Pokemon: Way of Life Chapter 57

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. This one is slightly longer, at 5.5k words. I couldn't help adding to it until I reached a good stopping point. The conflict with the cult members won't be solved in one chapter, however.

Lucas took a moment to consider how he would go about finding the cult members. He opened his menu and looked at his skills to see if there was an easy way to accomplish it. There were several options available to him, but they all had their downsides.

The most obvious solution was to contact the local police station and let them sort it out. However, he had no evidence to suggest that the town was in danger, so they weren't likely to believe him. It may end up wasting precious time instead.

Another option was to utilise his Mewtwo state to read the minds of the residents of the town, but it wasn't very practical. The state lasted only a few minutes with his current aura, and there were too many people in town to read them all. For all he knew, the cult members were holed up in some secret location that would be hard to find. Furthermore, if the residents had strong Pokemon, there was a chance that they would be able to detect his intrusion into their minds.

The last option he considered was to use the Lucky Hour perk, which would make all his actions the most favourable in any situation. However, he wasn't sure if it worked that way if he started out with zero information in the first place. It was supposed to increase your odds, not create something out of nothing. He would save it for the last hour as a backup plan in case he didn't make any progress with other methods.

'What are you planning to do?' Dante asked.

"I need to find some information," Lucas said. "If the Calamity members are going to strike, they are going to want to cause as much destruction as possible. Is there some kind of event taking place in town today that will have a large gathering of people, for instance?"

'We can get others to help look for information.' Imara suggested.

"How will I explain my knowledge of something that hasn't come to pass yet?" Lucas questioned.

'That's easy. Just say it's some kind of ability you received from Mewtwo. Your situation is so unique, they will not question it.'

Max came up with a believable excuse, which was surprising. Then again, he was probably the most cunning of his team members and only pretended to be stupid.

A couple of minutes had passed since he got the quest. There was no time to waste. Before he left, he summoned Giru and sent him out to scout the town, on the off chance of finding something.

He used the stopwatch app on his phone, to keep track of the remaining time he had left. Leaving the alley, he hurried towards the toll booth to meet up with the others. They were still waiting to be served, so he walked down past the other people waiting in line, who shot him dirty looks.

"Guys," Lucas said as he reached them. "Forget about the tickets for the ruins. I need your help."

"What's wrong?" Faith asked as he led them to the side where they had some privacy.

"There are some Calamity members inside the town, and they are planning something nasty for the residents," Lucas explained. "We only have four hours to find them and take them out."

"What!" Jason looked around nervously. "How do you know?"

"I am not sure exactly," Lucas lied. "It may be some kind of premonition ability I received from Mewtwo."

"What do you want us to do?" Misty asked determinedly. She didn't look nervous at all. She fiddled with one of her Pokeballs as if she considered summoning her Pokemon.

"We need to find out if an event is happening today," Lucas said. "If I was a Calamity member looking to cause as much destruction as possible, I would target a huge gathering of people."

"Well, I can think of only one that counts," Faith said. "There is a ceremony every year to celebrate the discovery of the ruins and the founding of the town. It just so happens that today is the day."

"Where is it happening?" Lucas asked.

"The Sandshrew Square," Faith replied. "It's the most open space in town that could fit most if not all of the residents inside it. They wouldn't do the ceremony inside the ruins, as there's too much risk of someone being injured or a structure collapsing."

Sandee looked up in interest at the mention of her species' name. Having a square named after you sounded cool to her.

"I wonder what their method will be to kill the residents." Lucas mused. "It could be an explosion. Or maybe something more subtle, like lethal gas released into the air."

"It would have to be a virulent gas to affect everyone before it dispersed into the air," Jason pointed out. "It would be more effective if it was released inside a building. My money is on a big explosion. Remember their methods in Stone Town?"

"All right, let's go check out Sandshrew Square," Lucas said. "Try to act as natural as possible while looking for anything out of place. They may have lookouts observing the square."

They hurried through the streets, checking the map to make sure they were heading in the right direction. Their Pokemon were super tense, looking around warily as they moved. He couldn't blame them. They had no information on how strong their opponents were, though it was unlikely their current Pokemon would be effective against the cult members' own Pokemon. Lucas reminded them not to be so obvious, and they stopped looking around and followed their partners obediently.

