Pokemon Mystery Dungeon- アメリカの探査

[Pokenutter]

Chapter 1
Grovyle

New York City
June 17th, 2009
The hot summer sun was reflecting off of the pavement in waves. It was right outside of a bar, and a Nintendo convention/press conference was in town. So, of course, no one noticed the Grovyle sitting on the street corner, busily typing away at a laptop.
He quickly clicked the computer shut, and nervously took a bite of a soft pretzel. They were late again. It seemed like they were always late.
A swooshing sound brought his attention back to his laptop. An Internet News window had opened up at the bottom of his screen. He clicked on it, and was greeted with this message:

NINTENDO PUSHES BACK DSi RELEASE AGAIN!
CONTEST DSiS RECALLED

He rolled his eyes. It had taken them this long to realize that there was something wrong with those contest DSis? That there was one extra piece?
He closed his eyes, and thought back. Back to the day that this whole thing started...
***
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
February 20th, 2009
I couldn't believe my luck.
They had said that it couldn't be done. They had said that only a few people in the entire country would succeed. However, I had done it.
I had won a advance copy Nintendo DSi!
Two days ago, Nintendo of America had announced a contest, where the winner would win a Nintendo DSi two months in advance. All the hopefuls had to do was email their names in for a random drawing. I had won, and a DSi was headed for my house first class. I would receive it after school today.
Later, I would look back on my giddy fanboyishness with wonder. However, remember that I couldn't possibly have guessed the outcome of that fateful day.
I arrived home from school, and immediately began rifling through the mail, searching for my package. I found it, and dashed upstairs to my room, and closed the door. I wanted to enjoy my first DSi experience uninterrupted.
The game that I picked up was Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time. I had gotten into the game around six months ago, when I had found out that my best friend had “grown out” of Pokemon. It seemed a shame to toss the cartridge, so I tried it out.
Simply put, I was hooked the moment that I turned it on.
I had been close to finishing the game that day, and had started out on an emotional cut scene involving the alteration of a time line. I wasn't halfway done with the cut scene, when I was called downstairs. I rolled my eyes, and pushed the power button just as Grovyle disappeared through the time vortex. Suddenly, a spark jumped from the DSi onto my finger. I felt a cold sensation slide down my spine, and everything went black.
***
When I came to my senses, I could immediately tell that something was wrong. For starters, the ceiling was too high. Second, the room was a whole heck of a lot colder than it had been before. Finally, there were leaves growing out of my arms.
At this last revelation, I jumped a bit. I was horizontal at the time, so my leg hit the side of my bed. Immediately, I shot across the room, and cracked my head against my bedroom door.
I dimly remember my mother calling up, asking me if I was all right. I simply replied that I had misjudged where my head was in relation to the door.
I don't remember much of what happened in the next few minutes. All that I know was that I was walking through my backyard, keeping in line with the trees for camouflage. For God only knows what reason, I had brought the DSi along, as well as a DS Lite that I had almost trashed when I'd found out about winning. I don't know why I brought either, but it worked out later on. The Lite would provide entertainment, and the DSi would provide answers.
It was that night that I first experienced cold. Cold is nothing when your a warm-blooded mammal, but to a three-foot lizard, it's hell on earth. Rather than a slight inconvenience, it's a million tiny hands grabbing your insides and shaking. It's a malevolent force determined to rip the life out of you.
Needless to say, I shivered with every step that I took. Moving was torture, and even breathing was just short of suicide. I wanted to just stop. If I stopped, I could just simply lay down, and die. However, I couldn't get answers dead. So, I kept moving onward.
I eventually found a gas station, and huddled under a truck in the process of refueling, silently thanking God that the engine had to be kept on. I then began to collect my thoughts.
I knew that I had changed. I was playing Mystery Dungeon at the time, so I was probably a Pokemon. Given the leaves, and the cold-bloodedness, I was either Grovyle or Sceptile. Finally, due to the fact that Grovyle vanished the moment that I hit the power button, I was definitely a Grovyle.
I needed answers. I needed the emails of the other contest winners, access to the Nintendo DSi manufacturing lines (Hacking was always one of my strong suits), and news concerning all moves made by Nintendo. However, I didn't own a computer of any sort, even before this incident. So, how was I going to get what I needed?
Right. I would steal a laptop.
***
I found that I could cling to any surface with ease, so I hitched a ride on the underside of the truck that I had found. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, don't grab the underside of a truck and hang there; I almost got the top of my head taken off when the dang thing hit a speed bump.
The truck eventually stopped outside of a bookstore, and the driver left to grab some coffee. I, on the other hand, was heading towards a Circuit City located right next door.
Now, there may be some out there who are questioning what I was about to do. However, they were going out of business, and they probably wouldn't miss one laptop.
I slipped in, and waited in one of the back rooms for the store to close. I didn't have to wait long, and soon all of the lights were out.
I slipped down each aisle, and eventually found what I was looking for. The laptop had to be small, and compact. It also had to look good, and run an OS that allowed fairly smooth hacking, but could double as something else.
I eventually found what I was looking for; the MacBook Air.
Now, I didn't want to wait until later to open it, so I sat down, and opened it up right then and there. This turned out to be a stupid move, as it ended setting off the alarms.
Two armed security guards rushed in, and began combing the aisles, looking for me. I slowly began to move away towards the exit, laptop still clutched in my arms. It would have been a perfect exit, too, if not for the fact that I knocked some stereo equipment over on my way out.
A moment later, they were descending on my position. Great. Now, I was Grovyle, the thief.
I had to think, otherwise I was dead. They don't just drag gigantic lizards into police stations, you know.
I then remembered what had happened in my room. I had shot my legs out in surprise, hit the bed, and rocketed across the room.
Perhaps that could work vertically, too.
I took a running start, and jumped. I just barely managed to grab the ceiling with both legs and an arm, then began an awkward Spider-Man-like crawl towards the exit.
I knew that they had heard me when the bullet grazed my hand.
It wasn't enough to draw blood, but it was enough to make me let go with my hand. I hung there, by both feet, upside- down.
If I just stayed there, I was an easy target. So, I did the most logical thing possible; I launched myself at the exit, praying that it would open.
My head cracked against the doors, a mere second before they opened. Immediately, they were on me. I heard them talking.
“What the hell is it?”
“I don't care! Shoot it, before it does anything potentially dangerous!”
Well, I wasn't having any of that. I hopskipped backwards, some what dizzily, into the parking lot. Then, I jumped onto the roof.
I landed just in time to hear the final snippets of their conversation.
“Did you see that?”
“No, and neither did you.”
I had the laptop. I had actually pulled it off. Now, all that I had to do was use it. I chuckled to myself, and I was gone in a rustle of leaves.

