"They'll have backup power on in seconds," Karen said. "Whatever you plan on doing, get a move on."
Kenta was already hopping over the leftover debris, pausing only for a moment to pat Bolt sympathetically as the dragon nursed his aching head. Then the power was back, and he found himself standing in the Champion Hall of Records. In various spots on the floor, jutting out like obelisks, were cartons with pokeball-sized holes, where each Pokémon Master had at one point placed his or her team to commemorate victory. As Kenta drew near his own monument, some machinery whirred to life, and there was a flash of lasers. Had it been Kenta's first time in the room, he would have panicked, but instead he simply watched as the lasers created virtual reality images of his champion team. Around him hovered six pokémon. Ampharos- an electric sheep that had initiated his match with Lance to take on his Gyarados. Togekiss- the evolved form of Togetic, given to him as a Togepi egg by Professor Elm. Heracross- a reliable stag beetle pokémon that had served him well ever since Ampharos had headbutted him out of a tree. Umbreon- the team tank, given to him by the computer genius, Bill. Dragonite- a special creature that knew the move Extremespeed, straight from the hands of the Dragon Den's keeper. And finally . . . Bakuphoon. Kenta's eyes mostened as he stared longer at the image of his cherished Typhlosion than any of the others. Bakuphoon, who had been with him since the journey's start, was out there somewhere. But where?
A virtual screen and keypad appeared out of Kenta's memorial. The screen contained two words: "ENTER PASSWORD." Taking care that he placed his fingers properly on the non-existent keyboard, Kenta typed the two letters "au" and hit enter.
"SHOWING CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM FOR NYNA, KENTA. AMPHAROS: LEVEL 46. RECORDED MOVESET: THUNDERPUNCH, THUN-"
Access storage location.
"AMPHAROS IS STORED IN BASEMENT FLOOR 1, FIFTH ROW, D SECTION. LEVEL I KEYCARD CLEARANCE REQUIRED."
Kenta froze and stared at the screen. Soundlessly, over his shoulder, Karen's head leaned in, also with wide-eyed awe. He glanced back at her.
"Karen, what's this 'basement floor 1'? Do you know anything about this?"
"No. I told you, I've never been in here before." Karen's eyes drifted upward. "Although . . ."
Kenta looked where she was looking. Another set of double-doors, this time to an elevator, stood invitingly in the back of the room. Karen raised her eyebrows. "If they were talking about another building, they would have indicated another building."
"Huh . . ." Kenta studied Karen's face closely, but she really did seem to know nothing about their discovery. "It looks to me like the Elite Four has been serving a double purpose at the least. You've unknowingly been the guardians to a very secret storage facility- one seperate from the general holding space Bill created."
He turned back to the screen and tried accessing a different storage location.
"DRAGONITE IS STORED IN BASEMENT FLOOR 4, SECOND ROW, D SECTION. LEVEL IV KEYCARD CLEARANCE REQUIRED."
"It sure didn't say this online." Kenta glanced up. "Looks like the multiple layers are determined by the pokémon's lethality. Not knocking Ampharos, but he was nowhere near Dragonite's level of power. I wonder how much further down it goes."
"I'm sure you can check the elevator," Karen said. A sudden beep from behind her waist caused both of them to jump, and Karen reached around and pulled out a radio. "I'm getting a call," she hissed to Kenta, and he nodded and kept silent.
"Karen," came a man's static voice on the other end, "the power got knocked out on our end, but most of it is back up. The electricians are assessing damage, and it seems the storm hit your area hardest. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Karen said in a businesslike tone. "But the lightning seems to have hit right behind the Champion's arena. I told you guys to install a lightning rod at the highest point of the Indigo Plateau."
"Hey, I'm just the messenger guy," the man's voice came again, slightly defensive. "Besides, Lance is the one who insists it will look ugly and out of place. Take it up with him. Ugh . . . look, we'll have a crew down in about ten minutes."
"Take your time," said Karen casually. "I'd go check out the spot myself, but I don't buy into the theory that lightning never strikes the same place twice."
"Ten-four," said the man, and the radio went out. Karen went rigid. "They're coming. You've got ten minutes at most, Kenta. Kenta?"
Bolt had already pried the elevator doors open in the back, and Kenta was stomping on the floor. "I heard you," he said, backing out of the elevator box. "No emergency opening. Well, of course it won't have one with this kind of restricted access. Bolt, I'm gonna need all your fire breath for this. Melt a circle in the bottom!"
"You're still going?" Karen asked, amazed.
"Of course," said Kenta, turning back to the virtual keyboard as Bolt burned like a blow torch. "I didn't come this far to back out now. Where are you, Baku . . ."
