"Nolan??"
Vance came up in front of the man, looked at his face and said it in surprise.
This was Nolan, whom he had crossed paths with a few times. He, Cerise and Nolan had been the three most outstanding new recruits of their Team Rocket intake, and all three had come away with the rank of Squad Leader.
Vance had chosen to go to Celadon City, Cerise had chosen Saffron City, and Nolan had chosen to come to Vermilion City.
"Cough, cough. You're... Vance."
Leaning against the tree, Nolan opened his eyes and recognised him in turn.
"Gengar—"
Out of his shadow came a Gengar, its presence flagging, showing only its head, wary.
"How did you end up like this? Was it the League?"
"Cough, cough. It was. Could I trouble you to take me along? Just as far as Vermilion City would do. If you can manage it, take me to the Vermilion Gym."
Nolan made the request. He had no other course. He was badly hurt and could not move easily, and the one Gengar he had left could still get about, but only by forcing itself.
He had no choice but to pin his hope of getting out on a man he at least knew. They had come out of the same intake, and that counted for something.
Otherwise, once the League's people came after him and began combing the area, he would not be going anywhere.
"My identity hasn't been exposed either. This won't land you in anything."
Nolan added that as well.
"All right. I have to go to the Vermilion Gym anyway, so I'll take you along on the way."
"Thank you."
After that he dressed the wounds roughly, took him up and brought him into Vermilion City, where they changed to a car and drove towards the Vermilion Gym.
"Lads, why aren't you going to a hospital? The Gym, of all places. Your friend here looks badly hurt to me."
On the way the driver in front struck up a conversation.
"I'm an apprentice at the Gym. They have medicine for it inside. A trip to the hospital costs a fair bit, so you economise where you can."
Nolan handled it from the back seat, and what he said was true enough: the identity he went about under in Vermilion City was Gym apprentice.
"Don't you Trainers make good money? And you're saving on that?" the driver said cheerfully.
"Ah, not every Trainer makes money. Look at me — got nothing at all today and came away covered in injuries, and no telling how many days it'll take to mend. Bad luck all round. If I hadn't run into this friend of mine, I'd likely have been left out there for good. The money isn't easy. Nothing as steady as your line of work, driver."
"Ha, everyone makes their own choices. Getting back in one piece is already something. Last time out I picked up a Trainer, and a terrible state he was in — arm gone, blood coming out of him the whole way. I got him to the hospital for emergency treatment, but I heard afterwards he didn't pull through. Died young."
The driver sighed over it, and then went on feelingly.
"At least he didn't die in my car, or I wouldn't have wanted to drive any more. And it isn't only that one. I get two or three a month."
Nolan kept the talk going quite naturally, without the cold, silent manner he had had back at the base. These few months of the life had worked a considerable change in him.
"Mind you, lad, you've done well for yourself, taken on at a Gym to study. You'll learn something of the trade, you'll get teaching from the Gym Leader, you'll make useful connections. Rising in the world will be no trouble at all."
"Hahaha. Is that so? Then I'll take your good word for it."
The car stopped at the Vermilion Gym, and Vance helped Nolan down out of it.
"Hah. Back at last."
Only at the door of the Gym did Nolan let himself relax completely.
"Thank you, Vance, for bringing me here. If you've nothing else on, come in with me." As he said it he leaned close to Vance's ear and added quietly, "The Gym Leader is one of ours. This is our ground."
"Better still. As it happens I have a bit of business at the Gym myself."
Vance smiled when he had heard it.
"What is it? Some job out of Celadon that needs Vermilion's cooperation?"
"No. Personal business. I came to challenge the Gym."
"Challenge the Gym? You're going to enter the League Conference?"
"I am."
"I see. Come inside with me first."
Vance helped Nolan into the Gym, and two men with a distinctly street look about them came over.
"Nolan, how did you get hurt this badly?"
"Cough, cough. Tolliver, Weller, let's go inside and talk."
"Then what about..."
The two of them looked at Vance, then at Nolan, waiting for him to explain.
"He's one of ours. It's fine."
At that the two men were satisfied and showed them both in.
Inside the room, after a course of treatment, Nolan was largely mended, his colour back, in a fresh set of clothes and carrying himself with the poise he had had at their earlier meetings.
"Thank you for this, Vance. If you hadn't come past, I might well have gone down out there. Thank you very much."
Nolan was grateful.
"It cost me nothing. How did it come to this, though? Where did it go wrong?"
Vance waved it off and put the question.
"This time there was a traitor inside — at Division Commander level, no less." Nolan's face was not pleasant as he said it. He had come close to going down, and that too had to do with the traitor.
"He's already been dealt with quietly by the Branch Chief, but the stronghold was exposed all the same, and as it happened I was there at the time. Hence the scene you walked in on."
"The Branch Chief is Gym Leader Lt. Surge. If the traitor hadn't gone and contacted the Chief himself and given himself away, we wouldn't have known a thing at the start. The man had no eyes in his head and no notion of what he was dealing with."
At that a cold smile came onto Nolan's face; it felt like getting some of his own back.
"That reminds me — here I am talking away. You came to challenge the Gym, didn't you? There's no need to challenge anything. I'll just give you the badge."
Nolan took out an orange badge and handed it over.
It was Vermilion City's badge.
"Is this all right?"
Vance took the badge and hesitated.
"Of course it's all right. What could be wrong with it? It changes nothing, don't worry." Nolan waved a hand as he said it.
Perhaps he had genuinely let go of something, and there was no call to stand on ceremony; Nolan was a great deal more easy-going than before.
"Which badges have you still not collected?"
Nolan looked at him and asked,
"Four to go. So far I have Celadon, Pewter and Cerulean, and now yours on top of them — four badges in all."
Vance answered truthfully.
"Hahaha. Now that's a coincidence."
Nolan heard it and burst out laughing.
"Hm? A coincidence how?"
Vance found it a little strange.
And then Nolan came out with what he himself considered an astonishing great secret.
"It's simply a coincidence, that's all. It's natural enough that you don't know. Let me tell you — there's no need to go to the Gyms you have left. Put in an application and it's done. The badges from Saffron, Fuchsia, Viridian and Cinnabar Island can be handed straight to you. They're all our own people, so you save yourself the running about. And don't worry: taking them to the League Conference won't affect your use of them in the slightest."