[Pokémon] Back Came the Rockets

This is my first actual story on this website. This is only chapter one, and I will update it with a new chapter whenever I finish the second one, then third, etc.
[Summary] A boy went to the Pokémon tower because of a threat from some schoolboys, but he may have found something out that he wasn't supposed to... Enjoy!

"Sir, there is a boy who looks 'bout thirteen here wantin' to see you."
"Alright then, send him in." The atmosphere of the Police Station was eerie and unpleasant that afternoon. It probably had something to do with the weather. That's usually the case, anyway. The weather in Lavender Town was never that great. The Power Plant was very close by, so the skies were polluted. It doesn't help that Lavender Town is a town of sorrow, mourning, and tears. Detective Daniel Toque never got many interesting cases. Lavender Town was bland in that sense.
The boy came in pale and sickly. It was Lavender Town; he probably saw a ghost. Then again, Detective Toque knew just about everyone that lived here. This boy didn't look familiar…
"Alright kid, what's your name?" Toque asked calmly.
"L – Liam, sir," he responded in shaky breaths. The detective carefully observed the boy's features. His hair was a mess, his glasses were loose on his face, his eyes were red and puffy (from crying, no doubt), and his hands were shaking fiercely. This one had seen or experienced something awful.
"Alright, I'm going to ask you a few questions, just to get to know you a little, okay?" Toque said. Liam nodded. He was clearly holding back tears.
"How old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"Where are you from?
"Saffron City." So Toque was right, he wasn't from Lavender Town.
"Okay," He said, scribbling on his notepad, "Why are you here, Liam?"
"M – Mr. T – Toque, I tried to…to…" Liam started to cry. Truly cry, too, with tears streaming nonstop from his puffy eyes, hiccupping and hyperventilating constantly.
"It's alright, Liam. Just calm down. I'll fetch some water for you," Toque said, attempting to make it possible to converse. At this rate, he would be here for an hour.
"I – I'm sorry Mr. Toque, I'll try to *hic* calm down."
"Now tell me, what the heck happened to you?" Liam was calm now, only having to wipe tears from his face every now and then. He could finally get some information out.
"Let me just start out by saying that I got my first Pokemon, a Pigdey, about 5 months ago. It's a Pidgeotto now. So, after school, these four older kids went up to me and pushed me to go to Pokemon Tower. They said they would hurt me if I di – didn't!" He started to cry again, but quickly gathered himself. He pushed up his glasses.
"I took my Pidgeotto to the Pokemon Tower, and we went in. I actually caught a Haunter while I was in there, but I think it's because it liked me. In fact, it took the Pokeball right off my belt."
"Wait, so the ghost isn't what you were afraid of?" Toque questioned.
"Right. I live in Saffron city, where the Psychic gym is. I have grown up with Psychic Pokemon."
"Alright then," Toque murmured, taking notes as quickly as possible. Though he was assigned to Lavender Town, where nothing much happens case – wise, he was still an excellent note – taker.
"I went in, and I was nearly to the top, when I heard a sc – scream! I kept going up, trying not to be scared, but when I got there, I saw a Marowak!"
"What's so scary about a Marowak? Cubones are known to live in Pokemon Tower."
"This Marowak was, was…" Liam choked, still fighting off tears.
"Was what?" Toque pushed, still keeping his cool. Although he hates to admit it, but he was getting excited. Nothing ever really happened in Lavender Town.
"It was beaten! Bruised, bloody all over! It was aw – awful! But that's not all. It kept screaming, 'They're back! They're back! They will strike again! Those who killed me!'" He started to bawl uncontrollably.
"I'll tell you what," Toque said, "You go back to Saffron, and I'll call Detective Jenny. Those kids won't bother you anymore."
"What about what the Marowak said? Does that mean anything to you? I want to know! No, I need to know!" Liam questioned.
"I'll worry about that. Here, take my card, and call me if you need anything, alright? Saffron isn't far from here," The detective reached into his desk drawer, protruding a white and blue business card.
"Th – thank you, Mr. Toque," he grabbed the card and darted out.
"What does this mean?" Toque spoke softly to himself. He began to think. Who killed that Marowak? Who is coming back? He had an idea, but he didn't like it much. The only way he could get more information was to go to the Pokemon Tower himself.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Liam arrived back in Saffron City the following afternoon. When he got there, he brought out Haunter, and began talking to it. Liam was really nobody special. He had average grades, wasn't the greatest Pokemon Trainer, and was not physically strong. However, he did have a strong bond with his Pidgeotto.
"Why did you chose me?" He asked. He could understand what Pokemon say. That was one thing he was gifted with.
"Something about you told me I wanted to go with you. Even if you aren't on a journey. I can sense something inside of you. You will amount to great things in the future," Haunter replied (other people only hear it speaking its name, but Liam understood).
"Can you tell me what the whole Pokemon Tower thing was about? Who is coming back? Who killed it?" Liam said. He wanted answers. If he was so special, then surely he was worthy to know this information.
Haunter hesitated. It didn't know if a boy of this age could take the truth behind this, but if he didn't tell him, they really could make a third comeback.
"I should not be the one to tell you. There are two people who know more about this issue than most, one more than the other. Have you heard of Red and Gold?" It said. Liam immediately knew this issue was something far beyond his strength. Red and Gold were the two most famous trainers across Johto and Kanto, but they never show publicity anymore. They never did, really. Red trusted Pokemon more than humans. He had very few friends. Gold was equally silent, and had an equally strong bond with Pokemon, but was more cheerful, despite rarely talking. Those two were easily the most powerful trainers to date.
"Of course I do! What do they have to do with this?" he queried.
"Just know that they are who you need to find! I must leave now!" Haunter began to drift away.
"What do you mean?!" Liam attempted to recall Haunter to its Pokeball, but it wouldn't work! What was going on?
* * * * * * * * * * *
If there was one person who knew were Red was, it was Professor Oak, the one who gave Red his first Pokemon. Liam was about to head out the door, but something was bothering him. He felt he was forgetting something.
"Mom!" He shouted. If he was going to leave, he at least had to tell his mom!
"Mom, I'm going to go on a journey with my Pokemon!" He said.
"Well that's a bold decision of you. Honey, if this has anything do with getting away from those boys-."
"No," he interrupted, "It isn't, I promise. I believe I've come of age!"
"Alright then, here, if you're going to Pallet Town to get a Pokedex, you'll need some money for a train ticket," she said as she handed him 500 Pokedollars.
"Thanks mom! I love you!" He said, grabbing his blue backpack and rushing out the door.
He bought a train ticket and hopped on. I'm going on a journey, he thought, Wow! I never thought this would happen! About three hours later, he got off at Pallet Town. His mind was set on one thing: finding Professor Oak. Liam got off with a small crowd of people (small town, small crowd), and began asking for directions.
"Excuse me sir, can you –," The man pretended not to notice.
"Ma'am, can you show me where -," Again, he was ignored.
"What's up with these people?" He asked himself. Liam would have to find Professor Oak himself. He decided a good place to ask for directions would be the Pokémon Center. He looked around; usually they lie close to the train station, but there wasn't one to be seen.
"I guess there isn't one then. Time to search for it myself!" He said. He exploration commenced. From here on out, he was on his own. No Mom to comfort him, little money to go on, and he would have to find a way to get some food. This was not going to be an easy task.
The boy came up to a gate which lead to a yellow – ish building with circular windows. He tried to peer inside, but the windows were too high up to see through. Looking around, he saw a sign. On it was scribed "Oak Pokémon Lab."
"I found it!" He exclaimed happily. He practically skipped in.
"– so you pick Bulbasaur?" He heard an older man say.
"Yes sir! Thank you so much!" A little boy of ten happily said as he ran out the door of the lab. Liam walked up to a man with a white lab coat and brown hair.
Trying to keep in his excitement, he asked, "Excuse me sir, are you Professor Oak?"
"Yes, that's me. You don't look familiar, are you from here?" He replied.
"No sir, I'm from Saffron City. I need to ask some questions about the trainers Red and Gold," Liam said.
At this, Professor Oak brought a serious look on his face. He politely asked all of his assistants to go home for the day, and closed all of the doors and windows. Beckoned for Liam to come sit in a chair, then brought him some water.
"I have not heard those names in a long time. Three years, to be precise," He said, looking off into space, "I have not seen or heard from read in six years, since he left his position as champion, but I saw Gold a couple months ago. He had just completed the Johto and Kanto Pokedex! Now tell me, why do you need to find them, and why did you come here all the way from Saffron City?"
Liam proceeded to tell him everything, from the boys threatening him, to seeing and hearing the Marowak and talking to Detective Toque.
"A Haunter told me to come to you. It said it should not be the one to tell me about this issue. It told me I have to go find Red and Gold," Liam said.
Professor Oak replied, "I don't know where Gold is, but I have him registered in my Pokegear. However, only one person knows exactly where Red lies. Rumor has it that near Mt. Silver, far off Johto, you can hear the roars of a Charizard, and see cracks of thunder and lightning near the top."
"Thank you Professor Oak, you've been a big help!" Liam said cheerfully, now that he finally had some information.
"You just wait," said the old Professor, "You can't go to Mt. Silver. The guards won't let you. It requires all 16 badges of Johto and Kanto. The Pokémon there are far too strong for you and your Pidgeotto. However, Gold has been there, and is the one person who has found Red. I will call him, and he will be here in a jiffy."
Liam decided to agree with the Professor. He gave Liam a Pokegear and his number, as well as Gold's. If they were going to do this together, Liam would need help.
After a time period of about thirty minutes, there was a knock on the front door. Liam had to control his excitement. He was about to meet one of the strongest trainers of all time!
"Professor Oak? It's me Gold," he said.
Professor Oak got up and hurried over to let him in. In stepped a boy of sixteen, wearing the colors Gold and Blue.
"My name's Gold," He said to Liam, extending his hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Liam took his hand and shook it. He explained everything that he told Professor Oak.
"You will come with me to Mt. Silver. I can protect you. If we are going to find out what's going on, Red will have to be with us. He spent a lot of time in the Pokémon Tower during his journey," Gold said seriously.
"Alright then," Liam replied, "Let's go!"
Professor Oak stopped him, "I know you already have a Pokémon, but take on of these two," he said, pointing at the two Pokeballs left in the machine.
"Really? Thanks Professor! I know exactly who I'm going to pick," he said, extending his hand.
"I pick Charmander!"
And so, with a new Pokémon in hand, Liam left on his journey with Gold. They were going to find Red!

Okay Matty, thank you for giving our writing section a shot with your first "actual" story. Also, thank you for writing a story that caught my attention! because I was so damn close to fading off of this site again o_O

"Alright then, send him in." The atmosphere of the Police Station was eerie and unpleasant that afternoon. It probably had something to do with the weather. That's usually the case, anyway. The weather in Lavender Town was never that great. The Power Plant was very close by, so the skies were polluted. It doesn't help that Lavender Town is a town of sorrow, mourning, and tears. Detective Daniel Toque never got many interesting cases. Lavender Town was bland in that sense.

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Okay, one issue that I found with this paragraph is that you switched from past tense to present tense in two instances. Additionally, it doesn't flow very well. I don't know if it's because your sentences are vague or abrupt, but it...I don't know, it really doesn't flow well in my opinion.

"I – I'm sorry Mr. Toque, I'll try to *hic* calm down."
"Now tell me, what the heck happened to you?" Liam was calm now, only having to wipe tears from his face every now and then. He could finally get some information out.

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Was there a little time skip? Also, what about his water? Did he get it?

"Let me just start out by saying that I got my first Pokemon, a Pigdey, about 5 months ago. It's a Pidgeotto now. So, after school, these four older kids went up to me and pushed me to go to Pokemon Tower. They said they would hurt me if I di – didn't!" He started to cry again, but quickly gathered himself. He pushed up his glasses.

