. The opponent let out a squeak as it recoiled from the attack, but it recovered and performed a rapid kicking attack with its front legs. Both Pokémon jumped backwards after the strike, Meowth wobbling a bit.
"You're doing good so far," Lisa said. "Just need to keep up the attacks! Let's try Water Pulse!"
Steadying her feet, Meowth released an intense beam of blue liquid with pulses of energy running throughout it. It looked to Lisa as if the battle against Roy had helped Meowth develop her skills with Water Pulse almost to perfection.
"Good hit!" complimented Lisa. "Wow, she's looking really good with using that water now!"
The small blue opponent was struck directly in the head, but it managed to shake off the water. Nidoran came rushing at Meowth with its claws ready, delivering a hard Scratch before the cat forced it backward with a claw strike of her own. Both claw attacks left visible marks on the other battler, though the scratches were mostly on the surface. They didn't appear to affect their stamina at all.
"Now give it a Fury Swipes!"
"Poison Sting!" Shannon yelled, pointing at Meowth.
The cat struck first, delivering a quick series of slashes and swipes at the tiny scaly foe. The Nidoran reacted with a flurry of needles shot out from the small spikes on its back. A good number of these needles hit Meowth, who fell to the ground. A strange purple liquid began bubbling out of the puncture point where one of Nidoran' barbs had struck Meowth.
The kitten picked herself up fairly quickly, but something was noticeably wrong with Meowth. She seemed sluggish and dizzy, struggling to stand up and stumbling about. Her eyes became glassy and red, and she had trouble keeping her eyelids open.
"Meowth, are you okay?" Lisa looked on, wide-eyed and concerned.
"Now use Double Kick!"
Still staggering, Meowth took a direct hit, falling backward to the ground. Now nervous and pulling on her skirt, Lisa took out Meowth's Luxury Ball and called her back. "Sorry, but I've gotta forfeit! Something's really wrong with Meowth and I'm not gonna risk it keeping her out!"
"All right, looks like this battle's over!" Shannon recalled her Nidoran and walked over to Lisa. "It must be poisoned. Happens a lot when you battle Poison-types. Here, let it out of its ball and give it this." She handed Lisa a small bottle. "It's an antidote used to help cure poison. I'd advise picking up some next time you go shopping."
"Yeah, I probably should…" Lisa released her Meowth from her ball, gave her some of the antidote in the bottle, then called her back. She figured it wasn't a good idea to keep her Pokémon outside, especially in the condition she was in now.
"That will tide it over for a little while but we must get it back to the Pokémon Center fast. It looked like an especially adverse reaction to the poison. There's a Center at the base of the mountain. That one's closer than the one in town."
The two girls ran down the path. Soon enough, they could see the center's roof on the horizon.
"There it is – the Pokémon Center."
"Okay, thanks…" Lisa replied between heavy breaths.
Once inside the building, Lisa left her Pokémon to be refreshed by the center's attendant. The man assured her that her Meowth would be fine after treatment, and she took a seat next to Shannon. It wasn't long before Lisa started to break down and cry.
"Lisa, what's wrong?" Shannon asked.
"Sorry, it's… it's nothing… But I've lost my third battle now and I haven't been training for a week yet. Is… is there something wrong with me?"
"Not at all. Lisa, at some point everyone loses a battle. And when you're first starting out, you have to figure there's gonna be more experienced trainers. Don't worry about it, you'll be fine."
Lisa looked up and gave a small smile, still with some tears in her brown eyes. "You know, Alexis gave me almost the same talk just the other day at her house."
"You know, I wouldn't doubt it." Shannon glanced at her watch. "Hey, sorry, I can't stay any longer. I've gotta be on my way. However, I spoke with Alexis and she wants the three of us to meet at the Pokémon Center in the next town, on the other side of the mountain."
"Geez, I hope I don't have to hike up it."
"No, no, there's a cave called Express Tunnel that was bored right through the mountain. Watch it, though. It's poorly lighted and there's plenty of places for a girl in heels to trip over rocks – or even Pokémon."
'Thanks for the advice. I'll see you in the next town, then!"
"Yup. I'll see you then. Bye, Lisa!"
After waving to her new friend, Lisa headed into the restroom to change clothes. Now she wore a red T-shirt, a ruffled purple skirt, and sheer pantyhose, along with her open-toe shoes. After receiving her Pokémon she headed out, quickly found the cave's entrance, and headed inside. As soon as she was in, however, she spotted a familiar figure, and hid behind a rock.
Her nemesis, Tommy, was on the phone with someone. Fortunately, he had the volume turned up so Lisa could eavesdrop on the conversation. The girl figured that the old man's hearing was starting to go bad.
A familiar voice started speaking, and Lisa recalled that this same one that she heard back at the university. She listened in. The voice on the other end boomed, "Listen, father, we have a problem. I have sent some agents to Orre to investigate the old Cipher Shadow Pokémon factory and laboratory, but all they found was rubble. I was hoping to find the production apparatus but apparently it's been dismantled by the police or it's been otherwise destroyed or seized."
"Which means we have to build our production machine from scratch. That'll take a month and a half, minimum! But, I suppose better late than never."
"Right. At least something good did come from this."
"What's that?"
"We've recruited several new members and some of them are extremely powerful and skilled trainers." The man on the phone laughed in a sinister tone.
"Former Cipher members?" asked the old man.
"I do not know at the moment. They have just arrived at our factory. I shall drive out to your location to meet with you and introduce several of our new members to you. I will contact you at your motel room when I have arrived. One final word of warning. Watch for that Northwood girl. She's trouble. She took out Fred and Betty."
"You don't have to tell me twice. She got me twenty years in lockup. That's practically a life sentence at my age, and ain't no way I'm going back there! So yeah, I'll be on the lookout." Tommy fumed.
"In retrospect, perhaps I should not have performed those experiments on our underlings' Pokémon. Apparently, reverting them to their first evolutionary stage didn't pan out like I thought it would. Now I wish I didn't do the same with our new recruits' Pokémon…"
The man on the phone suddenly changed his tone. "Well, anyway, they'll evolve again in due time. It should be of little consequence in the long run. Hey, do me a favor. If you find that girl, rip her dress or stockings or something. Make her really mad," replied the man in his reserved yet chilling tone.
"Right. I'm out."
So, it was true. Tommy and that Bart Sy guy are father and son. And those new Orre recruits? Lisa figured they could be trouble. Lisa was now faced with a difficult decision. Should she jump out and battle Tommy and help hinder his progress, or just lay low?
As Lisa was weighing her options, Tommy was walking away. "It's now or never!"
