Pokemon: Way of Life Chapter 61

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. We get a look at what Giovanni is up to, and Lucas has an unexpected encounter with a Legendary.

"Persian." The Pokemon purred as its master rubbed its head.

He was ensconced in his office, which was situated at the main compound of Team Rocket in the Johto region. Despite the fact that he had recently spent a lot of time in Kanto, this was originally his home. Here he was in a much more established position, and he was able to gain more influence inside the government than he was able to achieve in Kanto. It is for this reason that he risked all of the progress he had made in Kanto. He gambled on Alan Goldman's research and it looked like it failed in the end. However, the video footage playing in front of him suggested otherwise.

Giovanni continued to pet his Pokemon as he watched the video footage of the fight between the mysterious Pokemon and the oversized Jigglypuff for what must have been the hundredth time. He had obtained it from a source within the Kanto law enforcement and had been obsessed with it ever since. The Jigglypuff did not interest him that much, as it was apparent that its power did not directly correlate with its size. If it had, it would have been more powerful than a Legendary. It was a Pseudo-Legendary at best, with its constitution and strength being its main advantages.

However, it was still a fascinating phenomenon to observe. In fact, it contradicted everything that was known about Pokemon. Although they were fantastical and could do some amazing things, they nevertheless still adhered to some natural laws. This Jigglypuff completely defied those rules, which suggested that there was still so much to learn about Pokemon even after all of these years.

As a result, he would have his scientists investigate the unusual Pokemon to see if they could discover any interesting data that he could use to benefit him. As it was closely guarded by the Kanto government, it would be difficult to get DNA samples from it. Even so, he was confident that he could do it if he moved one of his crucial pieces into the right position.

The main reason for the excitement was the other Pokemon. It took him some time to make the connection to Mew, but the more he watched the footage, the more evident it became that they were, in some way, related to one another. Even though they looked different, they had some things in common, such as their feline features and general body structure. They looked similar enough that it appeared more like an evolution of Mew than anything else.

From the footage, he was able to draw two possible conclusions from it, and both of them were equally exciting in their own ways. One of them was that the mysterious Pokemon was a natural evolution of the Mew that had escaped from Professor Goldman. In spite of the fact that he had never seen or heard of a Legendary evolving before. There was really no reason for them to evolve since they were already so powerful. An evolution suggested that there was something wrong with the Pokemon's previous form, and that's why they strived to reach beyond their limits. It was a vast oversimplification, but in general terms it was the truth.

The other conclusion was that Alan Goldman was wrong, and his serum worked on Lucas Walker. It is possible that he was looking at the first-ever human-Pokemon hybrid in existence. This would explain why its strength was so much lower than an actual Legendary Pokemon. As of yet, there has been little information on how Legendary Pokemon acquired their strength, but it has been speculated that they gained most of their strength during their first few weeks of their life. This made it almost impossible to capture a Legendary, as you would have to be incredibly fortunate to stumble across one. It was only a theory, given that there was no evidence that Legendaries even hatched from eggs. There was nothing that indicated they had parents, as that would have been evident by now as they would have encountered a lot more of their kind.

The Pokemon in front of him presented a fantastic opportunity. If he could capture it, he would have his own Legendary Pokemon at his disposal. Although it didn't have the strength of a Legendary, it showed enough glimpses of its potential to suggest it would be a future powerhouse. He needed that Pokemon for himself!

Giovanni picked up the phone and pressed a button. "Jennifer, please make arrangements for Butch and Cassidy to come and see me as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Within ten minutes, the two senior members of Team Rocket walked into the room and stood in front of his desk at attention.

"Is there anything you need from us, boss?" Cassidy asked.

Giovanni showed them footage of the fight, and the awe on their faces was evident. After they watched it, he switched the television off and looked at them with raised brows. "So, what do you think?"

"The unnamed Pokemon is amazing," Butch said immediately. "It gives off the vibe of a Legendary, although its power doesn't match."

"It looks like it's a psychic-type Pokemon," Cassidy added. "Although it mainly used brute force to fight the Jigglypuff. It didn't look like it was taking the fight seriously, or its aura reserves was low."

