Chapter 10: Thundershock Jessica put down her book. "This is boring. Let's go look around," she suggested. "Yeah, I've done enough research," Uiru agreed. As they headed up the stairs, Matt called out to them. "I'm not gonna say what that looks like, you know." "Shut up!" Jessica shouted. "We're going to look around. You're welcome to join us if you want," Uiru replied. "Not that kinda guy," he cracked, going back to his book. "Never mind him," Uiru said. They went upstairs. "Man, this place is so... old," he stated. Jessica poked her head in a door. "Bedroom," she announced. She looked in the next one. It was an identical bedroom. "This is wierd," Uiru stated. "When this place was running, what do you think it was?" "I don't know," Jessica asked. "It certainly wasn't just a house. There's like eight bedrooms that all look the same. Nobody has eight bedrooms." Uiru swung open a door. "Whoa!" he shouted. "Hey Jessica, check this out!" He had opened a door on what looked like a trainer's gym! "Cool! This place must have been a Pokémon Gym at one point," Jessica declared. "I wonder why it shut down?" "Maybe it didn't get enough business. It is kinda remote," Uiru suggested. "Hey, look over there!" Jessica pointed. "There's a porch out there." They stepped out onto it. Although the house was old, it seemed to be in pretty good shape. As was the deck. "Wow... What an incredible view! You can see Charteruse from here!" Jessica pointed. "Yeah, there it is," Uiru stated. "Man, you can see everything from here. I think that's Sapphire City over there." "Allison said Charteruse Peaks were high, but I didn't think they were this high." Uiru looked around the deck. Although the interior of the mansion was covered in at least four inches of solid dust, the wind kept the porch clean. Tonight, however, there was just a warm breeze, complimenting the warm, dry air. "Not a cloud," Uiru noted, looking up. "Without any lights, you'll be able to see the stars in a little while." He sat down on a porch swing set up on the side of the mansion. Jessica sat down next to him. "Let's stay out here for a while," Jessica suggested. Uiru agreed. He put his arm around her, and she moved closer to him. "Soup's on!" Patrick shouted. "Come and get it!" Nick put down his tools and went to the kitchen. Matt went upstairs to find Uiru and Jessica. "What is it?" Nick asked. "Soup, or stew, or something," Alex replied. "Essentially, the contents of a few unlabeled cans thrown into a big pot and cooked for forty minutes." "Classy," Nick replied. There was a banging on the door. Allison went to get it. "Hello?" she asked. It was a young man about her age, and a young woman a few years younger. "Hi," the young man greeted. "Would you happen to have someplace for us to stay tonight? We'll pay for it." "Not nessessary," Allison replied. "My friends and I are staying for free, and you guys can too." "Oh, thank you very much," the girl replied. Allison brought them to the kitchen. "Company," she announced. "What's your names?" "I'm Geoff, and this is Erin," he introduced. The others went around the line, introducing themselves. "And I'm Matt," Matt finished, coming into the kitchen. "Nobody go upstairs. I'm pretty sure Uiru and Jessica want to be left alone." A quiet commotion. "What's going on?" Nick asked. "Nothing like that," Matt snapped. "They're outside on this huge porch." "Did you tell them dinner was ready?" Allison asked. "They didn't see me. I figured they'd put me over the railing if they knew I was there." "What do they look like?" Erin asked. "Well, Uiru's a big tall guy, and Jessica's... the exact opposite," Matt replied after a minute. "Short. Slender. Actually, kinda cute. I can see what Uiru sees in her." "Kinda cute?" Nick asked. "More like DA-AM cute." "Yeah, remember when Curtis wanted to ask her out?" Patrick asked. He smirked, remembering something. "And remember what you said when he said he might ask Allison out, Matt?" Matt turned red. "Um..." Geoff laughed. "What did you say, Matt?" "Yes," Allison asked. "What did you say?" "Er... I'll tell you later," he grinned. Alex put some stew in a bowl. "Okay, who among us wants to be the first to test this unknown substance?" "Not me," everyone replied. Alex tried it. "Hmm... Not bad. Here, try this." Allison tried some. "Hey, this stuff is edible," she exclaimed. A moment later, the seven trainers assembled in the living room to finish their meal. "So, what brings you all the way out here?" Patrick asked Erin. "Our town was invaded," Erin replied. "Have you ever heard of a place called Ivory Lake?" "No," Allison replied. "I've lived here a long time, and I've never heard of that place." "Not many people have," Geoff replied. "It's hidden really well." "Were the invaders the Flame Force?" Allison asked. "Yeah, how did you know?" Geoff asked. "We just finished kicking them out of Charteruse City," Matt replied. "You mean you've liberated Charteruse?" Erin echoed. "We can go there, then!" Geoff declared. "Hey..." Alex started. "I think we could convince Booster to let us liberate Ivory Lake too!" "Yeah!" Matt agreed. "Booster wouldn't mind at all." "Who's Booster?" Geoff asked. "Our boss," Nick replied. "We're all members of Fire Strike, of the Pokémon Liberation Unit." "Oh, so you're all trainers?" Erin asked. "We are too. I use Poison Pokémon. I have Koffing, Ekans, and Grimer." "I've got a Kadabra, a Dratini, and a Nidoran male," Geoff added. They