Pokemon: Resurgence Chapter 22

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. It's a bit slow, but it lays the groundwork for some future developments.

Chapter 22

Lucas arrived at the police station early the next morning. After several hours of deliberation, he devised a strategy to catch the priest in the act. He just hoped he wasn’t making a mistake by including the police in his plan. If the church had spies in the station, his plan would be doomed from the start. He did, however, ask Delia about the relationship between the police and the church, which was neutral at best. Officer Jenny in particular didn’t hold a favourable opinion of the church, so he was going to seek her out.

He approached the front desk. "I would like to speak with Officer Jenny."

The receptionist looked up from her typewriter. “What do you wish to speak to her about?”

"I would like to report a crime," Lucas replied. "More specifically, a crime that is about to occur soon."

"I will check to see if she is available," the receptionist said as she reached for the phone. She ended the call after a brief conversation. "Officer Jenny will meet with you right away. Her office is down the hall, the second door on the right."

Lucas thanked her and proceeded to Officer Jenny's office. After knocking on the door, he entered upon hearing a woman's voice inviting him in. She glanced up, gestured for him to sit down, and resumed reading from the folder she held. A Growlithe was lying at her feet, but it didn’t react to his presence.

>Species: Growlithe

Level: 31

Condition: Critical

Threat Level: Zero<

He thought the Growlithe would have evolved by now. Unlike most Pokemon, the species required a firestone to evolve rather than a specific level.

Lucas frowned. Why was the Growlithe in a critical condition? He assumed that because the Growlithe didn’t perceive him as a threat, it didn’t react when he first entered. But the closer he looked, the more obvious it became that something else was going on. Growlithe looked sluggish, and its once-vibrant orange coat had lost its sheen, looking lacklustre and dull. The fire within its eyes, which should have burned brightly with life, now appeared dim and weary.

"This Growlithe was one of the Pokemon affected by the Miracle Evolution drug," Officer Jenny explained without looking up. "He was one of their test subjects. Nothing the doctors do seems to help him, and I am afraid he will not live long."

“Aren’t they supposed to show signs of aggression?” Lucas asked.

“Not all of them. If they fail to evolve, they end up in this permanent state of lethargy.”

He felt heartbroken for the Pokemon that had been harmed by the drug. When Professor Oak and Sabrina raided the gang's base, they discovered an underground lab with several dozen Pokemon locked in cages. They were used to test the drug, and all of them were negatively affected as a result.

The Pokemon had been moved to a small reserve outside of town for care, but this was only a short-term solution. He didn’t expect the mayor to pay for their care indefinitely and would most likely have them euthanised. Professor Oak didn’t have room for them in his lab either, so their situation looked bleak.

The Fearow Gang's drug was designed to induce evolution at any stage of a Pokemon's life, regardless of the requirements for evolution. It had several negative side effects, the most serious of which was increased aggression.

Lucas examined Growlithe with his Insight skill to determine what was wrong with it. He had never considered using it for this purpose, but he was not expecting much. Fortunately, the answers lay in the traits tab.

=========

Traits

Learned/Acquired

Failed Evolution: Stats reduced due to failed evolution from drug use

Stunted Evolution: No longer able to evolve

Endurance Drain: Stamina reserves have been cut in half

Energy Drain: Energy reserves have been cut in half

Crippled Condition: Cannot recover condition beyond Critical

==========

The drug was truly terrible, and he hoped that the gang would be punished for creating such a dangerous substance. Growlithe's quality of life would be greatly impacted by its debilitating effects. Was there nothing he could do for him? It was unfortunate that Insight didn't provide a convenient solution for removing the negative traits.

He sat down in the chair. While waiting, he observed her. He was surprised to see that she looked nothing like Officer Jenny from the Viridian City police station. She had blonde hair and her eyes were a lovely shade of lavender. Her uniform remained the same: a purple ensemble consisting of a skirt and a collared shirt. Completing the look was a purple cap with a black rim, perched atop her head.

She set the folder down after a minute and focused her gaze on him. "Who am I speaking to?"

“My name is Lucas Walker.”

