Chapter Four

Friday Afternoon, 11:00 o'clock AM, 4th of January

Ivy Island, Industrial District

Tempest

We were lost again. We were always lost. It was beginning to piss me off.

“Do you have any idea where the hell your going?” I yelled at Seth’s back. His jacket billowed out like a sail catching the wind. Why we left him in charge of the map reading was beyond me. I swore I’d seen that particular roof not too long ago.

We’d fled Aspiration and found a quiet haven on one of the other islands. Staying the night at a small country inn, the news had provided that police were searching for two trainers who had broken battling legislation in the city. The suspects were a female, small, blue haired and a male, tall, and blonde, both had in their possession of rare pokemon. No one in the inn had really taken any notice, the descriptions were unclear and there could have been a million trainers out there who were blonde or blue haired. I figured we were safe as long as we didn’t show anyone our pokemon.

Three days later, after a few random battles with trainers in the country side and another visit to the PokeCentre, we’d agreed on trying to hunt down the Ivy Island Gym.

We still couldn’t find it.

I searched the ground meticulously, my eyes wandering over the warehouses and factories of the industrial district of one of the smaller islands in Iris.

"Oh!" Seth piped up suddenly, "I have to go see Professor Willow!"

"Why?" I muttered.

"Because she's the most beautiful professor I've ever seen!" He replied dreamily.

I groaned, typical Seth. He was always thinking with the brains dangling between his legs.

“Can’t it wait?” I asked, “Let’s find the gym first, ok?”

"So where's her Lab anyway?" Mei Ling asked.

"Don't tell me you're agreeing with him?" I demanded.

"If anyone would know where the stupid gym is, it’s gotta be the residential Prof."

I snorted. “Fine.”

It wasn’t long before we spotted the Pokemon Research Laboratory. A huge neon sign garishly indicated to anyone within a kilometre radius as to where it was located. It was also the only relatively clean building in the area. The lab sat nestled starkly amongst the tightly compacted structures. It was a medium sized brick house, painted a dull white and its roof was a cream aluminium spotted with bird poop.

We touched down on its rugged yard. Azgard and Zapdos disappeared inside their pokeballs.

"So, what do you think she'll be like?" Mei Ling queried, as we made our way up the stone steps.

Seth smiled dreamily. “Absolutely wonderful.”

"Well let's hurry up and get on with it." I grumbled.

The house, on closer inspection was a shotty thing with dusty windows, cracked bricks and peeling paint. Confused, I turned to look up at the sign, to make sure we were at the right place.

Mei Ling rapped at the door. We waited for a whole boring minute. No one answered.

I declared, "It's empty. Now let's go."

Then as if to prove me wrong, yet again, the old wooden door creaked an inch open, and we were staring down the black barrel of a gleaming gun.

With a yip of surprise, Mei Ling jumped back, bumping into Seth, who had the nerve to bump into me, and the three of us tumbled to the ground, a tangle of arms and legs. Dominoes effect.

"Get the hell off of me!" I cried, shoving Seth from my stomach.

I scrambled up in indignation, waving my fist in the air. How did I manage to team myself up with these imbeciles again?

"What do you want?" Snapped a deep feminine voice.

"My 'comrade' here wants to perve." I growled, brushing myself off.

Seth's face froze in terror, "No, no, no! We're here to see Professor Willow! We're trainers!" He squeaked.

The door was inched open a tad further and the face of a woman in her early thirties appeared in the crack of the opening. She narrowed her blue eyes suspiciously. Short pink hair framed her face in a stylish bob. Her skin was clear and smooth, not a trace of make up in sight. Light brown freckles adorned her nose and her small bow shaped lips were tightly pressed together. She seemed like someone who didn't smile a whole lot.

She waved the gun in an imperial attitude.

"State your names and regions." She snarled.

"I am Mei Ling Tokugawa from Johto. This is Tempest Gale from Metone and Seth Templeton from the Orange Islands. We're trainers, honest! We wanted to stop by and get the low down of this region… and maybe ask for direction to the gym?” The introductions were uttered nervously, the thief’s eyes never leaving the gleaming barrel.

The woman considered for a moment, giving us all a dubious look, then relaxed. The door was quickly swung open, revealing that she wore a clean white lab coat that buttoned up securely and reached down to the length of her knees. She wore grey slacks and brown boots underneath. "You better come in." She muttered.

