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Equilibrium	By : jvperric Category: Pokemon > General Views: 12587 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Nintendo does. I make no claim towards any of the copyrighted intellectual property contained herein. I am making no money from this story in any way.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
*****Book II: The Air Gem*****

*****Chapter VI: Friends*****

It is by chance that we met, by choice that we became friends.

*****

Xavier took his lunch in the break room, away from the mess hall. It was always such a loud place, and he valued his silence like gold. His favored haunt was in the basement of one of the main buildings of Skorta Holdings Group headquarters, where the façade of business was dropped and Scion operations were conducted openly. In the other rooms lining the main corridor of Building Three, Basement Level Two, experiments moved forward, Pokémon were trained to take orders from anyone blowing a special whistle, and computer viruses were assembled line by line. A feed on his phone on the table showed Doctor Szilard working in another facility.

The door opened and Xavier stiffened up, but relaxed when he saw it was Doctor Curtis, empty coffee mug in hand. He nodded politely at Xavier and put his mug into the coffee machine. Xavier liked Doctor Curtis. He was distant, and not slavishly respectful like the usual fare in the mess hall.

“No lunch today, Latif?” Xavier asked.

“Would that I had the time, Xavier,” he said. It was rare that he addressed Xavier as sir. He liked that, too. “My work is never done. I’ve been put in charge of a group for readying the complex for a large arrival of Pokémon.”

“Oh, that’s my op,” Xavier said, placing his wrap back in its container. “We’re hitting a cargo ship out in the gulf tomorrow night.”

“Yes, Richard never can be satisfied with the Pokémon he has. Always getting more. ‘For the new recruits,’ he says. It’s a task more suited to the Trainers. Well, the best of luck on your mission.”

“You don’t have to run back right away, do you?”

“It…wouldn’t take much persuading to keep me here for a few minutes. What’s in that wrap?”

“Here, have half. It’s grilled Tauros with some fresh amba sauce,” Xavier said, sliding his tray across the table. Doctor Curtis sat down and took a slow bite.

“Good sauce,” he said. “I don’t suppose you’ve managed to get any more information on what Doctor Szilard is doing from Richard?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Xavier said. “He hasn’t been taking my calls and he hasn’t left his office for days. Erica said she would try to see what was going on today.”

“Speaking of your sister, she was down here a few days ago, going on about some emerald she had. Claimed it was the Earth Gem. What utter nonsense.”

“A skeptical scientist, I’m less than surprised.”

“Do you think it’s the Earth Gem?”

“No, the whole notion is ridiculous, but from you it seems…stereotypical.”

Doctor Curtis smiled, but a glance at the clock turned it into a frown. “I should get back; my team is useless without someone ordering them around. I’ll talk to you later, Xavier.”

“See you around, Doc.”

He left, his Tauros wrap in one hand and coffee in the other. Xavier smiled, inwardly glad there was someone he could talk to. He leaned back in his chair and wondered how Erica was doing getting Richard out of his funk.

*****

“Can you say that a little slower?” Richard asked.

Erica shook her head in frustration and flipped the emerald in her hand. “I found this under Greenpeak Mountain. There was a long chamber with torches and a huge Torterra that attacked us. This was on a dais in the middle of the room. Look what it does to my Pokémon!”

She pulled a Pokéball off her belt and released a Gothitelle. It hovered towards the Gem and began humming loudly as it came closer. Erica offered the emerald to her Pokémon and it took it in its hand. Energy crackled around her and the items on Richard’s coffee table shot into the leather couch on the side opposite Gothitelle. Erica took the gem back and the crackling died down.

“And it’s not just her; it’s all Psychic-types. And three or four other types. Richard, this is the Earth Gem. What will it take for you to believe me and look into this?”

Richard got up from behind his desk and turned around. He looked down to the docks, carved into the cliffs hundreds of feet below. He slid a finger along the condensation on the window and turned around. His sister had taken a seat on his couch, playing with the emerald with one hand and scratching Gothitelle’s head with the other.

She wasn’t wearing much, he noticed as he sat back down in his seat. They had no uniforms, apart from during field missions, but the snow outside should have dictated something more than a thin shirt and pants. Her hands nimbly rolled the emerald through her fingers, pausing only to play with a strand of glossy black hair. Richard rested his cheek on his hand.

“What will it take for me to believe you,” he mused.

