Darkened Heart (Part B) by Michael Keens/ Exodus  

Veronica awoke, the area was dark, they had survived the fall but were stuck in 
a small area surrounded by cliff faces, Rick was a few metres away and had a 
torch to light up the otherwise dark area.  
“You...” groaned Rick staring at her with hatred.  
“I know you must be angry, I don’t blame you...” said Vertigo.  
“Damn straight I’m angry!” shouted Rick.  
Vertigo tried to stand but one of her legs felt weakened and she collapsed.  
“You were the one that killed her, you stole her earrings, stole her Pokémon, 
and stole her life! I’m not stupid, I knew someone had done her in!” shouted 
Rick.  
“I didn’t steal this, and I didn’t know we were robbing your mother until it 
was too late...” pleaded Vertigo.  
“You can’t make this right, you can’t!” screamed Rick.  
“Jynx!” shouted the Jynx that had just come out of a Pokéball by choice.  
“I figured my father lied about my mother’s cause of death when the police got 
involved, five Pokémon had disappeared from my life and Serena was always 
pretty edgy around your gang, it all adds up...  I can’t believe you used to be 
my friend!” explained Rick.  
“Ricky...  I can’t begin to express my-”  
“I won’t accept your apologies, not this time.  You’ve gone too far...”  
“Ricky, I-”  
“PINSIR!!!”  
“Growwwlll!!!”  
“Poliwhirl!!!”  
Three of Rick’s Pokémon came out to assist him.  
“Get her...” said Rick through a tearful frown, Serena looked at him with 
concern in her eyes.  
Veronica was unable to stand but threw out three Pokémon in defense.  
“Vul!”  
“Zubat!”  
“Poliwag!”  
The Poliwhirl went straight for the Vulpix and drenched it down with water, the 
Pinsir savagely attacked Vertigo’s Poliwag and the Growlithe tackled the Zubat 
and trampled it under its feet.  
“You’ll pay for killing my mother.” threatened Rick.  
“It was an accident!” screamed Vertigo, “I never meant to hurt her! I tried to 
stop Crater from firing but accidentally pulled the trigger, I know you’ll 
probably never forgive me and if hurting me will ease your pain... then so be 
it.”  
Rick motioned for his Pokémon to return.  
“I’m past caring about myself and the world, you’re the only one I ever cared 
for, do what you want with me...” muttered Vertigo.  
Rick flung his hand forward, Vertigo braced herself for the hit, then opened 
her eyes, he was offering his hand to her.  
“What are you doing?! Playing with me?” she asked harshly.  
“Just one question.” said Rick, “How did you get those earrings?”  
“I...  uh...  Form...  He gave them to me, I didn’t realise he stole them...”  
She took them off and eagerly held them up for him to take.  
“Forget it...  I can’t have them, they’ll only make me upset.” he said turning 
away.  
“Then I’ll wear them, to remind myself of what I’ve done, I don’t deserve to 
forget.  I’m so pathetic, I’ve treated trainers like trash and when I finally 
meet the only person I’ve cared about, and I’ve destroyed your happiness.  I 
tried making it up to you the only way I know how, but you went and exploited 
my gift and now we’re stuck here.” said Vertigo in sad and angry tones.  
“Ronnie, we can get out of here, but only if we cooperate.” said Rick softly.  
“Really?”  
“On one condition, when we get out of this, I want you to quit the Rockets.” he 
said firmly.  
“Its not that easy to-”  
“Do you know how upset I am that someone I loved so much now represents 
everything I’ve hated?  If you continue living this way then my mother died in 
vain.” said Rick darkly.  
“But what if they-”  
“This is the only way you can make things right now, quit the Rockets and maybe 
one day, I can forgive you.” said Rick giving an ultimatum.  
“Okay...  I promise...  Thank you Ricky.” said Vertigo gazing at him.  
“And don’t call me that, its just Rick’ now...”  
“Okay... Rick, I respect your choice, as long as you respect mine, I am Vertigo 
now.”  
“No Ronnie, no sinister names, no hidden agendas, its the only way to prove to 
me that you’ll follow through on this promise.”  
“And here I was, thinking you trusted me...  Fine, as of now I’m not Vertigo, 
I’m Veronica Rae.”  