And shut the door in our faces.

Jiang

Hmmm, what to choose, what to choose...

Crap, this was the hardest decision of my life!

You wouldn't think picking your first pokemon would be difficult would you? Last night, the eve of my tenth birthday, I'd already decided that I'd pick a firedrake. But as soon as I'd reached Professor Willow's Lab from my hometown on Evergreen Island, I'd changed my mind. I paced up and down the aisle of Willow's Research Laboratory. Firedrake, Nimbus, and Hyoon, the three starting pokemon of the Iris League rested in their cages on my right. Rows of white computers and pokemon research equipment were located on my left. The murky light of the industrial district of Ivy island streamed down upon me from a small window above the three iron cages. Firedrake pawed restlessly behind the bars. He tossed his flamed head back, flicking the trundles of red fire from his eyes. He was a lizard pokemon, the devolved form of Dracoflame; the lava dragon. Nimbus the cloud pokemon rested in the corner of his cage next to Firedrake's, his fluffy cream coloured wool reminded me of cotton candy. The dark cat pokemon, Hyoon meowed softly, staring at me with large innocent eyes. Her two ears were touched with silver, and intricate patterns garnished her tiny body.

The room was a messy place. With stained burgundy tiles, crooked pokemon posters cheaply decorating the walls and all the equipment piled in a heap on one of the benches.

I sighed, if only my idol was here. She'd know which one I should choose. She knew everything. Tempest Gale had been my heroine ever since I had seen her Indigo League Championship battle against Mei Ling a year ago. Man, she was the strongest trainer I'd ever seen, and I wanted to be just like her, well, at least the trainer part. So what if she hadn't exactly won the match, she was still my hero.

Oh, I'm sorry, forgot my introduction.

Hi there! My name’s Jiang Tsien, I'm ten years old, into pokemon, Tempest's biggest fan, and I was in the middle of a crisis.

Oh yeah, did I mention I was the youngest of five kids in the Tsien household? Yep, that's right, my family live on Evergreen Island in a little house with a cute little Pikachu and a fuzzy little rattatta, and a.....

Oops, sorry, I kinda got carried away. Anyway, I'm pretty short for my age, okay, okay, way short for my age, coming in at about 1.3 meters. I have spiky orange-red hair that people call a constant mess, hazel eyes, light creamy skin, a round face, and a short button nose - or at least that's what my mum calls it. Oh yeah, I also wear a permanent red bandana wrapped around my head. It was of a souvenir from Tempest's championship battle. I never leave anywhere without it.

Freakin' hell, what to pick, what to pick. What would my idol select?

As always in a crisis, I began to daydream. I stood beside Tempest in the Iris Stadium. She was grinning and giving me the thumbs up. The golden Iris trophy sat cradled in my arms. The crowd was chanting my name. It was a perfect day, fluffy white clouds floated over head, cute little ledyba buzzed about and there was lots and lots of fairy floss...

I sighed with contentment. What bliss.

"You open this door right now or I'm going to come in there, rip your guns out of your bloody hands and SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR GODDAMN THROAT!!!!!!!!!"

Huh?

"THAT'S IT! One! Two! THREE!!!!"

WHOOMPH!

The door burst open!

Ha-a-h-lleluja! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

My jaw dropped open, I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't believe who was actually standing in the doorway.

Standing in the doorway, sunlight streaming behind her in a glorious display of golden rays was my idol. Illuminated by the light, she looked just the image of a legendary goddess of arcane myth.

"Shit on a stick!"

Well, maybe not quite…

"No! Don't tell me to settle down! That chick was waving a gun in my bloody face! For all we know she could be planning to assassinate me, take my pokemon, and bury me six feet under! And not to mention she had the audacity to shut the door on me!"

I gaped. I couldn’t believe it! It was Tempest! My hero!

Her blue black hair was tied back in a long ponyta tail pulled through the back of her famous Metone League cap. She was dressed in a way cool, I’m cool, I don’t care what I look like kind of way, with a grungy sleeveless shirt and reaaaallly big denim shorts. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Whoa, she was actually here, in the flesh and blood and looking too real to be a figment of my imagination.

I gaped.

