Pokémon Mars

Chapter 14: The Beguiling Planet

The new scientists had a long list of places to investigate and potentially introduce Pokémon. Olivine Canyon, the biggest in the solar system, was at the top of their list, but it was a long way from Ironville for their second-ever survey.

Then they heard that Team Utopia went to the Gypsum Lowlands in the north. That settled it. They and their potentially aggressive Pokémon were thousands of miles from Olivine Canyon. They followed a Team Magma bus to the spaceport. All of the commuters disembarked there, but the others drove on to the tiny airport terminal.

So far, Martian planes could only carry a maximum of 12 people and limited supplies. Scheduled flights didn't depart every day. The last seats were taken by other scientists as they arrived. They asked a Team Magma Grunt if they could hitch a ride with any of her colleagues. She fetched Azrael, who was testing a Robo Rayquaza that recently returned from an asteroid-collecting mission.

'I could take y'all.'

Joshua hesitated. 'But you don't have your pilot's license, do you...?'

'No, but who's looking?'

Kazuki wouldn't even let Azrael test the Robo Rayquaza if he doubted his competence. Joshua wasn't worried he would crash. He worried they might get in trouble, but then they could pretend they didn't know Azrael lacked a Martian pilot's license.

'OK, then...'

Eden hesitated, but he didn't say anything. He could actually fly a Robo Rayquaza, since he flew two to the moon and another to a space telescope. If anything happened, he could take over.

The Robo Rayquaza was still on the runway. Azrael's Chandelure and Banette loaded their luggage. There was only just enough room. The green seats – with Team Magma logos that clashed with the entire colour scheme – were surprisingly comfortable for their backs, but not for their legs. Mercury was the shortest at 5'02". Even his legs were squashed. That craft flew much faster than the Mega Wailord, reaching Mars from Earth in a record-breaking week-long journey. It was still difficult to imagine anyone sitting in it for any longer than a few hours, but the first humans to land on Mars did. Their journey took two weeks. That was before the Ares program. They came home, though most of them returned to Mars on Ares 1 anyway.

'Fasten your seatbelts. Don't release Pokémon. Use the...'

Azrael was going to tell them to use the space sickness bags, but since that craft hadn't carried people for years, there were none. He took a reusable shopping bag from his pocket instead.

'Share this if y'all get sick. OK! Prepare for takeoff!'

Although they were all put through the 'vomit ascent,' everyone but Eden was startled by how quickly the craft tipped back and rocketed off. It was more like the Mega Wailord launch than a plane taking off. They were pressed back in their seats. At 6'04", Joshua felt like it might break his legs. Callerya held Thalassa's hand.

The volcano shrank below. Mercury compared its appearance from above to a pimple, complete with trails from scratching, which wasn't inaccurate. Ironville was a bright, blue and smooth contrast to the endless, rough red that surrounded it in every direction, as far as the eye could see. It looked pathetically fragile. Though Mars was smaller than Earth, that sight reminded them that nature was far more powerful than humans could ever be. It could swallow Ironville in an instant.

The Olivine Canyon was so massive that it wasn't long until they saw its first ruptures in the rusty wastelands. Jin recognised every ridge, crater and distant volcano. Thalassa recognised some of them, but to her, it all looked exactly the same until labyrinths of vast canyons opened up below. It was as if some of the ridges were delicately painted in every shade of red that Mars had to offer, while others were dusted with chalk and charcoal. Then it was as if the painter ran out of colours, leaving only one sandy shade for the monochrome horizon which, to their eyes accustomed to the sands of Earth, made it look like the mighty rock walls might crumble if they were prodded with a child's shovel.