The best case scenario would be that they find whatever device the cult members were using without being noticed, and take the information to the police. The worst case would be that they didn't find anything, or the cult members noticed them and attacked. If that happens, Lucas may have no choice but to switch to his Mewtwo state. However, they weren't likely to attract too much attention by attacking in broad daylight because they were outnumbered by the town residents. Three against hundreds of people was akin to committing suicide.

They entered the square and found some people waiting there already. They had parked themselves in a prime spot next to a platform. He assumed that was where the main ceremony would take place. Lucas eyes them shrewdly, but there was no way to tell if they were innocent residents or someone else in disguise.

"Spread out and do a survey of the area," Lucas said. "Jason and Misty, you team up, and Faith and I will make up the other team. Act like dumb tourists while looking for anything unusual."

"We will act like a happy couple," Jason said with a straight face, reaching out to take Misty's hand.

"In your dreams," Misty smacked his hand away and walked off. Jason shrugged and followed her. Lucas and Faith began exploring the area. There were a number of government offices, a police station, and a town hall located in the square. They tried to look natural, pointing out different areas of interest and looking excited, just like a couple of tourists.

Lucas used his Omniscient Eyesight to search for anything that might be an incendiary device. The most obvious place for it would be in the centre of the square, where it would have the most coverage. There was a tall bronze statue of a Sandshrew there, which explained why the square was named after it. He didn't know why the Pokemon was so revered but assumed it had something to do with the ruins.

After spending a frustrating twenty minutes exploring the square, they came up with nothing. They met in the centre next to the statue to discuss their next move.

"Maybe we have the wrong place?" Lucas said.

"It's possible," Faith said doubtfully. "This is the most likely location, though. I cannot think of any other place they would target."

"What if it wasn't an explosion?" Misty asked. "We always thought they would use some kind of incendiary device to cause a big commotion, but what if it is more subtle than that?"

"What other way would they target a large number of people?"

"Besides releasing lethal gas? Could it be that they taint something that the residents are eating or drinking?" Jason suggested.

"That may be it," Lucas exclaimed, taking out his phone to do some research. "Some ceremonies have people eating and drinking something as a symbolic gesture. If everyone has to consume it, we will likely see a tragedy similar in scale to Stone Town."

He browsed the town's website, looking for information about the ceremony itself. He came across a link and clicked on it, finding a page with a brief summary of the event. He didn't find anything at first, and he thought they were mistaken about their theory. However, at the bottom of the page, one sentence mentioned that the residents had to eat a speciality bread as part of the ceremony.

"Where would they prepare the bread?" Faith asked.

"Probably in a bakery," Lucas said, looking at the map. "They have to bake a lot of bread to serve the residents."

He spotted a likely candidate on the map. Keye's Bakery. He noted the location and put the map away.

"Do we need to do anything?" Jason asked. "We could always sabotage the bread when it arrives so no one eats it."

"There will be too many people watching," Lucas shook his head. "It would take a major sleight of hand to mess with the bread without someone noticing. Besides, we still need to capture the three cult members. They don't need to show up at the ceremony for their plan to succeed. We will go to the bakery and try to stop the bread from arriving here."

"They may have a backup plan, though," Misty suggested. "If you manage to stop the bread, they may try something else. Some of us should stay here to keep an eye out for further trouble.

Lucas agreed with her logic. "All right. You and Jason should stay here and keep watch. Faith and I will investigate the bakery to see if we can find anything."

Lucas checked his phone and saw that thirty minutes had passed. It may seem like not much, but he didn't know what it would take to find the three cult members. Stopping the death of so many residents was only half the battle.

They separated, and Lucas and Faith ran towards the bakery. It was only a few streets over, so it didn't take them long to find it.

Faith grabbed his arm when he was about to enter the bakery. "How are we going to approach this? We cannot just tell them that something is wrong with their bread."

"I will use my natural charm of course," Lucas boasted.

If he needed to, he would use the Persuasion skill again. He hadn't used it since he was kidnapped and held on Cinnabar Island. It was distasteful and could easily be abused if he wasn't careful. But in this situation, he would have to set aside his morals to save a lot of lives.

