Hello everyone, it's Serena again! Well, it's only "again" if you've read one of my other books. If that isn't the case, then welcome to my evil lair of insanity and nonsense! All of my books are rated T (mostly just for language) ...but this book also has a LOT of violence in it as well as a use of strong language. You read the description, so I would expect that you know what you're getting yourself into! The description needs to be longer so I can add more detail, but I guess what I have up now will have to do... Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this book! I know you will, because it's my best work so far with an 80% original plot!

Just in case you didn't know, this is a gameverse fanfiction loosely based off of the game Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia.

Disclaimer: *sigh* I don't own Pokemon. If I did, then all of my Pokemon OTP's would be a reality and you would totally have the option to marry the cute guy characters in the game. *looks off into the distance thoughtfully* if only...

Claimer: I do, however, own my OC Rena, who is also the main character. Also, this whole book is 80% an original plot, so I own ALL changes to the plot.

Well, on that note...

Read, review, and enjoy!

(Rena's POV)

I slowly lowered myself from the ceiling. The only thing holding me up was a simple cord and a vest. My nose inched closer and closer to the statuette, and I stopped only inches above the pedestal. I was about to reach for it when I glanced up at one of the security cameras across the room. It's still on a time delay. If I'm right, they're all going to turn back on in precisely five minutes. Five minutes to steal the priceless statuette and get out of the museum. That should be plenty of time if I do this correctly, right? Right.

I reached for a small spray bottle on my belt and sprayed the clear liquid around the statuette. Sure enough, laser beams appeared around it. Just as I thought. I pulled a small piece of tin foil out of my pocket, bending it to form a tent-shape. I slowly inserted it into the laser beams, which then reflected off of the tin foil and went in the opposite direction. I just smirked. Here we go. Four minutes left.

I quickly grabbed the statuette and slipped it into my backpack, pulling out an exact replica. I put the fake statuette back on the pedestal, slowly removing the tin foil and putting it in my bag. There, it would appear as if it was never stolen. I retracted myself slowly and carefully back into the ventilation shaft, placing the grate back over the hole. I unhooked the cord and vest, placing all of my equipment back into my bag. I swung it over my shoulder, looking straight up.

The ventilation shaft went straight up from here, leading right to the museum's rooftop. I pulled my black gloves over my sleeves, adjusted the collar of my long-sleeved black shirt, tightened the black belt on my black pants, and tightened the laces on my black combat boots. I fixed my hair tie, securing my long, dark brown hair. I pulled the mask over my face, that way you could only see my crystal-blue eyes.

I cracked my knuckles, then began climbing. I removed the grate once I got to the top, carefully and quietly sliding it far enough to the left so that I could slip out. I placed the grate back onto the hole, smirking triumphantly. I stood on the rooftop of the museum, looking over the bright Lumoise City. It was dark, and Prism Tower (amongst other lights) were illuminating the city. Time to make my great escape. But as soon as I stepped onto the rooftop, the alarm went off.

Oh shit. Motion sensors?! OH COME ON! HOW WAS I EVEN SUPPOSED TO ANTICIPATE THAT?!

I directed my attention to the stairwell door on my right, and I could hear a bunch of guards running up the flights of stairs. "Hurry, men! The thief must be on the roof!" I heard a security guard shout, and a lot of stomping and shuffling soon followed.

Well fuck.

From the sounds of it, it sounds like six guards. Six guards?! Dammit...

The door swung open and outstepped seven guards. Ok, so maybe I was off by like one guard. Anyways, that's besides the point right now!

"There she is!" The leader shouted, pointing at me. "Wait...she? The thief is a she?" He raised an eyebrow, as did the other six guards.

I just groaned and facepalmed, and then we all froze as the spell was broken. I think we all just remembered the situation we were in. Right...I kind of need to escape now.

"GET HER!" They yelled, drawing their guns and charging at me.

My eyes widened, and I was quick to react. I quickly ran for the edge of the rooftop, not even hesitating to jump off. I heard a bunch of shouting coming from the guards as I fell from the building, quickly approaching the busy streets of Lumoise City. I slammed right onto the roof of a Taxi Cab.

Ouch. That's gonna hurt in the morning.

The Taxi Driver didn't even notice. I'm so lightweight that I didn't even dent the car. Impressive... That was a four story building. I rode on the roof of the Taxi until I approached an alley, and I jumped off and made a run for it. I knew the guards were on my tail. It was just a matter of where and when were they going to catch me.

I ran through the alleyways, making my way towards the Lumoise Station. Or at least I think I'm heading in that direction... It's so easy to get turned around in this circular city... Gosh I really wish my partner was here right now. Where is he?!

My thoughts were then interrupted by a wolf-like howl echoing through the air. Ah! He was alerting me of his location!

Ring! Ring!

What the...? My cell phone began to ring, and I continued to run as I picked it up. Police Sirens and wolf howls erupted through the air in the background. "Hello? Who is this?" I asked, noticing that the Caller-ID was blocked.

