Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon but I do own my OCs.


It was dusk by the time I dragged myself out of Lostelle's. The tournament had garnered some media attention since Gabby was interviewing trainers who won their matches. After the Latios story, I lost some respect for her because she ran with a poorly lit photo as hard evidence. Nothing ever came of the story since that night which was probably for the best.

The Pokémon Center wasn't too busy as I healed my teammates after a job well done. Nobody was at the computer which allowed me to kill some time. I kept replaying Gabby's interview in my head and I decided to look up more information on the Eon duo. Having behavioral data on Latios and Latias would potentially save me if I managed to run into them at a bad time.

Data about the duo spanned hundreds of years despite supposed limited human contact. Latios' general characteristics were that it didn't like to fight and it would only intentionally show itself to trainers it deemed worthy. It could understand human speech, explore a human's mind, show its own memories to anyone it wanted at will, and had the potential to fly faster than a jet. Even notes from long ago mentioned headaches no matter if the communication was in good faith or not.

Latias as a species were equally as intelligent when it came to understanding humans. A major difference concerning interaction was that it would let out a shrill cry in the face of danger or hostility. The opponent would either become intimidated or would cover their ears while Latias escaped. Another way to escape was its ability to refract light to make it appear invisible. Seeing Latios was a treat, but catching a glimpse of a Latias would be nearly impossible. After jotting down the notes, I returned my Pokémon then went back to my apartment.

Despite the general area being only a step above where I grew up in terms of overall quality, it was a lot safer. Being close to Lostelle's made for a lot of tourist foot traffic. People usually travelled in groups so traveling by myself wasn't much of an issue anymore. Surveillance cameras were scattered about the complex and people living near me were more likely to call the police if something was off. All that aside, I liked coming back to a quiet apartment as opposed to four other family members.

"Finally home! Time to get out of these clothes." Although wearing a three-piece suit was great for my confidence, it got uncomfortable after a few hours. I stared at my belt after I threw it on the bed. "Everyone's probably happy to have a different view from their ball. Now it's time to talk. Aggron, come out," I sighed.

Despite being nearly a foot taller than me, he still fit in the apartment. His weight of nearly 800 pounds didn't bother me because I imagined if I threw a small party, my guests' weight combined would probably be more than 800 pounds. I think he understood that anything other than a slow walk was a potential for disaster. Another feeling I got from him was that he liked the place, but was probably going to sleep in his ball.

"Good job today, but why did you go overboard against Drapion? There was no reason to drive it into the wall." He rolled his eyes then brought his arm to knee height. After shaking his head, he moved his arm above his head then flexed both arms. "I get that you're a lot stronger now, but you can't just toss your weight so freely. What if you took a Brick Break before you ran into the wall?" A grunt was his response.

It was apparent that the transition from Lairon to Aggron was something I wasn't completely prepared for. Although Linoone and Magneton's power increased, they still listened to me and didn't let the boost in power go to their head. Something must've happened at Pokémon Services to make my newest member upset aside from not being allowed to evolve. Or maybe Aggron as a species were more temperamental.

"Look… we have to go back tomorrow to face more strong trainers. In the meantime, I'll let you meet Linoone and Magneton. Welcome to the team!" I let them talk in my bedroom while I sat in the living room in front of the television to study for Seven. The tournament was shown live on a pay per view channel that allowed me to pause, rewind, and fast forward however I wanted for a 24-hour period.

His performance was as solid as on the night I met Mister V. Fully evolved Pokémon that took him to Ever Grande City were stronger than my rentals, so I was already at a disadvantage. Slaking was his heavy hitter with Slash and Counter being the only moves used when it appeared. Dusknoir was annoying with Trick Room to go with Shadow Ball, Psychic, and Pain Split. Mega Swampert was another problem with only Earthquake and Muddy Water as its only moves used. The odd one out was a Pokémon called Turtonator that only used Overheat in combination with a White Herb; he must've travelled since I saw him last. Seven didn't have to use any other Pokémon in his two wins.

My plan was to start with Roserade again if I won the coin toss. Nothing he had would be likely to use Rapid Spin or Defog to eliminate Toxic Spikes to my knowledge. Aggron was a good choice to handle Slaking while Starmie could hit everything. Magneton had an ability to cause problems against Dusknoir. It pained me to leave out Linoone because he was just too weak; Dodrio could hit harder.