Giovanni leaned back in his seat. "I am certain that it is a Legendary, albeit one that hasn't reached its full potential. What else?".

"It was obviously trying to prevent the Jigglypuff from attacking," Butch said. "If it had used Sing, there is no telling how it would have affected the town residents. I have never seen a Legendary act so concerned for the welfare of humans before."

"That is because he may be human," Giovanni replied. "What I am about to tell you must not be repeated to anyone else. If the information gets out, I will eliminate you."

"Sir, you can trust us!" The two said simultaneously, eager to serve him.

Giovanni nodded and explained everything about the project and Lucas Walker in detail. The reason why he chose these two was that they were among the most competent investigators he had that he could rely on to remain low-key. Furthermore, they were devoted to him. By rescuing orphans at a young age and brainwashing them, he ensured they would never betray him. It was surprisingly effective and made them valuable assets, which is why he was so upset at the loss of Jessie and James. Despite their incompetence, they had their uses.

"I want you two to travel to Kanto on a long-term mission," Giovanni said, clasping his hands in front of him. "Butch, you will track down Lucas Walker and observe his movements. Do not engage or him for now. I will not act so rashly this time and try to immediately acapture him. See if you can get some footage of him transforming into the Pokemon that was shown."

"Sir, leave it to me," Butch nodded.

"Cassidy, I want you to investigate the Pokemopolis Ruins. The Calamity member must have controlled the Jigglypuff somehow. See if you can find out how he did it. Be careful, though. I am sure the Minister of Defence has the area locked down tight."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed." Giovanni watched them leave before spinning around and looking out the massive window at the sprawling forest beyond.

Things were looking up for him since he had left the Kanto region behind. His influence within the Johto government was at an all-time high since the last conflict between the two regions. It was only a matter of time before he stirred up the conflict between Johto and Kanto again. This time, there will be no mistakes. He would ensure that it turned into a prolonged war, and he would be well placed to reap the profits.

Persian nudged his hand, and Giovanni petted him absently.

"People may think I wish to see the world burn," he said softly. "I don't think that is true at all. It is simply a matter of business. In order to obtain something, others must lose out. This is the way of the world, and I won't be one of the those who lose out."

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12th December

The team rolled into Coppershard town on the afternoon of the 12th of December. They had made good time in the past couple of days, and Lucas was happy they were now ahead of schedule.

The mining town of Coppershard Town was built around a vast copper and iron mine. Similar to Pokemopolis Ruins, this town was built due to necessity and not because it was an ideal place to live. It was located within a small mountain range, and surrounded on three sides by steep walls. In order to gain access to this area, there was only one road running through a narrow valley from the east.

The town was a heavy industry town as well, since all minerals mined were smelted and made into various components in the factories. As a result of the heavy industrial presence operating within the town, pollution clouds hung over the town like a plague. If it wasn't for the poor quality of life the town may have developed into a city at some point, as the place made plenty of revenue. The mines and factories not only served Kanto but also the nearby regions. Although Pokemon were used in factories to some degree to offset the amount of pollution, the sheer scale of the industry meant they would never replace traditional methods of heavy-duty machinery.

Everyone in town has Pokemon. The mines and factories benefited from their assistance to some extent. Additionally, humans received a boost to their vitality due to the bond, thus minimising the ill effects of poor air quality within the town and the mines. Even so, it was not a pleasant place to live. At least it was safe from wild Pokemon, as it wasn't possible to find them in the area, as the surrounding environment was barren of vegetation due to pollution.

"I don't want to stay here long," Faith said from behind her mask.

"The inside of the buildings will be better," Lucas replied. "I'm sure they have plenty of ventilation."

At the gate, they were handed masks and instructed to wear them whenever they walked outside. Their Pokemon complained about air quality, so they hurried to the Pokemon Center. As soon as they entered the building, they removed their masks. They moved to the cafeteria and purchased drinks to wet their dry throats. Despite the masks, it still felt like they inhaled too much of the polluted air.

