Dealing with the Devil: Chapter Two
Dealing with the Devil
Fandom: Pokémon
Character/Pairing: Gary Oak
Word Count: 2,416
Summary: After losing at the Indigo Plateau, Gary decides to head back out into Kanto to investigate recent Mew sightings. During his travels, he finds the region crawling with Team Rocket agents who will do whatever they must to get their hands on the psychic Pokémon. Gary finds himself battling agents and his own personal demons as he makes his way across Kanto.
Rating: T
A/N: Crystal is an original character and is NOT based on any former characters from the games or manga. I have a personal attachment to this character I created years ago. While she does have a purpose here, I'm also using her to help me with some of my original fiction.
Chapter One
Dealing with the Devil
Chapter Two
“Fifteen pokéballs, five potions, seven antidotes, and three paralyze heals. Will there be anything else?”
“Are you sure you don’t have anything stronger than a pokéball?” Gary asked the mart owner.
“No, sorry, Gary,” the man replied. Gary wasn’t that surprised. The Pallet Town pokémart was brand new, and Viridian City never had great balls either. “I hear Cerulean City just got some in, though. You might have some luck when you get there.”
“Thanks,” Gary replied, grateful for this information. He slid his bank card across the counter to pay for his purchase.
“By the way, someone left a note for you this morning. They didn’t say who they were but asked me to give it to you and told me not to open it.”
“Strange,” Gary said, taking the small envelope and his bank card from the shopkeeper. “Thanks, Tim.”
Once outside of the shop, Gary took a look at the note. It had his name written in the same unfamiliar scrawl he had found just yesterday at his grandfather’s lab. Now this was starting to creep Gary out. Who was it that knew his whereabouts? He had only told his grandfather where he’d be going. How did this person know he was setting out and going to the pokémart that morning? He quickly flipped the envelope open and pulled out another small card.
“Things will be better. Stay strong. -R. B.”
What did that mean? Of course things would be better. He was going to get stronger. How redundant. Still, Gary couldn’t help but slip the note in his backpack with the other one. He still didn’t think the person who was writing these notes understood, and it bothered him to think about what had happened during the tournament. However, maybe a little encouragement couldn’t hurt.
Gary was still pondering who might be sending him the short notes as he walked along the path to Viridian City, ignoring the Rattata and Pidgey he’d caught when he first set out over a year ago. While he did think that catching as many Pokémon as he could was a good idea, he had caught several of these species when he first set out.
Besides, the fact that someone could possibly be stalking him, no matter how kind their intentions seemed at the moment, was a scary thought and eating up most of his attention. What if that person was just trying to get him to trust him and was planning on raping or killing him? Then again, why go to all that trouble of sending him notes when whoever it was could just do whatever it was he was going to do? He began to wonder if he was being silly about the notes. He had only received two, and they appeared to be harmless despite how awful they made him feel at first for reminding him that he lost. Deep in thought and quite tired from waking up early, Gary wasn’t exactly prepared for any surprises.
“Gary!” came a familiar female voice as he was suddenly tackled and hit the ground like a dead weight. For a moment, he couldn’t register what was happening to him.
“Wow,” said the girl. “You have the reflexes of a dead Miltank.”
“Uh…” was Gary’s only response as he stared up at his attacker. He almost didn’t believe what he saw.
“What’s the matter, Gary?” The girl shook her blue bangs out of her eyes and tucked a few lose strands of hair from her ponytail behind her ear. “You look like you’ve seen a Ghastly.”
“C…Crys…Crystal?” Gary finally managed to stutter out. “What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too, Gary,” she teased and rolled her eyes. “It’s only been four years since I last saw you.”
“What are you doing here?” Gary asked. “Not that I’m not happy to see you,” he quickly added.
“I competed in the Pokémon League too,” she replied as she held out her hand to help him up. “I’m about to start heading back to Fuchsia.”
“Oh.” Gary might have been happier if he was more awake. He gratefully took her hand and got back to his feet. “So, uh, you were near town for a while?”
“Yep,” Crystal responded, dusting some dirt off of her lavender hoodie and blue jeans. “I thought about stopping in Pallet, and then I’ve got a long trek home. Mom really wants to see me. She said she really missed me when I was gone, and she’s getting a bit worried.”