I went back to my room when I had enough of planning to sleep. Linoone was at the foot of my bed like usual; Aggron and Magneton let themselves back in their balls. I went to bed wondering how strong I really was.

Our showdown was slated for noon as the opening battle of day two. Linoone was eager to go as got ready. My decision to keep him on the bench almost changed, but I mentally stood my ground; he still got a rub on the head before I recalled him. Ringing came from my PokéNav as I left for Lostelle's.

"Hello?"

"You're leaving from your apartment in the southwest part of the city soon, right? Wait outside the casino for me," the bodyguard bluntly stated.

I had called the reception desk in the past for other work-related things, but this was the first time someone from the company called me first. I also didn't think anyone at Pokémon Services would actually remember where I lived. All those jokes I made about my apartment complex were taken more seriously than I thought. I never mentioned the exact room number so it wasn't like anyone was coming to my door.

"Will do."

The weather looked threatening with dark clouds covering the city on the way over. A few people had their umbrellas ready in case of a sudden downpour as I prayed that it would hold up. When I was under the awning, my coworkers who weren't eliminated showed up one by one. Jon Doe arrived holding tiny pieces of paper.

"Congratulations on making it to day two. The boss has decided to take some precautionary measures in the event one of you win. These pieces of paper have the big pool account pin number to wire the money to. If you needed some cash, it's empty now. Don't waste your time.

"Wouldn't it be easier to deposit it in our company accounts?" someone I never saw asked.

The bodyguard pouted. "Mister V will arrive around the finals then verify the transaction with the winner. This was the same procedure for the 250,000P prize, but Seven was the only trainer left in the later rounds. Anyway, the pin will be changed after the finals. Good luck to everyone."

Paranoia washing over my boss was something I never thought I would hear about. He had his moments of frustration, but he had been mentally stable since opening day. The sudden change added more pressure for us to perform; everyone losing would probably give him an aneurysm.

After getting cleared by security, I patiently sat in the green room until the stagehand gave the cue to stand by the door. Seven was all business like every other employee which made it easy for me not to talk to him. Our pomp and circumstance introduction was a nice touch for it being a round of 32 match. We were called in for the coin toss once the referee settled in.

"No rule changes were made from yesterday." She turned to me. "Poké Ball is heads, Lostelle's logo is tails. Call it."

"Heads." She flipped it and it landed on the ground.

"Tails is the result." Her attention turned to Seven. "What would you like to do?"

"Go second," he calmly replied.

"Alright. Shake hands then go back to your boxes. Let's have a good match, gentlemen."

I was surprised Seven shook my hand with a genuine smile. He had more class than my other coworkers combined for a person who was undeniably strong. It would've been easy for him to treat me like a scrub. The crowd rose to its feet as I reached for my belt.

"Roserade, you're up!" Hazard control was the one thing I wanted most of all.

"You're going to get only our best. Let's go Slaking!"

The large Pokémon sprawled out on its side of the field then laid its head on its left hand; it looked like a model waiting to be painted. I figured he would lead with anything but that; my strategy needed a change.

"Roserade versus Slaking. Begin!"

"Grass Whistle!" A soothing melody echoed around the field, but it didn't seem to have an effect.

"Slash!" Seven ordered with confidence.

Slaking hopped up then charged across the field faster than anyone expected to deliver a powerful blow. Roserade somehow managed to stand up. My opponent's Pokémon went back to resting on its side as if nothing happened.

"Leech Seed!"

With Slaking loafing around due to its Truant ability, it was an easy target. Bulbs landed in the ground near its body then vines wrapped around its body to sap energy out of it. Roserade stuck an arm in the ground to get some strength back.

"Clever, but it's not good enough. Slash again!" It easily broke out of the vines to land another hit that send the grass and poison type to the ground in a heap.

"Roserade is unable to battle. Slaking wins!"

That round was the quickest I've been a part of in a long time. Even though I studied before the battle, I still underestimated how dangerous Slaking was. Truant was going to be in effect when I sent out my next Pokémon.

"Magneton, I choose you!"

Keeping the pressure up by being annoying was the only shot I had to whittle it down or force a switch. None of my Pokémon would be able to deal a big enough hit to make a difference. Dodrio and Aggron would get dominated by Counter if it lived their attacks, Starmie was a risky choice since Hydro Pump wasn't as accurate as I wanted, and Linoone was a waste of a slot.

