Chapter Eight – Islands Unto Themselves
Misty came up from the long dive coughing and sputtering, sucking in a huge breath of air as soon as she could breathe. Pikachu seemed likewise relieved though, being that he could acquire all the oxygen he required using mouthful of water and electrolysis, the four minute underwater jaunt hadn't bothered him too greatly.
"God, Starmie," Misty sighed, taking another deep breath. "Are you trying to kill us?" Misty took a moment to collect herself. I'm out of practice, she thought. That's all. "Wait…" It took Misty a moment to realize that she could see, quite easily in fact. Towards the end of the dive she'd closed her eyes in struggle, and it was only now that she realized that there was literately a light at the end of the tunnel.
She looked around to get her bearings, seeing that she was in a small pool of water at the end of a tunnel just big enough for a single person to stand in. She crawled out of the water, shook out her hair, and returned Starmie to its pokeball. Pikachu shook so quick as to vibrate, drying out its fur in an instant, and walked carefully behind Misty as the trainer made her way down the little, one-way tunnel towards the end. As she neared the exit the low din she'd begun to hear in the background grew steadily louder, and the air filled with a smell not unlike hot iron or copper.
Hearing human voices and something much louder and squealing, Misty slowed and peeked through the small door at the end of the tunnel and for a long moment she stared, trying to discern exactly what it was she saw. There was a very large cavern beyond the door, so large that a dome at the top of the enormous room opened to the clear sky. The center of the room was occupied by a black pit some twenty feet across. All around the pit were metal tables and conveyer belts hooked up to portable generators, and in front of the tables were people, most in black uniforms with a large assortment of knives and sharp utensils hanging from their red-smeared aprons.
It was the large red masses lying on the tables that caught Misty's attention first, and then it was the cages lined up in rows behind the tables and conveyors. "Team Rocket?" she breathed, keen eyes catching the red insignia embroidered on the left breast of each uniform. Upon that realization, and on seeing the animals penned in the cages, she quickly processed exactly what was going on. In the cages behind the tables were all manner of semi-docile Pokémon: Paras, and Clefairy mainly.
One of the fifty or so Rocket Members would attach a cable from one of the generators to the nodes on a cage, quickly electrocuting and killing whatever resided in the cage and filling the air with the near constant shrieks that Misty had heard before. The Rocket Member then would, if there were Clefairy in the cage, haul the cadaver to a conveyer belt which dumped the body into the pit. If a cage housed Paras, the grunts would bring the carcasses to the men at the tables who would quickly strip the mushrooms from the Pokémon's back and deposit them in a bin beside the tables. They left the bare bodies in great piles on the tables for some later purpose.
Ducking back behind the door, Misty fought to keep her meager lunch in her stomach. The sight combined with the smell, combined with the crunching and cutting and screaming sounds made for an almost unbearable scene. She looked back around when she heard a heavy diesel engine rumbling, and saw a flatbed truck coming into the cavern from one of the many large exits. On the back of the truck were several wooden boxes filled with grey and blue-black masses.
Misty watched in shock as the truck pulled up to one of the conveyers and grunts, climbing up onto the flatbed, began heaving the boxes down, throwing dozens of dead Zubat per box onto the conveyer, then setting the boxes in a neat pile behind the truck. The wholesale slaughter boggled the trainer's mind. When she noticed the Rocket Trainers posted at each exit, each accompanied by a guard Pokémon, she could only imagine the resources Rocket was dumping into this twisted operation.
And to what end? she asked herself.
Pikachu's horror was evident. The little rodent stood frozen halfway behind Misty's leg and watched as Team Rocket carried out their bloody business with ruthless efficiency.
"Who woulda' thought," Misty overheard from one of the grunts at the nearest table, "that those overgrown bug-zappers the boss built would be so good at killing Zubat?"
Over the screams and grindings and engines, Misty couldn't hear what the man's partner said, but she had seen quite enough. "We can look for Ash once this is taken care of…" She plucked two pokeballs from her belt and, stepping around the corner, tossed them out. Pikachu stepped with her, coming into the open just as Blastoise and Starmie sprang into existence from bright flashes of light.
You bastards are going to pay for everything you did to me, Misty thought as she glanced around, making absolutely sure she hadn't missed something. "If it moves, kill it," she said.
Most of the Rocket grunts hadn't even seen the flashes of the Pokémon, despite the dim room and the bloody light. Anyone who missed it earlier instantly realized they were under attack when Pikachu's thunderbolt reduced a grunt to a blackened husk in a heartbeat with a deafening bang.
Acting before the guards even realized what was going on, Pikachu let loose with a chain lightning attack that leapt from one person to the next, felling, if not outright killing four of the Rocket grunts, while Blastoise targeted one of the quicker guards and dropped both her and her small Geodude with a single shot. After the initial slaughter, most of the Rocket grunts, those actually doing the slaughter, broke and fled, making for the caves while the guards struggled to reorganize.
"Double-Edge," ordered Misty. Starmie, who had been hanging back, spun into the air like a firework, edged arms glittering in the light. As Misty released both of her Staryu, Starmie rocketed down, buzzing like a top, and whipped passed three of the Rocket grunts. In quick succession two heads dropped from shoulders and the bodies fell like
withered inner tubes.
When the guards arrived in earnest, outnumbering Misty's force more than five to one, the young trainer ordered her Blastoise to stay on the offensive, while drawing back Starmie and both Staryu to protect her against attack. Blastoise squared off against a Graveler and a Ryhorn, with a Geodude moving to flank him, watching carefully for either an opening or an order from Misty.
"Body Slam!" Misty barked, raising one hand in front of her face as her Starmie and a Rocket's Staryu smashed into each other a meter from her head. She heard the Rocket Guard who'd ordered the unsuccessful attack curse as the two Pokémon began dueling overhead, Starmie struggling for a height advantage.
Hearing his owner's order, Blastoise charged forward and slammed his frame against the Ryhorn, trying to both smash it to the ground and club it with his elbow. The Graveler and Geodude took the opportunity to move in from the sides and try to grapple Blastoise. "Blastoise, go for its eyes!" Misty shouted. The heavy turtle of a Pokémon grabbed hold of either side of Ryhorn's skull, digging its simple clawed fingers into the Pokémon's vulnerable eyes, and jerked fiercely to one side. Ryhorn's neck wrenched with the motion, and the Pokémon's form went limp.
Determined by their master's shouts of punishment, the Geodude and Graveler strained themselves, overcoming Blastoise's bulk and toppling him to the ground.