"I say we skip the town and stay out in the wild for the night," Misty said after gulping down half of her drink in one go. The girl made her disdain for anything that had to do with heavy industry very clear, stating that it was unnatural and detrimental to the environment. There's no way she would like Earth, which was a hundred times worse.

"Are there any suitable places to stop down the road?" Lucas asked, taking out his map of the area and spreading it on the table.

He had wanted to stay awhile and get some trainer battles in, but the town looked deserted. Besides the locals, he didn’t see many others. Which really wasn’t a surprise.

“There’s a campground just north of here,” Jason said, tracing his finger along the road. "Do you want to bet that the trainers stayed there rather than here?"

Lucas hummed. “Let’s put it to a vote. Who wants to ditch this place and camp out at the camping grounds?"

Everyone raised their hands, including their Pokemon. Since the vote was unanimous, they finished their drinks quickly and stood up.

“You have thirty minutes to shop for any supplies you may need," Lucas said. “I need to visit the butcher to get some more meat for our Pokemon.”

Just as they were about to leave town, a storm stopped them in their tracks. Thunder rumbled in the sky, and the heavens opened up and released a deluge of rain. They were immediately soaked, so they scrambled back to the Pokemon Centre and stood in the entranceway, dripping water onto the floor.

“Well, it looks like we are staying here tonight,” Lucas said ruefully, squeezing out his sodden shirt.

Nurse Joy approached them and handed them some towels. “The weather is certainly acting strange. There was no mention of a storm appearing today.”

It surprised Lucas that the nurse actually shared the name from the anime. Up until now, all the nurses at the Pokemon Centres had different last names, which were synonyms for the word misery. Maybe the town needed some cheer, so that's why her name was different.

“It certainly caught us by surprise,” Faith sighed, shivering. “Can we get some rooms, please? I need a shower.”

“Sure,” the nurse replied.

“I will get Shelly sorted first,” Lucas said, looking outside at where the Pokemon was waiting outside, looking at them in silent appeal.

“There is a small shelter out the back,” the nurse said. “We don’t have a specific area for oversized Pokemon to stay, I’m afraid. At least with this rain, the air quality will be a lot better.”

“Thanks,” Lucas said, stepping outside and approaching Shelly.

He was about to lead Shelly around the back when he noticed a brief flash in the sky. A frown appeared on his face. Initially, he thought it was lightning that he glimpsed, but it didn't look right. Then, he saw a giant yellow wing hidden within the grey clouds, and he swore.

"That can't be Zapdos, can it?"

He realised Shelly was shaking beside him in fear. The Rhyhorn was not one to be easily scared, but here she was trembling like a leaf. Lucas took a moment to consider what to do before calling for Giru.

"Giru!"

"Giru, it looks like Zapdos has appeared. Start recording the clouds and see if you can capture an image of the Pokemon. Return it to me as soon as you get it."

"Giru! Giru!" The robot flew higher to get a better vantage point. It was lucky that Giru was waterproof, or else he would be incapacitated from all the rain.

Lucas led Shelly back to the Pokemon Centre. Her huge bulk barely squeezed through the doorway and into the entranceway.

“Hey, Rhydon isn't allowed in here,” Nurse Joy protested.

“You want to know why the storm suddenly appeared?" Lucas asked flatly. “It’s because Zapdos is up there in the clouds. There is no way I am leaving Shelly exposed out there.”

Nurse Joy paled and ran to the window to see if she could catch a glimpse of the Legendary Pokemon. The others followed her and peered up into the sky in trepidation.

“Are you sure you saw Zapdos?” Misty asked sceptically. “It hasn’t been seen in years.”

“I wish I was wrong,” Lucas said, turning to Nurse Joy. “Does this place have a backup generator? I wouldn’t be surprised if Zapdos knocks out the power soon.”

The Legendary Pokemon was notorious for attacking power plants to absorb electricity and fuel itself. It had a huge detrimental effect on infrastructure, not to mention the lives that were lost. Zapdos has killed more people than the other Legendaries in Kanto combined. While they usually did not get into conflict with humans, Zapdos was a different kettle of fish. It was highly aggressive and territorial. That was a problem since it considered all of Kanto its territory. After it disappeared a few years ago, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Was it possible that they were rid of the plague that was Zapdos?