"Next round is Magneton versus Slaking. Go!"

Slaking showed no signs of moving. "Metal Sound!" I ordered hoping to land a heavy hit next turn. A frequency was emitted from its magnets and Slaking wasn't happy to hear it.

"Use Slash to stop it!" Seven yelled hoping his command would get through.

The normal type first slammed its arms down in an attempt to intimidate Magneton. Unfortunately for my opponents, having a carefree attitude about battling made Slaking's threat worthless. When it saw Magneton wasn't going to give up, it quickly jumped across the field to land another powerful blow. I didn't think Sturdy saved it, but Slash had my Pokémon struggling to get up.

"Tri Attack!"

A large triangle formed in front of Magneton before it sent the attack right to Slaking's stomach. Wincing followed after some sparks flew from the normal type's body; I got the paralysis. The status condition was something I needed to turn the battle around. The damage I had done was nowhere near enough to make it faint. It went back to loafing around.

"Try Flash Cannon!" Magneton scored a direct hit, but it still wasn't enough.

"You know the drill, Slaking! Slash!"

"Dodge!"

Paralysis didn't kick in which allowed it to freely move. It still boggled my mind how a Pokémon so large could move so quickly. Magneton couldn't outrun it or hover away and a Spark attack on its own wasn't enough to deter Slaking from attacking. The hit sent it hard to the ground.

"Magneton is unable to battle. Slaking wins!"

Unbelievable… a normal type move took down a steel type. Not only that, it was the only move Seven commanded. I didn't learn anything new and I got manhandled. Forfeiting crossed my mind, but then what? I'd probably get yelled at by my boss, get made fun of by my coworkers, maybe even get fired. Unlike my battle with Mister V, I still had a chance to come back.

Aggron was by far the heaviest hitter on my team and had a lot of defense to handle Slaking. One Iron Tail could easily put the pressure on him. Dusknoir wouldn't be able to do much and Turtonator wouldn't appreciate Rock Slide. Mega Swampert was probably going to be his next choice since it had the type advantage. If Aggron got off one Double-Edge, I think it would be enough for a knockout.

"We're not done yet! Aggron, I choose you!"

Seven shook his head. "You could not be more wrong. Barring a miracle, I'll win."

I didn't back down. "I've already thought about my options and decided to put my faith Aggron."

"Then I'll shatter your faith since you can't see the writing on the wall," he shot back.

"You're telling me you don't believe in miracles?"

He looked agitated. "Oh, I do… which is why my job is to prevent them. I'm all for a strategic battle with a little luck mixed in because that's how it goes sometime, but I'm not having a repeat of last year's first round at the Hoenn League. That will never happen again. Now are we going to battle or not?"

"Bring it on!"

"Aggron versus Slaking. Start!"

Again, Truant played to my advantage. "Iron Tail!" The attack looked even stronger than the previous swipes Slaking did. In fact, the lazy Pokémon slid across the ground. "Ram into it with Iron Head!" Aggron ran with a full head of steam. Seven didn't order a command until it was a few steps away.

"Hammer Arm!" My heart sank.

Slaking raised its fist then swung down as hard as it could when Aggron was close enough to it. His head was slammed into the ground and the impact created a small crater in the field where his body went limp. Some sections of the crowd yelled in horror while others simply turned away. A quiet yet audible moaning came from the crater after a minute; I had no idea how Aggron was alive after that. Maybe using Iron Head provided extra protection or maybe his Rock Head ability was a factor. If that was a weaker Pokémon in that situation, the hit would've been fatal.

"Aggron is unable to battle. Slaking wins! This match is over!"

I immediately recalled Aggron to keep his condition stable. Seven didn't say a word after the round ended or when we shook hands. He gave me a stern look before walking off the field. That might have been his way of telling me that I was too naïve for thinking I could come back. I sprinted to the portable healing machine in the conference room to ensure he would recover faster. With my elimination being swift and it was early afternoon, I was free to do whatever I wanted.

Buffet food took some of the edge off as most of my team had seconds or in Aggron's case, thirds. Frustration was written all over his face the entire time and eating made him feel somewhat better. Roserade didn't seem to be affected from the loss and neither did Magneton. Dodrio and Starmie were also indifferent. Linoone was the least happy member despite not seeing the field during my run.

