Pokemon: Way of Life Chapter 48

Hi all,

Here is the bonus chapter. I am so close to fifty chapters. Is that a milestone to be celebrated? Maybe just a pat on the back.

November 9th

The next morning, Jason and Maia stayed in the hotel room. Lucas had met the girl briefly when Vincent arrived with her last night, but she had been subdued. He spoke briefly with his godfather, who said he would be back tomorrow with Sarah.

It was just Lucas, Misty, and Faith in their hotel room, and they were just relaxing while waiting for his godfather to arrive. On a positive note, Duke seemed to have bounced back and was interacting with everyone again. Furthermore, he had stopped speaking like an arrogant prince, which caught the other Pokemon off guard. It was a new dynamic, so it was initially somewhat awkward, but they were getting better.

Their conversation was interrupted when Lucas got a phone call. He almost expected it to be his parents but was surprised to discover that it was Nora.

"Hi, Nora. You are not usually one to call and chew the fat. Is there anything you need?"

"Lucas, there's a situation on the island," Nora said.

Lucas didn't need to hear any more bad news at the moment. "What's wrong?"

"You remember telling me how it was suspicious that Team Rocket had so many fire stones for the bomb they created?"

"Yes. Even with its size, it shouldn't be producing that many."

"Well, I decided to explore the inside of the volcano further," Nora said, her voice rising excitedly. "When I wasn't working on the habitat, I slowly worked on excavating stone out of the cavern where the bomb was placed. Yesterday, I broke through a wall, revealing a huge chamber."

Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. From the way she sounded, it wasn't anything bad. "Did you find something?"

"Lucas, I found a Fire Source," Nora exclaimed.

The news was mind-blowing. A Fire Source was essentially a supercharged Fire Stone, except it couldn't absorb fire elements. Instead, it radiated the fire element continuously, and could sustain itself for hundreds of years. It explained why the dormant volcano was producing so many fire stones. Depending on its size, it could potentially produce up to a dozen every week, which was a considerable amount. In addition, it may be used in a number of other applications, which makes it truly priceless in terms of its value. If the Kanto government had known what was there, they would have never given him the island. Lucas did not doubt that they would be kicking themselves if they ever learned about its existence.

"How is it that Giovanni didn't discover the Fire Source?" Lucas asked with confusion.

"I think he knew that it had to be down here somewhere," Nora said, her enthusiasm dimming. "However, what you don't know is that before you arrived, Moltres had started appearing on the island. I think the Pokemon appeared because Giovanni had started evacuating the fire stones from the volcano. Could Moltres have been afraid that humans would discover the Fire Source? Maybe Giovanni believed the same thing and figured it wasn't worth the risk of pissing off a Legendary Pokemon?"

Lucas wanted to reach through the phone and wring Nora's neck. "Then what are you doing? I hope you didn’t touch it."

"Of course I didn’t," Nora said indignantly. "Besides, it's not like it is easy to remove. The thing is the size of a small car, and I can't even get close to it because of how hot it is."

"Then nobody is allowed down there," Lucas ordered. "Seal the entrance."

"Way ahead of you," Nora replied.

"I will be there in a couple of weeks," Lucas said. "We can think of what to do then. Have you seen Moltres anywhere?"

There was a pause. "I saw him flying overhead yesterday. However, it didn't get any closer. I expect it is staying somewhere nearby."

Lucas ran a hand over his face in frustration. "Okay, as long as we don't mess with the Fire Source, we should be okay."

"That's what I figured. It must be of importance to Moltres."

Something occurred to Lucas. "Hold on a second. If that bomb had gone off with the Fire Source nearby, how destructive would that have been?"

"I can't even begin to imagine," Nora said. "If that was Giovanni's game plan all along, as an exit strategy, then it is truly heinous."

Lucas shivered. It was difficult to imagine what the man would achieve by causing so much destruction. There had to be a reason for his actions. The man didn't strike him as a psychopath who did it to satisfy some sadistic need.  Kanto would have been devastated by the ensuing fallout, and it may have also affected Johto and the Hoenn region as well.

