Chapter 18
"This is absolutely incredible!" Grace lifted Tyrunt in her arms, eyes wide and a massive smile on her face. "You're shaped just like a theropod dinosaur, but you're covered in a carapace of actual stone!"
"Tyrunt!" he preened under the attention happily.
"Oh my god, this is like a biologist's dream!" she said, eyes alight with joy, curiosity, and something that came real close to greed. Not for money, but for science. "And you say there is a whole species of him!?"
"Only recently," I said, sitting at my table with a cup of coffee, placing another one next to her. "We started breeding them in groups after managing to clone their fossils and bring them back to life. We do that whenever a viable fossil can be found, though there's always a lot of work being done to make sure there isn't a quagga mussels scenario," I said, referencing a pretty infamous invasive species. Probably a better comparison out there, but they were the ones that popped into my head. Cane toads? European rabbits in Australia?
It was like her brain temporarily shut down. Tyrunt helpfully licked her cheek as she imagined dinosaurs being brought back to life.
After our little beach moment, Alakazam had come over to us and teleported us into the cave. I'd removed my mask, but I wanted to wait a bit before letting her realize she was currently only a few hundred feet from that spot on the beach, rather than miles away. And then of course, the scientist started asking questions about Pokemon, and that was what we had been dealing with for the last thirty minutes.
I looked over at Kalini, who was biting into a chicken leg without a care in the world. "You okay?"
"I'm honestly getting used to this weird stuff popping up all the time," Kalini said with a shrug. He grinned. "Maybe I'll start seeing this shit as normal soon!"
"Don't," I said gravely. "Be ready for things to get weirder and weirder."
"...You're a real ray of sunshine."
I winced. "Sorry. I am actually happy you're getting used to this stuff. Grace, we should talk about our current problem."
"...Okay," Grace gently placed Tyrunt down and looked around at us. Kalini was staring at her. I nudged him, the larger man jumping in surprise. Grace noticed his awkwardness. She wiggled in her seat, a nervous look on her pointed face. "I… I know you said I could stay here, but if it makes you uncomfortable, me looking like this-"
I scoffed. "What, like an Orca deity come to life?"
She stared down at herself. In the light of the lamp we'd hooked up to the generator, we could get a good look at her. Her head was shaped just like a miniaturized Killer Whales, pointed outwards, the same teeth, same large white spots just above her eyes. Actually, her eyes were different. More expressive, with a bright green coloration. Her head was bald. In her robes, she had her fin poking out of a hole in the back of her robes that Mimikyu had sewed in. Her muscles were large and sculpted, powerful in appearance under her smooth whale skin.
She also had big boobs. I ignored that as best as I could, because it was a weird thought to have bouncing… Goddamn my teen brain.
That stupidity aside, she was also very clearly not human. Her teeth were as big as a thumb, made to tear apart prey. Her hands were the size of dinner plates, and she towered over us. I felt like I had when I'd seen my first Machoke and Machamp. All coiled muscle and power enough to tear me in half. Those teeth being a big part of that.
But then, the first Machoke I ever met was a scared kid who ran behind his trainer when he saw Alakazam. So I wasn't about to freak out because Grace looked like a Hawaiian ocean goddess or something. They had ocean gods that looked like animals, right? Or was that Egyptians only?
I'd do some research later.
"Grace, the way you look isn't going to be a problem," I said, leaning back in my seat and stretching my legs out. "Alakazam?"
"I'm here," Alakazam walked into the room. Grace stared at him, shocked. I guess she hadn't gotten a good look at him when he teleported us in. That or she hadn't registered it. "Mrs. Balin."
"W-Wow," Grace stared at Alakazam as he came up to the table and sat on the air. Her eyes widened more. "Wow."
He hid it, but I knew Alakazam was feeling a bit smug.
"You look so different from the others," Grace whispered. "Even Gurdurr looks a bit like a human bodybuilder, but you are much more alien."
"You haven't met Slugma or Mimikyu yet," I said, Slugma currently asleep in the magma below the cave and Mimikyu hiding behind a bookshelf where Grace couldn't see her. I could see her Pikachu ears poking out as she shyly stared. "Alakazam. Bring us up to speed."
"Up to speed? On what, exactly?" he scoffed. "All that has appeared is news that the Aquarium was vandalized and the police are investigating. Grace Balin hasn't disappeared long enough for anyone to create a report either."
I sighed. "Yeah, I guess it's way too recent for us to have any real news."
"Does that mean… I mean, I don't have much, but my stuff is at my apartment," Grace said, looking around. Tyrunt hopped into my lap and curled up. I petted his head while Grace floundered a bit. "Can we get my stuff? I mean my clothes won't fit anymore. And I guess my laptop keyboard isn't big enough to really match my fingers," she stared down at her large hands. "But it has all my stuff."
"...Fuck me," I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I rang one of the only numbers listed on it. After barely a moment of ringing, he picked up.
"Mahmoud," Giovanni said smoothly on the other end. "I suppose you've heard that business about an aquarium getting vandalized. Terrible isn't it?"
I held back an annoyed grumble. "How'd you know?"
"The heavy amounts of chaos, the presence of Silicon Dragons the police are attempting to keep the populace from knowing about? I may not be omniscient, but we are keeping a very close eye on unusual goings on in Hawaii. Tell me, what was the issue? Did you have some sort of problem with the exhibits? Not a fan of sharks?"
I looked over at Grace. "No. Actually, I only sent Mudkip to check things out. He ended up finding one of the Dragons' attempts to upgrade themselves. For now, we need to move fast. I have a woman named Grace Balin with me. I need you to send some guys to her apartment and pick up her stuff."
"Oh? Is this woman an asset of some sort?" he asked.
"Yes, she is. But I'll explain it after you send the guys over. She'll give you her address, here," I held the phone out to Grace. "Careful," I said as she reached out. "Enhanced strength. Don't want to crush the phone."
She hesitated, then took the phone gently, lifting it to her ear. After some hesitation when she couldn't actually figure out where her ear was, something that seemed to make her even more frazzled and freaked out, she finally told Giovanni where she lived. After listening, she handed the phone back. "He wants to speak to you."