"So tell me," Karen said with a bemused expression, "how do you plan on getting down the elevator shaft without any rope? Flapping your arms?"
Kenta stopped and looked up at her. In spite of the circumstances, she laughed out loud. "Your face! Ha ha! That just made my week. But don't worry, I've got Murkrow right here. He can fly you down, as he's the only one small enough to fit in the shaft."
Kenta exhaled a breath of pent-up tenseness. "God. Thanks, Karen."
"Aren't you glad you didn't beat them up before?" Karen's face ceased smiling. "But seriously, I hope you don't make a habit of going off and doing things half-baked. You need to have a plan for the future."
"I'll keep that in mind," Kenta said, bringing up Bakuphoon's data.
"TYPHLOSION'S STORAGE LOCATION IS REDACTED."
Kenta's senses dulled for a moment as his hope went plunging into the pit of his stomach. Of all the pokémon, why did it have to be him?
Bolt gave a roar as the floor of the elevator gave way and dropped into the pit.
"Kenta, we need to make a deal right now," Karen declared, apparently unaware of his sudden sense of loss. "I can't go down there, but you can. Promise me that whatever you find, you tell me about. I won't rat you out. And one other thing- you need to make this convincing. Before you leave, hit me with a Thunderbolt."
That last sentence brought Kenta back to reality. "What?!"
"You heard me. If they find me unconscious, I'll be able to claim that I couldn't stop you, or even see you. Just don't hit too hard, okay?"
Kenta bit his lip, hating all the things he had to consider in this crucial period of time, but her words made sense. However, he would have little control over how much Zapdos could hold back when delivering an electrical shock.
"Send Murkrow out," he said. "I'll do as you ask, but from the perspective of the outsider looking in, you're freaking insane. You know that, right?"
"You're one to talk," Karen laughed, as Murkrow appeared, flapping in midair. "Now quick, raise your left arm. He'll grab onto it and support your weight all the way down. He's not an Elite Four pokémon for nothing."
Kenta didn't fully appreciate Murkrow's strength until he was already through the elevator hole and hovering down the shaft. The bird couldn't have weighed more than the average house cat, and yet it was supporting his hundred and forty pounds of weight like nothing, while flapping its wings like a hummingbird.
One basement floor drifted past. Then another- then another. Fourth floor. Dragonite and several other uber pokémon would be stored here, no doubt. Kenta pressed himself into the space where the double-doors would normally receive the elevator, and Murkrow forced them apart with its beak. Kenta tugged them further open, until he could squeeze through and look around. If possible, it was even darker than Karen's arena had been, and Kenta slapped at the right wall, groping for a switch. Something flipped up in his hand.
Light poured over the room, revealing a scene that Kenta could only compare to his first time in the back of a pokémon center. It was like a pokémon library then and now: rows upon rows of pokeballs, in all varieties: basic capsule ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, Dive Ball, Nest Ball, Safari Ball, Net Ball, and on and on. The place was about the size of a high school auditorium, and towards the back, the pokeball holding shelves became empty. Boxes of power tools littered the ground at the base of a raw dirt wall.
They're expanding down here, thought Kenta. They need more room!
He couldn't begin to fathom how many highly-trained super pokémon were stocked in this room. His Dragonite was just one of several, possibly dozens shelved in this tucked-away warehouse under the pokémon league. In the hands of an ambitious organization, the combined power concentrated down here might not take over the world, or even the continent. But it would probably be enough to overpower a small country in a few days' time. Was this the lowest floor? No . . . it was the one he had stopped on. But what could there possibly be further down, that required higher keycard clearance?
Kenta turned back towards the elevator shaft, then glanced for a moment over his shoulder. He wondered briefly if he should search for Dragonite's pokeball amidst this vast collection- nay, this armory- of elite pokémon. For a moment, he considered the time: at least three minutes had passed since he had come down here. Karen said he would have ten at very most. And if he found Dragonite's pokeball, what then? It would just get teleported back to G.R.I.P. storage like any official pokeball after a trainer had exceeded maximum party capacity
Unless I break the ball, like I did with Bolt's, thought Kenta. But it was risky enough traveling around with one dragon out in the open. Having a Salamence AND a Dragonite out of pokeballs would surely get him caught sooner than later. Even so, Kenta could not just leave Dragonite down here, imprisoned in this facility to be used as a weapon of the government. They would have to separate, but Kenta would get Dragonite out of there.
"Section D, Row 2," muttered Kenta, going down a line of balls with his finger. "Aha!" There, sitting between an Ultra Ball and a Safari Ball, sat the only plain pokeball of the bunch. There was no doubt in Kenta's mind, as he reached out and lifted the ball up. A second later, it occured to him that he may have triggered a silent alarm by removing a ball from its place, but at this point, it was too little, too late.