An older girl, aged perhaps eighteen, with the greenest eyes I had ever seen stood beside Tempest. Her green hair was pulled back in a long braid which trailed down the middle of her back. She was dressed in a white T-shirt, and dark blue denim ¾ quarter jeans. I recognized her as Mei Ling, Champion alongside Tempest.

I was on the verge of tears of joy. Two champions in one day! This was the happiest birthday of my life!

Mei Ling chuckled as she stepped through the door, "Have you ever actually wondered why someone might want to kill you?"

"Because they're jealous of me?" My idol interjected airily.

"Nice try; because you have a tendency to piss people off."

Tempest grinned.

I couldn't hold down my excitement any longer. I scrambled gleefully towards her, "Tempest! Tempest! Oh my god! It's really you! Tempest!"

"What the-?"

I dropped to her feet and wrapped myself around her resplendent ankles, armed with a stupid grin and stars that practically shone from my eyes. I knew I must've looked like a dickhead, but at that moment, I really didn't care.

"Aagh! Get off my ankles!" Tempest screeched.

"Oh my gosh! You're talking to me!"

"I'll do more than just talk to you if you don't let go of me!" She threatened, trying to shake me loose. But I hung on; it wasn't every day you got to latch yourself onto greatness!

"My name's Jiang! I'm President of the Tempest Gale Fanclub!"

"Eeep! Help me!" She squealed, shaking even harder.

I pressed on, "I wanna be just like you!"

"H-h-e-e-l-l-p!"

"Oh please, can I have your autograph!?"

"Who knows what diseases I'll catch!"

"I have a web site dedicated to you!"

"I need a rabies shot! Anyone got a rabies shot?!"

"I have a chatroom dedicated to you!"

"Better yet, a crowbar would be good!"

"Hey! She won't give you her autograph, but I will!" A blonde boy pushed in between the two girls.

I frowned, letting go of her ankles.

ZOOM!

"You come near me and I'll beat you to a pulp!" Tempest had dashed to the other side of the room, brandishing a Bunsen Burner as a weapon.

"So, whaddya say?" The boy grinned, holding a blue pen ready for action. He wore an expensive Trainer brand brown jacket, white t-shirt and a pokebelt doing virtually nothing at all to hold up his baggy denim shorts.

I rolled my eyes, "Look you dork. I don't want the autograph of some lousy Mister Nobody, from no where."

"Why not?" He moaned, hurt.

"There, there, Seth." Mei Ling patted him on the back, "Not everyone can be good at being, uh...well, not everyone can be good at being... good."

He sniffled, covering his face with his hands as Mei Ling nodded sympathetically. Occasionally, when he thought no one was looking, he peeked from behind his hands and grinned mischievously, taking glances at the pretty green haired trainer’s cleavage all the while lapping up her compassion.

I turned my attention back to Tempest, who was swinging the Bunsen Burner harder and faster as she saw me turn to look at her.

"Pretty please?"

"That's enough, Jiang." A quiet commanding voice sounded behind me.

"Bummer." I mumbled disappointedly as Professor Willow stepped from the shadows and walked calmly towards her study desk. She switched on her laptop.

“You!” Tempest screeched, turning away from me to point an accusing finger at the Professor, "Next time you wave a gun in my face, I'll shove it so far down your throat you'll need to stick your hand up your ass to get it out."

"Uh, she doesn't mean that." Seth assured quickly.

"You wanna make a bet?" My hero challenged.

The pink haired Professor laughed quietly, though her attention was fixed on the flat screen of her laptop, "Did you know that Eevees are the most evolutionary unstable pokemon in the world?" She typed a few sentences on her word processor.

"So, you're Professor Willow?" The green haired trainer piped up.

"Affirmative. Oh by the way; close the door. We don't live in a cave in case you didn't notice."

"You know, you're absolutely right.” Mei Ling glanced around the room, “It's more of a bacterial breeding ground than anything else."

“I carry weapons because the industrial districts of these islands are dangerous.” With a sigh she pushed away her work, and turned her head to face us, “Just last week the lab was robbed again - I still haven’t gotten around to fully clean the place up yet. So I apologise for being so rude, it’s just been a bit dangerous lately.”

Seth stared at Willow dreamily, "You can wave a gun in my face any time you want to....."

“Yeah, she almost blew off my head when I opened the door,” I supplied ruefully.

