The Hero’s Curse

Chapter 1--Shadows, an argument, a beginning

His footsteps echoed on the polished tile as he strode purposefully down the seemingly endless hallway. The building was dark in its disuse, the torches unlit, and the only light came from the small windows lining the vaulted ceiling. The weak patches of sunlight were too faint and far apart to be of any use. It would have been impossible to see a waiting attacker until it was far too late.

He did not take notice. He knew this place, and was known here, and had lived in darkness far too long to be bothered by it now.

He paused on the threshold of an enormous set of stone doors carved with intimidating Pokemon and ancient, unreadable symbols. He fingered a small computer disc in his coat pocket, as if to reassure himself that it was there, and allowed himself a slight sneer before arranging his features into a blank, emotionless mask and placing his hands against the doors, feeling them open slowly as he let his weight fall against them.

The room was vast and windowless, even darker than the hallway outside. He could not see. He waited.

There was a small click, and a patch of light appeared in the center of the battle arena he knew accounted for most of the room’s space. With the aid of the new, sharp light, he could just make out the figure seated in the chair—the throne—on the opposite side of the ring.

He was glad of the darkness. He detested pretentiousness, and could feel his lip curling again in contempt. He struggled to keep his face impassive as he faced the seated figure, who made no move to acknowledge his presence.

He knew what was expected of him. He walked briskly to the center of the arena and knelt in the patch of light, his face betraying no sign of distaste. He lowered his head and again waited, his eyes focused on the floor in front of him where the light met the darkness.

“I assume you have it?” Her voice was low and cold.

“Yes”—he swallowed—“Master. It was not difficult to obtain.”

She inclined her head, and immediately a young man in a white lab coat hurried from her side into the circle of light, taking the disc from his hand without looking at him.

“Show me,” the woman ordered idly, and the lab technician disappeared back into the darkness. A moment later, a large screen on one of the side walls flickered to life, bathing all three figures in an eerie, bluish light. The woman turned to face the screen, her gaze finally leaving his. He stayed where he was, knowing better than to rise, but his eyes were drawn to the light as well, and he watched as words and pictures, images of people, began to appear on the monitor.

The woman was silent for several seconds. When she spoke, it was in a tone of deep skepticism. “Are you sure about this?”

He knew why she doubted. “I am certain. These are the highest ranked trainers in Kanto, excluding Gym Leaders and the Elite Four.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “Children,” she marveled, rising and taking a few steps toward the screen. “The best of them are children.”

He watched her stroke the arrow icon on the monitor, scrolling down the list and bringing up more names, more faces. Meghan Moss. Cody Jacobs. Shannon Leigh. Tabitha Starling. Seth Starling. Ben Sakura. Michael Lane. None were older than twenty. He watched her stare at them, her eyes narrowed.

“All right, then,” she said abruptly, turning again to face him. “You know what to do. Take as many of ours as you think you’ll need. Track them down, and either recruit them or silence them. Then you can begin dealing with Leaders. I want this done quickly.”

He bowed again and rose without a word, turning and making his way back across the deserted arena. He had just reached the doors when she called his name, her tone smooth and deadly. He halted, not turning around.

She watched him, her eyes glittering faintly. “Don’t fail.”

Giovanni smiled thinly, and faded into the shadows.

*

Professor Oak faced the glare of the fourteen-year-old boy before him resolutely, refusing to back down and wondering how he had gotten himself into this. The child could hardly stand still he was so livid, and his right hand twitched convulsively, as if longing to shove the Poke balls on his belt down the Professor’s throat.

“Let me see if I’ve got this,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “Sabrina says the world’s going to end. The older trainers, the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, the strongest in Kanto, get together and pool their collective intelligence to decide if there’s a way out.”

“Ben—“

“And their brilliant plan,” he continued, raising his voice, “is to do nothing themselves, leave all their level sixty-plus Pokemon sitting on their hands, and leave the whole thing to my sister.”

Professor Oak said mildly, “I’m sure if they’d felt there was another solution—“

“How is this a solution?” Ben yelled, practically vibrating with anger. “What were they thinking? What am I supposed to do, bring it up at dinner tomorrow? The world’s going to end, and I know you’re not a trainer, you’ve never even wanted to be a trainer, but the Pokemon League thinks you’d be the best one to handle it, so…just go take down whoever’s behind it, no big deal. And by the way, there’s no real specific timetable on that world ending thing, so…better get moving!”