"Starmie!" Misty yelled not a second after her Pokémon had finished off the Rocket's overmatched Staryu. "Help him out!" She pointed to Blastoise as Graveler landed a solid blow across the Pokémon's skull. Starmie spun down out of the air, smashing across the Geodude's back and knocking the dazed Pokémon away from Blastoise. Misty winced though, seeing the attack's recoil had cracked Starmie's protective exoskeleton. That gave Blastoise just enough of a window to grab hold of Graveler's upper arms and begin trying to wrestle himself free.
Pikachu was busy with one of the guards who had unleashed three purple Nidoran. The agile rabbit-like Pokémon were just quick enough that the three of them together could keep Pikachu busy, that was until Blastoise, who had since smashed the Graveler to pebbles, rumbled to the aid and bit one of the Nidoran cleanly in two, while stomping the second with his clubbish foot. Pikachu dispatched the third with a lightning attack, then went after the grunts who had not yet fled into the tunnels.
"Hmph," mumbled Misty as she saw the guards scattering. "That's right, run, right into the Deep Roads, you pricks. See if you like it as much as I did!"
A deep rumbling caught Misty's attention, and that of Blastoise and Pikachu. From one of the larger tunnels there was a white flash, and a mammoth shadow strode out into the rusty light. "What the hell"? Misty stammered. The creature looked like nothing so much as a Rydon, though it was much, much larger, nearly fifteen feet in height, and instead of a bone horn, protruding from its skull was a massive metal drill-bit that ended in a forked spike. The monster's face was more of a grotesque helmet than a skull, and its grey hide shimmered, the light scattering off of the heavy plates grafted to its form.
Beside the new Pokémon, though Misty wondered if this was truly a natural creation, was what she guessed to be a Machamp, though this Pokémon also was horrifyingly aberrant. The Machamp's skin was thick and cracked, the color of dried blood, and each of its four arms ended in some sharp metal cutting tool, the hands amputated. One eye had been sewn shut and the other replaced with something like a small, spherical video camera. The jaw looked broken and the mouth hung open, exposing rotted yellow teeth, but even these had been filed to horrible points.
The mere sight of the new arrivals gave Misty pause, though not so much as to miss the figure behind them. She caught a glance of the tall figure in a trench coat and fedora hat step off into the shadows before the grotesque Pokémon charged forward. Blastoise immediately stepped in front of Misty and answered the Rydon's charge with a blast from its water cannon. The jet knocked the aberration's leg out from underneath its form and the Rydon toppled forward, catching itself.
The twisted Machamp ran up the Rydon's spined back, taking a leaping jump into the air and coming down on Blastoise before the large Pokémon could move. Wickedly sharp knives mounted on the stumpy wrists of the Pokémon's upper arms ground into Blastoise shell, sticking fast and drawing blood. Misty gasped as the Machamp swung its lower arms, one armed with a huge spike, for the killing blow. A tan form buzzed in front of the attack and deflected the spike and the second lower arm. One Staryu had saved Blastoise, and the other hovered protectively in front of Misty. The Machamp jerked its weapons from Blastoise shell just before another jet of water blasted the red Pokémon back beside the Rydon who was just getting up to its feet.
"Staryu, Starmie," said Misty, "take out that Machamp. Blastoise, you and Pikachu handle the…" she wasn't sure what to call it, "Rydon." By now the large room had emptied out and Pikachu had returned from finishing off most of the Rocket grunts.
Rydon's horn spun in place as the unnatural Pokémon charged forward, straight at Blastoise. The blue Pokémon again tried to knock out Rydon's leg, but moved too slowly and had to roll to one side as Rydon barreled by, catching Blastoise flank with its drill bit horn. Pikachu unleashed a sizzling lightning attack that broke and scattered into little tendrils of light across the Pokémon's back. The Rydon pivoted and redirected itself on Pikachu without so much as a flinch.
Zipping through the air like maddened hornets, Starmie and Staryu made fly-by attacks at the twisted Machamp, trying to catch it with a Double-Edge while avoiding the sharp claws, hooks, and knives mounted to its arms. A second camera-eye, identical to the first and mounted in the back of the Machamp's head made flanking it impossible however, and the two Pokémon's attacks were little more than distractions.
Rydon stomped the ground, throwing everyone in the room off balance with the tremendous reverberations it sent through the ground. The shaking allowed the unaffected Starmie to catch Machamp across the shoulder, making a solid blow that splashed the ground with blood. It also however, threw nearby Pikachu a full foot into the air, unable to react. Rydon took the split second advantage and charged forward, and smashed Pikachu into the ground with its heavy tail, leaving the yellow Pokémon motionless in the trench left behind.
Taking advantage of the Rydon's exposed flank, Blastoise barreled in and simultaneously blasted it with its water cannon, ripping away a thin layer of the tough skin covering the Pokémon's shoulder. The attack drew a surprising amount of blood. Raging in pain, Rydon reeled around and grabbed hold of Blastoise by either end of the Pokémon's shell and heaved Blastoise up above its head.
"Horn Drill," Misty heard the man in the shadows bark. Rydon's horn began whirring around with the shrieking grinding sound of metal on bone. Simultaneously Machamp managed to catch the noisome Staryu and whipped the Pokémon into the ground, stunning it.
"Staryu!" Misty screamed as the Machamp rammed its spiked arm through the Staryu's central red core, shattering it like glass, and snuffing out the luminescent glow. It tossed the body aside, turning then on the struggling Pikachu.
Rydon roared in fury and moved to impale Blastoise on its horn, but a whirlwind of fire blasted out of the darkness of a nearby tunnel and wreathed Rydon's head like a halo. Rydon screamed and dropped Blastoise to the ground with a colossal thud as a huge orange dog and a bird bigger than a man leapt onto the scene. Misty immediately saw Ash, battered and bruised all over, sitting against one wall of the far tunnel, giving her a weak thumbs-up.
An instant later the ground shook as an enormous stone serpent slithered out of a flash of white light and dropped to the ground. Brock seemed to materialize from the shadows beside his Onyx, standing tall and holding a pokeball in each hand. "Constrict," came his one word order, and Onyx lunged forward with a bellow, moving for Rydon like a viper.
The wounded Pokémon disappeared in a flash of white light into a pokeball. The pokeball snapped back to the hand of the man in the shadows at the same time that the Machamp jumped into the tunnels entrance. As Onyx slithered forward for the kill, the Machamp drove all four of its appendages into the ceiling and wrenched downwards. Onyx stopped cold as boulders and debris came crashing down in the tunnel and completely blocked it off.
Chittering like mad, Pikachu bolted forward, passed and completely ignoring Arcanine and Fearow, and jumped into Ash's arms. The trainer grimacing in pain but pulled the Pokémon into an embrace, laughing just a little. Brock sighed and moved forward to Onyx as Misty stood baffled for a moment.