"How can I help you Mr Walker?" Officer Jenny took out a notepad and looked at him expectantly.

"I believe someone is planning to hurt me tonight."

Officer Jenny arched her brow. "What do you mean?"

"I am an artist with a side business creating Pokemon portraits. I received a call about a commission last night, but the caller sounded suspicious. After he gave me his address, I asked some of my friends about him and learned some interesting facts about him. He is a hired thug, and he isn’t the type of person who would commission a portrait to be painted."

“Who are these friends?” Officer Jenny asked.

"I would rather not say," Lucas replied. "We grew up together in the orphanage, and because it served as a recruiting ground for the gang, we were exposed to the town's criminal elements. I don’t want them to face discrimination."

Officer Jenny jotted something down. "Do you know anyone who would want to hurt you?"

"Aside from Team Rocket?" Lucas grinned.

She looked up, surprised. "Please elaborate."

“There was an incident in Viridian City recently where a Team Rocket member was killed. I believe I was the intended target.”

Officer Jenny swivelled her chair so that she was facing her computer and began tapping on the keyboard. Lucas brought up the incident because he wanted her to be aware of his relationship with Professor Oak. The fact that the professor sent him to the city because he was in danger suggested that they had a good relationship.

She returned her attention to Lucas after getting the details of the case. "Do you think this is connected to Team Rocket?"

“It’s possible, but unlikely.”

“Is there anyone else you have offended?”

Why did she have to put it that way? It sounded like he was a troublemaker.

“I can think of only one such incident, and it happened yesterday. I was on a date with Sabrina Kuroi when we got into an altercation with a priest from the church.”

“You know Sabrina?” Officer Jenny's lips curved into a smile. "I am grateful to her for her role in driving the Fearow Gang out of town. It has made my job a lot easier."

"I knew they were blackmailing the mayor, but I am still surprised the gang was able to operate so freely."

"Even without the blackmail, things were bad before that," she sighed. "The truth is that our police station is severely understaffed. We give it our all, but there is only so much we can do. Are you a member of the Adventurers Guild?"

Lucas nodded.

"Well, as you advance in the ranks, you will notice that there are bounties out on criminals that the police should normally be dealing with. Instead of paying to increase the number of police officers, the mayor allows people to post these commissions to obtain justice for themselves."

“Um, that is so wrong on so many levels. How can a society function like this?”

"I wish I could give you a good answer, but I am at a loss. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. You said you had a disagreement with the priest?"

Lucas nodded. "His name is Marcus, and he hates Sabrina because of the rumours about her. He approached us as we walked past the church yesterday and made a snide remark about Sabrina. I said some offensive things in Sabrina’s defence, and now he despises me as well.”

"I would jump at the chance to get some dirt on Marcus. He is a pig."

“I know, right?” Lucas leaned forward. “How about we set a trap for Marcus and make sure he answers for his crimes?"

“I don’t like where this is going,” she frowned. “I need to remain within the constraints of the law. What are you proposing?"

Lucas explained his plan to her, and she sat silently until he finished. Officer Jenny frowned, tapping the table with her fingers as she considered the plan from every angle. She didn’t seem thrilled with the plan, but she didn’t completely dismiss it either.

"If we are going to do this," she finally stated. "Then you must completely obey my orders. If you are unable to do so, then we will call off the operation."

“You’re the boss!” Lucas saluted.

“Get out of here,” she snorted. "Give me your phone number, and I will call you later this afternoon to go over the plan before we begin the operation."

Lucas gave her his phone number and stood up to leave. Before he did so, he asked her a question about which he had been pondering. “So why are there so many Officer Jennys around? Do you have a slew of fraternal siblings born on the same day?"

"My mother would have to be a superhuman to accomplish that feat," she said, rolling her eyes. "My given name is Lilia. Officer Jenny is a title given to senior female officers in all police departments. There is also an Officer Mike for the senior male officer."

"That is a little strange. What if an officer comes along with either of those names? Isn’t that confusing?”

“Not at all,” she deadpanned. “We would never hire people with those names.”

Lucas frowned. She had to be joking, right?

