A Blond Ray of Sunshine

Chapter 29

Latoshi led his siblings to the spot in the woods where he had found Poka and Chika. From there, the trio followed the Pichus directions and trekked north, toward Route 36. The snow patches between the trees fluctuated wildly, reaching anywhere between several inches and all the way up to their chests. With the radiant heat emanating from their auras, the snow evaporated on contact with their bodies.

After a half an hour of walking, however, the hills of white abruptly leveled off until there was nothing left. For the first time in what felt like forever, the siblings stood upon bare dirt and grass within the forest. All three of them were equally astonished at the sight. As the Pichus had told them, they found themselves in a green oasis, completely devoid of snow. The cloud cover over their head was still just as dense as anywhere else. Antoshi narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Whoever was behind this didn't just control the weather — they were also smart enough to cover their hiding place so it wouldn't show up on weather radars.

"Be careful," he said to his siblings. "We don't know who's here, or what exactly it is we're walking into. Don't let your guards down." Latoshi and Mitoshi nodded, their irises glowing intensely with the respective colors of their Ki. All three of them dissipated their aura in a simultaneous effort to conserve their energy.

They moved slowly and quietly, staying close together. Their eyes scanned around every inch of the area around them — every blade of grass, every leaf upon each tree, every sound in the breeze. They even paid attention to any deviation in the crisp, clean, cool scent in the air. Nothing escaped their heightened senses.

Suddenly, all three of them turned their attention to a fixed point in front of them: the sound of footsteps gently brushing across the grass. Mitoshi swallowed nervously; all three of them incredibly tense as to who was about to join them.

From behind the trees emerged a young man of average, mid-teen build, and hair of pure white. The siblings, however, were shocked beyond reason at his appearance. He was covered in the black fur and accurate golden markings of an Umbreon. Tall, black, gold-ringed ears pointed out from the top of his head, and a similar tail stuck out from his tailbone. The sclera of his eyes were red, his irises pure black. His clothes — a white t-shirt, the sleeves of which torn off long ago, and blue jeans that seemed to be a bit small for him — were dirty, scuffed, and very worn in.

He was exactly as the Pichu twins had described: a person, but also a Pokémon.

The siblings were too stunned to speak. None of them knew what to say to the smiling young man, who seemed to be only mildly surprised to encounter them.

"Howdy there, folks!" he said, in a friendly, yet faux, country accent. "What brings ya' 'round these parts?"

"Uh, ..." Antoshi spoke up, trying to find the words. "Hello ... there. We were, uh, wondering if you could help us. We're looking for anyone who might know about the cause of this sudden blizzard."

"The blizzard, you say?" the young man replied, in his normal voice. He shrugged casually. "Sorry, I wouldn't know anyone or anything to do with that. What makes you think I would?"

"We ... just happened to be exploring nearby and found this place," Antoshi replied. "It seems a little strange that ... this happens to be the only area where the snow isn't falling."

"Hey, that's true, isn't it?" he mused, gazing up at the cloudy sky. "Strange storms can cause strange things, don't you think?"

"Yeah, ..." Antoshi replied, eying him suspiciously. "Very strange things."

"Well, it's nice to see visitors around here for once," he said, "but, unfortunately, you three are going to have to head back the way you came." The three siblings looked at each other. Things were becoming curiouser and curiouser.

"... Why is it we have to go back?" Antoshi asked. "Are you trying to protect something?" The young man smiled and shrugged in response. "Erm, ... why don't we introduce ourselves first? I'm Antoshi, this is my brother Latoshi, and my sister, Mitoshi." Latoshi remained apathetic to the situation while Mitoshi smiled and waved to him.

"Oh-ho, cool names!" the young man replied. "Mine's Kage — and that's 'cage' with a 'k'. I know, it's awesome." He stood proud while the others stared at him in bewilderment. Latoshi silently mouthed his name in disbelief. Having once believed his own name was made-up, 'Kage' was most certainly not a birth name.

"... Yeah," Antoshi said, after a moment of awkward silence. "Anyway, we're here because we wanted to investigate."

The young man quirked an eyebrow. "Investigating? Oh, sweet, are the three of you detectives?" he asked, awe-struck. "I didn't think such young kids could get hired as private eyes."

The siblings became more concerned at how unexpectedly foolish Kage came off as.

"Um, ... well, no," Antoshi replied, "we're not detectives. We're more like ... concerned citizens. We were told that whatever or whoever might be causing this snowstorm is around here somewhere. We just want to understand what's going on and see if we can help." The other two nodded in agreement.

