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Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter 43
Chapter Forty Four: The Discovery Room
Alaska was beginning to become quite sick of hospitals. The Lavender Town Medical Center technically wasn't a hospital, but Alaska still got the same vibe as she sat next to Sandy's bed: plain white walls, machines everywhere, the constant beeping from up and down the hallway outside, a strange artificial smell that clung to the air. It only made her think of being injured back in Vermillion City, and Alaska would have gladly left if it wasn't for her friend, lying nearly dead in front of her.
It was still a mystery how it had happened, but Charlotte had managed to extract the bullets from both Sandy and Trevor and heal them up enough so the two still had a fighting chance by the time they reached the hospital. Alaska felt guilty that she had become so distracted with the fortune teller and paced nervously in the waiting room as the doctor's fought to save the two. They required a short amount of surgery to finish what Charlotte had started, but both of them were soon healed, and Alaska had been able to breathe properly for the first time in hours.
Hours had passed since then, and Alaska now sat beside Sandy's overly crisp bed, staring at the slow rise and fall of her friend's chest. The blonde looked completely different in the white hospital gown, her skin still pale despite the blood transfusion she had had, or something like that: Alaska was struggling to stay awake and kept zoning out when the doctor explained what had happened. She heard that Sandy would live and was happy with that, and only got annoyed when the doctor kept talking. It wasn't like she was going to give him a grade or anything for his work.
Even now Alaska was finding it a challenge to keep her eyes open, but she wanted to be there when Sandy woke up, just to make sure everything was alright and her friend wouldn't freak out. She had sent Frances off to collect a hot chocolate or a coffee, preferably something strong and alcoholic, in order to keep her through the long hours to come until Sandy was finally able to awake.
"Hey there." Alaska turned to the door and was surprised to see Daisy standing in the doorway, smiling softly as her eyes darted between Alaska and Sandy. "How is she?"
"She's fine," Alaska replied stonily, noting how Daisy was now walking in without an invitation. "How is Trevor?"
"He is doing well, he woke up about half an hour ago," Daisy explained, moving over to the opposite side of the bed. "He feels terrible about what happened, though he did leave you in the Radio Tower for your protection. He asked me to pass on his best wishes to Sandy and he said he'll come and visit when his strength is up."
"Brilliant," Alaska said, forcing a smile that she figured came out more as a scowl but didn't care either way. She wanted Daisy to go away and leave her alone with her friend and her thoughts, but didn't have the strength to tell her to piss off and could only watch as the brunette settled into the other chair.
"Trevor asked me to come here for another reason," Daisy explained, her voice suddenly going quiet as she stared intently at Sandy. "You see, my name is Daisy Oak, granddaughter to Professor Samuel Oak and the Elite Four member Agatha. I have spent the last six years working for my grandfather and his friend Bill, who I believe you've met. It was through my work as a Pokemon professor that I was first approached by the International Police to assist them with a variety of cases." Alaska's interest suddenly rose and she stared across at Daisy, knowing where this was going. "I have worked with Trevor multiple times, and he recruited me after the incident at Pewter City to help me work out what Gideon was planning."
"Has he been to Viridian Forest or the Underground Tunnel lately?" Alaska asked eagerly, thinking back to the mysterious man in the shadows who had saved her from the killer robots twice. However, Daisy looked confused, and Alaska shook her head. "Never mind… continue."
"Yes… right… well, I have been trying to work out what Gideon is trying to do, but this has become difficult since he is one of the most brilliant minds in the world and as such has all his work protected immensely," Daisy continued. "However, I have begun to build up a theory, and I believe that Gideon is trying to build or steal a fossil machine and plans to resurrect a deadly new breed of the ancient fossil Pokemon."
"That sounds a bit cra – well, now that you mention it…," Alaska said, and she leaned back in her chair and thought back: Gideon had stolen those fossils from Mt Moon, and he had been searching for some sort of fancy equipment at the museum but had to leave due her botching his plans. He had been disappointed by the fossils on display as well, so maybe he was looking for a stronger breed.