 

[Pokenutter]

Chapter 2
Meowth Found

March 9th, 2009

February finished without incident. The first week of March, however, contained a snowstorm that almost turned me into a Popsicle. I avoided that by stealing an old jacket from a Goodwill and some heat packets from a supermarket just down the road. I only found out anything worthwhile on the 7th, when I found out why the DSi had functioned as it had.
An extra part had been added. I couldn't figure out what it was, or its purpose. All I knew was that it was a piece of metal, 1/16''/2''/2'', which had programming on it that I couldn't decode.
Eventually, I just gave up on the endeavor. However, two days later, I received an email from Nintendo of America. I had sent an email a day or two after I changed, asking for the emails of the other contest winners. The emails were [email protected] and kings_side_rook on deviantART. The second address was the guy's deviantART because, apparently, he didn't send his email.
I immediately began to wonder which I should contact first. I eventually decided on nerftennisnut, because I actually knew his email. I opened up a chat window.
***
matrix2009 has logged in
nerftennisnut has logged in
nerftennisnut says, “Who are you, and how the hell did you get my email address?”
matrix2009 says, “I'm one of the people who won one of the contest Dsis.”
nerftennisnut says, “Spiffy for you. Why did you want to talk?”
matrix2009 says, “I noticed something odd after playing with the DSi for a while.”
nerftennisnut says, “What? Gameplay experience not what you hoped?”
matrix2009 says, “No. Guess again.”
nerftennisnut says, “Did it fall apart?”
matrix2009 says, “No.”
nerftennisnut says, “Then WTF are you going on about?!?!?!?”
matrix2009 says, “I'm talking about transformations. Did you change in any way at all?”
nerftennisnut says, “Nope! Nothing over here! Just 100% normality! Now, I advise you to leave me alone!”
nerftennisnut has logged out
***
I couldn't believe it. I had been totally brushed off, and, to top it off, I had been logged out on! This was something that I just couldn't let slide. I began to trace the signal of the email address. I found the source, and remote accessed in.
I clicked an icon, and watched as his webcam activated. I turned on mine, and braced myself for what I might be about to see.
A Meowth was on the other end, busily typing away.
“Stupid keyboard! Work already, dammit! Initialize firewall!”
“It's not going to work,” I told him. “I have complete control of your computer. Or, to put it another was, All your database are belong to me.”
“How the hell did you get to my computer?” he snapped. Then, he realized that he was talking to a Grovyle.
“You!”
“Moi.”
“How did you remote access in?”
“I'm a hacker. I figured that it would come in handy. I take it that you are another contest winner?”
“No, I'm a purebred Siamese. Of course I'm a contest winner! How do you think this happened?”
He motioned toward himself, and I nodded.
“So, did you hack my system just to find out if there were others, or for a good reason?”
“We need to find out what's going on. I was hoping that I could have a few people along for the ride.”
“What kind of skills do you need? I'm a pretty good lockpick, or a pickpocket. My name's-”
“I wouldn't recommend that you tell me your name just yet. With the plans that I'm orchestrating, we'll be big-name criminals by the time that this is over. We don't want anything to connect you to your previous life.”
I saw a grin beginning to form on his face. “Criminals? I'm definitely your ally. Is there a place that you want us to meet?”
“Let me talk to the other guy first. I'll get back to you after that.”
“Okay. Sayonara, Grovie!”
As I closed the link, I made a mental note to tell him never to call me “Grovie” the next time that we met.
***
The other guy was offline, so I posted o n his page, saying that we needed to talk. I clicked the laptop shut, satisfied that I at least had one ally.
The day closed without much incident. I stole some food, and then clung to the underside of another truck for about a half hour, before ending up at a temporary shelter that I had found about a week before; an old, abandoned building that had at one time been a pizza place, but was now mainly space to be taken up.
That night, I began to seriously wonder about my new body. Were Pokemon moves possible? Did the Pokemon internal systems work similarly to human ones? I knew that the motor functions, respiratory systems, and nervous systems were similar, but what about digestion? Were there drawbacks to living on cold hot dogs and chips? What about the skeleton? Was it hollow, like a bird's, solid, like a mammal's, or hard as diamonds? Did muscles have the same capacity, or did they allow for greater flexibility? Also, if I was injured in Pokemon form, would my human form also suffer damage?
I began to experiment with a few of these questions. As far as Pokemon moves go, I had Leaf Blade (I had to strain a bit to get the leaves to sharpen), Dig, and Quick Attack. I guessed that I also might have Absorb, but there were no targets to test it on that would make sense.
I was unable to test the other factors, but I would, eventually.
With that, I went to bed.

