Pokemon: First Contact - Chapter 8

Pokémon: First Contact

Chapter Eight: Gotta Catch 'em All

'So John, is this a forest, or a rainforest?' Samuel asked as he, John, Pikachu and Prince relaxed on vines hanging high up between the trees, like large, natural hammocks. This was just one of the hundreds of questions he had asked John ever since the man and his yellow friend joined the Forest Moon Enders – the name of his team of Mankeys.

'Because it works on so many levels!' Samuel remarked when John asked him about the choice. 'Forest, because that's where we live. Forest Moon – that's a reference to Star Wars. And I'm talking original Star Wars! None of this holo-vid edition crap with Gilbert Gottfried dubbing over the Ewok's dialogue. And Enders, because we end all those who mess with us!'

John wished Ashley was around, so that he could handle all of Samuel's questions with ease and intelligence. Instead, he scrambled around his brain, looking for something that sounded mildly correct until Samuel was satisfied with the response.

'Well . . . a rainforest has a higher average rainfall count per year than a normal forest. It's also far hotter and more humid, and the ground level of a rainforest is usually a lot less sparse.'

'So that means we're in a rainforest.'

'Why do you say that?'

'Because if Russell and his band of bastards come anywhere near us, my fist won't be so sparse from their face!'

John laughed out loud. Samuel was always good at making John laugh, especially considering the man had his old best friend point a gun at him, been exiled from the town named after his own Uncle, and was considered an enemy of his people. In fact, life with Samuel and Prince had been rather easy and carefree, after he had learned how to climb trees and sleep amidst the noise of the forest.

He also had to get used to the idea of patching the holes in his clothes with leaves and sticks, but it soon became second nature, thanks to Samuel's expertise in the field of living in the wild.

And Samuel seemed to really enjoy having another human to talk to, after all this time with the Mankeys. They had shared many great conversations over the last nine days, revealing Samuel's passion for discovering all there is to this planet, as well as a hidden passion in John . . .

'Did you ever think you'd end up here?' Samuel asked one particular night. It was a full moon, and they were enjoying a meal underneath the billions of shining stars.

'Hmm?' John looked up from the juicy Pican Berry he was munching on.

'I mean, back on Earth, when you were just a kid in school. Did you ever picture yourself being a war hero on a distant planet.' He spoke the last few words in an intentionally exaggerated way, as if he knew how fantastical and improbable it sounded.

John rolled his eyes. 'What are you talking about . . . war hero . . . I wouldn't be out here if I was a hero of any sort.'

'Of course you are!' Samuel jumped up and grabbed a vine, swinging above John and landing right at his feet. 'Every hero has that period where they're surrounded by people who doubt them! That's what makes a hero's legacy so great! 'Cause they ignored the doubt and kept on fighting for what's right!'

'I ain't fighting, kid.'

'Only because you're waiting for Russell to give you a reason. A hero never throws the first punch.'

John chuckled. 'Yeah, you're right about that.' He took another bite from his Berry and talked between chewing. 'And no . . . I never thought I'd be here . . . In fact . . . I never knew where I'd be.'

'You didn't think of politics?'

'Nup.'

'Military?'

'Uh-uh.'

'Space exploration?'

'Uncle tried but . . . it didn't interest me.' John noticed Pikachu and Prince had both edged closer to listen in on their conversation. It made sense for Pikachu to be interested in John's background, but it was a little difficult for him to ask the questions.

'So what were you doing before we got on The Forgotten?' Samuel asked.

A look of embarrassment spread across John's face. 'I, uh . . . I was sort of . . . unemployed.'

'Broke?'

'Very.'

'Where'd you live?'

'Most of the time? On Russell's couch. But before we left Earth, I was with Uncle. He was always so supportive. Never annoyed me about getting a job,' John reminisced. 'It was almost as if . . .'

He paused to catch his breath. Could this be right, or was he just being optimistic?

'It was like he knew this was coming all along,' he finished, almost saying it out loud to
himself.