"You may have noticed that his Magnezone was a darker colour than usual," Daisy continued. "When Team Rocket first attacked Kanto in 2008 and Johto in 2009, one of their many side plans involved forcing evolution upon Pokemon. This failed spectacularly on a series of Magikarp ate the Lake of Rage in North Johto, but I believe Gideon has worked on creating a better machine to force evolution upon his Pokemon and make them stronger. He would have had to have left his lab in order to evolve his Magneton to Magnezone, or used a proper trading machine to get his Porygon-Z that attacked Vermillion."
"I don't get it though: what does forced evolution have to do with fossils, and what about that book he had when he ran off?" Alaska asked, rubbing her temple slightly.
"I am not sure how everything fits together exactly, but I do know that Giovanni, the former Team Rocket leader, was intent on trying to create the perfect Pokemon," Daisy explained. "Have you ever heard of Mewtwo?" Alaska nodded, having seen a documentary about this mysterious Pokemon a few years ago, but barely knew anything aside from that he was a psychotic experiment gone wrong. "Well, he is Team Rocket's responsibility, a failed attempt to make a brilliant Pokemon that they could control. Maybe Gideon has found a way to combine Fossil Regeneration and Forced Evolution to create perfect Pokemon using Kabutops, Omanstar and Aerodactyl? We can't be certain about anything, and as for Charlotte's spell book, that is just something else to worry and wonder about."
"Wait, that book is a spell book?" Alaska asked, and Daisy gave a brisk nod. "What the hell, why is there a spell book just casually lying around for people to take? And what is up with that bitch of a ghost anyway? She came in and got us to fight for her, and then didn't even join in! Next time I see that little tart I am going to give her a piece of my mind!" Daisy sighed and leaned back in her chair, rolling her eyes at the ceiling.
"Charlotte is a very annoying person to deal with, but there is nothing we can really do about her," she answered in a slight droll as if she was being forced to say these words. "It would take me too long to explain her story to you, but she has been the unwilling and foul tempered servant to Arceus for the last two thousand years, and with that comes a lot of power and knowledge that she is both willing to dish out and hold above us. She would have had a reason for doing what she did, though I cannot tell you I have any grip on what fuels Charlotte's decisions." Alaska nodded, though she still felt angry, and she stared down at Sandy as her fury went through her: it was really Charlotte's fault that Sandy was laying there, a hole through her chest that she had barely survived, and even if the ghost had saved her, Alaska still had every right to be angry with Charlotte… or did she? Alaska groaned and slumped back in her chair: nothing seemed to make sense anymore, and she desperately wanted to sleep the day off so she could probably comprehend the day tomorrow with a fresh mind. How had her journey come down to trying to work out the reasons a ghost had betrayed her, or getting advice from nameless fortune tellers?
"I saw a fortune teller before, when I tried to chase Gideon down," Alaska said, her eyes focused on the ceiling as she thought back to the red velvet tent and the copper skinned woman with all her answers to questions Alaska hadn't asked. "She told me the dead would rise before my battle is over. Do you think she means the fossils?"
"Who knows anymore," Daisy answered unhelpfully. "Nothing has made sense to me over these last five years. I have witnessed multiple groups try to destroy the world, and even after having three years of near peace, I still have no idea what would have truly driven those men to act, just like how I have no idea why Gideon is doing all of this. Why did he destroy Vermillion City like that? What does he need Charlotte's spell book for? Frankly, I want to put my feet up and relax, but Trevor said that once he and Sandy have recovered that we are to escort you to friends of ours in Celadon where we will have a chance to relax."
"That will be nice," Alaska said wearily. Another thought suddenly occurred to her, and while Alaska really wanted to sleep, she had to ask it now while she had the chance. "Are you aware how we have been attacked by robots, and some crazed gunman tried to kill us this morning?" She asked, glancing at Daisy, who nodded back. "Do you have any idea who might be behind that?" Daisy looked sadly back at Alaska, and the trainer thought there was something odd about this particular look, a look that didn't seem quite the right response to this question.