Officer Jenny chuckled and proceeded to explain. "The titles Officer Mike and Jenny are named after two Kanto soldiers who distinguished themselves during the war. This naming convention was implemented throughout the United Kanto Region to honour their achievements."

"That is interesting, but I still find it strange," Lucas commented. "What about Nurse Joy?"

As she was about to speak, he raised his hand. “Wait. Don’t tell me. I would like to find out for myself."

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

Later that evening, Lucas stood on the street under the streetlight, staring at the house where George Cole lived. It was the name of the individual who was hired by Marcus to teach him a lesson.

Lucas spoke into the microphone hidden beneath his collar. "Is my voice coming through clearly?"

A voice echoed in his ear, sounding tinny. “Loud and clear. You need to get moving. Priest Marcus has left the church and is making his way down to the lower district.”

"All right, I am going in,” Lucas muttered.

He walked up to the front door, holding a bag in his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small shadow dart towards the house. The sight made him feel better. Unbeknownst to Officer Jenny, he had brought Meowth along as a backup plan in case something went wrong. Meowth would sneak into the house and be ready to act if necessary.

Lucas knew George would have noticed him by now, so he tried not to appear suspicious. He didn’t want to reveal why he was so confident about entering the man’s place so recklessly. When he knocked on the door, it opened almost immediately.

On the other side stood a bald man wearing a singlet that revealed his muscular arms. His torso, arms, and neck were covered in tattoos, and he wore a fierce expression. Most people would be afraid to approach him because of his intimidating appearance.

“You’re late,” George grunted.

“Sorry,” Lucas smiled. "I was very busy at work. Are you George Cole?”

George nodded before turning and heading into the house, expecting Lucas to follow behind him. It wasn’t the politest way to invite someone into their home, but it allowed Lucas to retrieve a pokeball off his belt. He threw it down, releasing the Pokemon in front of him.

>Species: Golduck

Level: 47

Condition: Perfect

Threat Level: Zero<

“Golduck!”

The blue Pokemon appeared, standing up to Lucas' shoulder in height. Golduck showed no signs of confusion after being summoned by another person, as he had been informed of the plan ahead of time. He was one of Officer Jenny's Pokemon, and he was there to protect Lucas.

“What—” When George turned around and saw Golduck standing in the doorway, he immediately began backpedalling. The Pokemon followed him into the house, not letting him escape.

George reached into his belt for a pokeball, but a warning sound from Golduck stopped him in his tracks.

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you," Lucas said as he entered the house and shut the door. "Please remove your belt and toss it over to me."

“What is the meaning of this?” George yelled.

"Be quiet," Lucas ordered. "I already know why you brought me here, and you are in big trouble. Do as I say, or Golduck will take the belt by force."

Having no other choice, George removed his belt and tossed it to Lucas, who picked it up and held it securely in his hands.

"Into the living room," Lucas said, motioning to the doorway ahead of him.

George frowned but complied once more. He seemed perplexed by Lucas' apparent familiarity with the layout of his house. Lucas followed him into the room, conscious that he was running out of time. He gestured for the man to sit and then began explaining the situation to him.

"Do you think I am stupid? I ran a background check on you after that suspicious call yesterday and found out some interesting facts."

Lucas took out the note Marcus had sent the man and showed it to him. "Can you tell me how much it costs these days to cripple a man?"

George paled and opened his mouth to speak, but Lucas shushed him. Golduck pushed George deeper into the sofa, holding him there, while Lucas took some items from the bag. "Raise your shirt."

Lucas taped a wire and microphone to George's chest, who appeared to be finally understanding what was going on.

"Now pay close attention. Marcus is on his way because he received a letter from you threatening to expose his crimes unless he pays you a large sum of Pokedollars. The police are currently surrounding your home and listening in on this conversation. You are either going to get Marcus to confess to his crimes or you are going to prison for a long time. Do you follow?"

Officer Jenny didn’t want the man to have too much time to think about the offer, so Lucas had to persuade him quickly. If they had given George enough time to think about it beforehand, he might have found a way to weasel out of it.

George shook his head in fear. “I’m not going to betray Marcus. He will kill me."

