"Kleki, Foul Play!" Argent yelled.
Klefki rushed forward and began to repeatedly slash at Kecleon with it's keys.
"Kecleon, Wrap, then slam him down!"
Kecleon grabbed Klefke with his togue and slammed him in to the ground over and over.
Klefki fainted.
"This win goes to Braedon!" Amber announced.
"Yes!" Braedon cheered.
Argent returned Klefki. "Good job." he told Klefki's pokeball. He then looked at Braedon. "You too."
Braedon grinned.
The three of them were outside Anistar City, on Route 18. It led to Their next destination, Terminius Cave, then to Couriway Town.
The Route was interesting enough. It was an abandoned mining field next to a river. Years ago, the mining had left the route barren and the river polluted, but revently Pokemon trainers in the area had been using their Pokemon to help clean the place. The only sign that it was used for mining was the tracks that led into the mines.
"We better get going." Amber said. "That's enough training for one day."
"Can we stop to eat first?" Braedon asked. "It's almost noon, and I'm starv-"
"Talon!"
Argent looked up. A large red object was heading straight for them from the skies.
Argent immeadiately pulled out a pokeball, and didn't have to look to know that his friends were doing the same.
"Wait!" Braedon put down his ball. "It has a person on it's back. It's not attacking. It's a trainer."
Argent looked into the sky, then put down his ball as well. Amber followed his example.
"Talonflame!" The large Flying Type landed in front of them, and the girl on it's back dismounted.
She was tan, with black hair that curled at the end and purple eyes. She wore a simple white shirt and black vest combo over cargo shorts and combat boots.
Amber shrank behind Braedon. Even though she was braver than she had been previously, she still seemed weary of strangers, Argent noted.
Argent stared at the new girl. Something about her was incredibly familair, but Argent couldn't place it.
"Hello." she said with a small smile. "I'm detective Oliva Thompson."
"Detective?" Argent said.
She nodded.
"We're-" Amber elbowed him, which was wise of her. Braedon should know better than to give out their name to stranger people.
"I know you three." Olivia said. "Amber, Braedon, and Argent. The esteemed Prodigies hired by Cassius."
"How do you know us?" Argent asked. "It's not like we're well-known."
"We have a blog." Braedon reminded him earnestly. "With 300 followers."
Argent sighed and Amber elbowed Braedon again.
"I know you because of my job." Olivia said. "Though don't sell yourselves short. You've accomplished a lot."
Argent realized who she reminded him of. Braedon. She had that same mischievous light dancing behind her eyes, though it was the way she complemented them that made the comparison sharper. She was gving them praise to bitter them up, make them like her. Olivia was crafty, like Braedon.
"What do you want?" Argent said.
Olivia's small grin morphed into a full blown smile. "Straight to the point. Alright. I'm a detective for the International Police, Kalos division. I'm hnting the Hallowed Church."
"You're what?!" Braedon reared back in shock, bumping into Amber.
"Show us you're badge." Argent said.
Olivia opened her jacket and pulled out a rectangular badge that read: Olivia Thompson, IPF, Kalos. 2109866
"You're the real deal." Amber said.
"Is she though?" Braedon wondered. "I've impersobated plenty of people before. It's easy. I could get a badge like that in six to nine business days."
Argent pulled out his Pokedex and typed in a few keys. "I'm checking the International Police database online now. " he said. "She's legitimate. Her face and number are on the page."
"See?" Olivia said. "I'm the real deal. Not that you shouldn't be cautious, with Team Hallow hunting you and all."
"How do you know that?" Amber asked quietly.
"I'm a detective." Olivia said. "Impressed?"
"Not really." Argent said. "The fact that we were attacked by TheHallowed Church is news known b the police. The Churchhas a reputation for leaving no survivors. Anyone can add."
Oliva raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Smart ones, you three. Like t;at blogger said."
Argent sweatdropped. "You read his blog?" he muttered.
"Of course I did." Olivia said. "I'm hunting the Hallowed Church, and their hunting you."
"So we're bait." Braedon said.
"To catch your prey, you have to track it's prey." Amber said.
Olivia shook her head. "That's not it. I would never endamger a civilain like that."
"Then what do you want?" Argent reiterated.
"I want an interview. That's all." Olivia said. "I want to know everything you know about the Church."
Amber pursed her lips. "You mean an interrogation."
"Think of it more as a trade." Olivia said. "You tell me what you know, and I'll tell you what I know."
"Which is..." Braedon tapoed his foot.
"I know about the Church. Their members, their hierarchy. And you have personal experience with them, which I... Lack."
"You haven't fought them before?" Amber asked.
"I was just assigned to this case." she said. "And calling it a 'case' is a stretch. My boss is determined not to acknowledge that you three are in danger, or that The Hallowed Church is an official Villainous Team like Rocket and Flare."