“Uh huh,” Gary replied, thinking about his own grandfather. Professor Oak had barely noticed his absence. In fact, when Gary stopped at home before the Pokémon League began, the professor stated as much, claiming he hardly noticed the time pass since he spent most days researching and, of course, taking care of the Pokémon. “I didn’t see you at the Indigo Plateau,” Gary finally said in an effort to forget about his grandfather.
“There were so many people there; I don’t know how you could. I found out you were competing, though, so I watched some of your battles when I knew about them. Ash’s too.”
“Great,” Gary said absentmindedly, still feeling tired and a bit shaken from having someone jump on top of him.
“Gee, Gary,” Crystal said. “Are you always this energetic? Now I see why you only made it to the fourth round.”
Gary’s eyes narrowed and shot Crystal a glare strong enough to penetrate even Articuno’s Blizzard attack. He turned and continued down the road to Viridian City. First she brings up him, and then she talks about that.
“Gary!” Crystal called, running after him, thoroughly confused. “Did I say something wrong?” Crystal asked.
“I’m sorry I disappointed people with my Pokémon League performance,” Gary said in a huff.
“You know I didn’t mean it that way! I was being sarcastic!” How had he missed her tone of voice? “Fourth round is great. Think about how many people started out!”
“Why does everyone keep telling me the fourth round is good? Because-“
“It is,” Crystal replied, looking puzzled. “I’m glad I got into the tournament even if I didn’t win my first battle. I was disappointed but thought about it, and maybe I underestimated things because a couple of those badges were jokes. Did you get the Cascade Badge in Cerulean? Beating that blonde was easier than some of the Rattata trainers I’ve battled.”
“So why did you viciously attack me?” Gary asked, attempting to change the subject as the pair continued to walk down the road. The Pokémon League was the last thing he wanted to discuss right now.
“I was trying to show my Sandslash how to do an effective Take Down,” Crystal replied jokingly. “Come on, Gary. It’s been a while since I moved to Fuchsia, and I did want to find you and Ash at the Pokémon League, but I couldn’t. I thought I’d come back by Professor Oak’s to see if either of you stopped by before the closing ceremonies.”
“Are you going?” Gary asked.
“No. Mom wants me to come straight home,” Crystal rolled her eyes. “Because, according to Koga, Lieutenant Surge has been made aware of
Team Rocket agents crawling all over Vermillion at night. It’s only a matter of time before they head to other cities, and Surge and the police are having trouble keeping them from attacking trainers. Because it happens at night, it’s difficult for the victims to give a good description, especially because the Rocket uniform is completely black.”
“Why is your mom so worried? She let you go train Pokémon, and you’re still in one piece.”
“It’s these Rocket agents,” Crystal sighed. “She’s worried about me getting home. Koga said that Surge said a trainer had his Pokémon stolen last night. It’s been the worst to happen so far. Even if he wasn’t hurt too badly, it’s the first time a trainer was visibly injured.”
“Can’t you take a train?” Gary asked.
“Because they just built the Magnet Train, it’s only running between Saffron and Goldenrod City in the Johto region while they work everything out. Now’s a really inconvenient time, but they’d end up running into the league games any year. Mom and I can’t afford a taxi for that long of a drive which means I’m stuck traveling on foot. I’m used to it, though, so I don’t mind. Mom’s just worried is all.”
“Well, if there’s a lot of Rockets, then doesn’t she have reason to worry?”
“I think I can handle a few Rocket agents. Besides, I won’t be going into Vermillion. I’ve just heard a lot from Mom about what Koga’s told her.”
“And why are the two of you blessed with this knowledge?” Gary asked, staring in bewilderment.
“Mom’s been working with Koga on how to breed poison Pokémon for battle. And anyway, Koga likes to keep an eye out for me because of Grandpa.”
“I see,” Gary replied. Crystal’s grandfather was from Celadon City and had been a great trainer in his day. He had become friends with Professor Oak after meeting him at their first tournament. When he got married, he moved to Pallet himself because he wanted to settle down with his family due to his health. “I still don’t understand why so many Team Rocket agents are running around and why no one has heard about them.”