"If you don't, you will be thrown in jail," Lucas warned. “But if you help us, Marcus will be imprisoned for a long time. Or, at the very least, he will be excommunicated by the church."

"That‘s not reassuring. Where am I supposed to go after this? The church will not look favourably upon me."

“Move to Rota?” Lucas shrugged. "Look, Marcus will be here soon, and he will most likely kill you. If you want to live, you don’t have many options."

“You sent the letter! If I explain it to him, he will understand.”

“Life is unfair. You should have lived a more honest life. Even if you explain it to him, he may still kill you. He will try to get rid of the evidence."

After a few more minutes of persuasion, George agreed to cooperate.

“I’m going to be in the kitchen,” Lucas said. “Golduck is going to remain here and make sure you cooperate. If Marcus questions you about him, just say he is yours.”

Lucas entered the kitchen, which was directly opposite the living room. He hunkered down in the corner and waited for Marcus to arrive. He reached into his pocket and grabbed a smoke grenade, feeling reassured at having it with him.

After dozens of attempts, he had finished the potion earlier this afternoon. The potion was kept in a glass vial and was a dark grey, murky colour. He had to purchase breakable glass vials, as he needed to smash the vial on the ground. In its resting state, the potion had no effect. But shaking it elicited a reaction, and he needed to release the potion before the vial shattered in his hands.

"Lucas, are you there?" Officer Jenny's frantic voice rang in his earpiece, jolting him out of his thoughts.

“What’s the matter?”

"You have got to get out of there! I can see something on the roof.”

Before he could respond, an explosion shook the house, and he instinctively covered his head with his hands. Then he realised that the sound had come from the living room. What in the world was going on? Whatever it was, he didn’t want anything to do with it. He rose to his feet and pushed open the kitchen door. When he looked into the living room through the open door, he was met with a scene of devastation.

Golduck and Espeon were locked in a fierce struggle, tumbling amidst the debris scattered across the floor. The debris came from a massive hole in the ceiling, which revealed the night sky.

>Species: Espeon

Level: 38

Condition: Perfect

Threat Level: Lethal<

The second Espeon, on the other hand, drew the most of his attention. It was crouched over George's prone body, its mouth latched onto his neck. A tearing sound was heard, followed by a spray of blood, which caused the man to shudder and lie still. Lucas gasped and instinctively raised his hand to cover his mouth, but it was too late. Espeon raised its head, its purple eyes gleaming and blood streaming down its chin.

“Espeon.”

It sounded like the most alien and eerie voice he had ever heard in the context of the situation.

Lucas hurled the smoke bomb into the living room, smashing the vial against the floor. As the cloud of smoke billowed out, it rapidly obscured the living room. With his heart beating rapidly and a taste of bile in his mouth, he ran down the hallway. A loud cry came from behind him, but he did not turn around. He yanked the door open and dashed outside.

The window to his right exploded. Espeon was thrown out the window, and Golduck leapt out after it. It let loose a torrent of water, sending the Espeon rolling across the ground. The distraction cost Lucas, who paused to observe the scene. A weight slammed into him from behind, sending him tumbling down the front steps.

He struggled to his feet, his hands stinging from the hard landing. The second Espeon that slammed into him was only a few feet away and quickly rose to its feet. Lucas felt helpless in that moment as he saw it preparing to attack.

Espeon paused as a stone bounced off its forehead.

"What do you think you are up to, Meowth? Only I have the right to abuse him."

Meowth emerged from the shadows, clutching a handful of rocks in his paw.

"I have been saved!" Lucas exclaimed sarcastically. "Praise be to Arceus."

"That attitude is unnecessary, partner."

When the Espeon opened its mouth to attack, an Arcanine appeared and tackled it to the ground. It growled, causing the Pokemon to freeze in place. Lucas could not blame it, because the Arcanine was massive and intimidating as hell.

Several officers, including Officer Jenny, appeared on the street. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief as they ran towards him.

"Are you alright?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” Lucas replied.

An image of George lying motionless in the living room flashed through his mind. He felt the bile rise back up into his throat. He vomited the contents of his stomach onto the ground. Grimacing, he wiped his mouth with his hand. No matter how many times he saw a Pokemon kill humans, he could never get over it.