"Let's change the subject," Lucas sighed. "It's getting too heavy. How is Eve doing?"

"Why did you allow her to come here? Eve won't stop poking and prodding me. She is going to drive me insane."

"Don't you want to be cured?"

"If that was even possible, then yes," Nora growled. "But let's not kid ourselves. Such a radical change in my physiology cannot be fixed."

"Even if there is only an infinitesimal chance," Lucas said firmly. "Then it is worth it."

"Fine," Nora sighed. "I can't deny that I am happy to see her, regardless."

"There is the positive attitude I want to see. I still need to set up an account so she can purchase anything she needs in terms of resources. I will do that when I get to the island."

"Okay, I need to go, but I will keep you updated if anything changes."

Lucas hung up and turned to the girls who had been listening attentively. "Did you hear all that?"

They nodded, and Lucas stared at them seriously. "I need you to keep this secret for now until I decide what to do next."

"You don't even need to ask," Faith said.

"Yeah, no problem," Misty replied. "Why didn't you tell me that you were returning to Cinnabar Island? Can I come? I may be able to catch a good water-type Pokemon there."

"That is a given," Lucas smiled. Misty had obtained the Viridian gym badge the day after he did, and now she could slot another Pokemon straight into her party.

An hour later, there was a knock on the door, and Lucas opened it to see Vincent and Sarah standing there. He let them in, and they joined the girls in the living room.

"Misty, this is my godfather, Vincent, and Jason's mother, Sarah," Lucas introduced them. "This is Misty Waterflower."

"Hello, Misty," Sarah greeted her, and the girl waved. "It's good to see you again, Faith. I hope Lucas is treating you well."

"Of course," Faith smiled.

"I should be offended," Lucas said before turning to Vincent. "I hope that you got every last one of those bastards."

"We sure did," Vincent rubbed his eyes, looking tired. "I just hope Jason forgives me. I got his dad killed."

"Don't be silly," Sarah said as she held his hand. "How could you predict that they would have an informant on the inside? They are supposed to be the good guys."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "Jason isn't petty enough to blame you for a situation out of your control."

"What's going to happen with Maia?" Faith asked with concern. Being an orphan herself, it was something that meant a lot to her.

"We will adopt her, of course," Sarah said. "But we want to give Jason time with her. Are you still planning to be here for the next two weeks? That should give them some time to grieve together."

"Yes," Lucas said. "We are not in a rush."

"Good," Sarah smiled before rising to her feet. "I better check to see how Jason and Maia are doing."

"Your parents want you to call," Vincent said before the two of them left.

"All right," Lucas replied, watching them leave.

"Don't you guys need to be at the recording studio?" Misty asked.

"I suppose we should leave now," Faith replied. They gathered their Pokemon and left.

{0(((..)))0}

Later that evening, Lucas was ensconced in a room at the training facility.

The recording session turned out well. They were able to record a version of the song that he was satisfied with after spending the whole day there. Since Yuji looked like he could use some funds, Lucas gave him a down payment on his share of the song's revenue. He was confident that it would be a success. The livestream where they would debut his song had been delayed until Jason was ready, so he was holding off on uploading the song onto Off The Record.

His Pokemon had already finished training for the day, and now they were enjoying some time relaxing by reading a book on their electronic pads. They had spent another full day in training, and Lucas was impressed with their dedication. It was especially so because they had spent the last two days without much progress.

They were attempting to learn Dante's trait, Energy Manipulation. Since they were going to be in the city for a while, it was the perfect time to build on their foundation. It was only towards the end of the day that one of them showed progress in modifying an existing move. Max was the one who made the breakthrough.

Max was working on altering Thunder Wave. The move was extremely limited in that it only utilised a single bolt of lightning to attack the opponent, which wasn't ideal. The plan was to try and increase the number, thus making it harder for the opponent to avoid. He created a second bolt a single time but couldn't replicate it. Max got so frustrated that Lucas told him he was done for the day. There was no point beating your head against a brick wall. He was sure Max would get it tomorrow with a good night's rest.

