Pokemon: Resurgence Chapter 43

Hi all, 

Here’s the first chapter of the week. Pokemon was the top voted story, so there will be a second chapter out tomorrow.

Chapter 43

The morning following Christmas, Sabrina returned to Saffron City. She promised that, as soon as she completed her current mission, she would move in with him. He was already looking forward to spending more time with her.

Lucas made his final preparations before heading to Cinnabar Island. He didn't know what he would encounter there, so he was going to take plenty of supplies to make sure he was prepared for anything. He wanted to keep his identity hidden while he was there, so he was taking several face-changing potions with him. 

After leaving Brock with some final instructions on how to care for his Eevees, he drank one of the potions before having Dante teleport him to the island. He wanted to conceal his normal appearance in case someone caught him teleporting illegally onto the island.

Lucas grabbed onto Dante's arm, and they vanished from his backyard. A moment later, they appeared in Pallet Town, in a secluded location. He used a potion to restore Dante’s condition before they made the major jump to Cinnabar Island. His feet touched the ground, and he looked around to gain his bearings. They had arrived on the outskirts of a forest, and there was a stretch of beach in front of him. He could hear the sounds of waves crashing against the shoreline.

Immediately, he noticed that he was overdressed. He hadn’t taken into consideration that Cinnabar had a tropical climate, and it didn't experience snowfall during the winter because the temperatures never got cold enough. For that reason, the island was a popular tourist destination for those wanting to escape the cold season. Even if it didn't have the Cinnabar Gym, it would still attract a lot of tourists.

Lucas removed his jacket and placed it in his inventory. He summoned Meowth from his pokeball and had him translate for Dante.

"Where’s the town?" Lucas asked.

Meowth pointed in one direction. "He says it's about two miles that way. Just follow the beach until you reach the town. You can't miss it."

Dante said something else, and Meowth repeated it. "He says this is the southern part of the island and isn't developed, so you won't find any roads. There are wild Pokemon roaming the forests and beaches as well."

"Thanks, Dante." Lucas returned him to his pokeball, and summoned Saphira in case he encountered any wild Pokemon.

"Tini!" Saphira looked around curiously. When she spotted the sea, she trilled in delight.

"You're eventually going to evolve into a flying Pokemon," Meowth said. "Stop acting so obsessed with the water. You're not a fish."

"Tini!"

"Since when have I ever minded my own business?" Meowth asked, then lowered his voice so she couldn't hear him. "I wonder what Dratini sushi would taste like."

Lucas laughed. "Behave. Let's head to town and look for the Pokemon Mansion.”

He walked along the beach. Saphira slithered along the sand, leaving a long trail in her wake. In the background, there was a massive volcano in the centre of the island, which dominated the skyline. It was pretty famous in Kanto, even though it hadn’t erupted in centuries. The last sighting of Moltres on the island occurred more than thirty years ago.

They didn't encounter any Pokemon along the way, so they made it to town without any delay. 

“What are they for?” Meowth asked, pointing ahead of them. “There are too many of them.”

In front of the town, there were more than a dozen concrete piers that extended into the sea for over a hundred feet. Some piers were occupied by boats, while others stood vacant. Seeing the segmented sections on the empty piers, it only took him a moment before he understood their purpose.

“It must be a place where people can fish,” Lucas said. 

Lucas returned Saphira to her pokeball and ascended a nearby set of stairs to enter the town. He started to explore, looking for the Pokemon Mansion. What caught his attention right away was the town's symmetry, with its strict grid-like layout. Each block was the same size, with identical houses and buildings along the streets. While it might make navigation easier, it also took away some of the charm of a small town.

The only thing that broke this pattern was the central town square, where the main services and shops were located, including the Cinnabar Gym. However, the gym had a sign on the door stating that it had closed down. Lucas wondered what that was about. He dropped Dante off at the Pokemon Centre to heal him, and he continued exploring the town.

There was a Pidgeot Charter service, something he should have been aware of before. Although he didn’t know if he would want to fly from the mainland during the winter, he would likely freeze to death before he even arrived on the island. He spotted some hotsprings at the north end of town, and he made a note to visit them at some point.