A harsh chill ran down Erica’s spine, spreading throughout her body. Gothitelle sensed the venom in the words, and moved protectively in front of her Trainer, but she recalled her. Erica began to tremble.

“What will it take?” she asked, desperately trying to stop her lower lip from quivering.

“Come here.”

Erica got up and slowly pulled her feet across the floor, moving as little as she could with each step. She could feel her heart beating wildly, her breath quickening. When she was behind the desk and next to the large window, she stopped.

“The cold obviously doesn’t bother you, if all you’re wearing is that shirt. You probably wouldn’t even notice if you weren’t wearing it.”

“Richard, please, anything but…”

He stared impassively at her.

Tears streaming openly, Erica pulled her shirt over her head with shaking hands. She began to sob as Richard grabbed her arm and pushed her to her knees.

Erica sat on the couch, holding her clothes in a heap. She wiped her face dry and put her shirt back on, not bothering with her bra. Her pants took longer; her hands refused to stay steady long enough to fasten the button. The emerald rested on the coffee table.

“Will—will you r-run the tests now?” she asked. Not even her voice could stay steady.

“I’ll see,” Richard said, returning to his work. “Go get yourself cleaned up, your mascara’s running.”

*****

“This sand gets everywhere…oh shit!”

Jason wrenched himself out of his sleeping bag and scrambled to his feet. His Pokémon were just waking up when their Trainer dashed off into the surf after his soaked backpack, floating about twenty feet from the beach.

“Wait, the Carvanha!” Kirlia yelled. Riolu ran after Jason, gathering aura around his paws. On cue, the dark mass swirling under the water converged on Jason’s feet, but Riolu caught up with him and slammed his paws down on one of the fish. The water deepened, and halfway to the bag Riolu had to swim to keep up with Jason.

He grabbed his backpack and suddenly became aware of the predators around them. Jason scooped up Riolu and ran back to the shore, swinging his bag at the Carvanha when they broke from their group and tried for his legs.

Jason made one last leap and landed with his good foot…on Mightyena’s tail. She yelped and ran around the dead campfire, barking wildly. Kirlia sat next to her when she stopped to lick at her tail and patted her head.

“Do you know how much that hurts?” she asked, growling through her words.

He knelt down and wrapped his arm around her, scratching her fur and kissing her neck. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. How does it feel?”

“It’ll be fine, just don’t do it again.”

“I’ll be more careful, I promise.” Jason took a waterproof container from his backpack, retrieved a biscuit, and offered it to Mightyena. She took it gladly and Jason started laying out the rest of his bag’s contents on his sleeping bag.

“Laptop’s shot to hell…I’ll see if the place in Callport will honor the warranty.” Jason stripped the computer of its hard drive and sealed it in a plastic bag. “The clothes will wash out. Most of the other stuff’s still good. Man, all my books…”

Kirlia went to hug Jason. “Maybe some of it will dry out.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Jason said, absently hugging Kirlia. “I’ll dry the clothes later. Come on guys, the food’s still good. Let me heat something up.”

Kirlia and Riolu rekindled the fire with a few waterproof matches and Jason put five meals on the grill he had left over the cinders. Rufflet took off from his perch, mentioning something about scouting the area ahead.

Jason extended a collapsible pot and scooped up as much water as he could. He placed it over the fire and began rolling up his sleeping bag. Rufflet returned and swooped down on his perch.

“Most of the Pokémon are still asleep,” he said, scratching the back of his head with one talon. “The ones that aren’t are up because they can’t compete with the stronger ones for food. I saw buildings down the way. Boats, too.”

“Callport City. We’ll get there in a few hours. Here, food’s ready. The water will boil in a minute, but that’s just for washing. There’s a bottle in my bag if you’re thirsty.”

They ate their meals quietly, finished packing up the camp, and set off down the beach.

*****

“What do you mean, you don’t know what happened?”

Mira stood in the Gemsea Town police substation, leaning on the counter while an exasperated lieutenant ignored three ringing phones and a mountain of paperwork to answer her. “I’m sorry, miss, an Army captain showed up with his men and a tasking order. The police weren't privy to their operation. They came in helicopters and left just as quickly.”

She rolled her eyes and left the police station. The residents of Gemsea Town were out and about on the bright, warm day, all buzzing about the mysterious soldiers that had confined them to their homes the day before. Mira released Zangoose and they walked down the sidewalk, towards the harbor.