 

[Pokenutter]

Chapter 3
Chimchar found, then lost again

April 27th, 2009

It was three weeks before kings_side_rook managed to contact me. I had been planning to leave town at the time, and a message popped up on the computer.
“We need to talk. Urgent. Respond immediately.”
I opened up iChat, and started up a video chat. He accepted, and the image of a rather put-out Chimchar greeted me.
“What are the odds that we’d all be playing Pokémon Games?” I asked.
“Do you want the actual figures?”
“Not particularly.”
“So, you seem to already understand the urgency of the situation. We need to find a place to physically meet. Where are you?”
His question unnerved me. I had only known him for thirty seconds (with know being the loosest possible interpretation), and already he was asking to meet. Nevertheless, I opened up a video chat with Meowth, and had Chimchar establish a connection as well. Meowth’s first question was predictable.
“Wow. What are the odds that we’d all be playing Pokémon games?”
“If you people don’t legitimately want the odds, don’t ask.”
Before this could evolve into a full-scale argument (which I had a sneaking suspicion that Meowth would lose horribly), I stepped in.
“Chimchar suggested that we find a meeting place. Where is everybody right now?”
“D.C.” answered Meowth.
“Portland, Maine.” Replied Chimchar.
“I’m somewhere near Harrisburg.”
A moment of quiet contemplation later, Meowth asked, “So, where should we meet?”
I began to think about it, and opened up a news window. I searched “Nintendo”, and saw that there was an upcoming press conference in...
“New York,” I answered. “Nintendo is having a press conference there.”
Chimchar raised his eyebrows. “I'm afraid to ask, but what does a press conference have to do with our current predicament?”
“That's simple,” I answered. “We're going to kidnap Satoru Iwata.”
***
Their reactions were predictable. Chimchar gave a bit of a start, and Meowth looked like Christmas had come early.
Chimchar spoke first. “We're going to kidnap the head of Nintendo of America? Are you insane? I'm only 14, and you're asking me to commit a felony? Are you aware of the jail time that we're in for if we're caught?”
“That's why we're not going to get caught.”
“You are insane!”
Meowth spoke in a eerily ecstatic voice. “We're going to be criminals. It's like a dream come true.”
Chimchar stared aghast at Meowth. “You're more of a mental case than he is! I thought that perhaps I'd be able to have suitable traveling companions, but I've got a reprobate and a junior hacker! And to think, I was worried about breaking into this Internet cafe!”
Before I could protest, he cut his connection.
Meowth turned to me, and said, “I knew that we wouldn't like that stuck-up loser. When do we leave?”
“Do you honestly think it's going anywhere now? I may have moved him towards the cliff, but you pushed him over the edge! If removing potential allies is your cost to become a criminal, then I won't work with you. Goodbye.”
With that, I cut my connection.
Meowth sent me several requests for a video chat, but I ignored them all. You see, I was packing. I was headed out, without having to worry about either Meowth or Chimchar. I would go out on my own, and find answers.
I snuck out, stole a bit of food, and then snagged a passing truck. I was headed out, and, for the first time, I was truly alone.

 

[woops]

Err, double space paragraphs. The limit to time between chapter postage is 3 hours minimum. Them it might be more readable.

 

[Pokenutter]

Err, double space paragraphs. The limit to time between chapter postage is 3 hours minimum. Them it might be more readable.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Pokenutter]

Chapter 4
Chimchar Found Again

May 2th, 2009
Around about Altoona, I hopped off near a rest stop. I was here to swap trucks, and, I hoped, check my email. Boy, was I surprised when the most recent message was from Chimchar. I opened it, and read.

“I have considered your offer, and have decided that it's better to break the law than to remain an outcast forever. Contact me after you receive this email.”

I opened up a video chat, and Chimchar appeared with a dejected look on his face. Before I could ask what his problem was, he answered my question.

“My family threw me out. All I did was try to go home, and they decided to use this as an excuse to throw me out.”

“How do you know?”

“I snuck back after they threw the brick at me. They were seated at a table, toasting the fact that I was gone. They specifically named me in that toast. I had wondered if they thought that I was just baggage, and now it's been confirmed. If at all possible, I'd like to come with you.”

I nodded. I couldn't begin to understand what he was going through, but I could at least help him feel like he belonged somewhere.

“You can come. Out of curiosity, do you have anything that I should know about, like diabetes, or an allergy, or annoying habits?”

“I'm a fair shot with firearms; I've been going to a shooting range since I was eight. I'm a certified genius, with an IQ of 169. I'm allergic to bee stings, but I won't have to worry about that this time of year. I speak with long words, and have a tendency to learn stuff that I shouldn't.”

“Okay, nothing that should annoy me personally. Are you hijacking another internet cafe?”

“Yes.”

“Try to steal a laptop. We'll need almost immediate communication at times.”

“Okay, hold on a second.”

There was a loud ripping sound, and Chimchar reappeared onscreen.
“Laptop stolen,” he stated. “Awaiting further orders.”

His screen closed, and I contacted Meowth. His screen opened, and immediately closed. I requested another, and he ignored it. I hacked his computer, and opened up iChat. His face appeared, and he picked that moment to flip the screen off.

“What the hell do you want?”

“I came to apologize,” I said. “I said some things last week that shouldn't have been said.”

“Damn right you did. It seems that you're too high and mighty to deal with my presence. Now, if you came for a reason, let's hear it.”

“The New York job is back on.”

I saw something flicker across his face. He turned, and met my gaze. “Am I a part of it?”