“Everyone’s so absorbed in the Pokémon League right now, it just isn’t big news yet. Team Rocket agents may not be the brightest in the world, but they’ve got some smart people at the top, I think. They wouldn’t make a huge fuss during an event that large if there’s a plan they’re hatching. The police are going to make an official statement. Since the worst happened last night, they decided to release it sooner than later. The only reason the gym leaders know is because the police have asked the Elite 4 to get involved since a trainer did lose his Pokémon, and Lance thought it would be for the best. They’ll make the official announcement the day after the closing ceremonies. I don’t know much more than that, though.”
“It’s just weird,” Gary said. “The reason they’re out there is because of Mew. Why attack trainers and take their Pokémon? What good does that do? Wouldn’t that draw attention to them?”
“Mew?” Crystal looked dumbfounded. “No one’s said anything about Mew.”
“It’s been spotted in Kanto,” Gary replied. “Grandpa said that the researchers and the Elite 4 have been trying to keep this quiet. It’s only a matter of time before the public finds out.” Gary was not about to be outdone when it came to his knowledge on the state of the
Pokémon world.
“All this because of a wild goose chase?” Crystal asked. “Who’s stupid enough to believe a story like that?” Staring at Gary’s face, she realized her mistake. “I said something wrong again, didn’t I?”
“I’m going after it,” Gary said.
“Why?” Crystal asked, now looking at Gary like he’d grown a second head.
“Because I can,” Gary replied.
“You have no better reason?” Crystal asked, raising an eyebrow. “It doesn’t seem like you to believe in something like that.”
“Gramps believes it. I don’t get why you’re so against the fact that it might exist.”
“I’m not the only one,” Crystal responded, stamping her foot. People don’t think it exists because it doesn’t just show itself. It’s hard to believe something exists when you don’t see it.”
“Then I don’t believe that you loved your grandfather,” Gary said with a smirk.
“You know I do!”
“Show me.”
Crystal paused. She had no way to respond to that.
“Told ya.” The smug grin was still plastered on Gary’s face.
Crystal was quiet as the two continued to walk along. Gary took the opportunity to peer over at his old friend. She seemed very much the same as she had been when she left for Fuchsia, except for being a little taller. Never wanting help and opening her mouth before she thought about what someone else might think were two qualities that she still possessed. When she still didn’t say anything, he reached over and gently tugged on the hood of her sweatshirt.
“Hey,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just wanted you to see things my way.”
“Did you have to do it with that look on your face?” she asked.
“What look?”
“That mean-looking grin.”
“Uh…” To tell the truth, Gary hadn’t thought much about the smirk he delivered to other trainers. Sure, Ash was the most frequent recipient, but that was mostly to get a rise out of him. “It’s kind of my thing,” Gary finally replied.
“Your ‘thing’?”
“Look, I can help you get as far as Cerulean City, and then you can head through to Saffron and then to Celadon and Fuchsia,” Gary said, once again changing the subject. He noticed he was doing a lot of that today.
“Why to Cerulean? And where exactly will you be going after that?”
“To talk to Bill, the pokémaniac, and wherever this Mew search leads me.”
“What’s Bill going to tell you?”
“I’m just hoping he might have heard something. I’m willing to listen to any rumors.”
“And just why do you think I need your help getting to Cerulean? I can take care of myself, you know. I’ve been doing it for months now.” She looked offended by his assumption that she couldn’t make it home on her own.
“Well…” Gary wasn’t about to tell her he was actually concerned now that she’d told him Team Rocket was out there. Gary Oak never worried. “What I mean,” Gary began again, this time choosing his words carefully, “is that we’re both headed in the same direction, so why not go together? We can catch up on a few things.” No way was he letting Crystal travel by herself. She had been like a little sister to him when they were younger, and she was still like a little sister now. Besides, after traveling with his cheerleaders for over a year, he realized it could be odd without company. He definitely wasn’t used to traveling alone.
“Uh huh,” she replied. “Whether or not you actually mean that, you have a point. Besides,” Crystal said, stopping in her tracks and pointing to a sign at the side of the road, “we’re already in Viridian. Two more towns to go!”
