Pokemon Resurgence: Chapter 21

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. The Naruto chapter will be arriving a day late, as I am still playing catch-up. Apologies for the delay.

Chapter 21

Meowth jumped off his shoulder and ran off to explore the lab. He hoped the little thief didn’t get into any mischief and put his job in jeopardy.

“Is that another Pokemon you obtained while you were in the city?" Sabrina said from beside him.

“That’s right.”

"You seem wary of Giovanni."

Lucas grimaced. "Am I that obvious?"

"Not at all. But I have been staring at you since you arrived, so I have picked up on some subtle details. I have been researching body language in order to better understand people."

Lucas could not help but smile at how proud she sounded, even if it seemed like a strange thing to say. He was aware that she struggled with social interactions at times, but he found it endearing how honestly she expressed herself without regard for what others thought of her.

“You were watching me?” Lucas smirked.

Sabrina creased her brow. "Why wouldn’t I be? You are very handsome."

Lucas reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, startling her. "Are you flirting with me?"

Sabrina blinked, her normally expressionless face filled with surprise. “Do you think so? I thought I was stating something obvious.”

Lucas grinned. "Have you ever been in a relationship?"

“No. Interacting with others is difficult enough without adding such muddled emotions to the mix."

“How about you get some practice with me?” Lucas suggested. "I could take you out on a date. I would like to get to know you a little better."

“Are you flirting with me?” Sabrina countered, returning his own question.

"If you had paid attention during our previous interactions, you would have already noticed that I was flirting with you."

"I hadn’t realised."

“I think that you are not as obtuse as you pretend to be.”

“You are imagining things.”

“So, how about we go out to get some lunch?” Lucas asked, checking his watch.

Sabrina took a moment to consider the offer. Lucas wondered whether he would ever tire of watching every intricate feature of her face. He fantasised about the day when he would tear down the barriers she had erected around herself. What expressions would she wear when she revealed her deeper emotions?

“Alright. I will go to lunch with you,” Sabrina finally replied.

Lucas smiled. “Great. Do you want to go back to your hotel to change? I will be returning to the house to do the same. I could pick you up in two hours.”

“What do I wear?” Sabrina asked,

“Casual is fine. I believe a picnic would be an ideal first date."

“First?” Sabrina raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think there will be a second?"

“Hope springs eternal.”

When Lucas heard Ash's loud exclamation, he turned around. The boy appeared completely engrossed with the story Giovanni was telling him about his father. The more Giovanni interacted with Delia and Ash, the more worried he became. Not for them, as it appeared the crime boss had a soft spot for them. He was perplexed as to why he had followed the Ketchums here so soon after they left Viridian City. Was it really about them, or was he interested in Lucas?

"Is there any reason you should be wary of him?" Sabrina inquired, noticing the direction of his gaze.

"I do not have any concrete reasons to distrust the man," Lucas replied, watching Giovanni as he pulled out a photograph to show Ash. "However, when I met him yesterday, my intuition strongly warned me that he was dangerous."

“I can understand that sentiment. There is something off about him.”

Lucas cast a sidelong glance at her. She was staring at Giovanni as if he were an interesting specimen. As far as he knew, there was no reason for her to suspect Giovanni, but he did not know if the two had ever interacted before. For all he knew, they had a history of their own, but it didn’t appear to be that way.

"I need to go back to my hotel to get ready," Sabrina said, interrupting his thoughts.

Lucas watched her leave and did not notice when Professor Oak approached him.

"Lucas, could you please come into my office?"

Lucas nodded and followed the professor to his office. He sat down across from him and was about to speak when he noticed the curtain twitch. He frowned, walked over to the window, and reached out to grab the offender.

“Meowth!” The Pokemon struggled in his grasp, but Lucas ignored him and returned to his seat.

“He is a lively one,” Oak observed, watching Meowth struggle in Lucas’ lap.

Lucas snorted. “He is a little thief. If you don’t keep a close eye on him, he will rob you blind.”

“Where did you find him?”