I took the phone back.
"Tell me," Giovanni asked, sounding amused. "Why am I doing this?"
"Out of the goodness of your heart."
"No, really."
"Because the Silicon Dragons wanted Grace's research. Research she was using to try and cure paralysis. Research that at the least did that, with some side effects," I smirked. "It made her superhuman. So if you help her, then maybe you can start talking to her about funding that research. Research that will put you ahead of most of the world in helping paralyzed people walk again. And yeah, I know. You don't want to do things if they don't benefit you. So imagine how much money you'll make, if you manage to create a reasonably priced cure to one of the worst things any person can imagine happening to them?"
"Boatloads," Giovanni said without a moment to think it over. "Okay. I'll help. But put the phone on video call. I want to see who I'm dealing with."
"...Grace. You okay with being seen?" I asked her.
"I'm not sure I'm okay with any of what you just said," Grace said, anger in her eyes. "I want to help people, not make monsters like me!"
"You aren't a monster, first off. Second, I'm asking Giovanni to get some people to get your stuff for you in trade for the chance to make a deal. Nothing more. If you decide it isn't worth working with a massive pharmaceutical company to get a finished version of your cure out to as many people as you can, then you can say no."
"...Just do it!" Grace snapped.
"..." I turned on the camera and placed the phone so it was standing and facing us. He was sitting on a throne. Not a chair. An honest to god throne. Seriously, dude. Giovanni was such a…
He leaned forward in his seat when he caught sight of Orca. His lips lifted just a bit.
"...My. You are a beauty," Giovanni said, sounding fascinated. "Your cure for paralysis. You used it on yourself and it caused this?"
"I… yeah," Grace stared down at herself. "Honestly, this is far from what should have happened. The serum was experimental. At most, I thought it would kill me. At least, I thought it would just make me slightly sick. Not actually make me an Orca!"
"But it succeeded in allowing you to walk," Giovanni said.
"...Yeah," Grace said, a bit of awe in her voice. "And… I feel fine. I mean, I feel weird. But this level of mutation, I should be in agony. I should be dead! I don't even know if I have all the same organs. But I can walk."
She leaned back in her seat, awe rising. "It worked. I mean, it made me look like this, but I can walk. My research can work."
"...I want to hire you," Giovanni said, leaning back in his seat. "Mrs. Balin, whatever the side-effects, as impressive as they are, the fact you managed to create something of such significance makes you an investment worth looking into. I own Rocket Medical, a pharmaceutical company specializing in high-end medicine for hospitals, though we are planning to move into the over-the-counter market soon."
"I've heard of you," Grace said, surprised. "You own Rocket Medical?"
"I own Rocket Unlimited, to be honest, of which Rocket Medical is one division."
"How do you know this guy?" Grace asked Kalini and I.
"We run in the same circles," I said honestly.
"...I don't know if I can work for you. Not while I look like this. And… I don't even have a degree!"
"Then you'll intern for me, I suppose," Giovanni shrugged. "I don't care what you look like, Mrs. Balin. I'm a pragmatist. You have skill. Skill we might need. In return, I'll support you in any way you need. Even if that is a cure for your appearance."
"...What about you?" Grace asked me. "What do you get out of this?"
"Someone who can help us when Silicon Dragons start popping up with animal-hybrid abilities."
"What? That's impossible," Grace said. "I used my entire supply of serum."
"And what about your files?" Alakazam asked pointedly. "The research you already made? In fact, you must have sent your financier some of your results when you were getting funding. Can you guarantee that an intelligent person can't make something similar to your serum?" Grace didn't speak. "And with your current appearance, the Dragons now know that what they thought was a remote possibility, is now fact. They will attempt to mix their DNA with that of marine life."
We sat in silence for a bit. Kalini coughed. Tyrunt snored.
"...I'll work for you," Grace said, leaning forward. "But I'm going to help you too," she looked at me with green eyes filled with grim emotion. "I wanted to help people. So if you're fighting the Dragons, and they make monsters with my research, I'll help you take them down. I'll fight them myself if I have to!"
"You won't have to," I said. "But I'll accept any help I can get. All right. Then we've got to get back to planning."
"On that note," Giovanni said. "We may have a way to draw out the Dragons."
"You aren't going to like it," Alakazam said, likely having figured out the plan, maybe even having discussed it with Giovanni directly earlier.
I looked between them. "...What did you do?"
"As you may know, Kahu Kiaʻi has rather taken the imagination of the populace of Hawaii," Giovanni said with a small chuckle. "Enough that news outlets have begun following your exploits and adventures. So, once you begin patrolling, we may be able to… leak, your whereabouts."
"You want to tell reporters where I am?" I asked, blinking.
"Only when we know you're doing something spectacular," Giovanni said. "I would never suggest something so crass as faking a crime, but making sure someone is there to report on your activities will drive the Dragons to meet you. We can guide them away from the populace as well. Keep collateral damage to a minimum."
Minimum. Not prevent it entirely. I sighed a bit at that grim reality. "Okay. I'm down for that. As long as we take every possible security precaution. That means no reporters at nuclear bombs."
"Very well," Giovanni leaned back in his seat. Persian hopped into his lap, the Pokemon Gangsta petting his cat lazily. "Then I'll get that done. Honestly young man, you really do demand a lot of aid from me."
"Anytime you want to stop, you're free too," I snarked. "But you're going to benefit, aren't you?"
"Yes… yes I am."
Well. That was fucking ominous.
"All right. I'm feeling rested. Why don't we do this? Grace, you can go to bed in the room next to mine, it's the one with a Wonder Woman poster on the door," yeah, I know, couldn't help but put my favorite hero up. "Gurdurr, Slugma. Let's go save Hawaii, huh?"
"...Gurdurr."
"Oh right, forgot she was taking a nap," I walked over to Slugma's lava pit. "Hey girl! Wanna go for some fights!?"
"..." she poked her head out of the magma. Grace sucked in a shocked breath. "Slugma?"
"Yeah. We might get into some fights. That or it'll be the first time in this universe that a hero went out on patrol and didn't end up in a battle of some sort."