Samuel tilted his mouth to one side and scratched his greasy, black hair as he thought about it. 'I have heard the rumours about the Cap knowing about this place for a long time. Maybe he knew you'd like it as much as he did?'

John didn't get much sleep that night. He pondered over that thought for hours, wondering if his Uncle knew more about this planet besides it being an obvious substitute for Earth. Did he know about these creatures? No, he wouldn't have set foot on this planet without lots of protection. Would he?

These questions bugged John. Mostly because he would never know the answers.

The next conversation that had John's imagination racing was when Samuel quizzed him on what most sixteen-year-old boys liked to probe each other about.

'You gonna ask Mizz Green out on a date after you rescue her?'

They were out for a walk, following Prince and his family as they searched the trees for fruit and nuts. Pikachu was by John's feet, strolling along, enjoying the cool wind blowing in the midnight air. John had noticed that Pikachu was never bothered by the fact that he had been away from his family and friends for over a week. He got the feeling that Pikachu was also an outsider, never quite sure of where his place in the world was. Maybe that was why they clicked so well. They were both searching for something new. Somewhere, or someone to belong to.

'Who needs rescuing?' John asked. 'Seems like they've got Pallet Town under control.'

Samuel clasped his hands together behind his head as they continued walking. 'I'm not so sure. That friend of yours is a bit of a psychopath. Who knows what he's done to the place?'

'Kensington will keep him in line.'

'You think the man who pointed a gun at his best friend is willing to listen to someone he barely knows?'

John returned Samuel's point with a short 'Hmm.' But although his outwards response was quick, his inner response rested in his mind for many, many hours. As the Mankeys finished their hunt for food and prepared to head back home, John decided he wanted to keep talking to Samuel about Ashley. He had never admitted to his feelings for her before. Not to anyone. At times, not even himself. But he trusted Samuel. The kid didn't appear to have any underlying motives or secrets. And that's just the kind of person John desperately needed to be around. No Council members exercising their power. Just a down-to-earth boy who saw and spoke about things for what they are.

'Let's say I do ask her out. Where on earth could I take her?'

'That's just the thing!' Samuel said excitedly. He bounded in front of John and started racing ahead, in the opposite direction of the Mankeys. 'We're not Earth anymore, are we?'

He signalled for John to follow as he disappeared amongst the scrub. Pikachu jumped up on John's shoulder right before John broke into a run, following Samuel's trail.

'Hurry up, old man!'

John followed the sound of Samuel's voice until it was completely drowned out by another sound. The rushing woosh of large bodies of water, falling down from a tall height and crashing to a lagoon below. John kept on running until he broke out the other side of the forest, appearing at the edge of a river that ended in waterfall.

He saw Samuel waving at him from further downstream. John jogged up to the boy's side and yelled over the sound of the waterfall, 'It's a little loud!'

Samuel ignored him and pointed to the river, urging him to take a look. Pikachu had clambered onto the top of John's head to get a better view, and soon John's gaze was also fixed on what the other two were looking at. In the river was a cloud of rather big, reddish-orange fish with white fins and large scales, two long barbels, and a yellow, three-spike fin on its stomach and back, resembling a crown. But unlike other fish, these ones were working together to swim upstream, away from the waterfall! The strength in their fins must be incredible, John thought.

'They're called Magikarp,' Samuel exclaimed. 'The eggs are laid at the top of the river, and as the Magikarp are born, and as they grow, they are slowly led downstream, until they end up here. The point is to teach them from a young age to fight for their lives. If they stop swimming, they fall over the edge. The impact would kill them.'

John glanced over at Samuel as the boy talked. His eyes were sparkling, not only from the beauty of this sight, but from what he had learnt from the fish. It had clearly affected him.

'When I first came to this river, there was just a single Magikarp, struggling to swim. It was obvious to me that in just a few minutes, it would go over the edge. It wasn't strong enough. So I went over to help it, but Prince stopped me. It wasn't my business. This was how the Magikarp lived, and those who couldn't keep up . . . they're pretty much useless.