After they left the recording studio, Lucas and Faith decided to explore the city a bit more. One of the highlights was when he came across a Pokemon Breeding Centre. It happened to have a pair of Eevees. When he talked to the owner, he discovered that they had not produced a single egg since he brought them four years ago. It had cost him a lot of Pokedollars to get them, and he still had to pay for their upkeep.

Rather than purchasing two Eevees from the catalogue, which would be expensive given their rarity, he decided to use the two in the breeding centre instead. When he suggested the idea to the owner, he was initially sceptical. Upon learning that Lucas was responsible for creating the new set of incense products, he changed his mind.

Of course, Lucas still had to create the incense before he could test it out on the Eevees. It was more challenging than he imagined. His method of choosing potential ingredients was to see how they reacted to Eevees blood and then try out different combinations of those ingredients. He would probably use up a tonne of ingredients before he discovered the solution. Lucas was hoping that the small chance that he could trigger the inspiration effect would happen, which would be a shortcut to solving the problem. However, it wasn't as easy as triggering the percentage chance. He needed to be at least on the right track to figuring out the recipe before the chance triggered.

Two hours later, after numerous attempts, he thought about giving up for the day. Deciding to try one last combination, he picked up a new ingredient that he hadn't tried before. It was called Sunburst Lily, and its effects were supposed to be able to give a boost to energy and vitality. Lucas placed the flower in the mortar and began crushing it into a powder. He added it to the other ingredients and rolled it into a ball before stretching it out. After the incense was done a few minutes later, he received a notification, causing Lucas to freeze. Had he done it?

Lucas accessed his notifications and read through the message that he had received.

=====

The Craft: Pokemon Incense special effect has triggered!

The player has gained inspiration and created a new recipe!

Eevee Egg Production Incense | Consumable | Special | Grade: 1 |

Description: This incense increases the chance of a pair of domesticated Eevees producing an egg by a significant margin. Furthermore, it increases the chance that the Eevee will inherit egg moves from its parents. Does not work on any other species of Pokemon.

⦁ Effective Range: Ten metres.

⦁ Duration: Six hours

⦁ Potency: Increases egg chance by five hundred per cent.

=====

"Yes," Lucas pumped his fist in the air. The Sunburst Lily was the missing link. His Pokemon looked at him briefly before returning to their reading.

This incense was a big deal. Anything that helped increase Pokemon breeding in captivity would not only sell out immediately if put on the market, but it would also attract the attention of the government. Not just Kanto but all the regions. Eevee was one of only a few Pokemon that could be found in every region because of its importance. Having eight different evolution possibilities was the obvious reason.

The government would look to purchase the recipe for sure, but Lucas didn't know what if wanted to go down that route. If he could get a lump sum from every regional government, it was true that he would be looking at a fortune. It would solve his problem of funding the island project. In terms of social responsibility, it would mean that they could produce incense faster, and there would be a huge spike in the Eevee population throughout every region. The other road he could take was to sell the incense himself and receive the bulk of the profits, but that would take longer.

Maybe there was a middle ground. The incense could still be sold to the government at a lower price, but with the proviso that a certain percentage of every sale would be paid to him. Even if he didn't earn as much in the long run as the other method, he still could produce other incense in the future. He wasn't lacking in the means to earn more Pokedollars.

Lucas shook his head. He was getting ahead of himself. The incense still needed to be tested on the Eevees first before anything else could happen. While he knew it could work, the same could not be said for the rest of the world. Clear evidence was needed.

He packed everything up and called for his Pokemon. He was finished for the day.

{0(((..)))0}

November 10th

Lucas didn't waste any time. He wanted to proceed straight to the breeding centre and test it out. He didn't know if it would work right away because, ultimately, it was up to the two Pokemon to decide if they were willing to produce an egg. Before he left, he decided to call Alfred because he wanted his opinion on how he should handle it going forward.

"Hello, sir. Is there anything you need?"