"Look guys, I'm sorry we didn't win. I didn't know Slaking would be that strong." Everyone except Linoone and Aggron accepted my apology. "I can talk about this with you two later. Get some rest for now. I need a break myself."

Going outside was out of the question when I made it to the entrance due to a torrential downpour. I had hoped the rain would be lighter, but I guess that was too much to ask for. With nowhere to go and a lot of time to kill, gambling was the best thing to do. Playing for a long period of time was something I hadn't done in a long time since I was more inclined to go home after battling all day. After unbuttoning the top button and loosening my tie, I hit the gaming floor.

Carefree was the best way to describe how I handled the next three hours. I started playing in the trainer area to limit my spending until I got tired of gambling for coins. One 10,000P transfer from my personal account to my player's card later, I felt like a high roller. Video poker was a good start, but I didn't feel the gratification of slowly winning money. Even slowly losing money was painful. The blackjack tables were calling my name after I got my card's value in cash.

I had stayed at one table for over an hour talking with other players or chatting it up with the dealer. One player who liked my conversation even bought a drink for me after recognizing I battled yesterday. Joked about needing a strong drink to forget my loss, but the player didn't see it as a joke. Oran Berry juice with four shots of vodka over ice was one hell of a drink; it got me buzzed faster than I thought. I ordered a bottled beer for myself when I left the table to keep the buzz going even though I was down 3,000P. Flashing roulette towers caught my eye while wandering round the floor.

I picked a table that had a small group of people to continue the small talk with. They were quiet at first until I ordered a round of drinks for them. Round after round went by until my deficit turned into profit. My original 10,000 starting point peaked to 15,000 then dipped to 12,000 with a combination of playing and ordering drinks. Placing bets without any rhyme or reason while made for the most fun I had in a long time.

"Sir, are you okay? Maybe you should take a break," the dealer said to me. I caught myself swaying a little bit.

I had a stupid grin on my face to go with tired eyes. "Nah."

"Need some water?"

"I don't know. Do I?" He talked into his radio then a security guard showed up.

"How are we doing?" the guard casually asked.

"Pretty gooooood," I slurred.

He turned to the dealer. "Is everything okay here?"

"He's drunk but not causing a problem. Really nice guy; bought everyone a round or two of drinks. Just encourage him to drink the water and eat the cereal bar I asked for."

They shrugged their shoulders then the guard turned to me. "You're sweating up a storm. Take this water bottle. On the house." The cold bottle felt good in my warm hands.

"Thanks!" I chugged as much as I could in one gulp then devoured the food. "Oh fuck… that's good."

"Just uh… pace yourself."

I took his advice and eased up on the alcohol although I was still buzzed. Not placing any bets brought my attention to the little white ball. Seeing it being spun every few minutes turned me into a small child; I was constantly mesmerized by its movement. When I sobered up a little, I went back to placing bets and ordered another strong mixed drink.

For better or worse, I was still physically in control of myself. No urge to vomit, no urge to fall asleep on the floor, I could still read the values of my chips or the display board without squinting, a slight wobble that could be corrected if I noticed, and I was aware of people's personal space. Mentally speaking, the alcohol from earlier had already started to cloud my decision making.

Each bet I placed before my new drink arrived was on the safe side. Red versus black, even versus odd, or an entire row of numbers were more likely to earn me money; it worked. Then my self-control started to fade even more after the first sip. The amount I was betting per round quickly increased and my idea of simple pleasure turned into a roller coaster ride with every spin of the ball. My chip pile grew to 25,000P after four straight winning rounds.

"Oh boy, I'm feeling good with this one. I'm thinking 5,000 on red."

A few people walking by overheard me and decided to take an interest in the next spin. I was somewhat blocked by the crowd visually and I had trouble hearing the dealer. I resorted to looking up at the board above the table for the result. A red "14" flashed after a few seconds; another win.

Feeling even more confident by my fifth straight win and the alcohol doing its thing, I threw 20,000 down on the row featuring 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, and 36. Lady luck was on my side as "12" flashed on the board again. I was up to 70,000P with a crowd of a dozen or so people cheering me on and a drink in hand. I finished whatever was left in one swig then slammed in on an empty cocktail tray next to me.

"I'm putting 60,000 on red 21." The crowd gasped at the bold bet while the dealer stared at me. I thought it was to give me time to think about my decision, but I slowly moved my chips into place. Nobody else in the group placed a bet. It was eerie to see a lone stack of chips on the large felt table.

