Chapter 8 Part 1: Lumios Labs
Cass P.O.V
I hurry down the alley, pulling my jacket tightly around me. I check behind me. Nobody noticed. I continue down the maze of twists and turns, finally reaching a dead end. I look around.
"Hey," I whisper. "Sasha. I'm here."
No response. I sigh. Why would she send me all those cryptic messages that lead to this spot on this day if she's not going to bother showing up? Unless… I didn't crack the code right!
I pull off my backpack and crouch to the ground, unzipping it and pulling all the papers out, hastily organizing them. As I scan over the maps, I hear a thud behind me. I jump to my feet, twisting around and grabbing Ember's ball. I watch the area closely, waiting for any sign of movement. Nothing.
I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding, putting back Ember's ball. Then, a hand grabs my mouth from behind. I scream, but it's muffled from the hand. I thrash and twist but the grip is too strong. This is it! It's over! I'm about to become a mindless Malamarian!
"Wanna be friends," the thing asks playfully, and I stop fighting. I know that voice. My panic turns to anger as the person that has me let's go, laughing their head off.
"Sasha," I snap, furious. "That wasn't funny! I thought I was about to get Malamarized!"
"I know," Sasha cackles. "It was priceless!"
I roll my eyes and groan. I forgot how annoying she was. She looks at me and sees my anger, immediately trying to stop her laughter.
"Okay, okay," she says, taking deep breaths. "I'm good now."
She takes a deep breath and smiles, opening her arms. "How've you been, Cass?"
I smile and enter her arms, hugging her. "Well besides the heart attack I just had, things have been good!"
Sasha pulls away and looks at me, her brown eyes studying me closely. "Wow. You're a lot different than last time I saw you. Especially height wise!" She stands up and compares us, shaking her head. "You can't be my height! You barely reached my chin when we graduated!"
I chuckle. "That was three years ago. And there's this thing called growth spurts." I stand up straighter. "I had one."
Sasha rolls her eyes. "Guess I thought you were going to stay short forever. Hey, do you still keep in touch with anyone from Battle University? I know you had a hard time making friends due to your age."
I nod. I was 14 when I got accepted into the college. My battle skills were so great they wanted me to enter immediately. Most people ignored me, considering me a child. I was top of the class, though, so I don't know why they looked down on me. Sasha and Ava were the only ones that hung out with me.
"Ava. We actually live together with a couple other people. We've started a club, actually," I tell her and she raises an eyebrow.
"What kind of club," she asks, much to my excitement.
"We are the, " I take a step to my side, putting my fingers up. "Dramatic pause." I step back to my original spot, throwing my arms out. "The Malamar Hatars!" I begin doing jazz hands.
Sasha watches me, trying incredibly hard not to laugh. I bring my arms down awkwardly. "I-It's better when Ava is here," I tell her, and she just nods with a smirk.
"Alright, alright. Enough chit-chat. You ready for what you want," Sasha asks, her face going dead serious. I nod.
"Yeah," I say. "I know you've got contacts at Lumios Labs. They've got to have something."
Sasha nods, her blonde ponytail swishing around. "Yeah. They do. They actually invented something that can counter a Pokémon's hypnosis."
My jaw drops. "Why haven't they used it yet," I ask, and she chuckles dryly.
"Whole place is under Malamar control," she tells me. "Well, all but one person. That's who I got my intel from."
"What's the item and who are they," I ask, hope bubbling up in me. We can actually end this!
"It's-" she's cut off as a Mega Malamar drops from the sky, grabbing her ankle and pulling her to the ground.
"No," I exclaim. But it's too late. It's lights have filled her eyes. If it weren't for my sunglasses, I probably would have been hit by the effects, too. I wish I could stay and help her, but I turn and run, glancing back one last time at one of my only friends and only hope.
It's our favorite man Hades!
I am on my final nerve. Jo and John are arguing for the fifth time today! It's only 9:30 AM! They go at each other constantly. And it's not like they're being playful or friendly with it. No! It's full on screaming matches! Right now, they're arguing about not calling Jo kid. He hates it and thinks John doesn't respect him. John tried to say that's not what saying that meant but Jo snapped back, causing John to snap, leading to the last thirty minutes of this.
It doesn't help that Ava is singing off-beat to music on her ear-pods as she scrubs dishes, adding two more noises to the chaos. Then you count the TV playing, the creak of the floor boards as I pace, the sound of my fifteen over-lapping thoughts, and the front door shutting. Wait, the front door?
I look over at the entrance, panicking. Nobody should be here! How'd we get found? Did Jo and John's arguing get heard above ground? My worries cease, however, when I see Cass. I didn't even know he left.