The young male Umbreon narrowed his eyes. His expression turned stern, becoming very suspicious and wary of the trio. However, his mood abruptly lightened up again.

"Nope!" he replied, chuckling. "There's nothing like that here. Whoever told you that is wrong. Sorry I couldn't be of any more help to you three. Have a safe trip back!"

Now it was the siblings' turn to be suspicious of him. The Pichus wouldn't have any reason to lie — not after what they endured. The fact that Kage, an Umbreon-like human, was standing before them was proof enough that the little ones were telling the truth.

"Listen," Latoshi spoke up in an impertinent tone, "we're not stupid. Whoever you're covering for doesn't give a damn about others, and they sure don't give a damn about the innocent Pokémon that are being affected by this blizzard. Don't you even care that there are Pokémon out there, right now, that aren't prepared for this cold? They're freezing and dying out there!"

Antoshi held a hand out to his brother to get him to stop, giving him a concerned gaze. He was fully aware that his brother had a personal stake in this bizarre weather, but, he didn't want to upset and alienate what could be their only lead. Latoshi folded his arms across his chest, huffing in frustration, allowing his brother to take charge again.

Kage bit his lip, turning away to hide a worried expression. He gazed out at the snowy woods in the distance, contemplating the truth behind the sable-haired boy's words. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I—I'd like to help you, I really would. I just can't. I'm sorry." Latoshi scowled, clenching his fists. The very thought of those two Pichu snowed over and helpless fueled the fires of his anger. "But, hey, if you guys want to stay for a little while, I've got some great jokes to tell you!"

"Jokes?" Latoshi mused, enraged. He let his hands fall at his sides. "We don't have time for your stupid jokes! There's nothing funny about any of this!"

"Oh, come on!" Kage whined. "I've got some really good ones, too! 'Why did the Farfetch'd cross the road', 'three Mr. Mime walk into a bar'. ... Oh! I've got some killer 'knock, knock' puns that'll knock you off your toes!"

Latoshi was at his breaking point. "Look, idiot!" he shouted, catching them all off guard. "Move your ass out of the way and let us through or I'm going to knock, knock your head off! We've wasted enough time here listening to you!"

"Latoshi, please," Antoshi said in concern, turning to him, "calm down."

"Sheesh," Kage replied, rubbing the back of his head. "You sure remind me of someone I know." Latoshi snarled, stepping forward, holding up a fist in a threatening manner. Both of his siblings followed him, holding back each of his shoulders. "Okay, okay!" he exclaimed, cowering. "I'll let you through." Latoshi sighed, calming down some. "But, before I do, you have to listen to just one joke, okay?"

Latoshi sighed in frustration, rubbing his forehead. "Fine. One stupid joke."

"Sweet!" Kage replied, pumped up. "Now, each of you, look straight at me. You really gotta observe and appreciate the timing of a true comedic master." Latoshi rolled his eyes, following suit with his siblings as they all did as he said. "Okay. 'Knock, knock.'"

"Who's there?" all three of them replied.

"You."

"You, who?"

Kage grinned from ear to ear. Suddenly, his red eyes and the golden rings on his body began to glow brightly with a mysterious energy. "You thought you were getting past me, but you were wrong..."

The siblings all gasped in shock as the world around them began to spiral and blur before fading to black.

"What the hell's going on here?!" Latoshi exclaimed. He turned his attention to Kage, who grinned at him. "You bastard!" Latoshi lunged at him, only for the young man to inexplicably drift away out of his reach.

"It was nice knowing the three of you," Kage said, quietly, his voice echoing in their heads. The male Umbreon faded from sight. "You're stuck in a deep, dark hellscape now — doomed to wander around forever. I don't know if you'll ever be able to come back..."

"What—what are you talking about?" Antoshi asked. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Because I told you to leave, but it's too late for that now," Kage replied, his voice getting further and quieter. "Hey, ... why don't you take a look around? ..."

Antoshi did so, startled to realize that his siblings were gone as well. He was all alone. "Latoshi?" he called out, waiting a moment for a response. "Mitoshi? Are you there?" There was no response from either of them.

He started to walk around, aimlessly, through a void of complete darkness. He turned his head and eyes in all directions, seeing absolutely nothing beyond the dark. All he could hear was his own breathing, and nothing else.

'Where am I?' he thought. 'Did he really send me to some strange location? Or, did I ... lose my eyesight somehow?'

