The Dark Side of Kanto

Chapter 6 Alpha

                The room I am in is dimly lit by a single flickering fluorescent light.  This place… I feel like I have been here before, yet it looks so unfamiliar.  The shelves are dusty with tattered books, the computers are broken, and the table is dirty.  A single book sits on the table, laying open.  I glance at the book, but I cannot make out the words.  They are written in a weird script that almost looks like a bunch of eyes.  I continue through the room, hearing faint echoes through the vacant halls.  I stop and listen.  The echoes stop and silence falls upon my ears.  I keep moving and pass through a doorway.  My heart skips a beat when I see what is in this room.  Lining the walls are numerous broken vats, tanks that seemed to hold some sort of creatures.  I pass each one, all filled with broken glass, until I reach the one at the end of the row.  It is centered in the room, like it was put on display for the entire room to see.  I have never seen this place before, yet when I approach this particular tank, I feel a sense of familiarity, almost like home.  I reach up and touch the broken glass.  Images flash before me: a young girl, the sun and moon, and numerous blurry eyes peering at me, watching me.  I remove my hand from the glass and the images disappear.  Suddenly, I get the looming sense that I am not alone.  Around me, I hear familiar sick sticky sounds.  My heart pounds and my adrenaline flows through my veins.  I turn around and see numerous silhouettes in the room.  They are difficult to see in the dim light, but I immediately recognize them.  They all look exactly like me.

                “…hey… you okay?”

                I hear footsteps echo through the room.  The heels of shoes click against the linoleum tiles.  From within the dim fluorescent light, a familiar face appears; Giovanni.  He sneers at me.  My anger boils.  I have not forgotten how he just left me behind at the lab ruins.  I see his eyes, the same cold gaze that pierced through me that fateful day.  He knew what he did. He had no intention of rescuing anyone. He came to collect his prize, whatever that was.  He cared nothing for any survivors.  I saw it then and I see it now.  I clench my fist and grit my teeth.  I will rip that smug look right off his face and cram it up his ass.  I will tear him limb from limb and feed him to his stupid pet.  I will murder that man and I will savor every moment of it.  I charge at him, my fist pulled back.  He stands there, arms crossed, grinning like the smug asshole he is.  Very well, I will take my free shot.  I pull my fist back and ram it with all my might into his stomach.

                “…Max…”

                I snap awake.  Flannery stumbles backward, holding her stomach.  Sweat pours down my face.  I look at my hand.  It is balled up into a fist so tightly, my knuckles are bleeding.  Flannery coughs, struggling to catch her breath.  I realize what I have done.

                “Oh… Flannery…”

                Flannery coughs some more. “No… *cough cough* …don’t worry… I’m… *cough cough* …okay.  I shouldn’t… *cough* …have bothered you… while you slept… *cough cough*”.  She starts backing away from me.  I start to get up, but she waves me away.  “I’m okay… *cough* …just… stay there… I’m gonna shower… just… *cough cough* …”  Without another word, she staggers into the bathroom, closes the door, and locks it.

                I stare at the floor, feeling absolutely rotten.  Never did I intend to hurt her.  I have never raised my hand toward a non-combatant woman, and I never wanted her to get hurt.  I get up and walk to the bathroom door.  I am about to knock when I hear the water turn on.  I decide to let her be for now.

                I quickly throw some fresh clothes on, grab Machamp’s ball, and head outside.  I walk the streets, keeping my eye out for police.  After walking a couple blocks, I find a quaint pastry shop and step inside.  The bell on the door rings and an older lady steps out from the back of the shop, carrying a tray of bagels.  She smiles sweetly at me and greets me.