Chapter Nineteen

The holoscreen's ringing display vanished to be replaced with Yobi. He didn't look up straight away, too busy faffing with whatever he was building. Socket tapped her foot irritably and cleared her throat, dragging the sparksurfer raichu's attention from his work to her. His heavily ringed and bloodshot eyes widened slightly and he stuttered.

"Apologies, Madam Mayor." He brushed the unseen item aside. "You caught me at a bad time."

Socket narrowed her eyes and he glanced away, immediately regretting his words.

"I think you'll find this is much more urgent," she said. "That foolish robot you built has gone and unleashed what I can only describe as a potential catastrophe on System."

"Potential?" he asked.

"So word hasn't got back to you from my decimated troops?" She folded her arms and met his confused look with a leer. "I believe BackDoor's name for the abhorrent creature is an 'ultra beast'. A pokemon from another world that went berserk and trashed several of my ships. He managed to get them both back into their own world, but one escaped just before he closed the void."

"So it was an accident?"

"Oh I'd be more inclined to say the silly android wanted to keep one as a pet! I wouldn't be remotely surprised if he actually allowed the to creature escape."

Yobi scratched behind his ear and sighed. "What did this thing look like?"

"What does that matter?!"

"It matters a lot if we're going to retrieve it, Madam Mayor."

She grit her teeth together and seethed. "A rather out-of-place alien that resembles some kind of mutant tentacruel."

The raichu nodded his understanding and glanced towards his work.

"How do you suggest we retrieve it?" she asked. "Since it's your silly invention that went and released the wretched beast."

He scratched his ear again. "If it's too dangerous to send your own troops, then... we could use Zero Day?"

"Zero Day are far too busy searching for time pockets."

"Well, if you can hang on another few days I'll have this android up and running and it can track down this creature and apprehend it."

"Apprehend?"

He raised his paws and shook his head. "Only until BackDoor sends it back."

"And if he refuses?"

"Short his circuits." Yobi retrieved his work along with a screwdriver. "Unfortunately that's our only option since you requested he not have an 'off' switch."

She pursed her lips together and spoke with a dangerous air that set the raichu's fur on end.

"Are you insinuating that this is my fault Yobi?"

He looked up with a start and shook his head, but his eyes gave away his answer. "No... not at all, Madam Mayor. This is just an unfortunate accident."

"I hope for your sake you aren't lying." She tapped her claws along her arm. "And what of Download Database? Any joy in cutting her off from the network?"

"Like I said, it can't be done. But... I do have an idea."

"Humor me."

"We install a worm." He looked up again and put down his screwdriver. "One that shuts her down until it's removed, which should be long enough to retrieve her. No damage to her brain or the Download Database."

Socket looked down at her feet and nodded. "How long will that take?"

"It might take a couple of days to make a harmless worm," he said.

"We don't have a couple of days."

"But speeding things up could be risky."

"Set your little project aside for now and let's focus on getting that space pirate out of my fur."

Yobi yawned and dropped his screwdriver. "I'll do what I can."

"And get some sleep," she added as she hung up.

...

The tiny onion-like form of TimeSkip glided elegantly a good couple of meters or so ahead of BackDoor. The tight curves it took as it followed the invisible signal given out by the time pockets were proving difficult for the hoopa to maneuver. He let out a growl and zipped along to cut the celebi off before it took yet another turn.

"Just point," he said.

The celebi fixed its lifeless eyes on his and raised a gangly limb, pointing one of its stubby claws to the spot behind the hoopa's head.

He turned on the spot and let out a 'huh'. TimeSkip slipped past him and darted ahead another few feet before stopping beside the invisible time pocket.

BackDoor grinned and zig-zagged over to it. A ring of light spread out, filling up with the swirling ultraviolet mist. Then he dropped his paw, staring into the nothingness.

"How many years back did you say this is?" he asked.

TimeSkip sent a spray of binary code into his mind that translated to 'One thousand and seven years.'

"So there'd be humans back there, right?" He frowned and folded his arms. "From the databases I have, not many humans could fly like that talonflame we dragged through. They'd all be on the ground."

TimeSkip merely met his eyes but said nothing.

"So... opening time holes in the sky is..." He waved a paw. "Pointless." He chuckled and shook his head. "Socket's such a moron."

The celebi looked from the swirling void to BackDoor.

