Smoke billowed upwards as flames attacked the warehouse, ravaging anything it could touch. Sirens sounded in the distance, a time limit for those assembled to evacuate before the fire trucks – and police – arrived.
"Hurry it up," a man barked, his voice distorted by the thick mask he wore, reminiscent of a jester's mask, red in color with black for the eyes, mouth, and a strange symbol on the forehead – a sideways oval with a stylized mountain curved around it. His slick red hair flowed from the back down to his shoulders, as bright as the flames dancing around him. He wore a mostly red changshan that came down to his knees, with only the left sleeve and chest area black with a jagged border at the bottom where dark was greeted by ruby once more. Right over his left breast was the same matching ruby emblem as the one on his forehead.
The masked man moved forward, the heat lunging to singe at his black pants and missing by inches as his heavy black boots crushed the embers underneath. He headed towards the gaping entrance to the warehouse, the wood and metal shattered to allow entry and exit without trouble. Around him, men and women scurried in and out of the warehouse with large boxes, avoiding the inferno as they scavenged everything they could and carried it away. Each wore a large red hood with three black spikes, one to each side and one to the front, with a long shawl that draped over their shoulders and down their backs like a cape, with a black top underneath. They bore an emblem very similar to the masked man's on their chests – black instead of red and the oval missing beneath the mountain. Complete with the red wristbands and leggings, their uniforms differed only in the women wearing black skirts and the men wearing baggy pants.
It was the uniform of Team Magma, and they were on the job.
"Leader, the vans are loaded," one of the men said with a salute as he approached the red-haired man. He wore a uniform similar to the other individuals around them, but his face was obstructed by a black mask with red eyes and a frowning expression.
"Good," the masked man said. "We're leaving."
The subordinate nodded before he turned and walked to the entrance, matching the leader's steps as the grunts rushed out around them. The leader spared the warehouse a glance, noting no one remained in the ruined building. After the last person had left, the leader himself walked through the doorway out in to the parking lot surrounding the facility.
The masked leader immediately came to a stop as he was greeted by the sight of his men and women in battle stances as they gripped their Pokéballs with furious expressions. Past them, blocking the path to the unmarked black vans parked near the building, was a massive reptilian Pokémon, a Feraligatr.
The Pokémon was white with a cyan underside and neck ridges, with a massive black halter wrapped around her muscular chest with a bright blue stylized symbol that resembled an 'A' on the front. She turned to look at the leader and stood up her full height, towering at nine feet tall over the assembled men and women as she flashed a fanged grin down at them. Dangling from her mouth by his cape was an unfortunate grunt who had gotten too close, who kicked and thrashed uselessly as she held him suspended in the air.
"...You," the leader let out with a low growl. The mask hid his face, but the scowl was undeniable. He glared at the grinning Pokémon, but he was talking to what lay beyond her. "You really can't help being a complete nuisance, can you?"
On top of the van closest to the warehouse was a man with tanned skin and wide grin on his bearded face. "Oh, come on now, Masky. Don't act like you didn't expect me to crash another one of your parties."
The masked man clenched his fists as his attention spanned across the individuals in front of him. The newcomers wore blue bell-bottom pants with white circles running up the sides as well as a black and white banded skin-tight t-shirt – one that showed considerable amount of navel on the women. Along with the black gloves and boots, a bright blue bandanna on the tops of their heads completed the outfit, the white A symbol front and center on their brows.
The masked man then turned to the one who had spoken, a muscular man in a dark blue wetsuit with white trim around the rib cage and on his feet and light blue trim on the knees, top of the foot, and shins. He wore a gold diver's belt and matching gold necklace with what appeared to be a miniature anchor as a charm. A black webbed cape covered his backside, like the tail of a fish. His scruffy hair was mostly obscured by the blue bandanna around his head, which also sported the logo, and only his neatly cropped beard framing his chin and curved towards his mouth hinted at his hair's color – deep brown. He flashed his pearl-white teeth at the masked man, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement as he lounged on the hood of one of the vans directly behind the Feraligatr.
"Hmph, look at what the whale puked up," the masked man said, with a sneer that was more heard than seen. "How many times do we have to beat you before you'll finally get the idea that you shouldn't mess with Team Magma?"
The leader of the rival team laughed, his voice deep and booming. "Don't you got it backwards? Seems it's you lot constantly scampering away from the shore to your precious land to get away from us."
The masked man's fists trembled slightly before he reached up to wave his hand, as if striking away the comment. "You always did think too highly of yourself! As if Team Magma'd ever give the time of day to an uneducated neanderthal and his band of driftwood!"
The rival leader chuckled. "Funny, seems as though you've gotta give it to us now seeing as you can't go anywhere without your vans."
The masked man paused as the people around him glowered, glancing uneasily as the rival team members lounged around the vans and chuckled with open amusement. The man being held by the massive Feraligatr continued to squirm, kicking against the Pokémon's chest to no effect while attempting to pry her mouth open.
"...So much for our look-out," the black-masked man grumbled, crossing his arms. He cast a pointed look to the captive grunt, who had the good sense to look sheepish as he dangled off his feet.
"If you're looking for a fight, we'll be more than happy to burn you to the ground." the leader of Team Magma said, his voice icy despite the raging heat around him.
The leader of Team Aqua laughed. "And my water'll just put you right back out again!"
The masked man reached under his changshan, brushing it aside to reveal a Pokéball at his belt. He grasped the round object, which prompted his subordinates to grab their own Pokéballs as their resolve firmed and tempers flared. He tossed the Pokéball forward, releasing a black Houndoom with a red muzzle and underbelly. The dog-like Pokémon bared his fangs at the large Feraligatr as he crouched, his posture challenging.
The Feraligatr sniffed before she opened her mouth to drop her captive, discarding him dismissively as she shifted to face the Houndoom directly, lowering her head as her tail lashed about behind her. The grunt quickly scrambled over to his leader's side, straightening his hood as he glared before disappearing among his crowd of comrades as they prepared for battle.
"I hope you won't forget your words when I send you straight to Hell," the leader of Team Magma growled.
The leader of Team Aqua flashed a thumbs down. "Oh, go soak your head."
The Team Magma boss clenched his fists before he gave another wide, sweeping gesture. "Get off your ass and get ready for a pounding, you imbecile!"