"Ash!" she yelled, breaking forward when it clicked and dropping to her knees beside him. "You're alive!" she said, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She grabbed his hand and little tears began to drip down her cheeks. "Don't you ever," she began, but stopped when he smiled at her.
"I missed you too," he said nonchalantly, winching just a little at the pain that lanced through his side.
Misty quickly looked him over and the elated joy vanished into horror. "What the hell happened to you?" she gasped. The trainer was bruised if not bleeding quite literately all over. His hands were purple and most of his fingers were swollen painfully. Black and blue blotches stood out on his face and neck, and dried blood ran like tattoos from the scrapes across his face, shoulders, and down his arms.
"I basically fell off a cliff," he said. "A waterfall really, but Arcanine saved me. He started to carry me out of the mountains, but then we heard what sounded like a factory coming from one of the tunnels and decided to check it out." He paused when the terrified look on Misty's face remained. "Hey," he said with a grin, trying to sound reassuring. "I'll be fine in a couple of days, really. If this," he gestured at the bruises and clotted gashes, "was going to kill me I'd already be done. I'm on the mend."
Both trainers turned as Brock approached, wearing heavy black body armor and a brown cloak. Onyx moved beside him and stopped when Brock stopped beside Ash and Misty. "Glad to see that both of you are ok," he said, smiling as much as he ever did. "Mostly," he looked at Ash. "Did you jump off a building?"
"Something like that," answered Ash. "What about you? What are you doing out this far?"
"A number of things," Brock said, "looking for you two for one. When the storms hit I was worried the mountain would become too dangerous to cross and I wanted to make sure you were both alright."
"Going soft on us?" asked Ash, good humouredly.
"Not hardly," answered the gym leader. He scowled and turned around. "I was also looking for Team Rocket," he said. "I'd heard that they were running some kind of operation in the mountains that was disrupting the local wildlife." He gestured out at the slaughter operation. "I guess we found it."
SC
Investigation of the Rocket Operation in Mt. Moon revealed nothing concrete or useful. None of the grunts were carrying anything incriminating beyond their uniforms, which wouldn't count for much more than hearsay to anyone who hadn't seen the carnage firsthand. There had been no documentation of the operation's purpose or to whom its people reported.
So, with little more than their lives and a newfound mystery, Brock, Ash, and Misty all set out into the tunnels, Brock leading the way. Onyx forged a trail ahead, the Pokémon's innate sense of direction proving invaluable, while Brock sat atop the serpent's skull in the tall tunnel. Ash elected to ride Arcanine, having gained the strength to sit up straight, and Misty sat behind her traveling companion on Arcanine's back, arms around Ash's waist.
The big orange canine bore both trainers with seemed ease, striding beside Onyx as comfortably as ever, and regularly looking back over his shoulder to confirm that Ash's condition hadn't changed in the last thirty seconds. Likewise Misty and Pikachu kept regular tabs on the youngest trainer of the group while he chatted with Brock.
"Wait," Ash said, pausing the conversation with the Pewter Gym Leader. "How old are you exactly if you spent five years as a guard up on Indigo Plateau?"
"Twenty-three," Brock responded. "I applied for an open position on the Plateau when I was fourteen and happened to get it. My father died when I was nineteen though, so I came back to Pewter to run the gym and take care of my brothers and sisters. I've been there ever since."
"And now you're going out on the road," said Ash, "and leaving the Gym to…" he probed.
Brock grinned. "My little sister," he said as the party came around a bend in the dimly lit tunnel and saw real sunlight streaming into the gloom from the opening in the stone wall ahead. "She's a decent enough trainer, probably about my level, and she's a much better administrator than me, loyal to a fault. She'll be more than capable of holding things down with the help of the police…" he paused. "And I left her direct instructions to run anyone from Team Rocket out of town."
The party rode out into the sunlight, each of the three nearly blinded by the mid-morning sunlight. "Now there's a sight," said Ash. The trainers and their Pokémon had emerged from the side of Mt. Moon and onto a small plateau just large enough to hold them all. Beneath them the grass lined highway of Route Four ran straight into the distance to the edge of what looked like a sapphire in the distance.
"Cerulean City," said Brock. "I've only been there once or twice and never for more than a few hours. It is a beautiful place though." Ash nodded and the trainers set off down the path leading from the Plateau down into the grassland. Likely because of the mammoth Onyx and regal Arcanine carrying the party, the trainers moved unopposed through the tall grass. Ash grinned, ignoring the ache, when Misty relaxed enough to drop her forehead unthinkingly onto his shoulder and close her eyes. Brock looked down at them and shook his head.
"So you and Misty are off to a good start on your way to Indigo Plateau," said Brock when the party broke through the tall grass and onto the cobblestone highway. "And, given your Pikachu, the Cerulean Gym shouldn't present much of a challenge."
Ash nodded. "Yeah, I don't really want to linger though," he paused and glanced around at Misty then, once he was reasonably convinced she was dozing, "Misty seems uncomfortable with the idea of staying in Cerulean, so I don't want her to have to stay any longer than necessary."
"Hmph," Brock acknowledged. "And from Cerulean you plan to visit Bill to the north. Where will you go from there?"
"We could go several different ways," said Ash. "I'd like to go south to Saffron, but we'll just have to see how things look once Bill gets the Pokedex up and running."
"Good answer," said Brock. "Whichever way you go, I'd like to come along, make sure you two don't get in too far over your heads."
Ash nodded again. "Sure," he said without a second thought. "You're more than welcome to and Team Rocket won't be better off for you helping us out."
"Yes," said the Gym Leader. "I do plan on making sure that whatever those bastards are planning doesn't happen."
The party made quick progress along Route Four, passing a few awed travelers on the road and making it to the outskirts of Cerulean by early afternoon. Ash woke Misty as the party crossed the first little bridge into the town.
Cerulean had been constructed on the southeastern side of an enormous lake fed by rivers from the north, and the town itself actually consisted of numerous little islands, each about the size of a city block or two and connected by canals that all either ran into or were fed by the lake. Thusly bridges and boats were the primary means of moving from one section of the city to the next, and as the party passed over the bridge leading into the first island of Cerulean proper, Ash couldn't help but stop and look down on a small ferry carrying a dozen passengers beneath him in the canal.
"Ah yes," said Brock, sniffing the air which, Ash noticed, smelled faintly of sewage. "There is the smell I never missed when I left the city."