'So I turned away. I mean, who'd want to watch this thing fighting so hopelessly? But then I heard this flapping sound, and I looked back and saw the same Magikarp. But it wasn't in the water anymore. It had jumped up on the land. Of course, a fish out of water is a fish in trouble. It flopped up and down, but once it got the hang of things, it started pushing itself forward, heading up the river. And every so often it would jump back in the water for a few moments, and leap out again.

'And it was just kinda cool, you know? Seeing something be thrown into a world – a way of living – that it wasn't meant for, and watching it figure out another way to survive. Another way to live . . . against all odds, you know?'

By the end of the story, John and Pikachu were both looking at Samuel instead of the river. As an orphan, the boy had been alone most of his life. And then he was brought on a ship, where he would be stuck in for many years before he was finally set free on this planet. It was clear that Samuel had found his home.

'Anyway,' Samuel said, chuckling sheepishly. 'I just think you should take your girl here one day. It's pretty neat.'

'Yeah, it is,' John said. 'But she's all the way up river. And I still haven't figured out how to get there.'

***

Russell burst out of the labs and marched to the main square of the town. It was late evening, the sun was starting its descent, and all the families were inside their houses, preparing their dinner. Somehow, he had to get their attention. He had to let them know what the Council was suggesting. The first houses he visited were the homes of Shannon, Turk, Yoon, Albib and Rayne.

His five brothers from the military. Distanced by blood – Rayne was from Canada, Albib was a large Pakistani, and the oldest of the group, Turk was a wavy, black haired American, Shannon was a muscled blonde from Australia, and Yoon was a Japanese man of few words – but the trust these men shared was incomparable.

He wasn't interrupting Turk, Yoon and Rayne, as all three of them were, as they liked to put it, "single to mingle". But Albib was helping his wife feed their two children, who were running around the table, screaming and cheering in childish delight. So Albib was more than happy to leave the house for Russell. The only one who wasn't so thrilled was Shannon, who was a little busy with his beautiful Aussie girlfriend.

'Mate, this better be important,' Shannon said as he pulled on his shirt and walked out the front door.

Russell assured him that it was, and ordered them all to get everybody out of their houses and to the Town Square. He didn't need Kensington's permission for this. In fact, he believed she had already proved how unfit she was to run her position as head of the Council. It was time for him to step up and stay up.

Once the entire population was standing at his attention, he climbed up on a podium made of large metal boxes, used to carry all the portable refrigerators, and made his announcement. He had to talk quickly, as he was sure Ashley and the Council were finishing up their meeting in the laboratory.

'Listen up, everyone! I have just come from a meeting with the Council, and I fear that your safety, and your children's safety, is in danger!' As expected, this claim was met with uncertain mutters from the crowd. 'They believe that these monsters that inhabit this planet are our friends, and that we should coexist within the same walls! But I have seen what these creatures are capable of, and I will be the first to admit that they do have enough of a brain to realise who among us has power, and who doesn't.

'I have seen it with my own eyes. These things will befriend those who are in control and will kill anyone who does not abide by their way of life. They want us to live by their rules. We will become their slaves. But don't expect any help from the Council, as they have been blinded to believe that the monsters are our allies.'

He searched his audience and saw that they were hanging on his every word. All he had to do was hit it home.

'I don't expect I have to retell the story of the Romans and the Trojan horse? But to those young enough to not have sat through history lessons back on Earth, their enemies brought a horse to their gate as a gift to King Priam. Priam told his guards to let the horse in, and at night the Greek soldiers climbed, climbed out from the horse and destroyed the city of Troy from the inside! I have watched these creatures offer their gift to our Council, and they are about to bring it through our gates! But I bring it to you, people of Pallet Town, are you as willing to bring these monsters into your homes? Near your children?'

He was met with angry and frightened cries. What he wasn't aware of, was that some of the angry calls were to him. While a percentage of the population were as scared of the animals as he was, most still gossiped and rumoured about what had happened to John Laker, and many saw Russell as a complete fool. Still, he only needed a handful of people to agree with him, and the rest could be dealt with accordingly.