"You know what? I'm gonna decide you agree with me."

The hoopa span in the air, closing the void. He turned back to TimeSkip and placed a mitten paw on his chin as he turned his attention to the ocean below.

"When System was apparently filled with humans, they were sick. That meant they would have filled hospitals, right?"

TimeSkip bobbed over to his side and followed his gaze to System Ground.

"Every time pocket we open reveals the exact same place but at a different time," he said. "Yeh, they might very well drag things through with gravity, but if we want more accuracy then we're gonna have to break some rules."

TimeSkip looked up at him again. Its eyes were as emotionless as its limited binary voice. Even if it did have something to say, it could do nothing more than answer a few basic commands.

BackDoor placed a paw on its head and laughed.

"Come on, TimeSkip. We're gonna visit Central Meta Hospital. The chances of finding a human there would be boosted greatly." He waved a paw, bringing up a small swirling vortex. "Socket's gonna love us when we hand her a hoard of humans, right?"

He grabbed TimeSkip's paw and dragged it after him into the swirling ultraviolet light. The vortex closed behind them, reopening just above Meta City.

The streets were bustling with life as pokemon went back and forth from shops and office blocks. Right in the centre stood Socket's mansion. Work and home. The hoopa lifted his head to look beyond it. A mile or so beyond her office stood Central Meta Hospital. There was no saying the hospital would be the same one it was one thousand years ago, and if it were there was no saying the layout would be the same.

Another vortex and the two androids were floating above the pristine white building. Sirens filled the air as two ambulances pulled out of the parking lot and hovered along the streets before rising into the sky. They didn't see the two androids, but BackDoor watched curiously as the ambulances vanished beyond the skyscrapers.

He turned his attention back to the hospital, scanning over the vibrant signs. Each department was colour coded. Red for accident and emergency. Purple for quarantining contagious diseases. Neither of those would be likely to take him to the humans, and Socket would have his head if he brought back a contagious pokemon and unleashed an epidemic into System. He chuckled, briefly considering doing that just for the fun of it.

"What department do you think we want?" he asked the celebi.

TimeSkip looked up at the sign but, as usual, said nothing.

BackDoor let out a groan and slammed his paw into his forehead. "This is so boring! It's huge! Where am I meant to go?"

'Searching for time pockets.'

The binary took him by surprise. TimeSkip's eyes glazed over with a flat, green light, and the celebi's wings hummed as it moved forwards over the large building.

'Pocket detected.'

The celebi took off like a dart.

"Finally!"

BackDoor did a small somersault and zoomed after the celebi. It was no easy feat to keep up. Why the silly onion fairy couldn't move in a straight line was anyone's guess.

...

DL's smile lit up the small ward. Macro faltered in the doorway and absently trailed his claws over the hilt of the 'new' laser poking out of his belt pouch.

"The doctor says you're ready?" he said.

DL nodded enthusiastically and trotted to his side. "You're a bit later than you said."

"I got caught up in something."

He turned and strolled from the room, leaving the pachirisu to catch up with him.

"What's the plan now?" she asked.

"We're meeting Anchor and the others back at the ship, then we're gonna track down your next memory."

She fell into pace beside him and scratched behind her ear. "Really?"

"You seem nervous." He gave her a sideways glance. "What's wrong?"

"I... I'm a little anxious."

"Really? I thought you'd want to get your memories back."

"I do, but..." She wrung her paws together. "I'm worried I'll remember... this whole..." She pawed at the antennae and grimaced.

"I doubt you'll remember having that put in. They wouldn't have done it while you were awake."

She shook her head. "Not that. The part leading up to it. Why? Did I agree to it? Or was it forced on me? That's what I don't want to know."

He stared at her for a moment then looked away to push through a door.

"I doubt you'd have agreed to it," he said. "I mean, who would want their entire memory wiped? Some memories, sure, we all have things we wish to forget. But the whole thing? No sane pokemon would want that."

"Who'd want any memory wiped?" DL asked. "I mean... they make us who we are, right? You learn from mistakes, so if you forget them then you've not learned anything."

Macro looked at her again and his fur prickled as the image of a blazing building filled his mind. He shook his head sharply and barged out onto the street, letting the cold air wash over his body.

Her thickly furred feet pattered over the paving flags as she rushed to catch up with him. "Is something wrong?"