The Houndoom let out a howl, tossing his head back as the sound pierced through the sirens that continued to echo in the background.
The Team Aqua leader leered at his rival. "Oh, it's not my sweet ass that's going to be taking the pounding."
The masked man paused, taken aback, before he began to quiver with clenched fists. The mask made it impossible to see his face, but it didn't take much to guess that it was twisted with anger. "Incinerate him!"
The Houndoom reared up before he spat a burst of flame at the Feraligatr, the flame scorching the air around him as it surged forward. The Feraligatr twisted about, bringing her large tail around to smack the blaze in to nothing bit flickering sparks, the rough skin on her tail being only slightly singed. Using the momentum to spin herself about so that she was facing forward once more, the large alligator Pokémon lunged forward and snapped at the canine.
The Houndoom jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding the crushing jaws, and jumped on to the Feraligatr's head, using it as a springboard to bounce above her. Once airborne, he twisted his body about and shot another burst of fire, this time hitting his opponent directly against her back.
As the rival leaders' Pokémon fought, the two sides quickly called forth their own Pokémon in to the fray. As the grunts of Team Aqua unleashed a sea of water-type Pokémon, Team Magma answered with an avalanche of ground and fire-types that then proceeded to lunge in to battle.
The leader of Team Aqua finally stood up, balancing on the hood of the car as he grinned down from his perch at the masked man. "You're always so quick to lose your temper! Shouldn't you be a bit more grounded?"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" the masked man shrieked as he pointed at the pirate. "I don't need to hear that from the likes of you!"
"Aw, you know I only say it 'cause I love you, Masky," the Team Aqua leader cooed before letting out a bark of laughter.
"I'm going to 'Masky' you, all the way back to the ocean you crawled out of!" the leader of Team Magma seethed as he shook his fist at the laughing pirate.
"...What the hell does that even mean?" the black-masked man asked lowly as he stood by his leader, eying him out of the corner of his eyes.
"It means shut up!" the masked man snapped, not looking at his admin as he glared daggers through his mask at the leader of Team Aqua.
Team Aqua's boss scratched his beard. "You said that already. Careful. Repeat something too often and the words start to lose all meaning."
"I wouldn't have to keep repeating myself if you'd actually shut that filthy trap of yours!" the masked man snarled, shaking his fist at the other man.
The Feraligatr slammed her tail down, shattering the asphalt like glass as the Houndoom narrowly dodged the muscular appendage. Around them, other Pokémon fought violently against each other, attacks flying through the air. Though as focused as the other Pokémon were, both sides were quick to scamper out of the way of the Feraligatr and Houndoom as their own scuffle came in the crossfire.
Pokémon and grunts alike scrambled out of the way as the Feraligatr came crashing down, whipping her tail about as she righted herself and turned to follow the canine Pokémon. The tail narrowly missed hitting anyone on either side, slamming in to one of the vans and knocking it flatly on its side. The reptile Pokémon paid the vehicle no mind as she stood up on her haunches, taking a deep breath before sending a burst of water after the Houndoom, who quickly danced to the side before retaliating with another shot of fire.
The black-masked man side-eyed his leader again before he rolled his eyes. Raising his Pokéball, he released his own Pokémon, a red Talonflame with a white underside and black markings. The Talonflame flapped his wings to gain altitude quickly before letting out a sharp shriek and diving forward, sending a Spheal and a Wartortle scurrying out of its path.
As the fight continued to rage on with the blazing inferno consuming the warehouse as a backdrop, the sirens gradually became louder. Soon, the sounds were deafening, marking the arrival of the fire trucks – and the police. Braying Stoutlands in the distance, drawing closer with each passing second, prompted the assembled team members to stop and take notice.
"Yo! Aogiri!" a large, muscular man with bronzed skin said as he turned to his team leader. He wore the tattered remains of a dark blue wetsuit with light blue trim, in particular the gloves and lower pants fastened with a make-shift belt made out of rope. His black hair and beard were short and hugged his face, which had blue triangular markings along his cheeks, chin, and brow. A rope necklace dangled around his neck, and he bore a marking of Team Aqua on his chest, a lighter skin tone than the rest of his darkened skin. Near him, his dark blue and gray Swampert reared up to toss an Magcargo away, back towards the Team Magma grunts. "We're outta time!"
Aogiri looked over at his admin and let out a frustrated breath. "Yeah, yeah, I hear them, Ushio." He turned his gaze at his subordinates and let out a barking voice. "Okay, mates, enough playing! We're shoving off!"
The large Feraligatr snorted, giving one last tail lash in the Houndoom's general direction before she pulled back and rushed back over to Aogiri. The Houndoom crouched and watched, not removing his eyes from the retreating Pokémon even as the masked man moved to his side.
"Running away, are you? Some 'king of the sea' you are!" the masked man snapped.
Aogiri flashed the Team Magma leader a wide smile. "Sorry to leave you unsatisfied, Masky. You'll just have to finish playing with yourself until next time."
The masked man sputtered, glaring as the pirate was followed by the rest of his men, disappearing in to the night – and more than likely, the water. "Y-you...!"
"We don't have time for this," the black-masked man hissed as he moved closer to the boss of Team Magma.
The masked man paused, then clenched his fists before he whirled to face the assembled men and women in red and black. "We're leaving – now! Get that van back on its tires and go!"
With a flurry of motion, most Pokémon were recalled as the vans were boarded by the Team Members. The overturned van was quickly righted by the remaining Pokémon, put back on its tires. Despite the sizable dent in the side, the van started up right away when the Team Magma grunt turned on the ignition.
It wasn't a moment too soon, as it wasn't a second after the last van had been loaded up that an entire squadron of Stoutland burst on to the scene, diving through the fire to arrive at the warehouse, wearing black vests that proudly identified them as part of the police force. The canine Pokémon barked furiously as the tires of the vans shrieked, gas pedals hitting the floor and forcing the vehicles to speed down the road just as the human counterparts of the police force arrived on the scene with riot shields and guns.
The masked man grunted as he sat in the passenger's side of one of the vans with the black-masked man at the wheel. The leader of Team Magma glanced in to the rear view mirror as police shouted useless orders and aimed their guns at the fleeing vehicles. He snorted before reaching for the radio, unhooking it before activating it. "Evasive actions, standard procedure. Don't be afraid to torch the vans and the goods if you have to. We'll meet back at base in five days."