'Then I implore you. To those who wish to fight for our safety. To those who want to help me let these creatures know that we are not as stupid as they think. We will march out these gates and onto their land with the courage and strength that humanity is known for, and show these animals that this planet is our home too, whether they like it or not!'

A group of men and women cheered, while others hesitantly kept quiet. But Russell's ears only heard the battle cry, and he smiled and threw his arms in the air, gaining a roar of applause.

'What do we fight with?' one man called.

'I'm glad you asked!' Russell beamed back. He jumped down from the boxes and ushered Rayne and Albib to help him open them up. The three men knelt down and unbuckled the latches, swinging the cases open to reveal bundles of weaponry. Real weaponry. With real bullets.

'Grab what you can! We leave in five minutes!'

Russell knew he had to move quickly, while their enthusiasm was at its peak. As a wave of people surged forward to grab their guns, the others moved back into their houses, frightened by this sudden explosion of anger and violence.

He holstered his own weapons: the Axmykl 7-20 Shotgun and his personal favourite, the Blackout– a heavy pistol born in Chile. It fires 25x137mm calibre bullets at 45 rpm; a breakthrough in hand-held weapons. It was considered infantry overkill and the price to build one outweighed the practicality, so it was discontinued until a cheaper model was designed. Russell was ecstatic when he found one for sale at a black market gun shop in South America, and was even happier when he realised its full potential would finally be realised.

As he walked to the front gate of the fence barricading Pallet Town, the last obstacle strode forward from the distance.

'Mr Williams, I command you to stand down at once!' Kensington ordered.

Russell just fixed her in an intense stare. In his eyes, she was just as pathetic as John had become. He deserved to be the leader of these people. Not her. What she needed was a little . . . convincing.

'I'm afraid I'll have to ask you and the Professors to go to the Town Hall for the meantime,' he said as if he was talking to a student who had behaved badly in class. 'I'll assign a few men to keep watch over you. We'll talk when I return.'

Russell could almost feel the fire burning inside Kensington. Never before had she been spoken to with such disrespect. Yet she had to control her anger, as Russell had clearly gone insane, and he would return any threat towards him with twice the ferocity.

'Williams, look at what you're doing. You're running this place as if it is the army, and not a home. This may seem like the right thing to do at this moment. But think about the long-term effects.'

But Russell wasn't listening. He simply waved a group of men over and muttered a couple of words to them. They hesitated before nodding and carrying out his commands, asking Kensington – politely, as just a second ago she had been their leader – to make her way to the Town Hall. Another two men went to the laboratory to collect the Professors, but they came out with a third prisoner. One who was a lot feistier.

'Wait. Bring her to me,' Russell said as Ashley screamed at the two men, whose children she was both teaching. They let her go to Russell as they led the Professors to where Kensington was being held, but Ashley didn't wish to converse with a madman. She did however stop for a brief moment to look him in the eye and slap him across the face. Hard.

Russell, who had been completely unprepared for the sudden attack, stumbled back a few paces, cheek burning and ears whistling. As he recuperated, Ashley was already gone, sprinting out the gates and into the dark forest. In the distance, the sun had almost disappeared behind the mountains, and the moon was rising in the other end of the sky.

'Should we go after her?' Shannon asked. Embarrassment swept over Russell when he saw that his military brothers, as well as a mob of almost sixty men and women, holding a variety of guns and grenades, had all witnessed Ashley's outburst. And him being on the receiving end.

'No,' he replied. And then, addressing his small army: 'Leave John Laker and the girl to me! Your mission is to fight for your freedom! Tonight, we stand up to the beasts!'

'For The Forgotten!!' a man from the crowd shouted out. Everybody raised their weapons and returned the cry in great volumes of fury and courage.

'FOR THE FORGOTTEN!!!'

***

In the treetops, John and Samuel were catching an early rest. The night had just begun, but they were planning to leave the forest early so Samuel could show him a 'real life rock golem!' that he swore he spotted one day when exploring the outskirts of a cave.