There were some dying plants, strong enough to serve as a pair of crutches to 
help Veronica along, her leg hurt a lot, but given some time, it would be 
bearable to walk on.  
Rick had her hold onto him from behind while he scaled the first few walls.  
They were far from the top and they couldn’t see it from here.  
The next path spiralled upwards, and a higher level could be reached by walking 
along.  
Rick was slightly ahead and looked upwards in thought, of all the people that 
cut his mother’s life short, why did it have to be Veronica? He couldn’t stay 
mad at her, according to her story, it was all a terrible accident, had his 
mother not been diagnosed to have only a year or two left, he might not have 
felt the same way, now if they could just reach the top, she’d have to leave 
the Rockets as she agreed, Rick wondered if he could set aside the tragic 
mistake and ask her to travel with him, after so many years apart he wasn’t 
sure he could trust her, as much as he wanted to.  

“This is almost like 8 years ago...” commented Veronica, “Except I’m the one 
who’s hurt, and I’ve still got every reason to apologise.”  
“Your parents...” asked Rick.  
“The drunken fools got themselves killed in a car crash, three years ago, and 
that’s when the Rockets found me.” said Veronica without once sounding upset.  
“I see...  So you lost everything and had nothing to lose.” thought Rick sadly 
and out loud.  
“I was cold-hearted and stole Pokémon without really thinking about the people 
I was stealing from, until that day...” she explained.  
“But you continued to steal, Ronnie, I’m disappointed that you didn’t quit 
then.” said Rick sadly.  
“Where would I have gone to?! I have no home and I was too ashamed to look for 
you.  I will always carry the guilt for your mother’s early death, I admit I’m 
cold, but I’m not totally heartless, not as long as I care for one person...  
You’re my rock of strength Rick, you always have been, but being a Rocket was 
the only way for someone like me to live.”  
“You can’t say that.” argued Rick softly.  
“Why not, just what am I good at?” questioned Veronica angrily.  
“You’re a great Pokémon Trainer, and a brilliant strategist.  I’m sure my 
sponsor in Fuchsia City could find you a fellow professor to help look after 
your Pokémon, and there are organisations that fund Pokémon Trainers that have 
no one to financially depend on, apart from Rockets.” explained Rick.  
“I don’t know what to say.  I had thrown away all hopes of accomplishing my 
dreams and goals, and now you’re giving me the solutions to my problems.  
You’re still the rock of strength I once depended on.” smiled Veronica.  
Rick remained silent, his mind was torn between forgiving Veronica and 
condemning her.  
There was another climb to do and this cliff was more perilous.  
Veronica held onto Rick tightly and closed her eyes, it had been so long since 
she had such a closeness with a guy physically, Form was a total creep, to give 
her a present that he stole from a dying woman.  
But she knew Rick would never forgive her totally, they could never be more 
than friends now, and they could barely be friends.  
What sort of life would Veronica have ahead of her, she wasn’t sure if she 
could open her heart to anyone else, it’d just be easy to stay with the Rockets 
and live a rich life without having to deal with problems.  
Rick lost his grip and Veronica wasn’t concentrating and so let go easily.  
“Leafer!” he shouted.  
“Bell!”  
The Weepinbell burst out of its Pokéball and landed on a ledge, it then 
entangled Veronica in a vine and lifted her up carefully so she could reach 
Rick.  
Veronica couldn’t think of anything to say, he’d just saved the one responsible 
for the death of his mother, she wondered what he was thinking.  
Whatever it was, it had to wait, as the rock started to crumble.  
Veronica thought fast and her Zubat appeared with her Ekans, the Zubat grabbed 
the Ekans and lowered themselves down, Rick used them as a handhold until he 
could reach another stable rock.  
“You saved us...” he panted.  
“No, I saved you.  I was just part of the package.” replied Veronica.  