"Slug!"
Slugma pulled herself up and out of the lava as Grace stared. "S-Some sort of magma-based life form? How does something evolve like that?"
"She hasn't evolved yet, actually," Alakazam said. "She may become a Magcargo soon, if she works hard."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Grace asked.
"Evolution. The process Pokemon go through when they change to more powerful and older forms." Alakazam pointed at Gurdurr and himself. "We are examples of that. Gurdurr is a middle evolution. Whereas I am the final stage of my own species."
"That's not evolution, that's metamorphosis," Grace said firmly.
"Different worlds, Grace. Different terms for things," I pointed out as Slugma strolled alongside me to stand next to Alakazam. Gurdurr came over as well. "We'll trade notes later. For now, I have to make a name for myself."
"Good luck in your endeavors," Giovanni said politely. When he hung up, I grabbed my phone and put it away.
"Later kid," Kalini said.
"...Bye," Grace said.
With a nod, I placed a hand on Alakazam's shoulder. In a flash of light, we all disappeared, heading to Honolulu.
------
When we flashed back into existence, Gurdurr, Slugma, Alakazam, and I looked around. The small section of land we'd found was still untouched. Perfect.
"I will return to the cave to speak to Grace," Alakazam said. "Call my phone if you need me."
Of all the items I'd ever given a Pokemon, a smartphone was kinda normal. "I will. Don't be worried if she has a thousand questions for you."
"I do not mind. It will be nice to talk to a human with scientific intelligence. Your own knowledge is of a… different, sort."
Before I could ask what he meant by that, he disappeared in a flash. I grumbled, turning to look at my Pokemon.
"Well… Let's go find some trouble."
Gurdurr grinned. Slugma wiggled in place happily.
We walked into the city, ready for battle.
------
Hawaii, when the Silicon Dragons aren't around, is a super peaceful place.
This was probably one of the first times it was to someone's detriment, rather than advantage.
"Gurduuuuuuuur!" the bodybuilder grumbled, staring down at the city from the vantage point on the roof we'd made. He was bored. Slugma was pacing back and forth behind us, sighing slightly.
I was writing in my notepad. I had some thoughts, plans, ideas I wanted to think on. This fight against the Silicon Dragons was my priority right now, but it wasn't the end of the road. I'd made a list of all the things we might face. Orca hadn't been on there, but she was a surprise.
Grace was, as I'd thought from the start, sympathetic. She got turned into a monster because she wanted to do the right thing. But the fact was, she had been a villain in that universe.
Which was to be expected. I'd known from the start my knowledge was a guideline, not a complete match. Even if I ignored that my one presence would lead to massive changes, I'd read too many multiversal stories to expect things to be the same.
Still, it was interesting to have more proof of that.
Okay. Grace was, right now, on our side. So we had another ally in the fight. Just needed to keep our momentum going.
Just as I was saying that, someone screamed in the distance. Gurdurr and Slugma looked at me.
"Let's do it," I told them. "Maybe it'll be nothing, but get ready for the fight. Non-lethal," I said, even though it was likely unneeded to say that.
"Gur!" Gurdurr rushed for the edge of the roof, jumping off with a laugh. Slugma and I went down on the fire escape, and the three of us ran into the night.
------
Author's Note: This chapter was more of an initial build up. Some more meet and greet stuff, some building to the basic interactions. Kalini and Grace's interactions with each other and the Pokemon being the ones that I'm most interested in. That said, not gonna be any new characters for a while. I want to focus on Slugma, Gurdurr, and Kahu for a bit.
Chapter 19
That guy had been trying to steal a purse from a Hawaiian woman with purple streaked hair. We didn't have to do much. Slugma just went in and hit the guy with a normal headbutt, sending him on his ass, then yawned, a large bubble leaving her lips before hitting him in the face as he lay there. He blinked at us for a long moment as I walked up with a disappointed Gurdurr, wearing my mask.
"W-What the hell are you!?"
"Good samaritans," I said with a shrug. "Sleep tight."
He stared at us. "Wait, wha-zzzzzzz."
As he passed out from Slugma's Yawn attack, Gurdurr picked up the Hawaiian woman's purse and handed it to her. "Durr."
"Ah… thank you?" she whispered. "Um. Wha-what are you?"
"Like I said, good samaritans," I told her. "You're gonna want to call the police. Tell them a man tried to rob you, and Kahu Kiaʻi lent you some help."
"Ah… o-okay?" she said, clutching her purse to herself.
"Slugma?" the small slug said, looking up at her. The woman stared uncomprehendingly.
"She's asking if you're okay," I said.
"Oh! Um, yes, I am! Small… slug, thing."
"Slugma!" she said happily.
"Call the cops. We need to see if there are more people who need help out there."
With that, we unceremoniously walked off. I took out my phone and saw a text from Alakazam. Police report showed a store getting robbed close to where we were. "Come on!"
We ran for it, the lady calling behind us. As she called the police. "Thank you!"
We heard the police approach her as we left, but we were onto the next person needing help.
------
The next few hours finally got busy. Guess Honolulu criminals had a late start.
In the store getting robbed, we found a trio of guys, one threatening the cashier inside, a man behind him looking out for trouble, and a woman in a getaway car outside. Slugma went to the car and ate the back tires. Gurdurr burst through the doors and drew the attention of the two inside while I went around back and pulled the cashier out. The bullets from the thieves' guns made some small scuff marks on Gurdurr's skin, but he easily knocked each thief out with a solid punch, while another yawn from Slugma put out the driver.
The next call we intercepted, a car had been stolen. I had to pass on that one, sadly. We were on foot after all. We could have ran around looking for it, but that would waste time. Best we could do was keep an eye out. I needed to get something faster soon though. Maybe a motorcycle.
We next stopped a pair of idiots outside a club from beating the hell out of each other by Gurdurr simply holding them apart while giving them an aggressive glare, Slugma shut down a drug deal by lighting cocaine on fire before hitting the dealer with a high-speed tackle, and I ended up taking out some guy using nunchucks to rob people by kicking him in the throat.
