Hibiki stared at him. “Come . . . with you? Where?”
“Out of New Bark Town. To change the world back to the way it was.” Kenta let go of Hibiki’s shoulders, and instead knelt down by Bolt’s head. Pulling Hibiki’s quilt over the dragon’s scaly forehead, he began carefully rubbing the Salamence dry. “Like I said,” he muttered, “I can’t stay long. If Mom and Dad get involved, it’s all over. You’ll understand later, but for now, just take my word on it.”
“So you have to go. And you want to take me with you,” Hibiki repeated. “And it’s okay if I get involved, but not Mom and Dad.”
“I need you,” said Kenta, looking earnestly at Hibiki, “for many different reasons. Mostly for your companionship. It gets lonely as an anonymous nobody.”
The Salamence looked at Kenta indignantly, and he grinned apologetically. “Sorry, Bolt, you’ve been a great friend.” He looked around. “Hey, uh . . . got any paper and pens?”
“In the desk. More importantly . . .” Hibiki spread his arms to indicate just how lost he still was. “What do you mean, an anonymous nobody? What’s with all the secrecy, how come you’re dressed up, why can’t you just stay here and let us be a family again?”
“I can’t answer that,” replied Kenta, scribbling something down on the paper, “unless I get your cooperation. If you want to stay here, I understand. After all, I did sort of jump this on you out of nowhere. Please, just don’t tell anybody about my disguise, and especially not about the Master Ball. I don’t know when I’ll see you again.”
As Kenta pulled on his traveler’s cloak, alarm jolted through Hibiki’s body. Kenta really meant it. He was going to disappear again.
“Wait!”
Kenta looked at him.
“What if . . . I do come with you? How would I explain it to our parents? ‘Dear Mom and Dad, sorry for running away’?”
To this, Kenta smiled his usual cheerful grin. “Running away?” He held up the paper he’d just been scribbling on.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Nyna:
I have kidnapped your only other son. The elder Nyna brother put MY son in jail a while back. Now that he’s out of the way, I demand three million yen to bail my boy out again. Simply put, it’s my son for yours. You have a month from today to get the cash. On the first of February, meet me by the Oran Berry Tree in the forest east of Cherrygrove. Be smart, and keep all of this to yourselves.
-Anonymous
Hibiki stared incredulously at Kenta. “Three million yen?” he whispered loudly. “Don’t you think that’s a bit much to put on our parents?”
“The military police will cover it,” said Kenta, pulling the blanket off of Bolt’s immense body and tossing it back onto the bed. “That money was supposed to go towards my college funding. Now that I’m dead, Mom and Dad have to use it some other way. Hopefully, we’ll be done with what we’re doing before then.”
“And what exactly are we doing?” asked Hibiki. Kenta chuckled. “You’re in, then? The first thing we’re doing is getting you to the place where you’re being held hostage.” He held his arm out the window and into the night. “Going this way? Or would you rather take the stairs?”
***
It was about one o’clock in the morning when Kenta and Hibiki arrived in Violet City. There had been no time for Hibiki to ask Kenta questions, because he’d been too busy hanging on for dear life as Bolt flew them through howling winds and low-visibility fog conditions. When they finally landed in the still and silent town, Hibiki was exhausted from the adrenaline trip of flying, coupled with the fact that it was hours past his bedtime. He watched through blurry eyes as Kenta reached into his right pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a Swiss Army knife. Looking up, his mind barely registered that they were standing right in front of the door to an old Summer school called “Earl’s Pokémon Academy.” Jiggling the knife inside the lock, Kenta clicked it open, then pulled the door aside. Hibiki looked down the dark hall within.
“Isn’t this breaking and entering?”
“Not if you’re here against your will, and I’m not a living person.” Kenta stood aside. “Besides, we haven’t broken anything. In you go. You too, Munchlax, Bolt.”
The two humans and pokémon made their way inside, and Hibiki took a moment to marvel at Bolt’s strength. Munchlax was a heavy little bugger. How the Salamence could lift him, and two other people at the same time, was beyond Hibiki. Then again, he’d had more surprises thrown at him this one night than he could handle. He couldn’t even prioritize the important ones over the unimportant now. A wave of exhaustion swept over him. Now wasn’t a time for thinking. He needed sleep.
