Eddies

Chapter 45: You say goodbye, while I say hello!

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Eddies 45.  You say goodbye, while I say hello!

Sitting at the large command centre desk, J.B glanced around the assembled Rangers intently.  Since the slap in the face from Sinnotech ten days earlier, it seemed much of the spirit had gone out of the group.  Not that the obviously absent members didn't cause further disconcertion, he thought to himself dryly.  With Scott's group still listed as MIA, even Barklay's mood was subdued.

Lying in his lap, Zorua looked up, searching his face for the source of his discontent.  Seeing the movement, he gave her a warm smile, stroking his hand through her mane before tickling her behind the ears.  Her giggle sounded in his head, cheering him slightly, but as the discussion in the group continued going around in pointless circles, his frustration came to the boil until he felt no option but to add his opinion.

Coughing to attract their attention, the Rangers around him fell silent, as he gave each a glance. 

"This is pointless!" he said quietly, receiving a few angry looks.  Holding up a hand to forestall their retorts, he continued.  "Wasting time soul searching about a mission that went so wrong is a waste of resources.  Learn from the situation, fine, but let's consider the next move!"

Barklay, who had listened in quietly to the conversation, asked "What do you suggest?"

With the commander’s question, the disgruntled Rangers fell silent, as J.B looked thoughtful.  "They're obviously not going to halt such a lucrative operation over this.  They knew we were coming for some time, so the real question is where have they moved to?"

Nodding, Barklay leaned forward and said "My thoughts exactly!  Where have they gone?  There are a large number of possible places they could have moved their operations to, as they're spread right across the islands.  None of the Intel so far has offered a specific place they might have reinstated a portal, and our resources are spread too thin to just gamble at possibilities."

J.B shook his head, and said "We need to look deeper; study their supply chains too.  Assuming they intended to open a portal elsewhere, which seems likely, what would be the single most important resource they'd need to have ready access to?"

As the Rangers considered the question, Barklay leaned forward again, steepling his hands on the table and answered for them.

"Power.  They need access to a significant source of energy to power that thing."

Nodding, J.B agreed.  "Exactly!  Find the new place with a sudden increase in power usage from the grid, and you should find your perps."

"Couldn't they be using pokemon to power the portal?" asked one of the Rangers, and J.B shrugged, looking to Barklay for an answer.  The commander shook his head and said "Unlikely.  Look at the amount of power our pokemon needed to expend simply to open the ancient portal created by Arceus.  It was a fraction of the size of Sinnotech's, and our own scientists believe the increase in size would likely require a logarithmic increased demand for energy.  I doubt even a legendary could maintain an open portal of that size for any reasonable length of time.  Certainly not long enough to allow the traffic of large volumes of goods through it."

Standing abruptly, Barklay concluded the meeting.  "I leave it to you to search the records.  However, I expect this done discretely, and personally.  I do not want this to go further than those within this room!  We thought our secrecy was adequate before.  This time, we're going fully autistic.  Does everyone understand?"

At the group affirmation the meeting concluded, as Rangers left singly and in small groups to manage their tasks.  J.B lifted Zorua to the floor, standing slowly and stretching to crack his stiffened spine and muscles, but paused as a large hand rested on his shoulder.  Surprised, he turned to regard Barklay standing at his side as the Ranger leader gave him a long look and said "Thanks."

J.B chuckled, motioning for the big man to precede him from the room. 

"Hey, I'm in this for everything now" he said, as Zorua jumped up to perch on his shoulder.

Barklay gave them a rare smile and replied "Seems that typhlosion had more of an idea than either of us, huh?"

As Zorua rubbed against his cheek, J.B reached up to give her a scratch and said "Well, I've learnt a lot more about a lot of things recently."

Zorua sniggered, and said sardonically "About time!  Now, let's eat!"    

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"Analysis of the implant revealed it to be an unusually complex device, incorporating both GPS and short wave trackers.  It was designed to send out brief spurts of information every 60 minutes, lasting less than a second for each transmission.  With the relatively large LiPo battery installed, we believe the likely lifetime of the devices operation could be as long as five to seven years."  The engineer presenting his findings to the group seated in the tented conference room set up at Darken Ridge paused a moment, eyeing his audience to ensure their attention, before continuing. 

