With all of us out of breath from running, we finally made it to the next town, Oldale.
It was a quaint little town, and the only noise that could be heard was the serenity of the surrounding forests. I found myself stop worrying about my troubles and taking it all in.
“Alrighty gang, here’s the deal,” I said softly, gathering my Pokémon together in some form of huddle.
“I doubt anyone from Team Rocket is going to be waiting for me in this little place, so I think we can risk going into the Pokémon Centre for a rest, and I’ll also have an opportunity to grab Ledger back through the PC. What do you say?”
Goku and Jasmine nodded their approval, but Banjo and Ricki looked more doubtful. I don’t think they wanted me to get into any more trouble.
“It’s alright guys, I promise this will be the last bit of hacking I’ll ever do.” And I meant it. Once this whole fiasco (hopefully) blows over, I’ll never go back to hacking. Ever.
Looking reassured, I recalled the Ursaring and the Luxio to their Pokéballs, along with the Feraligatr and the Mawile. Taking a deep breath in, then out, I strode confidently towards the Pokémon Centre.
Upon entering, I saw three people inside; two young men playing a quiet game of cards at a table in the corner, and a nurse fast asleep at the counter. Ignoring the looks from the card players, I walked over to the PC and switched it on.
With the nurse asleep and the men engrossed in their game, I set out trying to remember the Johto Police Code. P212OCCC0JB22M? No, that didn’t work. P212OCCSUGBTTM? No, but it’s something along those lines...
“Hey buddy, I need to grab an item from my PC. Would you mind hurrying up?”
I jumped and spun around, hiding the screen the best I could without looking suspicious. I saw it was one of the men who was playing cards.
“Y.. yeah, sure thing. Just give me a few seconds, I’m... just moving around some items.” Nice thinking Thomas, I complimented myself.
“Look, I only need to grab a potion, it’ll only take a second...” He shoved me aside and stared at the PC screen. Crap crap crap crap crap. With a capital crap.
“I’ve never seen this sort of screen before,” he frowned, looking deeper into the blue and white pixilated screen, “how did you get it up?”
Think Thomas. THINK you idiot.
“Well, I...” I searched the dictionary in my brain for words, “I can’t really tell you.”
“Why not?” scowled the man, “are you up to no good?”
“Of course not,” I said calmly, finding a good combination of words that I would later be very, very proud of,.
“Let me explain.” I then made a big show of searching my body for an item I knew I didn’t have. “Dammit, left it at home...” I muttered.
“Left what at home?” asked the man with an eyebrow raised.
I sighed dramatically.
“My badge. You see, I’m from the Junior Johto Police Force, the... J.J.P.F.” Give me a break, it was the best I could do under pressure. “This screen you see here,” I waved a hand at the PC, “is the J.J.... P.F. PC Screen. I was actually about to enter the password to access a Police Force Pokémon to help me... a Gastly, in fact.”
“Oh, okay then sir,” said the man, stepping back. I thought I was off the hook, when...
“Show me the J.J. Screen.”
“Sorry?”
“Show me your Police Force Screen with the Gastly,” he leaned towards me, leering nastily, “otherwise I might have to summon some real Policemen.”
“Well, the password’s classified, but since I don’t have my badge, you have a right to see the screen.” Confident I had finally remembered the code, I went back to the PC and started to type.
So it starts with P2120, I know that, and then... double K, then S... Then next, it stands for... Xatu? No, Ursaring! U... followed by G and B... Then, uh... number... twenty... two. Two twos, that’s right. And top it off with... er... M! Bingo... I think?
I realised I was sweating profusely as the screen loaded the verdict.
I was correct. Thank. Arceus. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man’s eyebrows were almost hitting the ceiling.
“There we are,” I said proudly, showing him the Boxes with various Police-related titles, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a Gastly to withdraw.”
Shrinking back and murmuring apologies under his breath, I turned my back on him and searched for a box labelled ‘Lost Property’ or something like that.
Sure enough, I found a box titled ‘Found Pokémon’. There were five Pokémon in there, a Weedle, a Qwilfish, a Koffing, a Haunter, a Happiny...
No Ledger.
They hadn’t found him. I was so disappointed I wanted to break down and cry...
Wait a second. Could it be?...
I clicked on the Haunter and managed to stop myself from gasping out loud.
They had Ledger. And he was now a Haunter.
Struggling to keep in my excitement, I withdrew the Haunter and logged out of the PC. I turned around and beamed at the man.
“All yours sir,” I said cheerfully. He looked a bit puzzled at my sudden happiness, but he muttered a ‘thank you’ under his breath and moved to the PC without any questions.
“Excuse me nurse,” I said loudly, walking over to the counter, waking the nurse up with a start, “are there any available rooms upstairs for the night?”
“Wha? Oh, oh yes, yes sir,” she stammered, getting up hastily, “right this way sir.”
I followed the nurse towards a staircase near the table where the other man was now shuffling the deck of cards. I glanced over at him for a second, and immediately wished I hadn’t.
While our eyes didn’t meet, and his outfit was much, much different, I was sure I looked upon the face of Pace, my old friend from Team Rocket.
I wanted to say hello badly. I wanted to ask why he wasn’t in a Rocket uniform, why he was with a guy I didn’t recognise, how he escaped from being imprisoned along with a bunch of other grunts. How his Aipom was. Why he was in Oldale Town. Why he was in Hoenn. Did he recognise me?
So many questions that would never be asked.
Clearing my head from thoughts of Pace and Team Rocket, I thanked the nurse and walked into my temporary room, preparing to say hello to Ledger the Haunter.
