Pokemon Resurgence: Chapter 36

Hi all, 

Here’s the next chapter. Lucas searches for Bill, and a massive storm approaches his location. But is it an act of nature, or something else?

Chapter 36

Lucas continued on his way after spending a few hours in the pub talking with the residents of Rifure Village. They had shared everything they knew about Bill's disappearance. There wasn't much more information, aside from an interesting tidbit about the man's Eevee collection. Bill had built an elaborate habitat for them at the back of his cottage, but when the villagers searched the area, the Eevee were nowhere to be seen.

It was possible that Bill had travelled somewhere else with his Eevee, and the villagers were overreacting to the situation. There was no explanation for the unlocked cottage or the food left on the table, however. Furthermore, Bill usually let them know when he was leaving for somewhere, as the villagers relied on him to monitor the lighthouse. It was fully automated, thanks to Bill’s help,but  he still needed to keep an eye on it in case something went wrong.  

As he got farther away from the village, the terrain became more difficult. Instead of a paved road, there was a poorly maintained dirt trail that led to the Cape. The roadside was lined with thick foliage and numerous trees, and Lucas saw wild Pokémon for the first time since leaving the city.

The area was home to a mix of Kanto and Johto regional Pokémon, with Oddish, Gloom, and Bellsprout being particularly prevalent. He observed that he could obtain special attack effort values from the first two and attack effort values from the latter. Though he was tempted to grind some effort value points, he needed to head directly for Bill's cottage to see if he could locate him. Besides, it was too cold to hang around.

Their level ranges were between sixteen and twenty seven, which was quite the variance, but still, it was ideal for grinding. He could not only earn effort value points, but also gain valuable experience. The only drawback was that he didn’t receive any additional rewards for fighting evolved Pokemon, so fighting the initial evolutionary form was more efficient.  

He didn't have to fight any wild Pokemon, as they were avoiding him. This was most likely due to Icarus and Icaria patrolling the skies, as well as the presence of the other team members who were surrounding him.    

"I think my tail has frozen," Meowth said, shivering as he walked alongside Lucas.

“I don’t see the others complaining,” Lucas replied. “If you are cold, then I can put you back in your pokeball.”

“No way,” Meowth snorted. "Who will watch out for you if I am not around? Max? Good luck with that, partner.”

Max launched a thundershock at Meowth, who had to dodge it quickly to avoid being zapped. “Watch it!”

"Good idea, Max," Lucas remarked, patting his head. "If you give Meowth an incentive to move faster, then he is bound to warm up."

“I don’t think that was his intention, Meowth.”

Max smirked. 

They continued for a few miles until Lucas heard the crash of waves against the shore, indicating that he was getting close to the sea. The trail wound around a massive cliffside, and when Lucas got to the other side, he was met with the sight of a plateau. It was a small grassy area overlooking the sea, with a spacious cottage to one side. A lighthouse stood to the left of it, at the plateau's highest elevation. It was shining a beam of light out to sea, a beacon for any ships approaching the shore. 

The cottage had a second floor, and there was a small garden out the back, along with a second building that must be the habitat where the Eevee were housed.

“Tini,.” Saphira cried out, nudging his shoulder, and Lucas looked at Meowth to translate.

“She wants to go for a swim in the sea,” Meowth told him.

“It’s too dangerous,” Lucas told her. "Have you forgotten about being pursued by the Feraligatr the first time we met?" 

Saphira looked away, dissatisfied with his reply.

"Wait until I get a water-type Pokemon," Lucas comforted her. "There should be a sea habitat you can explore."

Saphira trilled, looking slightly happier.

Lucas approached the cottage and took out a key to unlock the front door. The villagers had locked the house when they left, and they gave him the key after he convinced them that he wanted to find Bill. They only handed it over when he pointed out that a locked door was hardly going to stop someone from breaking in if they wanted to.

He stepped into the cottage, and Meowth ran off to explore the place. 

“Don’t you dare steal anything,” Lucas called after him. 

The rest of his team sat down next to the large stone fireplace, which conveniently had some wood stacked beside it. Max lifted some wood into the fire, and Ashe unleashed a stream of flames, igniting the wood. His Pokemon lay down on the rug, looking like they were going to have a nap.