“You are very much a part of it.”

He gleefully smiled, and spoke. “Well, I have no reason to stay mad at you. Is that Chimchar guy coming?”

“Yes. His family threw him out.”

“Idiots. My family was very accepting.”

“Yes, but you turned into a cat. He turned into a flaming monkey.”

“Point taken. When should I leave?”

“Immediately. I'll set up a place to meet.”

“Right. Over and out, Grovie.”

“Don't call me Grovie.”

“Okay. What do you want me to call you?”'

“Just Grovyle. Don't call me anything except Grovyle.”

“Righto, Grovyle! I'll see you in the Big Apple.”

He logged out, and I opened another chat with Chimchar.

“We're all coming. Keep that laptop with you, and make sure that the battery doesn't die. I'll contact the two of you when I find a place to meet.”

I clicked the laptop shut. I took a look around the surrounding area, and found an unlocked truck. The guy had left his wallet in plain view. I sifted through it, and counted what he had. The guy was probably keeping a portion of his life's savings in that wallet; there was over $1,000 in there. I was about to take it, when I realized that this rest stop was on the turnpike. He'd need to pay toll. I decided to leave him about half of it.

This thief stuff was quickly becoming a drill. I usually just stole food, maybe a dollar or two, but around about $500 was another story entirely. I would certainly have to see a priest when this whole affair was over. I returned to the underside of the truck, and slipped back into the storage area behind some boxes.

Now, it would get interesting. I had the support of two other people. One was a genius, and the other was the embodiment of larceny. Finally, my plans were well underway.

 

[Pokenutter]

Chapter 5
Holiday and Boulevard A

May 17th, 2009

Finally, New York City!

I kept to the shadows, being careful not to be seen. However, to a country boy, cities are marvelous no matter where you're viewing from.

I had a look in my laptop case, where I'd been keeping the money that I'd stolen over the past few weeks. Every time, I'd emptied exactly half of the wallet, but that added up fast. I had counted the previous night, and had a total of $4,829. This would probably be enough for a bribe or three.

I pulled out my laptop, and sent out an email to Meowth and Chimchar. “I'm in New York now. There are a series of warehouses in the suburbs. I'll be in number 84. See you then.”

I snuck out to said warehouses, and slipped a note under the door of the main office. “$2,000 says that nobody is in Warehouse 84.”

I then doled out said cash. While I was doing so, I spotted something that made me stop entirely.

There was a missing child poster with my face on it on a nearby telephone pole.

I completely stopped what I was doing. I stepped toward it, even risking coming out into the light to do so. I reached out, and took the poster down. There was my address, the names of my parents, even the exact time that they thought that I left. I realized that I was still in the middle of the street, and retreated back into the shadows.

“You're lucky to have someone who cares enough about you to look.”

I jumped a little, then spun around. Chimchar stood behind me, a bag in one hand and his laptop in the other.

“How long have you been back here?”

“Since you pulled the poster off. It's a good thing that nobody saw you.”
I relaxed a bit. “It's good to finally meet you in person. Do you want me to call you Chimchar, or by a nickname, or...”

“Just Chimchar. Given our current circumstances, it'd probably be a very bad idea to be tied back to our previous lives. We should go by aliases based on our Pokemon bodies.”

“I understood about half of that. Do you know when Meowth is going to be here?”

“He told me that he'd be late. Believe it or not, the guy isn't as bad as my first impression of him. Where'd you get the cash?”

“I stole it.”

“You stole it? When?”

“Along the way here. Don't worry; I didn't completely empty people's wallets.”

“All I can say is that I'd better not have a juvie record by the time that this is over.”

“Did you have any trouble on your way up?”

“I had some trouble with the mode of travel. I eventually hid in the luggage area of a commercial plane. I also caught a bit of a cold on the way up, but that was fixed rather quickly.”

“What's in the bag?”

“Food. You wouldn't believe how well beef jerky travels, as opposed to sandwiches.”

“I just picked up the occasional hot dog or bag of chips on the way here. I never stockpiled.”

We finished up pushing the full $2,000 under the door, then departed for Warehouse 84.
***
Meowth arrived two hours later, and we started to set up shop. We found a hiding place in the back to charge our laptops, and Meowth supplied some sleeping bags that he'd “acquired.” I curled up in my sleeping bag, and was about to go to sleep, when Chimchar spoke up.

“Hey, Grovyle? You can hack anything, right? Nothing is an issue for you?”

“I have hacked the pentagon before. They couldn't even detect my presence. I found out, however, that Lee Harvey Oswald had an accomplice, and the real purpose of Area 51.”

“How long have you been hacking?”

“I started with a Pokemon Crystal cartirige that belonged to a friend, but soon continued to Linux machines, then Windows, and finally Mac. I even hacked my school. I'll tell you more about that later.”

“One more question. What is the true purpose of Area 51?”

I paused. “Okay, you got me. I've contemplated hacking the Pentagon, but never had a reason to. However, everything else is true.”

“Okay. G'night.”
***
Well, did you honestly believe that the note and bribe were a good idea? Of course not! They called the cops.

I was woken up by the sound of something metal falling over. Meowth was on his feet immediately. We nudged Chimchar awake, and then quietly tried to make an exit. We took everything with us. We were about to escape, when a few dozen cop cars pulled up. We split up in opposite directions. Chimchar grabbed our stuff, and ran off to find a new hiding place. Meowth took off in the opposite direction from Chimchar. I, however, just kind of stood there, stupidly. A couple of cops strode forward with flashlights. The moment that they saw me, one pulled a gun on me, and the others followed suit. I tried to think of something, but the best I could do was shout, “I want to see a lawyer!”

