Chapter Ten: Dependency
“I don’t know who else to turn to… the Police say that they are looking into the issue. They say it is a serious matter. But every day I am seeing more of this.” A man says.
His name is Doctor Michael Azure. And he is one of the leading veterinarians at the Saffron Pokémon Center. He sits pensively, in the drawing room of the Kuroi Family. An Alakazam pours tea for him. An Umbreon lounges in a spot of sunlight. She yawns and eyes her house guest curiously. A Charmeleon sits near the fireplace, looking up at a jar on the mantle. A Noivern hangs from the ceiling, sleeping soundly. Four very impressive Pokémon. Each in excellent health and physical condition. Each class B or higher. But there was something else. Michael had studied Pokémon for nine years to earn his doctorate. He saw the signs, subtle as they were. An elongated shadow. A chill despite being so close to a source of heat. A subtle darkness that seems to absorb and consume light.
Michael Azure shivered and drank his tea. “It has to be some sort of new drug. There are any number of illegal performance enhancers out there. But I have never seen this one before.” He says. He hands over a set of documents and images. “It starts with hyper aggression, irritation of the eyes nose and throat, and fever. We usually end up having to sedate the patients, and then artificially cool them. In extreme cases, we have had temperatures five to even ten degrees Celsius over the norm. Even in fire and ice types, who are known to have excellent thermoregulatory systems.” He says. “There are close to two dozen cases in the past week. From that we have lost seven to the fever. The rest are just kept in temperature controlled tubs. We can’t even let them regain consciousness.” Azure says. Kuroi nods. “Do you know what the vector is?” She asks. Michael pulls out a document from the pile and hands it over. “It seems to be inhaled. There is irritation in the throat eyes and nose. Some sort of smoke that they are being exposed two. A directly inhaled substance from a joint or pipe would be more concentrated. So I am thinking second hand exposure, perhaps even hot-boxing.” He doesn’t know what to do. Madam Kerra Kuroi has a reputation. They call her the Saffron Witch. A powerful psychic and master of dark and ghost type Pokémon. If the rumors were to be believed, she also had her hand in politics, drugs, and the criminal underworld. Yet others speak of her as a Saint, that steps in to save the innocent where others can not. Well. If you find your path as righteous, yet all the world declares you wicked-
“Then you will not be without friends.” Madam Kuroi says, finishing Michael’s thought for him. “Pardom my intrusion, but I will only work with those who are truly steadfast in their beliefs.” She says. Michael feels a presence lift from him, as if many cold hands were upon him, and were at once removed. He did not dare look behind him, at his shadow. I could feel it smiling down at him. Grinning down at him, as a child looks down at an insect, magnifying glass in hand. It was a violation of his self. And were he not truly desperate for her assistance, it would have sent him running from her home.
“Deep within your heart and soul, I find only good. You are a GOOD man Michael. You only care about the Pokémon that you care for, and the trainers that love them. You do not break the law. You uphold it along with your own personal code. You are a good man.” Madam Kuroi says. “I however, am not good.” She admits. “WE are not good people.”
With a nod of her head, Saji causes the tea kettle to rise up and pour a fresh cup for her Master. Obsidian yawns, showing off her sharp teeth and causes the rings on her fur to glow menacingly. Torok turns his head from the mantle to stare at Michael. His eyes are filled with pain and anger, barely kept in check. Noctua unfurls his wings. “Vern...” He says softly, yet his voice comes from everywhere, and echos throughout the house. And finally, a cold hand slowly wrapped around his neck, not squeezing, not hurting him in anyway, but demonstrating how easy it would be. Michael shudders, and the sensation is gone.
“I will help you.” Madam Kuroi says. “If a man risks his life with drugs and loses, it is his fault. But these Pokémon...” She says. The files on the coffee table rise up and arrange themselves in the air for all to see. “These Pokémon are innocent. Their trainers range from seniors to young children. I don’t see a six year old boy giving his pet and best friend performance enhancers… I will help you, but as I said, We are not good people. We do not work for free...” She says. Michael nodded. He knew this would happen. He was prepared. “I… have a research grant from the NPL. I could pay-” He begins. “I am not interested in money.” Kuroi interrupts. “I have plenty of money. What I don’t have. What I want, is one of the XLance Incubators that your Center is equipped with. I may have money but I lack the medical license to purchase one myself.” She says. “The XLance? They are extreamly sensitvie pieces of equipment-” Michael says. “And you have twelve of them. Each can hold and maintain six eggs each. And at most you have… half of them in use at a time? You can afford to spare one.” Kuroi says. “Bring me the incubator, along with all the data you have collected from your patients. Do this and I will find the insects that are poisoning our city, and rid us of their infestation...”
Michael did not look back at the Kuroi Mansion as he drove away. The Witch lived up to her reputation… But to be fair, it could have gone worse… He dialed the Pokémon Center. Nurse Hiiro answered. “ChÅshun. I need a few favors. First, I need you to collect all the data we have on those new performance enhancer cases. Get it copied over to an external drive. Second, I need you to shut down one of our reserve XLances. Pack is up and get it ready to ship to Cerulean Center. It’s Crabby season and they are a little overloaded.” He says. “Do you want me to arrange the shipment as well? Or have you already called it in?” She asks. “Don’t bother with that. Just load is up in one of our trucks. I will deliver it personally. Go head and put that external drive in the truck as well. I am just getting back into town. I will be there in about thirty minutes.”
* * *
Madam Kuroi sits patiently in her Library. It was a circular room lined with bookcases. She loved this room most when she was a kid. There was a breathtaking mural on the ceiling, of legendary Pokémon working on concert to hammer out the birth of the universe and the world. It had brought her endless hours of fascination as a child. She would lay on the floor and stare up at it for hours, her favorite books close at hand to tell her who the Pokémon on the ceiling were and what they could do. It was a fitting room. The proper room to raise a child.
“Madam” Saji thought. Kuroi spins around slowly to look at her. “We have something...” The Alakazam thinks. Kuroi looks up at the ceiling one last time before speaking. “Show me...” She says. Madam Kerra Kuroi rolls out of the library, turning off the light behind her. In the center of the room, the incubator hums. Inside it are two brown and cream colored eggs.
