Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the franchise characters. Everything written below is created solely for entertainment purposes.
A/N: This has been sitting in my folder of various drafts one day, so I thought, "Why not?"
It was a fine summer's day in which warm rays of light trickled past the leafy foliage. He sat there blissfully, basking in the rare forest air. The warbling of the Pidgeys above him filled his delicate senses. Now, if only his subordinate would quit her complaints, life would be perfect.
"...and I was saying we need to secure - hey, Captain!" the junior shouted, clearly annoyed. "This badge forgery debriefing is important, sir. You, of all the people, should be worrying over the security risks!"
The captain of the League guards quietly sucked in a long whiff of smoke into his mouth. He shuffled against the entryway before pulling out a crisp little cigarette packet from his uniform shirt pocket: Beedrill's Weedles - he loved that brand.
"Kid, have a smoke." He shakily held out the all but empty pack to the junior. "If you keep worrying over something as small as this, you won't live long enough to see the end of the day."
The junior glared at the packet. "I can't believe someone like you hasn't been fired by the Elite Four yet. You can't even catch a Metapod, let alone criminals with those hands."
He shrugged, then looked to the edge of the forest. A small blotch of pink had appeared in the distance. The captain grunted to his subordinate, then waved his hand towards the direction.
"I'll take this one since you're complaining so much, clear?"
"By your orders, captain."
The nondescript pink had morphed into another standard Pokemon trainer hat by now. Both guards could see increasing signs of nervousness emanating from the girl as she came closer. The captain allowed a thin smile to grace his worn face before stepping forward to meet the challenger. It was about time someone showed up.
"Hello?" whispered the newcomer as she slowed to a stop. "I know you, don't I?"
The captain of the guards winked casually. "May I see your badges, miss?"
A set of shiny gems, splayed out luxuriously over velvet cushioning, was produced. With dramatic flair, the captain unsteadily lifted each badge against the waning sunlight as both the challenger and the junior guard shifted uncomfortably. There was nothing out of ordinary until he inspected the last gemstone. Then the captain grinned when he saw an unexpected glint of light bounce off of the surface.
"Is there a problem?" asked the Pokemon trainer a little more loudly as she slowly held out a timid hand.
The captain shakily handed back the velvet case. "I don't believe so, little miss. And your registration papers?"
"Thanks," said the girl as she pulled out a thick manila envelope. "Everything should be in the packet, Captain."
"Take care, little miss."
The pair smiled at each other before the girl lightly ran past the gates. With his back still turned against the junior, the captain of the guards carefully opened the envelope. In the packet was a thick wad of Pokedollars and an old photo of a large group of smiling children. The captain sighed quietly as he dropped the items back into manila envelope.
"Captain," his subordinate called out from the gateway. "When do you think we'll catch the forgers? I'm worried about our reputation as well."
"You worry too much, kid." The captain slowly trekked back to his old spot. "We might not catch them today, it's true. But I'm sure someday we'll catch them all."