Setting the radio back on the hook, the masked man slumped back in his chair with a grunt. As sounds of confirmation from the other vans radioed in, the black-masked man frowned. He ignored his initial instinct to look at his leader, instead keeping his eyes on the road as he avoided obstacles – including the other vans – as he burst the vehicle through a chain-link fence and in to traffic. Once there, the van took off down the road, leading the smoldering warehouse and the pursuing police behind.
"...Well, that could've gone better," the admin said, dryly.
"Yes, Homura, it could have," the masked man said with a weary sigh. "But when it comes to Team Aqua, those idiots have a natural talent for screwing things up."
Homura made a non-committal noise as he kept his eyes on the road.
The fire continued to rage on, completely consuming the warehouse and most of the surrounding area before the fire department was finally able to get it under control. The wanton damage was all the news channels could talk about that night, as well as the escape of those responsible in to the night.
"While the press release starts at nine, there will be a briefing an hour before. Even then, you'll want to get there as early as possible," Homura's voice droned from the open Pokédex sitting on the bedside table, pointed upwards at the white ceiling of the luxury hotel room.
Sitting on the massive bed, the black Houndoom with red muzzle and underbelly yawned widely, showing off his white teeth before he sighed and flopped back down on to the soft mattress, causing it to rattle slightly. Nearby, a red changshan with swirling black trim and matching pants was laid out with care, with a pair of underwear, socks, and black dress shoes sitting neatly beside them.
"Afterwards, I imagine Sakaki will give you a polite tour of the facility," Homura continued. "It'll be a good opportunity to..." He trailed off as he focused more on the man he was speaking to. "...Are you even listening to me?"
A grunt came from the bathroom as a red-haired man with a slight window's peak stood in front of the mirror, wearing only a white towel about his nether regions as he brushed his teeth. His hair was wet and slick back, having just gotten out of the shower. His frame was thin, with only the barest hints of muscles on his lithe body. He spat out his toothpaste before he proceeded to rinse off his brush, rolling his red eyes. "Honestly, Homura. I don't need you nagging me about every single thing."
"I wonder," Homura said, dryly. "Why do I find that difficult to believe?" He brushed back his purple hair before shooting a glare into the empty air. "And why am I still talking to the ceiling?"
The red-haired man rolled his eyes again. "I just got out of the shower, you idiot. I can't meet my biggest financial backer smelling like smoke and sea water."
"Oh, good," Homura said, lightly. "How nice of you to remember how important Silph Co. is, and how vital it is that you stay in good graces with its CEO, for the sake of your company – and other activities."
"...What's that supposed to mean," the red-haired man glanced over to the Pokédex, his eyes narrowing.
"It means that I would appreciate it if you did your best to avoid looking like an ass on national television," Homura said. The red-haired man immediately turned his head to glare at the Pokédex. "And don't give me that look. I can't see it, but I know you're doing it. You and I both know that you have a habit of losing control over your mouth, and I'd rather it not happen where millions of people are watching."
"I most certainly do not-!" the red-haired man began, furiously.
"Team Aqua." Homura said, simply.
The red-haired man twitched, his face twisting up in a snarl that showed off twin sharp canine fangs. "Don't bring that brainless barbarian in to this!"
"You see? Every time anyone even mentions that Team of his, you lose your temper," Homura said as he reached up to touch his forehead. "And you know at least one of the reporters is going to ask you about either Team Magma or Team Aqua. They're the hottest topic in Hoenn right now, no pun intended, and you need to be able to answer it calmly and without incriminating yourself. You're not the Leader of Team Magma, you're Matsubusa Kazan, the founder and CEO of Kazan Industries. It's bad enough that you're going to bring Dante on television with you, you don't need to make yourself any more obvious as a target."
At the sound of his name, the Houndoom sat up and barked.
"I'm not letting Sakaki show off his fancy Persian while I keep my Dante off-screen," Matsubusa said with a snort as he moved over to the bed. He paused to lean forward and grasp the Houndoom's face, ruffling the fur on his cheeks affectionately. "Isn't that right, Dante~? You're so much better than some mangy cat, aren't you? Aren't you~?" Dante barked, his tail wagging as he tried to lick Matsubusa's face, then turned to watch as the human released him and walked over to his clean clothes. "Besides, no one has seen my face at all. Simply having a Houndoom doesn't mean anything, certainly not enough that the League would be willing to give out my private records because of it."
"Just the same, you need to keep a low profile until things have simmered down," Homura said. "Consider taking the next few days off, see the sights in Kanto-"
"Denied." Matsubusa said immediately as he lifted up the changshan on the bed.
Homura paused, then grit his teeth. "You said so yourself, you need to lay low for the next few days-"
"I said everyone else needed to lay low," Matsubusa said. "I have far too much to do to waste my time sightseeing."
"You've been working nonstop for days, it's not a crime for you to take a moment to relax and recover," Homura said, his frustration becoming apparent in his voice. "It'll also give enough time for any leads the police to cool off. The investigation's still ongoing right now."
"About that," Matsubusa said as he slowly got dressed. "Did everyone escape?"
A weary sigh came from Homura. He could tell that the red-haired man was trying to change the topic. "Everyone's reported in before dropping off in to radio silence. I've had Courtney check the police records and they have no arrests, so we won't have to break anyone out of jail. We lost one of the vans, though. Apparently the police decided to target just one of us when it was clear they couldn't get us all, and Tabitha was the unlucky winner. He torched the van and everything in it, but everyone escaped safely."
"A shame," Matsubusa said, with a sigh. "But better the van than we lose anyone. We still got enough out of the raid to come out ahead, and we can blame Team Aqua for the rest."
"Which is all the more reason for you to take it easy," Homura said. "At least for a few days. We can worry about our next step later-"
"Denied, denied, denied," Matsubusa said as he finished adjusting his clothes, fully dressed in his outfit. "Get me the next flight out of here, and back to Hoenn. The sooner, the better."
There was silence for several moments as it seemed like Homura was about to argue. Finally, he let out another sigh, this one more resigned than the others. "Fine. But if you say anything stupid on television, I'll be sure to book you something in coach. You got that? I'll have them tie you to the back of the plane with rope and bungee cords."
Matsubusa smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."