I'd been aiming at his chest.
It was kinda interesting, fighting crime for real. It didn't feel as badass as I'd thought. It was more like fighting the Rainbow Rockets. Running around
It was as we were walking down the street that the reporter arrived. I didn't even notice until a microphone was suddenly in my face. I panicked at the sudden appearance, staggering back.
"What the fu-!?"
"John Mordecki, KONA-TV! You're Kahu Kiaʻi, right? The first Hawaiian superhero!"
Oh god, no. Cameras.
I tend to think of myself as fairly confident in a conversation. I may not be a genius at it, but I can figure out what to say in a pinch. Somehow, this was different. The reporter guy was blonde, pale, and had teeth that were just impossibly straight and white. His cameraman was zoomed in on me, and I felt a moment of gladness for my mask blocking my expressions. I took a moment to think while blinking at the bright light pointing at me.
"Yeah. I guess, though arguably Hawaii might have a few ancient heroes and deities that fall under that description as well."
John blinked. "Well, first modern hero then! Have we caught you in the middle of a patrol?"
"Yeah, with these two," I pointed at Gurdurr and Slugma, who were watching this all go down with some curiosity. The camera pointed at them. John, to his credit, didn't flinch at the sight of the two. Gurdurr raised a hand.
"Gur!"
Slugma cocked her head to the side. "Ma?"
He looked down at her. "Gurdurr," he explained to Slugma.
She frowned thoughtfully.
"Wow," John said softly. "And are these part of your powers?"
"Yes," I lied immediately. "I can summon spirits of my planet to fight alongside me in battle and supplement myself and my allies."
"Incredible," John hesitated. "Mr. Kiaʻi, I know you must be busy, but can we ask a few questions? Our viewers, and Hawaii at large, have a lot of things they'd love to know about you!"
"I…" I hesitated when my phone vibrated. I pulled it out and saw a text from Alakazam. A scream had been heard in a nearby neighborhood. "Okay, but we need to walk and talk, come on!"
Gurdurr, Slugma, and I went strolling quickly. Behind us, John shouted 'keep on him, come on!' to his cameraman.
"Ask your questions," I said quickly.
"Are you single?" John spat out, moving impressively fast.
"Yeah. Is that important though?"
"It is to some. Now, you said these creatures-"
"Call them Pokemon. It's short for 'Pocket Monster', since they can be brought with me wherever I go."
John seemed to file that way, his eyes glimmering. "Ok, Pokemon! You said they were spirits of your planet! Are you an alien, like Superman or Martian Manhunter?"
"I am an alien. But I'm nowhere near as powerful as those two. Or as good looking," I tried to joke, but I heard the sound of something breaking.
"What is the name of your planet?"
"Tatooine," for a moment, John's mind seemed to shatter as he gaped at me. "I'm joking. We never really gave our planet a name. Just call it the PokeWorld for now."
Actually people of that world called it Earth too, but that was too confusing to explain.
We ended up in a set of suburbs, where someone was crying out from a street nearby.
"Are there more people like you on your world? Are more coming?"
"There's a lot of people who work alongside Pokemon, for everything from fighting, construction, self-defense, and travel. But no, no one else is coming. I only got dropped here by accident."
"How did that happen?" John asked.
"I got kidnapped by aliens, beat them up, ended up here."
"W-Wow," John gaped. "Can you elaborate?"
"No, the memory is too painful," I said with all the emotion of a brick of wood. We came up to a house where the shouting was coming from. I knocked on the door. "Excuse me!"
Something crashed. Someone screamed.
"That's probable cause," I declared. "Gurdurr!"
"RAH!" with a roar of exertion, Gurdurr smashed open the door with his I-Beam. As the wood fragments flew about, I could see a man and woman standing over a small boy. The woman was shaking, a fresh bruise on her cheek. The man had a fist raised. The boy was bleeding from the mouth.
"Get in on this!" John said to his cameraman.
"What are you doing here!?" the man shouted. "Get out of my-"
"Sir, were you in the midst of beating this woman and child?" John asked.
The man, in a phenomenal moment of stupidity, raised his fist.
A grey hand wrapped around his elbow. The man looked down, only for his eyes to bug out.
"What the fu-"
Gurdurr pulled him down and wrapped an arm around the man's neck.
"Wait, what are you-" the woman said hesitantly.
God, what a fucking mess. My first time on television, and we'd found a husband/boyfriend, whatever he was, beating on a woman and kid. Bet Batman got to take down gangsters on television. As opposed to this, which I knew would be complicated.
"Miss," I stepped forward, waving Slugma over to calm down the kid. She did so, carefully. "I'm-" damnit, this was going to feel so insincere. "I'm a superhero. We heard the sounds of shouting-"
"Get this freak off me!" the man screamed.
"Gurdurr, can you push that guy stomach down on the floor?"
Gurdurr pulled his hands back, tossed the guy up into the air, where he spun in the air like pizza dough, before landing, where Gurdurr 'gently' held him there.
"You fucking pieces of-" there he went, profanity after profanity.
"...Hey, camera guy," I said.
The camera man stared at me, shocked to be acknowledged. "Uh, me?"
"Yeah, you got duct tape?"
The abusive man went quiet before starting up again. "You better not fuckin-"
"Sure," the camera guy reached into a pocket of his vest, pulling out a small roll of the most useful substance in the multiverse. "I keep it for quick repairs."
"I need to start doing the same. Nothing better than duct tape," I tossed it to Gurdurr, whose eyes lit up. "Now, Miss," I took her gently by the hand and moved her over to her kid, who had been watching with shocked eyes at all of us. Slugma cooed at him gently, while he continued to cry. I sat down in a ratty old chair, while she did the same. "Look. I'm a superhero. That means I want to help people. So let's just start by introducing ourselves. What's your name?"
"A-Amy," she said hesitantly. She seemed way out of her depth.
"Amy. Okay. I'm Kahu Kiaʻi. It's a codename, so you can call me Kahu. That's Gurdurr," we looked over at him.
"...Gur," oh wow. I had no idea you could wrap a person with that much duct tape.