"We were able to disable it readily enough, although in doing so it basically destroyed the device.  As we have the signal frequency, we can duplicate it as needed.  Best guess, is that it sends its signal to a privately owned satellite in orbit.  However, we have no ability to confirm this, apart from its transmitted frequencies, and it may also use local repeaters.  Quite a sophisticated tracking unit, really" he finished lamely, waving at the disassembled device on the bench before him.

"So they know exactly where we are, then?" asked one of the senior police officers, and received a nod in reply.

A military brass piped up "They may know where we are, but they have no real way of knowing what we're doing.  Regardless of this device, it has been in the area for a minimal period of time.  Our scouting patrols have not discovered anything out of the ordinary, and we have air support ensuring an aircraft-free zone around this site, so the information they may have is of little use to date."

Scott, sitting towards the rear of the meeting, noted Storm beside him begin to squirm uncomfortably, and gave the typhlosion a pat on the knee. 

"You couldn't have known" he muttered quietly, receiving a guilty look in return.

"Yeah" said Storm, absently rubbing the new scar on his stomach.  "Sucks though."

Scott flashed him a grin, which perked up the pokemon's ears.  The police officer on the typhlosion's other side chuckled at the reply, but continued facing the front of the room as the debate continued as to the options available to deal with the upstart company.

When a recess was eventually announced, Storm grumbled "Finally!" receiving both shocked and amused looks from those seated nearby, which the pokemon returned with a wide, toothy grin.  Shaking his head, Scott dragged his partner from the meeting and, after a brief dash for food, the pair sought out some privacy, passing the bulk of the operations area to the shade of some large trees beyond the farmhouse fences, where they had spotted Skyy and the luxray sparring.

As they approached, they found Chris and Bill lounging against some hay bales that had been dragged from the barn to form makeshift seating out of the burning sun.  Skyy stopped the training match, waving to his fellow pokemon to pause, and they joined the humans in the shade.

Flopping onto a large pile of hay, Storm lay back, absently scratching his side as Chris asked Scott how the preparations were going.

"Slowly" was the wry reply, and the typhlosion snorted.  "It couldn't be slower if they were moving backwards!” the pokemon said.  “Arceus sake, they spend more time bitching and trying to protect their turf than actually making any actual plans!"

Bill grinned and said "You're surprised?  I’m not!  After a week being hunted in the mountains by people who are supposed to be on our side, my patience for their stupidity is well and truly over!"

When Shadow made a comment that sent her trainer and the other pokemon laughing, Scott turned to Chris with a dry look and said "I really have to ask him how he learnt that."

Overhearing, Bill said "Practice!  An awfully large amount of practice!"

With the recommencement of the meeting imminent, Scott stood slowly, raising his eyebrow at his partner.  Storm shook his head, muttering "I'm over it!  Besides, I make them nervous!  Gonna hang here for the afternoon."

Rolling his eyes, Scott muttered "Lazy shit!" which had Storm lifting an amused, clawed finger at his partner, as with a wave the human Ranger left the shade to trudge towards the staging area.

Skyy dropped to the hay, leaning against Chris to the wry amusement of Storm.  Chris wrapped an arm around the lucario's shoulders self-consciously, well aware of the intent look they then received from Shadow.  When the luxray took in a deep breath, sniffing the air intently, Chris froze, even as she began muttering something quietly to Bill in pokespeak.

Skyy, ears twitching as he listened in on their private conversation, gave a jolt which had Chris glance at him in surprise.  When the lucario leaned over to him, pressing his muzzle into his ear to whisper "She said: See! We're not the only ones!" Chris groaned, giving Bill a loaded look, which had the fair haired police officer blush from neck to forehead.

Storm smirked at him, reaching across to give the officer a slap on the shoulders that sent him staggering.  "Busted!" he said, even as Bill spluttered a denial which died off as the typhlosion shrugged and said "Don't care though."

Leaning against Shadow's side, Bill let out a groan and said quietly "Who else knows?"

Storm chuckled evilly, and began ticking off his claws.  "Well, me and Scott.  Picked it the moment we saw you.  Damn, you two couldn't have made it more obvious to someone who knows this sort of shit, kid!  Then, these two guessed..." he said, pointing at Chris and Skyy, who exchanged a guilty glance.  "Most everyone else hasn't worked it out yet.  Then again, that's more than enough, I'd say."