This brought the whole thing to a stop. Apparently, they didn't think that I would be able to talk. I saw that I had done the right thing, and kept talking.

“”That's right. The Constitution guarantees the rights to a fair and speedy trial, along with a lawyer and habeas corpus. On what grounds am I being arrested?”

The one who was in charge was dumbstruck. He spoke into his walkie-talkie.

“Um... We have... er... something interesting to bring in... Um... a lizard who just recited his constitutional rights. We're... ah... bringing him in for questioning.”

One of the other cops pulled me into the backseat of the car. “You're being arrested for trespass.”

“Okay. Take me to your leader.”

He didn't find it funny. In fact, he seemed anxious to get away from me. I bode my time in the back seat, and checked the clock. 11:45 PM. I figured that I should at least get some sleep, so I quietly fell asleep, amidst the rolling and bumping of the car.

 

[Pokenutter]

Chapter 5
Holiday and Boulevard B

May 18th, 2009
I woke up around 7:00, and took a look at my surroundings. By this time, I had grown used to waking up in all sorts of crazy places, but I was still a bit shocked to find myself in a holding cell. I began to pace awhile, and was eventually let out, and led into a room with a table and two chairs. I was told to wait a bit, so I just sat there, pondering.

After a few minutes, a man entered the room. He sat opposite me, and stared. Then, he facepalmed.

“I'm being assigned to talk to a lizard. I can't believe how ridiculous this is.”

“Maybe the lizard thinks the same thing, and that he shouldn't be here in the first place.”

He nearly fell out of his chair. “You can talk!”

“Didn't you listen to your friends on the radio last night?”

“I thought that they were drunk!”

“Obviously not. Now, what were you in here to talk about?”

He took a few seconds to regain his composure, the spoke in an obviously forced calm voice.”

“What were you doing in the warehouse?”

“I needed a place to stay.”

“Couldn't you have just found a place like Central Park?”

“My friends and I would be shot on sight.”

“Friends?”

“Yeah. You see, I didn't always look like a sewer-grown alligator. Here's what happened...”
***
Meowth and Chimchar had found the building. Now, they just had to find a way in.

“Any ideas, monkey?”

“Don't call me monkey. And yes, I have one. Do you see that window over there?”

Meowth grinned. “Not a problem.”

He snuck over to it, and then popped a claw out. Chimchar raised an eyebrow, and said, “That's not what I meant. We could break it.”

“Too much noise. Besides, if Catwoman can do it, so can I.”

“Catwoman is entirely fictitious.”

“That's what she said.”

With that, a circle of glass large enough to accommodate both of them fell outwards towards them. Chimchar caught it, and carefully laid it against the building.

Meowth hopped in followed by Chimchar. Suddenly, an alarm bell went off, and there was a sound of approaching footsteps. Chimchar took a look around the room. There were a couple of boxes, a table, and a vent on the ceiling. He began to stack the boxes on top of the table, and silently motioned for Meowth to follow him. He hopped through the vent, and held out an arm for Meowth to grasp. Suddenly, the door swung open. Chimchar managed to hide in the vent.

Meowth wasn't so lucky. Immediately, he had five guns trained on his position.

“Erm... Hey, fellas! What's up?”
***
I leaned back in my seat. “So, that's how it happened.”

“But Mr.... um, what did you say that you were again?”

“I'm a Grovyle.”

“Mr. Grow-vile, DSis have been on the market for a month now! How do you explain that nobody else has transformed?”

“I don't know. Maybe it was just the contest DSis. However, I can tell that you're very skeptical, even with that theory. However, I have proof of my human identity.”

I leaned close, and whispered my name in his ear. “And you can fingerprint me to double check for identity.”

After a session of fingerprinting, the results came back in. They were certain that I was who I said that I was. After an awkward call to my parents, I was led back to my cell, where a familiar face waited for me. Meowth was in the cell, too.

“Hey, Grovyle. What's the haps?”

“Not much. They know who I am, they know about all of us, and they have called my parents.”

“Why'd you tell?”

“I wanted to get it off of my chest. Do you have our stuff hidden somewhere?”

“Yeah. Chimchar and I pulled the 'midget wearing overcoat' routine, and we got a place at a hotel.”

“Did you lose anything?”

“Well, a piece of paper fluttered out of your stuff. It had a picture of some seventeen-year-old guy. I think that it was a missing child po-” He cut off. “That was you, wasn't it?”

I tried to stifle the tears that had been coming since this whole ordeal started. Since I realized that I couldn't go home, since I'd discovered that I was wanted back at home, since a few seconds before, when I'd lost a vital connection to my life before. Chimchar would explain, later, that I was suffering mental trauma brought about by self rejection, but I wasn't really thinking about that. All I knew was that I was scared, alone, and my only company was a helpless thief. Finally, I just decided to stop fighting, and just let it out.

The tears ran down the face that I had only just realized wasn't mine. I hated this body, the DSi, the fact that I had to hide all the time, and for once, I realized that maybe, I wouldn't succeed. Maybe I would be stuck like this for the rest of my life. Maybe, when my parents got here, they'd reject me as their son. I was seventeen, for Christ's sake! I had my whole life ahead of me, and it could be one that would be filled to the brim with fear and hatred.

“Meowth,” I sobbed. “I want to go home.”

I beat my fist against the wall. Pain. The pain was a good thing. I could still feel... No, that wasn't good. I wasn't feeling the pain with my own hands.

“I'm stuck in the body of a God damned video game character!” I screamed. All of a sudden, something fell from the ceiling, and hit the back of my head.

“Stop that blubbering, it's unsightly.”