First and foremost on his mind was finding his siblings. Antoshi wandered for a while in the quiet, pitch black space. Fear and doubt began creeping in his mind. There was nothing he could think of to get him out of his solitary confinement. He attempted to fly, but that was to no avail — he couldn't focus his mind, let alone gather his Ki. Kage's unknown power was far beyond anything he, Latoshi, and Mitoshi could've prepared for.

After what felt like hours of torturous walking, Antoshi suddenly picked up a faraway shout from his brother behind him. He turned around, finding Latoshi laid on the ground. His elation to have found one of the others quickly turned to worry. He ran over to him immediately.

"Latoshi!" he said, getting no response. He knelt down beside him, shaking him. The sable-haired boy was on his side. "Latoshi. Are you okay? What happened—" Upon rolling him onto his back, he saw the wide, terrified stare in Latoshi's glazed eyes. The boy was totally lifeless. He paused for a moment, stricken by shock and grief. "No," he whispered, slapping and shaking him some more. "No, please. Latoshi! Please wake up! Latoshi!!"

His eyes quickly filled with tears, horror and heartache sweeping through him. "No, no, no ..." he whispered, weeping, placing his forehead on Latoshi's chest. "No, this can't be happening. This can't be. ... Please get up, Latoshi ..."

As the blond boy cried in agony, he was startled by another nearby scream. He gasped, jumping up to find his sister laid out on the ground just a few feet away. "Mitoshi, no!!" he shouted, crawling over to her. She was just as devoid of life as Latoshi. "Why?!" he exclaimed, clasping his hands over her limp hand. He trembled, sobbing uncontrollably, his face covered with tears. "Why ... how did this happen? Mitoshi, ... please say something ..."

He sniffled, clenching his eyes shut, holding her hand against his forehead for a moment. As he turned his gaze upward, his expression turned pale.

"No," he whispered, letting go of her, as he climbed to his feet. Laid before him was a trail of bodies — everyone he loved. Fireball, Bubbles, his adoptive parents, and his birth parents. They were all dead.

He staggered forward, before dropping to his knees from the horrible weight he felt. His entire world had shattered. "Why?" he whispered, feeling terror and sorrow unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. He grasped handfuls of his hair, shutting his eyes, straining and sobbing. "Why?!" he shouted as loudly as he could.

At the same time, Latoshi gasped in surprise, hearing Antoshi's voice cry out from afar. The sable-haired boy found himself trapped in a prison cell — the very same cell upon the military island base. The sterile, white room with the same blinding, white lights overhead were all too painfully familiar to him. He had been calling out for some time, hoping that anyone would hear him, but, he was alone ... all over again.

"Antoshi?!" he shouted, looking all around. The cameras watched his every move from the hallway outside the acrylic glass barrier. He was garbed in the same plain, white clothing, and his feet were bare. Everything was just as he remembered it. "Damn it!!" he screamed, pounding his fists on the glass in rage. "How did this ... happen?! How did I get back here?! I- ... I can't remember!"

Like his brother, he attempted to dredge up his Ki to no avail. He was as helpless in his cell as he was the first time he was there.

"Mitoshi!" he called out. "Someone, please help! Someone has to be able to hear me!!" Just then, the rhythmic tapping of approaching footsteps against the cold, tile floor grew close. His eyes widened and his heart sank, recognizing the walking pattern. The sound echoed in his mind, growing louder and closer.

"No, ..." he whispered, just before General Logan walked up to and stopped in front of his cell. The man smiled, cordially, holding a clipboard behind his back. "It c-can't be. ... You're dead! I killed you!"

"Hallucinating now, are we?" Logan responded, calmly. "I never died. I'm right here, and you're right there — where you should be. You're still a threat to the security of Johto, and the world, quite frankly. So, let's not beat around the bush anymore, shall we? You already know why you're here, and you know that you're never getting out of here alive. Not unless, of course, I sign off on it. Now, why don't we start by giving me some information, huh? Your name, your address, name of your parents?"

Latoshi was totally mesmerized and bewildered. The man he watched go down in a ball of flames was standing before him, alive and well, while he himself was locked up in the very same prison cell he broke out of and destroyed. He started to pant, fearfully, holding his head. Did he really leave in the first place? Was everything about his powers, his family, his future ... all just a dream? His surroundings were exactly the same. The prison was just as cold and white and quiet as ever. The same dreadful, sterile scent wafted through the air. The lights in the ceiling gave off their usual quiet hum. It was as if he never left.