Ushio's deep-throated laughter boomed through the mess hall, aided by the metal walls so that it echoed through every nook and crevice of the facility. An old military base that had been abandoned and lost to the sea of time, it had been acquired and repurposed – like several of its brethren – to serve as one of many bases for Team Aqua.
Once a facility for war, it now used for a different sort of war – a war on anyone who dared to take the ocean and all of its inhabitants lightly. But for the moment, it served as the scene of a rousing booze fest.
"Hah, did you see the looks on their faces? Freakin' priceless!" Ushio barked out, grinning from ear to ear as he picked up a fresh can of beer and popped it open before he tilted his head to chug the alcoholic beverage. He finished the entire container of liquid in one go, letting out a deep sigh after the fact as he leaned forward. "Well, except for those masked assholes. But mask or no mask, I bet Masky's face was pretty damn red underneath, just like the rest of 'em!"
Further down the table sat a woman with deep bronze skin and long wild black hair with a blue streak in bangs that partially obscured her face. She wore a skin-tight two-piece dark blue wetsuit with light blue highlights on her feet and ankles and white trim. A gold chain sat around her curvy hips like a belt and the wetsuit was open at the thighs and the shoulders, while stretching down to cover her entire arms to form gloves with only a bare thumb. On her chest was a white Team Aqua symbol, with the center circle being light blue. She wore yellow-glassed swimming goggles on her brow, and a pair of earphones could barely be seen in her luscious hair. She cast Ushio a blue-eyed glower of irritation before she focused back on the Pokédex in her hands, leaning forward as she slipped her left hand up to press the earpiece closer in to her ear.
Aogiri wrapped his arm around the dark haired girl's shoulder and thrust a mug of beer in her direction. "Oi, Izumi, don't look so glum. Sure you didn't get Puffball today, but he can't escape you forever, you know."
Izumi glanced up at her leader and offered him a sideways smile, some of the irritation easing from her features as the harshness left her eyes. She then returned her attention to the Pokédex, glancing at the small screen, which was separated in to numerous smaller boxes, each one showing a different news channel.
"Bwahahahahaaaaaa!" Ushio bellowed out his laughter again as he reached over to drape his shoulder around the male admin beside him. It was a husky man, bare-chested save for a blue vest and wearing blue bell-bottom pants and a blue bandanna with the Team Aqua logo over his long blond hair tied in a ponytail. "Did you see the way Levi knocked over that van with her tail? Bwahaha, I thought they were gonna shit themselves! She wasn't even tryin', neither!"
The blond choked on his drink when Ushio slapped him on the back. He coughed for a few moments before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Oh yeah. She's a real show stopper for sure. Biggest damn Feraligatr in the world can put the fear of Arceus into anyone!"
A woman with red hair as curvy as her body took a deep swig directly from a bottle before letting out an exhale of pleasure. She similarly wore the blue bell-bottom pants and a vest with the blue bandanna, but she wore a black tank top underneath. "You'd think with the double type advantage we have over them would get those Magma morons to think twice about scrapping with us."
"Hah, everyone knows there's only one cure for stupid!" Ushio said, flashing the redhead a toothy grin. He lifted his right arm to flex his muscles, clenching his fist as he slapped his bicep with his other hand. "Beat it outta 'em!"
Among the humans fraternizing in the mess hall were the human's Pokémon, which did little to help the already large crowd already filling the room to capacity. Among the Pokémon was the large Feraligatr who had withstood Dante's assault as well as Ushio's Swampert named Typhoon, a dark blue and green Blastoise that served as Matt's partner Kappa, Shelly's a black and blue Garchomp named Goliath, and Izumi's own purple Gyarados called Ryuko. All five of the Pokémon were enjoying the festivities as well, though they kept close to their trainers.
The large Feraligatr, Leviathan, moved up behind Aogiri and spooned him, resting her chin on his head as she put her full weight against him and rumbled playfully, her long tail wagging.
Aogiri laughed as he shouldered his heavy Pokémon with the practiced ease of someone who spent hours building up his muscles. "Not even Kyogre can put the fear of Arceus into people better than my dear Levi." He reached up to scratch the Feraligatr's chin, making her pleasured rumbling increase. Leviathan tilted her head as she grinned, her razor sharp teeth glittering in the light as she enjoyed the attention.
"It just sucks we hadda leave at the best part, y'know?" Ushio said as he shook his head. "I woulda loved to see 'em havin' to deal with the cops! Thinkin' they were so clever, and we just pissed all over their plans!"
Aogiri chuckled. "Who wants to take bets how many of them got tossed in the clink this time?"
Izumi's eyes remained focused on her Pokédex as she ignored the boasting of her fellow admins and her leader, continuing her scanning of the news channels as she reached over to grab her open bottle of beer and brought it to her lips. She stopped in mid-sip, her eyes widening. She quickly set her bottle down and moved her finger to tap at one of the news screens, maximizing it over the others. She watched the screen closely, leaning forward as her eyebrows furrowed, before a flash of fury raced across her face. She slammed her hand right against the table, rattling the cans and bottles currently scattered across it as she held her Pokédex tightly in the other hand. She stood up sharply, knocking over her drink.
The jovial smile on Aogiri's face faded as he looked to Izumi's harsh expression. "What's up?"
Izumi didn't respond as she stalked past the other admins and the assembled grunts, who turned to stare at her in confusion as they stopped their celebrating. She stormed over to the large monitor on the wall, her footsteps loud and heavy against the metal floor. While old, the monitor was still fully functional, and the black-haired woman wasted no time in pulling out the adapter plug from her Pokédex and attaching it to the electronic device. As she did, the monitor came alive, the sound coming before the image did.
"-but what can you expect from a supposed team lead by a delusional moron that thinks he's king of the sea?"
The words silenced all conversation in the mess hall as the image snapped in to focus, displaying a large crowd of reporters in front of a podium where two men stood with their Pokémon. One was a muscular, tall man in a black business suit with neat, short black hair and a face that didn't betray any emotion. Beside him, a sparkling white Persian with silver tips looked impassively over the assembled humans without even a passing interest. On the other side was Matsubusa, who revealed himself to be the one currently speaking as Dante sat beside him obediently.