Brock and Ash returned their Pokémon to their respective pokeballs and walked the rest of the way to avoid people staring. Finding the Pokémon Center was not difficult. It had its own complex built on one of the first islands Ash, Misty, and Brock came across. It was also one of the taller buildings in town, being five stories high. When the party entered, the clerk at the front desk took one look at Ash and told him the human hospital was just across the canal, but promptly got the trainers a room on the top floor, per Ash's request.
Once settled into their apartment, Brock said that he was going to go out and pick up a few supplies and get a feel for the town. Both he and Misty agreed that Ash needed to spend the rest of the day at the very least resting in bed and getting his strength back. Much to Ash's chagrin, he had no say in the matter and Misty stayed behind to enforce the house arrest once Brock had left.
"Hey," said Ash, laying in one of the two twin beds in the room. "How are you doing?"
Misty stood in the corner of the room, looking out the windows on two walls to observe the city. "Hm?" she responded, turning to face him. "I'm alright," she said. "I'm glad we're out of that mountain."
"Likewise," said Ash, taking a pause to survey the room. It struck him as a little odd just how similar all of the Pokémon centers were to one another. This room looked almost exactly like the one they'd used during their stay in Pewter. It was a corner suite with big windows giving them a view of most of the city, and two twin beds with little else in the way of furniture. "I'm really sorry about your Staryu…" he said.
Misty sighed and shrugged. "It wasn't your fault," she answered. "We were overmatched by those… those," she stopped.
"Monsters?" suggested Ash.
"Yeah," said Misty, not sure what other word fit. "What the hell were those things?"
"Those," said Ash, "were two very good reasons to stop Team Rocket… and why I'm glad Brock showed up to save us."
SC
Returning to the Pokémon Center at a little before five, Brock relieved Misty so that she could go and take her Blastoise to the hospital ward to have its shell looked at. Once Misty was gone, Brock brought his pack over to Ash and set it by the bed, then pulled out a small prescription bottle and held it out for the battered trainer.
"What's this?" Ash asked, taking the bottle and checking the label.
"I stopped by the hospital on my way back," said the Gym Leader, "told them I was going out into the wilds up north and needed something that could bring someone back from the brink in a hurry. When you're the head of a gym, people don't ask too many questions."
"The wonders of modern medicine," said Ash, taking one of the pills and swallowing it dry.
"You'll also want to eat," said Brock, taking a small duffel bag from his pack and setting it beside Ash. "Fast healing won't do you a lot of good if there's nothing your body can use to rebuild. Fortunately it doesn't look like the food shortage has spread this far."
Opening the bag, Ash immediately smelled the fish inside. "That, or they just get all their food from the lake and the rivers."
"Yeah," said Brock when Ash began perusing the contents of the bag. "Sorry that Magikarp flatbread rolls are all, but it's healthy and pretty inexpensive, even if it tastes like crap."
"Don't apologize," said Ash, taking a bite of one of the cold fish rolls and swallowing before it had time to settle on his tongue. "It's more than you had to do."
Brock nodded. "I figure if we're going to be traveling together it's not a bad idea to try and keep everyone as healthy as possible while spending as little as we can…" Ash nodded and Brock continued. "Speaking of," he said, "how long have you and the girl been together?"
"Misty?" Ash clarified after another bite. "Um, we've been on the road for a while now… since Pallet Town was destroyed, however long ago that was."
"And you trust her?" Brock asked, ignoring Ash's callousness to his home's annihilation.
Looking up, not missing Brock's suddenly cold tone, Ash nodded wary for a second. "She's saved my life more than once," he said, "risking her own in the process."
Brock met Ash's eye and they stared at each other for a moment, one suddenly completely alien to the other. The kind and warm Brock from the road had vanished and Pikachu, until now quietly sitting at the foot of Ash's bed, got up quietly and watched the two of them. After a moment, Brock's steely gaze melted and his grey eyes softened.
"Good," he said nonchalantly. "That kind of trust is necessary in a small group making their way in a world like ours."
Ash sighed and began munching on another fish roll as Brock walked to the refrigerator and deposited a small plastic bag.
"So what's your story?" asked Brock abruptly, turning back to Ash. "Sure the grandson of the great Professor Oak has some interesting tales to tell."
"Not as many as you might expect," said Ash, glad that Brock had warmed back up. "Most of the adventures center around my grandpa, though I was his assistant for ten years…"
This began a long exchange between Brock and Ash, during which the two exchanged stories of their past adventures, and in many cases, misadventures. It surprised Ash to learn that Brock actually came from very humble origins, being the son of a simple mason who, after Pewter's walls were complete, took up a job at the Gym. From there Brock's father went on to climb to the top of the Gym and became leader, leaving one day on an adventure from which he never returned. His father being presumed dead prompted Brock's return.
Ultimately it was Misty's return that concluded the conversation. She announced that Blastoise was going to be fine after a bit of rest, and from there, each trainer did something on their own. Ash focused on eating whatever was within grabbing distance, being taken with an insatiable hunger that surprised neither Brock nor Misty, once she learned of the medicine. By the time night rolled around, Ash looked much better and could stand without issue, prompting him to risk a shower. Most of the swelling in his hands had gone down and the bruises that had covered him like a bad rash had faded noticeably.
Before bed, Ash ate another mammoth meal and took another of the pills at Brock's suggestion. Misty and Ash took the beds that night, while Brock insisted that he would actually prefer to take the floor, and all three trainers nodded off, ending their first day in Cerulean without incident.
SC
Waking late the next morning, Ash discovered that both Misty and Brock had been up for some time, going about their limited businesses. Brock had already gone out to replenish the supplies they'd gone through during the previous day, leaving Misty to keep a close eye on Ash. Misty prepared a large, but simple, meal which Ash ate gratefully.
"Are you sure we can trust Brock?" asked Misty abruptly as Ash was finishing up breakfast.
Ash, a little taken aback by the question, took a moment to finish his mouthful and respond. "What is it with the two of you?" he asked, only half joking. "Neither one of you seems to trust the other for anything."
"I just want to make sure that we're not going to be traveling with someone who we aren't sure is on our side. I mean, can we really be sure about his motives? How do we know he's really as against Team Rocket as he says he is?"
Ash shrugged, not wanting to argue. "If he wasn't on our side he wouldn't have saved us back in Mt. Moon. I'm not sure about you, but I don't think Arcanine, Blastoise, and Pikachu were going to be able to handle those Rocket Monsters. Brock saved our lives, and you have to give him that."
"True," Misty nodded.
"You're too on edge," Ash grinned. "Lighten up a little. What's bothering you?"
Misty shook her head. "Nothing," she said, turning away and walking to look out the window again. "I just think we should hurry up and finish here and get moving," she paused. "Once you feel up to it," she quickly amended, looking him over.