***
“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”
“ . . . Wugh?”
Kenta watched as his younger brother slowly opened his eyes from sleep. He himself was sitting in a comfortable recliner, while Hibiki lay on the floor, using his traveler’s cloak as a blanket and Munchlax’s belly for a pillow. Hibiki glanced up at the ceiling for a moment, then looked at him. “Where . . . are we?”
“Good morning to you, too.” Kenta waved his hand at their surroundings. Nearly the entire room consisted of nothing but rows of bookshelves, and a few study desks at the center. “This is the Academy library,” he said breezily. “It’s a little dark and cold, but you could forget about that in an instant if you find a good book to read.” He glanced down at the pages of his own book: ‘Physics and the Pokeball: Secrets Defogged.’ “But that’s the catch- the book has to be good. I don’t understand the half of this jibber-jabber.”
Kenta noticed Hibiki scrunch his eyes as he tried to read the book’s title. “You’re trying to find out how pokeballs work?” he asked. “What for?”
“Knowledge is power.” Kenta closed the book and tossed it aside, his brain fried from reading. “But it’s no good if you don’t get the material. I was hoping something with a tenth grade reading level would be enough to get me through this.” He grinned apologetically at Hibiki, but the latter only returned him a cold look to show he was not amused. Kenta sighed unhappily. “Look, Hibiki,” he murmured, “I know I’ve been vague with you up until now, and I’m grateful that you’ve followed me anyway. If you want an explanation, you’ve earned one in full.”
Hibiki smiled, at last. “Yes, please,” he whispered politely. “I’d like that.”
It took all most of the morning for Kenta to reveal everything to Hibiki. When he’d finished saying all that he could, and answering every last one of his younger brother’s questions, he repeated his previous request with an outstretched hand.
“Now you know everything. Will you still help me?”
Hibiki took his older brother’s hand and shook it firmly, reinforcing his resolve with a meaningful smile. “I’m with you to the death, Kenta. To the very end.”
Kenta laughed nervously. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Finish up your ramen noodles, and we’ll get going.”
***
From Violet City, Kenta and Hibiki flew southbound for Azalea Town on Bolt’s back. Kenta sat at the forefront, holding onto the Salamence’s neck and watching the treetops below for signs of their destination. Munchlax clung to Kenta’s back, pointing down eagerly every so often at the berry tree sites and whining in disappointment when they sped right past. Behind them, Hibiki took inventory of all the items in their sack, somewhat reluctantly. He didn’t want to spend a second longer on it than he had to, rooting through his backpack when he could be holding onto someone so as not to fall.
“Kenta, we already went through this stuff back at the summer academy. We know what’s in here.”
“First rule of the military, Hibiki: always double-check your stock. The tiniest missing thing could put the whole mission in jeopardy.”
“All right, all right. I’ve got your old uniform here, including the hat with the wig, the brown cloak, a fresh pokeblock dispenser, three Revive potions, a small variation of berries, all 40,000 yen of my allowance savings . . . why’d we bring all of it at once?” he asked, looking up. “Should we really be putting all of our eggs in one basket?”
“It’s the only way the basket can be effective, my man,” replied Kenta merrily. “Uh, I know that didn’t make much sense, but screw it, you know what I mea-”
“Uh-oh!” Hibiki pulled frantically on Kenta’s sleeve, and he turned automatically to behold an unplanned, and certainly unwelcome sight. Behind them, flying about fifty feet away, hovered a uniformed officer on a Pidgeot, holding a megaphone in his hand. “Shoot,” muttered Kenta, “bogey at five o’ clock.”
“He’s gaining on us!” cried Hibiki, already panicking. “What should we do? What should we do?”
“Get that cloak on!” Kenta responded hastily, pointing to Hibiki’s backpack. “I’ll do the talking. You be ready for anything.”
“Attention, trainers on the Salamence!” came the officer’s voice in an artificially-amplified voice from behind them. “This is the Johto Sky Patrol. You are in possession of an illegal uber pokémon, as defined by the Government Restrictive Institute on Pokémon. Land immediately at the nearest forest clearing for questioning. This is an order!”
