Kenta nodded, and allowed himself to be steered to the door by Marina at his one shoulder, and Hibiki at the other. But just as they reached the doorway, Kenta paused for a moment. "Hey, Golduck."
Something purple blurred from his hand and whizzed through the room. "Think fast!"
The Golduck's reaction time was immediate; it swung around and tail-smacked the purple object Kenta had thrown straight back at him. Kenta's hand snapped up and caught the projectile, and Hibiki saw that it was Zapdos's Master Ball.
"If this ball hadn't been occupied, I'd be the new owner of the world's strongest Golduck by now," Kenta called back into the room. "Consider this a taste of the future, if we let the present stay its course. It is not a threat, but a warning- you know the difference."
"As do you," Mewtwo's voice retorted, saturated with renewed fury. "Know your place, human. I have been polite to you, and I have held back on you several times already, but I don't have to. You are ant grubs compared to me. This IS a threat."
"I know," said Kenta sadly, looking at the Togetic and Ralts standing together at Golduck's feet. "But I still hope to see you again, so I will not say goodbye."
With that, they returned to Eusine's range rover.
***
Something about being in a psychically-charged room had made everyone fully awake and energized, even Eusine. As they began to descend down the mountain slope, Eusine broke the silence. "I can't believe I didn't see it. Mewtwo took me in as a guest. Twice. And I slept through the second time."
Nobody said anything.
Kenta finally heaved an enormous sigh and rubbed his head with a knuckle. "A deal's a deal, Eusine. Just drop us off at the nearest bus station, and you can get back to looking for Suicune."
"I'm not so sure I wanna do that now," mumbled Eusine from the driver's seat. "You heard how Mewtwo reacted when you threw that Master Ball at his buddy. If Suicune is around here, and I use mine within Mewtwo's territory, he'll probaby combust my head. Or implode it upon my brain."
"You sure have a way of pissing people off," Hibiki added, trying a halfhearted joke. "I know you mean well, but . . . the guy above Mewtwo is God. I'm pretty sure he could even kick Arceus's ass."
"Believe me, I know," said Kenta, laughing weakly. "But it was necessary."
"By the way, am I the only one here who didn't know you were a Pokémon Master?" asked Eusine. "Marina? Hibiki?"
They nodded.
"Huh. Well, that explains the self-confidence. But one thing I'm wondering . . ." Eusine glanced back at Kenta. "It's no small feat to brave Victory Road, win first place in the Pokémon League Tournament, and then overcome the Elite Four and their Champion. Why didn't you take Lance's place on the throne? I'll bet it would've paid well, and you could have influenced the G.R.I.P. policies before they gained enough traction."
"Maybe, maybe not," muttered Kenta, resting his head back and putting an arm over his eyes. "If Karen was right, Lance has no say in the matter. But as for me and the other Masters, well . . . it's like this. When you defeat the Champion, you have the option to take his place, or let him keep it. Ever since Master Red withdrew from the official League, many of us have followed his example, myself included. You understand, we all begin the journey with visions of romanticized adventure dancing in our heads, right? It's the glory of the outdoors, and the joy of pokémon companionship that compels us."
"Uh-huh."
"Well, the Champion position is the opposite of that. The League officials made it clear to me: it's a ton of paperwork and schedules, and confinement to a single place for long periods of time. You aren't even allowed to use your original team anymore; you have to fight with lower-level replacements against first-time challengers. The first time I battled Lance, he wasn't fighting me to his full potential. I still wonder if I could beat him now, with him using his best pokémon.
"Part of the reason I respect Brendan so much is that he is a rightful Champion. When Master Steven lost to Master Wallace, I suspect it was deliberate. Steven is far stronger than Wallace, and probably held back on him. But Wallace's butt had barely touched the throne when Brendan came in and took him down. Wallace had no time to form a softer team; he used exactly who he'd used on Steven. Brendan won his title almost at the same time that Red did, and he has held his ground ever since."