Sighing, the policeman wouldn't meet his eyes, until Storm continued. "Don't stress it.  Happens more than you think.  But not something you want to have out there in the public arena, as it's a good way of fucking up your life.  Ask Jasper about that!"

"Speaking of whom, where is he?  Haven't seen him since we got back?" asked Chris, changing the subject to give the embarrassed officer a break.

Storm's eyes clouded as he said gruffly "Being detained for the time being, I understand.  Seems your people don't like a traitor any more than mine do."

Chris gave a sigh and said "I've been thinking about that.  He didn't have much choice once they had him, did he?  I mean, anyone would have broken in a similar situation."

Storm shook his head and scowled, sitting up again to lean on an elbow with his paw against his ear, as he watched the young human intently.  "Most people don't betray their friends in the first place, kid.  I've been there, and you're right.  You have no control over what you say.  But unlike him, I didn't go looking for it!"

Bill nodded.  "I think the plan is to eventually hand him over to your people as a gesture of goodwill, if you ever get home.  Which reminds me..." He petered off, as the typhlosion looked at him curiously.

"Hmm?" said the pokemon, and Bill gave Shadow a long glance, nodding as she muttered something to him.

"I don't have much here for me, anymore.  Family is mostly back overseas now.  In the past few weeks, everything has been turned on its head."  When Shadow gave him a worried look, he stroked her cheek softly and said "No, of course it's not your fault.  I wouldn't have swapped it for anything!  But I'm starting to get the impression my life as a police officer will never be the same again."

Returning to regard the typhlosion Ranger, he continued.  "More importantly, I'm worried what'll happen to us; Shadow and me; when you Rangers return home.  I don't really like the way some of them are talking about her behind our backs, when they think we can't hear.  But her hearing is better than they think, and some of the comments have us worried."

Storm scrutinized him for a long moment and nodded suddenly.  "Scott and I talked about this, too.  Some of the humans here have some pretty obnoxious attitudes about pokemon.  Still, your call, but perhaps a visit back to see Shadow's original trainer might be in order?  Shame if you found yourself overstaying your welcome, huh?"

Bill gave him a grateful smile, echoed by a loud purr from Shadow.  "Oh, I think she'd like to catch up, huh kitten?" he said, before turning crimson again as Shadow put a paw over her eyes in embarrassment, and the rest laughed at his inadvertent use of her pet name.    

"Assuming we ever get back, that is" Storm pondered, dropping back into the hay to stare at the branches overhead.  "There’s a lot riding on whether we can get access to a portal."

"And get it open long enough to pass through" muttered Chris.  "It took Raikou and his brothers to stabilise that huge one.  Who can say if it can be reopened without them?"

Sighing, he dropped back against Skyy, as Storm levered himself upright again.  "Miss him, huh?" he said gruffly, and Chris nodded, turning away from the typhlosion.

"Yeah" he said eventually.  "I was supposed to be looking out for him, and look where that got him."

Storm snorted, sitting up fully as he stared at the young trainer.  "Ponyta shit!" he said finally, getting a surprised look from everyone. 

"Raikou and his two brothers have been around longer than near anyone.  They've been taking care of themselves all that time, and don't often need carers.  Fact is, I know the only reason he hung around was to make sure you were OK, Chris, not the other way around!"

Chris dropped his head and muttered "Still didn't help him any, did it?"

Exasperated, Storm growled at him, receiving an incredulous look from Skyy.  "Don't be a child!" he said, even as Chris glared at him angrily.  "He didn't do it for any sense of obligation!  The big bastard was your friend.  So, stop the guilty shit and take his sacrifice as it was offered; as a gift of love!" 

Unable to reply, Chris stood abruptly, feeling the sudden need for some personal space.  When Skyy made to follow, he shook his head, and the lucario subsided down again, eyeing his partner worriedly.  After Chris stormed off towards the farmhouse, Storm said to the lucario "He needs some space.  Give him a breather, and let him get it off his chest.  There's a lot of hurt there that doesn't belong to him, and he has to realise that and work through it."

Still, it wasn't easy for the lucario to see his friend so upset, and it was a long time before he could return his full attention to their conversation, as Bill began asking Storm all the questions he had on pokemon, and the Rangers.

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Chris stormed into the farmhouse kitchen, thankfully encountering no one as he raided the fridge for a chilled beer.  Not normally one to drink, Storm's comments had him upset enough that he desperately needed something to take his mind off things.