"And this is Slugma. She's a sweetheart."
"Slug!" Slugma said warmly, pun not intended[a][b].
"And that over there is John, a reporter I'm currently getting stalked by."
"Yes, I- wait, what?" John said, confused.
"Now. You're Amy. Who is this?" I said, looking at her son. "You have a name kid?"
He stared at us. For a moment, I wondered what was wrong.
"H-He's autistic," Amy said softly. That explained a lot. Damn it. Nice safe thugs all night, and now I had something complicated. Still, at least I'd been here.
"And his name?" I asked.
"Akami," she smiled at him. Her son gave her an empty look, then rushed over to her, wrapping her in a hug. She clutched him tightly.
"Akami. I like it," I leaned back. "And that guy?"
"Mmm!" the human duct tape shouted as best as he could.
Amy hesitated. "H-He's my husband," she began to cry. "P-Please, he doesn't mean to… he just gets angry sometimes! He's a good man."
I held back the sarcasm. Battered woman syndrome, at a guess. But I'm no psychologist or anything, so I couldn't be sure.
"...He shouldn't have been hitting you. For any reason," I said leaning forward to look at her. "Your son is hurt."
His arms were extremely bruised. His left eye was blackening. Slugma glared at her husband.
"Amy," John drew our attention. He waved a hand, and the camera was lowered. He came forward and kneeled down to look in her eyes. "I agree with Kahu. Sometimes… the people who we least need in our lives trick us. They hurt us, and then make grand apologies. They'll be perfectly wonderful… until they feel the need to hurt us again. They'll call that love. They'll make you feel like it's your fault. It's not," John said, old pain in his eyes. "Now, we have on camera proof of what happened to you. The evidence is undeniable. We can protect you, keep him away."
"...I need him," Amy whispered. "My son and I need money. He needs special schools, he needs medicine, he-"
"Will be fine," I cut her off. "I can make sure he gets everything he needs until you can get on your feet," after all, what was the point of stealing money from gangsters if it didn't go to good causes? "He seems like a sweet kid. If you want him to be safe and happy, I'll happily help. But not here. Not with someone who was literally beating you."
The man was staring at us, especially at Gurdurr. I think he was calming down. Because he seemed to realize he'd tried to punch a super-monster in the face and gotten nothing but a smug smile in return.
"Come on," I got to my feet and held a hand. "We're gonna call the police, have them send the right people to help."
For a moment, a scary moment, she stared at my hand like it was a spider. Then, slowly, she reached out and took it, pulling herself up as she held her son in her arms.
------
While waiting for the police to arrive, I had Gurdurr watch over the woman and child, Slugma joining me with John and the camera guy. I glared at him.
"Okay. We have a few minutes before the police come and I have to leave before getting arrested for vigilantism or something like that according to the FBI guy in the news. Ask your questions."
"Let's start with that," John said with a stern look on his face. "Vigilantism. Some in the police force, a few people online as well, have been saying that you're breaking the law, with Sam Mokoa in particular, the 'FBI guy' you mentioned, calling for your arrest. That having someone like you running around fighting criminals like the Dragons is a bad idea, even fighting normal thugs."
"They're right and wrong to be honest," I sighed. "Nobody should be running around fighting crime on a whim. Ideally, every cop in the modern world should be trained and equipped for years, constantly learning more so they can combat the supernatural threats that currently exist. And running around doing this shouldn't be done on a whim. You need to cheat."
"Cheat?" John asked, confused.
"Powers are cheating. Training is cheating. Having advanced weaponry and gadgets is cheating," I lifted Slugma into my arms like a cat, the tiny magma monster wiggling slight. "Having allies like this cutie here is cheating. If you want to be a superhero, you can't just put a mask on. I'm not going to mince words," I gently put Slugma down. "This whole business of being a hero. No, of fighting crime in general. It's more dangerous than it's ever been. Aliens like me are showing up all the time. Regular people with a grudge are becoming more and more capable of getting some sort of serum to give them powers, or getting advanced tech that lets them melt metal. The world needed the Justice Society to stop those threats once. And they kicked ass. But threats are growing. Cops are doing what they can, but they can't do everything, not when their enemies can all of a sudden be able to escalate way beyond what they are equipped to handle."
I rubbed the back of my head. "So yeah. What I'm doing is illegal. But it's meant to be illegal in a world where it made sense. Right now, the Dragons have decided to go after me, because I made the 'mistake' of stopping them from killing people. Me, I say they should have never gotten the chance to force me into that situation in the first place. So this is me. Making a stand. Telling the Silicon Dragons that they can't just run around killing people, giving drugs to kids, trafficking humans through Hawaii, because they'll just bully good men and women into compliance!" I snarled. "So I'm making my stand. No more Dragons. And if they want to come at me with everything they've got, then they better be sure of this fight. Because I promise, the ceiling I've got on what me and my Pokemon can do, is a fuckton more than they can handle."
The cameraman shifted, looking between me and John.
"...I think, at some point, I lost track of your question," I sighed, while John frowned just a bit. "So yeah. Vigilantism is wrong. But in this case, it's this, or people die. I'm here to help. Whether Sam Mokoa wants it or not. Good enough?" Slugma nudged my leg, giving me a pleading look. I lifted her up into my arms once more, getting a happy burbling noise from her.
"Y-Yeah," John stuttered, then grinned. "More than good enough. Oh, and you, little… lava, slug, thing? What do you think?"
He leaned in towards Slugma, holding out his microphone.
"Uh, maybe you shouldn't-"
John touched the microphone against Slugma's lips. The microphone melted.
"What the-!?" John reflexively let go of the microphone. As we watched, the microphone sank into Slugma. After a moment, it was gone. She blinked down at her stomach, then let out a cute burp sound.
"...Folks at home, I apologize for whatever you must have heard there, as well as the drop in audio quality that's going to be taking place now. We'll be using the camera's mic, because a cute slug monster just ate mine."
"Slug," she said guiltily.
"She says sorry," I translated.
John didn't seem too angry. If anything he seemed excited. "That is just… I have so many more questions!"
"...Yay."
