As the shades return
Yes, I haven't published anything for a long time, and I'm truly sorry. Oh, if you knew how many stories I started and lost time and track to continue. But this Oneshot is done, and hopefully it can make up for the time.
Please tell me what you like or dislike about my story, no matter if it concerns either the content or my writing style, so I can keep improving. ^^
I don't own the characters, places or Pokemon itself, and I have no intentions to earn money with this story in any way!
Lack-Two was tired. Dog-tired. He hadn't slept for about thirty hours, but he kept going. The paperwork wasn't done. It wouldn't be done before midnight. It was 2pm.
Everything his thoughts drifted off to seemed to be taunting him right now. The sun shining through the window casting light on the piles of paper, the ringing of his doorbell, the smell of warm food coming from the bureau restaurant beneath his office, the... He only now realized he had to open the door.
He jumped up from the chair he sat on, a chair he hated as it was horrible to do work while sitting thus comfortable. When he pushed the only door of the room open, he saw a postman already running down the stairs and a letter on the ground in front of his office. He picked it up and stepped back in. Looker stood in the middle of the room looking directly at him.
The superintendent smiled weakly. His subordinate had improved in sneaking up since the Plasma incident. Already two months...
„Who sent you that letter, Sir?", the older detective asked inquisitive as ever.
Lack-Two suppressed a yawn and opened the envelope. „I don't know, there's no name yet. Let's see..."
He took his time to get every word the letter read:
If you miss me, visit my grave. If you don't, come anyway. Tomorrow at 6am.
Looking forward to meeting you, C.
He handed it to Looker and sat down again. He gave it a read and afterwards him a look of confusion. „Who sent this? Not actually someone back from the dead, right?"
The young man closed his eyes. He'd go to bed soon. He'd need a sharp mind when meeting this person. But how could he be alive? „I don't know", was what he mumbled to Looker in response. Whenever he said these words, his subordinate knew very well it was a lie, but that asking wouldn't be of any use.
„I'll be on patrol then", the man in his trench coat said as he took his leave as fast as he came in, leaving Lack-Two alone with his thoughts.
He sat there just thinking for about half an hour. Various sounds grew louder in his mind. A Pokemon roaring, a wave of energy parting the air, a man screaming in pain. It killed him. He was dead. Everyone had been so sure... Everyone but this boy.
Finally, he emerged from the way too comfortable chair and made his way to the large window to look down about twenty stories on the city of Aspertia. It seemed so calm to him, though it was very busy at this time of the day. But he had been too busy to see that up close. The war had been ended two years ago, yet still here he stood, as overworked as back then. Already two months... Whi-Two had probably graduated Trainer's School a few weeks ago, or maybe a month. It had been two months since he last saw her...
He felt a sudden pain is his chest. And he knew where it came from. Her voice already rose in the back of his head. I don't want you to think I'm as evil as them. I'll help you so I can prove the true Team Plasma stands for peace and kindness. Her determination really impressed him back then, when they fought Colress together. When he was... gone, she kept attending Trainer's School, and he had to continue his usual job. How could it have been so long? How had he ignored the feeling of missing her all this time?
His eyes fixed on the school. It looked so small from up here. Two hours of foot walk. Twenty minutes flight on a Braviary. He just didn't get why he never visited. She wouldn't be there now. Or ever again, probably. Slowly, he walked back to his desk. Doing work was the only thing keeping him away from depression. And then he spotted his private cell phone on the right edge of the table.
„Just one quick call."
She will hate you for not having called earlier
„I would be way more motivated."
She probably doesn't even remember you
„It can't do any damage."
She has devastated you before and will do so again
„She's worth it."
The heart outdid the head, which didn't often happen in his case. He picked up his phone and looked through the numbers. There she was. He pondered again for a minute and then put his finger on the button. It rang... It rang twice...
„Hello, Whi-Two here, who is it?", a shy voice answered.