"I just want to get back to Wildcard Gamma," he said. "If you don't wanna get left behind, then keep up."

She muttered something under her breath as she joined his side again. "You can be really cold sometimes you know."

He chuckled. "You learn fast."

"Do you usually push others away? Or is it just me?"

"Oh, it's not just you. Space pirates aren't nice pokemon, DL." He spread his arms and span on the spot, fixing her with a playful smirk. "And you want to be one! How about that?" He turned and marched on ahead of her. "The general consensus is you look out for Number One. Your crew, significant other - should you choose to have one - and the safety of others all comes second. Or last, depending on your general world view."

"And what's your world view?"

He stopped and turned to face her. His eyes trailed from hers to the antennae poking out behind her left ear and he frowned.

"What do you think?" He turned and marched on again. "You might not have much memory of the world, DL, but Socket and those who reigned before her ruined it. The laws were meant to make things better but instead turned into an epic disaster. If you're too poor, you die. If you live in the water, you die. If you turn your back on the law and try to do something about it, you die. That's where space pirates came from. We all decided we'd had enough and founded our own little civilization. Believe it or not, it grows every day but they also get caught every day and put to death." He grunted and tucked his paws behind his back. "I'd like to say it can't get any worse, but it can. Sooner or later, System Ground could be left to rot and those who can afford it will move to the skies and leave those who can't stranded to die in their own waste. And what if meat eaters decide they're bored of only munching on water dwellers and beg for more variety? What will it be next? Plant pokemon? Bugs? Or those who only eat berries?"

"I wouldn't worry about that," she said.

"Then rightly worry!" He walked backwards so he could face her. "I might be a steel type but I still have flesh like the water dwellers. And so do you!" He pointed. "You eat meat?"

She shook her head.

"Good." He turned to walk forwards again. "'Cos there's no room for meat eaters on my ship."

DL was silent for a while, but she kept her distance, no longer desiring to walk beside him. He balled his paws into fists so tight his claws pricked his pads. There really was no need to lash out at an innocent pachirisu, especially not one who'd fallen victim to Socket's craziness.

"Then why don't you do something about it?" she asked. "Why doesn't someone stop her?"

He relaxed his paws and let them fall at his sides. "You really think it would make a difference?"

"As far as I'm aware, it only takes something small to make a difference."

"Really? Well. If someone took out Socket, someone else would come along to take her place. And believe me, it's gonna take something bigger than a space pirate to make a change to this rotten world."

"Then we should all work together."

"Socket's already dealt with that one, DL. Is there anything about division in those files of yours?" He cast her a glance over his shoulder. "'Cos getting pokemon to work together ain't gonna be a task for the faint hearted. Not even in Pulse City. There's division here, too. Other types are merely tolerated."

Her body stiffened and her eyes flew wide open. She looked around at the buildings and space pirates then trotted to join his side. It was as if she hadn't even realised she didn't share the same type as him.

He sighed and shook his head, turning the corner to step onto the docks. The giant schooling wishiwashi stood proud beside a barboach ship. Anchor busied himself beside Wildcard Gamma, his head stuffed inside a hole in the hull.

"What's the problem?" Macro asked.

The granbull stood up suddenly and a huge clang echoed from the ship. He ducked out, rubbing between his ears.

"Cap'n!" He grinned weakly. "Think you might've given me a headache."

"What are you doing poking around inside the ship?" Macro asked.

Anchor turned back to the hole and aimed a tiny LED flashlight at its innards. "Checking for damage. I've been a little concerned after that fight at the secret government building where we found DL. But it looks like nothing got damaged, which is a relief. Just a loose wire that connects to the lights."

"Will it take you long to fix it?" Macro asked. "I'd like to get going."

"I ain't riskin' fixing it after two ciders, Cap'n. Besides, the hull needs repainting. We took a nasty scuff."

Macro followed Anchor's paw towards the tail of the ship. The blue paint had been scratched away to grey, taking a chunk of the final 'D' in the vibrant red 'Wildcard Gamma' away with it. He groaned and shook his head.

"So we're staying in Pulse City tonight?" he asked.

"Looks like it," said Anchor. "Nice excuse to eat out at least. Might wanna let Cookie know. Something sweet is coming out of that fan so he might be expecting us for dinner. I've already made reservations at the Moonlight Lounge."

"When did you do that?"