Kenta was already hopping over the leftover debris, pausing only for a moment to pat Bolt sympathetically as the dragon nursed his aching head. Then the power was back, and he found himself standing in the Champion Hall of Records. In various spots on the floor, jutting out like obelisks, were cartons with pokeball-sized holes, where each Pokémon Master had at one point placed his or her team to commemorate victory. As Kenta drew near his own monument, some machinery whirred to life, and there was a flash of lasers. Had it been Kenta's first time in the room, he would have panicked, but instead he simply watched as the lasers created virtual reality images of his champion team. Around him hovered six pokémon. Ampharos- an electric sheep that had initiated his match with Lance to take on his Gyarados. Togekiss- the evolved form of Togetic, given to him as a Togepi egg by Professor Elm. Heracross- a reliable stag beetle pokémon that had served him well ever since Ampharos had headbutted him out of a tree. Umbreon- the team tank, given to him by the computer genius, Bill. Dragonite- a special creature that knew the move Extremespeed, straight from the hands of the Dragon Den's keeper. And finally . . . Bakuphoon. Kenta's eyes mostened as he stared longer at the image of his cherished Typhlosion than any of the others. Bakuphoon, who had been with him since the journey's start, was out there somewhere. But where?
A virtual screen and keypad appeared out of Kenta's memorial. The screen contained two words: "ENTER PASSWORD." Taking care that he placed his fingers properly on the non-existent keyboard, Kenta typed the two letters "au" and hit enter.
"SHOWING CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM FOR NYNA, KENTA. AMPHAROS: LEVEL 46. RECORDED MOVESET: THUNDERPUNCH, THUN-"
Access storage location.
"AMPHAROS IS STORED IN BASEMENT FLOOR 1, FIFTH ROW, D SECTION. LEVEL I KEYCARD CLEARANCE REQUIRED."
Kenta froze and stared at the screen. Soundlessly, over his shoulder, Karen's head leaned in, also with wide-eyed awe. He glanced back at her.
"Karen, what's this 'basement floor 1'? Do you know anything about this?"
"No. I told you, I've never been in here before." Karen's eyes drifted upward. "Although . . ."
Kenta looked where she was looking. Another set of double-doors, this time to an elevator, stood invitingly in the back of the room. Karen raised her eyebrows. "If they were talking about another building, they would have indicated another building."
"Huh . . ." Kenta studied Karen's face closely, but she really did seem to know nothing about their discovery. "It looks to me like the Elite Four has been serving a double purpose at the least. You've unknowingly been the guardians to a very secret storage facility- one seperate from the general holding space Bill created."
He turned back to the screen and tried accessing a different storage location.
"DRAGONITE IS STORED IN BASEMENT FLOOR 4, SECOND ROW, D SECTION. LEVEL IV KEYCARD CLEARANCE REQUIRED."
"It sure didn't say this online." Kenta glanced up. "Looks like the multiple layers are determined by the pokémon's lethality. Not knocking Ampharos, but he was nowhere near Dragonite's level of power. I wonder how much further down it goes."
"I'm sure you can check the elevator," Karen said. A sudden beep from behind her waist caused both of them to jump, and Karen reached around and pulled out a radio. "I'm getting a call," she hissed to Kenta, and he nodded and kept silent.
"Karen," came a man's static voice on the other end, "the power got knocked out on our end, but most of it is back up. The electricians are assessing damage, and it seems the storm hit your area hardest. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Karen said in a businesslike tone. "But the lightning seems to have hit right behind the Champion's arena. I told you guys to install a lightning rod at the highest point of the Indigo Plateau."
"Hey, I'm just the messenger guy," the man's voice came again, slightly defensive. "Besides, Lance is the one who insists it will look ugly and out of place. Take it up with him. Ugh . . . look, we'll have a crew down in about ten minutes."
"Take your time," said Karen casually. "I'd go check out the spot myself, but I don't buy into the theory that lightning never strikes the same place twice."
"Ten-four," said the man, and the radio went out. Karen went rigid. "They're coming. You've got ten minutes at most, Kenta. Kenta?"
Bolt had already pried the elevator doors open in the back, and Kenta was stomping on the floor. "I heard you," he said, backing out of the elevator box. "No emergency opening. Well, of course it won't have one with this kind of restricted access. Bolt, I'm gonna need all your fire breath for this. Melt a circle in the bottom!"
"You're still going?" Karen asked, amazed.
"Of course," said Kenta, turning back to the virtual keyboard as Bolt burned like a blow torch. "I didn't come this far to back out now. Where are you, Baku . . ."
"So tell me," Karen said with a bemused expression, "how do you plan on getting down the elevator shaft without any rope? Flapping your arms?"