“In the city streets. He may be  a lot of trouble, but he is really intelligent.”

“Interesting,” Oak rubbed his chin. “I have always wanted to research if there was a way to affect a Pokemon’s intelligence through breeding, but that side of my career took a back seat to other endeavours.”

“It would be an amazing discovery if you could discover a way,” Lucas agreed. “What did you want to see me about?”

“Do you have the Pichu egg that I asked you to pick up?” Professor Oak asked.

Lucas nodded and reached for the bag at his feet, pulling out the egg. It was wrapped in a small cloth to prevent him from touching it with his bare hands. He gave the egg to the professor. “May I ask why you wanted the egg?”

Professor Oak carefully examined the egg before placing it on his desk. "I am looking into a fascinating new field of study involving Pokemon that evolve while still in their eggs."

"Is such a thing possible?"

"Until recently, no one believed it was possible. As you may know, Pokemon are formless when they are in their eggs, which is why their sizes can vary so greatly when they first hatch, depending on the species. However, I came up with this idea while researching the Pichu evolutionary line. Normally, Pokemon are born in their most primitive evolutionary form, but this time is different. They usually hatch as Pikachu, making them rare and usually only found in the wild."

The subject piqued Lucas' interest. He had never considered that Pokemon could evolve while still inside their egg. It was not something that had shown up in the description of any of the eggs that he had examined. Maybe he needed to increase the level of Egg Insight skill first.

There is always the possibility that it was just another trait that not every Pokemon possessed. It would be interesting to investigate how this phenomenon affected a Pokemon's potential after it hatched.

"I see you are interested in the subject," Professor Oak said with a smile. "Perhaps you will find the answer once you become a breeder yourself. How are your studies coming along?"

"Everything is going well. I should be able to take the exam in another two weeks.”

Professor Oak gave him a nod of approval. "I recommend you schedule the test now because it will take some time to process. The tests are held in Pokemon schools in every major city."

“I will be sure to do that.”

“Now, is there anything else you need to report on the tasks that I gave you?”

Lucas shared some information with Professor Oak, but he did not have much to add that had not already been revealed in the reports he had sent. He only kept quiet about the stolen egg incident because it was part of the deal with Gloria.

“Good work,” Oak said. “I expect you to be at work again tomorrow.”

Lucas rose to his feet, sensing that the professor had finished speaking with him, but he was stopped in the doorway by his voice. “What is your relationship with Miss Kuroi?”

What a meddlesome person!

Lucas turned around, his eyes narrowed in irritation. “I don’t see how it’s any of your business. You may have a say in who your grandaughter dates, but Sabrina is not related to you.”

Professor Oak folded his hands under his chin. “I am simply looking out for you. She is a very troubled young lady with a lot of powerful enemies. While I do like her, her problems may affect your prospects in the future.”

“What enemies are you referring to?”

“The Church of Arceus,” Oak replied. “It is rumoured that she can communicate directly with Pokemon, and that is why she is such a strong gym leader. Outside of Giovanni and Blaine, no other gym leader in Eastern Kanto can match her in terms of strength.”

Lucas couldn’t believe that he had forgotten such an important detail. But he had only watched the first season of the anime, and that was when he was a kid, so he couldn’t judge himself too harshly.

‘I am confused,” Lucas frowned. “I thought all trainers could communicate with their Pokemon once their bond was strong enough.”

“That is true, but it is believed that Sabrina can communicate with all Pokemon, not just her own,” Oak said. “And there is even some evidence that suggests she can command them as well.”

Lucas' eyes widened. If that was the case, it was an extremely powerful ability. But, according to Professor Oak, they were just rumours, and he did not believe anything that did not have solid evidence backing it up. He had always been a realist.

“Why does the church hate her?” Lucas asked.

“The church believes that humans should not be imbued with supernatural abilities like Pokemon,” Oak explained. “Have you read up on the history of the Aura Guardians?”

Lucas nodded. The church declared the Aura Guardians to be heretics over thirty years ago. Because they wielded so much power within the Kanto government, they were able to make aura practice illegal. The church had established its own knight order and was tasked with tracking down anyone who still used Aura.