Fandom: Pokémon
Character/Pairing: Gary Oak
Word Count: 2,416
Summary: After losing at the Indigo Plateau, Gary decides to head back out into Kanto to investigate recent Mew sightings. During his travels, he finds the region crawling with Team Rocket agents who will do whatever they must to get their hands on the psychic Pokémon. Gary finds himself battling agents and his own personal demons as he makes his way across Kanto.
Rating: T
A/N: Crystal is an original character and is NOT based on any former characters from the games or manga. I have a personal attachment to this character I created years ago. While she does have a purpose here, I'm also using her to help me with some of my original fiction.
Chapter One
Dealing with the Devil
Chapter Two
“Fifteen pokéballs, five potions, seven antidotes, and three paralyze heals. Will there be anything else?”
“Are you sure you don’t have anything stronger than a pokéball?” Gary asked the mart owner.
“No, sorry, Gary,” the man replied. Gary wasn’t that surprised. The Pallet Town pokémart was brand new, and Viridian City never had great balls either. “I hear Cerulean City just got some in, though. You might have some luck when you get there.”
“Thanks,” Gary replied, grateful for this information. He slid his bank card across the counter to pay for his purchase.
“By the way, someone left a note for you this morning. They didn’t say who they were but asked me to give it to you and told me not to open it.”
“Strange,” Gary said, taking the small envelope and his bank card from the shopkeeper. “Thanks, Tim.”
Once outside of the shop, Gary took a look at the note. It had his name written in the same unfamiliar scrawl he had found just yesterday at his grandfather’s lab. Now this was starting to creep Gary out. Who was it that knew his whereabouts? He had only told his grandfather where he’d be going. How did this person know he was setting out and going to the pokémart that morning? He quickly flipped the envelope open and pulled out another small card.
“Things will be better. Stay strong. -R. B.”
What did that mean? Of course things would be better. He was going to get stronger. How redundant. Still, Gary couldn’t help but slip the note in his backpack with the other one. He still didn’t think the person who was writing these notes understood, and it bothered him to think about what had happened during the tournament. However, maybe a little encouragement couldn’t hurt.
Gary was still pondering who might be sending him the short notes as he walked along the path to Viridian City, ignoring the Rattata and Pidgey he’d caught when he first set out over a year ago. While he did think that catching as many Pokémon as he could was a good idea, he had caught several of these species when he first set out.
Besides, the fact that someone could possibly be stalking him, no matter how kind their intentions seemed at the moment, was a scary thought and eating up most of his attention. What if that person was just trying to get him to trust him and was planning on raping or killing him? Then again, why go to all that trouble of sending him notes when whoever it was could just do whatever it was he was going to do? He began to wonder if he was being silly about the notes. He had only received two, and they appeared to be harmless despite how awful they made him feel at first for reminding him that he lost. Deep in thought and quite tired from waking up early, Gary wasn’t exactly prepared for any surprises.
“Gary!” came a familiar female voice as he was suddenly tackled and hit the ground like a dead weight. For a moment, he couldn’t register what was happening to him.
“Wow,” said the girl. “You have the reflexes of a dead Miltank.”
“Uh…” was Gary’s only response as he stared up at his attacker. He almost didn’t believe what he saw.
“What’s the matter, Gary?” The girl shook her blue bangs out of her eyes and tucked a few lose strands of hair from her ponytail behind her ear. “You look like you’ve seen a Ghastly.”
“C…Crys…Crystal?” Gary finally managed to stutter out. “What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too, Gary,” she teased and rolled her eyes. “It’s only been four years since I last saw you.”
“What are you doing here?” Gary asked. “Not that I’m not happy to see you,” he quickly added.
“I competed in the Pokémon League too,” she replied as she held out her hand to help him up. “I’m about to start heading back to Fuchsia.”
“Oh.” Gary might have been happier if he was more awake. He gratefully took her hand and got back to his feet. “So, uh, you were near town for a while?”
“Yep,” Crystal responded, dusting some dirt off of her lavender hoodie and blue jeans. “I thought about stopping in Pallet, and then I’ve got a long trek home. Mom really wants to see me. She said she really missed me when I was gone, and she’s getting a bit worried.”