“Zan, Zangoose Zangoose?”

“We're going to rest up at the Pokémon Center and then head down to the docks in the afternoon,” Mira said, taking a stab at what her Pokémon was asking. “Swath said he knew someone working on a cargo ship that would get us down to Redrock Town. Then we can go to the Air Spire and get the Air Gem.”

“Zan-goose,” he said, pointing at his stomach for emphasis.

“Oh, you're hungry. We can get something at the Center. Come up here, I'll carry you.”

She knelt down and Zangoose let his Trainer scoop him up and hold him against her chest. Mira rubbed her chin on the top of his head.

“You're so cute, Zangoose. I wish you got along better with Starly. I guess you'll warm up to him soon enough. Here's the Center.”

They entered the Pokémon Center and Mira gave over Zangoose and Starly's Pokéball to the attendant. While Zangoose sat in the machine and let the healing energy wash over him, Mira went over to the buffet and filled a plate with the foods she knew Zangoose liked. She swiped her Trainer's license through the register and sat at an empty table against the wall.

When the machine had finished, Zangoose took Starly's Pokéball and hopped over the counter. He trotted over to Mira's table and gave her the Pokéball, then jumped into her lap and began sniffing at the food. Mira pulled the plate closer to him and swung the wall-mounted monitor in front of her.

“Zangoose?” the Pokémon asked, holding up a baby carrot. Mira took a bite.

“Thanks. I'll have some in a few minutes. I just want to look something up first.”

Zangoose continued munching on the vegetables and leafy greens of the salad Mira had put together for them while his Trainer pulled a small wall-mounted monitor to face her. She put a dollar into the slot on the wall and a keyboard slid out with a timer counting down. Her fingers flew across the keys and Zangoose watched the colors on the monitor flash. He put a paw towards it, but Mira waved the claws away.

“Careful, I don’t want you to break it.”

With one hand on the touchpad, Mira scratched Zangoose’s head and pored over the information on the page. “Lots of stories about the Gems, drawings, speculation…nothing concrete, obviously. That would be too easy. What a waste of money.”

She pushed the keyboard back into the slot in the wall, took up a fork and began picking at her salad. Zangoose whined and pointed at Starly’s Pokéball.

“No, the machine fed Starly when it healed him. He doesn’t need any. If you had gone in your ball like a good little boy you would’ve been fed, too. Eat as much as you like, I’m not that hungry.”

He finished off the rest of the plate and Mira picked him up. They left after she grabbed a map of the city and returned to the main street, heading for the docks.

*****

“Show me, show me!”

Jason sat down on a bench outside Callport City’s computer store and Kirlia jumped up next to him. “All right, just calm down. Here, slide this over and it’ll open.”

Kirlia opened the netbook and marveled at the interior. “I don’t know how you can remember what all those symbols mean,” he said, passing his hand over the keyboard. “They just look like regular shapes.”

“When we’re not busy I’ll try to teach you some of them.” Jason closed the computer and placed it in his bag. He looked up at the cloudless sky while Kirlia yawned loudly. Mightyena sat sentinel-like next to the bench, watching Riolu and Rufflet tussle playfully on the grass nearby.

“So what do we do now?” Mightyena asked.

“We’ll head to the docks,” Jason said. “See if we can pick up a cheap ticket to the Gulf. There’s probably—”

His Pokénav began buzzing. The Pokémon looked at it curiously as Jason took it out. “Oh. Great.” He answered the call. “Hi, Dad.”

“Where the hell are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks for asking. I’m in Callport City.”

“What are you doing down there? Do you know how worried I’ve been?”

“I’m waiting for a boat to the Sepris Archipelago. And you couldn’t have been too worried, I left over a month ago.”

“You’re not getting on any damn boat, you’re coming back to Duskwind Town right now.”

Jason was holding the Pokénav three inches from his ear. “Dad, you had me spend every available day I had in that iron mill. That’s not what I want to do. I’m eighteen and I’m a Trainer. If you think you can pull yourself away from the refinery for a few days, I’d be happy to see you when I get back to the mainland. I have to go. Bye, Dad.”

He hung up in the midst of a storm of protests and curses and turned off the phone function. Kirlia frowned as he felt the negative energy wash over Jason. “What’s wrong?”