I answered as many questions as I could before the police arrived, then the Pokemon and I ran for the hills.
------
We kept it up. All across Honolulu, saving who we could. We intercepted calls, in total stopping six more situations. One was dumb, just a guy flashing people in a hotel who Slugma knocked out with a Yawn attack. The rest were just people. Normal desperate criminals trying to steal things or hurt innocents. Gurdurr got a lot of use out of his right hook.
Once again, it was more like fighting the Rockets than anything else. Taking out normal douchebags, rather than someone like Sidearm. That couldn't last though.
With sunlight coming up in the distance, Gurdurr and Slugma looked out over the city with me. I kneeled down next to them.
"So. How'd you guys like your first patrol?"
Gurdurr huffed, scratching his round nose. "Gurdurr."
"Boring, huh?" I grinned. "You just mad you didn't have an excuse to go all Minecraft on a bad guy?"
"Gur!" Gurdurr laughed, shaking his head ruefully. Then he sighed, hefting his I-Beam over his shoulder. "Durr. Gurdurr, durr," he said with a sigh.
He just wanted a challenge. A real fight. I got that. While all Pokemon had different personalities, one thing that was underneath all that was a wish to battle and be challenged in some way. Even if they didn't want to actually fight, like those Pokemon who preferred to join Contests where they could strut their stuff, were intensely competitive about it. It was just in them to fight.
"We'll get real fights soon. But-"
"Gur," he held up a hand, smirking. He clenched a fist and smiled."Gurdurr."
He got why we were doing this. Besides, beating up thugs may have been easy, but it also felt good.
I looked over at Slugma. "How about you? You doing okay?"
"Slugma…" she said sadly. I winced.
"I… To be honest, I don't know how Amy and Akami will do. We can help Akami, get him doctors and such who can work with autistic kids, but Amy is tougher. The cycle of abuse is tough to get yourself out of. And even with footage floating around, I can't guarantee that douchebag won't be able to get away with what he did, even if only a little bit."
"Maaaaa," she crooned sadly.
"Still. We'll do what we can. And thankfully we've stolen enough cash that we can support them through this, maybe even donate to a battered women's shelter to help."
"Slugma?"
I thought about that. "...No. Giovanni is helping us so far. But he's a pragmatist, not a good samaritan. I can't just ask him for help with every single problem. This one is tough because of human nature, not because it's inherently something we can't deal with. Nothing Giovanni can do will be more effective than what we can do."
Hiring therapists, convincing Amy to get the help she needed, getting Akami the same kind of assistance, that was all stuff we could do. Save the mob boss for the problems we actually needed him for, rather than going running to our personal supervillain for answers.
I'd keep an eye on the mom and son. Couldn't have their backs forever, but I'd do what I could.
"Okay, looks like things are gonna be as calm as they can be," I sighed as the sun finally rose. "Let's head home."
Sleep. And then, meet Giovanni and Roxy to plan our next steps. Also, avoid the news, because I didn't want to see my teenage self awkwardly asking questions on national television, the nightmare of many people.
Still, I did kind of wonder how that would go down...
------
Author's Note: A lot of patrols seem to end in massive supervillain battles in the comics. Which makes sense, since you should put what's interesting in the comic pages. But I also like those stories where it's Batman in Gotham just taking down normal thugs and going home to sleep after he's done. It's somewhat relaxing to know that Bat's can have a slightly peaceful night sometimes.
Still, Kahu did end up dealing with some real shit. No idea what I'll do with Amy. Maybe her story has a happy ending. Maybe not. Some problems can get punched away. Some, we can help with. But sometimes, the best you can do is show someone the door. It's up to them to take that step through it. In this case, Amy has to be the one who decides she's done with her abuser.
As for John, he's a fun one. An enthusiastic reporter, but he's dealt with his own issues as well. Overall, this was a treat to write.
Chapter 20
Tana Moon
"How in the hell did you know where he was?" Tana asked John, stunned. They were in the editing, watching footage of a teenager in a red and white mask answer questions like he was a forty year old noir detective, rather than a kid in the prime of his life.
"I got an anonymous tip!" John said cheerily.
"An anonymous tip that told you where a superhero was down to the exact street?"
"And how he looked," John frowned. "You think I was tricked?"
"I think that kid is being followed," Tana said. "Or he's got someone who tipped you off so he could get PR. Good or bad PR, I don't know. Seriously, the kid must have the luck of the devil to not only get a reporter on site during a sympathetic story like saving an abused woman and her kid, but to get you there. If any of our harder-edged competitors were there they would have eaten him alive."
"I'm hard-edged," John whined.
"You're a puppy," Tana said, not unkindly. "Okay. Then we go live with the story asap. Goddamn, I wish the kid had a better look though. Something that makes him more professional than this."
John winced, but said nothing. Tana looked the kid over. He was wearing that hockey mask, white on the right, red on the left, with a black line in the center. It was painted cleanly at least, but it was still a freaking hockey mask. He was a black t-shirt and jeans under a trenchcoat that looked like it had better days. He didn't look like a superhero, he looked like a random teen that had found a mask. Hell, the hockey mask might have been too big for him.
Thankfully, his Pokemon (Tana figured she'd better get used to the name), did the job of being impressive for him. The grey one was built like a midget bodybuilder. Even with the nose of a clown, the way he swung that I-Beam around so easily, muscles flexing under his skin, made him seem more impressive than his size.
And Slugma was ugly cute, leaning on the side of cute. A slug made of lava shouldn't have tugged at the heart strings, but the way she sometimes looked at Kahu made Tana smile. Like a small child at her dad. It was fuckin adorable, and so damn perfect for ratings.
"Have the editing department blur out as many clips of the mom and kids faces as possible without removing any chance of people understanding the story. Block out their names. Last thing we need is some idiot tracking them down out of revenge. Same with the dad."
"Seriously?" John scowled. "That asshole should have his name in lights as a wife and child abuser."
"I wish. But protecting them means keeping him hidden too. Let the police deal with him. Because if we reveal who he is, and the Dragons track them down from that, I'm going to feel guilty. And I work hard to avoid that."