“Out of New Bark Town. To change the world back to the way it was.” Kenta let go of Hibiki’s shoulders, and instead knelt down by Bolt’s head. Pulling Hibiki’s quilt over the dragon’s scaly forehead, he began carefully rubbing the Salamence dry. “Like I said,” he muttered, “I can’t stay long. If Mom and Dad get involved, it’s all over. You’ll understand later, but for now, just take my word on it.”
“So you have to go. And you want to take me with you,” Hibiki repeated. “And it’s okay if I get involved, but not Mom and Dad.”
“I need you,” said Kenta, looking earnestly at Hibiki, “for many different reasons. Mostly for your companionship. It gets lonely as an anonymous nobody.”
The Salamence looked at Kenta indignantly, and he grinned apologetically. “Sorry, Bolt, you’ve been a great friend.” He looked around. “Hey, uh . . . got any paper and pens?”
“In the desk. More importantly . . .” Hibiki spread his arms to indicate just how lost he still was. “What do you mean, an anonymous nobody? What’s with all the secrecy, how come you’re dressed up, why can’t you just stay here and let us be a family again?”
“I can’t answer that,” replied Kenta, scribbling something down on the paper, “unless I get your cooperation. If you want to stay here, I understand. After all, I did sort of jump this on you out of nowhere. Please, just don’t tell anybody about my disguise, and especially not about the Master Ball. I don’t know when I’ll see you again.”
As Kenta pulled on his traveler’s cloak, alarm jolted through Hibiki’s body. Kenta really meant it. He was going to disappear again.
“Wait!”
Kenta looked at him.
“What if . . . I do come with you? How would I explain it to our parents? ‘Dear Mom and Dad, sorry for running away’?”
To this, Kenta smiled his usual cheerful grin. “Running away?” He held up the paper he’d just been scribbling on.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Nyna:
I have kidnapped your only other son. The elder Nyna brother put MY son in jail a while back. Now that he’s out of the way, I demand three million yen to bail my boy out again. Simply put, it’s my son for yours. You have a month from today to get the cash. On the first of February, meet me by the Oran Berry Tree in the forest east of Cherrygrove. Be smart, and keep all of this to yourselves.
-Anonymous
Hibiki stared incredulously at Kenta. “Three million yen?” he whispered loudly. “Don’t you think that’s a bit much to put on our parents?”
“The military police will cover it,” said Kenta, pulling the blanket off of Bolt’s immense body and tossing it back onto the bed. “That money was supposed to go towards my college funding. Now that I’m dead, Mom and Dad have to use it some other way. Hopefully, we’ll be done with what we’re doing before then.”
“And what exactly are we doing?” asked Hibiki. Kenta chuckled. “You’re in, then? The first thing we’re doing is getting you to the place where you’re being held hostage.” He held his arm out the window and into the night. “Going this way? Or would you rather take the stairs?”
***
It was about one o’clock in the morning when Kenta and Hibiki arrived in Violet City. There had been no time for Hibiki to ask Kenta questions, because he’d been too busy hanging on for dear life as Bolt flew them through howling winds and low-visibility fog conditions. When they finally landed in the still and silent town, Hibiki was exhausted from the adrenaline trip of flying, coupled with the fact that it was hours past his bedtime. He watched through blurry eyes as Kenta reached into his right pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a Swiss Army knife. Looking up, his mind barely registered that they were standing right in front of the door to an old Summer school called “Earl’s Pokémon Academy.” Jiggling the knife inside the lock, Kenta clicked it open, then pulled the door aside. Hibiki looked down the dark hall within.
“Isn’t this breaking and entering?”
“Not if you’re here against your will, and I’m not a living person.” Kenta stood aside. “Besides, we haven’t broken anything. In you go. You too, Munchlax, Bolt.”
The two humans and pokémon made their way inside, and Hibiki took a moment to marvel at Bolt’s strength. Munchlax was a heavy little bugger. How the Salamence could lift him, and two other people at the same time, was beyond Hibiki. Then again, he’d had more surprises thrown at him this one night than he could handle. He couldn’t even prioritize the important ones over the unimportant now. A wave of exhaustion swept over him. Now wasn’t a time for thinking. He needed sleep.