“My dad never liked the idea of me being a Trainer.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry about it. How would you feel about hitting the Fighting-type Gym?”

“I’m up to it.”

“What about me?” Mightyena asked, planting her front paws on the bench.

Jason scratched her head. “Fighting-types aren’t your specialty. If we come across any Psychic-type Pokémon or Trainers, you’ll be the first one out.”

“All right,” Mightyena said, lowering herself back down. She turned and barked at Riolu and Rufflet. “Come on, we’re going to the Gym.”

They stopped their horseplay and fell into line next to Mightyena. Jason smiled at thought about the way his other Pokémon looked to her for leadership. Their team captain, he supposed.

I wonder if it’s just a size thing, Jason thought. They’re all going to get taller than her when they evolve. Maybe she’s the oldest? Do they have any conception of age? Ah, no point in worrying about it now.

“Who wants to walk and who wants to rest?” Jason asked, standing up. They all returned to their Pokéballs, even Kirlia, who was too tired to walk and stare admiringly at his Trainer. Jason set off towards the Gym, trying not to think about who many of his father’s angry calls were going to his voicemail.

*****

The Callport City Gym was a low, squat building, lined with full-height windows and a faint but distinct smell of sweat. Nothing but a simple sign boasted its status as a Pokémon Gym, and from afar it looked like a regular human gymnasium.

Both kinds of establishments were incorporated inside, as Jason saw when he entered. There was an arena reserved for Gym battles, but it was behind a large amount of equipment that accommodated human and Pokémon alike. The Gym Trainers used their Pokémon as spotters and vice-versa, trading places at each machine. There was even a juice bar off to one side.

“Can I help you?” the receptionist at the front desk asked.

“Yeah, I’m looking for the Gym Leader,” Jason said. “I don’t have an appointment.”

“No worries, son,” a tall, burly man said, walking up to the desk with a massive hand extended. “The name’s Jake, and I run this fine Gym. Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Jason said, meeting the handshake and nearly wincing from the man’s strength. “I’m Jason.”

“You wouldn’t be Jason Sato, would you?” Jake asked.

“I would. How do you know me?”

“Professor Bayberry told me to keep an eye out for a brown-haired Jason coming this way. Said you’d be quite the Trainer. And Swath said you trounced him in your first Gym battle.”

“I don’t know about trounced, but I guess you know why I’m here.”

“Looking for a battle, then? All right, my Pokémon haven’t had a good workout in a while. Go on over to the ring while I try to dig up our referee.”

Jason went to the challenger’s box of the arena and waited for a middle-aged man and his accompanying Medicham to take their places at the official’s table on one side of the battle floor. When they were settled in, the Medicham waved Jason over to fill out the preliminary paperwork.

“Do all the referees have Medicham?” Jason asked while he put down his information.

The official nodded. “The League raises them to specialize in barriers and precognition. Before they evolve, they issue them to us and they become part of our team. I’ve had Medi for about fifteen years now.”

‘No Pokémon has ever been seriously injured in one of my battles,’ Medi said, biting back obvious pride.

“Glad to hear that.” Jason paused under the roster information. He wrote in Kirlia and Rufflet, slid the paper back to the official, and took his place again at one end of the arena.

All four Pokémon came out and Jason directed Riolu and Mightyena to the spectator box off to the side. Kirlia and Rufflet took their places in the active box on Jason’s other side.

“Who’s leading?” Rufflet asked.

“Kirlia,” Jason said. “It’s going to be a two-on-two, so he shouldn’t have any problems, but you’re on deck just in case.”

Jake strode up to the Leader’s box on the opposite side of the room after looking over the paperwork at the official’s table. “Two Pokémon? All right, let’s see here…”

A Machop and a Mienfoo appeared from their Pokéballs. The Machop stepped forward, into the ring.

“Begin!” the official shouted.

Kirlia jumped forward and focused on the Machop. It was powerful, but its mind was nowhere near as strong as—

“Look at that thing!”

“There’s nothing to it! It’s like a bunch of sticks!”

The jeers from the spectators threw Kirlia off guard, and when he looked back up, the Machop was sprinting right at him.

“Ignore them! Put up a shield!”