A road in the northwest extended out, breaking up the grid-like pattern's uniformity. It was where the Pokemon Mansion and Cinnabar Lab were located. The former looked abandoned, and half of the building had collapsed from some event in the past. 

The massive three-story building housing the laboratory had a tall chain-link fence enclosing it, and it appeared to be fully operational. Signs warned against trespassing, and several soldiers and Pokemon patrolled the perimeter.

“I think I understand why the town is laid out like it is,” Lucas said. “This town feels more like a military base that serves the Cinnabar Lab. I know there is an army presence on the island.”

Meowth's eyes gleamed. “I wonder how long it would take me to infiltrate the lab.”

“Don’t even think about trying it,” Lucas snorted. "It must contain many secrets that they would go to great lengths to protect."

At one point, both the Cinnabar Labs and the Pokemon Mansion were separate labs, each pursuing different areas of Pokemon research. He was aware that Project Inception was being researched in the Pokemon Mansion. Red Ketchum had been part of the project due to his job in the army. The civilian scientists had been working in cooperation with the Kanto Army. He assumed that Giovanni had also been part of it, since he had known Red so well, and may have taken some of the research to help him with the creation of Mewtwo. 

“The computer is supposed to be located on the Pokemon Mansion property,” Lucas said, pulling out the piece of paper Bill had given him. "The apartment building is still being used to this day. Delia inherited Red's apartment when he passed away.”

Lucas entered the property and found the apartment building situated behind the mansion. The reason it was still in operation soon became apparent. It housed employees working at the lab, and there was a road that connected the property to the lab, with a reinforced gate separating them. He didn’t understand why they just hadn’t demolished the mansion and used the space to build the new lab.

“There is even security here,” Meowth said. “They sure are paranoid.”

Lucas nodded. Several soldiers were patrolling outside the apartment building. What was the point of all the security? Would they stop him if he approached Red's apartment because he was a stranger to them?

As he deliberated, a woman approached the building from the other side of the property. One of the soldiers stopped her, and she pulled out some identification to show to him. 

“Dat’s going to be a problem,” Meowth said.

“No kidding. Should we come back this evening? It might be easier to sneak into the apartment under the cover of darkness.”

“Now you're thinking like a thief.”

Lucas returned to the town centre and ordered some breakfast from a cafe while he waited for Dante’s condition to recover. He was thinking about exploring more of the island while he waited for the evening to arrive. 

He struck up a conversation with an elderly man named Roger, who had a fondness for sharing stories about the island.

“Why wasn’t the Pokemon Mansion demolished?” Lucas asked. “It must be an eyesore for the locals.”

"I think it may be superstition,” Roger told him. "An explosion destroyed the mansion several years ago, but no one knows what happened. Some locals, however, reported seeing Mew flying away from the mansion at the time. Perhaps Mew was responsible, and the people in charge believe he will return to finish the job.”

That would explain the significant army presence. In the original events, Mewtwo was created in the mansion, so it was not unexpected that Mew made an appearance there. He was unsure if that was also the same in this world, but it was not a big stretch to assume that Project Inception was connected to the legendary Pokémon.

“Has Mew been seen since?”

“Not a peep.”

Roger didn’t have anything else to share about Mew, so Lucas changed the subject. “What’s with all the piers on the beach? It must be a popular fishing spot.”

“At one point in time,” Roger said. "But no one, besides the locals, uses it anymore. Most of the tourists remain on the north side of the island, where a small town was built to accommodate their numbers.”

“I might do some fishing while I’m here,” Lucas mused. 

It would be nice to get away from the cold weather for a while. He could travel back to Viridian City at any time to take care of any matters that arose.

“If you are going to use the pier, then you need to take care,” Roger warned. “The Pokemon levels can fluctuate a lot. Although Blaine frequently drives off the higher level Pokemon surrounding the island, it doesn’t mean you are safe. Do you have a Super Rod?”

“No. I've been meaning to get one.”

"If I were you, I would invest in one. You can buy one from the local fishing supply store. It increases the chances that your rod won’t snap when you hook a powerful Pokemon. If you're looking for a specific Pokemon, then purchase some lures as well.”

He proceeded to share some tips that would help improve the efficiency of his fishing.