"I am afraid we do not know," she said with a voice to match her expression. "We can tell you though that it does not seem like something Gideon would waste his resources on, when he has other methods of defeating you that are much more direct and reliable. We are looking into it, just like we are looking into the producers behind your favourite TV show, and if something comes up I will let you know." Daisy had smiled when she mentioned the reality show, and Alaska smiled briefly at the joke, though was disappointed that she didn't have an answer.
There was a sudden beep right next to her, and Alaska turned in shock: Sandy's heart monitor had suddenly changed from the same tune it had been playing for the past two hours, and Alaska instantly had dark thoughts. However, Sandy's right hand began to twitch, and her eyelids slowly began to flicker.
"Sandy, can you hear me? Are you alright, are you in any pain?" Alaska asked instantly, clutching her hand's friend, just like she had back on the road. Daisy rushed outside and called for a nurse as Sandy let out a little groan and turned her head slowly towards Alaska, somehow looking more pained and sadder than she had while asleep, but Alaska was too overjoyed to see her friend's eyes open once again to care.
"A…. las…. ka… what's… go… ing… on?" Sandy asked, her voice sounded hoarse, making it seem that she had just aged rapidly in the past few hours. Alaska smiled down at her as her eyes became watery, and she clutched her hand even tighter.
I wish I knew Sandy, I wish I knew, Alaska thought, and as the doctor and several nurses came rushing in to check on and pushed Alaska aside, she could only speculate about what the answer could be. Maybe as they all recovered Alaska would be able to discover more answers and finally solve some of her questions. But all Alaska knew for certain was that she had earned a week off, and while Sandy healed, she would finally give her mind a chance to rest and hope it could fully recover through all it was going through.
Blog and interlude double up next! Anyone have theories on what Gideon might truly be planning? Are you relieved Sandy is going to live? Did this part clear up some stuff for you or are you still confused? I also feel that some people may wonder what the purpose was of Sandy getting shot. I can promise that the blog and interlude will shed some light on it, and the effects of the incident will affect the story as a whole rather than become suddenly clear. I can promise it wasn't some cheap gimmick or anything like that.
Chapter Forty Four: The Discovery Room
Alaska was beginning to become quite sick of hospitals. The Lavender Town Medical Center technically wasn't a hospital, but Alaska still got the same vibe as she sat next to Sandy's bed: plain white walls, machines everywhere, the constant beeping from up and down the hallway outside, a strange artificial smell that clung to the air. It only made her think of being injured back in Vermillion City, and Alaska would have gladly left if it wasn't for her friend, lying nearly dead in front of her.
It was still a mystery how it had happened, but Charlotte had managed to extract the bullets from both Sandy and Trevor and heal them up enough so the two still had a fighting chance by the time they reached the hospital. Alaska felt guilty that she had become so distracted with the fortune teller and paced nervously in the waiting room as the doctor's fought to save the two. They required a short amount of surgery to finish what Charlotte had started, but both of them were soon healed, and Alaska had been able to breathe properly for the first time in hours.
Hours had passed since then, and Alaska now sat beside Sandy's overly crisp bed, staring at the slow rise and fall of her friend's chest. The blonde looked completely different in the white hospital gown, her skin still pale despite the blood transfusion she had had, or something like that: Alaska was struggling to stay awake and kept zoning out when the doctor explained what had happened. She heard that Sandy would live and was happy with that, and only got annoyed when the doctor kept talking. It wasn't like she was going to give him a grade or anything for his work.
Even now Alaska was finding it a challenge to keep her eyes open, but she wanted to be there when Sandy woke up, just to make sure everything was alright and her friend wouldn't freak out. She had sent Frances off to collect a hot chocolate or a coffee, preferably something strong and alcoholic, in order to keep her through the long hours to come until Sandy was finally able to awake.
"Hey there." Alaska turned to the door and was surprised to see Daisy standing in the doorway, smiling softly as her eyes darted between Alaska and Sandy. "How is she?"
"She's fine," Alaska replied stonily, noting how Daisy was now walking in without an invitation. "How is Trevor?"