Kirlia shook his head clear and planted both hands firmly on the ground. The Machop kept running, oblivious to the barrier now between them. It cocked its arm to throw a jab, but instead of going towards Kirlia, it traveled upwards, as if on a ramp. Too surprised to stop in time, Machop ran right off the ramp and fell outside of the arena.

‘Ring out!’ the Medicham’s psychic voice boomed. ‘First round: challenger.’

Machop disappeared in a haze of red light and Mienfoo jumped forward. “That was clever,” she said to Kirlia. “But Machop was never too smart to begin with. That won’t work twice.”

“Right at him, Mienfoo,” Jake said.

Kirlia pulled in all the ambient energy in the room and condensed it into a protective barrier over his body. Mienfoo dashed in a zigzag pattern, making everyone following her dizzy.

“That’s some speed,” Jason said. “Can you slow her down?”

Kirlia threw his hands out and a translucent purple wall came up about four feet from the ground. Mienfoo noticed the obstruction and easily vaulted over it, hanging in the air long enough to shout at Kirlia: “Not good enough!”

She landed and immediately transitioned into a High Jump Kick. Rather than make another barrier, Kirlia screamed and threw himself out of the way, leaving Mienfoo to tumble onto the ground.

“You Psychic-types,” Mienfoo said, righting herself and coming back at Kirlia with a flurry of punches. “All cowards. Can’t fight your own battles face to face!”

The onslaught was taking its toll, and Kirlia’s barrier was wearing down. He blocked as many hits as he could, but Mienfoo’s attacks were much stronger than Riolu’s when they sparred together. Eventually there was no more barrier, and all Kirlia could do was move with the attacks to minimize their damage.

“Enough!” Jason shouted. Medicham put up a powerful shield between the two Pokémon. Kirlia wobbled for a moment, looked at the bruises marring his white skin, the blood trickling from his mouth, and collapsed.

‘Knockout,’ Medicham said. ‘Second round: Leader. Third round decides.’

Jason recalled Kirlia, put him in stasis, and sent out Rufflet. Mienfoo grimaced as the Flying-type soared over her head, too fast for her too hit.

“Get down here, birdbrain!”

Rufflet swooped up, hung still in the air for several seconds, and then came down right on Mienfoo. She rolled out of the way, but Rufflet saw her muscles tense and determined the direction of the roll. He struck her with a Wing Attack in her unguarded belly as she went to stand up. She flew back and landed a few feet away, badly winded but still conscious. The attack left a long red streak across her yellow abdomen.

“You’re not as fast as you think,” Rufflet said, having taken to the air again and flying well out of her reach. “You’re strong, but that’s useless if you can’t hit me.”

“Rufflet, taunt her,” Jason said.

Mienfoo heard Jason and resolved not to play into Rufflet’s game, but he found he had a gift for aggravating the Fighting-type. He made several quick passes, just inches out of Mienfoo’s reach, and the first few times she didn’t reach out and try to clip him. Rufflet moved a few daring inches closer, and on the seventh pass she finally went to swipe him. Rufflet’s keen eyes again noticed the contractions of her prominent muscles, and he pitched to the right, missing her fist by just a few feathers’ length.

She had put too much weight behind what she thought would be a match-ending punch, and Mienfoo stumbled and fell to the ground. Rufflet had only a few seconds before she recovered, and he pulled back hard, swooped down, and delivered a Peck with the last of his energy behind it to her side.

Rufflet overestimated the amount of power he had left, and found his beak lodged in Mienfoo’s right oblique. She swatted him away but screamed in pain as she did so, and blood began seeping from the gaping wound. Jake recalled her and locked her Pokéball in stasis to prevent any further damage.

‘Mienfoo cannot continue battling,’ Medicham said. ‘Challenger wins.’

There was a smattering of polite applause from the spectators; clearly they had expected a different outcome. Mightyena and Riolu barked and yelled wildly and ran up to their Trainer, inundating him with licks and hugs. Jake came over, flanked by a Machoke that had been watching from his own spectator’s box.

“That was clever, I’ll admit,” he said, holding his hand out for another bone-crushing handshake. “You’ve got your Pokémon well-trained. Go ahead and heal them up at the machine over there.”

“Thanks,” Jason said. He and Jake used the healing machine at the side of the room in turn. Jake dug around in his pocket and presented a Badge featuring a black X with a fist on either side.

“There’s your Brawl Badge. Are you in town much longer? I’m sure some of my Pokémon could learn a few things from yours about the finer points of battling.”