He looks around at the chaos and sighs. A sigh that defines everything I feel right now. Then, he puts his fingers in his mouth and let's out a loud, ear-piercing whistle. Everyone in the room goes silent, turning their attention to him.
"I have some information," he tells us, walking to the kitchen and taking a seat at the table. We all follow suit. "I went and met up with an old friend. Her name is Sasha."
"Sasha," Ava asks, surprised. "I haven't seen her since graduation! How is she?"
"She was good. Until the Malamars got her," Cass replies, and the whole group gasps, Ava softly whispering "no way."
"Why'd you go meet up with her," I ask, pushing the conversation along.
"She has connection to Lumios Labs, a place that has something that can help us," he tells us. Everyone leans forward, like we're about to receive the biggest secret of all time.
"What does it have," Jo asks in a whisper, like he's worried if he speaks too loudly we'll be attacked.
"I don't know. They got before she said. But it's an item that can overpower a Pokémon's hypnosis," Cass whispers back.
"Whoa," Ava mutters. "That's exactly what we need!"
"It is," John says, a look of confusion on his face as he processes this information. "But if they have that, why haven't they used it?"
"I hate to say it, but John's got a point," I say, avoiding John's arrogant face. "Why make us suffer when they have the solution?"
"The whole place has been taken over," Cass states. "All except one person, who Sasha didn't have time to say."
I sigh. "Alright. We don't know much to go off of, but we do know Lumios Labs have something valuable that can fix our situation. I'll volunteer to go," I say, standing up.
John nods in agreement. "Me, too."
Jo shoots straight up to his feet. "Let's go!"
"You're not going," John says, and both me and Jo look at him confused.
"Why," we ask simultaneously.
"You're just a kid. I don't want you getting hurt," he responds. Worst answer ever, because that just set Jo off.
"Don't call me kid," he snaps. "And I can handle my own!"
"Doesn't matter. You're not going," John says. "I'm doing what's best for you."
"You don't know what's best for me," Jo growls, fists balled.
John begins to reply, but I cut him off.
"Enough," I shout. "I can't handle anymore! John! Stop calling him kid! He hates it! Jo! You're staying here! And before you argue it's because we need our strongest trainer here!"
The entire room looks at me confused after that last part. All except Jo, who is standing tall with a proud smile. "Strongest, huh? Why would you want the strongest here? Wouldn't you want me out in the field?"
I shake my head. "No. Because if you're gone and the base get's attacked, it's over. Let me and John go to the labs. If we get attacked and you go, too, then we risk losing our strongest," I explain, hoping I sound reasonable. Jo seems to take this answer.
"You're right," he says, nodding his head. "I'll stay here. You and John go get the item."
"Brilliant idea," I say with a smile. I walk towards the door, pulling out Char's PokeBall. "Try to keep up, John. I don't like Slowpokes."
John rolls his eyes, popping Mewtwo out and they teleport away. I groan. I forgot they can do that!
Cass chuckles. "Try to keep up, Hades!"
Jo nods. "Yeah. John doesn't like Slowpokes!"
I stick my tongue out at them as I walk out the building, rushing down the tunnel and flying off to the lab.
A fifteen minute flight later
I land in an alley near Lumios Labs. Once on the ground, I check my surroundings. Nobody noticed. I return Char and see John up ahead. I run over to him. He's smirking smugly.
"What took so long," he teases. "Stopped for some coffee on the way here?"
I roll my eyes. "No, I got myself a donut."
John's face turns to sadness. "You didn't get me one," he asks, genuinely hurt.
"What? No! I was being sarcastic," I exclaim. "I came straight here!"
"Oh," he says, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Yeah," I reply.
I slip my backpack off. "Before we enter, put your sunglasses on as well as this lab coat," I say, handing him a white coat from my bag. He takes it and looks at me confused.
"Why do you casually have lab coats in your backpack," he asks, watching as I slip mine on.
"I enjoy dressing up," I reply. "I also have a suit and wedding dress in there!" John opens his mouth, but I shake my head. "Don't ask. You probably don't want to know."
He takes that answer quite well, putting his coat and shades on. "Hey, before we enter, I've got a question."
"What's up," I ask.
"Be honest. Do you really think Jo is our strongest member?"
I shake my head. "No," I say, John looks weirdly relieved. I continue. "I'm the strongest. He's second."
John snaps his head to me. "Wait, what?"
I nod. "Yeah. The kid is amazing in battle. If it weren't for me he would be the best in the club."
"Where would you place me," John asks.
I think for a second. "Fourth or fifth."
"Who's third?"
"Cass," I reply simply.
John's jaw drops. "You rank me lower than Cass," he exclaims, which I nod to.
"Oh yeah! Cass is incredible! He's close third. The only reason I say Jo is better is due to his randomness. You can't predict him, making him hard to battle," I explain.
"I have Mewtwo," John says like that means anything.