“Sure, make yourself at home,” Lucas muttered. “I’m sure Bill won’t mind in the least.” 

Lucas started searching the first floor, seeing if he could find any clues to Bill’s whereabouts.

The interior was an open floor plan, with open entrances leading to other areas of the house. It had a rustic vibe, with a lot of exposed beams, natural materials, and a colour palette of warm earthy tones and neutral shades. The first floor incorporated the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room.

There was nothing noteworthy on the first floor, so Lucas climbed the stairs to the second floor. Because the man was an inventor, he expected him to have a room where he could store his tools and equipment. However, the second floor proved to be equally disappointing as the first, with nothing beyond what was usually found in a house. When he returned to the first floor, he stood there indecisive, unsure what to do next.t.

His attention was drawn to the lighthouse visible from the window. "Maybe something is there."

Lucas exited the house, and followed the path towards the lighthouse. 

“Wait for me,” Meowth said, running after him. “There is nothing in there but junk. What a pauper.”

Lucas disregarded his comment. When he got to the lighthouse, he opened the heavy metal door. The first floor housed the service room, which generated power for the searchlight and other essential operations. It was powered by an electric generator, which was a costly piece of equipment wherever you went in the world. Because there were no more mass-produced items, they were made on a much smaller scale by hand, which significantly increased the cost. 

Lucas climbed the staircase all the way to the top, and briefly explored the area around the searchlight. There was nothing to suggest Bill had been here recently. He looked through the thick panes of glass to the sea below, and spotted an island in the distance. It held the plants he needed to complete the adventurer guild’s missions. 

There was also a hidden set of steps leading down to a small dock, where a small boat was moored. He didn’t think he was brave enough to travel across the sea to the island in it. Fortunately, he could use his Pokemon to retrieve the plants in his place.

“Banette!” Salem appeared beside him.

“What’s the matter?” Lucas asked. Usually, Salem only appeared when he wanted to show something to him.

Salem moved over the stair, and Lucas followed him down to the bottom. Meowth was still poking around, but he didn’t appear to have any luck in finding anything.

Salem led him to the far wall, concealed behind the generator. He phased through the wall, before reappearing, and pointing at the wall.

“Banette,”

Meowth appeared beside him. “He says there is a concealed stairwell behind the wall. I can’t believe I didn’t find it myself.”

“A hidden stairwell?” Lucas examined the wall carefully. “Where is the mechanism to open the door?”

Could this be where Bill was hiding? Did anyone else know about this place? Considering the man went to such lengths to hide it, he was guessing that he hadn’t.

“Here,” Meowth said, pointing to a stone block near the bottom of the wall. He reached out and pressed it, and the stone sank into the wall. The next moment, the wall rumbled, and shifted to the side, revealing the stairwell beyond. 

“Nice work,” Lucas told him.

Before he descended the stairs, he went back to the house and retrieved Max. He didn’t know what he would find down there, so it paid to be cautious. Meowth didn’t have any experience fighting, so he couldn’t rely on him.

Max led the way down the stairs, with Lucas and Meowth following behind him. At the bottom, he found a corridor with several closed doors. He began opening each one, and discovered that Bill looked to have set up an emergency bunker, as there was a living space, along with amenities and enough supplies to last him for years. Was Bill expecting trouble when he built this, or did someone else build it?

After searching through all the rooms, Lucas approached the door at the far end of the corridor. If Bill was here, then this was the only place he could be, as he had explored everywhere else.

“Cast protect over us, Max,” Lucas ordered, and the Pokemon complied.

The blue barrier appeared in front of him. If there was anything dangerous in the room beyond, then he would have some protection.

Lucas opened the door to see an expansive space. It was some kind of research facility, and there was a sea of scientific equipment everywhere, arranged in a haphazard way that made it hard to navigate, especially with all the cables running along the ground. Along the walls, there were shelves that were well stocked with different kinds of tools and materials.

