Hello everybody! Sorry about the break in chapters, needed a bit of time off to relax. Trip and Cilan are just entering Castelia City, enjoy.

oOoOo

If Trip had been taken aback by the sheer size of Striaton City, then Castelia was another world away completely. Ignoring the stabbing pain in his neck, he kept his neck cocked upwards for nearly the whole walk into the busy centre; the buildings stretched seemingly upwards into and through the clouds. Cilan walked in front of the open-mouthed boy, ensuring that he did not clumsily walk into any of the busy city-folk going about their normal days. While he loved living in Striaton City, and the sight of the Skyarrow Bridge always brought a tear to his face, Cilan couldn't help but be unsettled by the sheer magnitude of Castelia City. Especially today, given the circumstances surrounding their visit.

"Cilan…how are we ever going to find anything in this city, let alone Iris?"

The Gym leader frowned at the question. The boy had a point; on face value, whoever kidnapped Iris would have good reason to bring her to Castelia. Hiding a person in such a jungle of businesspeople and citizens would be like hiding a book in a library. However, and Cilan suspected that Trip knew this as well, he could not shake the feeling that Iris was furtherer away than they may have first anticipated. Not that he was going to allow Trip to see his pessimism.

"Now, Trip…that is but one way that you can look at the problem! Look all around us…people, people everywhere! The more sets of eyes on the streets, the higher the chance that somebody may have seen Iris!"

If Trip could see through Cilan's thinly-veiled false optimism, and he almost certainly did, he didn't show it. No sense in extinguishing the only flame of hope we have to go on, the boy decided. Rather than put up a fight, he instead pointed down a nearby alleyway, filled to the brim with hungry workers choosing their respective places to enjoy their lunch break.

"Why don't you take that way," Trip advised. "I'll head this way. We can meet back at the Pokémon Centre in a couple of hours."

"Of course," Cilan agreed. "And Trip…"

The words be careful caught on the young man's tongue as Trip turned, eyebrows raised, as if expecting the quip. Cilan thought better of it and instead smiled. "…I bet I can find her before you can!"

Trip didn't respond, but smiled as he turned. Perhaps the Gym leader was learning as well.

oOoOo

While the flame of hope that Trip had desperately clung to stayed alight for a time, by the end of an hour and a half of searching it had nearly died out completely. Most of the people that Trip tried to ask merely ignored him and continued walking about their day as if he did not even exist. Those that did stop, somewhat begrudgingly, started to repeat the same words over and over until it became as metronomic as a Jigglypuff's move.

"Haven't seen her."

"Have you tried talking to the local Officer Jenny? I hear she is very efficient."

"Purple hair? An Axew on her shoulder? Ha…pull the other one, kid."

Trip was just about to give up completely and head back to the Pokémon Centre to meet Cilan when a voice, quiet and shaky, called out from a nearby alleyway.

"A girl went missing in Pinwheel Forest, you say?"

With no hesitation whatsoever, Trip entered the dark alleyway. Leaning back against the dark blue wall was a man, slight in stature, a wispy beard covering his face and a shaking hand lifting a near-finished cigarette to his mouth. He looked oddly familiar, but Trip would have recognised him instantly had he ever seen him before, of that he was sure. The man was dressed in a cheap-looking jacket with holes starting to appear near the bottom.

"You know what happened to my friend in Pinwheel Forest?"

The mysterious man put his hand to his nose and sent a glob of mucus flying through the air, before rubbing his face with a dirty tissue. Trip pretended not to notice. "Ah…yer little friend, purple of hair with an Axew, eh? Go missin' in Pinwheel Forest, did she?"

Trip nodded vigorously. "That's the one."

The man stared at Trip, smirking to himself. "Don't know anything about that."

Flames burned inside of Trip's body and he envisaged himself sending out Sawk to teach the man a thing or two about respect. Not worth it. "Thanks for nothing."

Trip slowly began to exit the alleyway when the man called out from behind him. "That's not to say that I don't know somebody who knows where yer little friend is, son."

oOoOo

The man's name was Locke. He had lived on the streets of Castelia City for some time, but not by choice; by Locke's own admission, he was not a poor man. In fact, he was actually quite wealthy; his family had owned several important establishments around Castelia for years. After his parents had died, the siblings had split up the assets and gone their separate ways.

"If you are who you say you are, then why live on the streets?" Trip asked, suspicion growing as he followed the slightly limping Locke through the dark back alleys on the outskirts of Castelia.