I shrug. "It doesn't matter your Pokémon. It's your skill," I say, trying to sound wise.
John rolls his eyes. "Let's go," he says sounding annoyed. I follow him into the building.
The inside of the building is all white. White tiles, white paint, even the lights are white. I'm wearing sunglasses and the brightness still hurts my eyes. As we walk through the halls we pass many hypnotized scientist, all smiling and talking.
"Hey Larry, Berry, Jerry, how y'all doing," John asks as we pass a group of scientist. They smile back and wave. I smack him lightly.
"What are you doing," I hiss at him. "That might not be their names! You're gonna get us caught," I whisper, glancing around cautiously. John rolls his eyes.
"Don't worry! They think we're all friends here and have no reason to get suspicious." John laughs. "We could do almost anything!"
I hate that he's right. "True…" I say slowly. I point at a woman as we pass. "I bet I could tell her she's Veronica Heights, a Canadian pop-star, and she'd believe me!"
John nods. "Yup. She'd have no clue what any of that means, but she'd believe you!"
I chuckle. "Yeah. These people don't understand anything except-" as we turn a corner there's a Malamar. In perfect synch me and John smile and wave.
"My friend Malamar," we practically sing. It eyes us as we pass, but doesn't do anything, just going on about its day.
I offer my fist. "We nailed that," I say proudly.
"Totally," John agrees, tapping his knuckle to mine.
We continue to search the labs for another fifteen minutes, going in and out of rooms and turning down halls. Every scientist here is already hypnotized, all with the same dazed expression. I'm ready to give up hope, thinking Sasha's intel had been attacked since they talked. Right as I'm about to tell John we should go home, I spot our guy. He has messy mint green hair that hasn't been brushed in weeks. His lab coat is dirty and wrinkled. The bags under his bright green eyes shows that he hasn't slept since this Malamar situation started. How I know he's fine, though, is he's wearing glasses, the item that blocks Malamar's lights. He's watching us wearily.
I tap John and point at the man. He follows my finger and spots him, immediately knowing he's who we're looking for. Me and John smile as we approach him.
"Hello," I say with a painfully wide smile. The man leans back a bit, looking at me with disgust. "Would you like to talk about our friendly savior Malamar?"
"Drop the act," the scientist says, annoyed. "I know you're fine."
"Well the Malamars don't," says John with a smile as wide as mine. "And I'd appreciate it if you could play along. I'd like to get out of here sane."
The man rolls his eyes. "I haven't smiled since the day they attacked us and they still haven't caught on to me. I don't think they suddenly will now." He glances around at our surroundings. "Come on," he says with a sigh. "I have a place where the Malamars rarely visit so we can talk in peace."
"Lead the way," I say, gesturing down the hall.
We journey through the building, taking all the twists and turns, walking through rooms, and waving at Malamarians. After about five minutes of this we arrive at a door. The tired man looks around. When positive it's safe, he opens the door and signals for us to enter. I shiver as I walk in, the room being where they keep the cold experiments. Good thing Cass isn't here. He hates the cold.
After John enter, the guy shuts and locks the door. The moment it clicks, he turns to us, expression serious. "I know why you're here."
"Where is it," I demand.
"It's in a room that requires authorization, which I have," he says, showing us his ID card and quickly pocketing it again.
"If you're able to get it, why haven't you yet," John asks, me nodding in agreement.
"Trust me, I've tried. The day we got attacked I rushed to it. However, the Malamars caught me, flashing their lights at me. I did what I had to, pretending to be hypnotized. I haven't gone back since, not wanting to bring attention to myself," our green haired acquaintance explains.
"Well we're going to need you to take us to it," I state. "Would you help?"
He thinks about it for a second. "Fine," he says, turning back to the door and begins to unlock it.
"We haven't shared names yet," I exclaim. "I'm Hades!"
"John."
The man turns to look at us, groaning as we stare at him expectantly. "Clasingla," he tells us as he opens the door. "Now come on."
I had to break the chapter in two because I went over the character limit, so sorry if the transition to the next chapter seems choppy.
Well, here we are!
I built up my motivation and got it done!
@clasingla Hope you like your guy.
He'll be in the next chapter, too, of coarse.
@UnovanZorua @Voltareon2012 @fineasmatei @Catcatmyoop and @Pokémaniac25 Here's half of eight!
Comments
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and I thought the one you did for the “Let’s Make A Romantic Manga” Was Good. @Catcatmyoop is in good hands with you
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we’ll get prepared for a Vol.2 on that @Catcatmyoop wants to do multiple volumes. You down
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curse you for making me love Sasha then removing her (no, I’m that cruel in writing too, keep doing it)
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I've been forgetting to tag one person lately and this time it was you
Sorry
Here's half of eight!
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