"I will wait here," Faith said, rolling her eyes. "If there is a female you have to charm, I would just get in the way."

"Keep an eye out for Faith," he said to his Pokemon, and they saluted him like little soldiers.

Lucas entered the bakery and walked to the counter where a young female employee was standing. The bakery was one of those few modern buildings in the town. It had a bright and airy look due to the huge glass windows at the front of the store. There were a number of display cases running around the counter, showing off some mouth-watering food. Once this situation was dealt with, he would return and try some of them out.

"Good morning Lucinda," Lucas greeted the female with a bright smile, reading her name badge so he could call her by her first name. It is important to establish intimacy as soon as possible when trying to do something unreasonable.

The female flushed, proving she wasn't immune to his charm. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.

"I was hoping you could answer a question for me," Lucas said. "Does this bakery supply the bread for the ceremony?"

"That's right," Lucinda said brightly. "Our store has been providing bread for the ceremony for more than twenty years since the population has increased significantly. There is just too much bread to bake for local officials to handle the task elsewhere."

Lucas leaned closer as if he was about to convey something of great importance. "The reason I am here is that I believe the bread has been deliberately poisoned by some people to harm the residents of this town."

"What!?" Lucinda almost shouted. "How do you know?"

"I cannot say," Lucas said. "Is there a chance I can go into the kitchen and inspect the bread?"

"That's not something I have the authority to decide on," Lucinda denied. "I need permission from the owner, and they are currently away from the shop."

"Please? There may be many lives in danger if we don't do anything."

Lucinda shook her head again, her face showing a stubborn resistance. Looks like he wasn't as charming as he thought. The Persuasion skill would be needed. He activated the skill and repeated his request, and this time he could sense her wavering. He continued to press, and she glanced behind her with a conflicted expression.

"Alright, fine," Lucinda sighed. "You can go out back, but you shouldn't take long or else I will get in trouble if the owner returns at the wrong time. How will you determine that it is poisoned anyway?"

"Eh, I will figure something out," Lucas said dismissively.

Lucinda led him around the back and into the kitchen, where there was a single worker; an older gentleman. Most of the baking had already been done for the day, so they didn't need a lot of staff to operate the store.

"Who is this, Lucinda?" The man frowned.

"Milo, he says something is wrong with the bread," Lucinda said anxiously.

"What's this nonsense?" Milo snorted. "You better leave before I call the police for trespassing."

"I can't trespass if I am invited inside," Lucas replied rationally. "Look, can't you spare one piece of bread to test it out? If I am wrong, I will sincerely apologise. But if I am not...."

Milo hesitated for a second before moving towards the bread rack stored at the back of the kitchen. He grabbed a piece of bread and placed it on the table. It was more like a large dinner roll than a loaf of bread. "Well, how are you going to test it?"

Lucas examined the bread to see if his theory was right and if the bread was poisoned.

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Pokemopolis Town Ceremony Bread | Consumable | Common | Grade: 3

Description: A local delicacy made once a year to celebrate the town's founding. It is similar to a bread roll but larger and with a secret sauce in the centre. This bread is tainted with a lethal dose of Thallium X. It is a poison that is odourless and tasteless, so it is hard to detect. The poison has been enhanced to be fast-acting and will kill someone within minutes.

Ingredients list

......

=====

Time to put on a show and bullshit his way to a believable explanation. He just hoped neither of them knew what he was about to do. After picking up the bread roll, Lucas placed his other hand on it. He manipulated his aura and enveloped the bread in a blue radiance. This caused the two watching to gasp in surprise.

"An aura user!" Lucinda exclaimed.

"This is an aura technique that recognises what an item is made up of," Lucas said. He started listing the ingredients of the bread, including everything that made up the sauce, which was supposed to be top secret, to prove to them he was genuine.

"The last ingredient I sense is a poison called Thallium X," Lucas frowned. "It will kill anyone that eats it."

"What should we do?" Milo asked, finally starting to believe him.

"Take this to the police and test it," Lucas said. "You will have to be quick about it, though."

"That's not enough time," Milo said. "The bread is supposed to leave here in an hour."

"I'm sure they could rustle up some animal to test it on," Lucas said ruthlessly. "Aren't there some animal farms around here? You will soon know if the animal dies from eating it."

