[Pokémon] Shattered [M]

I'm not that great when it comes to reviews, but I'd just like to say that this is one of the few fanfics that has actually caught my attention and drawn me in.

Add me to the PM List, if you would, and keep up the great work. :)

Well, thanks! I'm glad you enjoy it, and I'll certainly add you to the list. =D

Chapter 4: New Toys







The four of them were admiring the view from the observation deck of the Vista Lighthouse. Haley was peering intently through the binoculars across Sunyshore City and Matthew was mooching around sulkily. Tyson scanned the ground below for a while. The city was busy. Traffic snaked along the roads, but it wasn't as bad as some cities. The majority of commuters walked, taking advantage of the complex network of pedestrian walkways that spanned the city. The walkways were actually solar panels, and they were currently taking full advantage of the four-thirty sunshine.

Tyson turned to watch Jerry. The blonde-haired man was pacing back and forth along the railing by the panoramic view, talking into his cellphone in an urgent, low voice. Tyson couldn't hear what he was saying. Even as he watched, Jerry nodded a couple of times before hanging up and slipping the phone back into his pocket, glancing at Tyson as he did so. Seeing him looking, Jerry quickly averted his gaze, continuing to pace, slightly uneasily, Tyson thought. What was that about?

"Oh!" Jerry said, stopping suddenly and smacking his forehead. "I knew I'd forgotten something!" He rummaged in his pockets for a few seconds, eventually pulling out three small red and white orbs that they were all immediately familiar with. Poké Balls.

"What, we get our first Pokémon now?" Haley asked.

"Yup," he agreed, tossing one to each of them. "Here ya go." Haley caught hers automatically. Holding it in both hands, she gazed at it in awe. The little sphere was a little larger than a golf ball, but it seemed to exude power. There was something mystical about holding it, the feeling of possessing it. Whatever Pokémon was inside was now hers to command. It was a very significant moment.

"W-what is it?" she asked apprehensively, somehow unable to simply look for herself. "I mean, which Pokémon?" Jerry shrugged.

"Dunno."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Tyson asked in disbelief.

"Well, the League gave me three Pokémon to give to my group. I know what they are, but I don't know which one I gave each of you. It was a random choice, and now you're stuck with it."

"Isn't that kind of irresponsible?" Tyson asked.

"Yup, probably. But hey, who cares? You've each got a Pokémon, so there's no need to complain, right?"

"Um . . . sure," Tyson said uncertainly. Haley wasn't listening. Thumbing the button on the Poké Ball, she expanded it to full size. It quickly grew until it was larger than a baseball. Pressing the button again, she released the Pokémon inside.

There was a popping noise and a flash of red light. Haley squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, and when she opened them again, a small Pokémon was floating in the air in front of her. It was grey, with a slightly bluish tinge. What appeared to be hair, but on closer inspection was made of the same material as the rest of it, floated freely behind it, pink tips fluttering in the breeze. A necklace of some sort, made of round, reddish-pink gems sat around its neck. Its red eyes bored into Haley's, pinning her to the spot. Jerry chuckled.

"She tends to do that," he explained, waving a hand between Haley and the Pokémon, "so don't look into her eyes too much, especially since she doesn't know you right now."

"It's a Misdreavus," Tyson said, studying it closely. "That's fairly rare."

"Nah," Jerry demurred. "There's tons of them at the Lost Tower. So what's your Pokémon?" he asked Tyson. Tyson looked surprised, as if he had just realised he was holding a Poké Ball.

"Oh, right," he said, releasing his own Pokémon. It appeared to be a small, blue and black feline with disproportionately large ears. Its tail grew out into a yellow star, and each foreleg had a golden band wrapped around it.

"Ah," Jerry said. "You've got the Shinx, it would seem. Useful little fellers, them." Tyson sized it up. It barely reached past his ankles. It cocked his head at him in confusion, mewing curiously.

"It's so cute!" Haley squealed. Tyson was doubtful.

"If you say so . . ." he said uncertainly, bending over to pick it up. It wriggled out of his arms and climbed up onto his shoulder, sharp little claws digging into him through his T-shirt. "Ow!" he exclaimed. "You are so not sitting there." He lifted it down and put it on the ground again. It looked up at him with big, round eyes. Tyson rolled his eyes and returned it to his Poké Ball.