Lucas was giving the idea serious consideration. He could spend some time fishing to gain some experience and effort values. If he used the lures to target specific Pokemon, he would have more control over how he wanted to develop his Pokemon. 

The building suddenly shook, and his glass fell off the table and shattered. There were cries of panic from the diners, and they stood up to rush outside.

Lucas sat frozen in disbelief. “An earthquake?”

Meowth’s fur jumped off the table and ran outside.

The shaking intensified, and Lucas was galvanised into action, fearing that the building would collapse on top of him. He helped Roger to his feet, and escorted him out of the cafe, which was a challenge because the building continued to shake. When they made it outside, the shaking finally stopped.

“What the hell was that?” Lucas asked.

There were a lot of people from nearby buildings gathered in the square, looking shaken. 

“It has happened a lot recently,” Roger replied. “No one knows if the earthquakes are occurring naturally, or if something is triggering them.”

“Does the island have a history of earthquakes?”

“It doesn’t.”

Roger didn’t look all that shaken by the experience. He seemed a little too dismissive, and Lucas thought the man should show a little more concern. 

Roger nudged him. “Blaine has arrived to reassure the citizens. He doesn’t make that many appearances in town anymore.”

Blaine was standing in front of his gym, trying to get the attention of the crowd. The old man stood out, but for all the wrong reasons. He wore a tropical outfit consisting of a burnished orange colour, which was an eyesore.

Lucas walked closer so he could hear what the man was saying.

“It’s okay, folks,” Blaine said, holding his hands in front of him in a calming gesture. “I know the earthquakes are frightening, but they don’t have any deeper reason for why they are happening. I have already investigated the matter and haven’t found any evidence to suggest there is something causing this.”

“What about the volcano?” A woman yelled.

Blaine smiled at her. “I spend a lot of time inside the volcano. I would be the first to know if something is wrong.”

“That’s not reassuring,” Roger yelled, coming to stand beside him. “Maybe all the heat has gone to your head and turned you into an idiot.”

The crowd laughed at Roger’s words, and it had a mean edge to it. For some reason, they didn’t seem to think much of Blaine. 

Blaine waited until they had finished laughing. Although he looked annoyed, he didn’t express any anger. “Even though I haven’t found anything, I have invited a friend to help me get to the bottom of things.”

He turned to the man, who had been standing silently beside him the entire time. “This is Maxie from the Hoenn region. He’s a volcanologist—someone who studies volcanoes. He’s going to be here for a few days, helping me find the issue.” 

A man shouted from the crowd. "Are you saying the volcano is responsible for the earthquakes? It’s about time you did something about it."

Maxie took a step forward. He was a middle-aged man who wore a red and black outfit and a pair of glasses. As soon as he spoke to the crowd, it quickly became clear that he was arrogant. His demeanour was aloof, and he spoke in a disdainful manner, explaining things to them like they were children who couldn’t understand what he was saying.

This riled up the crowd, and it looked like they were going to assault Maxie. Roger grabbed Lucas’ arm and led him away.

“You don’t want to be caught up with that nonsense,” Roger said. 

“Why does everyone not like Blaine?”

“He has become more estranged from the town over the last few years,” Roger replied. “He despises how the island has turned into a tourist destination. Blaise was a soldier in the army, and is highly disciplined in all aspects of his life. He expects the same from others, and doesn’t like how the tourists cause chaos in his town.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Is that why he shut the Cinnabar Gym down?” 

“He built another gym within the volcano itself,” Roger explained. “Trainers not only have to find the location but also battle under extreme conditions to obtain the volcano badge. Not many trainers enjoy coming here.”

“How hard is it to find the gym?”

Roger smiled impishly. "If asked, most locals will reveal the location."

Lucas said goodbye to Roger and headed for the fishing supply shop. He purchased a Super Rod and splurged on a load of expensive lures for the different aquatic Pokemon found in the area. He was surprised to find that there was a wide range of baits that would also help him catch specific Pokemon. The most valuable of these were baits that targeted Pokemon at a specific level. This reduced the chance of him fishing up a high-level or lower-level Pokemon that wasn't worth his time. He didn’t hesitate to purchase plenty of bait as well. The last thing he bought was a lawn chair, so he could have a comfortable place to sit while his Pokemon battled.