It was a quaint little town, and the only noise that could be heard was the serenity of the surrounding forests. I found myself stop worrying about my troubles and taking it all in.
“Alrighty gang, here’s the deal,” I said softly, gathering my Pokémon together in some form of huddle.
“I doubt anyone from Team Rocket is going to be waiting for me in this little place, so I think we can risk going into the Pokémon Centre for a rest, and I’ll also have an opportunity to grab Ledger back through the PC. What do you say?”
Goku and Jasmine nodded their approval, but Banjo and Ricki looked more doubtful. I don’t think they wanted me to get into any more trouble.
“It’s alright guys, I promise this will be the last bit of hacking I’ll ever do.” And I meant it. Once this whole fiasco (hopefully) blows over, I’ll never go back to hacking. Ever.
Looking reassured, I recalled the Ursaring and the Luxio to their Pokéballs, along with the Feraligatr and the Mawile. Taking a deep breath in, then out, I strode confidently towards the Pokémon Centre.
Upon entering, I saw three people inside; two young men playing a quiet game of cards at a table in the corner, and a nurse fast asleep at the counter. Ignoring the looks from the card players, I walked over to the PC and switched it on.
With the nurse asleep and the men engrossed in their game, I set out trying to remember the Johto Police Code. P212OCCC0JB22M? No, that didn’t work. P212OCCSUGBTTM? No, but it’s something along those lines...
“Hey buddy, I need to grab an item from my PC. Would you mind hurrying up?”
I jumped and spun around, hiding the screen the best I could without looking suspicious. I saw it was one of the men who was playing cards.
“Y.. yeah, sure thing. Just give me a few seconds, I’m... just moving around some items.” Nice thinking Thomas, I complimented myself.
“Look, I only need to grab a potion, it’ll only take a second...” He shoved me aside and stared at the PC screen. Crap crap crap crap crap. With a capital crap.
“I’ve never seen this sort of screen before,” he frowned, looking deeper into the blue and white pixilated screen, “how did you get it up?”
Think Thomas. THINK you idiot.
“Well, I...” I searched the dictionary in my brain for words, “I can’t really tell you.”
“Why not?” scowled the man, “are you up to no good?”
“Of course not,” I said calmly, finding a good combination of words that I would later be very, very proud of,.
“Let me explain.” I then made a big show of searching my body for an item I knew I didn’t have. “Dammit, left it at home...” I muttered.
“Left what at home?” asked the man with an eyebrow raised.
I sighed dramatically.
“My badge. You see, I’m from the Junior Johto Police Force, the... J.J.P.F.” Give me a break, it was the best I could do under pressure. “This screen you see here,” I waved a hand at the PC, “is the J.J.... P.F. PC Screen. I was actually about to enter the password to access a Police Force Pokémon to help me... a Gastly, in fact.”
“Oh, okay then sir,” said the man, stepping back. I thought I was off the hook, when...
“Show me the J.J. Screen.”
“Sorry?”
“Show me your Police Force Screen with the Gastly,” he leaned towards me, leering nastily, “otherwise I might have to summon some real Policemen.”
“Well, the password’s classified, but since I don’t have my badge, you have a right to see the screen.” Confident I had finally remembered the code, I went back to the PC and started to type.
So it starts with P2120, I know that, and then... double K, then S... Then next, it stands for... Xatu? No, Ursaring! U... followed by G and B... Then, uh... number... twenty... two. Two twos, that’s right. And top it off with... er... M! Bingo... I think?
I realised I was sweating profusely as the screen loaded the verdict.
I was correct. Thank. Arceus. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man’s eyebrows were almost hitting the ceiling.
“There we are,” I said proudly, showing him the Boxes with various Police-related titles, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a Gastly to withdraw.”
Shrinking back and murmuring apologies under his breath, I turned my back on him and searched for a box labelled ‘Lost Property’ or something like that.
Sure enough, I found a box titled ‘Found Pokémon’. There were five Pokémon in there, a Weedle, a Qwilfish, a Koffing, a Haunter, a Happiny...
No Ledger.
They hadn’t found him. I was so disappointed I wanted to break down and cry...
Wait a second. Could it be?...
I clicked on the Haunter and managed to stop myself from gasping out loud.
They had Ledger. And he was now a Haunter.
Struggling to keep in my excitement, I withdrew the Haunter and logged out of the PC. I turned around and beamed at the man.
“All yours sir,” I said cheerfully. He looked a bit puzzled at my sudden happiness, but he muttered a ‘thank you’ under his breath and moved to the PC without any questions.
“Excuse me nurse,” I said loudly, walking over to the counter, waking the nurse up with a start, “are there any available rooms upstairs for the night?”
“Wha? Oh, oh yes, yes sir,” she stammered, getting up hastily, “right this way sir.”
I followed the nurse towards a staircase near the table where the other man was now shuffling the deck of cards. I glanced over at him for a second, and immediately wished I hadn’t.
While our eyes didn’t meet, and his outfit was much, much different, I was sure I looked upon the face of Pace, my old friend from Team Rocket.
I wanted to say hello badly. I wanted to ask why he wasn’t in a Rocket uniform, why he was with a guy I didn’t recognise, how he escaped from being imprisoned along with a bunch of other grunts. How his Aipom was. Why he was in Oldale Town. Why he was in Hoenn. Did he recognise me?
So many questions that would never be asked.
Clearing my head from thoughts of Pace and Team Rocket, I thanked the nurse and walked into my temporary room, preparing to say hello to Ledger the Haunter.
So glad to see there is finnaly a new chapter