"You're so lucky!" Haley said enviously.

"You think?" Tyson asked. "It doesn't look like it'd be much good in a fight." He folded his arms moodily. Haley punched him on the shoulder.

"Lighten up!" she said. "You'll be fine. I'd even swap if you-"

"Nuh-uh!" said Jerry happily. "You're stuck with Shinx, and you're just gonna have to learn to like it. No swapping." He turned to Matthew, who was still sulking. He had simply caught his Poké Ball in silence, not commenting. "You know, I don't think I've heard you say a word since I met you. Can you talk?" Matthew's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yes," he said reluctantly. "I can."

"Wahey!" said Jerry enthusiastically, causing multiple passers-by to look at him oddly. "There, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Matthew simply glared at him. "Anyway, seeing as Tyson has Shinx and Haley got Misdreavus, you must have the Houndour!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. "Come on, let's see it, then!"

Matthew lifted the Poké Ball to eye level, glaring at it sullenly. He turned it one way, then the other, examining it with scepticism. The look on his face suggested he wasn't quite sure what he was holding. Frowning, he reluctantly pressed the button, expanding it. Before he could press it again, however, he was interrupted.

"You don't know what you're dealing with, boy," hissed a voice. Glancing around, Tyson couldn't see where it had come from. As a matter of fact, they were alone on the observation deck. So who had spoken?

"Get behind me, you three," said Jerry, a sharp note in his voice. Glancing at him, Tyson saw that the smile had disappeared from his face. Something wasn't right. Moving automatically to stand behind him, Tyson saw that Haley and Matthew were doing the same.

"That's right," hissed the voice again. "Hide behind your big, bad friend." The voice – definitely female – seemed to be coming from behind what appeared to be a large, blocky pillar in the centre of the room. It was the elevator they had come up in not ten minutes ago, but the doors were on the other side.

"He wouldn't be able to do a thing," continued the voice. "But luckily for you, I'm not seeking to pick a fight today." The owner of the voice stepped out from behind the elevator. It was a woman – or so Tyson assumed. He couldn't actually make out any features, because her entire body was covered by a deep green cloak. It was an earthy green, the kind that made him think of exotic forests and wild, untamed Grass-type Pokémon. A large hood obscured the top half of her face, and the rest was hidden in shadow.

"Oh, not you Avos fanatics again!" Jerry growled angrily. "I've run into your kind before, and you-"

"I know." The 'Avos fanatic' cut him off with a raised hand. "I was one of those who you encountered in Jubilife. We are all alike, are we not?"

"Sure, whatever," Jerry said, clenching his fists. Evidently the memory was not pleasant. "You say you don't want to pick a fight, so you must be here for some other reason. Say your piece and get the hell out of here!" Tyson frowned. Jerry was acting awfully aggressive all of a sudden. The cloaked figure chuckled lightly.

"Oh, Jerry," she whispered. "Don't pretend you don't love us. You're only fighting yourself, you know."

"You didn't come here for that," he said angrily. "What the hell do you want?"

"For you to cease this madness. It is bad enough that you use Pokémon yourself, but now you intend to make children follow the same path? You will doom Sinnoh with this plan. Within ten years, every teenager in the region will want to be a Pokémon Trainer. They will go running off without a care in the world, and leave only ruin behind."

"Ruin?" Tyson interrupted. Jerry glanced at him urgently.

"Stop," he muttered. "Don't question her!"

"Ruin?" Tyson asked again, ignoring Jerry. "How can this possibly lead to ruin? You make it all sound so disastrous!" The hooded woman chuckled maliciously.

"Such . . . audacity. You would do well to curb your tongue," she warned softly. "But you are young, and therefore foolish. I will explain. If this Pokémon Journey Project of the League's works out, every teenager in the country will be journeying within a few years, yes? Well, just think about this. Who will keep Sinnoh running? Who will go into the labour force? No-one. Who will attend lectures at university? No-one. Who will deal with law and order? Who will become the next generation of police officers, lawyers, forensics, and PIs if every teenager is off trying to become a Pokémon Master?" She laid such heavy sarcasm on the last couple of words that it was impossible to mistake her distaste for the idea.