Professor Oak frowned. “Lance thinks—“

“I don’t give a damn about Lance!”

“That we should trust what Sabrina saw,” the Professor continued firmly. “If you disagree, you’re welcome to take it up with him, but you know Sabrina far better than I do, and even I know that she’s never been wrong, and that she’s not one to overstate the facts. If she says it’s the world at stake…well, she also says your sister can stop it, and if we trust her on the one, why not on the other? More to the point, if she is wrong, what hope do we have?”

At the mention of Sabrina’s name, Ben had stopped pacing and closed his eyes. Now he seemed to deflate, turning to face the Professor and lowering his eyes in silent apology.

“This is ridiculous,” he said dully. “Where did this come from? All of the sudden the world’s…and we don’t know when, or how?”

“We’re lucky to have Sabrina’s warning,” said the Professor. “It means she can train, Ben. We can only hope we do have time.” He moved as if to put a hand on the boy’s shoulder, but seemed to think better of it. “I’ve spoken with your mother. I didn’t explain the whole situation, of course, but I told her Katie would be an invaluable help in my research, and she agreed that if Katie wants to…” He sighed. “You should send her to me tomorrow morning.”

Ben looked up sharply. “Tomorrow?”

“We can’t afford to wait,” Professor Oak said gently. “Tomorrow is her birthday, after all. It’s the traditional time to begin.”

“Her seventeenth birthday,” Ben muttered, gazing at the ground again. “I assume you have a Pokemon to give her? Or did the League decide she’s supposed to fight with her bare hands?”

Professor Oak reached into his pocket and extracted a Poke ball. “We don’t have anyone turning ten in Pallet anytime soon, so I haven’t ordered any lately, but there was one left from last year’s bunch—one of the boys decided at the last minute he’d rather not leave home.”

“Smart kid,” Ben answered, staring at the plain red-and-white sphere. “This thing’s going to save the world, huh? I guess the Pokemon weren’t given a choice either.” He shook his head, and the bitterness returned to his voice. “Great birthday present, sending her out to get killed.”

The Professor met his eyes. “Surely you have more faith in her than that,” he said softly.

Ben was still for a moment, holding Professor Oak’s gaze. He took a breath, then nodded as if he’d come to a decision. “Tomorrow,” he said heavily, and turned to leave.

“Did you take care of it?”

Professor Oak frowned into the vidphone. “I broke the news to him,” he answered, his tone reproachful. “She won’t know until tomorrow. I feel like a monster, you know.”

“Feel however you want,” Lance answered, rather callously. He paused. “How did Ben take it?”

The Professor sighed. “About how I thought he would. I wasn’t sure he’d go along with it, at first.”

“He will,” said Lance with a shrug. “He’s stubborn, not stupid. He knows what has to be done. And he has the hero’s curse. He can’t sit and do nothing while this is happening. He’ll exhaust himself trying to stop it.”

“When was the last time you slept?” the Professor asked, folding his hands on the table in front of him.

Lance considered, then shrugged. “Who sleeps anymore?” he asked dryly, and cut their connection. The Professor sat staring at the blank screen for a long time before finally getting up to go to bed.

*

When Katie woke on her birthday, it was to warm sunlight spilling in through her window and the sound of her mother frying pancakes downstairs. She smiled and stretched, savoring the feeling of the sheets on her skin, then swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood up. She walked across the room to her closet, the hardwood floor cool on her feet, and dressed quickly, tossing her nightgown haphazardly back onto her bed.

When she went to brush her hair, she saw a new white hat with a pink border sitting on the polished wood of her dresser, and a birthday card in her mother’s handwriting propped up against it. She grinned and brushed her long, straight brown hair until she was satisfied, then put on the hat, checking her reflection in the mirror. The effect was nice, she thought. She grinned at the mirror again and almost skipped to the door, the smell of pancakes making her mouth water.

She turned the corner into the hallway, and was surprised to find her brother leaning against the wall next to her door, red cap pulled down over his light brown hair and arms crossed, staring intently at the floor. He looked up quickly as she passed, apparently startled out of some kind of reverie.