Lack-Two smiled. Her voice hadn't changed a bit. „Hey, Whi-heart, it's been long, hasn't it?"
The girl recognized the nickname she had despised so much at once, and therefore knew who had called her. „Lack, is that... I... You... Why?", she stumbled in disbelief.
He couldn't help but smile slightly. „Because I'm totally overworked", he simply said. But as silence followed, he knew this wouldn't suffice. „See, I just wanted to know how you're doing. I was hardly able to check on anybody with the aftermath of our war having to be dealt with", he explained.
„So...", Whi-Two hesitated. „You worried about me?"
He paused himself. Yes, he did worry about her. „Yes, I did worry about you. It may be unnecessary, but still." Another break. „So, how have you been?"
The young man had no idea why, but he knew she smiled now. He was right. „Well, I just today received a letter sent by Passerby Analytics to answer my application. I'm going to start working in three weeks", she reported.
„That's great", he said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible in his state.
„And what about you?", the girl questioned, until remembering something. „I mean, if I'm allowed to ask, that is."
His smile stayed weak but present. „You're most certainly not. So listen carefully." She giggled at this. That had to be the part of him which constantly kept flirting with her. Had she actually missed this? No, probably it was just the contrast to his usual self that made her laugh. „The management of the Interpol was recently very busy, as there was also this story in Kalos that we took care of. Or tried to. However, due to a lack of office workers, I am bound to my desk as well. I myself lack sleep most of all, but I can't get any with everything going on."
Whi-Two listened carefully as she was told to. „Hmm... You probably need to get out of your bureau for once", she deducted.
He laughed. It sounded quiet and soft as he laughed. „I only get out to flirt with girls for information, as you may recall."
The girl groaned after this joke. „Don't remind me."
Now a thought crossed his mind. „Maybe the idea isn't that bad", he murmured.
„What?" She couldn't exactly follow. „No, it's most definitely that bad!"
Though still looking tired, a grin formed on his face. „Since you suggested I should go out, how about we go on a date together?"
For a few moments, she was to confused, shocked or irritated to answer. „But... I..."
„Great. Tomorrow at 11am at Magician's?", he proposed.
„Lack-Two, I can't just..." She sighed. He would ask for her excuse next, and she didn't have one. Why not meet with him? There were worse things, she thought, and afterwards remembered how she thought it was the end of the world a few months ago. „Fine, I'll be there. Just don't show too much of that flirty boy you played last time."
He smiled once again. „No promises." With that, he hung up. Satisfied, he walked to the couch on the other side of the office, laid down and finally fell asleep soon after.
Cold wind blew through his messy hair as he watched at the grave he had been invited to. In the background, one could see the Celestial Tower surrounded by the fog that would appear daily at this time. Pokemon would be buried in there, but the graveyard for humans was in the woods beyond. His Dewott stood next to him, observing the area. After looking at the flowers Lack-Two brought out of wont, he shook his head sighing. What was he doing this for, again? Oh, yeah, of course.
Images appeared in front of his eyes again as he started speaking. „Being killed by Keldeo's Secret Sword... I imagined it to be so painful. The scream, the blood, the fug... Nobody took time to even consider you could have survived. Nobody except me." He turned around. Dewott had done so before he had even started speaking. Now they were looking at the figure that had been known as Hoodman up to the battle in which Genesect had been caught by the agent. „...And what I hate about myself the most is that I'm always right."
Hoodman didn't move at all. „We share this self-loathing", he simply said.
Lack-Two shook his head at this. „Self-loathing... That sounds funny when you say it. Weren't you the one who'd never feel regret? Who'd do everything for his aims and not care about the cost? If you ever felt any self-loathing, you wouldn't dare show yourself again." His voice became quiet. „You would have died."
His counterpart chuckled. „Yes", he agreed as he took of his mask, finally revealing his face. A long scar ran from the right side of his forehead to his left cheek. As the superintendent's face turned grim, Colress smiled. „But I didn't."