“I’m actually headed down to the docks to look for a ride to Redrock Town,” Jason said, pinning the Brawl Badge onto the front of his belt. “I have some business down in the gulf.”

“You don’t say? I have a friend who does some shipping most days. I could call him and see if he’s headed south.”

Jason nodded. “That’d be great, thanks.”

Jake went to the front desk to use the phone, and Jason released Kirlia to see if the healing machine had done a thorough job. He was pleased with the results; Kirlia’s bruises were gone, his hair was neat and straight again, and there was no trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. Jason knelt down and pulled him into a hug, which Kirlia happily returned.

“Feeling better?”

“Yes, the last thing I remember is returning to the Pokéball and then you just released me. Did you win?”

“You and Rufflet won, I just shouted. I’m real proud of you, buddy.”

Kirlia nuzzled his head into Jason’s neck. “Oh, how are we getting to the Air Gem?”

“I have something in the works now.”

Jake returned from his call and Jason stood up. “You’re in luck; Rodin is bringing a shipment of Pokémon down tonight. If you don’t mind spending the night in the hold with the cargo, it’s free passage.” Jake gave Kirlia a pat on the head. “You’ve got some moves, fella. I wish my Pokémon had finesse like yours.”

Kirlia smiled and ran off to Mightyena and Riolu. “When is this ship getting here?” Jason asked.

“About five hours, just before sundown. They’re refueling and heading straight to Redrock Town. Interested?”

“Very. I thought I was going to have to charter a boat to get down there in time.”

“In time for what?”

“Oh, uh…” The Gems weighed heavily on Jason’s mind. “A friend down there has a birthday the day after next. I told him I wouldn’t miss it. Now you said your Pokémon might do with a little tutoring?”

The hours passed quickly in the Gym. Jason did a few sets on each machine and then planted himself at the juice bar, watching his Pokémon work with the ones from the Gym. Riolu showed Machop a diving roll, and Mienfoo taught Kirlia better ways to dodge physical attacks. Mightyena ran on a treadmill designed for Pokémon, and Rufflet flew near the ceiling with small weights attached to his talons.

It was all so amusing that Jason didn’t watch the time very closely, and when he did check the clock it was almost a quarter to six. He jumped up from his chair and rallied his Pokémon just as the front door opened.

Mira walked in, flanked on her right by Zangoose. The Gym Trainers paused to see the new arrival, then returned to working with their Pokémon. Jake, however, dropped his free weights with a loud clang and pulled Mira into a bear hug.

“Hi Jake,” she said, gasping for air. “I can feel my ribs breaking, you know.”

“Sorry, still don’t know my own strength.” He let her down. “I haven’t seen you since you came down with Swath last year, Mira, what brings you back?”

“Just passing through—Jason?”

Jason recalled all but Kirlia and went up to the girl. “Hi Mira, fancy seeing you here. How’ve you been?”

“Busy, training, the same. Did you come by for the Badge?”

He showed her his Brawl Badge, which he had relocated to the shoulder strap on the left side of his jacket, next to his Wing Badge. “Done and done. I’m just waiting to catch a boat.”

“Oh, mine just made port. I stopped in to say hello.”

Jake checked the clock. “Jason, the Discovery should be in by now. It’s a big freighter, you won’t miss it.”

“How did you know the Discovery was in port?” Mira asked.

“I know the captain,” Jake said. “I called to see if he could put Jason in the hold to get to Redrock Town. Why?”

Mira folded her arms. “I just came from the Discovery. Swath got me a stateroom.”

“Well, the captain was a Gym Leader; I’m not surprised Swath knows him too. I guess you two are shipmates.”

“Imagine that,” Jason said. “We should get to the ship, then. Bye, Jake. Thanks for your help.”

“Hold on a minute, Mira,” Jake said, going over to the desk. “Swath asked me to call him if you came by.”

He returned to the desk and Mira looked at Jason. “Why didn’t you get a boat in Gemsea Town?”

“The Army had the road blocked,” Jason said.

“So how did you get here? There aren’t any roads that run to Callport anymore, just sea routes.”

“There’s a beach path that runs between Gemsea and Callport, just south of the mountains,” Jason said, making sure all the compartments on his bag were zipped up. “It’s rough, but we made it in about a day and a half.”