Taking a curt breath, Ash stood up and pulled his bag up onto the bed and began setting out his clothes and the body armor from Pallet. "I feel well enough," he said, looking at the acid etched scratch across the breast of the armor, "to at least go and check out the gym, maybe even challenge the leader." He smiled at her. "Care to join me?"
"What?" Misty shook a little. "Ash, you can't be serious. You're still hurt. You need to take at least another day to rest or you might reinjure yourself and going to challenge the gym leader is the last thing you should think about doing today."
Quickly shrugging out of the shirt he'd worn to bed, Ash put on a fresh outfit, over which he fitted the body armor with relative ease. "See," said Ash, intentionally with an immature tone and a smug grin. "I can even dress myself without getting hurt." The young trainer grimaced a little when his attempt at humor failed to brighten Misty's spirits.
She stood by the window, watching him with her arms folded in front of her chest, obviously bothered. "Please," said Misty, smiling just a very little, "I know you're going so please, please, don't push yourself too hard."
"Come with me," said Ash. "It won't be the same if you're not there to back me up."
"No," Misty said, glancing down at Pikachu who was busy cleaning
himself. "I can't."
"Misty," said Ash, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I don't want to press, but are you alright? Is there something about Cerulean bothering you?"
"I really am sorry," said Misty. She took a deep breath. "But remember when I said there are some things I just won't tell you because they only affect me?" Ash nodded. Misty looked away and then back at him. "This is one of those things," she said. "Don't mention me when you're at the gym."
"Alright," Ash nodded. He grabbed his pack and slung it over his shoulder, shivering as the action sent a throbbing ripple through his back. He walked passed Misty, smiling at her as he opened the door, Pikachu right beside him. "If there's ever anything I can do for you, I'd be more than happy to."
"Be careful," she answered immediately. "And please, just take care of yourself."
Ash nodded. "Done," he said, closing the door.
Ash looked down at Pikachu, who was looking up at him casually, then shrugged. I don't know, he mouthed to the Pokémon.
SC
The Cerulean City Gym was as easy to find as the Pokémon Center. Standing two stories tall, surrounded by a moat and a polished white wall, and decorated with crystal blue windows and fountains that ran down the sides of the building, the gym struck Ash as more of a palace than a defensive structure. "We are definitely not in Pallet anymore," he said, looking to his left and down at Pikachu, and then to his right at Arcanine who stood proudly beside him. "Shall we?"
He walked to the front door, over a small bridge made of the same material as the white walls, and walked inside. Pausing for a moment to look around, the young trainer couldn't help but wonder at the ornamented interior of the gym. The main level consisted of a massive pool, filling up almost the entire floor and ringed by only a thin beach of sand. The walls of the second story above had windows for observing the pool beneath, and all throughout the pool, lounging on one of the few dozen little islands or taking a swim were people with pokeballs snapped to magnetic belts.
"Is this a resort or a gym?" he wondered aloud. "It must be ninety degrees in here."
"Hi there," said a chipper young woman, blonde and tan, wearing a blue bikini and an orange towel. She paused, seeing the Arcanine and Pikachu at Ash's sides, but smiled warmly and bowed just a little. "Welcome to the Cerulean Gym," she went on. "I'm Tatsuka, one of the attendants here and is there anything I can do for you? Maybe I could get you a bathing suit?"
"Oh, no thank you," said Ash, smiling back at the trainer, noting both the pokeballs at her waist and her athletic figure. "Actually I wasn't planning on staying long, but I was hoping to speak to the Gym Leader. It's important."
Tatsuka grimaced a little and crossed her arms. "If you're with those Rocket people," she said, tone becoming bitter, "Kasumi already said no."
Glancing around as soon as the trainer mentioned Rocket, Ash saw that he'd attracted the attention of several of the trainers throughout the gym, including, he saw, a tall girl near the back who sat by herself on a sandy little island. The sunlight coming in through the huge skylights, which made up most of ceiling, caught the trainer as she stood up, making her fiery orange hair shimmer. For a moment Ash was struck dumb, thinking he was looking at Misty.
"Umm," he stammered. "No, I'm not with Team Rocket. Actually I was hoping that I could talk to, Kasumi was it?"
Taking a step back and looking over Ash up and down, Tatsuka's face lightened and she looked over her shoulder to the trainer near the back, who nodded. Only then did Ash notice the thin wire running from his host's earpiece to a transmitter slipped next to a pokeball.
"Alright then," said the girl. "I didn't mean to be rude," she quickly smiled.
"Absolutely alright," Ash said, stepping forward as Tatsuka gestured to him, and the girl who he guessed to be Kasumi, left her island and began swimming for them. The orange haired girl climbed out of the enormous pool.
"Are you Kasumi?" asked Ash. "The Gym Leader?"
The girl nodded. "That's me," she said politely, extending her hand.
"My name is Ash," he said, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake. "Ash Ketchum." He looked around as most of the other trainers in the gym trained their attention on the happenings at the front. "And I have something of an… unorthodox, request."
Kasumi smirked and crossed her arms, accenting her already notable bust, Ash thought. "Do you now," she said. "This should be interesting, coming from someone who walked into my gym, flanked by a Pikachu and an Arcanine, looking like he's been run over by a Ryhorn and come back for more. What can I do for a rugged guy like you then?"
Do I really look that bad? Ash wondered. "I need Cerulean's recommendation for passage into Malebolge, via Indigo Plateau." Kasumi's eyes widened a little and her smile grew. "I came to you because, as the head of Cerulean's Gym, you have the authority to ask the Elite Four to let me by. Simple enough?" It was still awkward, Ash thought, to so nonchalantly ask for something that would doubtlessly lead everyone within earshot to think him crazy.
Tatsuka raised an eyebrow as Kasumi laughed one crystalline laugh. "That certainly is an interesting request," she said. "Now, for the sake of conversation, assume I do send my recommendation to the Elite Four that they let you by, why? What on earth is there in Malebolge that you would risk your life for, or is this some kind of joke?"
"I can promise you I'm not joking," said Ash.
"I didn't think that you were," said Kasumi, waving to Tatsuka who walked off. "A request like that wouldn't make for a funny one anyway," she motioned for him to follow, which Ash did, as she walked around the edge of the giant pool to a table and chair, set for two and comfortably tucked away behind a corner. "You're not with Team Rocket," she said without taking a seat. "But this clearly involves Team Rocket in one way or another. Do you mind if I present my theory?"
"By all means," said Ash, running his hand through Arcanine's flowing mane and holding Pikachu up on his shoulder.