"Why don't you just move?" Mei Ling suggested, moving through the aisles, and checking out equipment. Hey, did she just take a thermometer?

"I can't leave." Willow replied, "It's not that easy. This is where my base is, my mainframe computers, equipment, everything. I can't just pack up and relocate."

"This is the Lab?" Tempest asked, unimpressed. She studied the tiled walls, the pictures, the slowly revolving ceiling fan.

"The last burglary left it damaged beyond repair. Other previous break-ins have just been sapping on the research grants. It’s come to the point where I just don’t have enough funds to fix the place anymore. With barely enough money to support myself, there’s just no way I’d be able to move.”

"So, how was your flight from the meeting? Got a boyfriend? Husband? Wanna go out?" Seth gave a bright smile. Hah! He had more of chance in Hell than of getting a date with her!

Willow cast him a baleful gaze. "Horrible. No. Divorced. No."

The trainer's grin shattered, his shoulders slumped disappointedly, "Can't say I didn't try." He muttered.

"So what’s your story?" Tempest eyed me warily.

"Who me?" I wondered. Oh my god, she was actually trying to have a conversation with me! I could have died right there and then as a happy kid.

"Yes. You." She replied impatiently through gritted teeth.

"Well, today's my tenth birthday and I'm here to pick my first pokemon. Oh Shoot! I still have to do that!" I turned on my heel and ran up the aisle, bowling Mei Ling over.

CLANG!!

Experimental utensils spilled to the floor. Tempest, Seth and Willow gave her dark looks.

"Why… I have no idea how they got there!" She spread her hands innocently.

I stopped in front of the three cages. Oh man! Which one?

I sighed. This was one hell of a choice. Hyoon, Nymbis, or Firedrake? Having no other alternative, I decided to call forth the age old sacred rites of eeny meeny miny mo.

"If he squeals, let him go. Eeny meeny miny mo." My finger landed on the cage containing -

BAM BAM BAM!!!

Eh?! What was going on?

"Shit." Willow swore behind me, "Protestors again."

There were many pokemon rights activists on the islands who believed that using pokemon for battling was a form of slavery and broke the pokemon rights laws. They often targeted Willow’s lab, seeing it as the seed of the evil as this was where trainers received their first pokemon.

The Professor slid from her chair, reached into one of her large white coat pockets, and withdrew a gleaming black Uzi. I grimaced, this might get nasty. Messy? More than likely.

“You want me to do anything Prof?” I asked helpfully, watching her go.

"What are you going to do?" Mei Ling asked her.

Yoink!

"Do what I always do. Tell 'em to piss off." She headed towards to the door, "Oh, by the way, put my calculator back."

Mei Ling blushed, "Sorry."

Yoink!

"That as well."

"But I didn't take anything..."

"My paper holder?"

"Oh... that."

As usual, the pink haired professor inched the door open, sticking the nozzle of the gun out first.

WWHHAAMM!!!!

The door exploded off its hinges, slamming against the professor. She hurtled across the room!

"What the f - OOOMPH!!"

She slumped painfully against the wall, the weight of the door pinning her down.

"Professor!" I cried, rushing to her aide.

"What's going on?" Tempest demanded.

"Oh man, this is not my lucky day!" Mei Ling complained, scrabbling about and withdrawing a small item from her pocket which she began to kiss fervently.

Seth yelled. "Why is it wherever we go, something seems to get destroyed?” I leaped over the door, landing nimbly beside Willow. Crouching down I inquired, "Are you alright?"

Her eyelids fluttered weakly, then suddenly widened, and she stared at me seriously, "Luke Skywalker, I am your father."

"Really?" I asked, before I could stop myself.

Unexpectedly, she burst into a fit of giggles and cried out, "Houston, we have a problem!"

"What?"

"Apollo 13 is spinning out of control!"

Huh?

"E.T phone home!"

"Willow! What's wrong with you?" I cried desperately. She was freaking me out big time - even more than my sister does! The professor abruptly changed her demeanor and became serious again, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it..."

"Yoo-hoo! Hello in there!" A new, unfamiliar high-pitched male voice called.

Willow chirped up brightly in a girlie singsong voice, "Good morning Charlie!"

I turned, the silhouettes of two tall, skinny figures stood in the doorway.

They didn't look an awful lot like protesters.