Eusine hit a bump in the road, causing Hibiki's jaw to snap involuntarily, chomping down on his tongue. He whimpered, and Eusine lowered his head. "Sorry." He laughed apologetically. "But y'know what? Brendan's probably being accommodated for his efforts in a cushy penthouse, rather than traveling pothole-filled roads and enduring the many discomforts that we do."
"Probably. But I don't regret shirking those responsibilities I would've otherwise had," said Kenta with a smile. "Well- not much. Pokémon Masters enjoy the privelege of traveling pretty much wherever they want at a discount, for the rest of their lives. I took advantage of that for a while. And you wouldn't believe the amount of job opportunities you get when it comes to outdoor employment. When I joined Silhouette Military Police, they made me a Sergeant almost immediately."
"Yeah," Marina chimed in, "my mom always had an answer for the folks in our town who questioned the point of pokémon training. She said it was like joining the Girl Scouts, only better. It just looks good on a resume." She paused, then continued in a sadder voice. "But nowadays, more and more of the jobs you can get are strictly limited to Military Police."
"That can't be a coincidence," muttered Hibiki. "Our country's gearing up for war. But against who?"
"Enemy nations of Japan, no doubt," Kenta murmured darkly. "But the first war will be a civil war against us- the common pokémon trainers."
***
Not long after they had found the main road again, there was an unexpected delay. As the rover was passing through a town, Eusine alarmed everyone when he suddenly swerved into another lane, nearly hitting a truck.
"AAAH! What the hell, Eusine!" Hibiki cried, covering his head.
"Sorry! I don't know what happened!" Eusine apologized with a guilty look. "I just . . . all of a sudden, I feel so tired . . ."
"There's a parking lot to the right," Marina ordered. "You pull in there right now, mister!"
Eusine didn't protest, and Hibiki looked up to see the sign above the lot: "Mountain Shade Inn." Parking was spacious, and Eusine found a spot and shut off the engine.
"You okay, Eusine?" Kenta asked, looking at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Just tired," he murmured. "I drove all night."
A thought occured to Hibiki. "Kenta, he only got to sleep for like, five minutes. I know Mewtwo's psychic presence got us all wide awake, but that's worn off by now."
Kenta looked sympathetically at Eusine. "Alright," he said, "we can make our own way from here. I'm grateful for your help, Eusine; get some rest now."
"Kenta," Marina called, opening the car door and looking out, "we're parked at an inn. Why don't we get him a room?"
"Well, uh . . ." Kenta scratched his head and smiled meekly. "Ever since my first attempt to steal the Snag Machine, I've stopped making public appearances. If anyone recognizes me-"
"Oh, c'mon, you're wearing a cloak and a wig, and we're out in the boonies. Who's going to recognize you?"
Kenta sighed. "Okay, YOU check him in. I'll get a map to the nearest bus station and meet you there."
Marina crossed her arms and gave him a defiant look.
"What?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" She huffed. "I want to use a room, okay? I haven't gotten a proper meal or a shower in over forty-eight hours. Normally I would manage, but there's an inn less than twenty steps away!"
"Are you serious?" Kenta gawked. "What kind of girl scout pokémon trainer are you?"
In the end, all four of them stood in the lobby, although Kenta hastily grabbed a newspaper off one of the couches and hid himself behind it. The receptionist gave the party an awkward look: Eusine looking dead on his feet, Marina caught in the middle of sniffing her armpit, Kenta holding the paper upside-down, and Hibiki giving a fake, over-exaggerated smile out of nervousness. Nobody needed to point out the elephant in the room: they looked strange.
"Checking out?" she asked with a slight note of skepticism.
"Uh, no," Marina coughed sheepishly. "Checking in. I know it's only nine in the morning, but . . . here. We're paying with cash. How much is a room?"
"The four of you are sharing a room?" the receptionist asked, again not bothering to hide the tone of dismay.
"Machi." The voice of an older man issued from further behind the counter. A thin, slightly-balding man with glasses appeared, wearing a suit with a shiny "Manager" badge on the left chest area. He glanced at Marina. "Welcome! However many rooms you want, they're all the same price- 9000 yen. Would you kindly excuse us a moment?"