Kenta stopped and looked up at her. In spite of the circumstances, she laughed out loud. "Your face! Ha ha! That just made my week. But don't worry, I've got Murkrow right here. He can fly you down, as he's the only one small enough to fit in the shaft."
Kenta exhaled a breath of pent-up tenseness. "God. Thanks, Karen."
"Aren't you glad you didn't beat them up before?" Karen's face ceased smiling. "But seriously, I hope you don't make a habit of going off and doing things half-baked. You need to have a plan for the future."
"I'll keep that in mind," Kenta said, bringing up Bakuphoon's data.
"TYPHLOSION'S STORAGE LOCATION IS REDACTED."
Kenta's senses dulled for a moment as his hope went plunging into the pit of his stomach. Of all the pokémon, why did it have to be him?
Bolt gave a roar as the floor of the elevator gave way and dropped into the pit.
"Kenta, we need to make a deal right now," Karen declared, apparently unaware of his sudden sense of loss. "I can't go down there, but you can. Promise me that whatever you find, you tell me about. I won't rat you out. And one other thing- you need to make this convincing. Before you leave, hit me with a Thunderbolt."
That last sentence brought Kenta back to reality. "What?!"
"You heard me. If they find me unconscious, I'll be able to claim that I couldn't stop you, or even see you. Just don't hit too hard, okay?"
Kenta bit his lip, hating all the things he had to consider in this crucial period of time, but her words made sense. However, he would have little control over how much Zapdos could hold back when delivering an electrical shock.
"Send Murkrow out," he said. "I'll do as you ask, but from the perspective of the outsider looking in, you're freaking insane. You know that, right?"
"You're one to talk," Karen laughed, as Murkrow appeared, flapping in midair. "Now quick, raise your left arm. He'll grab onto it and support your weight all the way down. He's not an Elite Four pokémon for nothing."
Kenta didn't fully appreciate Murkrow's strength until he was already through the elevator hole and hovering down the shaft. The bird couldn't have weighed more than the average house cat, and yet it was supporting his hundred and forty pounds of weight like nothing, while flapping its wings like a hummingbird.
One basement floor drifted past. Then another- then another. Fourth floor. Dragonite and several other uber pokémon would be stored here, no doubt. Kenta pressed himself into the space where the double-doors would normally receive the elevator, and Murkrow forced them apart with its beak. Kenta tugged them further open, until he could squeeze through and look around. If possible, it was even darker than Karen's arena had been, and Kenta slapped at the right wall, groping for a switch. Something flipped up in his hand.
Light poured over the room, revealing a scene that Kenta could only compare to his first time in the back of a pokémon center. It was like a pokémon library then and now: rows upon rows of pokeballs, in all varieties: basic capsule ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, Dive Ball, Nest Ball, Safari Ball, Net Ball, and on and on. The place was about the size of a high school auditorium, and towards the back, the pokeball holding shelves became empty. Boxes of power tools littered the ground at the base of a raw dirt wall.
They're expanding down here, thought Kenta. They need more room!
He couldn't begin to fathom how many highly-trained super pokémon were stocked in this room. His Dragonite was just one of several, possibly dozens shelved in this tucked-away warehouse under the pokémon league. In the hands of an ambitious organization, the combined power concentrated down here might not take over the world, or even the continent. But it would probably be enough to overpower a small country in a few days' time. Was this the lowest floor? No . . . it was the one he had stopped on. But what could there possibly be further down, that required higher keycard clearance?
Kenta turned back towards the elevator shaft, then glanced for a moment over his shoulder. He wondered briefly if he should search for Dragonite's pokeball amidst this vast collection- nay, this armory- of elite pokémon. For a moment, he considered the time: at least three minutes had passed since he had come down here. Karen said he would have ten at very most. And if he found Dragonite's pokeball, what then? It would just get teleported back to G.R.I.P. storage like any official pokeball after a trainer had exceeded maximum party capacity
Unless I break the ball, like I did with Bolt's, thought Kenta. But it was risky enough traveling around with one dragon out in the open. Having a Salamence AND a Dragonite out of pokeballs would surely get him caught sooner than later. Even so, Kenta could not just leave Dragonite down here, imprisoned in this facility to be used as a weapon of the government. They would have to separate, but Kenta would get Dragonite out of there.
"Section D, Row 2," muttered Kenta, going down a line of balls with his finger. "Aha!" There, sitting between an Ultra Ball and a Safari Ball, sat the only plain pokeball of the bunch. There was no doubt in Kenta's mind, as he reached out and lifted the ball up. A second later, it occured to him that he may have triggered a silent alarm by removing a ball from its place, but at this point, it was too little, too late.