No, he corrected himself; to take his mind off the guilt he still felt about Raikou, Suicune and Entei.

Dropping to a chair at the long kitchen table, he took a pull of the beer, wincing at the tart taste as he started at the label morosely.  Must be a new one, he thought, not knowing the brand, but still he didn't hesitate in lifting it again, draining the rest of the bottle in one go.

"Not that keen on it myself, you know" a voice came from the doorway, and he yelped, dropping the empty long neck and sending it spinning across the timber surface.  An arm reached past him to grab the bottle, preventing its fall to the tiles below.

Looking up, Chris stared into his father's face before he turned away, as Paul absently tossed the empty into the recycling bin.  Raiding the fridge himself, he waved another bottle at his son, who nodded and took it, twisting the cap off even as Paul sat himself down opposite.

"Gwen's off picking up Jimmy from his friend Daniel's property.  The PTB's aren't all that happy they’ve left the farm, but she gave them a serving, and told them they were visitors here and had better act like it!"  Chuckling, he said dryly "I warned them not to take her on, but some folk aren't that bright.  She ripped them new ones, for sure."

Pausing, Paul grimaced as he drank from his own bottle.  "Hmm, no, can't say I like this stuff either, but at least it's cold and wet on a hot day.  One of the soldiers must have left a few six packs in the barn fridge, and when no one claimed them, I stuck them in here.  Some boutique brew from Newcastle, apparently."

Chris turned the bottle in his grip slowly, as his father returned to gaze at him.  "So, what's the problem, Chris?  It's not like you to be drinking, let alone wandering alone without Skyy here with you."

Something in his father’s voice left Chris wondering if there was a deeper meaning to that last part, but Chris wasn't up to go there in his present frame of mind.

"It's Raikou." he finally admitted, as his dad nodded. 

"Thought as much, Chris.  You've been on a downer since you returned home.  Can't say there's much else I can advise you on it that we haven't already discussed.  But there was one thing I missed.  Did he tell you we had a conversation, him and I, before you went back last time?"

Truly surprised, Chris shook his head mutely.

"Yeah, he's a wise one, that one.  I was out on the porch one night, having a smoke and avoiding your mother while doing it as usual, when he appeared in that way he does, out of the dark.  Damned cat, near scared the shit out of me!"

Grinning suddenly, Chris said "Yeah, he has a thing for that.  It’s amusing."

Nodding, Paul returned the smile and said "Anyway, he filled me in on what you'd done for him.  It struck me, it did, what he said and how he said it.  A big, hairy and scary bastard he may be, but he really cared about you, son.  Possibly as much as your mother and I do."

As Chris's thoughts again darkened, Paul said seriously "Do you think he'd be happy, seeing you moping after him like this?"

Suddenly angry, Chris rounded on his father and said "I won't probably get a chance to ask him now, will I?"

Paul shook his head.  "Likely not.  Doesn't mean he'd approve of it, though, would he?"

Chris remained silent a long time, before letting out a sigh and shaking his head.  "No, probably not.  He'd probably have a go at me for it."

Nodding, Paul agreed.  "Grief is all fine, son, but sometimes it's better remembering the good things in someone's life, rather than spend pointless time bemoaning the bad."

Giving his father's face a searching look, Chris let out one final sigh, before taking a further long pull on his fresh drink.

Grimacing, he said "Gods, this is fucking horrible!" as Paul let out a laugh. 

"Trash it!  I got some in the rumpus bar that doesn't taste like rancid horse piss!  If we're going to have something pointless, let’s at least have something good!"

With the two new bottles joining their brother in the bin, Paul clapped a hand on Chris shoulder and guided him from the room.

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By the time Gwen arrived home with Jimmy and Azil in tow, the father and son had hit “the good stuff” hard.  Bottles littered the timber decking around the pair, who took in the baleful glare from the household matriarch sombrely.  At least, until Paul let out a snort at her expression, setting the two into hysterical laughter.

Jim gave Azil a roll of the eyes, disappearing into the house to find something better to do than see the two get hammered.  With a last disapproving look, Gwen followed, and they returned to their drinking in earnest.

It was the roar of a truck heading down the driveway that eventually distracted the pair.  Yells from the soldiers on duty preceded a general alarm call that set up a ruckus that soon had the entire camp in an uproar.