He made his way through the room, examining everything with curiosity. This was the kind of work space he expected to see up at Bill’s house, but the man seemed to think it was necessary to hide it. Since he was well known in the scientific community, it was probably a wise precaution. Who knows if someone was targeting him for one of his inventions? His cottage was isolated, so he couldn’t rely on others to help him if there were any trouble.

Lucas paused when he spotted a pair of pods near the centre of the room. They were connected to some complex computer stations, which were humming along quietly. 

“There’s a Pokemon in there,” Meowth said, running forward and climbing on top of the pod to peer through the glass covering the front of the pod. There was a crack in the glass, as if the Nidoran was trapped inside and was trying to escape.

“Kid!” Max followed him, and tapped on the glass to get the Pokemon’s attention.

“It’s a Nidoran,” Lucas murmured, before an insane idea struck him. “There’s no way that can be Bill.”

He recalled from the game that Bill had been doing an experiment on teleporting Pokemon, but due to a mistake, he ended up being combined with the body of the Pokemon. He needed help from the player to revert back to his normal self, otherwise, he may have been stuck that way forever.

Lucas could read the Nidoran’s parameters, but he wasn’t sure if it would show if a human was combined with its body. In either case, he thought the idea was absurd.  

At that moment, Nidoran opened its eyes and looked at him. The Pokemon sat up and pressed its face against the glass, calling out to him urgently.

“He wants you to release him,” Meowth told him.

Since he wasn’t hostile, Lucas searched for the mechanism to open the pod and found a button on the side. The lid popped open, and the Nidoran leapt out of it.

“Do you mind if I call you Bill?” Lucas joked.

Nidoran ignored him, and ran off to another part of the facility. They followed the Pokemon, which led them to a small alcove in the corner of the room, where a small office area was set up. Lucas spotted a brown-haired man lying on the floor next to a desk, and Nidoran was prodding him incessantly to try and get him to wake up. Was this Bill?

Lucas ran forward and crouched down next to him. He felt for a pulse on Bill’s neck, and was relieved to see that the man had one. But he didn’t know what was wrong with him. Bill’s complexion was pale, and he was breathing shallowly. There was also a gash on his head with a lot of dried blood. Had the man been lying here for over a week? It couldn’t be the case, right? The man shouldn't be able to survive without water for that long. Unless his current state was something that happened in the past few days.

“Kid.” Max prodded Bill, but didn’t get a response.

“It’s useless,” Meowth said. “The dude is barely hanging on.”

Lucas shook Bill, but he didn’t respond. He made sure Nidoran wasn’t looking his way, and pulled out a potion from his inventory. After seeing how Brock kept a supply of them, he purchased some for himself.

The potion was used to provide an immediate injection of nutrients to people who were malnourished or feeling lethargic. He didn’t know what else to do, as he was no doctor. If it didn’t work, it shouldn’t have any negative consequences. Because Bill appeared to require immediate attention, he couldn’t leave here and go seek help while hoping nothing happened to him in the meantime.

Lucas opened Bill's mouth and carefully poured the potion into it, massaging his throat to help him swallow. Nidoran kept a close eye on him, but he appeared to understand that he was helping Bill. After emptying the vial, he retrieved a first-aid kit from his inventory and began treating Bill's head injury. The wound wasn’t that bad, and it had already started closing.

“It's working,” Lucas exclaimed, smiling. Bill's cheeks were gradually regaining some colour, and he just needed to wait and see if he woke up.

An hour later, Bill began to stir, causing Nidoran to run around in excitement.

Bill’s eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at Lucas with confusion. It took a moment for clarity to return, and he attempted to sit up. 

"Wait a second," Lucas insisted, holding him down. “You must be still feeling weak after your ordeal. Take a moment to rest before you start walking around.”

“Who are you?”

"I am Lucas," he said, holding out three fingers for the man to see. “How many fingers am I holding?”

He always wanted to say that. 

"Three," Bill said, squinting. Nidoran nudged him repeatedly, and he gave in and petted the Pokemon. “I suppose you freed Nidoran from the pod as well.”

“That’s right.”

“How did you find this place?” 

Salem appeared in front of them, making Bill jump in surprise. “That explains it.”