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That's a lot of back story, but maybe it's 'cause Liam's nervous. I'd be nervous too.

Liam arrived back in Saffron City the following afternoon. When he got there, he brought out Haunter, and began talking to it. Liam was really nobody special. He had average grades, wasn't the greatest Pokemon Trainer, and was not physically strong. However, he did have a strong bond with his Pidgeotto.
"Why did you chose me?" He asked. He could understand what Pokemon say. That was one thing he was gifted with.

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You contradicted yourself. I think that, within the world of pokemon, being able to understand them would constitute that person being more than "nobody special." And for future reference, you gotta be careful with this problem, and a lot of other authors have it too. You're doing a lot of telling here and this can be shown or even conveyed through dialogue or thoughts.

Haunter hesitated. It didn't know if a boy of this age could take the truth behind this, but if he didn't tell him, they really could make a third comeback.

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I mean, Ash was ten and he was saving the world, so what's age really mean in Pokemon?

"Just know that they are who you need to find! I must leave now!" Haunter began to drift away.

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Why'd it let itself be captured then? It could've just told Liam the information and disappeared. It's not like Liam would've forgotten since he was piss-his-pants scared with that Marowak and still remembered what it said.

"Alright then, here, if you're going to Pallet Town to get a Pokedex, you'll need some money for a train ticket," she said as she handed him 500 Pokedollars.

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I don't know if parents in the Pokemon world don't care or are just so sensitized to that stuff.

Professor Oak got up and hurried over to let him in. In stepped a boy of sixteen, wearing the colors Gold and Blue.

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Haha I see what you did there ;)

Thanks for reading it!
It is my first time writing something this "serious" for other people to see, so there are bound to be errors. I probably should have / could have done a lot more proofreading. There are some small details (like the glass of water) that I simply forgot about.
With the whole Mom thing, moms in the Pokemon games are usually the most forgettable characters in the game, with exceptions like: DPP, X/Y (ish, the whole Ryhorn thing), and Crystal + HGSS (not in a good way!).
I don't have plans on making the mom an important character. Moms aren't important in the Pokemon games.
The best example is Red's mom.
"All boys leave home someday. It said so on TV."
"You look tired, take a rest."
That's all she wrote.
I'm glad I could keep you on the site! I plan on writing more!

Chapter 2
"Oh my goodness! I can't believe I forgot!" Liam shouted once he and Gold entered Route One, "I forgot to call Mr. Toque!"
"Mr. Who?" Gold asked, confused.
"He is the detective in Lavender Town that helped me when I first saw Marowak. He gave me his card," Liam replied, procuring the familiar blue and white business card. He began to dial in the numbers into his Poke gear, then he hit the "Call" button.
It rang three times, then, "Detective Toque's Office, how can I serve you?" said a man with a raspy voice.
"It's me, Liam, the kid from last week. May I speak to Mr. Toque?" Liam said as politely as possible. Gold sat on a rock nearby, speaking softly to himself. Liam was on the phone, so he could only make out "Kris…Coming…Find you…"
"Hey kid, it's me, Toque. How can I be of service?" He said.
"Mr. Toque, you won't believe who I'm traveling with right now!" Liam said excitedly. He told Toque about what Haunter said, and what Professor Oak said as well.
"You're going to find Red? That's insane! Nobody knows where he is!" Toque shouted over the phone, to the point where Liam was holding it nearly a foot from his face.
"Ah, ah, ah! Not quite as insane as you might think, Mr. Toque! Gold knows where he is!" Liam said with a smirk. When Gold heard this, he looked up.
"What do you mean, Liam? He…He knows where Red is? Why did he withhold this information?" said Toque, his detective side getting ahold of him. Gold ran over and grabbed the Pokegear, then hung up the call.
"Why would you tell him that?!" Gold shouted, "I kept it secret for a reason!"
"Why would you do that?" Liam asked, confused.
"A secret, Liam. A secret…" Gold walked swiftly down the path. Liam had to jog to keep up with him.
"I – I'm terribly sorry, Gold! I can tell him not to tell anybody!" Liam said, now feeling bad.
"No! That won't work. He's a detective! He will try and find us now. We need to stay off the paths," replied Gold. He grabbed Liam's arm and took him into the forest on the left side of them.
"But…" started Liam, trying to loosen Gold's grip on his arm, "Won't we get lost?" Gold said nothing.
I must have gotten him pretty angry, huh? I don't want to get on his bad side! Liam thought. He managed to shake off Gold's grip.
"Can we fly, or do we have to walk the whole way?" Liam said, trying to change the subject.
"Noctowl can only hold one person, but I suppose Tauros could carry us…No, no, the forest is too dense. We have to go on foot," Gold replied. It seemed he calmed down a little. Liam wanted to ask about who Kris was, but he didn't want to push Gold back into anger. He decided to ask. After all, he was traveling with him. He needed to know some things about him.
"Hey, Gold? Do you mind if I ask who Kris is?" Liam asked nervously.
"She…She was my…Friend. But I wanted…" Gold replied in a shaky voice.
Is he about to cry? Liam thought. Maybe he does have a soft spot.
"She…She disappeared. We were going to meet at National Park in Johto and go for a walk, but she never showed up. I haven't heard from her since," Gold said, blinking away tears.
"I – I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," said Liam, now feeling guilty. They walked in silence for what felt like hours, through the thick brush of Viridian Forest.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Detective Toque stood at the entrance of the Pokémon Tower. It was close to noon, so he figured it would be a good time to go, before all of the ghost and things came out. The sky was gray and gloomy from smog, as usual. Toque questioned why they would make the final resting place of so many Pokémon in a tower near a Power Plant, in a town with polluted skies. He pushed the doors open. Even though it was broad daylight (or at least as bright as it gets with smog – filled skies), the creak of the opening door sent chills running down his spine. He began the trek up the tower.
The Marowak is on the top floor. The Marowak is on the top floor. The Marowak is on the top floor, he thought. He attempted to shun the darkness of the tower rooms, the tombstones, and even the soft voices of Ghastly and Haunter. You trained for this when they assigned you to Lavender Town, Toque. You are a detective. You can do this. You are brave. You are not afraid of this tower, Toque tried to comfort himself.
He was two floors below the top when he heard an ear piercing scream, just like the one Liam described. He covered his mouth in order to make little noise. Toque could see why the boy was so afraid. That cry was awful!
It must of have been Marowak, Toque thought. He approached the last set of stairs.
He whispered to himself, "You got this, Toque. You're a man. You are not afraid of ghosts." He began the ascent of the final staircase. Another scream tore into the air around him. Toque felt like this staircase was longer than the others. He started to feel surprisingly sleepy, despite the circumstances.
Almost there, he thought, I'm so close! But he was not close enough. He fell asleep mid – climb, and he tumbled back down the stairs from which he came, right into the arms of Haunter.
"Foolish human," said the Haunter.
About thirty minutes later, Haunter's hypnosis wore off, and Toque woke up. Haunter floated four feet from his face.
"What happened?" muttered Toque as he brushed off the dirt and dust from his trench coat. Haunter knew Toque could not understand him, so he brought in a Ghastly to translate.
"Foolish human," Haunter repeated. Toque sprang up immediately after hearing Haunter's voice. The Ghastly translated the message.
"Wha – what happened to me? What did you do to me?!" Toque shouted.
Haunter gave its cry, then Ghastly translated in English.
"Marowak does not trust adults. Only Mr. Fuji, and Red, the one who saved it."
"Please, tell it I only want to ask it a question," Toque pleaded. He was becoming confused by all of this.
"It will not answer, but I will try," Haunter said. Ghastly translated, and Toque nodded in understanding. Haunter did not come back for another twenty minutes. Toque was left sitting there, in the midst of several tombstones, all by himself.
Toque felt chills up and down his body as Haunter passed through him from the back.
"Was th – that really necessary?" he said, shivering. Haunter completely ignored him.
"Marowak will speak to you, but for only a minute," Haunter said. At this, Detective Toque practically bounced up and ran up the stairs. He was at the top in only a few seconds.
I guess that Haunter's hypnosis made the stairs look a lot longer, Toque thought.
"They're back! They're back! Those who killed me will strike again!" yelled a voice that was obviously Marowak's. Toque swallowed his fear and entered the room.
Liam's description of it was spot – on. It was truly a gruesome sight to see. It was bleeding severely in the neck area, and had several bruises on its body. Toque was struggling not to vomit.
"Marowak, who killed you? Who is coming back? I can help stop them!" Toque said, still keeping a distance of about twenty feet away.
"The ones who killed me, six years ago…My soul was put to rest by a boy in red, and I wish to thank him, but he would only see me like this: dead. That is all," the Marowak said, and with that, it disappeared. Toque stood in silence, in the dark room. He was about to exit, when yet another ear shattering scream filled the air. He jumped what felt like three feet in the air, then sprinted down the several flights of stairs, and bolted out of the door of the Pokémon Tower, not even turning his back as he sprinted, full speed, to his quiet little office.
He sat back in his chair and thought, where could Gold and Liam be? I need to find them, and get Gold to tell the police where Red is. He figured Liam had gone to Pallet town to see Professor Oak, so they were probably somewhere around Viridian Forest, if not, Viridian City.
"Donald!" called Toque. Donald was the receptionist as his office.
"Yes, Mr. Toque?" he said, walking in.
"Put up the 'Closed' sign. I'm going out."
"For how long?"
"I don't know, but I'll call you when I come back." Donald understood. He flipped the sign on the front door of the office, and handed Toque a Poke ball. Toque said his final goodbye to Donald, then stepped outside into the misty, Lavender Town air. The weather sure had changed a bit since he went into that tower.
"My friend, it's time you and I went on an adventure," he said, holding his Poke ball.
"Fearow, come on out!" he exclaimed as he threw the ball for the first time in nearly five months.
"Feeeearow!" it shouted as it spread its wings. It looked at Toque with keen eyes.
"It's been far too long, my friend. Let me get straight to the point. We need to fly to Viridian City, and fast. I'll explain on the way," he said sternly.
"Fear! Fearow!" the bird shouted. Toque hopped on its back, and they took off.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"This forest is huge," said Liam as they walked. They had been in the forest for hours. Since they stayed off the path, it took them much longer to travel through it.
"We have to stay off the path," said Gold, "He won't see us like this." Liam didn't understand why Gold wanted to be so secretive, or even why he thought Detective Toque was coming to find them.
"Stay off the path…" he repeated silently. Liam was beginning to wonder if he was being driven insane by the whole Kris thing. It was curious, too. He seemed like such a pleasant fellow back in Pallet Town, but now he seemed…Different, to say the least.
"Hey," said Liam, as he touched Gold's shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll help you find Kris." It was sad, seeing Gold like this. He wanted to do whatever he could to help. Gold looked back at him, but said nothing. His face remained completely straight, but Liam could see in his eyes that it meant a lot to him.
"We're just about at the border of the forest," said Gold. They stepped through the last line of trees into the next route. There was a white picket fence along the path, but of course, they stayed off of it. Down the hill, Viridian City could be seen. They were so close!
They traveled silently until they reached the entrance of the city. Much to Gold's dismay, they had to use the front entrance. When they stepped in, Liam stopped to take in everything. However, Gold had different plans. He grabbed Liam's arm with that solid grip of his, and practically dragged him into the nearest alley.
"Hey, Gold? I haven't really spoken to my Charmander much. Could I let him out for a little bit?" Liam asked. Gold looked like he was debating something in his head, but then he nodded.
"Sweet! Come on out Charmander," Liam said, trying not to yell.
"Ah! Freedom!" he heard it say.
"Hey buddy, I'm your new trainer, Liam!" he said.
"Aw, nice! I finally get to leave the lab! Really, I'm glad to be with you!" Charmander said. Liam and Charmander proceeded to have a normal conversation. Gold was standing, arms folded, with his back against the wall as he watched Liam talking. He knew only one person who had the gift of Pokémon communication.
"You can understand what he is saying?" asked Gold, curious.
"Sure thing!" replied Liam, "People say I'm 'just an everyday kid,' but they don't know about my gift." Gold stood and stared. Maybe he is special, he thought.
As Gold watched them conversing, he heard the cry of a Fearow far above, and looked up. He saw the silhouette of a large bird soaring way overhead. Gold became worried.
"We need to go," he said, "We need to go now!" He grabbed Liam's arm once more and took him further into the alley system. Everywhere they turned, there was another turn, another alley, and it went on for several minutes. Liam was finally beginning to understand. Detective Toque was going to get Gold to tell the police where Red was. Why Gold didn't want to tell them, he didn't understand. He obviously knew where Red was, so maybe Red made him promise silence.
"He probably went to the Pokémon Center first, so we should stay away from there," Liam said, panting as they ran. After several minutes of running, they slowed to a stop in a western alley. Another cry of a Fearow could be heard in the distance.
"Can you tell what he is saying?" Gold asked. This could be crucial information.
"Barely, it's kind of far away," Liam replied. He listened for another cry.
"It's saying 'They are probably hiding somewhere…' They wouldn't want to make themselves known," Liam quoted.
"That's amazing," Gold muttered. "They will start looking in the alleys, then. We need to head west, towards the Pokémon League.
"Why? What's over there?" Liam asked.
"Mount Silver."