Tana crossed her arms. "Right now, KONA-TV has more power over a story of this magnitude than I can remember in years. We're in the beginning stages of it. If we can control the narrative, no matter what happens we're on top of it. This kid could be famous, fizzle out, or get arrested. And we'll be able to break the story."
"Tana, the kid seems honest," John said. "I don't think him getting arrested-"
"We cover the news, John. Good or bad. If the kid flames out, we talk about it, and make the station money that keeps us all employed and fed. If he succeeds, even better, but we will tell the whole story. Good and bad."
------
Sam Mokoa
"A TV INTERVIEW!?" Sam tossed a clock at his office floor, the old piece of wood and metal shattering. He scowled at it. "The kid runs around Honolulu all the hours of the night, and not only do I not hear about it, he ends up on the goddamn news!?"
The unlucky man who had brought Sam the message winced. "Sorry sir! The kid is kinda… elusive?"
"He was followed by a big ball of lava and a muscular circus clown!"
"But he didn't do anything technically superhuman! I mean, he roughed up a few toughs, but nothing too crazy. And police around here don't really have procedures for dealing with superhumans. They were going to implement them, but the Dragons went quiet, so…"
Goddamn bureaucrats.
Sam scowled, turning to stare up at the screen. "We have any leads on his identity?"
"Beyond a brown-skinned teenager in Hawaii?"
Fucking hell. An out there idea struck Sam.
"How about those claims that he's an alien? Have we got any reports from space observatories about odd sightings in the sky or anything like that?"
"I'll look into it."
The man ran, looking relieved. Sam looked back at the screen. Kahu was talking.
"So I'm making my stand. No more Dragons. And if they want to come at me with everything they've got, then they better be sure of this fight-" Sam shut off the tv. He stared at the black screen, at his own reflection. His anger had faded. Now he looked… sad. God. He looked almost pathetic.
"..." Sam walked around his desk, pulling open a drawer and bringing out a bottle labeled Spirytus. He opened it up, took a swig like it was water, closed the bottle, and put it away. While letting the alcohol burn in his belly, he sighed.
"No more Dragons. We all make that promise. Never works out."
------
Comment Section Of KONA-TV
Under the video posted on the KONA-TV website of the interview with Kahu Kiaʻi, chaos reigned.
Bud: Dude, how many of these things does he have? Mako, Aumakua, now a… midget… clown… bodybuilder? And a lava slug? I don't even know what we'll name these now.
I'm Okay(Tron): I liked his speech at the end. The Silicon Dragons are total dickheads. It's nice to see someone standing up to them. Still that last sentence about how the 'ceiling on what he and his pokemon can do' was kinda weird. How strong are those things?
Ranco: Superman level maybe? I mean, nobody guessed how strong Superman was when he first showed up, maybe these things are the same.
Halo: So, we actually going to name these things? Maybe 'Bodybuilder' and 'Volcano'? Also, I'm not sure I believe that kids speech. He's like, twelve, I don't believe his speech, it's too cheesy. Can't be genuine.
Korone: 可愛いので抱きしめたい!
Bao: @Korone Yubi Yubi!
Garnyan: Maybe we should come up with more creative names. And besides, teens always make big promises like that, it ain't the worst thing for him to believe his own hype...
WOLF626: Uh, no is gonna mention[a][b] that the slug ATE A MICROPHONE!?
Battyfan: Dude. Kahu, I emphasize with your mission. But your costume really needs work. Hard to trust a hero who dresses like Jason.
James Deen: He should talk to whoever gives the Justice League their costumes.
Proman: I don't know about you, but I don't want this guy and his things around. Sure they seem to mean well, but the slug accidentally destroyed that mic. Imagine what it can do when it means it. Fighting with animals is bad enough when they get mad, but give them super powers. It's just too risky!
Entomoid: They don't seem to be just things or animals. They seem to interact with much greater intelligence than that dude. If you're not worried about Wonder Woman crushing you... then you should be fine with the adorable lava slug.
Proman: Oh I'm not worried about Wonder Woman doing that... wink... wink.
Nilhus: This will all end in tears, I promise you. He's an alien! That means we'll have an invasion of crazy animals from the sky!
Hestia: Well, I for one, welcome our adorable new oppressors! Anyways, names. Well, maybe the lava slug should be named Pele?
MWKillKenny84: Careful about that name. You don't want an old white woman coming to your door demanding cigars and booze.
Darkgamer: Wow. That slug thing is amazingly ugly. And it just ATE a microphone! Yuck.
Sinsystems: Pele is pretty appropriate for a female slug monster though, and we've given all of them thematic names from Hawaii.
Robopanda: Which is weird to me. He's not Hawaiian.
Sinsystems: @Robopanda You clearly have no understanding of what it means for us to have our first superhero. We're giving them Hawaiian names. Those are the rules, I don't make them.
Rift120: Ah man. I was really hoping he would bring Stitch again.
Themarineguy101: Who? Why are you talking about that movie?
Rift120: The blue one with super-strength.
Chaosglory626: I thought people were calling the blue one Mako?
Rift120: Yeah, WRONG people.
Quantum01: Ah, I see the volcanoes have gone from rivers of fiery death to cute slugs of fiery death. I don't know which is worse! I want to hug her but I would die...
Windona: Well, that's done it. I'm drawing fanart right the hell now! Woot!
CapnOblivious42: I don't get it. What movie is this for?
Ina: @CapnOblivious42 Are you serious?
CapnOblivious42: @Ina Huh?
Ina: Nothing. Your name is nice by the way.
CapnOblivious42: Thank you!
BigHumuHumu: On a more humorous note it is nice to see the tradition of wrapping assholes up in duct tape is alive and well!
Snakespm: First
Mariic: @Snakespm Not even close, dude.
Uncle B: If we're naming them, we should really have the names listed.
rainfallMyth: Seriously, we're gonna name these fucking abominations of nature?
DOCCER: Abominations are cuter than I remember.
Relyt33: He's not wrong.
Kodaly: I still think we might need to worry about the alien invasion thing. So far, this kid seems cool, but remember he SHRUGGED OFF BULLETS!?