“Morning,” she said with a grin. “What’s up? You look like you’re dressed to go somewhere.”

His face twitched, but when he looked up at her he was smiling. “Not everybody sleeps till ten in the morning. I went out. Happy birthday. Mom made pancakes.”

“I know.” Katie sighed happily as she headed towards the stairs. “I’ve eaten university food for so long I’ve almost forgotten what a real breakfast tastes like.” She paused when she realized Ben wasn’t following her and turned back around, her expression slightly concerned. “Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”

Ben hesitated, then suddenly bolted past her down the hallway. “Race you!”

He ran down the stairs as fast as he could, ignoring her shout of protest and closing his eyes tight, as if he could shut out what he didn’t want to see.

*

Twenty minutes and five pancakes later, Katie leaned back in her chair and looked from her mother to Ben, both of whom had kept shooting glances at her throughout the entire meal when they thought she wasn’t looking. Her mother was putting away the syrup, wearing a small, quivering smile as if she was barely restraining some thrilling secret. Her brother was poking moodily at the remains of his breakfast, occasionally casting dark glances out the south window toward the Pokemon Research Lab.

She cleared her throat. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” she said, causing both of them to turn and look at her, “but what’s the matter with you two? You’ve been acting weird all morning.”

They exchanged glances—her mother’s excited, Ben’s almost panicked—and her mother closed the refrigerator and sat down next to Ben at the table.

“I talked with Professor Oak yesterday afternoon,” her mother began, wiping her hands on her apron. “He wonders if you’d mind doing him a favor.”

Ben snorted. Katie stared at him, puzzled, then turned back to her mother. “Yeah, sure, if I can. What does he need?”

“Well…” her mother hesitated. “It might be better if he explained it himself. He said to tell you to come by the lab this morning and he’ll give you all the details.”

*

Katie had always thought that the Oak Pokemon Research Lab was rather informal and cozy for a scientific laboratory. She liked visiting; the atmosphere, as a rule, was pleasant and relaxed, and everyone there always seemed to be in a good mood. She knocked on the door, noticing with a smile how old and scratched the paint was, and slipped inside, breathing in the familiar smells of wood and cleaning supplies. She heard Ben close the door behind them and rolled her eyes. He had stalked out after her after her without a word after breakfast, his bad mood hovering around him almost visibly. Now he stood off to the side, leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed again. She shook her head and waved to Professor Oak, who was making his way toward them.

“Katie!” he smiled, grasping her shoulder warmly. “And Ben. I wonder if you two would follow me into my office? I’ll try to clear everything up there. Would you like some coffee?”

“Yeah, please,” Katie answered gratefully. Ben rolled his eyes and shook his head. She frowned at him, then turned to follow the Professor.

“Happy birthday, by the way,” he said over his shoulder. “You’re seventeen, aren’t you? You finished school this spring, then?”

“Uh-huh,” she replied. “I just graduated about a month ago. It’s good to be back home.”

Professor Oak smiled gently. “Five years is a long time, isn’t it? It’s hard for me to keep track of everyone who leaves.”

He ushered them into the small room toward the back of the laboratory that served as his office and closed the door behind them. Katie liked this room, too. There were his bookshelves, neatly packed with volumes on everything imaginable to do with Pokemon, his desk, overflowing with papers, his computer, with the e-mail light flashing, and a large window on the right-hand wall that let in a plentiful amount of sunlight.

Katie stretched as she looked around, and noticed a single Poke ball on the table off to one side of the room. That’s odd, she thought. Who’s starting? She didn’t think there were any new ten-year-olds in Pallet, but then again, she’d been gone for so long it was possible she’d forgotten about someone. Or maybe it’s just for his research. She suddenly realized the Professor was speaking and hastily turned her attention back to him.

“How much do you know about Pokemon, Katie?” he asked as he poured a cup of steaming coffee and handed it to her.

Katie considered. “Well…I’ve never trained one. And I’ve never really studied them like a lot of people do. I’ve just, you know, read books and seen movies and things about trainers. And in Vermillion, where the university was, they had a gym, so sometimes some of us would go down there and watch the battles. I guess I probably know a few basic things.” She looked at him curiously. “Why?”

Professor Oak took a sip of his own coffee. “How would you feel about becoming a trainer yourself?”