"Hello there." Based on the voice, I could tell it was a man speaking. Mid-fourties, confident, cocky, and arrogant. His job probably provides a place of power and authority. Probably just another dirty Politician that wants me to steal secure government files. And yes, I got that from all of two simple words. "Would this perhaps be Raux? Best thief in the world?" He asked, and I could practically feel his smirk from the other end of the line.

I dashed down another alley, following the sounds of the howls. "...yes. It is. Who gave you my number? Another client?" I questioned the man, starting to get suspicious and hyper paranoid.

"Now calm down, Miss Raux." He laughed. "I'm not some cop here to arrest you. Just a man wanting to offer you a job."

I froze in place. A job? "A job?" I asked, curious now. "What kind of job?"

"A job that would pay you one billion poke dollars if you succeed." He answered, and I felt him pause for my reaction.

I just smirked evilly to myself. "When do I start?" I asked into the phone. I had stopped running at this point.

Click!

"F-Fr-Freeze!" I felt the barrel of a gun being pressed into the back of my skull, and the person holding it sounded pretty shaken up.

I just mentally cursed myself and turned around, putting my hands up in the air. I still held onto my cell phone, though. I caught a glimpse at the guy in front of me, then laughed.

"Wha...what's so funny?!" He yelled, pressing the gun harder into my forehead.

"Let me guess..." I began my analysis. Profiling people is just a habit of mine. "Museum Guard, and this was your first week on the job. You've never fired a gun before, let alone handle one. And you're scared out of your mind, not having any idea whatsoever of what you're supposed to be doing." I guessed, and from the shocked look he wore I must've hit the nail on the head.

WHAM!

Someone came up from behind the guard, hitting him over the head with a trash can lid. The guard dropped to the floor, knocked unconscious. I looked up at the man before me, but I couldn't see his face. I could tell he was an average sized man, and he towered over me by approximately eleven inches. (I'm only 5'6) It would appear as if he was wearing a suit, but it was so dark that I couldn't really make out the details.

"How about now?" The silhouette of the man asked, and I saw him hang up a call on his phone.

I smirked, doing the same thing with my cell phone. "Sounds good to me. You've officially got my attention."

I was in a hotel room paid for courtesy of the mystery man. He gave me a change of clothes to change into, considering that my main base of operations isn't even in Kalos. Well, it's not exactly a great idea to be strutting around the cop-filled streets in my black jumpsuit, now, is it? He even encouraged me to order room service for myself. How nice. He's either very well off (like most of my 'clients') or is about to debrief me on a job that I might be unwilling to take. So basically he's trying to bribe me. How lovely. (Not really...) I changed into the white top and blue skirt. I took a shower earlier, getting that musty alley-smell off of me. I slipped into my blue flats and swung my black purse over my shoulder. The statuette was hidden within it inside of a secret pocket for safe keeping.

What client asked me to steal this, you ask? Oh, no one. It's just a Saturday night and I got bored.

...what? I get a rush of excitement when I steal something. You know that feeling you get when you beat a really hard level on a video game? It's exactly the same thing!

I stepped out of the room, making my way down the hallway. I stepped into the elevator and quickly closed the elevator door before anyone else could walk in. I clicked the button that would take me to the lobby, holding two things in my hand. One was a note card with an address written on it, and the other was my room key. The doors opened and I walked over to the receptionist, making sure to hang my head low and turn in my room key. She dismissed me without even looking at me, which left me to make my way to the hotel doors. I stepped out of Hotel Richissime, looking down at the card once again. It had the address of an old and abandoned office building written on it that was somewhere on North Boulevard. Oh perfect, it's right next door. That's convenient.

I walked down the sidewalk, noticing that it was still dark outside. Darker than before, actually. Hardly anyone was awake, making this a perfect time for the meeting to take place. I stepped inside of the Office Building, taking the elevator up to the third floor. Noticing that only one light was on, I made my way towards that particular office. There was the mystery man, sitting in an office chair back in a dark corner. The darkness covered his face, so I couldn't see him...but he could see me, and that's when I started to freak out.

"Relax, I already knew what you looked like before tonight." The mystery man reassured, ushering me to sit down at the table.

I shot him a skeptical look, super suspicious at this point. "How could you possibly know my identity...? No one knows that. Raux isn't even my real name."

The man just chuckled. "I've done my research, and I've been trying to find you for the past three years." He chuckled again at my dumbfounded face. "Car theft, art theif, weapons dealer...that's quite the track record, Rena."

I flinched tremendously at my name being spoken, and I was on my guard at this point. I had to swallow my fear of someone knowing my identity without letting it show on my face. "How do you know my identity?! No one knows that other than me..." I growled, furious that I was even exposed to one single person.