"People will come back, though," Tyson argued. "They will go on their Pokémon Journey, and then they'll come back and go to university, or get an apprenticeship, or whatever. That's what I'm doing, for one."

"You are so naive. Do you really think they will all come back? Once a Pokémon Trainer, always a Pokémon Trainer."

"People can be Trainers and still have jobs, though," said Tyson. "I know plenty of working adults who raise Pokémon!"

"Be that as it may, the lure of becoming a full-time Pokémon Trainer is one that few can resist. Look at your friend Jerry there. Tell me, Jerry," she said, "do you have a job? Other than training children to be like you, that is."

"No," he admitted. "My salary comes from the League."

"And where does that money come from? The League is hardly selling T-shirts."

"Government funding, I suppose."

"Exactly. Government funding that could be going straight back into the economy. Every little child in the Pokémon Journey Program will want to be just like you and your comrades when you grow up, Jerry. If they don't already, I'm sure you'll make sure they do by the time the Program is finished. And each child that decides to be a Pokémon Trainer is another child that will not be going into the workforce. Each child that doesn't go into the workforce reduces the amount of money going into the government. The less money going into the government, the less funding they can provide. Money will be getting tighter and tighter. There will be a recession. Employers will have to pay their employees less. The employees will barely be able to pay taxes. Some may turn to crime. Inmate numbers will go up. But who's keeping an eye on the inmates?"

"You're blowing this way out of proportion," Jerry growled. "It won't happen!" She laughed.

"Not in our lifetime, perhaps. Maybe that means you don't need to care. But think. If the Pokémon Journey Project goes ahead – and the way the government is looking right now, it certainly will, unfortunately – if it goes ahead, the future doesn't look good. Our generation will die off eventually, Jerry. Then what will be left? A Sinnoh full of unemployed Pokémon Trainers with no skill in any trade. This is the future, Jerry. This is where Pokémon lead us. We will be ruined."

"Not everybody will undertake the Pokémon Journey," Tyson said. This woman was really starting to piss him off. "There will be kids who don't want to. Kids whose parents won't let them. Kids who have higher aspirations than being a Pokémon Trainer. It won't happen!"

"There are those, yes," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "But their numbers are too few. For every child who stays at school, there will be twenty who venture forth. How many were in the test group this time, Jerry?"

"Twenty-eight," he replied stiffly.

"And how many will not be doing the Pokémon Journey?" she asked innocently. There was a short pause.

"None," Jerry admitted.

"There, you see? If that reflects anything, we're doomed."

"Alright!" Jerry burst out suddenly. "You've made your point, so would you kindly leave now?"

"If you insist," she said, pressing her palms together and bowing. Tyson couldn't tell whether she was being sarcastic or not. "Just remember, you are creating an abomination. I offer you again what I offered you in Jubilife-"

"And the answer is still no. Get out of here. I'd challenge you to a Pokémon battle, but you don't have any, do you?"

"Of course I don't," she said. "You know full well Avos' view on Pokémon slavery."

"It's not slavery," he began, but shook his head. "Forget it. I'm not getting into an ethical debate with you now. Just leave!" She bowed again.

"Very well." She turned without another word and walked behind the elevator again. He didn't hear the door open, but when Tyson looked around the back a few seconds later, she was gone.

"Who the hell was that?" Haley asked nervously. Jerry scratched his head awkwardly.

"Well, uh . . . I, um . . ."

"Don't want to tell us?" she prodded.

"It's not that, it's just . . . well, I shouldn't really . . ."

"I get it," she said. "It doesn't matter. It's not like we might need to know or anything." Jerry shifted uncomfortably.

"All right," he said. "I'll tell you guys once we're on the road tomorrow, alright? Just . . . promise me you won't mention this to your parents, all right?" Tyson raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that kind of irresponsible?" Tyson asked, before realising he'd said the same thing not too long ago.

"Maybe. But please, guys. If your parents know about this, I can guarantee you they won't let you do the Pokémon Journey, especially if they know anything about those Avos fanatics."

"What exactly does-"

"Tomorrow." Jerry cut Haley off, walking toward the elevator with the three of them following. "Just – get the stuff you need, don't mention the chick with the bad fashion sense, and meet me back here – downstairs, of course – at seven tomorrow. OK?" Tyson, Haley and Matthew all nodded. "OK. Till then, just remember. No mentioning the creepy lady."