"Well?" the General spoke. "Are you going to say anything, son?"

"What— ... what happened to me?" the boy asked, as his eyes welled with tears. "Why am I back here? Where's my ... brother, and my sister?"

"You have names for those siblings of yours?" Logan asked, clicking his pen.

"Their names are— ... their ... names ... are ..." he panted heavily, feeling light-headed. "I can't ... I can't remember! Why can't I remember?!"

"Take it slowly, son. You're only going to spiral into a panic. Why don't you just ... describe them for me?"

"Uh, ... my brother, he— ... he has blue hair— no, wait. That's not right. My-my sister she has long, ... blonde hair. Or, ... was it short hair? She liked blue! I remember she liked ... the color blue, and my brother is ... my brother ... did I ... have a brother?" He looked at the General with a fearful expression. "What's happening to me?!" he exclaimed, sobbing. "Why can't I remember anything?! They were right here! My brother was right ... here!"

"Okay, okay. Just relax now," Logan said, in a futile attempt to reassure the boy. "Let me bring in someone to help. I think he'll be able to 'reconnect the dots', so to speak, with your memory." Latoshi held his head down, trying to calm his breathing and his pounding heart. "Come on over here, sir," Logan said to an unknown party.

"Hello there, ... Latoshi," a very familiar, very unwelcome voice spoke to him. He froze in terror for a moment, lifting his head slowly to find the amorphous mass of black Ki known as Lazarus hovering beside the General.

Latoshi's eyes bulged out, scrambling backward, pressed against the far wall of the cell. "No!!" he shouted. "No, you can't be back! Get out of here! Get away from me!!"

"Oh, but I am," Lazarus replied, chuckling in amusement. " I am very much back. Now, I am here now to take care of everything. I can help you recall your memories. All you have to do is put your trust in me..."

"No!!" the boy screamed at the top of his lungs. "No!!"

Mitoshi gasped, picking up the faraway voice of her sable-haired brother. "Latoshi?" she mused, quietly. She'd wandered back out of the forest by herself, trudging through the snow, heading to the cabin. Unable to muster her Ki, the girl had been forced her to walk all the way back. She'd been calling out for her brothers the whole time, but, they were nowhere to be found. She found it incredibly strange that they would suddenly abandon her like that. Her heart had sunk in a mix of sadness and anger.

Mitoshi sighed to herself, rubbing her arms to warm herself amid the wildly falling snow. She stamped back up the porch and headed inside.

"Hey, Bubbles!" she called out, closing the door behind her. "Have you seen my brothers?" There was no response. "Bubbles! Fireball!" She looked around their small house, opening every room, finding no trace of the two Pokémon anywhere. "Poka? Chika?" The girl paused for a moment, concerned and confused. She headed over to Bubbles' Poké Ball, taking it off its usual pedestal, holding it out in front of her. "Bubbles, come on out! I really need to talk to you!" The ball remained inert.

She looked at it in confusion, her jaw hanging. "Bubbles?" she spoke, softly. "Are you in there?" Again, there was no response. She placed the ball back where it belonged, running a shaky hand through her long hair. "Okay, ... there's no need to panic. They're all probably just teasing me." She chuckled, nervously. "Yes, that's it. They're playing a mean trick on me. They want to see me get scared and then they'll jump out and yell 'surprise!' or something."

Her breathing became markedly heavier and fearful. She again rubbed her arms in the cold and eerie silence of the empty cabin. "Come on out!" she said. "I know you guys are around, okay? You got me! That—that was a good one! ... Guys? Please, come on out now!"

Mitoshi swallowed again, waiting a few moments in the painful quiet. "Guys?!" she called out. There was no response. "Okay. Okay, ... maybe they ... maybe they went to our parents house or something. Maybe they were waiting for me to follow them."

She sat down in front of the videophone, dialing her home number as quickly as she could. It rang several times, but there was no answer. She stared in disbelief for a moment before trying to call again. As before, no one answered.

She sniffled, her eyes starting to well up with tears. "Guys!" she shouted, getting back to her feet. "Come on, stop this! It isn't funny, okay?! You're really hurting my feelings doing this!"

Mitoshi huffed and sobbed, quietly, wandering back over to the front door. She stood out on the porch, watching the powerful blizzard sending down blinding snow before her. Unable to use her powers, and totally lost from her loved ones, she felt so helpless and empty. She fell to her knees, crying uncontrollably.

"Someone!" she shouted. "Antoshi! Latoshi! ... Where are you?!"