Chapter 3
Detective Toque had been searching Viridian City for at least an hour, but found no sign of Liam and Gold. He decided to head to the Police Station and talk with his friend from the academy, Grant.

"Now where is that office of his," Toque muttered. He recalled Fearow into its ball, then continued the search.

"Ah, there it is!" he proclaimed as he reached a tall building that looked somewhat like an apartment complex. The office building was three floors, and about fifty feet wide. Toque was greeted by a lady in her mid-thirties.

"Hello, sir. How can I help you?" she said in a very friendly manner. She wore a sky blue blouse, a normal black skirt, a new pair of reading glasses, and black shoes.

"I'm looking for Grant Dunton. Is his office in this building?" Toque asked. He made sure to remember her face. High cheekbones, clear skin, and bright blue eyes. Detective Toque always makes sure to remember everyone he meets, almost like a photographic memory. She was pretty in the office – lady style thing, or at least under Toque's circumstances. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Yes, he is on the second floor, office number 371," she responded with a smile, flashing her pearly whites. Toque gave a quick thank you, then hurried up to Grant's office. He wanted to find Liam and Gold, if they were even in the city.

Toque knocked on the glass door – window, "Grant? It's me, Daniel Toque, your pal from the academy," he said through the door. He heard some shuffling, then the door was flung open. A quick scan of the room revealed some messy papers, disorderly bookshelves, and a desk the size of his with stacks of papers and notepads. Dunton himself was untidy as well, with half of his white collared shirt untucked, and his tie hanging loosely from his neck. And was he…Out of breath?

"Buddy! It's been far too long, far too long," Grant said, grinning, "Well then, don't just stand there! Come on in!"

"What on Earth happened in here?" Toque said, looking around the messy office.

"Oh, cases have been flying in left and right! A missing persons case, a stolen Pokémon…Someone even held up the Pokemart!" he said, catching his breath. "So that's me, how about you?"

"Nothing much. Lavender Town is very uneventful. Anyway, I need your help with something extremely important," said Toque, and so he explained the whole issue with Gold, Liam, and the Pokémon Tower.

"…and I need your help. I need your Growlithe."

"The super – sniffer? Why didn't you say so? Well come on then, before they exit the city!" replied Grant, content to get out of the office and out into the field.

"Growlithe, let's find Liam and Gold!" he exclaimed, letting out the fire – breathing dog.

"Growwwwlithe!" it barked.

"Do you have anything with Liam's scent on it?" Grant inquired.

"Now that you think of it, I don't, but my Fearow has a keen eye ability. He could see them from a mile away," Toque answered, "Let's go."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Liam and Gold had just passed the west exit of Viridian City. Fearow's cry could be heard in the distance.

"Come on, hurry!" Gold yelled as they ran. He turned to see the Fearow, along with a man in a brown trench coat, and another with a half – untucked shirt.

"I see them!" shouted Toque, "Fearow, follow the boy in blue and gold and the one with the collared shirt next to him!" Fearow rose in the air, then flew down with the speed of a racecar.

"Grant, hold on!" he exclaimed over the wind. Gold saw that they would catch him and Liam if he didn't act fast.

"Liam!" Gold cried. Liam whipped around. "Go, ride on my Noctowl, and we'll meet at the entrance of the Pokemon League! It's the only building for another few miles, you won't miss it!"

"But -," Liam began.

"No but's!" Gold interrupted, "Just go! I can hold them off!" Liam nodded. Gold sent out his Noctowl, and Liam was off.

"Go, Ampharos!" he shouted, throwing his Pokeball towards the incoming Fearow. The Fearow slowed a bit, seeing the fierce competition of the super – effective electric type.

"Fearow, drop to the ground and let us down!" Detective Toque commanded.

"Ampharos, use thunder wave!" Gold didn't want to hurt Fearow. He knew Toque meant well, and he thought he was doing the right thing, but he couldn't let the public get to Red. What would Gold say if the police found out where he was? Where would Red hide?

"Fearow, use drill peck and go straight through it!" But it was no use. Ampharos was a far higher level than Fearow, and was much stronger. The thunder wave was a direct hit, paralyzing Fearow.

"Ampharos, return!" Gold called, "Go, Tauros!" Out came the raging bull. Gold hopped on and pointed in the direction to go.

"No! They got away!" yelled Toque, frustrated, "Fearow, come back."

"We still don't have their scent either," Grant added. Toque glared at him. Captain Obvious, he thought.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Liam waited by the entrance of the Pokemon League, having a conversation with Noctowl.
"Gold and Kris could not be separated. They were truly the best of friends, and for good reason, too. They had so much in common," Noctowl said.

"Wow, I wish I had a friend like that, but then again, nobody ever wanted t – to be my friend," Liam replied, tearing up. He heard the roar of a bull in the distance, and felt the ground rumbling.

"Taaauuur!" Gold's Tauros shouted, charging full speed down the path.

"Tauros, Noctowl, thanks for your help," Gold said, recalling them into their Pokeballs.

"Before we climb Mount Silver, I want to visit someone. Let me go inside and get Dragonite out of the PC so we have some more wings," said Gold, walking swiftly. Liam nodded, and waited outside. Gold returned not ten minutes later with an ultra-ball in his hand.

"It's your turn, Dragonite," he said as he let him out. Dragonite gave quite a menacing cry.

"Hop on," said Gold. Liam was struggling to retain his excitement. Despite being chased by two detectives, he was still amazed by the powerful Pokemon that Gold kept with him. They hopped on, and took off.

"Where are we going?" Liam shouted over the roaring wind.

"To my home," Gold replied. They arrived in New Bark Town after a brief five-minute flight. Dragonite's speed was incredible. When they landed, Liam stumbled off over to a tree and puked.

"It's alright, it happens to everyone the first time," Gold laughed. Did he just laugh? Liam thought, maybe he isn't as stolid as I thought. Gold walked over to a medium-sized house with a teal roof, and Liam followed close behind.

"Mom?" Gold called, "I'm home!" A middle-aged woman came flying down the stairs, wearing an apron and clutching a thick cook book.

"Honey! Oh, it's been so long!" she exclaimed, giving him a hug, "And who might this be?" she asked, turning to Liam.

"I – I'm Liam, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, smiling.

"…I found that other cook book you wanted -," said a girl around Liam's age, as she came down the stairs. She froze at the bottom when she saw Gold.

"Gold, it's you," she said quietly, shocked to see him, "I haven't seen you since you left for Kanto three years ago."

"Well, it's good to see you, Lyra," he said, smiling.

"Something smells really, really good," said Liam, sniffing the air.

"Yeah, we just baked some fresh cookies, for people and Pokemon," Lyra replied, "And you are?"

"The name's Liam," he said, shaking her hand. After all of the introductions, Gold's mom asked them to stay and have some cookies. Lyra, Gold, and his mom sat down and talked, but Liam sat outside near some trees, speaking with Charmander.

"I can't believe we get to go on an adventure," he said, "I'm still taking that fact in."

"Yeah, I'm really psyched for it too, man!" replied Charmander, "Especially if more people like this are going to give us cookies!" Liam heard a door creaking open, followed by footsteps coming toward him.

"Hey, Liam? Liam is your name right?" Lyra said, standing by him.

"Yeah, why?" he replied.

"Well, I saw you talking with your Charmander. Can you understand what it is saying?" she asked. It was a rare gift, so naturally, she was curious.

"Yeah. I guess I was just gifted with it," he said softly.

"Wow, she sure is a pretty sight to see!" said Charmander, staring at Lyra. Liam glared at Charmander.

"What did he say?" laughed Lyra.

"You don't need to know that," Liam said, giggling. Lyra looked at him, as if she was thinking. She then reached into her bag, and handed Liam a cookie.

"You never got one, did you?" she asked, "Don't worry Charmander, I got you one, too." Charmander grinned, then ate it in one bite. Liam glanced over at the house adjacent to Gold's.

"Who lives in that house? It looks surprisingly similar to Gold's," Liam questioned. At this question, Lyra looked down and frowned.

"It was Kris's house. Now only her mother lives there, alone. I like to visit her to keep her, just to keep her company," she said, saddened by the topic. Liam tried to change the subject.

"What is it like, living in Johto? I had never left Saffron city until about two weeks ago," he asked.

"Come on, let's go inside, where it's comfortable. Then we can talk," she said, extending her hand. Liam took it, and they went back into Gold's house.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"No, no, no, no!" Took shouted. Grant stood awkwardly and watched.

"Forget about the negatives, let's just focus on where he might be next," he said, attempting to calm Toque down.

"Alright, I guess. Well, the only thing out west is the Pokémon League and Johto, so I would assume that's where they went, unless Gold wanted to destroy Lance for the ump-teenth time," Toque replied.

"Good thinking!" Dunton exclaimed, "Let's head to the Pokémon Center to heal Fearow, then head to New Bark Town!" Toque nodded, and they were off to the Pokémon Center. He handed Nurse Joy his Pokeball, and they sat down at a table to grab some lunch.

"Man, I'm starved!" said Grant.

"Only a little bit. We need to keep our eyes on the prize. Besides, I'm a little tight on money. I don't get paid much when nobody gives me any cases," replied Toque, scowling. Grant shrugged.

The familiar jingle played over the intercom, followed by Nurse Joy's voice, "Mr. Daniel Toque, your Fearow is completely restored." The duo finished lunch, then hurried over to collect Toque's Pokémon. He said a quick thank – you, and they headed outside.

"Fearow, let's go!" Toque exclaimed, tossing the ball in the air, "To New Bark Town, Fearow." He and Dunton hopped on, and they took off to the skies.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Liam perked up. He heard something familiar outside, so he stepped out.

"Where are you going?" asked Lyra. Liam said nothing. Gold saw Liam step outside, so he followed. He knew he probably wouldn't see his mom and Lyra again.

"I love you Mom. Take care of yourself, please?" Gold said, hugging her tightly, tearing up.

"Wha – what's going on, Gold?" she asked, but Gold, Lyra, and Liam were already outside, looking into the sky.

"No," Liam whispered.

"What's happening?" Lyra said, worried.

"No, no, no! Stay away from us!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. He liked Toque, but this was too much.

