Radioactivity's Quest (Part 3)

Radioactivity could only stare at the awe-inspiring sight in front of him.  "It's huge!" he gasped, unable to find a better word.  Just before reaching Goldenrod City, Bolt had taught his nephew how to climb trees 'properly,' as the older Jolteon had put it, choosing an easy, but still towering, tree to climb.  Even from the very topmost branches, they still couldn't see the far edge of the city.

One question stuck in the young Jolteon's mind.  "...How in Arceus's name are we going to find the train station in all this?"

Bolt bounded higher still into the leaves, trusting his weight to the very thinnest of branches without fear.  Radioactivity was impressed.  He wasn't afraid of heights per say, but he didn't actively seek them out like his uncle did...  Bolt scanned the city from his elevated position, actually managing to look kind of regal from below.  "Let's see...  That might be it..."

"Look for where the tracks are.  Humans can't build things over train tracks if they still want them to work..."

"Good idea.  You're pretty sharp, Buzz."  Radioactivity tried to refrain from rolling his eyes.  "...There's a line there...  And there's the station!  Perfect!  It's close by, too, so we don't have to run through the city."

Radioactivity nodded, relieved.  Running through the forest with somewhat widely spaced trees was one thing, but racing at that speed through a crowded city with lots of humans walking around?  He didn't think he could do that...  Thinking about it...  "Hey, Uncle Bolt?"

The older Jolteon responded as he bounced back down through the branches, making Radioactivity follow him quickly.  "Yeah?"

"How do we get through the city without any humans noticing us?"

Bolt jumped the rest of the way to the ground, something that Radioactivity was not willing to do.  "Well...  Normally, if you act like you own the place, humans assume you belong to a trainer, but in your case, we might have to make it more convincing..."

"Why in my-  WHOAA!" Radioactivity yelled as he misjudged the distance of his jump, landing too short and falling backwards off the branch.  At least he didn't land badly.

Bolt barely reacted.  "Why in your case?  Well, unless I'm wrong, you'd keep your inner glow?"

"You mean keep my radioactive energy on the inside?" Radioactivity asked as he got to his paws.  "Yeah."

"Then you look like a shiny Jolteon.  If there's one thing humans react to, it's shiny Pokemon.  And since Eevees are rare to begin with..."

"They'd know I didn't belong and want to catch me."

"Exactly."

"Then what do I do?"

Bolt tilted his head.  "I have an idea...  But you have to swear you won't tell your mother, your sister, or Splash?"

Radioactivity didn't exactly like where this was going...  "Which sister?"

"Um...  All of them, but especially Moonlight."

That made Radioactivity a little worried.  Then again, that could mean it's pretty much anything that was even remotely related to humans...  "How do you expect me to keep a secret from my mother when she can read my mind?"

Bolt did that thing when someone asked him a question that should have been obvious and he froze up while he thought of both an answer and a reason as to why he didn't think about it.  Finally, he just shrugged.  "I don't know.  Just...  go with it.  I'll be right back.  Don't move!"  Before Radioactivity could ask why, what Bolt planned on doing, or what he himself could do while he waited, Bolt blasted away towards the city in a crackling yellow blur.  Radioactivity sighed.  Had it not been for his namesake characteristic, he probably would have picked Glaceon...

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Bolt returned only a few minutes later, just as Radioactivity was getting back from hunting.  He still wasn't entirely sure how to use his Electric Type powers, so he relied on speed, agility, and radioactivity.  Seeing as this was his first hunt, he didn't think he had done too badly.

Bolt apparently thought the same thing, speaking through a small bag that was clutched in his teeth.  "Hey!  Look what you did!"

Radioactivity smiled proudly.  "I caught both myself!"

"Not bad!  Especially for your first-  thaaaaat Pidgey is glowing."

Radioactivity looked at his catch.  "...I figured I would have that one..."

Bolt shrugged, dropping the bag.  "Fair enough.  Here, put this on."

"Put what on- oh no," Radioactivity said as Bolt pulled a glittery gold collar out of the bag.

"Come on, it's brilliant!  The humans will think you belong to someone!"

"Splash'll kill us...  Moonlight'll kill us!"

"That's why I told you not to tell them.  Come here."  Radioactivity bounced away as Bolt tried to loop the collar over his head.  He was NOT wearing that.  Bolt kept chasing him.  "Come on!  It's the only way!"

"I'd rather take my chances with the humans than have the clan find out about this!"

"They won't find out!"

The chase went on for some time, neither of them actively running until Bolt suddenly blurred, using Extreme Speed and slamming Radioactivity in the shoulder before he could react, knocking him over.  "OW!"

"Sorry!" Bolt said as he triumphantly leaned his weight on his nephew's shoulder, preventing him from escaping while he slipped the collar over his head.  Radioactivity shook his head out.  It wasn't quite what he had imagined...  He didn't like it there, but it wasn't quite as... strangle-y as he imagined.  "See?" Bolt said, finally getting off of the younger Jolteon's shoulder.  "Not so bad, right?"

"I still don't like it..." Radioactivity complained as he got to his paws.  He felt more restrained.