"Give me one second." He got a security guard to come over by waving. "Get a floor manager out here; kid's just put down 60,000 on one number."

Pulling my wager from the table was an option since the ball hadn't been spun. The possibility of doing it crossed my mind as a floor manager made her way over. I was up 60,000 only to risk it on one spin. Then again, I had a nice streak going.

"All set? Spin."

The sound of the ball rattling around the circle seemed louder than normal. Zoning out and focusing on the ball became easier to do once it slid down the side. Bouncing around the wheel made me take sharp breaths until it got close to the section of 18, 6, 21, 33, and 16. I held my breath as it took small bounces and landed in a groove.

"Red 21," the dealer calmly said.

Everybody at the table erupted into hysteria while I stood there staring at the wheel. There was no way I won, right? The odds on one square were 35 to 1 and I was too drunk to even estimate my winnings. Something clicked in my head after I saw the chips start to stack up.

"I'm going to cash out now," I whispered. The floor manager and security guard received a voucher before escorting me to Lostelle's office above the casino floor. She was going through the books when I sat down on a couch.

"What's going on?"

"We have our first millionaire winner in one play."

She leaned forward. "How did it happen?"

"Roulette table six. You can roll back the footage if you want."

"That won't be necessary. Did you give him a voucher?"

I haphazardly took it out. "It's here. Can I pleeeeeeease get my money now?" I slurred.

"Sober up for another half hour and then we'll talk. Drink some water, eat some of my crackers, and lie down." I let out an annoyed moan as everything was handed to me.

Processing the thought of me being a millionaire was still hard to do. What did people do with that much money? Did I have to work another day in my life? At least I had enough to fund a long journey. Lostelle kept her word after a timer went off. I was more cohierent although still note completely sober; she gave me a small test and I passed.

"Congratulations on winning such a large payout. You bet 60,000 and the odds were 35 to 1 which means your winnings are 2,100,000. After taxes, you're still technically a multimillionaire."

"How… how much are taxes?" I nervously asked. I knew I had some taken out for my previous jobs, but I had no idea it would happen for jackpots.

"The rate that the league uses for game corners across the world is 25%. I already filled out some of the paperwork for you while you were resting."

"Let me see it." She handed it over.

The tax rate cut my winnings down to 1,575,000 which was still more than enough to last a journey. Seeing the number on paper eased my mind about making it last for a long time. I signed the dotted line with full knowledge of what was going on.

"All set. It's around 4:15 so we can close the deal today if you have a bank you'd like to go to. You'll walk over with a member of security and myself."

"Perfect. Do you have an umbrella? It's probably still raining."

We left out a back door then headed to the center of the city where the bank was in the pouring rain. Only two tellers and the manager were inside when we walked in. Lostelle immediately took charge by talking to the manager. I was waved into a back office to confirm everything. Aside from showing my identification, I just sat still in awe seeing the money being counted in front of me before cringing at the piles moved away because of the tax.

"The change in your balance will be reflected tomorrow morning. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"Nope."

"Alrighty. Have a good rest of the evening." The manager turned to Lostelle. "I appreciate how prepared you were."

She smiled. "My father ran a game corner overseas for years and he's had to deal with a few large payouts. I can't wait for him to come over to Hoenn and see how well it's doing."

The three of us left a few minutes after closing time. Lostelle and the security escort brought me to the lobby entrance before leaving me on my own. Since it was still pouring, I walked back in.

Apparently, something had happened with the battle tournament because they were starting the semifinals instead of being done. By the look of the field, I guessed that the crew had to do a lot more repair work to keep it decent condition; it looked like an unkept schoolyard field at best. I made a run for the bathroom then went to the battle dome. It was standing room only, so I made the most of it by ordering a beer. I intended to have a good time after my huge win.

My excitement built back up with each round of the first semifinal as Seven pulled out a close 1-0 win. I turned into a little kid when the second semifinal battle started; all the seriousness regarding observation was replaced with watching for fun. After the first Pokémon fell, I ordered a mixed drink to get the buzz going again. It kicked in a lot faster than any other drink from earlier in the day.