Pikachu was resting against John's leg, which was swinging side to side on the bed of vines the Mankeys had hooked up, but his sleep was interrupted by negative vibrations pounding through the ground, up the roots of the trees and all throughout the bark. His ears wiggled as he woke from his dreams. He gave John a slight spark of electricity, which caused him to stand up so quickly that he almost fell from the vines.

'Careful, Pikachu. Watch where you jolt next time . . .'

'Pika . . .'

'Huh? What's the matter?'

Pikachu nudged his head in the direction of Pallet Town. John frowned and woke up Samuel, and as the boy rubbed his eyes and moaned about the rude awakening, they both noticed that all the Mankeys were hanging from the branches, surveying the area. In fact, there was a general feeling of unrest in the forest. Many creatures were huddling closer together, while some were making their way up the trees, trying to get as far from the ground as possible.

Suddenly, Prince howled. Someone was coming. The Mankeys tensed up, ready to defend their family. John told Samuel to stay back. He didn't want Samuel to attempt another brave, but stupid ambush like last time.

The trees rustled and the bushes shivered as something came running through the scrub. It had clearly been running through the forest for a while, as it had collected many twigs and leaves in its shoulder-length blonde hair. And her bright brown eyes shook with terror, both from racing through an unknown jungle filled with many uncertain creatures, and also the danger of what was about to come.

'Ashley!' John called. He was both terribly happy and terribly frightened by her arrival. He slid down the tree trunk and ran to her, closely followed by Pikachu. 'What happened to you? Did Russell do this?'

Ashley was breathing heavily and her whole body was trembling. John closed his hands around hers to stop them from shaking. 'Ash, tell me what happened.'

As soon as she heard that name, her breathing slowed to a semi-normal rate, and her heart settled to a quiet beat. The last time John had called her Ash was when she had appeared at Uncle's front door, after her father had thrown her out the house. Her left eye was badly bruised, and she had a cut on her arm, created by a shattered piece of glass from an empty beer bottle. He only used that name when she needed protection. It made her feel so safe . . . so special . . .

She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, she looked at John and whispered between breaths, 'He made the Council his prisoners . . . He's coming now . . . They have weapons . . .'

Not long after, a loud rumble came from the trees, followed by loud commands and—

Bang!

Gunfire.

The sound of that single bullet boomed and echoed across the night sky. In a split second, the animals of the forest broke into an offensive fury. The Mankey started jumping on the branches and beating their chests as they shrieked and howled. A cloud of Spearow rose above the trees, preparing to dive-bomb whoever had disturbed the peace.

As the cacophony of war blared through the forest, more blasts exploded from the muzzles of pistols and machine guns.

Ashley grabbed John's shirt and buried her face in his chest. 'You have to stop him,' she said through her tears.

Samuel and Prince leapt from the tree behind John and landed at his side.

'Alright boss, what's the plan?'

John seriously considered his actions. He knew the people Russell had coaxed into battle didn't know any better, so it would be wrong to hurt them. Then again, their intention was to murder several innocent creatures.

'We have to disarm them. Take their guns away. No one gets hurt,' John said.

'But we can't let them get away,' Samuel noted.

'Right . . . Tell everybody to keep these people tied up somehow. We can't let Russell do any more damage.'

A wide smile coloured Samuel's dirty face. It was time for the Forest Moon Enders to spring to action!

'Come on Prince, you heard the boss! We've gotta catch 'em all!' Then the two raced up the trees to inform the others.

'Ash, you stay close to me,' John said. 'Pikachu, keep her safe, okay?'

Ashley peered down at Pikachu, who looked up at her and offered his small paw for her to hold.

'Pika, Pika!'

The sweet gesture made Ashley smile for the first time in what felt like months. 'Well aren't you a little Prince Charming,' she said, and took his paw inside her hand.

John held his position and prepared for the worst while the creatures of the forest were taking orders from the Mankeys and moving to their battle stations. Then without warning, a familiar call pierced the air, filled with the boiling rage of an active volcano, and the unrelenting wrath of a vicious thunderstorm.

'DOO-OO-OO-OO-OOS!'