"Pidgeotto! Charmander! Help us!" he shouted as he let out his friends. Gold and Lyra stood, shocked. Liam seemed always seemed so quiet. They didn't know he was capable of such anger. Fearow gave its cry, and dove toward them.

"Pidgeotto, sand attack! Charmander, flamethrower!" Liam commanded. Sand attack blinded Toque, Grant, and Fearow, so they crashed into the ground. Charmander's flamethrower was a direct hit on Fearow, scorching its wings.

Grant stood up, still blinded by the sand, and sent out Growlithe. "Go tear of some of their clothing, Growlithe!" he yelled. Growlithe bounded off towards Liam, and tackled him.

"Ah! Get this thing off of me! Ah!" he screamed as Growlithe tore of a piece of his pants, along with a bit of his leg. Liam curled up, screaming in agony. Charmander attempted to whip embers up from its tail, but it did nothing to Growlithe. Pidgeotto stood petrified at this sight of Liam's bloody leg. Why would anyone do such a horrible thing to such a nice person? It makes me so…ANGRY! Pidgeotto thought. It began to glow a blinding white, and it grew larger and larger until it stopped glowing.

"It…It evolved!" said Lyra, stunned. Pidgeot used a wing attack, sweeping Growlithe off of the moaning boy, but the damage had already been done. Liam was still bleeding profusely, and Growlithe had a chunk of his pants.

"STOP!" Gold cried, throwing an Ultra Ball and a Pokeball. Dragonite and Noctowl came flying out.

"Take them away!" he ordered. Dragonite picked up Toque by the back of his shirt, and Noctowl did the same with Dunton. They flew off. Both detectives recalled their Pokémon.

"Ahh!" Liam screamed, still in excruciating pain. Gold picked him up and rushed him into his mother's house.

"We need to wash the wound then pour some hydrogen peroxide on it, that will prevent it from becoming infected," she said. She had been watching, horrified, from the window. Lyra started to cry – she had never seen anything so gruesome – and so did Charmander. Pidgeot waited outside. They all went upstairs to the bathroom, where Gold's mom put him in the bathtub, then poured a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide on it. Liam shrieked on contact with it.

"We need to get him to a hospital," Gold said, "They could help him there."

"But how? Both of your flying Pokemon are taking care of the detectives," Lyra said, still weeping at the sight of Liam's leg.

"I've got an idea," replied Gold, "Mom, give him some gauze to wrap up his leg." She nodded, and gathered some gauze from the cabinet above the sink. Again, Liam screeched as she tied it tight around the gash, and soon fell unconscious. Gold picked him up and brought him outside. Charmander grabbed its Pokeball off of Liam's belt, then tapped the button, sending it back inside. Gold lay Liam gently on Pidgeot's back.

"Take him to the hospital in Violet City. I know it's far, but it's the closest one. That bandage should last him a while. Here, I'll write a note for you to carry," he said softly to the bird. Gold returned a moment later with an envelope and a bungee cord to strap Liam in.

"Go on. Go save him!" he said, and with that, Pidgeot took off. Lyra was struggling to calm down, but she eventually stopped the flow of tears.

"He *sniff* left Charmander," she said, looking at the ball on the ground. Gold bent over and picked it up. The cries of Noctowl and Dragonite were heard in the distance, and shortly after, they returned.

"Where did you take them?" Gold asked. Dragonite drifted over to a sign that had a map of Kanto and Johto on it, then pointed at Saffron City. Gold nodded. Noctowl came over with a piece of blood – sodden navy blue fabric in its beak. He dropped it in Gold's hand, which quickly formed into a fist.

"This is NOT good! Oh, this is SO not good!" he exclaimed.

"Why? What is that?" Lyra asked in shaky breaths.

"It's the part of his pants that Growlithe tore off, and now it has Liam's scent," said Gold quietly, "I'm sorry, but I need to leave as well. I might as well follow Liam."

After all of the sad good byes and a few shed tears, Gold climbed onto Dragonite once more, and recalled Noctowl into his ball.

"Wait!" shouted Lyra, running back out of the house with a shoulder bag, "I want to go with you!"

"That's insane, Lyra! You could get seriously hurt!" Gold replied, shocked at her sudden decision.

"No, I'm going, and you can't stop me. I have always wanted to go on a journey, and yes, while it isn't the kind most trainers go on, I still want to go. Now are you going to stop me, or not?" she said. Gold stood there for about a minute, considering what all could happen to her, but eventually, he made up his mind.

"Alright," he said. Lyra jumped for joy. "But first, go get your starter from Professor Elm."

"But I already have Mari –," she started, but Gold insisted. Eventually, she gave in, and paced over to the Professor's lab.

"Professor Elm?" she called as she knocked on the door. A tall, thin man wearing glasses and a white lab coat opened the door.

"Lyra! What brings you here on this fine evening?" Elm asked. Lyra explained that she was going on a journey, and wanted a starter Pokémon.

"Oh, sure! Right this way!" he said, beckoning her inside and over to the machine that held the three starters.

"Take your pick!" he said happily. Lyra contemplated her choices, but eventually reached for the ball on the left.

"Chikorita, eh? Good choice! Well then, good luck on your journey!" he said, waving good-bye. Outside, Gold said his final farewell to his mother.

"Well, you were only here for a day, but it was g – great having you!" she said, tearing up. Gold gave her a tight hug, and bid her farewell.

"Ready Lyra?" he asked, letting out Noctowl for her to fly on. She nodded indicating yes, and they were off.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"You weren't supposed to take off a chunk of his leg! Just his pants!" Grant scolded Growlithe, "But at least you got the scent, I'll give you that much."

"Will it even be able to smell him from this far?" Toque asked. Grant looked at Growlithe, and it shook its head in shame.

"If only we had a fire stone to evolve you," Grant murmured. At hearing this, Toque looked up.

"Grant, we are in Saffron City!" he exclaimed, "Celadon City – and the department store – are about six miles west of here. We can buy a fire stone!"

"But do we have enough money?" Toque replied, unsure if this dream could be a reality. He put his hands in his pockets, and took out 600 Pokedollars. Grant grinned, withdrawing 1,300 Pokedollars. They had just more than enough.

"First, let's stop by the Pokecenter, though. Fearow and Growlithe got beat up pretty badly," Toque said. They ran off towards the Pokecenter, which was only about one-hundred yards away.

Grant and Toque casually walked up to the counter where Nurse Joy stood. Detective 101: Always act casual in public, unless chasing a criminal. You don't want to attract attention to yourself.

"Hello Nurse Joy," said Toque, "Could you help my Fearow, and my pal's Growlithe? They got beat up pretty badly."

"Why, of course! I'll just take them for a few minutes. The intercom will sound when they are ready," she responded with a smile. Grant and Toque simultaneously handed her their Pokeballs, then stepped over to a table.

It had been so long since Toque really sat and thought. That's all, just thought. Whether it be about the weather or a case, he just hadn't done it in quite some time. Right then, he thought about Liam. He was such an interesting boy. In fact, Liam reminded him of someone. Who that someone was, he had no idea. It was just one of those gut feelings. Then he thought about something that him very curious.

"Hey Grant? I just thought of something, it I think it could be really important," said Toque.

"What's that?" Grant replied.

"Do you think Liam sees us as…Bad guys?" Toque asked.

"Of course no -," Grant stopped, "Well gee, Danny, that's…Wow. I never thought of that."

"I mean, I think we came onto him as to aggressive. For Arceus' sake, your Growlithe tore off a chunk of his leg!"

"Well…Yeah. I guess you're right, but, we aren't the 'bad guys.' We're detectives!"

"Maybe we should try a different tactic," Toque suggested, "You know, other than battling. All we want is for Gold to tell us where Red is. The biggest missing persons case known to Kanto could be solved!"

"Right? I really don't understand why Gold would keep this information away from the police. There has to be some sort of expla -," Grant was cut off by the intercom.

"Mr. Grant and Mr. Toque, your Pokemon are ready to be picked up." They strolled to the counter, where Nurse Joy stood.

"Growlithe is fighting fit, but Fearow really must have taken a beating. We managed to get the sand out of its eyes, but you won't be able to fly on it for at most three days. I'm terribly sorry," she said, bowing in apology. On the inside, Toque was raging, but he kept it cool on his exterior.

"That's…That's fine, Nurse Joy. Thank you for doing what you could," he said. The two sauntered out of the Pokecenter.

"Celadon City is at least a day's journey, so we should head out now," Grant proposed. Toque nodded, and they both walked swiftly towards the western gate of the city.

You forgot this story existed, didn't you? No worries, I'm still alive. Also, I'm naming my chapters now. Hooray.

Chapter 4 – The Men Who Fell with the Flying Dog

Pidgeot flew over hundreds, even thousands of trees. Just trees for miles, then more trees.

How am I supposed to know where Violet City is? I had never even been to Johto until a few hours ago, and they expect me to know the routes of the region? He thought. Liam was strapped to Pidgeot's back, still unconscious. Clouds gathered overhead, bringing an eerie darkness over the lands.

"Liam, wake up!" Pidgeot cried. Liam stirred a bit, remaining unresponsive. The bird descended into a larger tree, and once more tried to wake Liam.

"Pidgeooot!" it shouted. Liam slowly opened his eyes.

"Hmmgg…Uhnn…" he moaned. The makeshift bandage on his leg was wearing off, allowing a little blood to leak out. Pidgeot nudged him with its beak, and he came back into reality.

"Please, P-Pidgeot, t-take me to a h-hospital," he stuttered, "D-don't stop t – to see if I-I'm ok, 'cause I am." Pidgeot looked sternly for a second, but then whimpered and began to weep silently. Liam softly patted his head.

"Go on. Y-you've been with m-me for s-so long. Y-you can save me," he whispered. Pidgeot gave a soft cry, then took flight. Together, they soared through the gloomy skies, scouting for signs of a town or city.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Oh, no," Gold said as he flew on Dragonite's back.

"What is it?" Lyra called over from Noctowl. She asked it to fly closer to Gold.

"Neither Liam nor Pidgeot have ever been to Johto. They don't know where Violet City is! They could be halfway to Hoenn by now!" Gold said, then he cursed under his breath. Lyra looked on, speechless at her and Gold's ignorance.

"Wait a sec, I saw that Liam had a Pokegear!" Lyra stated. At this, Gold let out a sigh of relief. Motioned for Dragonite and Noctowl to land on the path below them. He dialed in Liam's number.

Liam felt a buzz on his right arm as they flew. At first, he thought nothing of it. Ah, stupid bugs, he thought, expecting it to be a Ninjask or something of the sort. However, when he sluggishly swiped at his arm, but only felt his hand collide with plastic. When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar red device blinking on and off.

"Someone is…Calling me?" he murmured, "P-pidgeot, slow d-down a bit, if you p-please." He opened up the Pokegear.

"H-hello?" he mumbled. A barrage of loud, fast voices came flying out of the phone, overwhelming Liam.

"S-slow down, p-please," he said. Gold slowed his speech, realizing that Liam must be exhausted.

"Liam, it's Gold. Please listen carefully. We realized that you are probably lost and bleeding out, so we are going to help you. On your Pokegear, there is a map option. I know it may seem like a 'slap in the face' or whatever, but there is one. Violet City is Northwest of Cherrygrove City. We will meet you there!" Gold said, then hung up.

"You always hang up before they can say anything, you know?" said Lyra. Gold chuckled.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Liam searched through the settings on the Pokegear, looking for a map option. He had to ignore the pain and blood coming from his leg. At this point, the majority of his left leg was stained pale red.

"Got it," he muttered, clicking on the map, "It even sh-shows our location!" He saw that they were way off course; they had traveled straight north! The two were already a quarter of the way to Blackthorn City. Violet City was directly west of them.

"P-pidgeot, head directly west, th-that is, t-turn left and g-go straight," he pointed west. Pidgeot nodded, and turned left.