Officer Jenny patted him on the back.

"George is dead," Lucas murmured.

Should he feel bad about his role in this whole mess? Although George wasn’t a good man, he didn’t deserve to die the way he did. Was there a better way he could have gone about the whole thing? George had warned him that he would be killed, but he was arrogant enough to believe he had everything under control.

Officer Jenny frowned. "Then Marcus will be charged with murder. The two Espeons belonged to him.”

That piece of information came as no surprise to Lucas. Espeon was the church's mascot Pokemon, and they possessed the method for evolving an Eevee into one. Outside of the church, there were not many Espeons going around.

"Did you manage to capture him?"

“We sure did. He is going to pay for his crimes.”

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

"I have got another Pokemon on the line," Misty exclaimed. Cobalt, the Blastoise Misty's sister had given her to protect her, was hovering nearby, ready to protect her if she was in danger.

"Go, Misty!” Ash cheered. He was lounging next to Lucas on a lounge chair. Misty had offered him her extra fishing rod so he could try fishing, but he wasn’t interested. He couldn’t catch a Pokemon until he was ten and got his trainer's licence, so he did not see the point.

Lucas looked up from the book he was reading and watched her as she struggled to reel in the Pokemon. Max ran up to assist her. The Pokemon on the line, a Goldeen, broke through the surface. He remembered her having a Goldeen in the anime. Would she finally get a new teammate?

He used Insight on Goldeen and saw that it had good potential, so he didn't suggest that she try for another one.

Lucas took Ash and Misty to a secluded fishing spot along Route Zero, taking advantage of the perfect weather conditions. The location was close to the Pallet Town harbour, but far enough away that the Pokemon were not disturbed by all the activity.

Lucas wanted to relax after the excitement from last night, and his team appreciated his idea. His Pokémon lay scattered across the grass, basking in the warm sunlight.

Marcus had been arrested and was currently being held in jail. The news of his arrest had already made the rounds, and people were discussing the scandal. To protect their reputation, the church acted quickly to condemn Marcus.

"When does the egg hatch?" Ash asked, his gaze drawn to the egg secured in the harness strapped around Lucas. He tried, but he was not entirely successful in concealing his envy.

"About three weeks," Lucas replied.

He discovered that the bond had already formed when he examined the egg not long ago, which meant that he was passively increasing Vulpix's favorability simply by having it close to him. This was a huge benefit for him, as the relationship with the Pokemon was already established before it even hatched from the egg. The greater their initial favorability, the sooner you could communicate with them telepathically.

Every night, he placed the egg in the nest made of fire and psychic stones to fulfil the egg's special condition. However, it influenced the timing of its hatching. There were still twenty days until it hatched, but it should have hatched much sooner. It didn’t matter to him because the longer it took to hatch, the better it was for him.

“That’s a long time for an egg to hatch,” Ash said, frowning.

Lucas shrugged and changed the subject. "In a week, I will take the exam. Do you remember that I promised to produce an egg for you when I became a Pokemon breeder?"

“There is no need—” Ash began.

"I am doing something I want to do, just like your mother did when she gave me a place to stay," Lucas interjected. "Is there a Pokemon you want specifically? I’m not sure I can get you a starter, but anything else is possible with a little effort."

Ash hesitated, but in the end, he could not contain his excitement. “You were going to make a Pidgey egg as practice, right? I'm cool with getting a Pidgey. Icarus is awesome.”

"I can do that," Lucas said, smiling. "I need to start looking for a partner for Icarus. But I won’t give you the egg until you have received your free Pokemon from the government. If you already have a Pokemon egg, you won’t be able to get one."

“So, how do you pick your free Pokemon? Is it completely random or what?"

"You are led into a room full of hundreds of pokeballs, from which you must select one at random," Lucas explained. “You might get lucky and get a rare Pokemon, but it doesn’t really matter. I only got a common Pidgey, but look how strong Icarus is now."

Hearing his name, Icarus raised his head. He clacked his beak, pleased with the compliment.