Seven met his match in the finals as his opponent forced overtime. Anxiety gripped his opponent while he played it cool. His Mega Swampert easily dominated a Gallade thanks to a combination of Rain Dance and Swift Swim to deliver huge hits faster than normal. As upset as I was that he beat me, I cheered for him when Lostelle presented the novelty 500,000P check. I mingled around the lobby in the hopes of catching Seven to congratulate him afterward, but I heard another voice yelling in the hallway.

"What!? You can only wire the money!?" It was Mister V. I did my best to hide behind a corner while peeking my head out. The last thing I would want was for him to see me so drunk.

"Sir, please calm down. Your bank can work everything out tomorrow when they are open," a manager replied. They walked closer to my location and lowered their voices; I moved closer to a crowd.

"You didn't see anything, right!?"

"I saw nothing. You and your friend here were the only two people who had anything to do with your concern. With all due respect, we don't have any reason to take any money out of our customer's accounts." They continued talking while I snuck away deeper into the gaming floor.

I eventually sat at a video poker machine because I could play and drink at my own pace regardless if I thought it was boring. The location in the back corner was a more relaxing atmosphere in a normally chaotic place. Between the mind-numbing sound effects and flashing lights, I stayed there for two hours. I finished my fifth drink since I dropped my money off then carried my sixth before moving to the slots.

"Ah shit… need to reload my player's card," I whispered to myself as I took a sip. I stumbled to the nearest ATM and my mind went blank when I inserted my bank card. "Fuck… what was my pin number?" The incorrect guesses were entered incorrectly so fast that it locked me out.

"Maybe try a different one," a passerby said after I groaned.

"Noooooo! I like… I like this one," I whined. "Wait, I think I got it. I dug in my pockets and pulled out a paper with a four-digit code. "Now we're fucking cooking."

"Holy shit! You have 400,000P lying around?"

"Huh? I'm a millionaire!"

"Yeah, sure you are."

"Whatever. I'll put 50,000 on my card and take the rest out later." I went back to the slots with a loaded card.

I started with the minimum bet only to realize that got me one horizontal line and a poor chance of winning. With the maximum bet, I got three horizontal lines and two diagonal lines that could add up if I won on both lines. Unfortunately, my luck wasn't as good with the slots as I eventually ran out of money. The table games were calling my name again; I took out 150,000P.

Blackjack was a little kinder to my self-esteem between the playing and the comradery. I felt more comfortable about being in the open after ordering a round or two of drinks for everyone at the table. The dealer made the experience much better as we played the night away. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe I was tired from an exhausting day, but I didn't feel too bad about losing all my money a second time. The third trip to the ATM was my last one as I pulled the last 200,000 out before heading to the same roulette table I won on.

"Hey, he's back! Still got the lucky suit on?" the dealer rhetorically asked.

"Yeah!"

"Been drinking water?"

"Yes. Booze too. I'm fucking plastered, but I think I'm doing a good job," I murmured.

He shook his head. "Keep it under control or you'll be gone."

"Gotcha. Now I wanna play," I said with a stupid grin on my face.

Nighttime must've come quicker than I thought because it got crowded in a hurry. As usual, I bought a beer for everyone once I felt there was enough people to warrant it. I wanted to rekindle the feeling of winning another single number jackpot.

"Hey man, I'm too tired to move. Can you put 20,000 on double zero?" I said to a guy to my right.

"Okay."

"Wait! Zero."

"Zero or double zero?"

"Fuck it, 20,000 on each," I sighed. The ball landed on red 32. "Dammit. How about 10,000 on 32?"

"You got it."

Our dealer waited for the ball to stop bouncing. "Black 22."

"Woo! Big winner," I cheered. A female player tapped my shoulder.

"No. You wanted 32."

I looked at my chips being taken away. "Oops. We'll get it next round. How about 15,000 on 22." The dealer shot me a concerned look then waved across the room.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave for your own safety. You're just betting huge amounts of money on whatever the previous result was with no thought whatsoever. Quit before it gets worse." I threw my hands up and wobbled in place.

"Hold on hold on... let me finish my drink."

"How about we get you home instead?"

"Oh… okay."

Security helped me walk to the nearest drinking fountain then the main lobby. Getting me off the floor meant I had more than enough money to ask the guard to buy me a plate of food from the buffet. It was closing in on midnight when I ran to the bathroom and threw up. I went from feeling sluggish to feeling relieved and dying to go to bed.