Hibiki watched as the Manager beckoned Machi the Receptionist over, probably to chew her out for not being polite to potential customers. A moment later though, he was distracted by the conversation between Kenta and Marina.
Something purple blurred from his hand and whizzed through the room. "Think fast!"
The Golduck's reaction time was immediate; it swung around and tail-smacked the purple object Kenta had thrown straight back at him. Kenta's hand snapped up and caught the projectile, and Hibiki saw that it was Zapdos's Master Ball.
"If this ball hadn't been occupied, I'd be the new owner of the world's strongest Golduck by now," Kenta called back into the room. "Consider this a taste of the future, if we let the present stay its course. It is not a threat, but a warning- you know the difference."
"As do you," Mewtwo's voice retorted, saturated with renewed fury. "Know your place, human. I have been polite to you, and I have held back on you several times already, but I don't have to. You are ant grubs compared to me. This IS a threat."
"I know," said Kenta sadly, looking at the Togetic and Ralts standing together at Golduck's feet. "But I still hope to see you again, so I will not say goodbye."
With that, they returned to Eusine's range rover.
***
Something about being in a psychically-charged room had made everyone fully awake and energized, even Eusine. As they began to descend down the mountain slope, Eusine broke the silence. "I can't believe I didn't see it. Mewtwo took me in as a guest. Twice. And I slept through the second time."
Nobody said anything.
Kenta finally heaved an enormous sigh and rubbed his head with a knuckle. "A deal's a deal, Eusine. Just drop us off at the nearest bus station, and you can get back to looking for Suicune."
"I'm not so sure I wanna do that now," mumbled Eusine from the driver's seat. "You heard how Mewtwo reacted when you threw that Master Ball at his buddy. If Suicune is around here, and I use mine within Mewtwo's territory, he'll probaby combust my head. Or implode it upon my brain."
"You sure have a way of pissing people off," Hibiki added, trying a halfhearted joke. "I know you mean well, but . . . the guy above Mewtwo is God. I'm pretty sure he could even kick Arceus's ass."
"Believe me, I know," said Kenta, laughing weakly. "But it was necessary."
"By the way, am I the only one here who didn't know you were a Pokémon Master?" asked Eusine. "Marina? Hibiki?"
They nodded.
"Huh. Well, that explains the self-confidence. But one thing I'm wondering . . ." Eusine glanced back at Kenta. "It's no small feat to brave Victory Road, win first place in the Pokémon League Tournament, and then overcome the Elite Four and their Champion. Why didn't you take Lance's place on the throne? I'll bet it would've paid well, and you could have influenced the G.R.I.P. policies before they gained enough traction."
"Maybe, maybe not," muttered Kenta, resting his head back and putting an arm over his eyes. "If Karen was right, Lance has no say in the matter. But as for me and the other Masters, well . . . it's like this. When you defeat the Champion, you have the option to take his place, or let him keep it. Ever since Master Red withdrew from the official League, many of us have followed his example, myself included. You understand, we all begin the journey with visions of romanticized adventure dancing in our heads, right? It's the glory of the outdoors, and the joy of pokémon companionship that compels us."
"Uh-huh."
"Well, the Champion position is the opposite of that. The League officials made it clear to me: it's a ton of paperwork and schedules, and confinement to a single place for long periods of time. You aren't even allowed to use your original team anymore; you have to fight with lower-level replacements against first-time challengers. The first time I battled Lance, he wasn't fighting me to his full potential. I still wonder if I could beat him now, with him using his best pokémon.
"Part of the reason I respect Brendan so much is that he is a rightful Champion. When Master Steven lost to Master Wallace, I suspect it was deliberate. Steven is far stronger than Wallace, and probably held back on him. But Wallace's butt had barely touched the throne when Brendan came in and took him down. Wallace had no time to form a softer team; he used exactly who he'd used on Steven. Brendan won his title almost at the same time that Red did, and he has held his ground ever since."
Eusine hit a bump in the road, causing Hibiki's jaw to snap involuntarily, chomping down on his tongue. He whimpered, and Eusine lowered his head. "Sorry." He laughed apologetically. "But y'know what? Brendan's probably being accommodated for his efforts in a cushy penthouse, rather than traveling pothole-filled roads and enduring the many discomforts that we do."