„I brought you flowers", the young man said. If his voice had an undertone, it was nothing but cold. „I guess I can keep them now."
The smile on the older man's face widened. „You should give them to the girl. She'd love them. Oh, I can't wait to see her again, too."
„No!", Lack-Two snapped. He took a deep breath before continuing. „This is a matter between you and me. You will not harm her in any way."
Now Colress almost grinned. „Of course not. I'd give my life for the promise."
The agent wasn't entirely sure. „Your life? Is that of any significance in your case?"
„Probably not", his counterpart chuckled. „Ah, I missed this rivalry over the course of the last months. It's such a shame I had to pretend I died."
Lack-Two fought with himself inwardly. Asking would mean to admit Colress had outsmarted him. But he had to know. „But... I saw it happen... Why aren't you dead?"
And the scientist knew exactly what he felt. Instead of a direct answer, a quiet laugh filled the following silence. „Beautiful. Truly magnificent. How it hurts you to not understand something. It tores your mind apart not to know how", he analyzed.
The detective grumbled. „I asked you a question."
Colress stopped laughing but kept smirking. „And I may answer it... Eventually. If you manage to defeat me again." Dewott immediately grabbed his scalchop and held an extended blade made out of water under the man's chin. He didn't move an inch as he started chuckling again. „Not right now, of course. I'm better than that", he claimed.
Another growling drowned his sounds. „And what would stop me from arresting you right now?", Lack-Two wanted to know.
„This is a matter between you and me", the scientist repeated the boy's words. „Would you still be true to your word if you handed me over to your superiors? And more importantly: Could you live with not knowing the whole truth? You would never find out how I did it."
He took a few steps back, away from Dewott, and the younger man didn't stop him. He couldn't. „Just you wait, I will get you, sooner than you think", the boy murmured.
„Oh, I'm sure you will." Once again, Colress smiled, this time in an enthusiastic way. „I got things running again, Lack-Two." He threw his arms in the air to express his joy. „My plan proceeds. There will be chaos. And where there's chaos, we shall meet again – on the field of battle." He bowed like a performer would do after a stage show, turned around and departed with slow steps. He called out his Magnezone, sat down on it and was easily carried away. Lack-Two watched with an indisposed look on his face how he left and didn't move until he was out of sight. Without another sound, he left the graveyard.
The rain started at 9am. Lack-Two didn't fly this time, he walked. About three months ago, everyone here knew and greeted him whenever he passed by. But now that he wore neither his visor nor his signature smile but a large raincoat, nobody recognized him, or at least nobody bothered to behave as if he did. His Dewott, walking beside him enjoying the water dropping on it, wasn't noticed either.
It was weird, he thought, that he had grown up in this city and lived here whenever he wasn't on a mission, yet still he walked through the streets like a stranger now. He had stayed in his office for way too long. Who had drawn him out now, Colress or Whi-Two? It should have happened earlier. But there had to be a reason the shades returned just now.
It was only one long road he had to pass until he reached the coffee shop. He looked ahead and saw an image similar to those he saw after the last few crossroads. Except for the hooligans badgering a young woman. It was a group of three men dressed in worn-out black jackets holding the female down while their Krookodile beat up her Chandelure. And the woman was Bianca.
For one second, the roughnecks seemed like grunts of Neo Team Plasma to the young detective as they grabbed the pokeball apparently belonging to Chandelure. He approached them as calmly as determined. „Would you mind leaving the girl alone?", he asked politely.
„Lack-Two, is that you?", Bianca called in disbelief.
The biggest of the three turned around to face him and started to laugh at the view of the boy immediately, but restrained himself shortly after. „See, kid, I understand that you want to win the woman over by saving her, I know these stories, but it's not worth the effort. She's to old for you anyway." He laughed again, and thereby missed how his pokemon was knocked out by Dewott's Razor Shell attack. Powered by the rain, the water type only needed one blow.