"Full speed ahead!" it cried, but Liam whined and pleaded to go slower. Pidgeot sighed.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Gee, I sure am thirsty!" said the guard blocking Toque and Grant's path.

"Well," said Toque, "What do you want us to do about it?"

"Do you have any water? I don't mean to come on like that, but I am really thirsty!" Grant sighed, and handed him a reusable bottle of water.

"Waterfall, waterfall, man!" Grant yelped; the guard was about to put it to his mouth. The guard shrugged, then squirted some into his mouth.

"Ah, good stuff! You can pass now, thanks guys!" he tipped his hat. Toque nodded, and Grant saluted. The detectives began walking through Route 7.

"This sure is a small route," said Toque. They could already see the gate to Celadon City. Grant nodded in agreement. The two jogged over to it.

"Good day, sirs!" another guard said as they walked through the gate. Toque smiled at him, and Grant again saluted. As they walked through, they were bombarded with lights, tall buildings, and everything a big city would have.

"I could never get used to this," Toque murmured. His experience with Lavender Town was the opposite of this. After all, Team Rocket had ruled the city once, and Lavender Town had very little crime at all.

"You know, I was curious about those cases you were getting in Viridian City," he said as they walked in the direction of the store, about a mile away, "Was there anything strange about them? Something they all have in common?"

"Well, all suspects were said to be wearing all black, with gray boots, and a black cap," he responded, putting his finger to his head. Toque nodded.

"Well, that seems normal enough," he said. The department store was hard to miss. After all, it was one of the tallest buildings in the city. They continued on. Neither of them were used to big cities with so many tall buildings. Viridian City was an older place, with not as many tall buildings, and Lavender Town was, well, Lavender Town. Toque was from Pewter City originally, and Grant was from Cerulean, so both of them grew up with shorter buildings. Of course, they had been to Celadon, but it was only during academy training. They had no time to take it all in.

"This is…Breathtaking! I've never seen anything like it!" Grant exclaimed, looking up and around.
"
Yes, you have. We came here for a mission in training, remember? The staged casino heist?" Toque replied.

"Oh yeah, I guess I have. We're so close to a fire stone, I can taste it!" Grant said, picking up speed. Toque glanced at him with a sort of confused look, but stayed with him. They walked for another five minutes.

"Well, here were are," said Toque, looking up at the massive building. A grin quickly spread across Grant's face.

"Let's get at it!" Grant hollered, and darted inside. Toque chuckled, and followed close behind. They took the elevator and got to the fifth floor, where they sold evolutionary stones. Grant hurried to the counter.

"Good evening, gentlemen! How may I help you?" asked an older man in his early sixties.

"I'm looking for a…," Grant panted, catching his breath, "A fire stone? Got one of those?"

"Of course!" said the clerk, reaching into the glass cabinet beneath them. He pulled out a glowing red-orange stone. Grant's eyes lit up.

"Let's see, that will be one-thousand eight-hundred Pokedollars," he said. Toque slowly pulled out his six-hundred. This is it. This is the last of what I brought with me, he though. Grant brought his share out faster than a Rattata using Quick Attack. The clerk put the stone in a small box.

"Thank you, and good day," he said with a smile. The two detectives headed outside. Grant let Growlithe out into the street.

"Ready, Growlithe? It's time to evolve!" he said. Growlithe barked. Spectators gathered around, realizing what was about to happen. Some even took out cameras. Grant took the stone out of the box and, grinning, gave it to Growlithe. It took it in its mouth. As soon as it came in contact with the stone, it began to glow a vibrant blue. It grew and grew, just like Pidgeot, until it was a little over six feet tall.

"Arrrcaaaaanine!" it howled, right when it stopped glowing. The crowd stood in awe, several snapping photos and taking videos.

"Alright people, move along! Enough pictures!" shouted Toque, trying to contain the large horde of people now gathered around them. Soon enough, everyone was back so their everyday routines.

"Arcanine, can you smell Liam?" Grant asked. It looked up into the air, and sniffed several times. He barked, then nodded. Toque grinned. The duo hopped onto Arcanine's back; it was plenty large enough for both of them.

"Follow the scent!" exclaimed Toque, and with one bound, the were soaring through the streets, going at extreme speeds.

"I've never felt speed like this before! It's like quick attack, but faster!" Grant called over the wind. Toque beamed wide, thrilled at this exciting ride. They left the city from the west exit, towards the cycling road. There was no route in this direction, so Grant and Toque were a little confused. However, they both knew that Arcanine had one of the best senses of smell out of any Pokémon.

"It makes sense," Toque shouted, "Viridian City is relatively close to here!"

"Woohoo!" exclaimed Grant, "This speed is amazing!" Arcanine leaped through the area between the two cities within a few minutes. Before long, they could see Viridian City not far in the distance.

"Here we are," said Toque as they neared the city, but Arcanine did not slow down. Grant was not surprised.

"Remember," he called, "They are in New Bark Town, though they probably left." Arcanine raced along rooftops, soaring fifty feet in one spring.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Liam, a building! Look, it's a building!" Pidgeot cried, waking up Liam once more. He looked up to see one building, then another, and another, and soon enough, a full city. Liam let out a sigh of relief, then looked down at his leg. The bandage was completely soaked red, and his entire leg (from his thigh down) was tainted a pale red. Pidgeot gradually picked up speed, in a way that would shock Liam. The sky was getting dark, but the bird couldn't tell if it was night, or if it was about to rain.

"I see it!" Pidgeot exclaimed, "The hospital!" It flew up to the front entrance, then called to the people inside. A young female nurse came out to see the cause of the noise, then she realized it was Pidgeot.

"You have a note?" she asked. Pidgeot nodded and picked it out. The girl's facial expression changed from calm to serious as she read the note.

"Oh, no!" she gasped, "Let me get him inside, right away!" She darted into the hospital, and brought out some paramedics and a stretcher.

"I'm sorry, but this is a hospital for humans. We can't have Pokémon in here. I really am sorry!" the nurse said. She had a genuine look on her face, so Pidgeot let it slide. One of the paramedics took Liam's Pokeball, recalled Pidgeot, then brought him inside.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Look! I see Violet City!" Lyra exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the buildings. Gold looked up and grinned. He also saw the hospital.

"Alright guys," he said to Dragonite and Noctowl, "Speed up! Hold on Lyra!" She tightened her grip around Noctowl and closed her eyes. It was not even a minute before they were at the entrance of the hospital. The two rushed inside and asked the receptionist if Liam was there.

"Yes, he is on floor three in room 118. He just finished surgery," she answered. Gold gave a quick thank-you and hurried over to the elevator music. The calm music really eradicated the intense, worrisome mood.

"Well, this is ironic," muttered Lyra, looking up at the speakers. The elevator chimed, indicating they were at floor three. Room 118 was just down the left hallway.

"Here we are," Gold murmured, and he slowly turned the knob. The room was relatively small; about a ten-by-twelve room. Liam was sipping out of a straw, watching TV. He was in a very calm state.

"He is on medication," said a nurse standing behind them. She was the nurse who brought him inside. She had red hair tied into a bun, glasses, and was only about five-eleven.

"My name is Jenna," she said, extending her hand. Lyra took it, then Gold. The two stepped inside, but Jenna stayed in the hall.

"I have to go check on some more patients. It's been a pleasure," she said, then walked away. Lyra took a seat by Liam's bed, and Gold stood on the opposite side. Liam noticed that there were people in the room, so he put his drink down and turned off the TV.

"Why, hel-lo!" he said, slurring his words, "I th-think I recognize you, are you my brother and sister? Do I h-have a brother and sister?"

"No, Liam. It's me, Gold. Lyra is here too," he said, pointing.

"Oh! I'm s-sorry! I didn't r-recognize you. They have m-me on what th-they call pain meds. P-personally, I dunno what that means," Liam replied, "And now my leg feels funny." Lyra giggled. Gold looked down at his leg, which had been dealt with quite nicely. It had stopped bleeding, and been stitched up.

"Hey, where is Pidgeot?" asked Gold. A confused look fell upon Liam's face.

"Oh y-yeah, th-that guy. Wh-who are we t-talking about again?" he answered.

"Pid-ge-ot," Lyra said in syllables, "You know, the bird that flew you here?"

"Oh, boy! I always w-wanted to f-fly! Is it f-fun?" he said, smiling. Gold looked at Lyra with a look that said "It's hopeless." She sighed and slumped back into her chair.

"N-no more talking? Ó maith, tá go breá," he replied. Gold looked puzzled.

"You speak Irish?" he asked.

"Irish? Never heard of him," Liam answered. Lyra giggled again, and Gold rolled his eyes. Liam reached over for his cup, then turned the TV back on.

"Grrreat show!" he said. On the screen were some Pokemon dressed up in snazzy outfits dancing on a stage.

"Oh! It's a Unova Pokemon Musical!" Lyra exclaimed, eyes twinkling. Gold looked at the ceiling and gathered his thoughts.

Where could you be, Kris? Why would you just disappear like that? It's all so confusing! I just want one sign, just one simple sign of where you are… He trailed off. The three sat in Liam's room for quite some time. That is, until Liam fell asleep. Both Lyra and Gold noticed his snoring, and they agreed to head to a hotel for the night.

* * * * * * * * * * *

New Bark Town could be seen by Arcanine and both detectives, clean as always in the orange horizon. It was not long before Arcanine slowed to a stop. They stopped next to a sign that read "Violet City School of Pokemon." Arcanine stood perfectly still, only its fur blowing slightly in the wind. It was not the slightest bit tired, despite the near hundred-mile journey from Celadon. Oddly enough, the trip had only taken about fifteen to twenty minutes. However, Arcanine's two passengers slipped off and stumbled around, attempting to hold in vomit. Unfortunately, neither succeeded.

"Look Mom! Those men fell from the sky on the big dog!" a young boy exclaimed.

"That's great son, I'm sure they di-," she cut off as she turned to see the detectives vomiting into the nearest bin. They were making quite a scene. In fact, a crowd of people began to gather around them. People were whispering among themselves and pushing to see "the men who fell with the flying dog." Once they had finished spewing into the bin, they both turned around.

"Well," said Toque, "I'm going to assume none of you have ever seen men fall from the sky and throw up." Some of the people shook their heads, while others used their cameras to take videos.

A teenager stepped forward and said, "So are you guys like, aliens or something?" Grant rolled his eyes.

"Do we look like aliens? I guess you haven't seen an Arcanine either?" he said. Again, some people shook their heads. Arcanine remained motionless and expressionless, though it did gaze at the crowd.

"We'll be leaving then, yeah?" said Toque, beckoning to Grant to start walking.

"Arcanine, take us to Liam, ok?" asked Grant. Arcanine nodded and began walking, now at a normal pace, towards the Violet Hospital.

They entered through the glass doors, and asked the receptionist where Liam was.

"He sure is popular!" she said, laughing, "He is in room 118." Both detectives gave a quick thank you and stepped into the elevator.

"I hate elevator music," Toque mumbled. Grant chuckled in agreement. The bell rang, and they hurried out of the elevator doors and down the left hall. They reached the door that lead to Liam's room. Grant reached out and knocked on it.

"Come in," Liam said from the other room. Lyra and Gold exchanged worried looks. Their fears were confirmed as they saw who stepped through the door. Gold instantly stood up and stepped in front of Liam's bed.

"Sit down, kid," said Toque, pointing at the chair, "We aren't here for a fight." Gold didn't move a muscle.

"How am I supposed to trust you?" he retorted.

"Just sit down, and let us talk," the detective repeated. Gold glared at him, but went back to sit down. By now, Liam's medication had worn off. There were no more chairs in the room, so both detectives remained standing near the door.