Milo nodded and took the bread from Lucas, before turning to Lucinda. "Lucinda, watch the shop while I take this to the police. Don't let anyone else into the kitchen. And see if you can contact Maria. She needs to be informed that something may be happening with her bakery."

"Alright," Lucinda replied.

"Before you go, who else has access to the kitchen?" Lucas questioned. "Is there anyone who was recently hired who could have poisoned the bread?"

"There is Nathan," Lucinda said. "He started a week ago, and he is one of the bakers who starts early to bake the goods for the store. He creeps me out, to be honest."

"It's possible to poison the bread without others knowing," Milo admitted. "Each baker is responsible for different tasks, and Nathan is responsible for preparing the dough for the bread."

Lucas' interest was roused. Was this the smoking gun he was looking for? "Where does he live?"

"Let me check," Lucinda hurried away, eager to help Lucas all of a sudden. Was it the revelation that he was an aura user that did it for her?

After obtaining the address, Lucas followed Milo out of the bakery and watched as he hurried down the street towards the police station.

"Crisis averted?" Faith asked.

"For now," Lucas said. "However, I have a feeling it won't be over until the three cult members are taken out. I have the address of the suspect. I am going to check it out."

"I am going with you," Faith said firmly.

"No, it's too dangerous," Lucas said, raising his hand when she looked like she was going to protest. "It's likely too dangerous for me as well, but I have Mewtwo if I need to protect myself. If you are there as well, I will be worried about you and distracted from what I need to do."

"Fine," Faith said. "I will join Misty and Jason and keep an eye out on the square."

'What about us? We can help you.' Duke said, and his other Pokemon nodded in agreement.

"I can't take you all," Lucas said. "I want to approach the suspect stealthily. I will choose Dante because he can use Teleport, which may come in handy. The other team member I will choose is Max since he has a move that can incapacitate the target without killing them."

'Yes!' Max cheered, and Imara growled in disappointment.

"I need you to protect Faith and the others," Lucas said to his other Pokemon, to ease their disappointment. "It's possible that there is another plot afoot that will endanger everyone in the square."

They nodded, and Faith and the other Pokemon followed her back to the square. Lucas looked at the address and compared it to the map. It was on the other side of town, so he moved in that direction with his two partners trailing him.

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Lucas looked at the house in front of him, hiding behind a tree in the backyard. It was more like a cabin than a house. It was located in the poorer section of town where there were many rundown buildings. He used Omniscient Eyes to see if there was anyone inside and spotted one form shrouded in blue energy, indicating it was a human. He didn't see any Pokemon with them, which was in his favour. If he could incapacitate the person before they could summon their Pokemon, he wouldn't have to use his Mewtwo state. There was no doubt in his mind that the target's Pokemon would be stronger than his.

Lucas had been scoping out the place for ten minutes. It was time he didn't have to waste, but he didn't want to make a mistake and alert the person inside.

"I will slip through the back window," Lucas said to Dante and Max. "Dante, you and Max go around to the front and find a way through the window there. Can you teleport the two of you into the room if you can see inside?"

'I should be able to.' Dante nodded.

"Max, if you have the chance, paralyse him with a Thunder Wave. Don't let him summon his Pokemon. I will be there to back you up if anything goes wrong."

'Okay. One paralysed baddie coming up.'

Did Max have to sound so excited about that prospect?

They separated and approached the cabin from different angles. Lucas approached the back of the cabin where a window was located. It was currently shut, but that was no hindrance. With these kinds of run-down cabins, the windows weren't likely to be robust and would be easy to open with a little bit of knowledge.

Lucas looked around to make sure he was alone before using his Multi-Purpose Tool perk to transform his hand into a putty knife. He slipped the broad flat blade under the frame and began wiggling it until he heard a pop. He leveraged the knife to quietly lift the window up and slipped quietly inside the cabin.

He was inside a small bedroom, but the target was located inside the living room, so he stepped quietly towards the open door and peeked into the next room. He spotted the man instantly, who was sitting at a table with a laptop placed in front of him. The man had a phone to his ear and he was arguing with someone on the other end.

"It's too risky," the man said heatedly. "I told you that poisoning the bread would do the job without any risk to us. It's a flawless plan."