"I still feel kind of bad lying to Mum and Dad," Haley said doubtfully as they walked home. "It makes me feel all . . . wrong."

"Listen," Tyson said seriously. "Jerry was right. If Mum finds out there's some weird psycho trying to sabotage the Project, she's gonna freak. She'll tear up the paperwork and send us back to school without so much as a 'but'. Is that what you want?"

"No," she admitted. "You know I want to do this. I have to do this!"

"All right, but that means not mentioning the lady in the green cloak, 'kay?"

"All right. I don't like it, but I'll do it, because I'll be damned if I'll let some nutty psycho stop me from doing what I want!" she said with sudden vehemence, smacking one fist into the other palm. Tyson blinked.

"That's not like you at all. Are you feeling OK?"

"Me?" she asked, suddenly deflating like a balloon with a hole in it. "I guess. I just need a good night's sleep." Tyson patted her on the back.

"Well, you're gonna have to wait; we've got some packing to do first."

Throughout the next three hours of frantic explaining, packing, eating, packing, not mentioning psychos in green cloaks, and more packing, Tyson kept a close eye on his sister. She was looking really tired for some reason, and he couldn't help but worry about her. By the time they both went to bed, she was practically stumbling around the house.

"Night, Haley," he yawned absently as he closed his door. She needed all the sleep she could get, but he couldn't understand why. They hadn't done anything physically strenuous, and he was sure she'd gotten up at the usual time that morning. Some things just didn't make sense. As he puzzled over this, however, he felt himself getting tired. Flicking off the bedside light and setting his alarm, he tried to get to sleep. He had one hell of a big day tomorrow, not to mention a sister to worry about.




The strange woman in the green cloak was standing on the beach. It was a beach he knew well; he'd been there just last weekend. She stood stock still on the sand, staring directly out to sea. At least, that was how it appeared. The hood that concealed her face also made it impossible to tell where she was looking.

The usual crowd of children and Pokémon were frolicking around, building sandcastles and playing tag. The sun was high in the sky, and a strong breeze was blowing. The woman's cloak whipped around in the wind, but she paid it no heed. Children ran in circles around her, giggling madly; she ignored them. Watching the sea, she moved not an inch. Then she spoke, and all other noise ceased, as if someone had pressed the mute button on a remote control.

"You are foolish, Tyson. You have the opportunity to stay here, in this beautiful seaside city, and have a life." Her voice rang clearly in his ears. "You could go to university like you wanted. Become a forensic scientist. Maybe even write that crime novel you've been thinking about, hmm?" She half-turned and he saw that the hood of her cloak had lifted enough for him to see her lips, blood red on china white. She was smiling. How had she known? He had never told anyone that he wanted to write a crime novel. Not even Haley.

"I'm going," he found himself saying, although the words seemed to bypass his conscious mind and speak themselves. "I'm going on the Pokémon Journey. I'll keep up with my schoolwork, and I'll come back for university. I can do all that. I know I can."

"Oh, Tyson, Tyson," she murmured. "Do you really think so? I know they're all lying to you. You know it, too."

"No, they're not!" he said automatically. "Nothing you can say can convince me to stay here. I've made up my mind, and I'm sticking with it. For Haley, even if not for myself." She chuckled.

"So noble . . . Very well, Tyson. I shall leave you now. But you are making a bad decision. A very bad decision." And with those words, she melted away into sand, which spun away on the breeze. The sound from the rest of the world came back suddenly, and Tyson was drifting . . .

I like your development of characters, particularly that of Tyson's. ^^

Sparkles said:

"You are so not sitting there."

Click to expand...

This seems like something Haley would say, more than Tyson. That was just my impression, anyway.

Sparkles said:

"You don't know what you're dealing with, boy," hissed a voice. Glancing around, Tyson couldn't see where it had come from. As a matter of fact, they were alone on the observation deck. So who had spoken?

"Get behind me, you three," said Jerry, a sharp note in his voice. Glancing at him, Tyson saw that the smile had disappeared from his face. Something wasn't right. Moving automatically to stand behind him, Tyson saw that Haley and Matthew were doing the same.

Click to expand...