As a result, the Cameran Palace, which revered Sir Aaron, and the land around it had become isolated from the rest of Kanto. They had discovered some historical documents that allowed them to regain their independence from Kanto, so the church did not have any sway there. It had become a safe haven for all Aura Guardians, which was not only limited to the natives from the Kanto region but the entire world. In the years since the city's population has grown to several million people. Although it was still technically part of the United Kanto region, it could also be considered a miniature region in its own right.

The more he learned about the church, the less he liked it. They were greedy bastards who received vast sums of Pokedollars from their believers and were exempt from paying taxes. They also imposed outrageous rules that they expected to be followed. It was one thing if it remained within the church. However, because they wielded so much power within the government, they were able to pass laws that all citizens were required to follow.

He could be considered a heretic by the church because he possessed supernatural abilities as well. The irony is that Arceus was the one who bestowed the ability on him. He would love to see the church's reaction if they found out about his secret. Would they consider him a saint because of Arceus' blessing, or would they burn him at the stake?

"Then you can see why Miss Kuroi is an eyesore in the eyes of the church," Oak said.

"How come they have not done anything about her?"

Oak laughed. "Because she is the Prime Minister's niece. Nobody from the church will be able to touch her until he is removed from office."

"That is unexpected," Lucas admitted. “But none of the information you have revealed about Sabrina matters. I really like her, and I am not going to let the church tell me whether or not I can have a relationship with her. That goes for you as well. Mind your own business."

Lucas walked out of the office with a jumble of thoughts racing through his mind. He had learned a lot about Sabrina today, and he was wondering if he should bring it up on their date. He immediately dismissed the idea. That would ensure he did not get a second date. It would be better if she brought up the subject herself.

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“You look amazing,” Lucas said as Sabrina opened the door to her hotel room.

“Thank you,” Sabrina bowed. “You look handsome as always.”

The act of bowing revealed a modest amount of cleavage in the purple camisole she wore with a pair of black jeans. It went well with her fair skin and purple hair.

Lucas was carrying a picnic basket. Delia had helped him when she noticed him running around the kitchen trying to prepare some food for his date. She was a godsend, as usual, assisting him in preparing some simple yet delicious food.

He extended an arm to Sabrina, who wrapped her arm around his. “Where are we going?”

"There is a park near the town entrance with some nice scenery," Lucas replied. “Let’s go there.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes, taking in the beautiful, sunny afternoon.

“Did Salem return?” Lucas asked.

“Yes,” Sabrina replied. "I was surprised at how long he stayed by your side. He isn’t usually so patient. He must like you.”

"That makes me so happy," Lucas exclaimed, his tone tinged with sarcasm.

“Banette!”

Lucas wasn’t startled when Salem voiced his presence. He was used to the Pokemon's jump scares by this point, and he assumed he was always nearby. Looking around, he noticed that Salem had remained invisible, so he shrugged and ignored him.

"Salem will not be pleased that you are no longer terrified," Sabrina stated. "He is going to do something more drastic to get your reaction."

“I can hardly wait,” Lucas replied. “Yes, Salem. That was sarcasm.”

“Banette.”

Someone called out to them as they walked down the street that housed the Adventurer's Guild, and they turned around. An elderly man approached them, wearing an elaborate white robe with a symbol on the front. It resembled Arceus' form, and he deduced who this person was immediately. It was a priest from Arceus' Church.

Lucas felt Sabrina’s arm tighten around his and he smiled at her in reassurance.

"Miss Kuroi, we meet again," the elderly man said. He had a pleasant smile on his face, but his eyes told a different story.

“Priest Marcus,” Sabrina greeted him.

“I don’t believe we have met,” Marcus said, looking at Lucas. “Are you a resident of Pallet Town?”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t seen you in the church before.”

“I am not a member of the church.”

Marcus shook his head. "That makes me sad. Everyone should attend church to learn how to live meaningful lives."