The voice came from a vent above us. I was so shocked by the suddenness of it all that I forgot to be frightened. “Chimchar?” I asked.

“Yes. Now, I was watching your interview earlier. I only saw your last name on the fingerprints, but if you're who I think you are, then my cell should come in handy.”

I saw on the floor that he had dropped a cell phone. It was a touchscreen, with a full digital keyboard. I smiled. “This is exactly what I need. I won't be five minutes.”

Five minutes later, an alarm sounded on the other side of the building. Several cops ran past, and I saw Chimchar dart down and grab something off of a passing officer. When all of the cops had passed, he jumped down from the ceiling. He unlocked our cell, and we ran out.

“Grovyle, your name is James Matthews. You are seventeen, and you are an incredibly gifted hacker. You got in trouble two years ago for hacking your school, and implanting a virus that brought down Internet blocks and spammed every teacher in the building. You did it all from a cell phone. I assume you tripped the alarms?”

“Correct. Glad that you guessed who I am. However, don't call me James in public. Remember, we don't want any links to our previous lives. I'm still Grovyle, and knowing my name and previous criminal record won't change that.”

Meowth's eyes were shining. “I've been traveling with a genuine criminal this whole time. I'm in heaven!”

 

[woops]

Okay, I took the time to read over this. I'm really liking it. Though, maybe it's because my partner in Pokemon Mystery Dungeoun was a Treecko, but I find all the emotion in that to be very familiar. Please continue to make Moar.

 

[Pokenutter]

Okay, I took the time to read over this. I'm really liking it. Though, maybe it's because my partner in Pokemon Mystery Dungeoun was a Treecko, but I find all the emotion in that to be very familiar. Please continue to make Moar.

Well, this is being carried over from my deviantART page, on which I've been putting it up fr about six months. I'm a little behind writing them, but they will be posted here on the dates that they occur. Hopefully.

 

[Pokenutter]

Chapter 7
Full Circle

June 17th, 2009
And thus, they had come full circle. They had hidden in a hotel room for a month. Chimchar had broken into a gun shop, and stolen a rifle. He made certain adjustments to it, and soon had a working sniper rifle. They had managed to avoid the police for that month, and now Grovyle was sitting on a street corner, finishing up a soft pretzel. Chimchar and Meowth hadn't shown up yet. They were supposed to be at the street corner at 11:30. It was currently 11:47.

A new email message popped up.

“Chimchar found a better spot to meet at. Also, you should keep in mind that there's a cop in the bar behind you. He might be the same guy who you demanded a lawyer out of.”

Grovyle checked the address listed in the email, clicked the laptop shut, and headed in that direction.
***
In the police station, Daniel Johnson, the policeman who had interrogated Grovyle, was on the phone. On the other end was Mrs. Matthews, Grovyle's mother.

“Look, Mrs. Matthews, I've made this clear. We did not lose your son. He hacked our security system, and escaped with two friends of his.”

“Of course he hacked you. That's what he does! You should have made sure that he had no computers or cell phones in the vicinity.”

“We did. We have video footage of a cell phone falling out of the ventilation system.”

“Why didn't you check in there?”

“Because our vents are ten inches in diameter. You'd have to be a foot high, and in proportion I might add, to even fit in there in the first place.”

“Look, all his father and I want is our son back. Can you get him back again?”

“We're trying.”

“You're trying. That's all you've said over the past month! We want our son back!”

“We know. It was through lack of our own vigilance that he ran away.”

Then came the question that had concluded all of their previous conversations.

“Why did he run away from you?”

He gritted his teeth. “He had his reasons, Ma'am.”

“What were his reasons? Why would he run away from us, his family?”

Then, the officer began to try to escape the conversation. “Look, Ma'am. I'm required on the East side. There's a crime scene there.”

“Don't you dare hang up on m-”-click! He hung up on her.

He held his head in his hands. When would he gather up the courage to tell her about what really happened to her son?

He left his office, and asked the receptionist to mark him down as on vacation. In reality, he would search. He had a duty as an officer of the law to serve the public, and right now, he would help Mrs. Matthews.

He would find her son.
***
Grovyle stood atop a building overlooking a large forum. They were getting ready for the press conference, which started at 1:15. It was currently 12:54. He turned to Chimchar, who was readying his rifle.

“Remember, use the salt shot. Shoot near the legs; we don't want to kill them.”

Chimchar rounded on him. “Will you stop telling me what to do already?”

Grovyle was about to retort, then remembered that Chimchar was the one holding he gun. Chimchar, however, seemed to soften. “Sorry, Grovyle. We're all a little high-strung at the moment. You should have seen Meowth when I told him to put his breakfast down and help.”

Meowth, who was eating a frozen waffle, shrugged. “All I did was beat him with my last piece of toast. Really all that accomplished was a ruined breakfast.”
***
1:05

Grovyle and Meowth covered themselves completely, and took their positions underneath a tunnel that they had spent the month digging. Meanwhile, Chimchar prepared the rifle.
***
1:15

The press conference began.

Satoru Iwata stood at a podium, and began to speak.

“Hello. My name is Satoru Iwata, and I am in charge of Nintendo of America. It is my unfortunate duty today to recall all Nintendo DSis from shelves and households. Bear in mind that this is for the safety of all concerned.

“Four months ago, when the contest DSis were being made, a program downloaded by a factory employee had a Trojan attached to it. We found that it had attached a spare part to the DSis two months later. This wasn't just the contest DSis, it was our whole stock. We don't know what the spare part does, but it isn't a material that we are familiar with. There's a good chance that it could be a bomb.”