Dante and Max teleported inside the room, behind the man's back. Max spotted him in the doorway and pointed at the man, silently asking if he should take him out. Lucas held up a hand, indicating he should wait. No need to alert the person on the other end.

The man was listening, but he didn't appear happy with what the other person was saying. "Well, you can continue with your plan, but do it without me."

As soon as the man hung up the phone, Lucas motioned Max to incapacitate him and his partner complied. Max sent a single bolt of electricity at the man, who cried out when he was struck. He slumped into the chair, completely paralysed. The man was probably still aware of his surroundings, but he was helpless to do anything. Lucas entered the room and approached him.

He didn't know how long he would be affected, but it depended on his Pokemon's strength. As they grow stronger, a Pokemon will continue to feed its trainer red energy, enough to strengthen them, but not too much that it would harm them. A senior trainer's physique was formidable, as they could crush rocks with their bare hands. He had his grandfather as the perfect example.

Just as he considered what to do next, the front door exploded inwards. Shouts of 'police' erupted from the people pouring into the room along with a couple of Growlithe, who roared at him threateningly.

"Get down!" They screamed at him.

"The person you want is there," Lucas said, pointing to the man at the table before lying on the ground.

An old man with a bushy moustache approached him and said, "Let me guess. You're Lucas Walker."

"Hi," Lucas said. "I would appreciate it if your Growlithe didn't try and intimidate my Pokemon."

"You are not in charge here," the old man said sternly. "My name is Captain Mark Bowers. What did you do to him?"

"A Thunder Wave from my Elekid," Lucas shrugged. "He shouldn't be paralysed for too long."

"You haven't even determined if he is guilty, and you attacked him," another police officer asked incredulously. "Do you know how much trouble you are in? Furthermore, who gave you the right to act like a vigilante?"

"Wrong," Lucas said. "I heard him speaking to another individual, confirming that he poisoned the bread. How did you react so fast?"

"One of our police officers has a steel-type Pokemon who is immune to poison," Mark shrugged. "Although it wasn't affected by it, he could tell something was off. Is this the man responsible for everything?"

"From what I overheard, there are two others," Lucas replied. "They were planning to do something else, but this guy disagreed with their plan."

"Damn it," the old man swore. "Do you know who they are?"

"I suspect they are members of Calamity," Lucas said.

"How would you know that?"

"My grandfather called me," Lucas said. "He said there was a possibility that some stray members would arrive here in town."

"I heard of the operation that raided the bandit's base," Myles said. "The Viridian police department was a part of it. Did that have something to do with it?"

"I am afraid that is confidential," Lucas smirked.

Mark glared at him but didn't say anything. He appeared to have figured something out.

"Who is your grandfather?" Another police officer asked.

"Tobias Walker," Lucas shrugged. "The Minister of Defence."

It gave them pause as they realised they had apprehended an influential person's grandson. Honestly, they had nothing to worry about. They were just doing their job.

"I will take you to the station to keep you out of the way," Mark said, not looking surprised by his revelation. "We will interrogate this man to see if he will be able to lead us to the two other cult members."

"What?" Lucas asked in surprise, almost blurting out that there were only three hours left. The quest wasn't complete, even though he had already prevented one tragedy, which meant the main event was still coming. "Are you planning to stop the ceremony? We don't know what they have planned next."

"Not for you to worry about," Mark said dismissively. "We cannot stop the ceremony until we are sure there is another threat imminent. The ceremony is too important to the town."

Was he going to be stuck inside the station while the clock ticked down to zero? How could he prevent it from happening?

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Two hours later, Lucas was sitting inside one of the interrogation rooms, keeping him out of the way of the police officers. They couldn't shove him into a cell, as that would be taking it too far. He prevented the residents from getting poisoned after all.

There was only an hour left, and Lucas was completely unaware of what was happening with the search for the cult members. He was worried about Faith and his two friends, and what would happen in an hour's time. If the police found and prevented the next attack, he would be okay with it. Even if it meant no reward. There was too much at stake to care about such things.

Outside, he heard the sound of a trumpet and the murmur of a large crowd as the ceremony got underway. He bounced his leg in anxiety as the seconds ticked away.

'I say we break out.' Max declared.

'Yes, that is a brilliant idea.' Dante said sarcastically.