He headed to another shop and purchased an energy reader. He had an idea about training his Pokemon, and the device would be a massive help. It was something he had been thinking of doing for a while but never had the time for.

After that, he headed straight for the piers and chose the one furthest away from the boats. No one else was fishing today, so he had plenty of privacy. Each pier had several sections separated by fences, so fishermen didn’t get in the way of each other. He set up his chair and summoned his entire team, including Dante, from their pokeballs.

“We are going to be doing some battles today to grind some experience,” Lucas told them. “I will be primarily using Max, but you will get your turns in the next few days. I summoned you because I want all of you to start learning some new traits. First, I want to see if you can learn energy control.”

His team nodded their heads, indicating they understood. 

Lucas had wanted his team to learn the trait ever since he saw that Articuno had it. The trait would enhance his team's energy efficiency, thereby extending the duration of their condition without the need for healing. It would be especially useful for battles of attrition where they faced strong Pokemon.

He had done some research at the Battle Arena by examining high-level Pokemon and found that many of them had the trait, along with some others that he noted down. That led him to do further research on how trainers train their Pokemon to see how they managed to acquire it. Although people didn’t have knowledge about traits, they did know that training them could make them stronger. One of these training regimens was to learn how to be more efficient with their energy consumption. To maximise their power and efficiency, there was a lot of sports science going into Pokemon at the elite level.

Lucas continued. “Every time that you execute a move, there is some energy lost in the process. It’s not something that you usually need to worry about since there are usually ways to heal your condition close at hand, so you never learn to properly manage your energy reserves.”

When a Pokemon masters a move, it usually only increases its strength and utility. If he wanted his team to learn how to control their energy output better, then it was something they had to learn separately.

He pulled out his energy reader and notepad. Although it wasn’t completely accurate, the device could break down Pokemon’s energy reserves into actual numbers, which would make his job a lot easier. Honestly, he didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it sooner.

“Max, I want you to shoot off a Thundershock into the air,” Lucas said. “I need to know how much energy you use when performing the move.”

“Kid!” Max sent an arc of electricity into the air.

Lucas noted down how much energy Max had spent. “Alright, when you are battling, I want you to focus hard on trying to use the absolute minimum needed to perform the move. It might take some time to get it down, but that’s okay.”

To get a baseline, he took more recordings of all of the team's moves and their energy usage. He included Dante in the exercise because it would be super helpful if he learned the trait as well. Even though the distance travelled determined Teleport's energy usage, it still resulted in energy loss. He was surprised that Pokemon hadn’t already learned the trait.

Lucas checked his Pokemon’s parameters before he started. All of them had up-to-date stats for their current level. Since he upgraded the Pokemon Habitat, his team has easy access to a state-of-the-art training facility. Most of the team was really motivated to train hard. Only Meowth was a slacker, but at least he was also up to date.

He sent his Pokemon off to train in another section of the pier so they wouldn’t disturb Max while he was battling. He wanted to focus on Max first, since he would have an advantage over water-type Pokemon and it would make for an easy experience. 

Lucas equipped his rod with a Shellder lure, as well as some bait that would target Pokemon in the level thirty range. Even though Max was only level twenty-five, he figured that with his stats and type advantage, he could deal with that level easily enough. He handed the rod over to Max, who happily cast the line out to sea. 

It took him a few minutes to catch a level 31 Shellder on the line. The Pokemon landed on the pier and immediately attacked Max. The battle began, but it soon became obvious that the Shellder was outmatched. Although the Water Manipulation trait helped the Pokemon move on land, it had the disadvantage of affecting its speed.

Lucas used Insight on the Shellder to highlight two important details. While its defence was extremely high, its special defence was the complete opposite. It wouldn't take long for Max to finish off the Shellder with a few electric attacks. The other thing he noticed was that Shellder gave Defence EV points, which was perfect for Max. 

Max would earn two points per Shellder, which meant it would take him five battles to earn a Defence EV. His teammates would earn half that amount from ExpShare. Even though his other Pokemon would be earning EV in stats that may not be the most optimal, it was fine. He could manage the stats they got from their level-ups to enhance their strong points. 