I really liked this. It built up the suspense perfectly. ^^

The only problem I found with this chapter was that there simply weren't enough problems for me to point out. XD But seriously, excellent job. I'm really interested how this Avos plot will unfold, particularly since they don't have Pokémon. You have a challenging job ahead of you. ^^

Thanks a lot. I always get annoyed when I can't find many bad things to point out in my review. The Avos plot will certainly be interesting, yes. At least, I hope so.

=D Besides, it's important they get split up.

Click to expand...

I can't wait to [officially] find out why!
I'm happy that you took my suggestion of Haley having a Misdreavous on, and I like Shinx. *loves Luxray*
Hope you finish this one, I can't wait to see where it goes!

Anyways, here is a trailer that I made for Sparkles about three days ago.
He gave me permission to post it here.


- Pich_u

Yay! You've got my favourite Electric type, Shinx, in the fic. Well done, SD. I'm gonna leave the error pointing out to others, so I'll just say this is an excellent fic and keep up the great work.

Thanks for reviewing, guys. I dislike Shinx, personally. Anyway, I'm glad you like it! (Dammit, I say that every time!)

I so hate having such a short review like this, but I couldn't find anything wrong with this chapter! Suspicious Green-Cloaked Anti-League Woman is definitely an interesting addition, and she sounds sort of like an echo of some real life Pokémon bashers. That's just my way of seeing her, of course, but I thought you would like to know.

Keep going strong!

Before I say anything, I want to comment that the trailer music kicks butt. Listening to it right now while I'm writing this review. :D

Anyways, woot we get to know now what Tyson plans on studying if he were to go to university. I think it shoots him well. And if he ever does write that novel, I'm so defiantly buying it. ;)

Also, that green clad lady creeps me out. :O I actually disagree with her. There's plenty of people who have Pokemon and take different occupations instead of trainer. True, both anime and game canon show a lot of failed trainers, but also there has been successful trainers and people in other occupations. Oh man, I got rambly here, considering this story takes place before the events in the games. XD; Congrats, you made me hate her now (which is good). :D

There's actually a couple problems I want to point out. One, you didn't mention much about how Matthew feels about the lady's prediction like the other characters. I'm able to know Jerry, Haley, and Tyson's feelings about it and you did it well, but it seems Matthew was left out of the dark.

Another problem is if the government is still fishy about this project, why would they decide to fund the project? Okay, maybe this question should be easy for me to figure out. XD;

Anyways, finally getting to the good stuff. :) Can't wait for next chapter!

Bay said:

Before I say anything, I want to comment that the trailer music kicks butt. Listening to it right now while I'm writing this review. :D

Click to expand...

Thanks Bay! I gave Sparkles a choice between "Eggman Machine" and "Definition of Insanity", and 'he' chose "Eggman Machine", right after he'd been Sonic-bashing.

I've uploaded the full track with this, if you'd like it.

And I might make another later on for a part that you haven't read...


- Pich_u

P.S. Hurry up, Sparkles!

Hurry up with what, Pich_u? And thank you, guys, for reviewing. Bay, the government interest will be explained, and I think it'd be hard to get any kind of reaction out of Matthew. He's a story of his own, waiting to happen, and I plan to explore him later.

Chapter 5 - I'm On A Boat




"You're all set to go?" Elizabeth asked anxiously, rifling through Haley's pack while simultaneously trying to wipe the tears out of her eyes.

"Aw, Mum, don't cry about it!" Haley said sleepily. "We'll come back, don't worry!"

"I know, I know! It's just . . . oh, you're finally growing up!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tyson asked sceptically. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Oh, don't worry about me, love," she sniffed. "I'll be fine. I'm just glad you two are finally . . . doing something you really want to do!"

"It's always good to see you kids taking responsibility for yourselves!" Jacob said happily, patting his wife on the back. "Calm down, love. It's not like we'll never see them again," he added. Elizabeth nodded tearfully.

"OK, OK. I get it. It's just . . . oh, you two!" she cried, enveloping the twins in a hug. "Good luck, and remember, I love you so, so much!" Haley squirmed awkwardly. For a moment, she wondered if they had done the right thing in not telling her about the events at the Vista Lighthouse the day before.

"I love you too, Mum," she said, "but I can't breathe. Could you . . . ?"