"Alfred, you know I create new incense on the side, right?"

"Have you made a new recipe?" Alfred asked, figuring it out right away.

"That's right. However, this one is liable to cause a commotion." After Lucas explained the situation in more detail to him, he asked for his opinion.

"You should get the owner to sign a non-disclosure agreement. You don't want it to get out before you are ready. In fact, you should have addressed this issue before even cooperating with the man," Alfred lightly scolded him.

"Yes, yes, I messed up. Can you draw one up, or do I need a lawyer?"

"I have written a few in the past, so I will handle it. But you may need to get your own legal representation at some point for a number of reasons. I can make some enquiries."

"Okay."

"I'll take care of the non-disclosure agreement now, sir. I'll meet you at the centre in an hour." Alfred hung up. Lucas smiled wryly. Alfred was as efficient as ever.

Lucas arrived at the Pokemon Breeding Centre an hour later. There was something about the store's name that seemed cold and detached, but that couldn't be further from the truth. From the outside, it looked like it could be somebody's home, albeit a mansion, and it had an enormous yard that was enclosed by a solid wall. Since the Pokemon were bonded, they could roam freely in the yard, but they needed to keep potential intruders out.

Lucas stepped through the front entrance. This was the place where the Pokemon eggs were displayed. The centre doubled as a store, selling eggs that the Pokemon produced. Lucas spotted Alfred looking at a display of eggs with a briefcase held in one hand.

"Hi, Alfred," Lucas said. "Wow, you sure work quickly."

"well, that’s what you pay me for, sir," Alfred said dryly.

They turned around as someone called out to them, and the owner greeted them. The man's name was Peter, and the politest way he could phrase it was that he was round as a ball. When he smiled, his eyes almost disappeared beneath the rolls of fat on his face, which he seemed to do a lot.

"Lucas, what are you doing here?" Peter rubbed his hands eagerly. "Have you got some good news for me?"

"Do we have somewhere we can talk privately?" Lucas asked.

"Sure thing. We can talk in my office," Peter replied, looking at Alfred in enquiry.

"This is my manager, Alfred," Lucas said.

"Nice to meet you, sir. Come, come," Peter seemed to almost skip as he lead them into his office. An odd sight on such a big man

Peer sat them down and seated himself behind his desk. "Can I get you anything? A drink?"

"I'm fine," Lucas said, and Alfred replied with the same sentiment.

"So, what is this about?" Peter asked.

"Have you told anyone about what we talked about?" Lucas asked.

Peter waved his hands in front of him. "Of course not. I figured that you wanted me to be discrete."

"That is good," Alfred said, opening his briefcase and taking out a non-disclosure agreement. "I need you to sign this before we continue."

Peter read through the document. "This looks straightforward enough."

He signed the document and handed it back to Alfred. "So I'm assuming that you have good news if are being so secretive."

Lucas took out the incense from his bag. "I believe I have the solution to the Eevee problem. It's ready to be tested on them."

Peter eyed the incense hungrily before he shook his head to refocus. "If this works, I will reward you. But it is a risk. What if something happened to my Eevees? It just so happens that I have a bond with these two. So, it will not just be a monetary loss that I will suffer."

"It is unlikely," Lucas replied. "But I will compensate you if there are any problems."

"Can I get that in writing?" Peter asked bluntly.

They agreed on a compensation fee, and Alfred drew up a simple contract which they both signed.

"Alright," Peter jumped up eagerly. "Let's go and see if it works."

Alfred decided to join them because he wanted to see the incense work for himself. They found the Eevees playing outside. Peter gathered them and took them to a small fenced-off area. Lucas took an incense holder and a lighter out of his bag. Placing it in the middle, he lit the incense and then retreated behind the fence. Peter seemed to speak to the Eevee over their bond, as they tilted their heads and looked up at him.

Peter joined them and leaned on the fence, looking anxiously at his Pokemon. "I told them what the incense was for, but I don't even know if they are interested in producing an egg. Pokemon have an innate sense of whether or not they are likely to succeed in creating an egg. That's why they hadn't tried it before. It was likely to faill."

