บท 19: Chapter 019

"But there has got to be some other way" said Joseph, looking at Roger with tears in his eyes.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. You are waaayyyy too obsessed with that Crobat" muttered Alex unhelpfully, earning a glare from Joseph.

"The situation is more tricky than just a matter of keeping it. You see, according to the unspoken rules of Pokemon rangers, when they subdue a wild Pokemon that is going to be a danger if released in the same location, as in the case of this Crobat, they can earn a cut from the eventual purchase of that Pokemon. Hence, when the Fuchsia Gym purchases this Crobat as they said, these rangers who helped in its subduing would have gotten a cut for their efforts. If a trainer catches the Pokemon subdued by a ranger, the procedure is for the trainer to reimburse the rangers appropriately for the vale of the Pokemon. Unfortunately in this case, you can't match the value of the Crobat" informed Roger.

"Joseph is definitely going to excel in the PIT this time. Wouldn't they accept an I.O.U?" questioned Alex.

"It depends," said Roger, avoiding the hopeful eyes of Joseph. "I already proposed this to the rangers. But even if they accept, the storing and training of Crobat till Joseph becomes a trainer and is able to subdue the Crobat remains an issue. The rangers are currently contacting their superiors for advice. We will just have to see what they say."

"Someone will probably be looking for me now. I received word that some higher-up wants to talk to me regarding the possible origin of the Crobat. So I have to go now. Have some rest and think about what you have just done. I will call you when it is time for lunch" said Roger after a short pause.

He then walked out of the room, closing the room behind him.

Alex noticed that Joseph was looking very depressed.

"I did not count the number of times I have said this, but I'll say it once more. You can get a Zubat and train it up after you become a trainer. There is no need to be depressed about missing this one" said Alex.

"This Crobat is special. I feel differently about it. Plus, it is the first Pokemon I ever caught. With the Pokeball my parents left me. I understand this is unrealistic, but I want this particular Crobat as my Pokemon. I have a feeling if I miss this, I will never find one like this" said Joseph sadly.

"Yeah that's true. An indigo potential Crobat can't be common. Especially considering there were hardly any yellow potential Zubat among the thousands I scanned" thought Alex.

"So, we survived a near-death experience. Thought?" asked Alex, trying to change the topic.

"I don't feel that it was near death at all," said Joseph.

"Are you kidding man? That Air Cutter was half a second away from cutting both of us open!" exclaimed Alex.

"I know how it looked. But that Crobat did not mean us harm. Do you remember, it paused and held off attacking for a brief moment after seeing us. It only retaliated with Shadow Ball after it was hit with several moves. And the Air Cutter was aimed at the Weepinbell released by the ranger, not us" said Joseph confidently.

"Missed the chance to see scan a Weepinbell" thought Alex.

"Well cheer up. It's not the end of the world with Crobat is gone right? Who knows, maybe you can trade it back from the Fuchsia Gym after you have become a trainer, when you are attempting the Gym circuit" said Alex.

"Yeah" agreed Joseph, but he still looked glum.

The two continued idle conversation for a while, until they heard footsteps on the other side of the door. The door opened and Officer Jenny walked in.

"Both of you, come with me" she said with a stern poker face.

"Where are we going? And where is Uncle Roger?" asked Alex as they both got up and started walking with Officer Jenny.

"Up ahead," she said.

"Is that the answer to both my questions? Or just one?" wondered Alex, but he kept walking.

They walked into a room where Roger was sitting behind a table, with a middle-aged man in a dusty overcoat sitting in front of him.

Roger seemed restrained and respectful in front of this man

"Here they are sir. The black-haired one is Alex. The blonde-haired one is Joseph, the one who caught the Crobat" introduced Roger.

"This sir is from the International Police. He came here to investigate the Crobat, as it is feared that its introduction into this place and its origins have man-made factors" continued Roger.

"And good news! According to him, the Crobat you captured can become your Pokemon!"