The answer today was a resounding no.

“Yes,” Nurse Joy nodded jerkily. “I suggest we get away from the windows and turn off the lights, so as to not attract attention to ourselves.”

Lucas nodded and instructed the others to retrieve the lanterns. They found it difficult to access them, as the space inside the entranceway was completely occupied by Shelly and the trailer.

“I suggest you alert the authorities,” Lucas said to the nurse. “They can alert the town and tell people to remain indoors.”

“What can the authorities do against Zapdos?” Faith asked dubiously.

“Nothing, but they still need to know,” Lucas said. “Hopefully, Zapdos loses interest in the town quickly and leaves.”

Nurse Joy hurried to the front counter and picked up a phone to call the local police station.

Lightning struck across the street, rattling the windows. They retreated further inside the building. It was hard to tell if the lightning bolt was caused by Zapdos or the storm. When it created storms, the Pokemon could turn them into self-sustaining systems, and often left long before the storm dispersed.

“Giru!”

The robot appeared at the entrance, but the automatic doors wouldn't open for him because the sensors were underground. Lucas hurried forward and the doors opened, and Giru flew inside, looking erratic. The robot probably came close to being fried by the lightning bolt, so it was understandable that he was rattled.

“Are you okay, Giru?”

“Giru!”

“Well, that's good,” Lucas said. “Did you get any footage?”

Giru nodded his head in confirmation. Any footage he recorded with his eye was sent to Lucas’ phone.

“I have told the authorities,” Nurse Joy said, approaching them. She looked at the robot curiously but said nothing. “They sound really sceptical of your claims though.”

Lucas took out his phone. “Well, it's fortunate that I have some footage to prove it. Let’s go into the cafeteria to hunker down and watch it.”

They retreated to the cafeteria with their Pokemon. Only Shelly was left in the entranceway, but she looked happy to be inside at least. The lady serving the cafeteria food came out and asked Nurse Joy what was going on, and she joined them at a table. Lucas opened up the video footage and everyone gathered close to watch it.

It looked grainy, and the rain certainly affected the quality of the footage. The fact that they got any footage at all was amazing considering the conditions out there. In the first few seconds, the only thing they saw were dark clouds swirling around. Suddenly, something appeared from the clouds, causing everyone to gasp. This time, Lucas was able to see more of the Pokemon and even a glimpse of its face. It was gigantic, even bigger than Moltres, and unmistakably Zapdos.

“It’s a demon,” the cafeteria lady whispered in horror. Despite her ominous words, everyone agreed with her statement when they saw Zapdos. Its reputation was that bad.

“I need to send this footage to the authorities,” Nurse Joy said.

“Go ahead,” Lucas told her, handing her the phone.

Faith stood up, motioned to him to join her, and he followed her to another table.

“Do you think its appearance has anything to do with you?” She leaned close and whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Legendaries can sense their own kind, can't they? Aren't you technically a legendary Pokemon?”

“Are you saying this is my fault?” Lucas asked heatedly.

Faith shook her head rapidly. “No, of course not. I apologise if I gave that impression. However, you'll need to keep an eye on it in the future. It's better not to be caught off guard."

“Hmm. It’s possible it can sense Mewtwo, even when I am not in its state” Lucas said. “However, there is one problem with your theory. If it can sense me, why hasn’t it directly attacked me yet?”

“That’s a fair point,” Faith sighed. “Maybe we are just extremely unlucky.”

Lucas looked away to hide his shame. What was he supposed to say? That he may be responsible for attracting so much trouble because he recklessly raised his Luck attribute so high. Was it worth it to get so many rewards in exchange for constantly being in danger? Then again, it made life more interesting.

The tables were pushed against the walls and their tents were set up inside the room. They did not feel like climbing the stairs and sleeping in one of the rooms. Misty and Faith were going to share a tent together, while Jason would join Lucas in his tent. This left the other one for Nurse Joy and the cafeteria lady to share with each other. The Pokemon would join them in their tents, as they wanted another barrier between them and the Legendary Pokemon outside, no matter how flimsy. Although they didn’t acknowledge it, Zapdos' power clearly frightened them.