"Like I said, Miss Rena Deveraux." He over enunciated the last four letters of my last name on purpose. He must've put two and two together about where my code name came from. "I've been trying to track you down. I have my sources. Relax, your secret is safe with me. I honestly don't care about who you are or what I could do with that information. Now, will you please sit down so I can tell you about the job? All I've done is help you, you know." He huffed, seeming a little annoyed.

All of a sudden, a fearsome and vicious Mightyena jumped from his lap, bearing its teeth. It approached me slowly, and I just grinned like an idiot. "Hey, boy! There you are!" I enveloped the Pokemon in a hug, causing him to yip happily and lick my face.

"What a cute partnership." The mystery man noted. "I found him wandering the streets on my way here. I know that he's yours. Now, will you at least hear me out?" He slapped a file onto the table. It had the word "confidential" stamped in bloody red ink on the front.

I felt a little more trusting at this point, seeing how he took care of my partner and I. I nodded, and Mightyena and I took a seat at the table across from the mystery man.

The name is Rena Deveraux: seventeen years old. I'm a world renowned thief, but no one knows my identity. Well, except for this weird guy here. They only call me "Raux." I'm not sure who started calling me that, but someone leaked it to the press and the name just stuck. I've been a world class thief ever since I was eleven, but I've been stealing things since age nine. Most people think that Raux is a guy, explaining why the museum guards tonight didn't recognize me as Raux, but as an ordinary thief. Ordinary... Ugh. I hate that word. Mightyena has been with me from the beginning, and I've raised him since he was just a Poochyena. He's my partner in crime, I guess you could say. Hah, literally. Get it? Since we're criminals? ...I'll shut up now.

"Alright, so what's the job?" I asked, crossing my arms. "What am I stealing? Government documents? Art? Money? Artillery? Artifacts? Cars? An Airplane?" I counted off my fingers after each guess, remembering all of my previous clients. Yes, I really have stolen all of those things.

"No, it's much better than that." The mystery man laughed, crossing his arms. "I want you to steal a blueprint for top secret technology from a rich scientist." He smirked, pushing the file closer to me.

I just raised an eyebrow at this. "Motivation?" I asked, and the mystery man sighed deeply.

"It was my invention..." He trailed off, then got back on track. "I was a low ranking research scientist three years ago for a big company, and my boss stole it. He's the head of the science department. He got me fired and ruined my good name, and I want you to steal the blueprints back for me." He explained, and I could tell he was being sincere. Either that or he's one hell of an actor.

I raised an eyebrow once again. "Then why are you hiring me? Also, why go to such trouble to track me down? Besides being the best thief, I'm also the most expensive. I'm sure you could find some other thief that would be more worth your time." I leaned back in my chair with my arms crossed, getting more curious now.

"Because..." The mystery man began. "There isn't another thief in this world that doubles as a Grifter. Most thieves just grab the object and go, but this job requires a little more...effort. Also, your age is just perfect for the job." He smirked, leaning back in his chair. "I need a Thief and a Grifter to pull off this job."

Oh, so that's it. I nodded my head, showing him that I understood.

A Grifter is basically a con-artist who cheats people out of their money or valued possesions. I get hired to steal from very powerful people and corporations. I'm an actress who offers these men their hearts desire, and then I completely destroy them and take all that they have. I manipulate people to get what I want, and I never fail. Ever.

"Wait...then who am I grifting?" I asked, confused about his plan of action.

He opened the file in front of me. It was filled with stacks of informational documents, and there was a picture paper-clipped to the stack of papers. "The scientist's son." He pointed to the picture of a red-haired boy.

"Hmm. He's kind of cute." I mused, looking at the picture. 'Keith Dazzle' was the name written in the margins of the photograph. "Alright, I'm in. So what do I do?"

The mystery man laughed, picking up a suitcase and placing it on the table. "I thought that you would never ask." He handed me the suitcase, a plane ticket, and a brochure.

I stared intensely at the items and began looking through the suitcase. A school uniform, boots, a toothbrush, and other miscellaneous supplies. "Alright, you crazy bastard. Where are you going with all of this?" I asked, earning an amused sigh from the man.

He grabbed the brochure from my hand, flipping it over so I could see the front. 'Ranger School of Almia' was written on the front. "You are to go to Ranger School, studying to become a Ranger. I've already paid for your commission and expenses. You'll use your real name, and I've called in a few favors so that you're put in the same class as him. And don't worry, they permit each student to bring a family Pokemon, so you can bring Mightyena. Get close to him, and make sure you become his best friend. Do whatever you want. You're the Grifter, not me. Get him to take you home for the summer break to his father's mansion. His father is a rich billionare, so he can afford maximum security. That's where you'll find the secure safe with the blueprints. Alright?" He asked, handing me the stuff and helping me pack my bag.

I lazily shrugged my shoulders. "Sounds easy enough." I smirked to myself, collecting my belongings. "When do I start?"

"Your plane leaves tonight."