Lagoon12002: Yeah, but if he causes trouble we can just send him to an orphanage. He's like 12.
Dmehta19: He's like 16. Plus, what kind of teens do you know can toss a grown man 20 feet.
TheRestlessHunter: Aren't there like, nine sidekicks who can do that?
Tyler: Man. I was really hoping that tiny scary cute one would show up! She was adorable!
DesertChocola[c][d][e][f]te: This entire comment section is among the weirdest things that have ever happened in my life.
RichardWhereat: @DesertChocolate Well, we're excited!
DesertChocolate: I appreciate that. I have different reasons for being weirded out.
------
Mahmoud Schahed/Kahu Kiaʻi
I closed the comment section and looked up. I was back at the Restaurant Royale, Alakazam floating alongside me. Gurdurr was chewing at a steak while glaring at a smug Persian, while Slugma was sitting in a pot full of minerals that she was cheerfully chewing through. Giovanni was eating an omelet across the table from me in his posh personal dining room.
Roxanne pulled the laptop she'd been showing me away and smiled. "So. We've made an impression."
"A good and bad one," Giovanni looked me up and down pointedly. "Gurdurr and Slugma were brilliant. Well done."
Gurdurr looked away from his staring contest with Persian to look over at Giovanni, looking like he didn't know how to take that compliment. Slugma chirped happily, crumbs of stone sizzling around her lips.
"But you? My god man, who taught you how to dress!?" Giovanni looked honestly disappointed in me. "I tell you that you are going to meet reporters and you dress like a homeless serial killer?"
I shrugged. Yeah, that was fair. "It was what I had. Besides, I like this mask."
"It's well painted, but too big for you, and has a pop culture image of murderous psychopaths to overcome," Giovanni sighed. "If I had known you would do this, I would have sent you to a tailor."
"I'm not wearing a big 'R' on my chest."
"God forbid you ever do," Giovanni snarked.
"He does have a point," Alakazam said, stroking his chin. "Presentation is everything. Updating your 'costume' would go a long way towards that. After all, if we are presenting you as a hero, then it would be to your benefit to push that image further."
"Yeah, all right," I didn't really care about my clothes anyway, beyond them being functional for their purpose. And having some sort of nerd image on it. "Okay. Training?"
Giovanni nodded. "Yes, training," he wiped away his chin after finishing his omelet and rose to his feet, walking closely. Roxanne, Alakazam, Slugma, Gurdurr, and Persian followed after him. I ended up walking right next to him. "Now. As I believe you know, I have a preference for Ground-type Pokemon. Despite the weakness to Grass, Ice, and Water-type Pokemon, I find their numerous strengths fit my personality. I spent years of long study and practice, understanding my Pokemon, understanding the enemies they would face. My team is not a hodge-podge of various Pokemon I simply met over the years. They are selectively chosen for their breeding, power, and numerous abilities they possess."
"You, on the other hand, seem to have picked up whatever spare refuse came your way."
Alakazam glared at him. Slugma looked between me and Giovanni sadly. Gurdurr clenched his teeth. I didn't speak.
"You seem to have gotten lucky, but anyone with a brain can see yours is not the team of someone who put any thought to synergy, ability, or good genetics in his Pokemon. We'll have to work around that."
"Giovanni. I don't know why you're insulting my Pokemon, but I'd like you to get to the point before I just leave right now. And not this building. This whole endeavor."
We stopped in the hall. Giovanni turned to look at me, lips raised just slightly.
"I don't care what you say about me. But my Pokemon aren't 'scrap' pulled together. They're the ones who stood by me from the start. We came together the way all friends, all families do. Because we decided we gave a shit about each other, and we fought and scrapped together. They're my team. And they are strong. Now. We just want to get stronger. So if you could please? Train us."
Gurdurr grinned slowly.
Giovanni laughed. "Good. Good. I would not have trained someone who didn't at least respect their Pokemon enough to defend them from insult. Or, I would have, just to laugh as you fail."
"You really needed to do that?"
"Yes. Your speech gave enough time for the room to be ready," he turned and walked up to a set of doors, opening them dramatically.
Inside was a Gym. Not a gym lowercase, with nothing but weights. We're talking a legit Gym, with a dirt floor, outcroppings of desert stone, a small river running down one side, dozens of bars across the top where a Pokemon could swing from, sprinklers to mimic water, high powered lights to mimic harsh sunlight.
"...At some point, you need to stop flexing," I said as I looked around the basketball-sized room.
"Bruno once told me that was a lie weaker men tell themselves," Giovanni pointed at the center of the room. "Now. I believe we should start with something simple. A battle."
"Gurdurr?" he asked.
"Yes. A Pokemon battle. Let's see how you do in a traditional spar," I swear, his eyes were lighting up with happiness. "I must admit. It has been some months. I might be a bit rusty."
"Should I have him sign the waivers now?" Roxxane asked with a weariness to her voice.
"I was wondering why you came along," Alakazam said.
Giovanni placed his right hand in his pocket, took out a pokeball, and bounced it up and down in his palme. Persian licked his lips, eyes gleeful.
Gurdurr, Slugma, Alakazam, and I faced him. Gurdurr swung his I-Beam around. Slugma was staring at Persian fearfully. Alakazam took out his spoons and twirled them briefly between his fingers, face a mask of stoicness.
I stared up at him and nodded, gritting my teeth, my fists clenching.
"Okay. Let's have a fucking Pokemon battle."
------
Author's Note: This isn't a cliffhanger, I had to get to sleep for work and this is the best ending I could do. Later guys!
[a]is no one going to
[b]I mean... it's internet chat. Grammar is sorta optional. If anything, everyone's grammar is too correct.
[c]Hey author what are you doing here! you can't 4th wall break so subtly and casually! It costs a lot to repair that you know... pieces of the fabric of reality are already hard to find, and 4th walls especially don't come cheap...
[d]In this case, it's Kahu himself replying, rather than me. Kahu made a profile and called himself DesertChocolate in universe.
[e]👍
[f]Laughed so hard when I realized you had kahu use your username and read the comment lol