Rainfall was light yet steady on the way home. The usual surge of people coming and going allowed me to walk a few blocks without the need for a Pokémon. When the crowd thinned, I called out Magneton for the rest of the walk home. Only one person asked me for directions to which I played dumb. The feeling of opening my apartment door was only rivaled by taking a long shower. Falling asleep never felt so good after I recalled Magneton.

Morning came too soon for my liking as I was still tired when the sun filtered through the blinds and a dull noise could be heard from where I put my suit. I was out cold until 11:30am to make up for waking up early. I took another shower to completely wake up before eating breakfast in a pair of baggy shorts. The dull ringing happened again as I was getting ready to relax so I had to dig out my PokéNav from under a clothes pile.

"Hello?"

"Ryan! I've been trying to call you! Where the hell are you!?" It was Mister V. "Get your ass over here now! If you don't bring those rental Pokémon back to my office, you're in for a world of hurt!" He slammed the phone down before I got a chance to respond.

"Rental Pokémon? I returned them… didn't I?" I said, trying to make myself feel better.

My stomach nearly bottomed out when I saw six Poké Balls on my belt. I thought I returned them after my loss, but that wasn't the case. I sprinted most of the way then casually walked the length of the street the building was on to get my breathing under control. Most of the staff was leaving or moving around for a lunch break when I saw a familiar face.

"Maddie?" I said before she turned a corner. "Holy shit, you work here?"

"Hey! How's it going?"

She either didn't know any of my accolades or didn't care enough to ask. "Pretty good. Just have to check on something today."

"Can I talk to you later about something in private? Now's not the right time," she whispered.

"Sure. I'll call you after I'm done with work." Maddie slipped me a piece of paper as her coworkers urged her to go to the in-house café.

"See you later."

I walked up the reception desk. "Mister V's in, right?" I sighed.

"Yes. Go see him."

His anger over the phone was the worst I have ever heard in my time working for him. My walk to his office felt like I was a prisoner on death row. One of the simplest parts of the job was neglected and there were no excuses for my actions. He wore his usual sunglasses and cloaks when I walked in.

"Hand over the rentals immediately," he growled. The three Poké Balls were placed on his desk. Each Pokémon was called out and inspected. "All of them are healed so you saved yourself on one point. I want to know what was so damn important that you forgot to return them."

"I was playing in the game corner after I lost to Seven and lost track of time." He grabbed my shirt then got in my face.

"What!? That was your reason!?" I didn't respond because I wasn't sure if I could say anything to make the situation better. My boss shoved me back a few feet. "If you want to keep your job, I suggest you listen to something I want you to do."

"Yes sir," I sternly replied.

"I thought so. What I need you to do is go to Fallarbor Town today to meet up with my bodyguard at the Pokémon Center. From there, you'll go to Meteor Falls. Do you understand everything so far?"

"Yes sir."

"Since you need a lesson in responsibility, you'll be only using two of our Pokémon to accompany you on your journey. You will leave your Pokémon home. They won't be strong enough for what I want you to do. If you get to Fallarbor Town and there are more than those two on your belt, you will be fired by my bodyguard. Are there any questions?"

"What time do you want me to leave?"

"Good question. I'll give you two hours to prepare for the trek. Come back here to receive your Pokémon. Anything else?"

"No sir."

"Excellent! Your prep time starts now." I walked out then took deep breaths the entire way back to my apartment.

My backpack was stocked with various healing items for the long trip up along with other essentials like my wallet, keys, badge, and Maddie's paper in case I had time to read it. A pair of hiking pants that could turn into shorts by unzipping at the knees, a simple short sleeve shirt, and a thick windbreaker would be adequate attire for being up in the mountains. I made it halfway out the door before looking back at my Poké Balls.

Regardless of how comfortable I was living in the complex, I still didn't think it was safe to leave them behind locked doors. Depositing them all in Lanette's PC system wasn't ideal because I needed one Pokémon on me to deposit the my other three and I didn't have time to search for something in the surrounding routes. Even then, I still had a Pokémon on me. My original home seemed like a better place to store them. The jog to my old neighborhood gave me sudden homesickness.

I've stayed in touch with my parents ever since I moved out, but it wasn't the same as living with them. Mom was at the third stage of the interview process for the assistant manager position going against four other candidates while dad was holding steady. They told me Lucas moved closer to the top of the amateur Pokéathlon team while Sadie was still adjusting to the Weather Institute's workload.