"Liam, I one-hundred percent guarantee you that Growlithe – actually Arcanine now – did not mean to hurt you. All we wanted was a sample of your clothing so we could track you down in the future," Toque explained.

"Well look how that turned out!" he snapped, "The doctor says I'll have a limp for the rest of my life. Growlithe damaged a nerve or something. I didn't get the medical terms." Toque looked very sorry, but Liam was too angry to accept the apology.

"You want to know why we want to find Red? It's because it is the biggest missing persons case Kanto – and Johto for that matter – has ever seen, and most likely ever will," Grant pitched in. Gold grimaced at hearing "missing persons." Lyra sat awkwardly in her chair, listening to the conversation.

"The whole reason we want to find Red is because he might know something about the Lavender Town incident. You know, with Marowak? I feel like we all got so lost with all of this fighting," said Liam.

"He's right, you know," Gold responded, "Toque, Liam went to you in the first place for help. Now look where we are, arguing over injured Liam about why we should or shouldn't find Red. This wasn't even the main issue!" Toque was speechless. What's more is they were actually right. He was just out-spoken by a fourteen-year-old and a sixteen-year-old.

"You're…" he murmured, "You're absolutely right. There aren't many words going through my mind right now, so I'll just stick with 'I'm sorry.'" Toque looked very sincere. Grant did as well.

"Well then," said Gold, apparently accepting their apology, "Can we trust that you will not tell the police where Red is?" Grant looked surprised.

"You mean, you'd actually tell us?" he said.

"Yeah, but definitely not here and now," Gold replied.

"Uh, hello? Remember me? The guy with the stitches on his leg? The doctor says I'll have to spend one more night here. Besides, it's nearly ten o'clock. Why don't you guys go check into a hotel or something?" Liam pitched in. Toque shrugged.

"I guess. Gold, Lyra, you guys coming?" said Toque. Gold nodded, but Lyra hesitated.

"I'll think I'll stay here. Keep Liam company, ya know?" she said.

"Fair enough," Toque responded, and he waved goodbye. The three headed out of the hostpital to the nearest hotel.

Finally, it was quiet.

This brought a great amount of relief to both Liam and Lyra. They sighed almost in unison.

"Well, I sure am glad that's over with," Lyra said. Liam smiled, thinking the same thing.

"Lyra, why did you stay? A hotel would be so much more comfortable," Liam asked.

"I already said that, didn't I? I wanted to keep you company," she answered. Liam smiled again.

"Thanks, Lyra. That means a lot. And it's funny, too, how we've only known each other since, well, earlier today," he said. Those were the last words either of them spoke before they fell asleep.

Chapter 5 – Fears Confirmed

Morning came, and Gold, Toque, and Grant returned to the hospital. Liam checked out around ten o'clock, and he was given crutches to take with him.

"I don't need them," he told them, "I can walk just fine." The truth was, he couldn't. The doctors insisted he took the crutches, so eventually he gave in. His Pokeball containing Pidgeot was also returned. All five stepped out into the streets, Liam leaning on to his new crutches. At last, they were teamed up, facing the same goal as they should have from the start.

"Oh, Liam?" said Lyra, tapping him on the shoulder, "You forgot to grab Charmander, though you were unconscious." She brought a Pokeball out of her shoulder bag and handed it to Liam.

"Thank you so much, Lyra! I missed him!" he exclaimed. He then put the ball in his backpack.

It looked as if it were going to rain. Not ideal weather, but that wouldn't stop everyone. Gold sent out Dragonite and Noctowl. Liam saw what he was getting at, so he let out Pidgeot.

"Do we have enough wings for everyone? My Fearow can't fly for another day or so," said Toque, concerned.

"Well, let's see," Gold replied, "Dragonite can carry two, Noctowl can carry one, and Pidgeot can carry one. That's only four."

"Wait! I can ride on Arcanine. Just try to keep up," Grant said with a smirk.

Liam said, "I was going to ask you, did Arcanine really get you here that fast?" Grant and Toque nodded simultaneously, wide-eyed. Finally, Grant sent out Arcanine, and he hopped on. Lyra got on Noctowl, Gold and Toque on Dragonite, Liam on Pidgeot with Grant's assistance, and Grant got on Arcanine. It sure was convenient that Liam's crutches were foldable. They fit right into Liam's backpack.

"So, where exactly is Red?" Toque questioned. Gold put his finger vertically to his lips.

"Sh! Quiet! You never know who is listening," Gold whispered, "I'll tell you in the air." They took off. They flew very quickly, keeping up with Arcanine to the best of the Pokémons' ability.

"So," Gold shouted, "Red tried to get to a place where only the most skilled of trainers would find him."

"Enough of the riddles or whatever, just tell us where he is!" Toque replied.

"He is on the peak of Mt. Silver. Now, if you even murmur that to anyone else, I'll-,"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you said that already," said Toque. From then on, everyone followed Gold and his Dragonite, soaring all the way to the foot of Mt. Silver.

They landed at the entrance of a cave. Looking up, they could not see the peak, for it was concealed by thick clouds.

"You know," Gold said, "The first time I came here, I climbed to the top. The whole trek took two days, without much food. I had water-type Pokémon for water. To be honest, the mountain looks a lot taller than it is. The thunderclouds and fog prevent us from seeing the top. The reason I took two days is because I went through winding caves." Liam looked confused.

"Why didn't you just fly to the top? Wouldn't that have been a lot easier?" he asked. Gold nodded.

"Oh yeah, definitely. I just didn't have a flying-type on me at the time. Fortunately, we happen to have some, but Grant, you might have to hold on tight to Dragonite," said Gold. Grant smirked.

"I can handle. Trust me kid, I've been through tougher things," he said. They started to prepare for takeoff once more.

"Everyone ready? Grant, hold on. We're going almost straight up!" Gold exclaimed. As they took off, Liam noticed cracks of thunder close to the top, as well as the roar of some sort of Pokémon. It was too distant to understand what it said. The group neared the summit within only thirty seconds of flying straight up.

"Alright, guys! Stop here!" Gold called to the Pokémon. They all hopped off on a large ledge – plenty large enough for everyone to stand – and stumbled from the speed of their ride. All except for Gold, who stood with his arms folded.

"Let's go through this last cavern," he said after everyone snapped out of their dizziness. Reluctantly, Liam brought his crutches out of his bag and fit them under his arms. Gold lead the way, with Liam, Lyra, Toque then Grant trailing behind. A very long, straight staircase lead up to an opening in the wall. Slowly, they trekked upwards.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Footsteps. I haven't heard that sound in a long time. None of us have. The clunk of someone else's shoe against stone sounds so different when it isn't right below me. There are several of them, too. Oh, it's been so long. What, three, four years? I've lost count after so many days of snow. If it is someone – or some people – then I'm excited. Only one person has managed to find me. I made him promise not to tell anyone, so it must be someone new! I haven't been this excited since the first he came.
* * * * * * * * * * *

Gold came upon the last step of the staircase. He looked back on the group, and saw their intense gazes. Liam could not wait any longer. He limped past Gold, trying not to stumble without his crutches through the hole, and out into the snow. Gold wanted to say no, but it was too late. Liam contemplated everything he saw when he stepped out. Mostly, he saw snow, but what stood ten yards in front of him made his eyes widen. A boy a little older than Gold stood silently, staring out into nothing. He wore a red cap, and red vest with a short-sleeved black T-shirt. A yellow backpack was slung around his shoulders, and six Pokeballs hung from his belt. Next to him was…Whoa. Next to him was the most powerful-looking Charizard Liam had ever seen. Whenever snow came in contact with it, the snow would instantly melt. On Red's left was a Pikachu. Small volts of electricity sparked from its red cheeks.

Slowly, everyone else came out of the hole in the wall, and stared at the boy in front of them. Red turned around and stared, expressionless, at the group before him.

Five in total. A girl with a big white hat, a man in a trench coat, another man with a tucked in collared shirt, a boy of fourteen with glasses and a white collared shirt, and…GOLD?! Red's expression did not change, though anger started boiling in him. You broke your promise, Gold. I thought you were better than that. After all, you are the one person who could be me. Gold spoke up.

"Words speak better than thoughts, Red. I know you're angry right now, but I have a completely valid reason for breaking my promise," he said. Before Gold could say anything more, Liam began to explain.

"So, introductions are in order," he said, and he pointed to someone as he said their name, "I'm Liam, and this is Lyra, Detective Toque, and Detective Grant. Now, we are here for your help, and for answers." Gold now became worried, hearing Liam introduce Grant and Toque as detectives. He's gonna kill me, he thought.


"…and Marowak said that 'they're back, those who killed me will strike again,' and it was-," Liam gulped, "It was bruised, bloody, and beaten. You know, dead. It was a ghost. What we want to know is who 'they' is. So…If you have answers, then, you should, ah, tell us." Red's eyes widened, and he remembered back to the day he saw that very same Marowak.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Red wandered around the sixth floor of the Pokémon tower, clutching a new Silph Scope. Now, where is that ghost, he thought. No ghost tells me to 'get out!' He put the scope to his eyes and scanned the room, looking for any sign of the ghost that had threatened him the first time he came to Pokémon Tower. Near the staircase to the top floor, Red saw a shadow of what looked like some sort of Pokémon. I wonder what that could be. I better send out Charmeleon for protection, he thought, slightly bending his knees in a natural stealth position. Red let Charmeleon out of its Pokeball and put his finger to his lips, indicating for Charmeleon not to make any noise. The fiery lizard also tucked its tail behind it, trying not to produce too much light.

"I know that you are here," a voice called throughout the room. "Come out and face me. You can do no more harm to me than what you already have, Rocket." Red swallowed his fear and stepped up, along with Charmeleon. He lifted the scope to his eyes again, and saw a Marowak guarding the stairs, staring straight at Red. Though, there was something different about this one. It was bruised, and blood leaked from cuts and gashes all over its body. Marowak brandished a long bone, and it stood in an aggressive position. Charmeleon stood in front of Red, ready for a fight.

"Charmeleon, use flamethrower," Red stammered, queasy at Marowak's state. It threw its bone at Charmeleon in a bonemerang attack, but Charmeleon's flames scorched it and stopped it in its tracks. It appeared to Red that Charmeleon could see through Marowak's purple, misty ghost form.

"Good hit. Now use dragon rage," he commanded. Charmeleon unleashed a blue ball of draconic energy towards Marowak, scoring a direct hit. The Marowak didn't appear to be fazed by either of these strong attacks, despite both of them hitting their marks. Marowak stopped fighting.

"I get it now. You are not a part of the people that killed me. You have a good soul. You are pure. Go, defeat those who hold Fuji captive." It then disappeared. Red, shocked at what had just happened, proceeded upstairs to find men in black, with an orange "R" plastered on their uniforms.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"I guess they don't call you 'the silent one' for nothin', huh?" said Toque, breaking the silence. Red turned around to look out into the open air, and spoke to Charizard in a very hushed tone, to where only he and Charizard could hear it.

"If what Marowak said means what I think means, then the Johto and Kanto regions could be in big trouble," he murmured. Charizard nodded.

"Yes, yes it does. I do believe we should tell these people what we know, though. The image of that Marowak is forever burned into my head. What Team Rocket did to it was awful, and if it saying they will come back again, we definitely need to step in," Charizard replied.

Liam whispered to Lyra, "He must have the same gift I do. I wonder what they are saying." Lyra nodded in agreement. Red turned around and took a deep breath.

He nodded. Gold's eyebrows raised.

"Really? Well then, can we get off this Arceus-forsaken mountain? I'm freezing!" he exclaimed, rubbing his arms in an attempt to create friction. Red nodded and recalled Pikachu, then hopped on Charizard. He was off before anyone else even sent out their Pokémon. Lyra stared off in the direction that Red flew down from.

"Well he sure isn't social," she said. Everyone sent out their Pokémon, and they flew down after Red.