"About five minutes ago when I realised there was a loose wire."

Macro tutted and pulled out his computer. One quick message to Cookie was all it took to bring the brown slurpuff to the entrance hatch. He peered down at them with the saddest look Macro had ever seen on the chef, and he'd been there when Cookie had burnt a batch of chocolate waffles. He was less upset about his missing fur.

"You're really not having lunch here?" he whined. "I've made a cheri and chocolate gateau!"

Macro scratched his head and looked back at the bustling street. DL on the other paw licked her lips and fidgeted on the spot.

"Sorry, Cookie," said Macro. "More for you, huh?"

The slurpuff beamed and nodded his head. "I guess so!"

"Take the night off." Macro waved a paw. "Put up your feet and relax. Maybe join us in the Lounge?"

Cookie stiffened and glanced over his shoulder. "Erm... Too many pokemon for me, I'm afraid."

"All right." Macro shrugged. "See you later then."

The door began to hiss and DL trotted towards it with a cry of, "Save me a slice!"

A small smile tugged at Macro's lips as he watched the pachirisu. She caught his eye and a look of bewilderment crossed her eyes.

"What?" she asked.

Macro shook himself and his mind went to the laser in his pouch.

He scanned his paw to open the door. "Come with me."

She followed him up the small neon ladder. Macro caught a raised eyebrow off Anchor as the door hissed shut again behind them.

"You said you wanted to work for me," said Macro. "Well I got you a laser."

"Really? That was quick!"

"I got lucky really." He stopped by his room and paused to look over his shoulder before opening the door. "But it's no use unless you have a belt."

He threw the door open and strutted over to his night stand. Fortunately he had two spare belts just in case. DL wasn't much smaller than him, so one of his belts should fit. He pulled one out and checked it over before turning back to her. She was waiting in the doorway, casting her eyes over his sparsely decorated room.

"You could have come in," he said.

"You don't allow girls in here."

He shrugged and strolled over to her. "Fair point. But it's not like I was sleeping." He handed her the belt and took a step back. "That should fit."

She looped the belt around her slender waist and clipped the buckle together. It slipped at an angle over her left hip and she jigged it about to no avail.

"Hmm..." she said.

"We can always get it altered." He reached into his pouch and pulled out the laser, flicking open the back to check the contents. "This has water, grass and electric. But... Since you are an electric type, I doubt you'll need the electric one."

He slid the yellow cylinder out and handed her the gun. She turned it around in her paws then popped it into the holster on her right. It tugged the belt down towards her right hip and she chuckled.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to get it altered." She fixed him with a beaming smile. "Thank you."

He cleared his throat and placed a paw on her shoulder to steer her out of the doorway, letting the door close behind him.

"Let's get some lunch," he said. "I'm starving."

...

Surge was growing increasingly agitated. The signal she'd been using to follow Wildcard Gamma had been cut off, leaving her at a huge disadvantage in her pursuing of the ship. It had ended at Pulse City, and thankfully the giant wishiwashi was still parked in the docks.

A huge granbull moved away from it, dusting his paws down and smoothing out his purple mowhawk. One of Macro's crew, she guessed. If he wasn't boarding the ship then that meant it was going to be parked up for a fair bit longer. She'd just have to wait, and hope she never lost track of it.

With a deep sigh, she leant back in her seat and ran her paws over her face. Twice she could have killed Macro, and twice she'd failed. What on earth was wrong with her? She'd had crushes before, but they'd never interfered with her work.

She spread her claws and peered through them at Pulse City's neon streets. Maybe it was because she knew what that 'living computer' actually was. She knew that Download Database was in safe paws.

No... that wasn't it. Macro kept interfering in government business. He had to be stopped before he went too far. But how far was too far? Had it already surpassed that? Whatever those government fleets were doing at that dimensional gate was disrupted. Whatever they had pulled through was stolen. But were they going too far?

She let out a loud groan and sank even further into her seat. "I can't be doing with this!"

She unbuckled her seatbelt and slipped from the leather chair towards the hatch. A good drink might sort her head out. She just deeply hoped she didn't run into Macro in the bar. Maybe it would be best to find a different, more low key pub.

Her eyes fell on Wildcard Gamma and her mouth turned dry. Another deep sigh escaped her lungs. Of course, she'd lost the tracking signal.

Nope, that ruled that out. She needed to keep him in her sights.