Max defeated the Shellder and tossed his unconscious form back into the water. Lucas heard the battle report and received a nice surprise. The amount of experience he earned in the level thirty range compared to the twenties was massive. It jumped from four hundred experience points to twelve hundred. That meant he would get three times the return for the same effort.

After watching Max in a few battles, he was confident in Max's ability to manage himself, and he closely monitored the training of his other Pokemon. After two hours, Max defeated twenty Shellders. As soon as he had adjusted to fighting them, he became extremely efficient. The lure and bait helped a lot as well, as they ensured that Max had a steady supply of Pokemon to fight.

Lucas fed Max and his teammates Super Potions to restore their conditions so they could continue. After a moment of consideration, he moved to the adjacent pier. While he didn’t think he would run out of Shellder to battle anytime soon, he thought maybe he might see a drop in encounters if he didn’t move to another spot. 

He spent some time practicing his aura vision as they trained, and he made some good progress. Something about the environment was obviously agreeable to him. It was becoming easier for him to see his surroundings with his eyes closed. He got the feeling that he could push the ability further, but he wasn’t too sure how to go about it.

After Max had defeated another twenty Shellders, he took this team into town so he could feed them and give them a break. He returned to the pier afterwards to continue grinding for a couple more hours. As his Pokemon continued to level up, they could battle for longer without accruing too much mental fatigue, which helped with efficiency. 

Lucas called it a day when Max had defeated a total of seventy Shellders. The amount of experience he earned was incredible. He found his new favourite way to grind for experience and effort values. The Shellder lure wasn’t perfect because Max fished up some other Pokemon, which he chucked back into the sea. Since he wanted to keep his Pokemon EV training organised, he didn’t allow himself to battle other species.

In total, Max earned fourteen Defence EV’s and a tonne of experience. His teammates received half of that. This was an impressive result for only half a day's work. When he grinded some more, he would choose another Pokemon with a different EV. 

He calculated Max’s total experience and felt like he had enough to level him up to thirty, and enough left over to meet the bonus evolution requirements. He fulfilled the other evolution requirements as well. All he needed to do now was train his stats at each level, and he would be able to evolve.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The evening came, and Lucas and his team dined at a restaurant before he would head to Red's apartment.

As they were eating, he received another pleasant surprise.

“Lucas!”

“What do you want, Icarus?” Lucas asked.

Icarus stared at him in confusion. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Over here, dummy!” Max raised his arm and waved at him.

“Max, you can speak telepathically!”

“It took you long enough to figure it out.”

Lucas reached out and flicked him in the forehead, causing him to protest. “I don’t know if it’s a good thing that I can hear you speak now.”

Max's voice sounded a lot different than he imagined, and he was a lot ruder.

Just to make sure, Lucas checked Max's parameters and saw that Max's favorability had reached "loved" status. Since Max was his second Pokemon, it wasn’t a surprise that he was the next to reach it after Icarus. 

After dinner, Lucas and Meowth returned to the Pokemon Mansion. As they walked, he noticed something odd, and it took him a moment to grasp the situation. His improved vision in the dark allowed him to see objects and details more clearly. Though it wasn't true night vision, it was still impressive. When he mentioned it to Meowth, the Pokemon had a quick explanation.

“It’s probably your aura training,” Meowth said.

Lucas couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that. Was this the true capability of his aura vision ability? At first, he thought the skill was kind of useless. Being able to see his surroundings with his eyes closed didn’t sound like the most useful ability, unless he was blind. However, aura vision enabled him to see in the darkness. It sounded much more useful.

“But is it a passive ability?” Lucas's brows furrowed. “Am I even using aura energy to enhance my eyesight?”

Meowth shrugged. "It may have an active component that improves your eyesight further, but you are only getting a small passive benefit that doesn't cost you anything."

Lucas nodded. He spent the remainder of the walk trying to activate it, but didn’t have any luck. 

When they got closer to the apartment building, they saw that it still had the same number of soldiers patrolling it. 

“Should I just go for it?” Lucas asked. “I don’t think it's ever going to get easier.”

“You said it yourself,” Meowth said. “The lab holds a lot of secrets. If they are keeping tabs on the workers, then you are definitely going to stand out.”

Lucas scrubbed a hand over his face. “What a pain.”