Staggering to his feet, Paul called out to the nearest of the men racing past.  Sliding to a stop, the soldier called back “Someone in a huge cattle truck just ran through the checkpoint at the front gate, and has stopped at the house front!”

Wide eyed, Chris and Paul jumped up and, pissed or not, managed to match the soldiers pace as he returned to sprinting to the house front.  Stunned, they joined the growing soldiers, many armed and pointing their rifles at the cabin door of the vehicle, which opened slowly as the occupant leaned out and looked at the group in surprise.

“Lotta excitement just for a delivery man!” the aboriginal man shouted over the ruckus, as he dropped to the ground, only to be grabbed roughly by several M.P’s who began searching him roughly.

Paul, who looked on the mistreatment with displeasure, pushed through the crowd to strike both M.P’s on the arms, causing them to release the stranger, who dusted himself off self consciously.  When one of the soldiers rounded on the farmer, he scowled darkly and said ”Don’t for a moment forget who owns this block of land, mate!” to which the pair stepped back abruptly.

Flashing a wide smile at Paul, the stranger reached out his hand and said jovially.  “Appreciate it.  Rodney Tjuta. Mutitjulu community elder, come all the way from Uluru with a special delivery for you lot.”

Confused, Paul introduced himself and shook the man’s hand, as Rodney turned to Chris and grinned again.  “And I’d be guessing you’re Chris, right?  I’ve heard a lot about you!”

As father and son looked at each other, Cameron Marshke and General Jobes approached,   attempting to take in the situation at a glance.

Jobes strode forward, ignoring the newly outstretched hand to demand from the stranger what he was thinking in crashing into a military operation?

Rodney calmly ignored the hostility, reaching into a top pocket for a cigarette that he lit slowly, much to the displeasure of the general.  Blowing a ring of smoke over his shoulder, he drawled “Well, what a welcome, when I come all the way from Northern territory to make a special delivery for young Chris, here!”

Confused, Chris stepped between the pair, as Rodney gripped him on the shoulder, steering the unsteady youth to the rear of the covered truck, while pushing past the confused soldiers milling around them.

Putting his face close to Chris’s, Rodney said wryly “Been an interesting trip, for sure.  But we’re glad to finally be here!”

As Chris’s sloshed brain registered the “we”, something huge erupted from the rear of the truck, sending him flying to the ground as it straddled his body, a rough wet tongue repeatedly swiping him from chin to forehead, even as he was grabbed up in huge paws to be engulfed in a mighty hug.

The crowd erupted in panic, soldiers and police scattering in every direction as two more monsters jumped from the vehicles tailgate, to stand guard over the pair.

“Raikou?” Chris whispered, even as the busy tongue paused, and a large nose and glowing ruby eyes replaced it in his blurred field of vision.  When a huge, happy smile enveloped the fanged face and a rumbling purr vibrated through him, Chris gasped, throwing his arms around the legendaries neck and burying his face in the thick fur.

While Paul and Rodney managed to calm the frantic soldiers, at least enough to stop anyone shooting the pokemon by mistake, Chris burst into tears, as Raikou rubbed his face against his shoulder.

It took a while, but when he was eventually calm enough to wipe his eyes clear on Raikou’s coarse coat, Chris stuttered “I thought you were gone, Raikou, and I didn’t even say goodbye!”

Raikou’s purr deepened, and he nuzzled the human affectionately, red eyes shining.

“We are here again, my friend.  I won’t be leaving you now.  So it is hello, not goodbye.”

As the friends embraced again, Suicune turned his head to Paul, Cameron and Jobes, startling them all as he demanded into the ensuing silence “Well, that’s all fine and good, but what do I have to do to get a bath around here?”

Laughing, Rodney patted the blue pokemon on the neck, leading him and Entei through the crowd, even as the unsteady Chris climbed onto Raikou’s broad back at his friend’s insistence, and the group marched towards the farm house for a much needed feed and clean.

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Author’s note:

I wonder how many readers recognise the title reference.

Just a day in the life.

I read the news today, oh boy.

About a lucky man who made the grade.

And though the news was rather sad...

Well, I just had to laugh...

I saw the photograph...

A spot of melancholy.

Oh well.

Welcome back, guys.

Welcome home.