"Quite frankly, I don't believe they're anything that the people of Kanto – or Hoenn – should be worried about," Matsubusa said with a dismissive wave of his hand and a small smirk on his face. "And it's certainly not something that we at Kazan Industries would give any thought to. It's only a matter of time before the police apprehend that buffoon and his hooligans, so it's really not worth anyone's time or attention."
"So you're quite confident that Team Aqua will be apprehended and their activities stopped?" one of the reporters asked.
"Of course," Matsubusa replied, with an easy smile. "As I said, the man is clearly delusional. Their whole team is reminiscent of a band of toddlers going around, pushing people off the swings and squealing for attention. I can't imagine the police would have any trouble taking care of the lot of them, if they actually bothered to take them seriously."
"And what of Team Magma?" another reporter asked.
Matsubusa paused then looked at his hand absently, as if checking his fingernails. "We at Kazan Industries take great pride in our ecologically friendly facilities and our dedication to minimizing our impact on the environment. As a result, we haven't been a constant target of Team Magma. So long as we continue our efforts in protecting the environment, I hope that we can continue to avoid their ire."
"But isn't it basically blackmail?" the reporter asked. "In essence, you are giving Team Magma what they want."
"I disagree," Matsubusa said with a shake of his head. "We are doing what we should have been doing all along. The fact that there's a team out there targeting businesses that don't has nothing to do with that, or us. Silph Co. is similarly dedicated to protecting the environment, which is one of the reasons why we are quite honored to be working beside them on this venture," Matsubusa turned to give the man beside him a sideways grin. "For such a large company to be so efficient-"
"Who the hell does that asshole think he is!?" Ushio's voice boomed through the mess hall again as he slammed his fist on to the table, cracking it. His anger was palpable, and it spread through the assembled grunts as they grumbled and grunted while glaring at the television screen. "I'll rip off his scrawny twig arms and beat 'im with 'em!"
A growl of agreement came from the assembled grunts, furious eyes turning to the big screen as a fire burned in alcohol-filled bellies. Several beer cans flew across the mess hall towards the screen, regardless of how futile the action was as the redhead on the screen continued onward without any knowledge of the animosity his words were generating.
"So, just to clarify, you're saying that you don't consider Team Aqua to be a threat to this venture?" one of the reporters asked.
Matsubusa waved his hand dismissively, as if he were striking away the question like an annoying insect that refused to leave. "Not even remotely. They ambush boats or costal docks, cause a bit of vandalism and rabblerousing, and then flee with their tails between their legs when the police arrive. They have no goals, no clear intentions, and no aspirations beyond mischief and inanity. I'd call them a bunch of drunken fraternity trash, but I doubt a single one of them has ever set foot in an elementary school, let alone a university."
Izumi bristled, her lips curling up in a snarl.
Shelly slammed her mug down on the table hard enough to crack it. "Why that lousy, no good..."
"That smug son of a bitch!" Ushio snarled as he shook his fist at the screen. "He just doesn't know when to shut his trap!"
Matt scowled. "Has he even been paying attention to who we are? We're not that idiotic Team Rocket!"
Aogiri narrowed his eyes at the close up shot of Matsubusa. "Izumi, freeze it."
Izumi glared at the screen, her hand quaking as she gripped her Pokédex. Thankfully, the device was quite sturdy and able to survive her ire without damage. She was about to comment when Aogiri's words cut through her anger. She quickly paused the video, with Matsubusa front and center in front of the screen.
Aogiri grabbed a sheet of paper from the pile in front of Matt, who cried out in alarm as he started tearing it into pieces. He ignored his admin as he carefully tore the paper in to a rough approximation of an oval. Closing one eye, he held the paper in front of him so that it covered Matsubusa's face from his perspective. A low hum rumbled in his throat as his eyes narrowed.
Ushio frowned as he looked at the screen, then at the boss of Team Aqua. "Y'know, I wanna cover up his ugly face too, but I was thinkin' more my fist than a bit of paper."
Izumi cast Ushio an irritated scowl before she returned her attention to Aogiri. "What is it?"
A slow smile appeared on Aogiri's face. "Just a hunch, but any of you think that voice and that chin seem familiar at all?"
"Sure," Shelly said. "The guy only appears on the news all the time to wank off his own company."
Izumi hesitated as she furrowed her brow. "...Now that you mention it, something about him does feel kind of familiar."
"You hear one blabbermouth, you hear 'em all!" Ushio said with a wave of his hand. "What's so special about this guy-oi!" He yelped as Leviathan suddenly shoved past him. "Oi, oi, Levi! What's up?"
Leviathan grabbed Aogiri's arm as she let out a stream of growls and grunts, her tail lashing behind her vigorously.
Aogiri looked over at Leviathan knowingly. "You noticed it too, didn't you, Levi." He glanced at Izumi. "Go back to his Houndoom real fast."
Izumi hesitated before she did as she was asked, rewinding until she could see the canine Pokémon. Her eyes widened as she nearly dropped her Pokédex, getting a good look at the distinctive black and red Houndoom. "Is that-!?"
Matt frowned. "What is it?"
Shelly glanced at the screen before she started to turn to Levi, only to look back again. "Hey, wait..."
Leviathan snapped her jaws, her tail continuing to lash about as she rumbled deep in her throat.
"What? What? I don't get it!" Ushio said, looking at the other admins and then the screen. "It's a stupid dog, just like the one that masked idiot..." The large man trailed off, his eyes widening.
Aogiri set the paper down, a wicked smile on his face. "Well now... I think we've got our next big heist to plan."
"What did you just say!?" Matsubusa demanded as he glared furiously at Homura's face through the Pokédex. Thankfully, he was back in his hotel room, so no one except the guests in the rooms immediately around him could hear his voice. However, the redhead wasn't particularly concerned about being overheard at that moment.
"I think you heard me just fine," Homura said, his tone icy as he matched the redhead's hot stare with an cold one of his own. "You just didn't like what I said."
Matsubusa grit his teeth, baring his fangs at the purple-haired assistant. "What do you mean you aren't going to buy me a plane ticket?!"
"I mean that you ran your mouth quite a bit at today's press conference, after I specifically told you not to," Homura replied, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair. He sat at his desk at Kazan Industries, in his private office. It allowed Matsubusa to shriek at him without their employees hearing. It also kept them from hearing Homura give their leader the dressing down he was clearly due for. "And now everyone in Kanto and Hoenn are talking about it, and you. And some are even taking bets."