After an hour, Lucas got bored of waiting. He took out a pack of cards and betting chips from his inventory and invited the men to play poker. They expressed interest, and Peter got a worker to bring out a table and chairs for them to sit on. Although poker existed in this world, the Texas Hold 'Em version didn't, so he had to teach them the rules before they started playing. They seemed to like it, judging by their expressions.

The next few hours passed, and the Eevee didn't look like they were planning to try for an egg. Even though Peter had spoken to them, it was not something that he could force them to do. Maybe they just had to get in the mood. Okay, that sounded wrong.

Lucas managed to scam some Pokedollars out of the men and even raised his luck attribute by two. Albert was not impressed, and his usually stoic face was sporting a frown. Maybe the man didn't like losing? Peter didn't seem to mind, and he seemed to be having a grand old time. In the midst of playing another hand, Lucas received a notification related to Max. He discreetly checked it while the men were distracted by their cards.

=====

As a result of specific actions, Maximus has learned a new trait!

Energy Manipulation: The user has gained a better understanding of how to harness energy. It may be possible to alter moves in order to make them behave differently. There is also the possibility of adding properties to types.

=====

Maximus has made an improvement to Thunder Wave.

Thunder Wave + | Electric | Power: -- | Aura: 8/bolt | Mastery: 1%

Description: It is a variation of the move Thunder Wave. The user can launch up to four lightning bolts that will paralyse the target on contact. There may be some Pokemon that are immune to its effects due to special abilities or some moves. Also, Pokemon that are five levels or above the user have a chance to resist the paralysis status effect.

Mastery: Power: -- | Aura Cost: 6/bolt | Launch up to five bolts simultaneously.

=====

Max had done it. Taking a look at the move, he nodded with satisfaction. The move was a lot more expensive to use, but it would increase Max's chances of paralysing an opponent.

Honestly, he felt guilty leaving them in the training facility all day by themselves, but his presence wasn't really needed. They knew how to take care of themselves. He left them with plenty of food, water, and incense to use. Still, he needed to think of a way to reward them for all their hard work.

An hour later, when the incense was about to run out, it finally happened. Lucas attracted the men's attention when he noticed the Eevees standing close together. Suddenly, the game was forgotten, and they scrambled up to the fence and watched from there in anticipation of what was to come.

Suddenly, one of the Eevees raised a paw, and the other bit into it, drawing blood. The process was repeated but in reverse. Once their paws were bloody, the Pokemon leaked a visible aura that mingled with the blood, and it formed into a formless shape that began to spin rapidly in the air. It slowly began to form the shape of an egg. The Eevees seemed to be struggling, as their heads were bowed and their legs trembled. They were pouring a lot of their aura into the effort to materialise the egg. Lucas didn't know that it would be such an arduous process.

The white egg fully materialised and dropped to the ground. Peter entered the enclosure and checked on his Pokemon before picking up the egg and inspecting it. The man did a short dance in jubilation, making his round body jiggle like a mound of jelly.

Lucas blinked and looked away. Watching that had been strangely hypnotising. Peter placed the egg back down and rushed toward Lucas with his arms wide open, looking to hug Lucas. He quickly stepped to the side to avoid the man. While he certainly had the physique to avoid any damage caused by the impact, it didn't mean he wanted to be hugged him.

"This is amazing," Peter chortled. "Do you have any more of these? I will buy a hundred. No, two hundred. Name your price."

"But you only have one pair of Eevees," Lucas pointed out. "And I'm not ready to sell them at the moment."

"I could always find more Eevees," Peter said, looking disappointed. "I hope you bring it to the market soon."

"Sure," Lucas nodded, and they made their way back inside the centre. As compensation, the man gave him ten thousand Pokedollars, which was a substantial profit considering the incense only cost forty Pokedollars to make. He wasn't sure what price he would sell it for, but he wanted it to be a premium product, so it had to be at least two hundred Pokedollars.

Lucas and Alfred parted ways, and he headed for the training facility. A few minutes into his journey, he received a phone call.