“I have an idea,” Meowth announced, his teeth gleaming amidst the darkness.

“What is it?”

“Just wait until I have drawn their attention,” Meowth said, and he disappeared into the darkness.

Lucas found a bush to hide behind and summoned Dante from his pokeball. He handed him the key Delia had given him and explained the plan. Dante nodded to show he understood. They waited for Meowth to provide the distraction, whatever it turned out to be.

“Hey there, ya bunch of yahoos!” 

Lucas almost jumped when he heard Meowth shout out. 

“What the hell is he doing?” He hissed.

He saw the soldiers react swiftly, turning their heads in the direction the shout came from. Several Mightyenas patrolled with the soldiers, and they growled low in their throats at the noise.

“Why don’t you stop playing soldier and get a real job? G.I Jackasses!” Meowth heckled.

Half of the soldiers departed to investigate the disturbance, leaving the apartment building with some glaring defences.

“It’s your turn, Dante,” Lucas whispered.

Dante teleported to the second-story walkway. None of the remaining soldiers saw him. Lucas had instructed Dante to find the apartment that matched the key before returning and teleporting him to the location. 

He waited anxiously, scared something was going to go wrong. However, Dante returned half a minute later, and Lucas grabbed his arm. The next moment, he was standing outside an apartment door, which Dante had already unlocked. They walked inside, and Lucas quietly shut the door behind him.

Thanks to his improved eyesight, he was able to navigate the apartment and find the computer quickly in the darkness. It was better to not turn on any lights and attract attention. He sat down and pressed the power button. He exhaled a sigh of relief as the computer turned on. He was afraid that someone had cut off the apartment's power. The apartment likely shared a power source with the other apartments.

Once the desktop was displayed on the screen, he pulled out two floppy discs from his inventory. He first inserted the encryption program and installed it on the computer. A prompt greeted him as he inserted Red Ketchum's disc and clicked to open the folder. There were dozens of files saved on the disc. He paused his browsing when he came across a file named Mega Legendaries. When he opened the folder, he found a word document at the top, so he clicked on it and began reading.

Legendary Stones

The first legendary stone was discovered at a dig site on Mt Moon. We had no idea what it was for at first, but after several years of research and a happy accident, we figured it out. It was both a thrilling and frightening discovery. A legendary stone had the ability to temporarily transform a legendary Pokemon to a new level of strength. Legendaries were already terrifying existences, so you can imagine our reaction when we discovered the truth.

Thanks to a fortuitous encounter with Mew, we discovered that the stone would transform into a Mega form. The first time that we met Mewtwo, it was a catastrophic disaster. Unlike Mew, who was more benevolent, Mewtwo was hyper aggressive and attacked everything on sight. If the transformation hadn’t been temporary, then it may have laid waste to the entire United Kanto region.

We can only assume that Mew was not happy with the effect it had on him because it chucked the stone away and disappeared from the island. Further studies revealed that the stone contained some of Mew's DNA. An audacious plan was hatched.

Project Inception was born from the idea of using the stone to create our own legendary Pokemon in the laboratory. We could control a legendary Pokemon. Imagine the possibilities that would arise from such a scenario. Not only would it give us a massive military advantage over the other regions, but it would also allow us to contend with the other legendary Pokemon. 

Project Inception was about us playing gods, but we never could have imagined the consequences of our actions.

Doctor Fuji.

Lucas sat in stunned disbelief, processing the information. It took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts and finally consider the ramifications of what he had just read.

From what he understood, a legendary stone was essentially a mega stone, except it gave legendaries the ability to Mega Evolve. Kanto had discovered this stone long before Kalos found the first mega stone, and they kept it a secret. He could understand the reason they did this, but it was scary to think they had known about it all this time. 

In this world, Mewtwo was only supposed to be Mew’s Mega Evolution, but the scientists had decided that they wanted to create a legendary Pokemon of their own. But that raised the question. Could Mewtwo also Mega Evolve? He knew it had two Mega Evolutions, but he didn’t know how it would work in this world. 

What happened between Project Inception's closure and the present day? Did Giovanni have Mewtwo stored away somewhere, awaiting his release?

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas continues to explore the research, and Max finally evolves.

Thanks for reading.