"...Bets?" Matsubusa repeated, his brow creasing slightly.
"Bets on how long it will take until Team Aqua decides to cash the check you wrote with your mouth," Homura said, staring hard at Matsubusa.
Matsubusa paused at that before he let out a dismissive snort. "I'm not in the least bit concerned-"
"Be thankful that's all they're talking about," Homura said, his voice cutting through Matsubusa's own. "I'd rather hear them discussing you 'getting what's coming to you' rather than speculation about any possible connections to Team Magma. You were particularly charitable to our team, after all."
Matsubusa bristled. "I was simply emphasizing our dedication to-"
"You're staying in Kanto," Homura said, his tone final. "And you won't be doing any more interviews. I've already declined all further requests for comment, so don't even think about it. You're staying right where you are, out of sight, until people stop talking."
Matsubusa's jaw dropped as he stared at his personal assistant before his expression twisted with outrage. "That could take days!"
"Or weeks," Homura agreed.
"Weeks-!?" Matsubusa sputtered, then gripped his Pokédex tightly and began to shake it as if he were shaking Homura. "No! No! Absolutely not! I'm not going to put everything on hold for weeks because of a bunch of gossips-!"
"Tabitha and I have the company nicely covered in your absence," Homura said, blandly. "And Courtney is doing very well managing Project Shinka. Why, we might even have a functional prototype by the time you get back from Kanto."
Matsubusa grit his teeth, his fangs prominent. "Homura-!"
"Try and relax, for once," Homura said, ignoring his leader's obvious anger and protests. "There's plenty to see in Kanto, and who knows? You might even enjoy it."
"Homura, I demand you-" Matsubusa began, pointing at his personal assistant.
"I'll talk to you later this evening," Homura said, with a smile. "Goodbye."
"Don't you dare-!" Matsubusa shrieked, but his voice fell on deaf ears as Homura ended the call, leaving the redhead alone with just his Pokédex – and Dante, who watched the entire call from the bed.
Matsubusa quivered as he gripped his Pokédex, then whirled to Dante. "That... that bastard! This is insubordination! Insubordination!"
Dante crawled to the edge of the bed and nuzzled his nose against Matsubusa's side as he let out a sympathetic whine.
Matsubusa he threw his Pokédex down on the bed, the device bouncing against the mattress, before he flopped down beside his Pokémon. With a frustrated growl, he reached up to cover his face. "That bastard... he's treating me like a damn child!"
Dante stretched out beside Matsubusa and snuggled close to his trainer, offering his silent support.
Matsubusa clenched his fists and raised them skyward. "He's the one behaving like a child!"
Dante looked his trainer over before discreetly turning his gaze elsewhere.
"I should just go buy the tickets myself!" Matsubusa huffed before he paused. He admittedly hadn't handled his own shopping in a long time, be it for groceries, clothing, or anything else. Homura had pretty much taken over everything, and Matsubusa certainly hadn't complained. However, as a result, he had no idea what to do; he'd need to interact with people at the very least, and the idea alone was daunting. The redhead grimaced before he allowed his hands to fall back to the bed, heavily. "...Well, whatever. He'll calm down soon enough. The bastard's just having a temper tantrum. There's no way he'd be able to handle me being so far away."
Dante rested his chin against Matsubusa's chest and let out an agreeable bark.
Matsubusa reached his hands up to begin petting Dante, ruffling his pointed ears before scratching his cheeks. "Thank goodness I brought my laptop. I can get some work done while I wait for him to cave. If he thinks I'm just going to idly sit around like a damn tourist, then he clearly doesn't know me as well as he thinks he does."
Dante rumbled in pleasure and let out another bark, his tail wagging.
"Stupid Homura," Matsubusa grumbled as he continued to pet his Houndoom, affectionately rubbing his cheeks. "As if I'm worried about Team Aqua. I doubt those idiots even watch the news."
As night settled in over Kanto and the world was winding down, Team Aqua was gearing up for their latest and most important mission yet. Across the road from the Painted Suites hotel, Shelly watched through binoculars as Matsubusa closed the curtain to the balcony, cutting off her view of the inside. "Target confirmed," she said quietly over the radio headset.
"In position," Izumi's own voice came over the radio, as she was in a separate part of the building – in the basement, to be specific. Glancing around cautiously to make sure no one was around to see her, she then turned her attention to the circuit breaker to the building. "Ready when you are."
Aogiri sauntered to the front of the hotel with a smile on his face. Behind him were many men and women wearing blue, black, and white. Ushio stood to his right, cracking his knuckles with a bright grin, while Matt stood to his left with his arms crossed. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's showtime."
By the time it took Aogiri to reach the front door, all of the lights inside went out, and Team Aqua invaded the Painted Suites hotel.
Matsubusa was busy typing away at his laptop, sitting comfortably at the small table in the room, when the lights suddenly went out. The redhead was plunged in to darkness, with only the glow of the laptop screen illuminating his face. He blinked and glanced upwards at the defunct lights, then frowned. He was fortunate that his laptop's battery was charged, or he would've been furious instead of annoyed. "Is this some kind of joke."
Dante snapped his head up, roused from a gentle doze to a much more alert posture. His eyes glowed red in the dark, making the Houndoom look especially unnerving, but Matsubusa had long since grown to find comfort in the sight.
Matsubusa let out a growl as he closed his laptop and stood up sharply, kicking back his chair. Between the news conference and Homura, his patience had long since been used up. Being plunged in to darkness, on top of everything else, was just too much. "If they think I'm going to tolerate this nonsense for one moment, they're out of their damn minds!"
Dante was at Matsubusa's heels in an instant, dutifully following his trainer towards the door.
Matsubusa noticed his Pokémon following and turned to look at him. "Stay and guard the room. With the power out, the electronic locks aren't going to work, and I'll be damned if some moron just waltzes in to steal my belongings while I'm getting the staff to turn on their backup generators."
Dante planted his rump to the floor and let out a bark that illuminated his mouth with a lick of flames, his body posture rigid and on guard.
Matsubusa nodded with approval before he turned to the door. Without the lock keeping it shut, he was able to easily push it open before he stormed out in to the hallway. As he stomped through the darkened hall, barely illuminated by emergency lights that ran along the sides of the floor, he noticed other patrons peering out their doors cautiously before watching him as he made his way to the stairs. He was quite confident that Dante would have no problems dealing with the lot of them, should any decide to take advantage of the situation.