Only the sound of Krookodile hitting the ground made him snap. „What?! Oh, you filthy...", he roared enraged as he lunged out to punch his adversary. Lack-Two waited for the right moment to push the man's flying fist out of its trajectory with his elbow and then use his other arm to hit him in the belly. After succeeding at this, he ran behind the hooligan while the latter jerked in pain, pushed him on his knees and now lunged out himself.
While the partners of this man already ran away in fear and dropped the stolen pokeball during their escape, the defeated rowdy turned his head to look at the young man who outdid him. And what Lack-Two saw was the scarred face of Colress. He even heard his voice as he moved to punch him unconscious. It all comes down to this, doesn't it? Only you and me... But the voice came from the back of his head, from his memories. This wasn't real. This wasn't Colress.
The agent stopped himself in the last second. His fist loosened and his gaze was shocked, just as his victim's was. How could he lose himself like this? That never happened before... Instead of beating him, he pushed the hooligan away. „You better run and think your life over", he advised, watched him do so and then helped Bianca to finally get up.
She apparently didn't notice his short outburst. „Oh, Lack-Two, how could I ever make up for this? I don't know what I would've done if my pokemon had been stolen. Again..."
„No need to thank me." He relaxed a little. „It's kind of my job."
„Your job?", Bianca questioned confused, but another question seemed to be more important to her. „What are you even doing here? I haven't seen you for ages."
The young man hesitated to answer this. „I'm going to meet someone", he just said, which was already enough to get Professor Juniper's assistant excited.
„Is it a girl?", she asked importunately with her cheery voice as she stepped unpleasantly close to him, probably without noticing. „It's not Whi-Two, is it?"
Lack-Two was very uncomfortable with being questioned himself, but, being a detective, he spotted the one thing he could turn this around with. „That ring is very pretty."
Bianca backed away on instinct and looked at her hand, not sure what she was supposed and allowed to answer.
„I didn't think Mr Cheren would rush it like that", the boy added, and her reaction was enough proof that he had made the correct assumption as usual. She knew she was at the losing end of this topic, so as she accompanied him on his way to the cafe, she instead talked about what happened in the city the last two months.
The professor's assistant left him as he entered the building to not disturb his date. It was only half past ten, so he sat down at a table where he could be seen by everyone who entered, and then waited. The Magician himself wasn't present behind the counter this morning. He had opened this coffee shop to earn more money and thereby be able to afford his work in the lab beneath the room. Since he had experimented with a special mixture, it soon became the most valued cafe in the entire town.
Soon a waitress came to his place. „Sir Lack-Two, it's been a while since you showed up. Are you here to see the owner?"
Confused by the question, the young man shook his head. „No, I am having a private meeting here today", he explained.
She sighed in return. „He'd like to meet you privately again as well. You only sent your subordinate recently", the woman said accusingly.
„He likes coffee more than I do", Lack-Two mentioned, thinking that alone would justify it. „I like tea better. Can you bring me a cup?"
The waitress turned away to do so, but gave him one last look. „He's down in his lab if you feel like making up for staying away."
The detective looked at the old jukebox still staying in the corner like before the coffee shop had been opened. „Fine, I'll visit him when I'm done with my meeting", he succumbed.
It had been way too long since he interacted with someone other than Looker privately. He had lost touch to society, and the thought of this felt horrible – it felt like after the death of his mentor. So he decided he'd change that. Whatever drew him out today, be it his nemesis or his... girlfriend? No, probably not. Or was she? Did he want her to be... Yes probably. Wait, where did this come from?
He kept thinking like that for the next twenty-five minutes. He didn't even notice the waitress bringing his tea. But he did notice her entering. Just as he was used from her, Whi-Two arrived at the cafe punctual to the minute. She spotted him with a smile he had missed during the last months. And as she sat down opposite to him, he showed her a smile the world had missed during the last months.