Red was waiting for them at the bottom, tossing an Ultra Ball in his hand. Charizard stood next to him.

"So, Red. Should we head to the Pokémon Tower?" asked Toque. Red just got on his dragon, without even a nod. Once more, he started flying away before anyone else could move. Grant sent out Arcanine, and everyone else got on their respective birds. Well, Dragonite is hardly a bird.

They arrived in Lavender town with an hour. Arcanine, the fastest one of the group, did not go at full speed so everyone else could keep up. Red pointed towards Mr. Fuji's house. The group landed by the door, and got off their rides.

"Ah, it's good to be home," said Toque, looking at his surroundings, "The weather is the same as always. Gloomy skies." Red knocked on the door of the house before him, and a very old man with bushy white eyebrows opened the door.

"Red! It's great to see you, my boy!" Fuji exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Red's torso in a friendly hug. He beckoned for everyone to come inside. "Please, make yourself at home! I'll go grab some snacks," he said, and he left the room. For a man of such an old age, he moved very swiftly. The group made their way in, one by one, and sat on dark green plush sofa's and loveseats. Red and Gold were on opposite sides of the room, and Red glared at Gold with harsh intensity. Apparently, he hadn't yet forgiven Gold.

Mr. Fuji lived in the Pokémon House, where orphaned and released Pokémon could come to live. The room next door (there was a separate front door that lead into the pen room) was filled with pens for orphaned Pokémon to socialize and play with one another until someone came to adopt them.

Liam sat down on a sofa next to Lyra and scanned the room. Some shelves had pictures of Mr. Fuji, a bald man with black circular glasses and a white mustache, and another old man Liam recognized as Professor Oak outside of a large mansion. There was a coffee table in the middle of the sofas and loveseats with a vase of flowers on it, and a fireplace at the back of the den. After looking around, Liam became curious about Red. Well, not the he wasn't already, he just thought of another question.

"How did you survive on Mount Silver, Red?" he asked. Of course, Red didn't answer.

Gold rolled his eyes at Red's silence and said, "Blastoise for water, Charizard for warmth, Venasaur to grow berries, and Snorlax for a cushion to sleep on." That was all Liam needed to hear.

Mr. Fuji returned about five minutes later with a trey of cheese and crackers.

"Please, help yourself," he said with an old, wrinkled smile. "Now, what did you come for?" Red only stared, emotionless, into space. Lyra and Liam grabbed three crackers each, and Toque took some as well. Grant chimed in.

He said, "Well, Mr. Fuji, of course you know Detective Toque. I'm Detective Grant, it's nice to meet you." Fuji smiled his way.

"Nice to meet you too. I see other unfamiliar faces here. I do recognize you, Gold. You came here when exploring Kanto." Gold smiled and nodded.

Liam said, swallowing his last cracker, "My name is Liam, sir. I'm from Saffron City." Another smile from Fuji. Lastly, Lyra introduced herself.

"And I'm Lyra, from New Bark Town. I'm Gold's neighbor," she said, also finishing her snack.

"Great," said Liam, "Introductions out of the way, so let's talk about why we are actually here. Mr. Fuji, have you seen the ghost of a Marowak in the Pokémon Tower recently?" Fuji's expression hardened.

"No, not recently. Though, way back when Red came here for the first time, and Team Rocket kidnapped me, there was one that Red calmed down."

"Wait, did you say Team Rocket?" said Gold, with a worried look on his face.

Mr. Fuji said, "Yes, Team Rocket. They kidnapped me four years ago. Anyway, what did the Marowak say when you saw it, Liam?" Liam grimaced at having to explain it again.

"It said 'They will come back, those who killed me will strike again,' or something like that," he said. If it was even possible, Fuji's expression hardened even further, like a solid stone. His fears were confirmed.

"Yes, Marowak must have been talking about Team Rocket. They must be trying to make a third comeback," he said. Grant and Toque were shocked.

"That's not possible. They're leaderless and in ashes!" Toque exclaimed. Fuji put a finger to his lips, and his face became a little softer.

"Please, do keep it down. There are people and Pokémon next door," he said. Toque mouthed the word "sorry."

Red heard the words these people were speaking, and was becoming more and more afraid. Yes, the strongest trainer (other than Gold) was becoming afraid.

"Well," said Grant, "If Team Rocket is coming back, I have two questions. One, where are they now? And two, can we get the police in on this? They could help!"

Mr. Fuji shook his head and said, "No, I don't know where they are, and two, the Kanto Police Force always had trouble with the Rockets. Grant shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I grew up in Cerulean, where the Rockets had control over the Nugget Bridge, so I would know," he said.

"So what do we do?" Lyra asked, "What can we do to find them?"

Toque answered, "Well, Grant and I are Detectives. I think we can help find them. After all, it's our job." Liam stood up.

"Mr. Fuji, thank you so much for your time and the snacks," he said politely. Mr. Fuji gave that old, wrinkled smile of his, and waved goodbye to everyone as they stepped out.

"Oh wait, Liam!" he called, bringing out a piece of paper. "Here, this is my Pokegear number. It might come in handy. You can give it to everyone else, too."

"Thanks, Mr. Fuji! See you!" And the group was off. Off to the Pokémon Center, that is. They were all starving!

* * * * * * * * * * *

Mr. Fuji stood at the entrance of the Pokémon Tower, staring up at the top floor. If what Liam said is true, he thought, then Marowak will talk to me. I need to know more. He struggled to push open the tall, heavy door.

"Good evening, Mr. Fuji," said a female receptionist as he walked in. Fuji smiled at her, and continued on up the stairs. By the time he was at the top floor, he was panting. I'm getting too old for this, he thought as he held on to his back. When he looked up, he saw exactly what Liam had described. The beaten ghost of Marowak stood at the end of the room.

"Fuji, the one I would talk to," it called. Mr. Fuji slowly approached it. He got straight down to business, without even a "hello."

"You remember that boy with the glasses, don't you? And the black hair?" he asked. Marowak nodded. "His name is Liam. He came here with Red!" At this, Marowak's eyes widened.

"Red was here to stop Team Rocket all those years ago. I'm assuming that since you're here, you believe Team Rocket will strike again, like I said," said Marowak.

"Yes, but you didn't have to scare the pants off of the poor boy," Fuji replied with a stern look. Marowak shrugged. "Do you at least know where they are?"

"Unfortunately, no. As a ghost, I am confined to this tower, making it hard to know what happens outside. I knew those who killed me would come back because I have some sort of connection with them. For example, I knew they would come back a second time, but I did not know it would be in Johto," Marowak explained. Mr. Fuji furrowed his eyebrows and looked down.

"I see," he murmured, "Thank you anyways, Marowak. Rest easy, ok?" Marowak nodded sympathetically. Mr. Fuji left Pokémon Tower with and without the answers he had come for.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The gang headed to a table at the Pokémon Center to get some food. However, Toque went straight to the counter to speak with Nurse Joy, concerned about his Fearow's state.

"Excuse me, Nurse Joy? Could you check if my Fearow is ok to fly?" he asked, handing her Fearow's Pokeball.

"Of course!" she said, smiling, "Will you be staying the night? If you are, then Fearow can just spend the night in the recovery room." Toque shrugged.

"I don't know yet, but I'll give you a thumbs-up if we are," he replied. He sauntered over to the table, a little more relaxed.

Liam saw Toque's worried expression and asked, "Everything alright? I saw you hand Nurse Joy a Pokeball." Toque nodded and gave a faint smile.

"Yeah, that was Fearow. I just hope he can fly," he replied. Grant got up to get the attention of a waiter, and they ordered their food.

It was nearly dark by the time everyone had finished dinner and dessert, so Toque turned and flashed a thumbs-up to the Nurse. She smiled and returned the signal, then walked back into the recovery room. The group checked into three rooms for the six of them, with two in each.

Red sat on his bed and thought about where Team Rocket could have been. I doubt they would go back to their old hideout in Celadon. Besides, after they lost power in the city, the police force there was doubled. The same goes with Saffron and Silph. Hm…

In the room that Lyra and Liam shared, Lyra knelt on the floor, frantically looking through her shoulder bag.

"Come on, come on, where is it?" she muttered as she shuffled through it.

"What are you lookin' for Lyra? Forget something at Mr. Fuji's house?" he questioned. Lyra wept softly. Liam noticed her grief and knelt beside her.

"My-my Chikorita's Pokeball!" she exclaimed, "I can't find it!" She started searching her bag a third time, then her own pockets. "Oh, I barely even know her yet, and I've already lost it! I'm such a terrible trainer!" Liam put his hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'll go back to Mr. Fuji's house and ask if it's there, ok?" he said. Lyra wiped her puffy eyes and nodded. Liam grabbed his two Pokeballs and unfolded his crutches and headed downstairs to the lobby. It was roughly nine o'clock at night, so Lavender Town's foggy air made it nearly impossible to see.

"Charmander, come on out!" he exclaimed as he tossed the ball into the air. "Hey bud, can we get some light?"

"Yeah, sure thing!" it said, and it held its tail out in front of them.

I can't remember what direction Mr. Fuji's house was in. I just remember it was like a townhouse, with two front doors and a purple roof, Liam thought, looking around everywhere. Charmander gave a cry and pointed. They were only twenty or so yards away from the house, but the fog made very difficult to make it out.

"Yeah, that's it! Good job Charma-," Liam was grabbed before he could finish the sentence. The man – or woman – held Liam's hands together behind his back and stuffed a gag in his mouth. He or she took both of Liam's Pokeballs, recalled Charmander, and put them into his or her pocket. Liam tried to make as much noise as possible while being crammed into the back of a van with his crutches, but it was no use. They were speeding off within thirty seconds.

You forgot about this story, didn't you? Well if you want to know why I haven't posted in four months, its all right below this.


Chapter 6 – Searching

Lyra sat in bed, still waiting for Liam to return. It's ok, she thought, he'll be back any minute now. After thirty minutes of him being gone she began to worry. Oh, what's keeping him? I'll just get Gold to come out and look for him with me. She stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her.

"Hey, Gold?" she called, knocking on the door. The door was slowly opened and Gold stood in his pajamas, with his eyes halfway open.

"Y-yeah?" he muttered, wiping his eyes. Lyra's arms were folded and her shoulders were hunched up in a worried position. Gold saw how worried she was, but was too tired to show any emotion other than exhaustion. As Lyra babbled on about something, Gold leaned against the doorway and dozed off.

"Hey! Gold, I'm talking you know!" she exclaimed. When she shouted, Gold grimaced and held his hands to his ears. "Come on Gold! Listen! Ugh!" She grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him down the hallway.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, alright?" he said in a hushed tone. The motioned to all of the rooms around them, showing that other people were sleeping. Lyra sighed. She then explained to him what had happened, slowly this time. Hearing the story must have acquired Gold's attention, because he seemed to have fully opened his eyes and walked swiftly out the exit of the PokeCenter, even forgetting to bring shoes.

"I can't see anything," Lyra said, squinting. Lavender Town was known for being the darkest town of the Johto and Kanto regions, with only one streetlamp by the Pokémon Tower. Gold closed his eyes and tried to imagine the direction of Mr. Fuji's house.

"This way," he said, pointing in the general direction. When they were about twenty yards away, Gold felt something puncture his bare foot.

"Ah! What was that?" he yelped, balancing on one foot and holding the other. Lyra looked down at the stone pavement where Gold had stopped, and saw something mostly rounded with some jagged edges. She bent over and picked it up.

"Look at this," she murmured, examining what she was holding. Gold limped over on his heel, trying not to let the cut touch the ground.

He furrowed his eyebrows and said, "Those are eyeglasses. Those are…Liam's glasses." He and Lyra exchanged concerned looks and started towards Mr. Fuji's house. Gold folded the glasses and put them in his pocket.