Kasumi looked Ash over for a moment, with what in mind Ash was uncertain, and then looked him in the eye. "You've heard some crazy legend about treasure at the bottom of Cerulean Cave, and you've somehow learned that Malebolge is connected to the lower levels of the cave, so now you're treasure hunting. Either you're working for Team Rocket to get me to help you bypass the cave, and lying to me," she said, "or you're hoping to get to the bottom of that cave, and the bottom of the mystery, first… am I getting hot?"
Ash nodded, surprised. "Actually you're pretty close," he said. "In fact that's about it…"
"But you can't just walk up to the Elite Four and ask to get by," said Kasumi, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms again. "You need people supporting your efforts, people to whom the Elite Four listen, the Gym Leaders. So you must be planning to go to all of the other gyms and garner the support of those leaders also."
Damn she's quick, Ash thought. A thought occurred to him and he set his pack on the table, then from it promptly removed Brock's manila envelope, the envelope containing Pewter's recommendation that Ash be allowed to proceed into Malebolge. He handed Kasumi the letter. "I've already convinced Brock, Pewter's Gym Leader, to see things my way." Ash also reached inside his vest's pocket and produced the Boulder Badge for Kasumi to see as she scanned the letter.
Looking up from the vellum and glancing at the badge, Kasumi smirked again. "This is addressed to the Elite Four," she said. "Brock said you proved to him that he thinks you should be allowed to go into Malebolge, and he sealed the letter with both Pewter Gym's seal, and his own…" She looked him over again. "Brock is a good man. He's an honest man and he's as strong as any mountain. If he's on your side, it's because you're on the right side.
"I'll make you a deal," said Kasumi. "You impressed Brock, which isn't easy to do, but I still need to see what you're capable of. We'll have a little contest here, in my gym, your Pokémon against mine in a friendly bout. If you can win, I'll grant you my recommendation."
"Sounds fair," said Ash, glancing at Pikachu.
"Hold on," said Kasumi, setting her hands on her hips and playing with the ties holding her silver bikini bottom in place. "I'm not stupid Ash. I know about a Pikachu and its powers. If you want to impress me it will have to be in some way other than beating me with a Pokémon naturally effective against my arsenal."
"What would you recommend then," said Ash, crossing his arms and then reaching up to his shoulder to pet his Pokémon's head.
Kasumi smiled at Arcanine. "I've never seen a Pokémon," she said, as much to Arcanine to Ash, "with such a fierce reputation up close." She refocused on Ash. "If your Arcanine can defeat my best Pokémon I'll admit defeat."
Arcanine eagerly barked once before Ash could say a thing, as if to accept the challenge.
"Easy," said Ash, continuing to pet the huge canine. "Don't be too quick to leap before you look," he turned to Kasumi and grinned. "That said, why should I willfully use a Pokémon I know you'll be naturally good against?" Arcanine barked again, eyes flickering with excitement.
Kasumi's lips twisted up in a wry grin. "You wouldn't have brought such a magnificent Pokémon if you weren't supremely confident in him. Besides, what would be more impressive than knowingly putting yourself at a disadvantage and winning anyway?"
Ash thought for a second, then turned to Arcanine who yipped and pawed at the ground a little. "Alright," he said. "I accept."
"Perfect," said Kasumi, clapping her hands once and walking around the corner, followed by Ash and his Pokémon. "Everyone, up and out," she shouted. "There's going to be a contest here for a few minutes. Everyone please head up to the observation deck until we're finished." Kasumi walked to the side of the pool opposite Ash, motioning for him to stay where he was as everyone in the pool began to get out and head off in various directions.
Once they were as alone as they could be with people watching from the windows above, Kasumi grinned and took a pokeball. "Why don't we make this quick then?" she said, tossing the pokeball out above the water.
Ash grinned and looked over at Arcanine. "Sounds good to me," he said as Kasumi's pokeball snapped open and a glowing shape dropped into the water before Ash could tell what it was. "Let's focus on sheer speed," he said to his Pokémon.
Barking loudly in acknowledgment, Arcanine bolted forward in a burst of speed that nearly knocked Ash's cap from his head. The Pokémon took one step across the surface of the water, leaving a puff of steam and vapor in its wake, before he settled on the nearest little island, waiting to see what would come up out of the water.
Across the water, Kasumi smiled a tight-lipped grin, and settled in place. Arcanine sniffed the surface of the water as his gaze darted from one place to another, tracking something Ash couldn't make out. Huge pincers jutted up out of the water and snapped shut with a smash. Arcanine had jerked back not an instant too soon, the pincers closing a hairsbreadth in front of his nose.
"Krabby?" Ash thought aloud as the claws sank back beneath the surface. "Or a Kingler maybe? That would make sense."
Ash watched as Arcanine jumped backwards, again as half of a shelled orange body sprang out, attached to the massive pincer that snapped closed mere inches from where Arcanine's paw had just been. The canine caught it's balance and lunged forward, jaws open wide, maw glowing like a furnace. A cone of flame ten feet wide at the end blasted from between Arcanine's teeth and enveloped the surprised Kingler. Hissing and spitting as it withdrew with all haste, Kingler slipped back into the water, protected by its body's film of water and mucous only long enough to avoid being flash-boiled.
Kasumi clapped her hands once. "You must have worked with your Arcanine for months to develop a Flamethrower technique so hot," she said, obvious concern for her Pokémon mixing with surprise and amazement in her tone.
Ash only returned a smile. I wish I could take the credit, he thought. "Arcanine, keep it up!" Draw it out if you can, he would have shouted if not for the other trainer listening. "Save your energy," he said instead. "No more flame attacks."
Arcanine shot a curious glance at Ash, but acknowledged what he understood of the order with a bark. Simultaneously, two scaly eyes on stalks poked just far enough out of the water to glance at Arcanine and Kasumi.
"Come on out," said Kasumi, overhearing Ash's order. "We're not dealing with an opponent with stamina. We'll use brute strength."
So much for a friendly contest, Ash thought, watching as a crustacean as big as Arcanine and moving on six spider-like legs, pull itself up out of the water on an island adjacent to Arcanine. The armored body of the Pokémon, sporting a segmented and spiny exoskeleton reinforced by both internal and external ribs and overlapping scales, made Ash question Arcanine's ability to get at the soft interior of the Pokémon. "Extreme Speed," he ordered, sticking with his plan as soon as the Pokémon was fully out of the water.