"Oh, right!" she said, letting go. "I'll j-just go and, um, lie down, I think. Goodbye, Tyson. Goodbye, Haley." She left the room in quite a hurry. Jacob sighed.

"Ah, your poor mother," he said. "She'll be alright. She just needs a little time to adjust. I don't think she was expecting you two to be leaving home quite this early!" He laughed. "It's quarter to seven, so I guess we should be leaving soon. I'll come to the lighthouse with you."

"Man, these packs look heavy," Tyson noted, but his father simply laughed.

"This is nothing, kiddo. Back at the academy, we had to lug twice this amount through Route 222 every day before breakfast! Come on, you'll get used to it." Haley glared at her pack as if the sheer force of her gaze would make it lighter.

"All right, let's go," she said decisively, hefting the pack over her shoulders.




As she walked away from everything she had ever known, Haley wondered for the first time if this was what she really wanted. Everything from here on in would be new and unfamiliar, and it was almost guaranteed that not all of it would be pleasant. The only thing she could rely on out there was Tyson. She had always been able to rely on Tyson, but now . . . He has to be feeling the same way, doesn't he? He'll be worrying about this too. And who's he going to rely on? Me? I won't be any good if Tyson runs into trouble. I've never been as solid as he is. He won't have anyone to help him.

Shifting her pack in an effort to make it just a little more comfortable, Haley tried to put these thoughts from her mind. It was all going to be fine. She was going to travel across Sinnoh, and it was going to be wonderful, each and every step of the way. Keep telling yourself that, girl.

With a start, she realised that they had reached the Vista Lighthouse. Jerry was waiting for them, looking remarkably chipper, with Matthew skulking around behind him in a heavy black coat.

"You must be Mr Bach!" Jerry said brightly, proffering his hand.

"Jacob, please," their father grinned, shaking it firmly. "And you must be Jerry."

"Indeed I am. Pleased to meet you." Haley frowned. Jerry was being a fair bit more formal today. While the two men exchanged pleasantries, she sidled over to Tyson and whispered in his ear.

"Do you still think it was a good idea? Not telling Mum and Dad about what happened yesterday, I mean."

"Of course," he replied. "You saw what Mum was like this morning anyway. If we told her we'd been approached by a psycho before we'd even left, she'd never let us leave the house again."

"What about Dad, though? Couldn't we tell him?"

"I dunno about that. Dad might be pretty relaxed about this sort of thing, but he's not stupid."

"Fair enough."

"I guess I'll be seeing you two, then," Jacob said, grinning. "Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Training isn't the only thing you can do with Pokémon, you know, but I'll let you explore that for yourselves." Pulling first Tyson, and then Haley into a massive bear hug, he said, "No matter what you do, though, I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you for having the guts to start this. You're growing up so fast, and before long, we won't recognise you. Promise me you'll keep in touch?"

"Of course we will, Dad," Haley said. "The laptops have videophones, so we can call you anytime."

"Atta girl! Just remember, you two," he said, growing serious, "it's a big world out there. Be careful, and look after yourselves. Jerry seems like a good guy, and I'm happy to put you in his care. So go out there, see the world, and enjoy it, OK? I almost wish I was coming with you, but my place is here. Good luck."

"Thanks, Dad," Haley said. "Goodbye!"

"Bye, Dad," Tyson said, but Haley thought he seemed a little distracted. Nodding firmly, Jacob shook Jerry's hand one more time and walked away without another word.

Yep, that's Dad all right. Never one to mess around.


"Shall we go, then?" Haley was surprised to hear Jerry speaking. "We're all here, so there's no sense beating about the bush, right?"

"You were going to tell us about that Avos person," Tyson reminded him.

"Yep," said Jerry. "Just wait until we're on the boat." He began to walk, and they hurried to catch up, Matthew sloping silently along as usual.

"The boat?" Haley asked. "What boat?"

"We're taking a ferry to Pastoria City," Jerry explained.

"Why's that, exactly?" Tyson asked. "What's wrong with going on foot?"

"I just thought we'd do something a little different. You see, the other eight groups will be heading west along Route 222 this morning, but we're going to be different, and take the boat to Pastoria. Then we'll come back east, toward Lake Valor, and maybe even meet some of the other groups on the way. Sound good?"