The power went out shortly afterwards, and lanterns were used to illuminate the cafeteria. Even when the generator kicked in, they kept the lights off. In spite of the raging storm that was going on outside, it was a nice and cosy atmosphere inside. In the kitchen, the cafeteria lady whipped up some simple tacos to serve as dinner for everyone.

The next hour was spent discussing various topics to distract themselves from the goings on outside. There were several explosions heard during this time, but none were close to where they were located. They had no idea the extent of the destruction that would be on display tomorrow, but they expected the worst. Hopefully, everyone in town will stay in their homes and no one gets hurt.

Lucas received a call on the phone, and he excused himself to answer it.

"Hi, Maggie. How are things going?”

“Same old,” Maggie grunted. “I found a boat, and the price is reasonable for the number of hours it has been in operation."

“How much will it cost me?” Lucas asked, dreading the answer.

"Two hundred and twenty thousand.”

“Well, that’s not as bad as I thought,” Lucas said in relief. “Have you begun work on the barge modifications?"

“Yes,” she confirmed. “I managed to get a discount since I will help the wielder do the modifications. I will stay in Pallet Town until it's finished. It shouldn’t be more than twenty thousand Pokedollars.”

“That's great to hear. Send me the details and I will pay the bill. So, do you hear the storm raging outside on my end?”

“I wanted to ask about that.”

“Well, it seems like Zapdos has returned to Kanto."

There was silence on the other end of the line. “That’s a problem. Zapdos is batshit crazy.”

“For sure. I will send you a video clip that I managed to get of it. We have taken up shelter in the Pokemon Centre.”

“You have the worst luck,” Maggie said bluntly.

After talking for a few more minutes, Lucas hung up and returned to the others. As he was about to sit down, he felt a tug on his leg and he looked down to see Max standing there.

“What is it?”

‘I want to go outside!’ Max exclaimed.

“Are you crazy?” Lucas asked incredulously. “It’s dangerous out there.”

‘It’s an opportunity. With so many lightning strikes going on, I can solve a lot of the energy requirements for my evolution.’

“You want to get deliberately hit by lightning. No way. Even if you are the same type as Zapdos, any attack from him is going to seriously hurt or kill you.”

Max rolled his eyes. ‘I am not going to be absorbing Zapdos’ attacks. I will absorb the lightning generated from the storm.’

“What’s going on?” Misty enquired.

When Lucas explained Max's plan to the group, they showed the same disbelief as he did. Nurse Joy didn’t immediately dismiss it, looking at Max in consideration.

“It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds,” Nurse Joy said. “I have heard of electric-type Pokemon using the method before to obtain the energy requirements for their evolution. There is some risk, though, and he needs a high affinity for electric-type energy to even attempt it. Can you tell me how high his affinity is? ”

Lucas consulted Max’s menu discreetly and answered her. “Around seventy per cent.”

“That high?!” Nurse Joy looked amazed. “Then it should be viable.”

Lucas was torn. Although it didn't seem like Zapdos was anywhere near their location at the moment, he was still against Max taking such a risk. Moreover, the method sounded dangerous and painful as hell. Despite his concern about fulfilling Max's pre-evolution requirements, he didn't want to use such a method. With a sigh, he looked at his partner's determined face.

“Fine, but you will stay close to the building,” Lucas said. “At the first sign of Zapdos appearing, you have to get your butt back inside.”

‘Of course.’ Max nodded, looking excited.

Lucas led Max to the entrance. Outside, the town was shrouded in darkness, with only brief flashes of lightning providing a momentary respite. Lucas stood at the door as Max walked into the middle of the street and sat down. He began meditating and drawing on the electricity in the air around him. It would serve another purpose in that it would act like a magnet, drawing lightning strikes his way.

Lucas winced when he saw the first lightning bolt strike Max, and his Pokemon writhed in pain. When he saw that his Pokemon was still sitting upright and looking unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief. If Max got seriously injured, he would rush outside and grab him, regardless of the danger.