Matsubusa bypassed the elevator entirely, as he knew it would be useless without power. With a disgruntled growl, he kicked open the door to the stairwell and began the long trek down to the first floor. Each stomp echoed loudly as he followed the spiral staircase down, down, down until he reached the first floor. His foul mood only worsened with each step, until he unceremoniously kicked open the door at the bottom of the stairwell, entering the lobby. "Why haven't you imbeciles turned on the backup generators yet!?"
Every pair of eyes in the crowd gathered in the lobby turned to Matsubusa. Unfortunately, not one of them belonged to any patron or employee of the Painted Suites hotel.
Aogiri swept his arms out as he approached Matsubusa. "Oh lookie here, just the man we're here to see!"
Matsubusa paused, his anger temper momentarily disrupted by the sight of not only Aogiri and two of his admins but also dozens of grunts in obvious uniform. He stood in the doorway to the stairwell, staring at Aogiri as he tried to process the situation. "...Eh?"
"Y'hear the bastard?" Ushio said as he turned to Matt, jerking a thumb towards the redhead. "Stompin' around and barkin' orders like he owns the place. Damn rude, dontcha think?"
Matt stifled a snicker behind his hand. "Cheeky bastard isn't he?"
Aogiri loomed over the redhead, leaning against the doorway, his arm so close to Matsubusa's head the leader of Team Magma could feel the heat of his skin through his wetsuit. "So then, Mr. Kazan, you are cordially invited to join us on an all expense paid trip to our private island."
Matsubusa instinctively stepped back away from Aogiri, his cheeks tinting lightly at the sudden closeness. He quickly tried to compose himself, scowling as he glared up at the pirate. "Y-you... what the hell are you babbling about!? What are you doing in Kanto!?"
Aogiri extended his hand with a mock bow to Matsubusa. "Why, we're here for you, of course. I thought it was obvious by my invitation." He gave a flex of his muscles, which was obvious even in the limited visibility granted by the flashlights the other members of the team carried. "Or were you too distracted to listen to a word I said?"
Matsubusa's eyes drifted over to the flexing muscles before he jerked them back to the pirate's face. He could only hope that the darkness hid the redness of his face, as he didn't have the luxury of his mask to do it for him. "...'Invitation'."
Aogiri chuckled, as he saw all too well where Matsubusa eyes had strayed and the tinting of the other man's cheeks. "By the looks of it, I can see you're very interested in accepting, so why don't we just head off? My mates will go bring your stuff."
Matsubusa bristled, gritting his teeth. "D-don't be ridiculous! I have no intention of going anywhere with you!"
"Funny," Aogiri said as he leaned in close enough that their noses almost touched. "You say that like you think I'm just going to back down." He drew in closer, the edge of his beard drawing a ticklish line along Matsubusa's cheek. "I would've thought you knew me better than that by now..." His voice went low as his lips hovered a breath away from the other man's ear. "Masky."
Matsubusa trembled, his breathing hitching as Aogiri kept invading his personal space. He was about to retort when the name made him pause. His eyebrows shot straight up as he jerked his head up to stare at Aogiri with wide eyes. "...What did you just say?"
Aogiri barely held back the laughter building inside of him as he saw the spectrum of shock and horror that played across Matsubusa's face. He cupped the redhead's chin, lightly stroking underneath with his thumb. "I always knew that the faces you make under that mask of yours would be absolutely priceless."
Matsubusa's jaw dropped as he gaped at Aogiri, shock and embarrassment warring with him as his face couldn't decide if it should go pale white or bright red. Struggling for a response, he quickly jerked back until he bumped in to the railing of the stairs, his hand pointing at Aogiri. "I don't know what you're talking about there's no Masky here!"
Aogiri couldn't hold it in and longer and let out a roar of laughter. "Now I see why you wear that mask all the time – you've got the world's lousiest poker face!"
Matsubusa's face twisted with rage as he bared his teeth at Aogiri, his fanged canines prominent. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! I'll make you regret laughing at me-!" The redhead paused in mid-threat as his hand went for his belt, only to find that Dante's Pokéball wasn't there. He paused as his eyes widened, realization hitting him like an icy wind. He had left his Pokédex, Pokéball, and Pokémon all back in his room. "...Ah."
Aogiri snatched the wrist of the hand that failed to snatch a Pokéball and loomed closer to the redhead. "Looks like you're not ready for company tonight. Lucky me. That makes things so much easier."
Matsubusa squeaked as Aogiri grabbed his wrist, prompting the redhead to grab the pirate's arm to try and pry it off. "L-let go!"
The difference in strength between them was obvious as Aogiri easily pulled Matsubusa closer so that their chests pressed flushed together, leaving little more than fabric to separate them. "Somehow I don't think you really mean that, Masky."
Matsubusa's breathing hitched, his face turning a deep shade of crimson as the pirate released his wrist only to slip it around to press up against the small of his back. The touch alone sent a jolt up his spine, and he found it increasingly difficult to focus. Even as the pirate was referring to him by his pet name, it was so hard to give that horrifying revelation proper attention when the pirate's scent and warmth was wafting over him like a sea breeze. His body wanted to melt in to the firmness around him and, for the briefest of moments, the thought crossed his mind that perhaps it wasn't such a bad situation after all.
However, that thought was immediately squashed when he heard a light snicker, prompting the redhead's eyes to drift past the pirate and back in to the reception area. Inside, he saw a sea of smirking faces watching them, and the realization hit him hard – they had seen everything. The redhead's eyebrows shot up before he let out a strangled shriek of mortification, attempting to scream out words of denial only to have them come out as a stream of nonsense as he scrambled back away from the pirate, shoving him back with both hands.
The sudden resistance made Aogiri give ground by a single step, his eyebrows raised. "What? I didn't even touch your butt yet."
Matsubusa could only offer more incoherent words in the pirate's direction before he whirled and proceeded to scramble up the steps, fleeing both the scene and Aogiri as quickly as he could.
Aogiri snapped his fingers as his mirth died down a little. "Damn. Looks like Masky needs a little more time to get turned on."