"Well-"

"Good, 'cause I've already booked the tickets. Let's go!"




The S.S. Valeria was a medium-sized vessel, which had apparently been ferrying people from one place to another for fifty years. It seemed to Haley that she hadn't had a fresh coat of paint in forty-nine. From the little she knew about boats, she looked seaworthy enough, though. I hope. Apparently, Jerry was thinking the same thing.

"Well, she's seen better days, that's for sure, but she'll be right. Come on, get on board and sit down."

The three of them went ahead while Jerry spoke quietly with the captain. Looking at it from the inside, it was actually impossible to tell how old it was. In fact, it was hardly like being on a boat at all. The main passenger area was a long, narrow room that ran most of the length of the boat, furnished with plush burgundy furniture, and boasting shiny wooden panelling. On each side was a row of windows; one set looking back toward Sunyshore City, and the rest out to sea. Settling themselves on a large couch, Tyson, Haley, and Matthew waited.

As Tyson tried – unsuccessfully – to prompt Matthew into conversation, Haley looked back over Sunyshore. Closest to the ship was Domain Road, Sunyshore's famed beachfront restaurant strip. Being early in the morning, only a few establishments were open. Open or not, there was almost nobody around. With the morning sun reflecting off a hundred glass windows along the curved street, Domain Road looked like a multifaceted golden diamond.

Beyond Domain Road, the glittering spires of the CBD rose above the rest of Sunyshore. Commercialism was becoming a major part of life in the city, with many big-name corporations moving in each year.

And it would all be left behind in just a few minutes, she reminded herself. Before long, she would be chugging away on the S.S. Valeria to Pastoria City. She could feel the vibrations of the ancient engine warming up through the carpet beneath her feet.

"All right." Startled out of her contemplation, Haley looked up in surprise to see Jerry taking a seat in a large armchair opposite the three of them. He bowed his head and clasped his hands, taking a deep breath. "We're going to be leaving in a minute or two, but there aren't any other passengers. So, what exactly was it that you wanted to know?"

"Who was that yesterday?" Haley asked. "You mentioned something about . . . what was it? Avos?" Jerry sighed.

"The woman in the green cloak belongs to a religious sect that calls themselves the Cult of Avos. They're a very strange group, and I don't know much about them. I know that they always wear those green cloaks when they're on cult business, so membership remains secret. And as the name suggests, they worship a god called Avos. This isn't too different from many other religious minorities around. The main difference is their view of Pokémon."

"She said something about how Pokémon would ruin us all," Tyson supplied. With a great grinding below decks, the engine tone changed audibly, and Sunyshore City slowly started to slip away. Haley watched it go by through the window as she listened to the rest of Jerry's explanation.

"Yes, that's their philosophy. They believe that Pokémon are an abomination, and that Pokémon Trainers are just as bad for wanting to use them. I'm not exactly sure what their logic behind it is, but they have their own reasons. So basically, they protest against Pokémon Training. That's their main focus, anyway."

"Protest?" Tyson asked. "What, like marches?" A shadow crossed Jerry's face.

"No," he said quietly. "Recently, there've been a lot of reports of large colonies of wild Pokémon killed in some horrible way or another. Whether it's toxic gases, shredding blades or bullets, there are rarely any survivors. The Cult of Avos is the prime suspect, but there's never enough evidence to press charges. The government's been trying to keep it quiet, but it hasn't really been working."

"That's horrible!" exclaimed Haley. "What sort of person could do something like that?" Jerry grimaced.

"It's certainly terrible. They denounce people for being Pokémon Trainers, but what they don't seem to understand is that what they do is many times worse."

"That woman yesterday," Tyson said, as if just remembering. "It seemed like she'd met you before." Jerry nodded grimly, as if the memory was painful for him.

"I ran into three of them in Jubilife, a couple of years ago. It was a . . . bad experience, and not one I'm willing to go into right now, OK?"

"That's . . . understandable," Tyson acquiesced. "So, what else do you know about them?"

"Not very much," Jerry admitted. "They're a very secretive organisation, and most people don't even know they exist."

"Can we talk about something else now?" Haley asked. "All this is making me feel a little sick."

"Good idea," agreed Jerry, and Haley felt he was glad to be moving on. "Now, I gotta to go talk to the captain about something. I won't be long."