After Bill had rested for a while, Lucas assisted him in standing and sitting in the chair. His legs refused to support his weight, so it was best to leave him there for the time being. 

“Can you tell me what happened?” Lucas asked.

Bill's stomach growled at this point, and Lucas laughed. "Let me get you some food first."

Lucas returned to the kitchen he found earlier, and prepared Bill a meal. He brought a plate of food and a pitcher of water to the research facility. Bill got stuck into his meal and didn’t start speaking until he had cleared most of the plate.  

“That feels so much better,” Bill said, patting his stomach. “Thanks for the meal, and for saving my life. I would be dead if you didn’t come here. Why did you come, by the way?”

Lucas hesitated, but decided not to hide the actual reason. It was better to get it out of the way now, rather than later. “Well, it has to do with Red Ketchum. Delia gave me the floppy disc he left behind, but I can’t access it without your help.”

Bill looked taken aback, having not expected that answer. He fell silent as he considered whether to share what he had with Lucas.
"Okay, I will give you the encryption programme and the location of the computer required for the floppy disc," Bill said. "As soon as I call Delia and confirm you are telling the truth. It’s her property, and she can give it to anyone she wishes. ”

Lucas smiled. He hadn’t expected it to be that easy. Did Bill know what information was stored on the floppy disc? He had to have an idea because he was the lead researcher on the project Red Ketchum was a part of. But he wasn’t going to bring it up, and risk having him change his mind.

“What happened to you?” Lucas asked.

Bill leaned back in his chair. “I was working on a concept that would allow me to teleport Pokemon, and I tripped over a wire on the floor and hit my head.”

“There are Pokemon that can already teleport, though.”

“I know. But I don’t want to actually teleport Pokemon themselves, as I don’t think it’s possible without a Pokemon’s assistance. What I want to build is a device that allows people to teleport pokeballs with Pokemon inside. This would allow trainers to rotate their teams. I believe my chances of success increase if the Pokemon are in their formless state.”

Lucas nodded. The anime featured such a device, but it appeared to have not yet been invented in this world. In the Pokemon League, you could only have six Pokemon until you became a senior trainer, at which point all restrictions were lifted. If Bill could succeed, then it would help a lot of junior trainers who were starting out.

“What happened with the test?” Lucas asked.

Bill's shoulders dropped. "It was a complete failure. I was confident it would work, but rather than teleporting the pokeball, it exploded. Fortunately, Nidoran was unaffected and was released safely; otherwise, I would have been responsible for his death. But the incident was so shocking that I failed to look where I was standing and smashed my head as a result."

“How did you last for a week without water?”

"I didn't," Bill answered. "I was so disoriented after receiving a head wound that I wandered out of the room, forgetting Nidoran was still trapped inside the pod. I was in a daze for several days, but I was still able to feed myself. But then I wandered back inside here two days ago, and I can’t remember what happened after that."

"The villagers were looking for you," Lucas explained. "Maybe you should tell one of them about your secret bunker so this doesn’t happen again."

“Maybe.”

“Where are your Eevee’s?” Lucas asked. “They aren’t in their habitat.”

Bill froze. “Are you sure?”

"I haven’t checked, but the villagers reported them missing."

Bill rose to his feet, and Lucas immediately supported him, fearing he would fall.

"I need to go check for myself," Bill said, his voice tinged with desperation. "I should have kept them with me while I was down here."

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

After searching the habitat, they discovered no traces of the Pokemon. While Bill rested inside his cottage, Lucas and his team conducted a more extensive search of the area but found nothing. The temperature had dropped significantly, and a thick curtain of snow obscured his vision, so finding any clues for the missing Pokemon was almost impossible. He wouldn’t be going anywhere today because there appeared to be a storm approaching. It was disappointing, but he didn’t want to make the journey back to the village in these conditions.

When he came back inside, he found Bill on the phone, speaking angrily with someone. Lucas took a seat on the sofa and pulled out his own phone. He needed to contact Brock and Delia and let them know that he wouldn’t be returning today. Just as he was going to dial the number, it started ringing.

“Hi, Sabrina,” Lucas said. “What’s my favourite girl up to?”