“Sounds fun.”

“It was, until my bag got carried out by the surf. Anyway, how’s Zangoose?” Jason went to pet him, but a low growl made him reconsider the choice.

“He’s growing well, still won’t play nice with Starly.” Mira suddenly dropped her warm tone. “Why are you going down to the gulf?”

“Same reason as you, probably. To check on the Air Gem.”

“There’s no need. I have it covered.”

“Look, I don’t want Scion getting these Gems any more than you do. And I’m going to Skyblast Mountain whether you like it or not. If you didn’t want me all wrapped up in this, you shouldn’t have said anything to me at the hospital.” He sighed and gave Kirlia an absent pat on the head. “We don’t have to be working against each other. Why don’t we go there together? We’ll have much better odds of getting out of this okay if we team up.”

“We have to share a boat, not a mission. I’m going to keep the Gems out of Scion’s hands no matter what.”

“Are you—” Jason dropped his voice. “Are you crazy? These are forces of nature! You can’t just take them, who knows what’s going to happen because the Earth Gem was disturbed.”

“Whatever might happen can’t be worse than Scion having them.”

“Am I interrupting?” Jake asked, returning to them. “Mira, Swath had something sent to you at the Pokémon Center in town. You two should get going if you’re going to catch the boat.”

“Yeah,” Jason said, repositioning his backpack on his shoulders. “Thanks, Jake, maybe I’ll see you around.”

“I can’t wait for a rematch,” he said. “Have fun in the gulf. I hope your friend’s party goes well.”

“Party?” Mira asked as they left the Gym. “Why wasn’t I invited?”

“There is no party. He wanted to know why I was going to the gulf, so I gave him a reason.”

“Oh, Mr. High-and-Mighty lying about what he’s doing.”

“I wanted to avoid some condescending speech about how the Gems aren’t real and I’m wasting my time.”

“Well, I lied too,” Mira said, turning towards the Pokémon Center. “Swath wouldn’t have let me leave if I told him I was on a treasure hunt.”

“Glass houses, Mira, glass houses,” Jason said as they entered the Pokémon Center.

“Hi, I’m Mira Laska, was there a delivery for me?” Mira asked the attendant. She produced her Trainer’s license and handed it over.

“Yes, a transfer came in from Presida City just now.” The nurse handed Mira her license and a Pokéball from under the counter.

“Thank you.” Mira turned to leave.

“Aren’t you going to see what kind of Pokémon it is?” Jason asked, following her out of the building.

“I don’t have time. I’ll find out on the boat.”

Mira and Zangoose led Jason and Kirlia back to the docks. “You can’t seriously think you’re going to just take the Air Gem,” Jason said.

“Why not?”

“First of all, it was hell getting to the Earth Gem’s chamber, and second, there was a huge Torterra inside guarding it.”

“Scion got the Earth Gem.”

“Scion probably incinerated everything inside! They’ve got firepower that we don’t have.”

“I’ll figure something out,” Mira said nonchalantly.

“This is a bad plan and you’re going to get hurt.”

She wheeled around and stuck a finger in Jason’s chest. “No one asked you to tag along. I don’t need you second-guessing everything before anything’s decided. When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.”

Zangoose mirrored his Trainer’s emotions and stared down Kirlia, who stood frozen even after they began to walk again. Jason picked him up and put him on his shoulders, muttering under his breath as they continued.

*****

The Callport City docks reeked of fish and brine. Gangplanks jutted out of the rickety wooden walkways like branches from a tree, leading to dozens of boats and ships. Mira and Jason passed them all, heading for a frigate-sized ship docked near the end, in the only space large enough to accommodate it.

A fueling boat puttered away from the larger ship as they approached, and a thin man in a coat much too large for him turned to greet them. “Hello, Mira, glad to see you’re back. And you must be Jason. Rodin said to expect you. Come aboard, I’ll show you where you’re staying.”

They followed the man into the lower decks of the ship. Mira ducked into a stateroom and shut the door behind her.

“Nothing left for me, huh?”

“I’ve set up a small space in the cargo hold below,” the man said. “My name’s Graham, I’m Captain Rodin’s first mate. It’s just the four of us tonight, and by noon tomorrow we’ll make port in Redrock Town.”