“Uh huh,” Gary replied, thinking about his own grandfather. Professor Oak had barely noticed his absence. In fact, when Gary stopped at home before the Pokémon League began, the professor stated as much, claiming he hardly noticed the time pass since he spent most days researching and, of course, taking care of the Pokémon. “I didn’t see you at the Indigo Plateau,” Gary finally said in an effort to forget about his grandfather.
“There were so many people there; I don’t know how you could. I found out you were competing, though, so I watched some of your battles when I knew about them. Ash’s too.”
“Great,” Gary said absentmindedly, still feeling tired and a bit shaken from having someone jump on top of him.
“Gee, Gary,” Crystal said. “Are you always this energetic? Now I see why you only made it to the fourth round.”
Gary’s eyes narrowed and shot Crystal a glare strong enough to penetrate even Articuno’s Blizzard attack. He turned and continued down the road to Viridian City. First she brings up him, and then she talks about that.
“Gary!” Crystal called, running after him, thoroughly confused. “Did I say something wrong?” Crystal asked.
“I’m sorry I disappointed people with my Pokémon League performance,” Gary said in a huff.
“You know I didn’t mean it that way! I was being sarcastic!” How had he missed her tone of voice? “Fourth round is great. Think about how many people started out!”
“Why does everyone keep telling me the fourth round is good? Because-“
“It is,” Crystal replied, looking puzzled. “I’m glad I got into the tournament even if I didn’t win my first battle. I was disappointed but thought about it, and maybe I underestimated things because a couple of those badges were jokes. Did you get the Cascade Badge in Cerulean? Beating that blonde was easier than some of the Rattata trainers I’ve battled.”
“So why did you viciously attack me?” Gary asked, attempting to change the subject as the pair continued to walk down the road. The Pokémon League was the last thing he wanted to discuss right now.
“I was trying to show my Sandslash how to do an effective Take Down,” Crystal replied jokingly. “Come on, Gary. It’s been a while since I moved to Fuchsia, and I did want to find you and Ash at the Pokémon League, but I couldn’t. I thought I’d come back by Professor Oak’s to see if either of you stopped by before the closing ceremonies.”
“Are you going?” Gary asked.
“No. Mom wants me to come straight home,” Crystal rolled her eyes. “Because, according to Koga, Lieutenant Surge has been made aware of
Team Rocket agents crawling all over Vermillion at night. It’s only a matter of time before they head to other cities, and Surge and the police are having trouble keeping them from attacking trainers. Because it happens at night, it’s difficult for the victims to give a good description, especially because the Rocket uniform is completely black.”
“Why is your mom so worried? She let you go train Pokémon, and you’re still in one piece.”
“It’s these Rocket agents,” Crystal sighed. “She’s worried about me getting home. Koga said that Surge said a trainer had his Pokémon stolen last night. It’s been the worst to happen so far. Even if he wasn’t hurt too badly, it’s the first time a trainer was visibly injured.”
“Can’t you take a train?” Gary asked.
“Because they just built the Magnet Train, it’s only running between Saffron and Goldenrod City in the Johto region while they work everything out. Now’s a really inconvenient time, but they’d end up running into the league games any year. Mom and I can’t afford a taxi for that long of a drive which means I’m stuck traveling on foot. I’m used to it, though, so I don’t mind. Mom’s just worried is all.”
“Well, if there’s a lot of Rockets, then doesn’t she have reason to worry?”
“I think I can handle a few Rocket agents. Besides, I won’t be going into Vermillion. I’ve just heard a lot from Mom about what Koga’s told her.”
“And why are the two of you blessed with this knowledge?” Gary asked, staring in bewilderment.
“Mom’s been working with Koga on how to breed poison Pokémon for battle. And anyway, Koga likes to keep an eye out for me because of Grandpa.”
“I see,” Gary replied. Crystal’s grandfather was from Celadon City and had been a great trainer in his day. He had become friends with Professor Oak after meeting him at their first tournament. When he got married, he moved to Pallet himself because he wanted to settle down with his family due to his health. “I still don’t understand why so many Team Rocket agents are running around and why no one has heard about them.”