"Lucas, it's Charlie. I have finished with Giro. He should get back to you within the hour."

Lucas paused in the middle of the street. "Did you find them already?"

"It makes it a lot easier when they want to be found," Charlie replied.

"What?!"

"Those young people you met in the forest? It wasn't by accident or chance. They deliberately sought you out when they saw you enter the forest on other occasions. But it had nothing to do with taking your Pokedollars."

"Why would they want to seek me out?" Lucas asked, confused.

"Because they recognised you as the grandson of the Minister of Defence. They wanted to get your attention and make the connection between them and the events at Stone Town."

"Who are these people?"

"Their parents are members of the cult responsible for the massacre."

"A cult?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"That's right. I'm afraid that your grandfather's suspicions were right. Over half a century ago, the cult made its first appearance. They refer to themselves as Calamity. The cult was responsible for causing a similar incident in another town, although on a smaller scale. After they were hunted down and killed, everyone thought that was the end of it. But they are resurfacing. Or some people decided to copy their methods."

"What is their objective?"

There was a huge pause on the other end. "I don't know. That's what we have to try and figure out. We now have a location of their base. So we are planning a strike. Don't tell anyone, including your girlfriend."

"Right," Lucas said. "Wait a minute. If they were trying to get my attention, then they knew about the massacre beforehand. They did nothing to stop it."

"They knew something was going down in Stone Town," Charlie said. "However, they did not know any specifics. Never in a million years did they imagine that they would lead to a massacre. These kids were born into the cult, and as far as they are aware, the cult has not committed any egregious crimes. But they are at the bottom of the hierarchy and don't know any better. They decided they wanted out and set the stage for your encounter. By giving up information on the cult, they hoped to be free of them finally."

The situation was similar to Faith and the orphans, whose parents had been a part of Team Galaxy. They were the unfortunate victims of their parent's actions and were not responsible for the massacre. However, the way they went about it was convoluted. Why didn't they just come out and say that something was going to happen in Stone Town? The massacre could have been avoided. Then again, he couldn't imagine what their circumstances had been like. They probably felt that they couldn't trust anyone.

"Thanks for telling me," Lucas said. "But you were not obligated to, and my grandfather would probably be pissed if he found out."

"Then don't tell him," Charlie replied. "The reason I told you is simple. For some reason, you have the knack for getting involved in extraordinary events time and again. I figured that if you were kept informed, it may make my job easier in the future when you no doubt stumble upon some other crazy plot."

"Right," Lucas said dryly. "I feel so flattered."

"I got to go," Charlie said. "Thanks for letting me use Giro."

Lucas hung up and stood there for a moment, reflecting on how crazy his life was at the moment. Hopefully, there was no more drama before he returned to Pallet Town.

Later that evening, Lucas was in laying in bed. He was trying to make contact with Mew again. Although he had been trying every night since he first made contact, there had been no success as of yet.

‘Why do you continue to bother me?’

Lucas froze, not expecting a response from the Legendary Pokemon. He floundered for a moment before gathering his wits.

‘I wish to get to know you. We share a connection.’

‘Humans are evil in nature. I do not wish to talk to you.’

‘Then why did you help me that day with the family? I don’t think you truly believe that.’

Silence.

‘The man who experimented on you was a monster. But you were not the only victim. Do you remember Nora?’

Mew still didn’t respond. At least he hadn’t cut the connection.

‘And I am also a victim. I have now got your DNA running through my system. I am slowly transforming into a Pokemon. I do not wish to turn into one.’

‘What is wrong with being a Pokemon?’

‘There is nothing wrong with it, but I am afraid that I will be stuck as one. I am a human first. Having that choice taken away terrifies me.’

‘Then why don’t you come and find me? Here is a clue. Two heads are better than one.’

Mew cut the connection, and Lucas was pulled out of his meditation. He sat there for a long time, thinking about his words.

So, what do you think? The next chapter will be a time skip and the return to Pallet Town.

Thanks for reading.