"Probably. But I don't regret shirking those responsibilities I would've otherwise had," said Kenta with a smile. "Well- not much. Pokémon Masters enjoy the privelege of traveling pretty much wherever they want at a discount, for the rest of their lives. I took advantage of that for a while. And you wouldn't believe the amount of job opportunities you get when it comes to outdoor employment. When I joined Silhouette Military Police, they made me a Sergeant almost immediately."
"Yeah," Marina chimed in, "my mom always had an answer for the folks in our town who questioned the point of pokémon training. She said it was like joining the Girl Scouts, only better. It just looks good on a resume." She paused, then continued in a sadder voice. "But nowadays, more and more of the jobs you can get are strictly limited to Military Police."
"That can't be a coincidence," muttered Hibiki. "Our country's gearing up for war. But against who?"
"Enemy nations of Japan, no doubt," Kenta murmured darkly. "But the first war will be a civil war against us- the common pokémon trainers."
***
Not long after they had found the main road again, there was an unexpected delay. As the rover was passing through a town, Eusine alarmed everyone when he suddenly swerved into another lane, nearly hitting a truck.
"AAAH! What the hell, Eusine!" Hibiki cried, covering his head.
"Sorry! I don't know what happened!" Eusine apologized with a guilty look. "I just . . . all of a sudden, I feel so tired . . ."
"There's a parking lot to the right," Marina ordered. "You pull in there right now, mister!"
Eusine didn't protest, and Hibiki looked up to see the sign above the lot: "Mountain Shade Inn." Parking was spacious, and Eusine found a spot and shut off the engine.
"You okay, Eusine?" Kenta asked, looking at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Just tired," he murmured. "I drove all night."
A thought occured to Hibiki. "Kenta, he only got to sleep for like, five minutes. I know Mewtwo's psychic presence got us all wide awake, but that's worn off by now."
Kenta looked sympathetically at Eusine. "Alright," he said, "we can make our own way from here. I'm grateful for your help, Eusine; get some rest now."
"Kenta," Marina called, opening the car door and looking out, "we're parked at an inn. Why don't we get him a room?"
"Well, uh . . ." Kenta scratched his head and smiled meekly. "Ever since my first attempt to steal the Snag Machine, I've stopped making public appearances. If anyone recognizes me-"
"Oh, c'mon, you're wearing a cloak and a wig, and we're out in the boonies. Who's going to recognize you?"
Kenta sighed. "Okay, YOU check him in. I'll get a map to the nearest bus station and meet you there."
Marina crossed her arms and gave him a defiant look.
"What?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" She huffed. "I want to use a room, okay? I haven't gotten a proper meal or a shower in over forty-eight hours. Normally I would manage, but there's an inn less than twenty steps away!"
"Are you serious?" Kenta gawked. "What kind of girl scout pokémon trainer are you?"
In the end, all four of them stood in the lobby, although Kenta hastily grabbed a newspaper off one of the couches and hid himself behind it. The receptionist gave the party an awkward look: Eusine looking dead on his feet, Marina caught in the middle of sniffing her armpit, Kenta holding the paper upside-down, and Hibiki giving a fake, over-exaggerated smile out of nervousness. Nobody needed to point out the elephant in the room: they looked strange.
"Checking out?" she asked with a slight note of skepticism.
"Uh, no," Marina coughed sheepishly. "Checking in. I know it's only nine in the morning, but . . . here. We're paying with cash. How much is a room?"
"The four of you are sharing a room?" the receptionist asked, again not bothering to hide the tone of dismay.
"Machi." The voice of an older man issued from further behind the counter. A thin, slightly-balding man with glasses appeared, wearing a suit with a shiny "Manager" badge on the left chest area. He glanced at Marina. "Welcome! However many rooms you want, they're all the same price- 9000 yen. Would you kindly excuse us a moment?"
Hibiki watched as the Manager beckoned Machi the Receptionist over, probably to chew her out for not being polite to potential customers. A moment later though, he was distracted by the conversation between Kenta and Marina.