“Everyone’s so absorbed in the Pokémon League right now, it just isn’t big news yet. Team Rocket agents may not be the brightest in the world, but they’ve got some smart people at the top, I think. They wouldn’t make a huge fuss during an event that large if there’s a plan they’re hatching. The police are going to make an official statement. Since the worst happened last night, they decided to release it sooner than later. The only reason the gym leaders know is because the police have asked the Elite 4 to get involved since a trainer did lose his Pokémon, and Lance thought it would be for the best. They’ll make the official announcement the day after the closing ceremonies. I don’t know much more than that, though.”
“It’s just weird,” Gary said. “The reason they’re out there is because of Mew. Why attack trainers and take their Pokémon? What good does that do? Wouldn’t that draw attention to them?”
“Mew?” Crystal looked dumbfounded. “No one’s said anything about Mew.”
“It’s been spotted in Kanto,” Gary replied. “Grandpa said that the researchers and the Elite 4 have been trying to keep this quiet. It’s only a matter of time before the public finds out.” Gary was not about to be outdone when it came to his knowledge on the state of the
Pokémon world.
“All this because of a wild goose chase?” Crystal asked. “Who’s stupid enough to believe a story like that?” Staring at Gary’s face, she realized her mistake. “I said something wrong again, didn’t I?”
“I’m going after it,” Gary said.
“Why?” Crystal asked, now looking at Gary like he’d grown a second head.
“Because I can,” Gary replied.
“You have no better reason?” Crystal asked, raising an eyebrow. “It doesn’t seem like you to believe in something like that.”
“Gramps believes it. I don’t get why you’re so against the fact that it might exist.”
“I’m not the only one,” Crystal responded, stamping her foot. People don’t think it exists because it doesn’t just show itself. It’s hard to believe something exists when you don’t see it.”
“Then I don’t believe that you loved your grandfather,” Gary said with a smirk.
“You know I do!”
“Show me.”
Crystal paused. She had no way to respond to that.
“Told ya.” The smug grin was still plastered on Gary’s face.
Crystal was quiet as the two continued to walk along. Gary took the opportunity to peer over at his old friend. She seemed very much the same as she had been when she left for Fuchsia, except for being a little taller. Never wanting help and opening her mouth before she thought about what someone else might think were two qualities that she still possessed. When she still didn’t say anything, he reached over and gently tugged on the hood of her sweatshirt.
“Hey,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just wanted you to see things my way.”
“Did you have to do it with that look on your face?” she asked.
“What look?”
“That mean-looking grin.”
“Uh…” To tell the truth, Gary hadn’t thought much about the smirk he delivered to other trainers. Sure, Ash was the most frequent recipient, but that was mostly to get a rise out of him. “It’s kind of my thing,” Gary finally replied.
“Your ‘thing’?”
“Look, I can help you get as far as Cerulean City, and then you can head through to Saffron and then to Celadon and Fuchsia,” Gary said, once again changing the subject. He noticed he was doing a lot of that today.
“Why to Cerulean? And where exactly will you be going after that?”
“To talk to Bill, the pokémaniac, and wherever this Mew search leads me.”
“What’s Bill going to tell you?”
“I’m just hoping he might have heard something. I’m willing to listen to any rumors.”
“And just why do you think I need your help getting to Cerulean? I can take care of myself, you know. I’ve been doing it for months now.” She looked offended by his assumption that she couldn’t make it home on her own.
“Well…” Gary wasn’t about to tell her he was actually concerned now that she’d told him Team Rocket was out there. Gary Oak never worried. “What I mean,” Gary began again, this time choosing his words carefully, “is that we’re both headed in the same direction, so why not go together? We can catch up on a few things.” No way was he letting Crystal travel by herself. She had been like a little sister to him when they were younger, and she was still like a little sister now. Besides, after traveling with his cheerleaders for over a year, he realized it could be odd without company. He definitely wasn’t used to traveling alone.
“Uh huh,” she replied. “Whether or not you actually mean that, you have a point. Besides,” Crystal said, stopping in her tracks and pointing to a sign at the side of the road, “we’re already in Viridian. Two more towns to go!”