"He is doing well, he woke up about half an hour ago," Daisy explained, moving over to the opposite side of the bed. "He feels terrible about what happened, though he did leave you in the Radio Tower for your protection. He asked me to pass on his best wishes to Sandy and he said he'll come and visit when his strength is up."
"Brilliant," Alaska said, forcing a smile that she figured came out more as a scowl but didn't care either way. She wanted Daisy to go away and leave her alone with her friend and her thoughts, but didn't have the strength to tell her to piss off and could only watch as the brunette settled into the other chair.
"Trevor asked me to come here for another reason," Daisy explained, her voice suddenly going quiet as she stared intently at Sandy. "You see, my name is Daisy Oak, granddaughter to Professor Samuel Oak and the Elite Four member Agatha. I have spent the last six years working for my grandfather and his friend Bill, who I believe you've met. It was through my work as a Pokemon professor that I was first approached by the International Police to assist them with a variety of cases." Alaska's interest suddenly rose and she stared across at Daisy, knowing where this was going. "I have worked with Trevor multiple times, and he recruited me after the incident at Pewter City to help me work out what Gideon was planning."
"Has he been to Viridian Forest or the Underground Tunnel lately?" Alaska asked eagerly, thinking back to the mysterious man in the shadows who had saved her from the killer robots twice. However, Daisy looked confused, and Alaska shook her head. "Never mind… continue."
"Yes… right… well, I have been trying to work out what Gideon is trying to do, but this has become difficult since he is one of the most brilliant minds in the world and as such has all his work protected immensely," Daisy continued. "However, I have begun to build up a theory, and I believe that Gideon is trying to build or steal a fossil machine and plans to resurrect a deadly new breed of the ancient fossil Pokemon."
"That sounds a bit cra – well, now that you mention it…," Alaska said, and she leaned back in her chair and thought back: Gideon had stolen those fossils from Mt Moon, and he had been searching for some sort of fancy equipment at the museum but had to leave due her botching his plans. He had been disappointed by the fossils on display as well, so maybe he was looking for a stronger breed.
"You may have noticed that his Magnezone was a darker colour than usual," Daisy continued. "When Team Rocket first attacked Kanto in 2008 and Johto in 2009, one of their many side plans involved forcing evolution upon Pokemon. This failed spectacularly on a series of Magikarp ate the Lake of Rage in North Johto, but I believe Gideon has worked on creating a better machine to force evolution upon his Pokemon and make them stronger. He would have had to have left his lab in order to evolve his Magneton to Magnezone, or used a proper trading machine to get his Porygon-Z that attacked Vermillion."
"I don't get it though: what does forced evolution have to do with fossils, and what about that book he had when he ran off?" Alaska asked, rubbing her temple slightly.
"I am not sure how everything fits together exactly, but I do know that Giovanni, the former Team Rocket leader, was intent on trying to create the perfect Pokemon," Daisy explained. "Have you ever heard of Mewtwo?" Alaska nodded, having seen a documentary about this mysterious Pokemon a few years ago, but barely knew anything aside from that he was a psychotic experiment gone wrong. "Well, he is Team Rocket's responsibility, a failed attempt to make a brilliant Pokemon that they could control. Maybe Gideon has found a way to combine Fossil Regeneration and Forced Evolution to create perfect Pokemon using Kabutops, Omanstar and Aerodactyl? We can't be certain about anything, and as for Charlotte's spell book, that is just something else to worry and wonder about."
"Wait, that book is a spell book?" Alaska asked, and Daisy gave a brisk nod. "What the hell, why is there a spell book just casually lying around for people to take? And what is up with that bitch of a ghost anyway? She came in and got us to fight for her, and then didn't even join in! Next time I see that little tart I am going to give her a piece of my mind!" Daisy sighed and leaned back in her chair, rolling her eyes at the ceiling.