Any conversation being held in the crowd suddenly silenced.

Iwata continued.

“We strongly recommend compliance. We will supply reimbursement checks to anyone who bought a DSi. We will also supply the contest winners with replacements-”

A gunshot sounded, and a policeman guarding one of the entrances collapsed. Another few shots sounded, and several more fell. Suddenly, Satoru Iwata vanished.

Then, there was silence.
***
Grovyle and Meowth pulled hard on the trapdoor that they had installed. Satoru Iwata fell through, and Grovyle quickly slammed the trapdoor shut, while Meowth shoved a bag over Iwata's head.

They dragged him back through, with Grovyle muttering apologies the whole way. They finally brought him to the warehouse, where Chimchar was waiting. They had actually managed to sneak back in to make preparations. They tied Iwata to a chair, and pulled the bag off of his head.

Immediately, legal threats filled the air.

“Iwata-san!” Chimchar shouted. The threats stopped.

The three of them pulled off the jackets and ski masks that they had been wearing. Iwata stood in the presence of three Pokemon.

“Oh,” he said. “That's what the piece did.”
***
Johnson arrived at the scene moments too late. He knew that they'd be here, simply because James had told him before escaping. He had pushed for extra officers guarding the perimeter, and had gotten his wish. However, it looked like that hadn't worked. It looked like they'd been shot.

He took a closer look. Then it hit him; they were using salt shot! His colleagues would survive, but they would be in a hell of a lot of pain between now and the time that their wounds were treated.

The mere fact that they were using salt shot meant one thing; they were desperate enough to shoot, but they weren't desperate enough to kill.

He took a few steps toward the podium, and realized what no one else had noticed; the presence of a trapdoor underneath where Iwata had been standing. He pushed and pulled on it, but to no avail. He then fired a few shots at the hinges, and they broke instantly. He moved the trapdoor out of the way, and hopped in.

The passage was a tight squeeze, but he could get into the tunnel if he crawled. So he did crawl. And with any luck, those boys would be on the other side.
***
Grovyle handed his DSi to Iwata. “You issued a recall, Mr. Iwata.”

Iwata was still shocked. “That piece did this to you? How?”

“None of us could figure it out, not even Chimchar, and he's a frickin' genius.” said Meowth with a grin.

Grovyle silenced Meowth with a glance, and turned back to Iwata. “We were hoping that maybe you knew what it was, but we heard some of that press conference, and we know that you had it looked over.”

“It's a shame that we couldn't figure it out; you boys seem decent.”

“That's only because Grovyle hasn't hacked you, or Meowth hasn't picked your pocket.” Chimchar muttered.

“I'll tell you what, though. I'll give you access to a Nintendo factory, where you can look firsthand at how the faulty DSis are made. Although, I've been meaning to ask; why hasn't this happened elsewhere?”

“We don't know. Maybe it was only the contest DSis that have the piece working. However, there's always that we're wrong, so continue with the recall.”

“I'll send a private plane on the 30th. It will transport you to the factory where these things are made. Until then, keep your head down. Keep the DSi as well; you have more use for it that I do.”

And with that, the three fugitives vanished into the myriad of shelves in the warehouse.

Suddenly, a head poked out of a hole about ten feet away. Johnson pulled himself out of the hole, and took a quick look around.

“You just missed them, officer. I bribed them, and then they ran off.”

Johnson rolled his eyes, and spoke. “You can stop pretending. I know that you were abducted by three Pokemon.”

“Ah. They seemed decent enough. Why are you looking for them?”

“I'm actually off-duty. The Grovyle's name is James Matthews, and he's been on our missing child files for four months now. He ran away to try and fix what happened, but his parents don't know what's going on.”

“Oh, I see. You're doing a favor for his parents. Well, I'd suggest just leaving them alone for a while. They deserve the opportunity to fix this on their own.”

“Where'd they go? I have pity for them, but I have greater pity for their parents. We don't have either of his friends' names, but we've received calls from two probable candidates who might be their parents.”

“Fine. They'll be in Atlanta by the end of the month.”

“Thank you, Mr. Iwata. I'm sorry that they kidnapped you.”

“Oh, James gave ample apologies along the way here.”

Johnson and Iwata left the building, and all was silent.

 

[woops]

Hmm, and the guy is captured, and soon released.

So I'm guessing there's going to be much commotion at the factory place.

 

[Pokenutter]

Hmm, and the guy is captured, and soon released.

So I'm guessing there's going to be much commotion at the factory place.

By the way, I'm a little behind in writing these. Expect a flood of these near the end of the month.

 

[woops]

That is fine by me, and probably with anyone else who is reading and not commenting.
*Looks around frantically*

 

[Pokenutter]

So, apparently I'm useless during the summer. I will release the next five chapters over five days, starting by the 20th.

 

[Akiyama]

That title: America (アメリカ) search; look for (探) investigate (査). So there's a search where they're investigating in America? Funny how you used katakana and kanji in the title of your fic, keep it English next time because that way everyone will understand.

Yeah, you got a fun story going on, because it's interesting. But I see the room to improve in there: the setting all around for one thing is lacking. The description is lacking, and with that I really don't know the faces of anyone--the police officers and men. And the things around me are not shown in great detail, or telling detail. You are telling but not showing it, there's space to do so. That is done by nouns and verbs working together to show actions of something at work, everything is at some form of work, or was. The buildings were made from steel and glass, the warehouse was made of steel walls and roof.

Then I noticed the Chimchar knowing how to shoot, you tell that. Not even the position prone was shown, that is the most stable shooting position that can take up pages in a book to describe every single working part and how to shoot that center. Same with the hacker, how? It makes the author look smarter if they can describe how their characters do something. You certainy are smart already to use good grammar, but does help to research some stuff on your subjects.