went around the circle, telling them what kinds of Pokémon they had. "We'll definately be able to help you," Nick told them. "We're the best, aren't we?" "Don't get cocky," Allison reminded him. "We are good, though..." "THIS stuff is good," Patrick stated. "I'm getting some more. Anyone else want some?" Erin did. He took her bowl. "By this time tomorrow, Ivory Lake should be ours," Alex declared. "Why would they invade it though?" "We've got a lot of rare Pokémon," Geoff replied. "And, a ton of Water Pokémon. Flame Force uses them on their campaigns, to battle Ground types." "We know," Matt replied. "My Grass types have creamed many a Water Pokémon retaking Charteruse." By this time, it was night. Uiru and Jessica watched the moon rise and the stars come out. "Wow... I never saw them like this in Turquoise Lake," Jessica said. They were gently rocking back and forth in a comfortable silence until now. "It was probably because I was in the city." "Yeah..." Uiru answered. "You could usually get a good view from Turcott Park, but I never really looked." They sat in silence for another moment. "I don't know about you, but I could fall asleep right here," Jessica said to him. "I know what you mean." The romantic peace was inturrupted by someone's grappling hook getting ahold of the railing. In a moment, someone had shinnied up the rope and was making their way to the door. "Who the hell are you?" Uiru demanded. The person was startled. "I didn't see you," he replied. "What are you doing here?" Jessica asked. "I'm here to reclaim my boss's Dratini," he replied. "Do you know who has it?" "Nobody here has a Dratini," Uiru told him. "What are you doing anyway, climbing up here like a thief? Why didn't you use the front door?" "Because I didn't feel like it," the man replied. "I don't want to cause trouble, so I'll just find the Dratini and be on my way." "No one here has a Dratini," Jessica insisted. "So just get out of here." "I KNOW the person who stole my boss's Dratini is in this mansion," the man declared. "And I'm not leaving until I get it." "There's no Draini here!" "Yes there is!" "No there isn't!" "Don't argue with me, you little bitch," he snapped. "Don't talk to her like that!" Uiru shouted, stepping forward, his voice rising. "I don't know what your problem is, but you're leaving, NOW." "I'm here for the Dratini," he repeated. "I'm getting sick of hearing that! Nobody here has a Dratini!" Uiru shouted. "Now either shinny down that rope and get the hell out of here, or I'm going to hang you with it!" "I'm getting sick of your idiotic attitude," the man snarled. "You're the one who can't figure out there's no Dratini in this mansion," Uiru retorted. "There is, and I'm going to get it! Out of my way, boy!" He shoved Uiru out of his way. Uiru then punched him straight across the face. Jessica took two big steps back, out of the way. Uiru ducked a jab and sent his fist right into the man's side. He stepped back, and Uiru punched him right in the face again. "I don't have to take this! I am Sunder, of the Flame Force! Electabuzz, I choose you! Thundershock this rodent!" Uiru got blasted by Electabuzz's electricity! "Oh no! Cubone, I choose you!" Jessica shouted. "Bone Club, now!" Electabuzz tried to shock Cubone, but being a Ground type, it was useless. Cubone thrashed Electabuzz. "Now Bonemerang this creep!" Jessica shouted. Cubone wound up and hurled the Bone Club at Sunder. He dodged it, and started climbing back down the rope. Jessica looked over, and when he was a few meters from the ground, she pulled the grappling hook off the balcony. He landed with a crash. She laughed. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Oy... That hurts a lot more then it looks like it does," Uiru replied. He struggled to his feet. "My hair's a mess, isn't it?" Jessica laughed. "Sure is. I think you should go lie down." Uiru and Jessica ran into the others in front of the row of bedrooms. "What happened to you?" Allison asked. "This guy attacked us, and when Uiru started pounding him, he called out an Electabuzz and shocked him," Jessica explained. "Then Cubone whipped him, of course." Cubone hit it's Bone Club off the floor for emphasis. "Then he ran." "Who're you?" Uiru asked. "I'm Erin, and this is Geoff," Erin answered. "They showed up here tonight," Alex informed them. "And will be spending the night. And tomorrow, we'll be liberating their town of Ivory Lake from the Flame Force." "Ah," Uiru nodded. "Do either of you have a Dratini?" "Yeah, I do," Geoff replied. "Damn!" Jessica cursed. "We just got through yelling at that guy that there was no Dratini here!" "Did you steal it from him or something?" Uiru asked. "Well... Kinda," Geoff replied. "What do you mean, kinda?" Allison asked. "Either you did or you didn't." "Well, I had heard that the Boss of the Flame Force had stolen a Dratini off a trainer. I decided to steal it from him. If I ever find that trainer, I'm gonna give it back, but for now, Dratini likes me. So there's no problem." "You stole from the Boss of the Flame Force?" Alex asked. "You got guts, man." "Geoff has sticky fingers," Erin declared. "We'd better get to sleep," Jessica said. "Are there only eight bedrooms?" "There's nine of us, now," Nick said. "Oh well. At least now you two have an excuse." "Shut up!" "There's a few more on the other side of the hall," Matt announced. "There's like twelve in total." "Well then... See you guys later," Erin said.