Matt looked awkwardly at the rest of the Team Aqua members standing around, many laughing at Matsubusa's hasty retreat. "I don't think that was the problem here."
Matsubusa climbed back up the stairs in record time, leaping up them two at a time. He didn't even dare glance back to see if he was being chased – he just wanted to leave everything behind him, far behind him. Besides, the sound of footsteps echoing in the stairwell hinted at far more feet tromping against the steps than his own. When the redhead finally got to the top of the stairs, he rushed out the door and in to the hallway. He didn't even spare the gawking people a glance, pushing them aside as he rushed back to his room. "Dante!"
Dante was instantly on alert at the sheer panic in Matsubusa's tone, sparks dancing between his teeth as he barked sharply.
Matsubusa used the sound of his Pokémon's bark to find his way back to his room, rushing in side. He pulled it closed behind him, not that it would do much good without a lock, before he whirled to Dante. "T-T-Team Aqua-!"
Dante's eyes widened before he turned to the door and bared his teeth in a nasty growl, readying for a fight.
Matsubusa grabbed his Pokédex and shoved it in his pocket, then swiftly grabbed an armchair and placed it in front of the door. Stepping back, he took a moment to catch his breath, clasping his hands over his chest. He glanced down to Dante, the Houndoom growling at the unseen threats he knew were coming. While it was a comforting sight, the fact remained that the pirate not only had his own Pokémon but his entire team was there as well. Even if he only included the captain and his admins, it was still three verses one. Dante was hopelessly outnumbered, and the type disadvantage didn't help. Staying and fighting was the last thing either of them should do.
Frowning, Matsubusa turned to the window. He hurried over to pull the curtains open, revealing the nighttime view from his balcony. He quickly unlocked the balcony door, pushing it open before he turned to his Houndoom. "Dante!"
Dante snapped to attention, awaiting orders obediently.
"We're leaving!" Matsubusa announced before he stepped out on to the balcony, heading to the railing.
Shelly readjusted her binoculars to get a better look at the balcony where their target had retreated to, even as she continued to speak in to her radio. "He returned to his room. He seems to be trying to hide on the balco..." She paused, jaw dropping. "Oh... you are not going to believe this, Boss. He's climbing over the rail!"
Aogiri's voice came with a tinge of something close to panic over the communication link. "I thought the fire escapes were disabled!"
"They are," Shelly said, unable to take her eyes from the scene. "He's climbing down with his bare hands like he's done this a million times before. Unbelievable."
The worry evaporated from Aogiri's tone as he barked out a laugh after a moment's pause to take the news in. "I should've known Masky would surprise me!"
"You're recording that, right?" Matt asked. "I've got to see it!"
"You mean to tell me that scrawny little twig is capable of doing it without breaking his neck!?" Izumi demanded, from her position in the basement with the circuit breaker.
Shelly clicked on the record feature of her night vision binoculars, getting footage of Matsubusa as he scaled the bricks of the hotel with surprising dexterity and nimbleness. She was dumbfounded as she zoomed in closer to see that the leader of Team Magma's face was strangely calm despite scaling the side of a high-rise building without any sort of equipment, let alone with such efficiency. Dante remained right by his side the entire way, easily jumping down from balcony to balcony as though each rail was just another step, waiting for his trainer to join him before he moved to the next one lower down. "Like he's got suction cups on his hands and that Houndoom of his is a damn mountain Gogoat."
"Crap, what do we do!?" Ushio asked as he turned to Aogiri. "Everyone's on the top friggin' floor!"
"I might be able to make it, if I move now," Izumi said as she eyed the exit to the basement. "Do you want me to ditch my post?"
Aogiri turned back to the stairwell that he had just finished jogging up. "Do it! Shelly, you move in too! We're not letting him slip through our fingers now!"
"Got it!" Izumi said as she snapped the circuit breaker closed, then rushed for the exit to the basement. While she had been tempted to turn the power back on so that her comrades could use the elevators, it'd also enable the phones – and locks.
"Roger," Shelly said, shaking off the lingering bewilderment she felt as Matsubusa safely drew ever nearer to the ground. She reached down for her Pokéball and summoned her partner. "Come on, Goliath, let's fly!"
Goliath, the black and blue Garchomp from before, let out a growl before he crouched, giving his trainer access to his back. The instant Shelly was on his back he took off like a bullet from a gun towards the hotel.
Izumi raced around the side of the hotel, arriving just in time for Dante and Matsubusa to arrive on the bottom floor. She reached for her belt to grab her Pokéball, releasing her own partner. "Ryuko!"
Matsubusa jerked his head about to stare at her, then spat out a curse as he turned to his Houndoom. "Dante!"
As red light took the form of the massive purple Gyarados, Dante exhaled an attack, not flames but smoke. The black cloud created by the Houndoom smothered every streetlight and left the entire area in choking darkness.
Shelly yanked Goliath to a stop, but she was too late for them to escape the cloud, leaving both trainer and Pokémon choking on the smoke.
Izumi was already gagging, trying to cover her mouth as her eyes began to water. "D-damn! Ryu... Ryuko!"
Matsubusa had been prepared for the attack and pulled out a handkerchief, covering his mouth and nose. It didn't help his eyes at all, but he didn't need to see in order to find his way out. As if on cue, Dante grabbed the edge of his changshan and tugged, and the redhead dutifully obeyed his Pokémon, walking in the direction that Dante guided him.
Ryuko flailed about blindly, choking on the smoke as badly as her trainer. Unfortunately, she wasn't as adapted to the fog as Dante, and her tail accidentally slapped into Izumi, sending her sprawling into the grass.
Ushio was the first of the other group to arrive, and rushed right in to the smoke before he could realize what was happening. The large man stumbled before slamming in to Ryuko, knocking the Gyarados backwards and to the ground. He choked and gagged, fanning desperately at his face as he tried to fumble to his feet. "B-boss! S-smoke!" He shouted, through his coughs, hoping that his warning would reach Aogiri before it was too late.
To the misfortune of Aogiri and the rest of Team Aqua, just the act of opening the doors was enough to invite the smoke inside the hotel. The result was chaos as dozens of people were sent into coughing fits while fumbling blindly in choking blackness.
By the time the smoke had finally dissipated and the members of Team Aqua could see and breathe freely again, both Matsubusa and Dante had long since disappeared in to the night.