She looked up from her drink, startled. Beside her, Ben shifted in his chair restlessly. “Well…I mean, Pokemon are interesting, and I’d like to know about them, but I decided to go to the university instead, didn’t I? I wanted to learn about all sorts of things besides Pokemon, and I don’t think I’d’ve done very well as a trainer anyway. I’m not very aggressive, you know? And I’ve never tried to live in the woods or anything.” She smiled uncertainly at the Professor. She’d had to explain herself to her professors at school, too, but it had been a long time since anyone had asked her why she hadn’t decided to become a trainer. She glanced uneasily at the Poke ball on the Professor’s desk.

“And what are your plans now that you’ve finished school?” Professor Oak’s voice was still light and casual.

Katie shrugged uncomfortably. “Well…I guess nothing, right away,” she said rather lamely. “I mean, I have a little time to look around and see what I want to do now, right?” She shook her head. “I’m really still not sure what I want to do.” The truth was, she had found it hard to even imagine life after school.

“Well, if that’s the case,” the Professor said, putting down his cup and smiling again, “why don’t you give training a try? Pokemon are something that it really is a shame to miss out on, even if you’re not aiming for the championship. And I have a feeling you’d enjoy it more than you might think.” When Katie hesitated, he added, “It would also be a shame if your decision about your career wasn’t fully informed. Don’t you think you should try a bit of everything?”

She knew he was right (in fact, she thought she had always felt that way; wasn’t that what she had been trying to do at the university?), but…she took another drink of coffee to buy time and thought of the stories she had read when she was younger. The legends of the great trainers, their boldness and power…she had daydreamed about living those stories, having splendid adventures with her Pokemon (and the kind, courageous people she’d surely meet along the way). But at the same time, the thought of being alone…she looked at the ground, not sure how to voice her thoughts.

“You could do it, you know,” said a quiet voice to her left. She turned around, startled. She’d forgotten Ben was there, he’d been so quiet. “Training Pokemon, I mean. It’s not the easiest thing in the world but it’s not impossible either. And…well, I mean, I did it. You were always better than me at most things anyway.”

“That’s not true,” she answered distantly. “I never tried half the things you did.” She sat up a little straighter, and met Professor Oak’s eyes. “If you think I can…I mean, if you think I’m not too old, and if you have something to give me, I think I’d like to…to do this. At least for a while.”

“Excellent,” cried the Professor. “I hoped you’d feel that way. Now…” He walked to the far wall and opened his closet, pulling out boxes as he rummaged around for something.

Katie turned to Ben and took a deep breath, feeling as shaky as if she’d just finished an exam. “Um…I just realized that I don’t even know…what Pokemon did you start with?”

Ben smiled a little. “Well…we were in Celadon over my tenth birthday. They were having the Gym Leaders’ conference there that year, the big one where all of them come, from all over the world, and so we went to see Dad. And do you remember how he used to like to play video games and things?”

Katie smiled. She did remember.

“Well, Mom went shopping at the department store, and Dad and I went to the Game Corner and he got totally hooked. I was too young to really want to play, and I got bored watching so I just kind of explored, and I found all these coins on the ground that people had just dropped. By the end of the afternoon I had found more than Dad had made.” His grin broadened. “I remember him laughing and telling me I was smarter than he was. And I begged him to let me buy a Pokemon with it since it was my birthday, and…” He shrugged. “He gave in. It turns out I had enough for an abra. He’s been with me ever since.”

“But for you,” said Professor Oak, making his way back over to them with a small plastic bag and the Poke ball Katie had noticed earlier, “I think something a little more conventional should work just fine.” He extended his hand, and it was a second before Katie realized that he wanted her to take the Poke ball and open it herself. She took it nervously, and lightly pressed the button where the two halves met.

The ball opened with a pop, and a stream of red light poured out onto the ground, where it took shape and became solid. The creature blinked its large red eyes and looked around at them all, mildly interested.

Katie stared uncertainly. She knew what it was, and she also knew that the nine-year-olds, in their loud, excited conversations about what Pokemon they were going to choose when their birthday came, generally decided that bulbasaur was for little kids. Even the older trainers usually agreed that it was the weakest of the three offered. The bulbasaur blinked again and yawned placidly at her feet.