Lucas cocked his head. “I grew up in the orphanage. I am afraid I couldn’t afford your membership fee at the time.”

Marcus’ face reddened. "But it appears that you are doing well for yourself right now. Perhaps I can persuade you to join. We are always looking for new members, and I can help you find better acquaintances who don’t have negative influences on you."

Marcus gave Sabrina a sidelong glance after saying that, indicating who he was referring to as a bad influence. What an asshole.

“I would rather spend my time with people whose friendship is not conditional on handouts that feed their large appetites,” Lucas said, deliberately looking down at the man’s large belly.

Sabrina snickered, unable to contain her mirth.

“How dare you!” Marcus took a threatening step forward. “You don’t know who you are messing with. I can run‒”

“Banette!” Salem appeared, floating in front of the old man, who screamed and fell to the ground.

Sabrina's snickers turned into full-fledged laughter at Salem's prank on the priest. Nearby onlookers watched the commotion with interest, and Lucas hurried to pull the laughing girl away from the scene.

They slowed down and resumed walking after they had run far enough away to avoid any pursuers. He smiled as he looked at the laughing girl. Sabrina's face changed when she laughed, making her even more stunning.

"I am sorry," Sabrina said after she had recovered from her fit of laughter. "I shouldn’t have laughed so hard, but that man has been particularly vexing over the past two weeks."

"You don’t have to apologise," Lucas said. "The priest is an idiot. You should laugh more often."

Sabrina sighed. "There has not been much to laugh about lately. I must admit that I have not been completely honest with you."

“What do you mean?"

“I didn’t take a vacation on my own volition. The truth is that I am temporarily suspended from my position as a gym leader.”

“What?” Lucas came to a stop in the middle of the street. He tilted her face up so he could see her face better. “Why were you suspended?”

"Because of the church," Sabrina replied, a tear rolling down her cheek. “There was an incident when I participated in a gym battle. My opponent staged an accident in which his Pokemon was nearly killed, and he made a big deal out of it."

Lucas wiped her tears away. “How do you know the church was involved in the matter?”

Sabrina paused and took a deep breath. “Because my uncle investigated the matter. He is—”

“The prime minister,” Lucas finished. Seeing her surprised expression, he elaborated further. "Professor Oak called me into his office earlier and told me. He tried to discourage me from dating you."

"It appears that you did not listen to him."

Lucas chuckled. "Interfering, old geezer."

"Did he tell you about the rumours that I was a psychic who could control Pokemon?" Sabrina inquired, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"He did, but I do not believe in rumours that I can’t prove myself," Lucas said, taking her hand in his and lifting it to his mouth to place a kiss on it. "I will wait for the day until you can tell me yourself."

Lucas sighed as he noticed Sabrina's worried expression. "There is no need to force yourself to tell me. How about we change the subject? I want our first date to be a happy occasion."

“First? You are still acting as if a second is a given."

“Hope springs eternal.”

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Lucas was in Delia's backyard a week later, where he had set up a table to make more salves. Delia had chased him out of the house because his activities had filled it with a foul odour. Aside from his job at the lab, he had been working hard to improve his alchemy profession. He had a feeling that he wasn’t far off from reaching his goal.

After the incident with the priest, his date with Sabrina had gone exceptionally well. They had continued to get to know each other during the picnic but had avoided any serious topics. He knew she had many secrets, but he was going to be patient and wait for her to reveal them to him.

She had asked him about his childhood in the orphanage, and he had to rely on the previous host's journal because he did not have any memories. He also mentioned his artistic abilities to her and promised to draw her portrait on their next date.

Unfortunately, they had not been able to have another date because Sabrina had been called away from town. She had not said what it was about, but she had mentioned that she was temporarily returning to the capital but would return as soon as she could. She appeared to be a busy woman, so their relationship would progress slowly.

Lucas checked his status out of habit after finishing the batch of slaves he had been working on and was pleased to see that he had finally levelled up his alchemy profession to level five. He took out his guidebook to read the description of his new skill.