"Charlotte is a very annoying person to deal with, but there is nothing we can really do about her," she answered in a slight droll as if she was being forced to say these words. "It would take me too long to explain her story to you, but she has been the unwilling and foul tempered servant to Arceus for the last two thousand years, and with that comes a lot of power and knowledge that she is both willing to dish out and hold above us. She would have had a reason for doing what she did, though I cannot tell you I have any grip on what fuels Charlotte's decisions." Alaska nodded, though she still felt angry, and she stared down at Sandy as her fury went through her: it was really Charlotte's fault that Sandy was laying there, a hole through her chest that she had barely survived, and even if the ghost had saved her, Alaska still had every right to be angry with Charlotte… or did she? Alaska groaned and slumped back in her chair: nothing seemed to make sense anymore, and she desperately wanted to sleep the day off so she could probably comprehend the day tomorrow with a fresh mind. How had her journey come down to trying to work out the reasons a ghost had betrayed her, or getting advice from nameless fortune tellers?
"I saw a fortune teller before, when I tried to chase Gideon down," Alaska said, her eyes focused on the ceiling as she thought back to the red velvet tent and the copper skinned woman with all her answers to questions Alaska hadn't asked. "She told me the dead would rise before my battle is over. Do you think she means the fossils?"
"Who knows anymore," Daisy answered unhelpfully. "Nothing has made sense to me over these last five years. I have witnessed multiple groups try to destroy the world, and even after having three years of near peace, I still have no idea what would have truly driven those men to act, just like how I have no idea why Gideon is doing all of this. Why did he destroy Vermillion City like that? What does he need Charlotte's spell book for? Frankly, I want to put my feet up and relax, but Trevor said that once he and Sandy have recovered that we are to escort you to friends of ours in Celadon where we will have a chance to relax."
"That will be nice," Alaska said wearily. Another thought suddenly occurred to her, and while Alaska really wanted to sleep, she had to ask it now while she had the chance. "Are you aware how we have been attacked by robots, and some crazed gunman tried to kill us this morning?" She asked, glancing at Daisy, who nodded back. "Do you have any idea who might be behind that?" Daisy looked sadly back at Alaska, and the trainer thought there was something odd about this particular look, a look that didn't seem quite the right response to this question.
"I am afraid we do not know," she said with a voice to match her expression. "We can tell you though that it does not seem like something Gideon would waste his resources on, when he has other methods of defeating you that are much more direct and reliable. We are looking into it, just like we are looking into the producers behind your favourite TV show, and if something comes up I will let you know." Daisy had smiled when she mentioned the reality show, and Alaska smiled briefly at the joke, though was disappointed that she didn't have an answer.
There was a sudden beep right next to her, and Alaska turned in shock: Sandy's heart monitor had suddenly changed from the same tune it had been playing for the past two hours, and Alaska instantly had dark thoughts. However, Sandy's right hand began to twitch, and her eyelids slowly began to flicker.
"Sandy, can you hear me? Are you alright, are you in any pain?" Alaska asked instantly, clutching her hand's friend, just like she had back on the road. Daisy rushed outside and called for a nurse as Sandy let out a little groan and turned her head slowly towards Alaska, somehow looking more pained and sadder than she had while asleep, but Alaska was too overjoyed to see her friend's eyes open once again to care.
"A…. las…. ka… what's… go… ing… on?" Sandy asked, her voice sounded hoarse, making it seem that she had just aged rapidly in the past few hours. Alaska smiled down at her as her eyes became watery, and she clutched her hand even tighter.
I wish I knew Sandy, I wish I knew, Alaska thought, and as the doctor and several nurses came rushing in to check on and pushed Alaska aside, she could only speculate about what the answer could be. Maybe as they all recovered Alaska would be able to discover more answers and finally solve some of her questions. But all Alaska knew for certain was that she had earned a week off, and while Sandy healed, she would finally give her mind a chance to rest and hope it could fully recover through all it was going through.
Blog and interlude double up next! Anyone have theories on what Gideon might truly be planning? Are you relieved Sandy is going to live? Did this part clear up some stuff for you or are you still confused? I also feel that some people may wonder what the purpose was of Sandy getting shot. I can promise that the blog and interlude will shed some light on it, and the effects of the incident will affect the story as a whole rather than become suddenly clear. I can promise it wasn't some cheap gimmick or anything like that.