"It's all going according to plan, sir," Jeremiah reported. "The only problem we've encountered is them."

"That is to be expected," said his superior, studying Jeremiah's face intently. Over the videophone, it was a little distorted, but the pride in his face was evident. "I knew they would try something before long. The Cult cannot be expected to sit quietly while we move things into place."

"We have the resources to deal with them, don't we, sir?" Jeremiah asked.

"Of course we do. But the Cult is slippery. They are like ghosts. They will appear from nowhere, strike, and melt back into the shadows before we can do anything about it."

"So how are we going to manage them, sir?"

"Think, Jeremiah. The Cult is stretched too thin. They have few members, about a hundred at last count. Yet they are continually overextending themselves. They attempt to interfere with everything, whether it be a government project or one of our own. Still more members are occupied with these Pokémon slaughtering sprees."

"That's inhumane, sir. If you don't mind me saying so."

"Your mind is clouded by compassion. The loss of a few hundred wild Pokémon will not affect us in the long run. If anything, they are doing us a favour. My spies report that nearly a fifth of the Cult is busy killing wild Pokémon. That is a fifth that cannot be employed against us, making our job that little bit easier."

"I suppose that's true, sir. But if they're spread so thin, why not strike now? We have the men, the arms."

"Have I not taught you the value of patience? The Cult is not doing us any harm at the present time. They are merely warning us, trying to discourage us. As dangerous as they are, they are reluctant to take human life. That is a weakness I fully intend to exploit."

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted."

"They are making me – and the others – nervous, sir. They have been attempting to sabotage the operation, and I fear that they will succeed if left unchecked for too long. I recommend a pre-emptive strike."

"As much as I value your opinion, Jeremiah, you are misguided in this. An attack from us now would serve only to antagonise them. There are never more than a few of them in one place, and coordinating an operation of the scale needed to put a significant dent in their numbers would take more resources than I am willing to dedicate to this at the moment."

"I understand, sir."

"Good. Have you had any word from Samuel?"

"He contacted me yesterday, sir, just before I began the latest phase of the operation. Not long after you departed, actually."

"And you did not think to contact me?"

"I, uh, thought it would be wisest to wait for the prescribed time, sir."

"True. But remember, schedules are what kill people like us. If the Cult were to discover when we were in contact, it would be a simple matter for them to hack our frequency. Therefore, I recommend contacting me as soon as you have new information. If I am not available, leave a message detailing when we may talk face to face. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now tell me, what of Samuel's operation?"

"He reports that the caves outside Eterna yielded exactly what was expected, sir. He is currently documenting all the carvings, and will send them back for analysis as soon as it is complete. He says he would have been finished earlier, but he discovered a hidden chamber with even more carvings, and asks me to convey his apologies. He thinks you will be pleased with his progress."

"Excellent. I eagerly await the results. Very well, you are dismissed. I will contact you this evening. Until then, keep a low profile."

"Yes, sir. Understood." The line clicked dead, and Jeremiah breathed a sigh of relief. His boss scared him sometimes.

Sparkles said:

calls themselves the Cult of Avos

Click to expand...

This seems odd. Virtually no cult would actually call themselves a "cult", due to the pejorative nature of the word.

Apart from that, excellent, excellent job. ^^ Very compelling. :D I have an idea about what's going on with the last scene, but I don't what to speculate aloud, for fear of ruining it for others (and myself - I don't want it confirmed or shot down. XD)

I wondered about this, but the first three definitions from my dictionary are neutral-kinda terms. And the Cult of Avos, as we'll see, are hardly the type to give a *beep* about that sorta thing.

And yes, I think I know what you're speculating. That was the intention of that scene. Well done.

Hmmm, the dictionary does seem to give neutral definitions, but I've only ever heard it being used with strong pejorative connotations. Just my experience. *shrugs*

Yet Charlotte mentions, on multiple occasions, that she was 'in a cult'.

Whoa!

*sits back and exhales*

SD, this fic just keeps getting better and better. I take it Jeremiah is one of Cyrus' Admins?

Did I ever mention Cyrus in that conversation? knowing me i probably did for some reason

This. Fic. Is. Awesome. :D

One thing that I think I picked up in chapter five...