"Why?" Braedon asked.
"They're scared." Olivia said. "If they classify The Hallowed Church as a Villainous Team, that opens a whole can of problems. The public would be worried sick, and followers of the religion who aren't part of the Team start bringing the heat on our department."
"That's it?" Amber asked. "That's your reasoning? Bad press and religious bigots? You're putting people in danger over that?"
"It's not that simple." Olivia said.
"Of course not." Braedon said. "When is it ever?"
"Religions are powerful." Olivia said. "Even small ones. People will die to defend their beliefs. If the general public thought that the International Police was attacking a religion, all religions would be on the defensive. It would be a controversy."
"So unless something major happens," Argent concluded. "The IPF will do nothing."
Olivia nodded.
"That's horrible." Amber said angrily.
"That's the real world." Olivia said. "The IPF is to protect the public, but it doesn't want the public to hate them for it. Remember how unpopular they were back when Team Flare was running around? The laws to stay in doors, the upping the age you can go on a Journey, the curfews? All extremely unpopular. The IPF lost a lot of funding for that, from private corporations who were unhappy with the laws."
Argent nodded. He remembered that vividly. The protests, the panic. There were people who didn't even believe Team Flare was really evil-it had been a respected organization before it was classified as a Villainous Team.
"So you just want an information?" Braedon said.
Olivia nodded again.
Amber and Braedon both looked at Argent. He wondered when they had started defering to him.
"Okay." he said. We'll do it."
Half an hour later, the three of them had told Olivia about all of their run ins with the church. It took longer than Argent expected, because she asked so many questions.
"So the Church wants the Pokedexes to commit mass Genocide." Olivia said. "That's a plausible theiry, but without substantial evidence I can't go to the board with that."
"Now it's your turn." Amber said. "Tell us about the Church."
"Like I said," Olivia said. She was sitting crossed legged on the ground in front of them. "It's a Hierarchy. Not all members of the Church are evil. Most are just everyday people following a religion. But Team Hallow is a group of religious extremists that consist of the Holy Legion and The Repented. Team Hallow is led by the Holy Legion, who rule over The Repented, who are basically foot soldiers. At the bottom of the Holy Legion is the Bishops. Their are seven. They lead the Repented, and are in turn led by The Arch Bishops. Their are three of those. They each lead two Bishops, and are led by The Head Priest. The Head Priest also has one Bishop."
"So that's eleven." Amber said. "One for each Pure Type. That can't be a coincidence."
"Especially since Rios, Scarlett, and Mulan specialized in Water, Fire, and Fighting, respectively." Argent said.
She nodded. "That's right. We know of only six of them. Masa, An ArchBishop of tge Electric Type, Her Bishops Volterre and Joseph, of the Ground and Normal Types, and The Bishops you encountered. All are in jail. But five are still on the loose."
"How powerful are the ones left?" Argent asked.
"Though they are not registered trainers, I have determined a rough estimate of their trainer level." she said. "The Bishops are Level Five. The Arch Bishops, Seven. And The Head Priest is rumored to be Level Ten."
Argent sucked in a breath.
"Ten?" Braedon said. "That's champion tier."
She nodded. "Exactly. That's what I'm dealing with. No one in the International police is over Level Eight. I myself am Level Seven."
Amber closed her eyes. "Level Ten... We can't handle that. We'll be decimated."
"You don't have to worry about that." Olivia said. "The Head Priest is not permitted to fight by the Church's doctrine, unless all of her Legion is defeated."
"Why?" Braedon asked.
"The Church's Holy Book, Alvas, says so." Olivia said. "The Holy Legion is not a part of the Church's doctrine directly. The book does not say to create a Legion, which is why this religion has ecisted for so long without one. The book says their was one, during the days after Pokemon were cast to Earth to live with Humans, and it enforced Alleos' rule in his absence. As far as I can tell, the new Holy Legion is a group of individuals who believe the world is so corrupt that there is a need for a new Legion. So they started one."
"That's... Insane." Braedon said.
"I agree." Olivia said. "That's why I must stop them. And why I must ask you three to be careful on your Journey."
Argent frowned. "Should we even still be on a Journey? Shouldn't we be moved into witbess protection?"
"The Head Priest is Level Ten." Amber said. "No one can protect us."
"Which means we're not priority." Braedon said. "If we were, we would have been caught."
"Nice deduction." Olivia said. "You're right. Whatever there true objective, it does not entirely involve you."
"Then what do they want?" Amber wondered.
No one had an answer.
A/N: How will the Prodigies beat a Level Ten Trainer? And what are The Church's true motives? Review to find out?
A/N 2: Wow. That chapter was fun to write. And a lot has been revealed about the church so far, but much is still shrouded in secrecy. Have fun speculating.