***
“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”
“ . . . Wugh?”
Kenta watched as his younger brother slowly opened his eyes from sleep. He himself was sitting in a comfortable recliner, while Hibiki lay on the floor, using his traveler’s cloak as a blanket and Munchlax’s belly for a pillow. Hibiki glanced up at the ceiling for a moment, then looked at him. “Where . . . are we?”
“Good morning to you, too.” Kenta waved his hand at their surroundings. Nearly the entire room consisted of nothing but rows of bookshelves, and a few study desks at the center. “This is the Academy library,” he said breezily. “It’s a little dark and cold, but you could forget about that in an instant if you find a good book to read.” He glanced down at the pages of his own book: ‘Physics and the Pokeball: Secrets Defogged.’ “But that’s the catch- the book has to be good. I don’t understand the half of this jibber-jabber.”
Kenta noticed Hibiki scrunch his eyes as he tried to read the book’s title. “You’re trying to find out how pokeballs work?” he asked. “What for?”
“Knowledge is power.” Kenta closed the book and tossed it aside, his brain fried from reading. “But it’s no good if you don’t get the material. I was hoping something with a tenth grade reading level would be enough to get me through this.” He grinned apologetically at Hibiki, but the latter only returned him a cold look to show he was not amused. Kenta sighed unhappily. “Look, Hibiki,” he murmured, “I know I’ve been vague with you up until now, and I’m grateful that you’ve followed me anyway. If you want an explanation, you’ve earned one in full.”
Hibiki smiled, at last. “Yes, please,” he whispered politely. “I’d like that.”
It took all most of the morning for Kenta to reveal everything to Hibiki. When he’d finished saying all that he could, and answering every last one of his younger brother’s questions, he repeated his previous request with an outstretched hand.
“Now you know everything. Will you still help me?”
Hibiki took his older brother’s hand and shook it firmly, reinforcing his resolve with a meaningful smile. “I’m with you to the death, Kenta. To the very end.”
Kenta laughed nervously. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Finish up your ramen noodles, and we’ll get going.”
***
From Violet City, Kenta and Hibiki flew southbound for Azalea Town on Bolt’s back. Kenta sat at the forefront, holding onto the Salamence’s neck and watching the treetops below for signs of their destination. Munchlax clung to Kenta’s back, pointing down eagerly every so often at the berry tree sites and whining in disappointment when they sped right past. Behind them, Hibiki took inventory of all the items in their sack, somewhat reluctantly. He didn’t want to spend a second longer on it than he had to, rooting through his backpack when he could be holding onto someone so as not to fall.
“Kenta, we already went through this stuff back at the summer academy. We know what’s in here.”
“First rule of the military, Hibiki: always double-check your stock. The tiniest missing thing could put the whole mission in jeopardy.”
“All right, all right. I’ve got your old uniform here, including the hat with the wig, the brown cloak, a fresh pokeblock dispenser, three Revive potions, a small variation of berries, all 40,000 yen of my allowance savings . . . why’d we bring all of it at once?” he asked, looking up. “Should we really be putting all of our eggs in one basket?”
“It’s the only way the basket can be effective, my man,” replied Kenta merrily. “Uh, I know that didn’t make much sense, but screw it, you know what I mea-”
“Uh-oh!” Hibiki pulled frantically on Kenta’s sleeve, and he turned automatically to behold an unplanned, and certainly unwelcome sight. Behind them, flying about fifty feet away, hovered a uniformed officer on a Pidgeot, holding a megaphone in his hand. “Shoot,” muttered Kenta, “bogey at five o’ clock.”
“He’s gaining on us!” cried Hibiki, already panicking. “What should we do? What should we do?”
“Get that cloak on!” Kenta responded hastily, pointing to Hibiki’s backpack. “I’ll do the talking. You be ready for anything.”
“Attention, trainers on the Salamence!” came the officer’s voice in an artificially-amplified voice from behind them. “This is the Johto Sky Patrol. You are in possession of an illegal uber pokémon, as defined by the Government Restrictive Institute on Pokémon. Land immediately at the nearest forest clearing for questioning. This is an order!”