Finally they reached the path they were originally on.  
“Nice work Vertigo.  Even when you get injured you manage to guilt trip the kid 
into helping you up.” said Nebula.  
In response to this, Veronica turned to Rick, and then at her group, and then, 
she walked towards them and stood alongside them and smiled darkly.  
“No Ronnie...  Don’t-”  
“Of course I did.  My leg’s all better now, thanks for everything.” said 
Veronica confidently walking towards her group.  
“Six against one, kid.” commented Crater, “There’s no point in resisting.”  
“Veronica...  I can’t believe after all you said, all we talked about, you’re 
supposed to be my friend!” shouted Rick as the Lunar Crew slowly surrounded 
him, what lied behind was the chasm he had just climbed out of.  
“That was a long time ago, its not that easy to leave the Rockets, I can’t 
become a trainer, not with my past, and what’s the point? You wouldn’t travel 
with me nor love me, I’m better off here.”  
Form smiled, misreading her speech.  
“I have a home with the Rockets, which is more than I can say for your offer.”  
“You’ll never change, if you can’t follow through on our promise then let the 
memory of my mother haunt you forever.” said Rick angrily.  
“Come quietly.” said Crater walking forward, Rick adopted a fighting stance, 
though his efforts would be in vain due to Crater’s size and strength.  
And then he was forced forward, Rick moved to the side and Crater plummeted to 
the bottom of the chasm.  
Veronica was on the floor having barged Crater off the cliff.  
“Vertigo, luv, what’re ya doin’?!” shouted Form.  
“She’s betraying us for that squirt!” shouted Depth charging forward.  
“Ekans!” shouted Viper twisting around her legs and making her lose balance and 
live up to her name.  
“Now come along V’, there’s no need to-  GET HER.” said Phase changing her 
personality as usual.  
“Weezing!”  
“Ivysaur!”  
“Jolteon!”  
Veronica was on the floor next to Rick and gave him a comforting smile.  
“We wouldn’t have stood a chance before, sorry to scare you like that.”  
“I understand, Ronnie, but what were talking about exactly, I do love you, I 
never stopped thinking about you.” he smiled back.  
Veronica shook her head lightly, that wasn’t the love she meant, “Throw a 
Pokéball, already!” she yelled, and he did.  
“Graveler!” yelled Rocky.  
Veronica also added to the group.  
“Cubone!” wailed Skull tossing his bone club between hands.  
“Vul!” said Vixen, one of Veronica’s newest.  
“Rocky! Earthquake!” ordered Rick.  
“Skull, Bonemerang, Vixen, Flamethrower.”  
The Pokémon both had trainers who knew their types, the Weezing was slammed and 
slightly buried into the mountain floor by Rocky’s Earthquake attack.  
The Ivysaur was quickly set alight by Vixen, and the Jolteon was knocked out by 
Skull’s bone.  
“Why Veronica? Oi luved ya and Oi would ‘ave given anythin’ ta be with ya.” 
explained Form.  
“You stole from a dying victim of our Pokémon thefts, you went too far and I’ll 
never love you.” replied Veronica.  
“No...  You need me.” argued Form.  
“I need you like a hole in my head.” she replied.  
Form frowned, “Ya’d rather ‘ave ‘im?” he asked, but was interrupted.  
“Another Pokémon! Another Pokémon!” shouted Nebula, but the two were on the 
case and pointed towards the Lunar Crew.  
“VUL!!!” cried Vixen breathing a long flame at the group.  
“Cu-Bone!” shouted Skull throwing its bone so that it hit all three members and 
came back to him.  
“GRAVELER!” shouted Rocky shaking the ground so that the Lunar Crew took a 
fall.  

“No one escapes Team Rocket! We’ll get you V’! One way or another!” shouted 
Nebula before they couldn’t be heard at all, it’d take a while to get back up, 
Rick and Veronica knew that first hand.  
“Once again, I’m sorry to have scared you, but I had to realistic about the 
situation.” apologised Veronica again.  
“I understand Ronnie, you came through for me, for that, I feel you should be 
forgiven...” said Rick.  
“Forgiven.” said Veronica firmly, “But not forgotten, I’ll never forget what I 
did, but I won’t let Marisa’s memory be in vain.  I’ll be good from now on and 
fight any Rockets who come near me.”  
“Ronnie, the Pokémon.  What happened to them?” asked Rick hesitantly.  
“They were sold to good decent trainers, I’m sorry it happened.” said Veronica 
looking down.  
“Lucille, Eddy, Calvin, Maisy, Vega...” listed Rick, “Have a good life with 
your new trainers, I’ll always remember you.”  

The two left the mountains and ended up on a quiet grassy path that led to a 
crossroad.  
“So what now?” asked Rick, “You know you’re welcome to join me.”  
“But I can’t.” said Veronica sadly, “We could never have a normal friendship 
after what we’ve been through.  I am always going to be the woman that cut your 
mother’s life short, no matter how much you think you can truly forgive me, I 
will always be sorry for that and everything I’ve done wrong to you.  I’ll look 
into your suggestions and pass by Fuchsia City to see what your sponsor can do 
for me.”  
“So...”  
“I’ll try my hand at Pokémon Training instead of strategic thefts, and if it 
doesn’t work out...  I’ll look for my real role in life, I’ll stay on the 
straight and narrow, I promise.”  
“Ronnie, will I ever be able to see you again?” asked Rick eagerly.  
“Maybe, after I’ve got my head sorted out.” she replied.  
With that, she abruptly turned away and walked down the opposite path to Rick, 
the long cloth hanging from her waist picked up some wind and produced a 
swishing sound, adding to the dramatic effect of Veronica going it alone.  
“I forgive you totally Ronnie.” said Rick quietly, “Perhaps one day you’ll 
forgive yourself and we can be together again.”  

End of Part B  

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