Misty sent her Staryu into the water to fight Goldeen. He watched with interest, but there was no suspense. Staryu's level was much higher than Goldeen's, so it was dominant. The fight was over quickly, and Misty threw a pokeball to capture the Pokemon. Misty smiled brightly as Lucas and Ash congratulated her.

"Has Giovanni been around recently?" Lucas asked. He hadn’t been able to keep an eye out for the man because he was preoccupied with work.

“Yes,” Ash replied. "He has been telling me stories about my father, which is neat. But lately, he's been acting weird, asking me questions about my dad that I have no clue about."

Lucas was immediately suspicious. “What kind of questions?”

“It has to do with my dad’s work in the army. I believe he has been asking mum as well because she is really annoyed with him at the moment."

He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t picked up on anything when he was at the house.

“What was your dad’s job in the army?”

“Wapon’s development, I think?” Ash answered. “Something to do with Pokemon.”

Lucas fell silent. Was this the real reason Giovanni was hanging around the Ketchums? Did Ash’s dad have some key information or research somewhere that Giovanni wanted to get his hands on? And why was he only interested in it now? Could the reason be as simple as running into him at the Battle Arena, or was there something else driving him?

He froze, as he suddenly remembered that Mewtwo would make an appearance at some point in the future. Was this related to Ash’s dad?

Lucas could not remember when it happened in the anime or if the timeline was the same in this world. What he did know is that Mewtwo’s appearance would have a more meaningful impact, as legendaries were a lot more powerful here. Giovanni had some insane ambition in creating his own legendary, but imagine if he could control it? The implications were frightening.

How would Arceus react to it? Would the legendaries attack the humans in retaliation or do something else that would affect them negatively? Humans had been punished for manufacturing weapons of mass destruction during the war, but this was taking it to the next level.

Ash ran over to check out Misty’s new Pokemon, leaving Lucas with his troubled thoughts. He needed to conduct his own investigation into the matter, but he would have to exercise caution. For all he knew, Giovanni had eyes on them, watching his every move.

Shaking off his troubled thoughts, he resumed reading his book. After Professor Oak brought up the point about Aura Guardians, he was interested in learning more on the subject.

What is Aura?

Aura is essentially another type of energy that is derived from normal-type energy. However, unlike the other types, some humans can use it to perform incredible feats. Although it is not an official typing, there is ample evidence to support its existence. There are moves that are powered by aura-typing, although they are few in number.

Although it's not fully understood, scientists believe that it is related to the bond that humans can form with Pokemon after capturing them with a pokeball, imprinting on a Pokemon egg, and developing a relationship with them. One popular theory is that Arceus unlocked the potential in humans to form bonds by using aura typing but they gained the ability to manipulate aura as an unintended consequence.

Aura Guardians

Because of the church's influence, they are better known as Aura users in this era. When the first Aura Guardians appeared, they were regarded as heroes because they gave humans the ability to fight back against Pokemon. However, their power is not omnipotent, as their abilities are limited to a few specific techniques. These include being able to conjure shields and calm wild Pokemon. There is a rare subset of Aura users who can heal others, which is obviously in high demand.

Because the church declared them heretics, they now live in the Rota Kingdom, where they are able to live freely. It is this author's opinion that we lost something when the Aura Guardians were marginalised, all because the church fears what it can’t understand.

Awakening Aura

Not every human has the ability to manipulate aura, and every aura user varies in their skill level. The most common way to awaken your aura is through a traumatic event, and the individual usually manifests a technique with which they will become the most proficient.

Another common method for unlocking Aura is when a trainer first gains the ability to communicate with their Pokemon telepathically. There is some evidence that this works better with certain Pokemon, such as the Riolu.

Lucas slammed the book shut. It was a fascinating read, and he was surprised that it was still in print given what it said about the church. He wondered if he could ever unlock his aura. It would be nice if he could, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he couldn't. He had the system already so he couldn’t be too greedy.

It wasn’t something he needed to worry about with his breeder’s licence exam around the corner. It was time to hit the books for one last studying session before the big day.

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas finally takes his exam. Can he obtain his breeder’s licence?

Thanks for reading.