Before the order was complete, Arcanine's form blurred and vanished in a flash of water vapor thrown up by the motion. Arcanine seemed to materialize from nothing behind Kingler, at the same instant the surface of an island adjacent to the Pokémon seemed to tear itself loose and bolt into the air. Paws dug into the grassy surface of the island as Kingler's eye-stalks flipped backwards, Arcanine's muscles bulged and his claws tore into the ground as he propelled himself forward in a vicious, all-out, slam attack. Arcanine's lowered shoulder connected with Kingler's shell and hurled both Pokémon forward. Kingler's hooked feet clawed at nothing as Arcanine's attack threw it straight into the water with a splash. Arcanine managed to dig in its claws and hold its footing.
"Wow," Ash and Kasumi muttered in unison as a panting Arcanine paced around the shredded little island, scanning the bottom of the pool for Kingler. Pikachu, watching intently, chittered noisily in a tone Ash recognized as the Pokémon's equivalent of a cheer.
"That hurt," said Kasumi. She looked through the pool for Kingler, then jumped and dove into the water. Ash cocked his head a little I surprise ad shouted for Arcanine to hold. Ash scanned the water for any movement, but saw nothing until Kasumi burst up from the water beneath his when he was looking elsewhere. Ash jumped and nearly fell backwards, but held his place and looked down at the Gym Leader.
Kasumi, laughing just a little, pulled herself up to the edge of the pool and rested her elbows on the narrow shore. "Your big bad Arcanine scared my Kingler," she said, much to Ash's surprise. "He doesn't want to keep fighting," Kasumi went on, looking up at Ash. "I could order him to continue, but I think we both know that the advantage here goes to you."
"Well, I guess," said Ash, struggling to maintain eye contact with the leader. "Does this mean you give up?"
Kasumi smirked. "I don't know about 'give up,' but it means I'm willing to grant that if this fight were for real, I would not be able to win without losses I'm unwilling to accept."
Ash, deciding that it would be more appropriate to sit, did so and placed himself nearly level with Kasumi. "So this means you'll give me a recommendation?"
"So single-minded," said the girl. "You need to loosen up some. But yes, I'll write a recommendation for you to the Elite Four. I'll tell them that I was impressed with your skills etcetera, etcetera."
Ash smiled. "Perfect," he said. "I'll go tell the others right now and be back in a bit," he started to stand up as Arcanine jumped across the water to join him.
"What's the rush?" asked Kasumi, splashing Ash and soaking his pant leg. "Who said I was finished with you just yet?" Ash turned around, and Kasumi went on. "I think I have something of a proposition for you. Why don't you join me for lunch at my apartment, I'll draw up the papers, and we can talk some."
"That sounds alright," said Ash with a something between a shrug and a nod. "Sure. Lunch it is."
SC
Sunshine streaming in from the windows and skylight lit up the comfortable suite in much the same way Cerulean Gym sparkled with a watery glitter. Ash first noted how clean Kasumi kept her apartment. All of the furniture, supple as it was, remained neatly brushed and unstained and the spotless white carpet only accentuated that cleanliness of the living room in which Ash stood.
"Wow," said, glancing from his spot in the entryway into the dining room and kitchen in turn. "This is your apartment?"
Kasumi, standing beside him and still in her silver bikini and sandals, closed the door behind them and nodded. She kicked out of her sandals and walked across the plush carpet to an open doorway, hair and smile both catching the sunlight. "It's actually inexpensive to live here," she said. "Even luxury accommodations in Cerulean aren't hard to afford. I spend more on food and utilities than I do on rent. Make yourself at home," she gestured to the couch and coffee table. "I'll change and be right out."
As she closed the door, Ash pulled off his boots, setting them beside Kasumi's sandals, and walked to the couch, wishing Pikachu were on his shoulder. He'd sent the little Pokémon back to the Pokémon Center with a note telling both Misty and Brock that he was fine, but little else.
"Sure is friendly," he said to himself, sprawling out on the couch and relaxing with a sigh. "Refreshing." Ash waited patiently as fifteen minutes ticked by, then twenty. He took Fearow's pokeball from his belt and held it next to Arcanine's in front of his face, idly examining both until what he assumed was the bedroom door opened.
"Sorry about the wait," said Kasumi, stepping barefoot out into the living room. "Glad to see you're comfortable," she smiled.
Ash stammered for a second, not sure if it would be inappropriate to stare. Kasumi's dress, something akin to a comfortable evening gown nearly the same color of silver as her bikini had been, managed to leave little to the imagination while leaving modesty intact.
"Y-yeah," he said, wearing a dumb grin. "That's an amazing outfit."
"You like it?" she said, turning a little, not hiding that within the folds of the dress she had found a place for a pokeball. "This one was a gift. My grandparents gave it to me." She walked towards the kitchen and called over her shoulder, "what can I get for you?"
"Just water, thanks," he said politely, glancing at a bookshelf opposite the coffee table and noticing that Kasumi didn't have a television.
"That's no fun," called the trainer from the kitchen, perusing through the contents of the refrigerator. "You're my guest and I promised I'd serve you lunch. There's not much you could ask for that I wouldn't have lying around here somewhere."
Ash sighed and got to his feet, then wandered over towards the kitchen. "Well, what do I have to choose from, if you insist on being so polite?" he grinned.
Stepping aside, then sidling up to Ash some as he leaned down to look into the fridge, Kasumi began pointing out what exactly might be made into something edible. After much deliberation and finally deciding on tacos, Ash volunteered to handle preparing the meat if Kasumi would chop the veggies, to which the gym leader agreed. The two began making small talk to pass the minutes as the stove warmed up and Kasumi selected and washed the veggies.
"So what's Professor Oak's grandson doing all the way out here in Cerulean?" asked Kasumi once Ash dumped the meat into a frying pan and set it over the gas flame.
Ash grinned as the Gym Leader pulled a long knife from a stand and began dicing up a tomato. "So you knew, huh?"
"Ash Ketchum?" Kasumi laughed. "I suppose it's less subtle than Ash Oak or something, but still, with your family, your dad, not many people older than you won't at least recognize your name."
Watching to make sure nothing burned, Ash shrugged. "I'm sure you heard about Pallet Town," he paused as Kasumi nodded. "Well, that sorta left me without a home. Grandpa is … doing something important I'm sure, and I'm headed up north to talk to a guy named Bill."
"The researcher?" probed Kasumi. "I know Bill, nice guy."
"He's supposed to be working with grandpa on some big project they want me to be a part of."
"So now you're traveling the wilds by yourself?"
"Not completely by myself," said Ash.
"Ah," said Kasumi, turning around and leaning against the island to face Ash. "Well, I'd imagine that's at least a little safer then."
Ash nodded. "So tell me a little about Cerulean," he said. "This is my first time here, and it's a beautiful place. What's some of the history behind the city?"