Locke chuckled to himself. "It's simple…I have a talent for it. Each of my siblings have a talent for something…and this is mine. I could tell you the name of every street vendor in town. What each of them wants, what each of them needs…how I can get free things off the lot of them. I don't need money to get what I want…money is immaterial. What I need is things…items of use…to allow me to thrive and survive. Speaking of which…"

Locke suddenly stopped and turned, his eyes darting back and forth as he reached into his pocket. Searching for witnesses? Trip suddenly realised how vulnerable he had left himself. All it would take would be a quick flash into his pocket and a knife could be pressed to his throat in an instant. His hand reached once more for Sawk's Pokeball, but it was unnecessary. Locke pulled out a Gym badge case, not unlike Trip's bar for the scratch marks all around it. He popped it open, revealing a few shiny badges, but a lot of empty slots.

"Now…I've been more than reasonable, Trip…but if you want to get your friend back, you have to be willing to give something up."

Trip's suspicions were instantly eradicated by the prospect of getting Iris back. "I suppose so…but you said that you have no need for money, and I have none to offer anyway…so what is it that you want?"

"Simple. I'd like your Nacrene City badge, please. Right there, in your right hand pocket."

Trip grabbed his prized Gym case and squeezed, instinct taking over. "No."

"No? You're not interested in getting your friend back, then?"

"Of course I am," Trip scowled. "But I earned this Gym badge…giving it to you would devalue everything that a Gym badge stands for."

Locke cackle, the high pitched sound bouncing off the walls of the alley. "Oh, to be young and idealistic again. That badge doesn't represent anything other than a shiny piece of metal that you get for beating another idiot in a battle between those demented animals. Nothing more, nothing less."

"And how did you earn those other badges?" Trip chided. "Did you steal them off other people as well?"

Locke feigned offence at the question. "Steal? I'm no thief...just an opportunist. In fact, you would be the thief if you were expecting me to stick my neck out for no fee! Have some respect for our business transaction, Trip. Or am I wasting my time?"

Trip's heart beat slower as he fiddled with the case in his hand, popping it open to see his one shiny badge sitting proudly…but alone. Surely it wouldn't be hard to return to Nacrene City and get a replacement badge…I could say that I lost it, or that it was stolen. Trip listened to the logical voice in the back of his mind and slowly unclipped the badge, holding it out in front of him. Locke grinned and grabbed it with glee, thrusting it into his mucky case with little care.

"That makes five badges!" Locke rejoiced. "Georgia will have to say yes to me now! Her ex-husband only has 3, you know."

Trip didn't answer, but slid his empty badge case into his pocket. He stared hintingly at the dancing man, who composed himself and rolled his eyes.

"Oh…right," Locke grumbled, extending his hand to the hill behind the alleyway. "Look, at the top of that hill you'll find a large building. Ask for Locke's brother…he'll tell you where your girl is. That's the Locke guarantee."

Trip's gaze followed Locke's finger to the hill in the distance, where he could just make out a large, pink rooftop jutting upwards towards the sky. He turned to bark a threat, but Locke was already gone.

oOoOo

What Locke had described as a building turned out to be much more – it looked more like a large garbage can shooting out of the side of the tall hill. Still puffing from the steep climb up towards it, Trip lost the remainder of his breath half-admiring and half-disbelieving the set up. It stretched up into the sky and was dotted with windows along the sides. On one side, the roof half opened and revealed a large, shiny object pointing up. Something about it felt instantly recognisable. Slowly, Trip approached the large red door on the side and hit once…twice…thrice. The door slowly opened and a bespectacled man stared at Trip in surprise.

"Oh…why, hello young man…are you lost?"

"I'm looking for Locke's brother…is he here?"

The man, tugging at the sleeves of his lab coat, suddenly looked unhappy. "Yes, he is…but you can't see him. He's in the middle of some very serious research, and that no-good brother of his has to learn to…"

"Smithers! Is there somebody here to see me?"

Trip recognised the voice instantly, and his heart soared as the man joined the scientist at the door, looking out to see Trip standing there. While he had only met the man for a short while, knowing that he could help instantly gave Trip cause for optimism.

"Why, Trip, isn't it?" Leo smiled. "What can I do for you?"

oOoOo

Tune in next time to see whether or not Leo can help Trip find Iris and bring her back to safety! And whether or not he can get his Gym badge back from the untrustworthy Locke! Thanks for reading, all reviews greatly appreciated!