 

[Pokenutter]

That title: America (アメリカ) search; look for (探) investigate (査). So there's a search where they're investigating in America? Funny how you used katakana and kanji in the title of your fic, keep it English next time because that way everyone will understand.

Yeah, you got a fun story going on, because it's interesting. But I see the room to improve in there: the setting all around for one thing is lacking. The description is lacking, and with that I really don't know the faces of anyone--the police officers and men. And the things around me are not shown in great detail, or telling detail. You are telling but not showing it, there's space to do so. That is done by nouns and verbs working together to show actions of something at work, everything is at some form of work, or was. The buildings were made from steel and glass, the warehouse was made of steel walls and roof.

Then I noticed the Chimchar knowing how to shoot, you tell that. Not even the position prone was shown, that is the most stable shooting position that can take up pages in a book to describe every single working part and how to shoot that center. Same with the hacker, how? It makes the author look smarter if they can describe how their characters do something. You certainy are smart already to use good grammar, but does help to research some stuff on your subjects.

Well, currently, I'm starting to write these again, and I can certainly take your advice into account.

 

[Pokenutter]

May 22nd, 2011

The funeral precession made its way over the hill. Grim faces adorned the group as a black hearse slowly drove through the graveyard. Inside the hearse was a coffin. To any bystander passing by, it would seem like any ordinary precession, until they looked into the hearse's windows. If they looked, they would see the coffin inside, and wonder whose child had died. Then, they would see the strange proportions of the driver.

Chimchar's heart was probably the one that was heaviest. In truth, he probably knew the dead man better than anyone else here. Most were military here, or distant relatives. His parents hadn't come. They still didn't know.

A light drizzle began to spatter against the windshield. It was as if the very weather was feeling grief, but he knew that it was merely coincidence. The windshield blurred as the graveyard loomed in the distance. Chimchar began to realize that his eyes had begun to blur as well. He quickly wiped his tears away, ashamed of himself. He had a world to save, for Christ's sakes! He couldn't waste time on grief.

But then, the memories began to flood back. It had started out simply enough: find out how and why they had lost their human identities, and how to regain them. Then, it had seriously complicated itself in August of that year. Then, there was the falling-out. They had split up two weeks before it happened. He hadn't been there. He could have done something, dammit! But now, all that mattered was that he was dead, and his grave site was ahead on the left.

The next few minutes were a blur, as well-wishers, friends, and associates came to say goodbye. Satoru Iwata even showed. Finally, Chimchar's turn came.

He strode up to the coffin, and tried to muster up some good words.
However, all that came out was a sob. There was only so much that he could take before even he would crack. This was his straw. He just couldn't take this. Before he even knew what was happening, his phone rang. He was so shocked, he completely forgot where he was, and answered. A voice on the other end spoke.

“I can understand. He was a close friend of yours. I tracked you three for a year and a half before I gave up. However, I got close enough to draw a psychological profile of you. He was like your older brother.”

Chimchar whimpered into the receiver. “Johnson, do you really think that this is helping?”

“I'm sorry.”

“Where are you?”

“Look behind you.”

Chimchar turned, and Johnson was striding towards him. He stood next to Chimchar, and leaned down.

“I know that this probably won't help, but he died for us. Don't let his sacrifice be in vain. Find your missing member, and strike back. It's up to the two of you now.”

Chimchar glowered at Johnson. “Never speak of him to me. He abandoned my teammate in his moment of need. He as good as pushed the sword through my friend's throat.”

Johnson shrugged, and headed back towards the now-dispersing crowd.

Chimchar stood alone, and watched them bury the coffin. He began to think about what had happened, what had led up to the critical moment, which Johnson had summed up beautifully, even if it was truly a very ugly thing.

He died for us...
***
Have you ever ridden a roller coaster? It' an interesting experience, and yet somehow relevant to our plight. It's a huge buildup, then you drop. While you fall, it's a feeling of unreal terror, a true uncertainty. You scream in your head, This can't be real, this can't be happening!

However, no matter how loudly you scream, the ride isn't over yet. After the initial drop, you are forced through all sorts of complicated twists, turns, and hoops. As it ends, you see some idiot spectator standing by the exit, talking about how awesome it looks. Then, you realize that, truly, you were in a controlled environment the whole time. That's almost like our story, except not so controlled, and not even close to as safe...

June 30th, 2009

By the end of the month, we had managed to survive. We subsisted on street-vendor hot dogs, chips, and the occasional candy bar. Meowth took
it in stride, and Grovyle seemed not to mind. I, however, was still adjusting to being on my own. As the youngest of the group, I suppose I was just the least experienced with separation.

Anyway, we managed to sneak into JFK early that morning. Satoru Iwata's personal plane was docked exactly where he said that it would be. We quietly boarded, and waited for him to arrive.

Shortly afterward, he arrived, and gave us the lowdown.

“When we arrive in Atlanta, you will be given an address. This will be the hotel where you will be staying. All of the employees will be sworn to secrecy. You will not need to worry about hiding there.”

“As for the factory, again, the employees have also been sworn to secrecy. You will have full run of the factory, and may speak with any of them.”

We thanked him, and took off. As we became airborne, Meowth turned to Grovyle, and asked, “Does this make us explorers of the sky now?”

If looks could kill, Meowth would not only be dead, his corpse would be dried up and on fire. Needless to say, he shut up after that.
***
After landing in Atlanta, we took to the streets as we stealthily made our way to the hotel. Eventually, we arrived, and set up shop.