“I just wanted to check up on you,” Sabrina replied. “Where are you at the moment?”

There was a crackling sound over the line, which meant that the reception was spotty. He hoped he didn’t get cut off in the middle of speaking to his girlfriend. 

"I’m north of Cerulean City," Lucas told her. "I wanted to visit Bill Eckley, but it looks like I will be stuck at his cottage for a while. We are about to be hit with a storm.”

“It has already arrived in Saffron City. The storm is massive, and it’s spreading out to cover all five cities in the east.”

Lucas eyebrows rose in disbelief. “That’s insane. How is that even possible? This must be the worst storm that the Kanto region has ever experienced.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. 

“Sabrina?”

Sabrina sighed. "The legendary Pokemon, Articuno, has been spotted in the area. My uncle believes it is the cause of the storm we are currently experiencing."

What the hell was happening? The legendary Pokemon, who were previously so elusive, were suddenly appearing everywhere. He wasn’t egotistical enough to believe he was the cause, but it was strange that they began to appear when he arrived in this world. Could this be a side effect of receiving Arceus' powers, or was he kidding himself?

“When was the last time Articuno appeared?” Lucas asked.

"It was over twenty years ago. First it was Zapdos, and now it’s Articuno. If there is a pattern, then what follows next is…” Sabrina trailed off.

"Moltres," Lucas finished for her. “I don’t know about Articuno, but Zapdos appeared because Team Rocket was transporting an item that it wanted. Have you discovered what it is yet?”

“No. Lance is leading that investigation, and he isn’t going to tell me anything about it."

Lucas noticed that Bill had finished with his call, and he didn’t want him to overhear their next conversation, so he moved to another room. He should have spoken with her in person about what he was going to reveal, but he didn’t have the patience to wait.

He took a deep breath. “So, what do you think about moving to the Rota Kingdom?”

“Excuse me?”

“I discovered that I am an aura guardian. I only recently realised I had this ability. Now the church has another reason to despise me."

He could almost see her thinking over the phone, the silence was so heavy.

"This is troublesome," Sabrina murmured. "If the church finds out, you are going to be in serious trouble. Not even my uncle would be able to protect you from the backlash. Who else knows about it?” 

“Brock,” Lucas told her. “And Bree as well. She was probably waiting until I told you myself.”

“We can talk about this when I come to Viridian City. If it becomes necessary, then we will look at moving to the Rota Kingdom. I’m not going to miss out on much if I move, since I’m a social pariah in Kanto.”

Lucas smiled, glad she was taking it so well. He didn’t know what he would have done if she had reacted differently to the news. He should have known better, considering her past.

"I miss sleeping next to you. There are still so many things I want to explore with you,” Lucas said, his voice lowering, and she gasped. “When will you be leaving Saffron City?

“In two more weeks. It feels like a lifetime until then.”

"There are things we can do over the phone to take the edge off," Lucas suggested.

“What kind of things?” 

Lucas explained in graphic detail, and she hung up the phone without saying goodbye. 

He looked at the phone, bemused. “Was it too much?”

He gave Brock a quick call and told him that he might be able to return for a few days. Lucas returned to the living room, and found Bill examining Saphira, who was sprawled out on the floor in front of the fire.

“You sure used up a lifetime of luck to obtain a Dratini,” Bill said, looking up. “May I ask who you were speaking with?”

“Sabrina Kuroi,” Lucas said, taking a seat. “My girlfriend.”

“Ah, now I recognise you,” Bill exclaimed. “I should have realised it sooner.”

“Considering the circumstances, I can forgive you,” Lucas said dryly. “The storm is likely to last a few days. Is the power going to be alright?”

Bill nodded. “It runs on electric generators like the lighthouse. If we’re stuck here for more than a week, then we may run out of power. I usually have a service come often to recharge the generators.”

“Did you call the police?” Lucas asked. 

“Yes, but they can’t come here at the moment,” Bill sighed. “I know they can’t do anything in this weather, but it’s frustrating. I don’t even know where my babies are at the moment.”