Ben seemed to know what she was thinking. “You want a well-balanced team,” he said, kneeling to scratch under the bulbasaur’s chin. “Bulbasaur’s probably the strongest of its type you’re going to find around here. And I know what they say, but a capable grass-type can pull more weight than a lot of people seem to think.”

Katie looked at the bulbasaur again. “They don’t think you can win, huh?” She remembered her tenth birthday, watching the others talking to their new Pokemon, looking forward to school the next year but still feeling…the bulbasaur had discovered the ceiling light, and was staring at it openmouthed, tilting his head in fascination. Katie felt her lips twitch, and she suddenly plopped down on the floor and picked up the small Pokemon, holding him in out the air in front of her. “It’s settled, then,” she told him. “But you have to have a name. It seems a little rude to just call you ‘Bulbasaur.’”

She thought for a moment. “Raptor,” she said decisively. “You look a little like the dinosaurs I studied at school. Is that okay?” The bulbasaur, still suspended in the air, looked at her as if he had slight doubts about her sanity, but seemed agreeable enough.

“So. His name’s Raptor.” She looked uncertainly at Professor Oak. “He is a he, isn’t he?”

Professor Oak smiled. “He is.” He handed her the plastic bag he’d taken out of the closet. “In here are your Pokedex and a few Poke balls to get you started. I’m sure your brother will explain all your Pokedex’s features as you need them. You’ll never remember anything I tell you right now.”

Her brother…She felt suddenly dizzy. She couldn’t have understood correctly.

“What…do you mean?” she asked faintly, looking at Ben and searching his face.

He smiled again. “There are places that I’ve missed, you know? And it would be…good…to battle again.” He gazed past her out the window, suddenly seeming older than he was, his eyes longing for something Katie felt she wouldn’t understand even if he tried to explain. He blinked, and refocused on her. “If you’ll have me, that is.”

Her heart leaped. She bounced up off the ground and beamed at Ben. “Thank you,” she said forcefully, and hugged him, Raptor and all.

He looked a little embarrassed when she pulled away, but pleased all the same. “You should go pack. If we can start out this afternoon we might make it to Viridian by tomorrow night.”

*

As Katie rushed out the door, a slightly bemused Raptor in tow, Professor Oak pulled Ben aside.

“I know,” he sighed before the Professor could say anything. “I’ll tell her. I’ll ruin her life, I promise, okay? Just let me do it on my own time.”

“Do you think it will get easier to hear?” Professor Oak began collecting the empty coffee cups.

To the Professor’s surprise, Ben actually seemed to consider the question. “I think it might,” he said finally. “There’s something about being a trainer, a serious one. When you get a little more experienced, a little more confident...it’s almost as if you start bracing yourself for something like this. You don‘t want it to happen, exactly, but...it’s like there’s nothing else that could happen. Because nothing but something like this could possibly end what you’ve started.”

“The hero’s curse?” Professor Oak said with a sigh. “Just keep in mind that we may not have a lot of time. She needs to get stronger quickly.”

“I know that, too,” Ben snapped. “Isn’t that why I’m going?”

Professor Oak smiled. “No. It isn’t. Take care of her, and of yourself. I’ll see you soon over the phone if nothing else.”

Ben nodded curtly and left, closing the door behind him.

*

After five years of living in a dormitory, packing for life on the road felt distinctly odd. Ben had to keep reminding her to bring things like scissors and silverware, things she never would have thought to bring on her own. She was proud of herself when she’d finished, and announced that she was ready to leave. After another thirty minutes, during which Ben patiently repacked for her, it really was time to leave. The good thing about having been away from home for the last five years was that it wasn’t as hard to say goodbye to her mother as she’d been afraid it might. She would be back soon, after all.

“Both of you behave yourselves,” she called after them. “And go to bed at a decent hour. And try to eat three good meals a day. And call me whenever you‘re somewhere with a phone! I love you both!”

They waved, and turned to head out of town. A swell of adrenaline and rose in Katie as they reached the gate, and she felt suddenly as if she might pass out. She stopped where she was, and Ben stopped with her, a solid, reassuring presence at her side. He watched her and waited, with no sign of impatience.

She swallowed and looked at him, her eyes wide. “Let’s go?”

He nodded, and together they stepped out into the world.

*