==============

Skill: Potion Mastery   Level 1/5  Next: 2SP  Type: Active  Charges: 10/10

Description:  The player embarks on the path to mastery of making alchemy potions. They are more potent than salves and have a much broader range of applications. When this skill is activated, the player's chance of successfully creating a salve increases by twenty percent. This applies to both known and untested recipes. Furthermore, as the player repeatedly uses this skill on a recipe, they will gain insight into it. Advancing in this skill will further increase the chance of success and provide additional perks.

=========

The potion skill had more levels than his salve skill, which was not surprising. The scope of salves was limited, and they were not even recognised as true alchemy by other alchemists. He could gain recognition from the Saffron City alchemy guild once he started making his own potions. In contrast to the adventurer's guild, it only had one main branch where alchemists could gather to exchange knowledge and undertake missions. You could only join after demonstrating your ability to make your own potion.

He had been buying the ingredients for the growth potion for the past week, and he had enough for about thirty attempts. He wasn’t sure if that would be enough to make the potion, but it was a start. However, he was getting ahead of himself. Instead of starting with the growth potion, he chose to make another potion first to gain some experience.

He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

Smoke Grenade

A potion that releases a plume of smoke in the immediate area, which blinds everyone within its range. It also has mild toxic properties, which could cause some respiration problems if inhaled too much. The potency of this potion depends on the quality of the ingredients and the alchemist's skill.

This was yet another recipe he had discovered using Itemfinder. There was a similar product on the market, but it was far inferior to his own recipe. Aside from earning Pokedollars, one of his primary goals with alchemy was to create potions that would protect him in dangerous situations. The smoke grenade was mostly effective against humans, but it also had some effect against Pokemon below level forty.

Lucas packed up his alchemy equipment. Before he could start making potions, he needed some better equipment. His current set wasn’t good enough to make potions.

“Have you finally finished, Meowth?”

Meowth stood up from where he had been grooming himself. He was obsessed with cleanliness, just like a real cat.

"I need to go into town and get a new alchemy set."

"Finally!" Meowth exclaimed, leaping onto his shoulder. "I was getting tired of sitting around. You should put more effort into entertaining me, Meowth."

"You could always spend time in your habitat training your normal-type affinity," Lucas suggested.

A normal-type Pokemon's habitat turned out to be a replica of a typical city block, complete with several buildings and alleyways to explore. Meowth enjoyed exploring the habitat for a day, but quickly became bored when he realised there was no treasure to be found.

Meowth ignored the suggestion. "That is too dull. I would rather go exploring around town."

“I am not letting you roam without supervision.”

Meowth hissed, his paws raised to display his claws. “Sticking with you is quickly becoming a chore, Meowth. My paws are getting itchy. I need to put my talents to use.”

So far, Meowth has shown no interest in fighting Pokemon, and he was not about to press the issue. Lucas was not lying when he said he did not mind if Meowth did not have to fight like the rest of his team. His ability to communicate was already useful and had aided him numerous times over the previous week. For example, because Saphira was able to communicate her desires more easily, he was able to prepare a nutritious meal tailored to her needs. It also had a significant improvement with his other Pokemon, increasing their favorability significantly.

But it was not enough to satisfy Meowth. No matter how hard Lucas tried to persuade Meowth not to steal, it was something so deeply ingrained in him that he did not think he would be able to change that aspect of him. He would have to think about it; otherwise, Meowth might decide to leave. Unlike his other Pokemon, Meowth’s favourability hadn’t improved much during the past week.

When he was on his way back up to the house, his phone rang. He looked at the screen, but it displayed an unknown number. “This is Lucas Walker speaking.”

“Hello. I want to hire you to make a portrait of my Pokemon. It is an urgent matter.”

“I don’t have time today, but I could book you in for tomorrow afternoon after I finish work.”

“That will not do,” the man insisted. “I am heading out of town tomorrow, so I need it down tonight.”

“Where are you located?”

“I have a house in the lower district. I can give you the address if you agree to come tonight.”