They followed a series of signs down to the lower holds, where several large crates sat secured in the middle of the large room. Graham led Jason to a curtained-off corner of the room, where a cot had been prepared. A gas lamp rested on a box next to the cot.

“If you need to use the head, it’s just on the other side of the crates. I’ll come and get you when we reach Redrock Town.”

“Thanks.”

Graham returned to the upper levels while Jason and Kirlia sat on the cot. Jason set his bag on the floor while Kirlia played with the knob on the gas lamp.

“Ooh,” he said, making the flame inside grow and shrink.

“Careful with that,” Jason said, lying back on the bed. “Can you believe Mira actually wants to take the Gems? Who knows what that could do?”

“It doesn’t seem like a very good idea,” Kirlia said.

“It’s a terrible idea,” Jason said, releasing his other Pokémon. Rufflet tried perching on the lamp for a moment before discovering how hot it was. Mightyena jumped on the bed and curled up at the end, claiming it for herself, and Riolu sat next to Jason. “They weren’t meant to be moved, they were supposed to stay where they were forever. Scion’s probably going to screw everything up since they took the Earth Gem.”

*****

“All right, open it up.”

Richard and Dr. Curtis stood in a small control room, looking into a larger chamber populated by the Psychic-types Xavier and Erica had captured. Dark-types patrolled the perimeter of the room, preventing them from teleporting away.

Dr. Curtis flipped a switch and a small aperture on the chamber ceiling opened. A mechanical arm slowly descended, holding the Earth Gem between two metal fingers. The Psychic-types all looked at it, while none of the Dark-types gave it a second glance. Through the speakers in the control room, Richard and Dr. Curtis heard a low hum.

“Are they reacting to it?” Richard asked.

“There’s at least a fivefold increase in energy output from the psychic fields, but…”

“But what?”

“See this sine wave?” Dr. Curtis asked, pointing at one of the monitors in front of them. “That band of energy only existed in trace amounts before, whether it was just one Psychic-type or a whole group. It’s supposedly some kind of Dark-type sonar, their ability to indirectly sense them, but why would it increase so suddenly—”

A noise from the speakers brought their attention to the test chamber. A Kadabra in the room was levitating one of the circling Houndoom with ease. They watched, fascinated, as the other Houndoom tried to rush the Kadabra, but were stopped by a psychic shield. The Kadabra threw the levitating Houndoom against the wall, and it fell dead on the floor.

“Retract it. Now.”

The Earth Gem retreated into the ceiling, and the remaining Houndoom, no longer bound by the shield, pounced on the Kadabra and tore it apart. The rest of the Psychic-types cowered against the walls.

“Unbelievable,” Richard said.

“There’s no scientific reason that should have happened,” Dr. Curtis said.

“Clearly we’re dealing with something beyond science, something much more…powerful. Run whatever other tests you need and send them to my office. And call me when Xavier gets back from his op. I need to put teams together.”

“For what?” Dr. Curtis asked as Richard opened the door to leave.

“For finding the other Gems.”

*****

“We’re two mikes out. Everyone in position.”

Xavier, clad in a black tactical harness, directed a half dozen similarly-dressed agents into a small inflatable boat in the cargo hold of a helicopter. He took his place at the back of the boat, by the motor, while his team clambered into the small craft. A red light came on over the cargo hatch.

“Hey Predator, how’re we supposed to get off the ship once we have the Pokémon? It’s not like we can carry a thousand Pokéballs in this thing,” one of the agents said.

“We’ll have a larger chopper pick up the cargo. The seven of us will extract when it gets there.”

“Predator, this is Raptor Two,” the helicopter’s pilot said through Xavier’s headset. “We’re bingo in sixty mikes, get the target under control by then so we can land and refuel.”

“Copy that. Drop the hatch, Raptor Two.”

An amber light blazed to life next to the red light, and the hatch dislodged from the fuselage and began to lower. When it reached its bottommost position, a green light came on beside the amber light. The water was only a few feet below the helicopter.

“Push,” Xavier said.

Seven men threw their weight, and the small boat fell out of the helicopter and into the water. It rocked in the surf, but they kept it under control while the helicopter turned around.

“We’re running quiet,” the pilot said. “We’ll maintain a high-distance escort position until we enter audio range of the target. Good luck.”

Xavier revved the craft’s engine, and in a few moments they were nothing more than a black point in the Sepris Gulf.
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Equilibrium