"It would take me a long time to tell you everything I know about Cerulean," said Kasumi. "We're a fairly new city, but what town out here on the frontier isn't new compared to the core cities?" Ash nodded. "We do have a very full history though, even if not all of it's sunshine and flowers."
Ash listened with genuine interest as Kasumi told him about the four families that founded Cerulean some sixty years ago, and asked questions about some of the details, which his hostess was more than happy to answer. "I guess you might say the most recent major event would be the wild Snorlax that attacked Cerulean several years ago," said Kasumi with a sigh.
Ash's ears perked up. "A Snorlax?" he probed.
Nodding, Kasumi went on. "Yes, it happened more than a decade ago, when the Gym was just getting started. It killed some ninety people, including… ten, or eleven maybe, trainers. It was pretty terrible… I actually lost my parents in that fight."
"I'm sorry," said Ash. "That must have been really hard."
Kasumi raised her shoulders and dropped them. "I was ten at the time," she answered, "old enough to understand that bad things randomly happen to good people. Since then I focused on my … on my sisters, and just enjoying life as much as I can."
"Sisters?" Ash asked, returning to the thought of just how much Kasumi looked like Misty, and finding himself very aware that the Gym Leader would be twenty by now. "Do they work at the gym?"
"My family isn't really a popular subject in this town," said Kasumi, the glow in her features fading. "We have something of a … checkered past."
"Ah," said Ash, refocusing on breaking up the meat in the pan. "I didn't mean to bring up something touchy."
"It's nothing I can hide," said Kasumi. "Anyone who knows anything about Cerulean has at least heard the rumors of the Gym…. It's not easy you know," she said, turning to him with another wry grin, "staying on top in a city where your family is blacklisted. I have to constantly reinforce my position at the gym through whatever means necessary."
"Whatever means?" Ash repeated, suddenly uncomfortable with the way Kasumi looked at him.
"Hm," toned Kasumi, turning back to the veggies to be diced. "But enough about that," she said, more jovial. "I can't imagine the nuances of politics here are that interesting to you. What else did you want to know?"
Ash paused for a second, mulling over the question that burned in his mind. After a moment's pause, he couldn't contain it. "You don't know anyone from Cerulean named 'Misty,' do you?" he asked.
Kasumi's eyes sparked for an instant, though her face grew suddenly cold so harshly that Ash couldn't have misinterpreted the hatred associated with the name. After an intensely chilling pause, Kasumi's face softened some, whether through genuine calm, or self-restraint Ash was unsure.
"Where did you hear about a Misty from Cerulean?" Kasumi's voice was devoid of its former warmth.
"In Pewter," said Ash as nonchalantly as he could. Jeez… do all gym leaders have mood swings this extreme? he wondered, thinking back to his conversation with Brock a day earlier. Or is it only during conversations involving Misty? "It was a unique name and the guy at the Pokémon Center said she was an interesting character, but I couldn't get any more out of him."
"I'm not surprised," said Kasumi. "Last I heard she was headed that direction, though I had hoped Mt. Moon would be the end of her." She turned around, picked up the knife, and rinsed off the blade in the sink before putting it neatly away. "I've only ever met one Misty… she used to be the Gym Leader here and she used to be my sister." Ash barely managed to keep his jaw from dropping. "But now, she's a thieving, murdering bitch who works for Team Rocket."
Ash stood, stunned for a moment. No amount of effort could hide the shock on his face so he turned away and made himself to look intently focused on the cooking meat. Kasumi spoke first, shaking her head and then turning to face Ash's back. "You'd only have to ask around a little bit in town to get part of the story," said Kasumi. "But I think you'd rather hear the whole thing."
No, Ash thought, unable to say anything. I really think I'd rather hear none of it at all now.
"Besides," Kasumi went on, crossing her arms. "If you want to understand what I brought you here to ask, I think you'd need to hear it."
Swallowing hard and cleansing his face of anything but an unreadable mask, Ash turned around. "Alright," he said, thoughts swimming. "Let's hear it then."
"Misty always was the talented one," said Kasumi, "There was little she set her mind to that she couldn't accomplish, so naturally, when she decided she wanted to be the Gym Leader, it didn't take her too long to climb the ranks and eventually make it to the top. She was only fifteen, but I was there beside her the whole time, helping however and whenever I could. So was Violet, the second oldest of us. When Misty took over the gym, she put Violet and I in a joint second-in-command post, a position we were both happy with, and for a while, everything was fine…"
"It didn't stay that way," Ash guessed.
Kasumi shook her head. "Somewhere along the line, Team Rocket got their claws on Misty, filled her head with all kinds of stories of treasure and power. And she bought it. Misty sold out to those bastards, and effectively gave the gym to them on a platter. Nobody knew it at first, and all anyone could see was that there was an amazing flow of money into the gym. Almost overnight our family became fabulously wealthy. What we didn't see was that any trainers Misty defeated in the gym, that's to say all of them, would disappear as soon as they left the city. Misty also took frequent trips into the wilds west and south of here, but everyone assumed it was to hunt down threats to the city… until Violet followed her one day.
"Misty was tracking down powerful trainers who made their way through Cerulean, ambushing them in the wild, killing them, and selling their Pokémon to Team Rocket for a lucrative price."
Realizing that he had stopped breathing, Ash took a deep breath as Kasumi continued. "Needless to say," continued Kasumi, "Violet and I confronted Misty well outside of Cerulean. We'd planned to force her to leave Team Rocket, but she wouldn't have any of it. She attacked us, and killed Violet. I managed to drive her off but… the damage was done."
Frozen, Ash could think of nothing to say. Even thought failed him as Kasumi trailed off. What could he think? What was there to think?
"Now you know why I have a bone to pick with Team Rocket," said Kasumi. "And now you know why I always have to watch my back. But I imagine you're familiar with the feeling," she stepped forward and rested against the counter beside him. "What are you thinking right now?"
Shaking his head once, Ash stammered to find something to say. "You mentioned you had a proposition for me," he said, unsure why that was the first thought to come to mind.
Kasumi nodded. "Still so direct," she said. "But that's not a bad thing. I told you that maintaining my position requires a great deal of effort, and I'll use whatever means are necessary reinforce my authority, which includes surrounding myself with some of the strongest trainers around." She paused and smiled at him. "You're obviously a very strong trainer, probably very near my level even. Stay at the gym, here with me." Ash's breath caught when she leaned in closer and almost whispered to him. "It's safer here, with me, than out in the wilds where there are bandits and murderers, and the loyalty of someone like yourself would cement my place in the gym. In return, I'd make sure you wanted for nothing, and working together we could completely clear the region of Team Rocket.
"Who's to say where things would progress once Team Rocket was dealt with?" she added. "What do you say?"