It's all ok, Lyra thought, I'm sure Liam just dropped his glasses, that's all. He's at Mr. Fuji's house right now. Yeah, that's it!

Gold approached Fuji's door and knocked. A dim light was lit inside; probably a candle because of the way it flickered. Mr. Fuji opened the door and raised his eyebrows.
"Gold? And…Lyra, was it? What are you doing here so late?" he asked, then yawned. Lyra tried to look behind him and check if Liam was in the living room. He wasn't. Gold tried to look behind Fuji too, but got the same results.

"Sorry to disturb you, but we have a couple questions. Was Liam here recently? And Lyra might have dropped a Pokeball containing a Chikorita while we were here. Oh, and can I get a bandaid? I cut my foot on the way here." he asked.

"No, Liam isn't here, but I did find Chikorita's Pokeball, shortly after you left," he replied, then yawned again. "I'll get you something for your foot, hold on." He walked slowly back into his house, obviously sleepy, and he returned a minute later with a bandaid and Chikorita's Pokeball

Lyra sighed as Gold strapped the bandaid to his foot. "Thanks anyway. Goodnight," she said.

"Goodnight," Fuji replied, and he closed the door. The candle flickering inside was extinguished. The two stood in stillness, terrified at what could have happened to Liam. Gold finally broke the silence.

"I think we should just go back to our rooms, and search for him in the morning, ok?" he said. Lyra nodded, and they headed back.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Grant and Toque were the first to wake up. It was in their detective mindset to always wake up early, so in this case, they woke up at seven-thirty A.M. Toque knocked on one door while Grant knocked on the other.

"Rise and shine, everyone!" Toque exclaimed, loud enough for everyone in the hallway to hear. Some residents opened their doors and peered out with grumpy expressions. One weary man with bed-hair and dark bags under his eyes marched towards Grant, but saw his badge and backed off. Red opened his door, already fully dressed.

I just now knocked, Toque thought, did he sleep with his clothes on? Red stepped around Toque and started towards the stairs without a word.

"I'll be right out," Gold called.

Over two doors to the left, Grant was at Liam and Lyra's room. Lyra came out sulking with bags under her eyes.

"Don't you look wonderful," said Grant with a chuckle.

"Whatever," she retorted. "Just go to the lobby, I'll meet you guys down there." She went into her room to change clothes.

She and Gold came out at almost the same time. Downstairs, Grant and Toque were enjoying their breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs. Lyra and Gold joined them at the table.

"Well," said Toque, swallowing a bite of egg, "What's taking Liam so long?" Gold solemnly shook his head.

He gulped. "We have some bad news. Liam…We don't know where he is." Both detectives froze. "Last night, Lyra realized she forgot her Chikorita at Mr. Fuji's house, so Liam went to go get it." He turned to Lyra, "That's what you said, right?" She nodded, looking down.

Toque clenched his fist. "Then we'll look for him immediately."

"And where's Red? He just went down the stairs as soon as you knocked, Dan," Grant added.

The detective sighed. "I guess we'll have to look for him, too." Grant and Toque stood up to clear their plates while Lyra and Gold waited outside of the PokeCenter.

"Are you worried?" Lyra asked. Gold looked at the ground and kicked dirt.

"Yes. I don't know if Liam is…skilled enough, I guess, to get out of a situation like this. Sure, he can talk to Pokémon, and that's incredible, but will that help him?"

"I think you're jumping to conclusions, Gold. How do you know he's in a bad situation?"

"Because a fourteen-year-old with insecurity issues doesn't just disappear in the middle of the night in Lavender Town, where next to no crime happens," he explained. Lyra was about to speak but realized Gold was right. Mostly.

"I don't think he's insecure," she said. "Last night, when he went to get Chikorita back, he seemed so calm. I don't know, I just think he's hiding real potential." Before Gold could say anything more, Toque and Grant came out.

"So, where should we start?" asked Grant, clasping his hands together.

Gold pointed towards where he stepped on Liam's glasses. "Last night, Lyra and I went to see if he was ok, and I stepped on these," he said, pulling them out of his pocket. Toque strode to where Gold was pointing.

"Tire tracks," he murmured, squatting and observing the area. He looked back at the group and beckoned for them to come over. Lyra widened her eyes in shock.

"Oh gosh, is this actually happening?" she stammered. Toque stood up.

"We don't know for certain, but it looks like Liam was indeed kidnapped," he said. Lyra started tearing up.

"But first," he continued, "We need to find Red. Once we find him, then we can follow the tire tracks."

"Excuse me, Detective Toque," said a voice from behind them. "I heard you were looking for someone wearing red? That's what you said?" The voice came from a young man, probably in his low-thirties. He wore a purple sweater-vest and brown khakis, and had short brown hair. Toque stepped towards him.

"Oh, hey Marvin. Yeah, a kid wearing red. That's what we said," he replied.

"I saw someone like that heading towards the Pokémon Tower around seven thirty-five-ish. That might be who you are looking for," said Marvin.

"Thanks for the help, take care," the detective said, and Marvin left. Grant looked confused.

"How do you know him?" he questioned.

"I know everyone in this town," Toque chuckled, and they headed off towards the Pokémon Tower.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Good morning, Detective Toque. You sure are up early!" greeted the receptionist by the front door. Toque smiled.

"Good morning to you, too. Did you happen to see a boy wearing the color red?" he asked. The receptionist leaned in closer to the group.

"I did. Honestly, I think it might have been Red himself, but he didn't show his face."

Gold gave a nervous snicker. "I highly doubt it, miss. After all, nobody has seen him in years." She shrugged.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Anyway, thank you for coming to pay your respects. It means a lot to the poor Pokémon, I'm sure." She sat back down in her chair and picked up a book. The group started up the stairs. Sure enough, there he was, kneeling by a grave to the right of the room. He looked towards the group and stood up, brushing dust off of his jeans. Gold walked over to look at the inscriptions on the grave.

It read, "Here lies the Raticate of Blue Oak. R.I.P."

He feels bad, Gold thought, He actually has feelings. He looked at Red, who looked back at him. Red's face was expressionless, but his eyes looked sad. They were watery. As usual, Red strode past everyone down the stairs and out of the tower. Everyone followed close behind this time, making sure not to lose sight of him. Toque tapped on Red's shoulder, and pointed towards the tire tracks.

"Come look at these," he said, walking towards them. Red followed. Then, he examined the tracks, seeing to where they lead. They curved to the west, towards Saffron City.

I've only read the first chapter so far, but I am enjoying it! Thanks for posting!

Hey all! Not gonna lie, I completely forgot about this story.

Chapter 7 – Interrogation
I can't see anything. Why can't I see anything? Did I go blind? Am I dead? Oh my Arceus, am I dead? No, that can't be. I can feel my hands tied behind me. Why are my hands tied behind me? And what is that sting on my neck?

There was a click to the right, followed by the sound of an opening door. Something was yanked off Liam's face, and he was blinded by light. The bright light didn't go away though.

"Alright kiddo, your pupils are even," a man's voice said, and the bright light went away. A door opened, closed, and he was alone again. His eyes began to adjust to the room, though it was still blurry for some odd reason.

This is an awfully boring room, he thought. It was very small, about eight-by-eight feet, and there were no windows. Just one thick door. He looked down at himself, seeing his arms and legs tied to the metal chair he was in. He was wearing the same white shirt with blue sleeves and blue zip-up hoodie that he had been wearing the past few days, as well as blue jeans.

Why is everything so blurry? My eyes should've adjusted by now. Gah! What is that sting?!

A few moments later someone else came in the room. It was a man carrying something folded up. The man unfolded it and sat down on it. Liam stared blindly in his direction.

"Do you know why you're here?" the man questioned.

"I can't see a thing-"

"I said, do you know why you're here?"

"And there's this horrible sting in my neck-"

"Shut up!" the man yelled, stomping on the floor. "Now, I'll say it again. Do you know why you're here?"

"No."

"Yes you do."

"I don't. I don't know why I'm here. I don't know where 'here' is." The man sat back in his chair and folded his arms.

"You were snooping where you shouldn't have, and all that snoopin' is gonna get ya hurt."

Liam remembered it being really dark, and having his arms grabbed and legs kicked out from under him.

"You're them. You're Team Rocket," he murmured.

"We're past that failed attempt of an organization." The man put something in Liam's lap. "Someone else will be here in a few minutes to take you to interrogation." He got up. The door opened and closed, and once more Liam was alone.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The tire tracks lead out of Lavender Town and straight towards Saffron City. Of course, they ended as soon as they hit road at the gate, so that limited the search space to all of western Kanto.

"We follow the tracks for thirty minutes and we still wind up with nothing. He could be anywhere in western Kanto right now!" Lyra whined. Toque looked next to the Silph Co. tower.

"So we ask for help." He began to lead the group towards the Saffron City Police station, but Grant stopped him.

"We can't take Red in there! We'd be fired, even arrested for hiding information about his missing persons case," he murmured. Toque put his head in his hands out of stupidity. He turned to Red.

"I need you to hide. We don't want to start a national incident, do we?" he said. Red nodded and dashed back towards the forest. The rest of the group continued on to the Saffron City Police station.

As they walked through the automatic doors, they were greeted by a man in a brown trench coat.

"Danny! It's been a while!" the man exclaimed wrapping up Toque in a bear hug. He couldn't help but smile.

"Good to see you too, Looker," he replied. "Alright, we need to talk about something. In private." Looker furrowed his thick eyebrows and nodded. He took them to his office.

"Please, sit down. So what brings you here?" he asked, getting comfortable in the chair behind his desk. Toque sat opposite him.

"It's really hard to put into just a few words, so I'll try my best to explain. We have reason to believe Team Rocket is attempting to make a third comeback." Looker's eyes widened.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"Keep it down! Now let me finish. There's this kid that came to me about a week back, a fourteen-year-old, saying he saw the ghost of the Marowak that Team Rocket killed five years ago. It said that those who killed it would come back."

Looker interrupted, "How do you know he wasn't just making that up?"

"I thought you'd ask that. I thought the same thing, so after he went home, I went to Pokémon Tower to see it myself. He wasn't lying. Anyway, he eventually called me and told him he was with Gold," Toque nodded his head towards Gold, who was sitting on the couch behind him, "So we went to pick him up. Fast forward a couple days, and here we are."

"Well what do you need me for?" Looker asked, confused.

"That boy I just told you about was kidnapped by who we believe to be Team Rocket. With the resources you have access to at the International Police, I think we can track him down," he replied.

"I can't just use them for our own cases, Dan. If you think they're coming back a third time, why wouldn't you let us know first thing?" Toque had to stop and think of a good answer. He knew he couldn't tell Looker about Red, so he had to think of something else to say.

"We don't want to start a national panic. Especially since we don't know where they are. Can you imagine how hard the media would hammer us if we couldn't find them at all?" he said. Looker nodded. Toque continued, "If they have stooped to kidnapping, something even they haven't attempted, they are going to be a lot more serious about this than in their previous return." Looker stopped to think.

"Alright, let's say I do use my resources to find him. How do you expect to track him down?" he questioned.

"He had a Pokegear. There's no doubt they took it from him, but there's a chance it's still where they are hiding. I wouldn't have come to you if I didn't know what I was doing," he responded.

"Couldn't your Growlithe sniff him out? Surely it has his scent."

"Actually, it's Arcanine now, and no, it couldn't. We had a piece of his clothing, but after finding him, we burned it. We never could have predicted his kidnapping." Looker knew Toque well enough to know he had a response for everything.

"Ok, I'll help out. I don't like hiding information from my superiors, though. Our headquarters isn't in Kanto, so we'll have to go to our new building in Vermillion." Toque let out a sigh of relief. Hearing that Looker would help gave hope to finding Liam.