Pokemon: Real Retribution Chapter 2 - The Project

The window behind him had a panoramic view of Allshore City, thanks to the hill the building sat on.  You could pick out the tallest building of the city easily on the skyline, it bore a large neon sign that read “The Silph Corporation”.  But the sun setting behind it cast a glare that rendered it unreadable.

The walls to his sides were white.  Many awards, decorations, and photos hung from it.

The carpet his black shoes were resting on was clean and odorless.  As were the shoes themselves.

The wooden desk his nameplate sat on was aged.  The barely aged nameplate read “James F. Mason, PM”.  The leather office chair he sat in never creaked.

He wore a black blazer, over a black tie, over a white shirt.  His black dress pants were held snug by a black belt, with six Pokeballs on it.  His hair was neatly cut, black, and combed backwards, leaving most of his face visible.  Except his eyes, which were hidden behind a pair of dimmed eyeglasses.  The frames of the glasses were rectangular in shape, and made him appear more in intelligent.

He was also reading, which also made him appear even more intelligent.  But only briefly; there was only a single word on the page he held: “Breakthrough”.  James rose out of his creak-less chair and to his feet, and approached the window that was no longer behind him.  

Behind him now stood the agent who had delivered the note.  The agent pretended to be interested in the photo of the Prime Minister and his family.  She was wearing very similar attire to the Prime Minister, except her belt sat higher on her, holding no Pokeballs.  Instead of pants she had a tight-fitting black skirt that ended a few inches above her knees.  Instead of glasses on her head, she had a tactical earpiece hidden by her blonde hair, which sat in curls.

The window had a handle in the center that allowed for it’s opening.  It’s initial purpose was to let warm summer breezes in, but today it was being used to burn another note from the personnel at Silph Co.

“Shall I get the car ready, sir?” she asked him casually

“That won’t be necessary, Domino.  I might actually need you to do something worth your paygrade today”.  He chuckled at this; Domino was the Prime Minister’s head of security, yet she was less dangerous than James himself, mostly due to the fact that he was a Pokemon trainer, and she was not.  She saw it as a waste of time.  James continued “We’re going to fly over and check in on the project”.  He pulled a Pokeball from his belt and turned to her “Literally”.

**********

Professor Eisenberg turned the stone over in his wrinkled hand.  It was an orb alright, but it’s colour was dull, and it was barely translucent.  Eisenberg watched as he set it down on the table, and rolled it.  A faint glimmer was reflected, and nothing more.

But the stone wasn’t created for aesthetic appeal; The Silph. Corporation, who’s main laboratory Eisenberg was currently working in, had been commissioned to duplicate the power of the recently discovered Mega-evolution method.

The process was simple: Pokemon, when exposed to their corresponding stone, Mega-evolved into a more powerful creature.  But only a handful of stones have been discovered, and that sparked a new project for Pokemon Professors everywhere.

Professor Eisenberg isn’t a leading Pokemon Professor, but he did have other areas of expertise that made him more suitable than this task than his competition.  He could reverse engineer any device you gave him, and he was a chemist.  He knew what a Mega Stone was within hours of reading about the first-discovered one.

But, there was one quality Eisenberg had that trumped all of the rest: he was old.  Nobody would question it if he were to “disappear” once his project was completed.

“Well that’s enough for today guys, let’s wrap up and go home” a voice said over the intercom.  Other scientists and aides alike began to shed their lab coats and replace them with casual wear, the standard routine before leaving work.

Eisenberg didn’t budge.  Once all of his co-workers had exited on the elevator, (which was the only way to enter the basement laboratory, there were various emergency exits) the elevator returned down with a single passenger.

It was the President of The Silph Corporation.  “Our benefactor received our message, old man, and he said he was going to visit us himself this month”.  He stepped out of the elevator.  His appearance did not seem to be that of a CEO.  He was well-dressed, suit, tie, and all, but his hair was green.  He always claimed that it was permanently like that.

“I honestly don’t know why you’re making such a fuss about this, Mr. Geco-- all I did was create another Mega Stone and modify it for a Snorlax.  It was really simple, all it-” Eisenberg interrupted himself with a series of raucous coughing.

Mr. Geco gave Eisenberg a gentle slap on the back.  “Just don’t let the cancer take you about before he gets here, I want you to be able to tell him all about the stone’s power.

Eisenberg, looking annoyed, retreated to the stone.  “I just… hope he doesn’t want to manufacture copies of it yet.  It’s not ready”.  Mr. Geco seemed to share Eisenberg’s worry when he responded “This isn’t the kind of man we can keep waiting”.

At that instant, the elevator started to return to the main floor.  “You even gave this guy the security keys, too?” Eisenberg asked.  Mr. Geco remained silent.  At this point, the elevator was moments from returning.  When it did, an agent got out of the elevator.  It was the same agent that came every month with the “donations” in cash.  It was only her on the elevator.  Mr. Geco was the first to address her. “Ms. Domino, I believe your boss said that he would be coming today?”  She chuckled “Lizar, it’s only ever been me to come to this creepy basement, and it will only ever be me”.  She looked to Eisenberg “What do we have today Doc, a breakthrough?”

Eisenberg held out the stone towards her “Now I know it’s not as shiny as the Blazikenite I crafted before, but you’re trying to get me to replicate that same science on a Pokemon that might very well not have a Mega-Evolution”.

“You’re right, it’s not as shiny as your head, baldie.  So whaddup with the message?  You fellas did send it, right?  That must mean you have something to show me.”  Domino asked, growing restless.

“Erm, yes I-- he sent you the message” Eisenberg thumbed toward Mr. Geco “ but this will be a good time to--” he began coughing, holding up his hand for pause as he leaned over.  “a good time to give you a new estimate on how much time it’ll take to finish a stable copy”.

Domino looked furious “There was to be no changes in the deal!  None at all!  We could have hired anybody in the world to do this, and we gave you a shot, we figured the brutes who first started mass-producing Pokeballs could manage this!”  She turned to Mr. Geco.  “You make him work faster, and we’ll make you richer, faster.  Hold up your end”.  The second she finished, she re entered the elevator, with this month’s budget, and rode it up out of the lab.

“Why did you have to be so damn” Eisenberg started, but was cut off this time by the sound of twisting metal above him.  Mr Geco pressed himself against the wall “What is that?!” he barely choked out before the ceiling above them was removed.

Eisenberg and Mr. eco peered out of the hole in the ceiling to see a Snorlax looking in, next to Domino, and James Mason.  The Snorlax dropped the two steel beams it was holding with a deafening crash.

Mr. Geco thought to himself “Now I see why she always brought it in cash, he didn’t want a paper-trail”.

The Prime Minister began “Mr. Geco, Professor” he nodded to each of them “I hear the prototype is ready, right on time, too.  As it seems we have a small rebellion issue to handle".

Eisenberg tried to begin to explain why they couldn’t use the prototype Mega Stone, but once again, his coughing won the battle.  James’ Snorlax stepped into the basement, rattling all the devices in the lab.  The Snorlax had to duck to fit into the basement, so now it towered over Eisenberg as it bellowed:  “Don’t make The Prime Minister wait”.

Fucking Snorlax. Ho-ly shit.