"It's just for getting on and off the train."

Radioactivity sighed.  He was patient...  He could put up with it...  He was always the most easygoing of his siblings, so he could deal with this.  As long as he took it off again as soon as they got to the power plant.

Radioactivity crouched under a bench next to Bolt.  They had made it to the train station without a problem, but apparently, Pokemon weren't allowed to be out of their pokeballs when they were actually in the station, and especially not on the train.  Radioactivity had a suggestion as to how they could slip on, but...

"I'm not doing that," Bolt whispered, shaking his head again.

"Come one, Uncle Bolt, it's not that bad.  You said so yourself.  The trip only takes a few minutes."

"No."

"I put the collar on, that worked.  Why won't you try this?  It's easy."

"I'm not getting in a human suitcase."

Radioactivity sighed.  It seemed like the only way...  "Please?"

"Still no..."  Why did Radioactivity feel like he was more mature and patient than his uncle sometimes?

A perfect opening presented itself as a human put down two bags, then left them while he strode to the ticket window.  He looked back at Bolt.  "Uncle Bolt..."

"No..." Bolt replied, mirroring Radioactivity's tone.

The mock-shiny Jolteon suddenly recalled one of Moonlight's favorite tricks from when she was still Two.  He broke into a sudden dash for the bags, claws skittering on the tile flooring as he fought for traction, made it to the bags unnoticed, and glanced back at his uncle as he gripped the zipper in his teeth and pulled it open.  Bolt was standing under the bench, poised to run with one paw raised, and looking extremely angry with Radioactivity as he made a wide enough opening, made sure all of his energy was on the inside and wouldn't rub off on anything, and slipped inside.  If Bolt wanted to stay with him, he now HAD to follow the bags.  Radioactivity knew it was kind of mean, but it was the only way that he could see...

Peering out through the open spot in the zipper that he had left, Radioactivity discovered that Bolt did in fact have another way of getting on the train.  Just as the human who owned the two bags came back to retrieve them (Radioactivity held his breath to keep his anxiety down and his buzz off), Bolt broke cover as well, rubbing up against another nearby human and pretending she was his trainer.  Splash basically couldn't find out about any part of this Power Quest at this point...

Two official-looking humans came over to the one that Bolt had chosen as his fake trainer.  Radioactivity couldn't hear what they were saying, but they were probably saying that she wasn't allowed to have a Jolteon out in the train station.  The woman responded, probably saying that it wasn't her Jolteon.  Bolt kept up the act until enough people were distracted with each other that he could slip onto the train, tailing the human with the two bags as he stepped onto the train himself and Radioactivity lost sight of Bolt.

The human kept walking for a bit until he finally set the bag down.  Radioactivity still didn't dare to move.  He could hear lots of other humans putting their bags down, too...  Finally, a fake-sounding human voice spoke.

"Welcome aboard the Goldenrod City Express Magnet Train, our highway in the sky to Saffron City. For those of you standing, please hold on to the hand rails throughout our journey and stay clear of the doors. For the comfort of others, no smoking please. As you board, please move across your car to make room for everyone, and kindly offer available seating those needing special assistance. If you are standing, please hold on to the hand rails and stay clear of the automatic doors, they will be closing in a moment. The Magnet Train will depart momentarily for Saffron City. Thank you."

Saffron City?  It doesn't go directly to the Power Plant?  Oh well.  Bolt probably knew how to get there...

Radioactivity suddenly heard the door slide shut followed by a muted wham.  Carefully sniffing the air outside to be sure there were no humans in the car, he slipped out and looked around.  Judging by the amount of bags and suitcases around, this must be the 'baggage car' that Radioactivity read about on one of the signs in the station.  "...Uncle Bolt?" Radioactivity called out quietly.  He didn't see the Jolteon anywhere...

Quiet scratching at the closed door to the car caught his attention.  Bounding on top of a few stacked bags, Radioactivity could see through the window and into the next car.  Bolt was on the other side of the door, trying to get the door open to get to him.  He hadn't made it to the baggage car!

The humans in the car were watching Bolt, pointing and saying things that Radioactivity couldn't hear through the closed door.  Bolt ignored all of them, still trying to get the door open.  One man wearing a hat, black rubber gloves, dark glasses, and a black leather jacket stood up and walked up behind the oblivious Jolteon.  Radioactivity saw a white shirt underneath the jacket, catching a glimpse of a bold, red letter R hidden by the jacket.  Radioactivity's eyes went wide.  That's what Sunbeam said the humans who kidnapped all the Pokemon in Ecruteak City wore!

"BOLT!  LOOK OUT!" Radioactivity shouted, to no avail.  Bolt couldn't hear him.  The man grabbed Bolt around the middle and lifted him off the ground as the train started moving, the Jolteon growling and trying to shock the human, but the man's gloves protected him from any damage.  He turned and carried Bolt away from the baggage car, the door between passenger cars opening automatically.  Radioactivity could only watch.  Bolt had just been kidnapped by bad humans.

And it was probably Radioactivity's fault.