Lucas grabbed a bottle of whisky from the drinks bar and poured it for both of them. They stared into the fire, each lost in their own thoughts. He had no idea what he was going to do while waiting for the storm to pass. His alchemy equipment was with Brock, so he couldn’t make some potions. Plus, there was nowhere to train his Pokemon. 

Then he realised that he could work on his aura vision. The sooner he levelled up his new profession, the more skills he would unlock. But he needed to wait until he was alone, so Bill didn’t suspect anything.

Bill eventually stood up and told him that he was going to bed early because he had not fully recovered. 

"Please help yourself to anything in the house," Bill told him. "You can sleep outside here or in the spare bedroom."

Bill disappeared upstairs.

Lucas closed his eyes and focused on visualising the fireplace and his Pokemon in front of him. He found it difficult to summon so many details at once. It wasn’t like the previous time, where he had been completely focused on Brock. It was a challenging mental discipline, and he was only at the first step ofOnce he had mastered aura vision, he expected to be able to see his surroundings as well as what was in front of him. He needed to be able to turn his head, and see everything that wasn’t initially visible to him, like his normal viewpoint.  

There was nobody to assist him, or literature to read, since all of it had been banned by the church to try and stamp out aura guardians. So he could only experiment and find his own way of doing it, and he hoped he didn’t screw up in the process. 

He remained patient, repeatedly opening his eyes to imprint additional details of the living room in his brain. Eventually, he was able to summon the entire image of the fireplace, and his Pokemon sprawled in front of it. However, when he turned his head, the image disintegrated and his head throbbed with an unexpected pain.

Lucas opened his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Baby steps.”

Deciding that it was enough practice for the moment, Lucas lay down on the sofa, and allowed the warmth from the fire to lull him to sleep.

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

An explosion sounded in the middle of the night, startling Lucas awake. He sat up on the couch, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and wondering what the hell was happening. He stumbled as he attempted to stand up, almost falling to the floor. Another explosion rang out, this time sounding closer than before, and it rattled the windows. 

Adrenaline began to surge in his veins as he perceived a threat that was close at hand.

“Who is causing that?” Lucas asked, seeing that his Pokemon were awake, and standing at the window.

“There’s trouble outside, Meowth.”

Lucas dashed over to the window and followed his companions' gazes. Up in the sky, he noticed a pair of Pokemon fighting, but it was difficult to tell who they were. His eyes widened as he witnessed one of the Pokemon launch a massive beam of blue energy at its opponent below, who managed to avoid the attack. The beam struck the sea, which immediately froze over and spread out for at least a mile from the point of impact.  

He almost collapsed to the ground in shock. Whoever those Pokemon were, he didn’t want to get anywhere near them. With their power, they could kill him and his entire team in one hit.  

He hurriedly put on his jacket and shoes, just as Bill came stumbling down the stairs.

“What is going on?” Bill asked.

“Trouble,” Lucas replied. “There are some Pokemon outside, and they are powerful enough to level this house if they wanted to. We need to get to the bunker.”

Bill didn’t ask any further questions, and headed for the front door. He didn’t seem to care that he was still in his pyjamas. 

Ashe and Saphira assumed their usual positions on him, while the rest of his team followed him to the door. He could feel the two wrapped around him trembling against him, obviously terrified of the commotion outside. He didn’t blame them, as he wasn’t feeling much better himself.

“Bloody hell,” he heard Bill curse, right before the windows exploded, sending glass everywhere. 

Lucas screamed and dived to the floor. He could immediately feel a cold, blustery wind blowing in through the shattered windows. He turned his head when he heard a loud screech. The silhouette of a massive flying Pokemon could be seen in the window due to the light from the fireplace. But Lucas already knew what was out there because he was close enough for his Insight ability to activate.

>Species: Articuno

Level: 130

Condition: Excellent

Threat Level: Lethal< 

What was Articuno doing here? It couldn’t be a coincidence that the legendary Pokemon showed up here, right?

Regardless, he was completely screwed. Then, just as he thought he was going to die, another Pokemon flew into the room.

“No way,” Lucas breathed. “What the hell is this day turned into?”

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas finds himself in a tough situation. How will he escape from a legendary Pokemon?

Thanks for reading.