Lucas remained vigilant over the next few hours as Max was struck by lightning over and over again. The amount of energy contained within the storm was incredible, but that showed just how powerful Zepdos actually was. It was like a natural disaster in and of itself. There was also the possibility that the Pokemon was still up there, feeding more energy into the storm.

Max started swaying, looking drunk. He was surrounded by a yellow aura that crackled with electricity. Max seemed to be reaching his limit since most of the energy wasn't being absorbed anymore and lingered around him like a cloud.

As he was about to call out to Max, he froze. In the sky, he spotted the Zapdos below the clouds, its full form visible. There was a look of rage on its face, and it looked to be directed at Max. It lifted its wings, and Lucas knew it was about to attack.

Without thinking about the consequences, Lucas transformed into Mewtwo and reached out. He used Telekinesis to pull Max towards him. His partner was only a metre away when a giant lightning bolt struck the ground in the middle of the street. The glass shattered around them, and they were sent flying backwards. Shelly grunted as she was struck by the two, but otherwise was unhurt by the collision.

Mewtwo stood up and shook his head to clear his disorientation. Due to his advanced senses, he was able to detect that the Zapdos had retreated, and he relaxed his guard. It appeared that the Pokemon no longer wanted to pursue Max. Then he reverted to his human form and looked down at Max who was getting up shakily.

“Are you okay?” Lucas asked.

‘My life flashed before my eyes.’ Max said seriously.

Lucas chuckled at the Pokemon’s lame sense of humour.

They returned to the cafeteria to find that everyone was standing around nervously, looking at the door. Faith ran over and hugged him.

“I wanted to go and help you,” Faith said, then turned and scowled at Jason. “But somebody prevented me from leaving.”

“I am regretting it right now,” Jason said, rubbing his side. It looked like he got a sharp elbow in the side for his efforts.

“Well done,” Lucas told him. “I wasn’t in any danger, so it was the right decision.”

Faith looked contrite, “Sorry for hurting you, Jason. I panicked, thinking Lucas was hurt.”

“It’s okay,” Jason wheezed, moving over to Misty, “I have Misty to tend to my wounds.”

“Go away before I give you really something to cry about,” Misty scowled, returning to her tent.

“What happened?” Nurse Joy asked. “I heard glass shattering.”

“Zapdos is still out there,” Lucas said. “He sent a lightning strike into the middle of the street. It shattered the front door and windows.”

“That’s going to be a mission to clean up,” Nurse Joy sighed. “Oh, well, at least you weren’t hurt.”

Everyone retreated to their tents to get some sleep. Lucas had to share the mattress with Jason, not something he was exactly enthused about. He would rather cuddle up to his girlfriend.

“So, was the training effective?” Jason asked.

Lucas looked at Max’s parameters and was astonished to see that his partner's energy requirements for his evolution had almost reached halfway. It was incredible progress for only a few hours of work, and it meant that he didn’t have to worry about Max reaching his full potential anymore.

Speaking of his partner, he noticed that Max was surrounded by his teammates, showing off his wounds. It looked like he got some scarring from where he was struck by lightning. During his training, he had healed Max three times with potions, but his HP was below half again.

“Max, come here so I can heal your wounds,” Lucas said.

‘But I look badass with these scars.’ Max protested.

“There is a chance some will stay behind,” Lucas replied. “An ordinary potion will not heal such deep scarring.”

‘All right!’ Max cheered.

“Who are you trying to impress?” Lucas asked. “Got a girlfriend stashed away somewhere?”

‘Like I want one of those! Max exclaimed in disgust. ‘I have seen what you and Faith get up to, and it’s traumatising.’

“Why you little perv,” Lucas exclaimed, approaching his partner. “It looks like I am going to have to add some scars to your body.”

‘Faith, save me.’ Max ran out of the tent, scared for his life.

“What just happened,” Jason asked.

“Nothing,” Lucas said, laying down on his mattress. Despite the storm raging outside, he fell asleep almost immediately.

So, what do you think? Zapdos is going to be very aggressive and cause a lot of problems for Lucas in the future.

Thanks for the support, everyone.

Shoutout to my Pro and Hardcore Gamers for the extra support.