Nobody was home since it was early afternoon although I still had a house key to get in. The place hadn't changed much aside from our bedrooms being cleaned. I wrote a note on the kitchen table mentioning that I was going away and needed to leave my Pokémon here for a few days. To avoid a sudden shock, I called them out.

"Look familiar? That's because we're at our first home." Linoone embraced his old home by rolling around on the floor. "Anyway, I'm leaving you here for a few days because I need to go on a business trip." They gave me blank stares.

"I'm leaving you guys here for a few days," I repeated slowly to make sure I got the point across.

Aggron grunted before turning his back to me, Linoone's facial expression went from happy to sad by the time I was done, and Magneton's magnets pointed to the floor like it was slouching. It hurt to be so blunt, but I didn't want to tell them what Mister V said about them being too weak. The situation seemed worse because my boss was punishing me; I'd take them to Meteor Falls in a heartbeat. I recalled them before walking over to pick up my rental Pokémon.

The receptionist was aware of what I was going through and handed me two Poké Balls. One was for a Skarmory that I was given permission to fly on while the other was a Machop to move boulders or smash rocks along the way if I was more comfortable walking; flying sounded much easier. Getting comfortable on Skarmory took a lot longer than I thought, but it was content with me on its back. Maneuvering through the air surprisingly required my full attention so I couldn't get the chance to read Maddie's note.

We took the shortest route according to the PokéNav by flying northwest at a 45-degree angle. For my first experience in the air, it was pleasant. I was so amused how people looked like tiny dots when we flew over Lavaridge Town. Mount Chimney was easy to navigate because we stayed on the edge as opposed to flying through the heart of it. Within a few hours, we were at Fallarbor Town's Pokémon Center to heal up. Jon Doe was waiting for me in the lobby.

"Glad you could make it. We're burning daylight so let's get moving to Meteor Falls," he bluntly stated. The two of us made our way to route 114.

The surrounding area was surrounded by mountains on the north and a dense forest to the south. Our path going west was somewhat clear considering the rugged terrain. Jon was so quiet and focused that I was afraid to ask what we were doing; we were two miles into the route. I sensed he was also a little agitated about doing whatever task we were assigned. There were a few large houses in the distance up on the rolling hills only to disappear as we walked deeper into the valley. He wanted to rest despite wanting to get to Meteor Falls presumably before dark. I got the chance to look over Maddie's paper after finding a rock to sit on a few feet away from him.

Something seems off with Pokémon Services. I can't put my finger on it, but here are some observations since I started working there: overly aggressive Pokémon (very few of them and they don't do rehab battles), surgeries that are not warranted and/or excessive, a lot of activity well past closing (only heard noises from locked exam rooms before I left at night), unconfirmed rumors about selling Pokémon, sometimes people are intentionally offering bad advice so trainers have to keep coming back (money grab?), and two distinct groups of employees. One group is dedicated to their craft, the other group would be fired in any Pokémon Center or hospital. It's baffling to say the least.

When I was recruited to work for them, I knew something was off. I was never asked to fill out any paperwork aside from the basic employment contract. I hardly knew what my coworkers looked like or what their real names were too. The doubt that I suppressed all those months ago came to the front of my mind. Jon shot me a glare then took a sip of water from his bottle.

"What's on that paper?"

I slowly put it in my pocket. "Just some notes."

My answer wasn't good enough as he lunged at me and grabbed my arm. He was clearly stronger than me so instead of trying to rip it away before he had a chance to gain footing, I bit his arm out of panic and pulled on his skin for good measure. The sudden pain caused him to let go and I started to run. I had no clue why he suddenly turned on me, but I had no intention of sticking around to ask questions. Going back to town was a good idea until a flash appeared in front of me.

"Mightyena, don't let him get away!" he said while on the ground rubbing his arm.

"Skarmory, get out here and use Drill Peck!"

When Skarmory got in a clean hit, Fire Fang was used in retaliation. My Pokémon sustained a burn and flying away on it wasn't safe. Trying to strategically battle my way out of the situation wasn't in my favor either. I doubt my Machop could win against potentially five other Pokémon and Jon would easily overpower me. Another Drill Peck sent Mightyena flying back and I did the only thing I could do after recalling Skarmory.

Run.


Have a good day and I will see you next chapter :)

-W4f