Meowth tapped him on his shoulder, motioning that he wanted to say something. “Hold on one moment.”

He lowered the phone and raised an eyebrow at Meowth in inquiry.

“It sounds too suspicious,” Meowth whispered in his ear.

Lucas nodded in agreement. The man was a little too insistent that the portrait be finished tonight. He was also hesitant to do portraits for anyone in the lower district. He wasn’t overly biased, but there was a lot of crime in that area, and it was less likely that someone could afford his services. Another factor was that it was well known that he had a Dratini, and he had already experienced the envious looks of people around town. It was not paranoia to suspect that someone was plotting to steal Saphira from him. Even though the Fearow Gang had been expelled from town, there were still other criminals around.

It wasn’t like he needed to continue doing portraits, as he had better ways to earn Pokedollars.

Lucas held the phone up to his ear. "I can’t do it today. It has to be tomorrow afternoon, or you will have to find someone else."

The man thought for a moment before agreeing. He hung up after giving Lucas the address.

Lucas frowned. “He doesn’t sound like he is in a rush to leave town anymore.”

"It is clearly a set-up, Meowth."

While staring at Meowth, he was struck with a brilliant idea. "Are you interested in breaking into a house?"

“Are you serious?” Meowth’s eyes gleamed.

"I have the address," Lucas said, smirking. "Do you think you can look around the house for clues as to whether the owner has bad intentions? I could turn a blind eye if some valuables mysteriously vanished from the house."

Meowth rubbed his paws together. "At long last, partner, you are speaking my language."

Lucas gave Meowth a map so he could find the house. Meowth would scope it out before breaking into the house later tonight. He wasn’t too worried about him, as the Pokemon was highly resourceful.

Meanwhile, Lucas headed into town and purchased a completely new Alchemy set for twenty-three thousand Pokedollars. It was expensive, but it was superior to his old set, and it would raise the quality of the potions he produced.

When he returned home, he immediately assembled the equipment and got down to work. Depending on the information Meowth returned with, he would have to decide whether to proceed with the commission. Even if Meowth found nothing suspicious, he wanted an ace up his sleeve. A smoke grenade potion could be exactly what he needed to survive the encounter.

He went to bed after several hours of attempting and failing to make the potion. It felt like he had only just laid his head down on the pillow when Meowth shook him awake, disturbing the other Pokemon that were sleeping with him.

"It is fine," Lucas assured them as he sat up in bed. He noticed Meowth had a small bag slung over his shoulder that was bulging at the seams. "It appears that you had a productive evening."

"Dat’s right," Meowth said as he placed the bag on the bed and opened it.

“Did you run into any problems?”

Meowth shook his head. “The owner wasn’t home, but I found this letter in a secret compartment. We were right to be suspicious.”

He took out a few pieces of jewellery until he found what he was looking for—a folded-up piece of paper. He passed it to Lucas, who opened it and read it.

I want you to teach Lucas Walker a lesson he will never forget. Cripple his hands and take his Pokemon. The bastard is fortunate enough to have a Dratini, so that should be adequate compensation in addition to the fee I am paying you.

I recommend luring him into a trap by hiring him to draw a portrait. He is nothing more than a poor orphan, so he lacks the intelligence to recognise that he is walking into a trap.

Make sure you do not mess this up or your life will be forfeited. I am looking forward to hearing the good news.

M.

Lucas tossed the letter onto his bed. "It seems like I make enemies everywhere I go. Who could this ‘M’ be, though?”

“The priest,” Meowth answered immediately.

Lucas nodded. "He is the most likely suspect. The priest was angry with Sabrina and me. He wouldn’t dare go after Sabrina, but I am a much easier target."

"What are you going to do, Meowth?"

Lucas considered the situation carefully. If he planned it right, taking down the hired thug would be simple, but how could he ensure that he took down Marcus as well?

If it was the priest, that bastard was going to get what he deserved.

So, what do you think? How is Lucas going to deal with the priest, who has the power of the church behind him?

Thanks for reading.

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