'I'm sure they will be understanding after we save everyone.'

Lucas stood up, deciding not to wait any longer. The next hour would be vital to stopping the attack, so he activated Lucky Hour. Immediately, a sense of supreme confidence overcame him, and he got the feeling that everything was going to go his way.

He approached the door and knocked on it. A moment passed before an older woman opened it. She was the secretary as he recalled seeing her at her desk when he first entered.

"What is it?" the woman asked.

"Where are the police officers?"

"They are all outside patrolling the square."

"May I have your name?" Lucas smiled at her.

"It's Dorothy," she replied with a smile of her own. At least he could charm old ladies.

"Do you know what's going on outside?" Lucas asked.

"Not many details," Dorothy replied. "Just that there was some threat to the residents."

"Have you heard of Calamity?"

Dorothy's eyes widened. The tragedy at Stone Town was something every citizen in the Kanto Region knew, and the ones who caused it.

"They are targeting the residents in the square. That's what has the police so rattled," Lucas said before something occurred to him. "Could it be that you have a loved one in the square?"

Dorothy looked terrified, and he felt like an ass for scaring her. But Lady Luck was telling him this was the most effective approach.

"I need to get out there to stop it. I have already prevented an attack from happening a few hours ago."

"Well, you're not technically under arrest," Dorothy said reluctantly. "I may get in trouble for this but I will let you go."

Lucas thanked her and walked out of the police station with Dante and Max. He could have used Dante's Teleport to escape but the perk was leading him to the best outcome. Pissing off the police by escaping, and using a move that was considered illegal in most areas of town would not turn out well for him. He would be in trouble regardless of whether he helped save lives.

Outside, he moved through the crowd, looking for his friends and trying to stay out of sight of the patrolling police officers. After a couple of minutes, he found them on the western side of the square, next to the street entrance.

"Lucas," Faith ran up and hugged him. "Are you okay? We were told that you were arrested?"

"I wasn't arrested," Lucas said. "They held me at the station because apparently, I am a menace that can't stop interfering with things that are none of my business."

"Well, they are not wrong," Jason laughed. "However, I think it is more likely that they are afraid something will happen to the Minister of Defence's grandson."

"Probably," Lucas shrugged. "So, what's going on? Did they find the other two culprits?"

"No idea," Misty said. "Judging by the fact that the police are still patrolling the square, I would say no."

Lucus considered his options, but there was only one according to Lady Luck. He needed to transform into his Mewtwo state, although he didn't know how it would help. Still, he had time to try it out. Even if he used up his aura, he could still meditate and recover it before the hour was up.

"I'm about to transform," Lucas leaned in and whispered to the group. "It's possible I will discover something I cannot see as a human."

They nodded, and Lucas walked down the street and found a concealed spot to transform. He entered his Mewtwo state and activated his aura cloak. The skill would cost him some time, but it ensured that he would not be seen by anyone.

Mewtwo flew high up into the air and surveyed the square below. It was crowded, and he hadn't realised just how many people there were when he was on the ground. He searched the area, but couldn't find anything out of place. Lady Luck nudged him again, leading him towards the ruins. What could be over there?

He flew over the ruins and started searching, but it was unnecessary, as it soon became apparent as to why. A figure rose from a huge crevice that bisected the eastern side of the ruins. It was a gigantic pink round ball with huge blue eyes. When it stood upright, it was over three stories tall.

Was this the rumoured giant Pokemon? A Jigglypuff? Why was it here at this point in time? Was it a coincidence that it emerged just as a threat was imminent? Mewtwo wasn't that naive. It had to be related to the cult members, although he couldn't imagine how they could influence it.

As he floated in the sky, stunned and speechless, Jigglypuff made a move. She opened her mouth and he knew instantly what was going to happen next. Mewtwo flew forward to stop the Pokemon from using the move that would put everyone to sleep. He wasn't sure what effect it would have on the people in the square, but she was bound to have a huge set of vocal cords on her. Would the combination of the move and the side effects of red energy cause more damage to the people beyond falling asleep?

This couldn't have been part of the cult members' plan, could it?

So, what do you think? Lucas squares off against the giant Jigglypuff and tries to stop the next attack from occurring.

Thanks for reading.