Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have taken that job.

I wouldn't have to deal with the life I'm leading now if I just told the guy "No."

Just one word. One word to make all the difference in my life.

But of course, that offer favored me way too much for me to say that to him. I still bet that was purposeful. He must have planned out that deal with me meticulously.

Where would I be right now? Not here, that's for sure. I'd probably be doing the same old same old with a bit more luxury and a lot more freedom.

Was it worth it, though?

Well…

Sure, this spot I ended up in is shit and I want out.

But taking that job kickstarted the most entertaining moments of my damned life.

Really makes me wish I could be the one to finish what I started.

––––––––––

Accumula Town was a small, close-knit town located at the northern end of Unova Route 1, subsequently placing it due north of Nuvema Town. A relatively new major settlement in Unova, it quickly gained its reputation as a music-lovers paradise, with many households owning musical instruments and frequent group practices happening in various places around town. The town square had become so popular for spontaneous group performances that it became mandatory for people to reserve the space if they wanted to use it for anything.

And of course, that day the square was reserved for some big and fancy presentation. I really couldn't be bothered with it. I couldn't be bothered with the whole city.

There I am, barely a day after pulling a successful solo heist from Professor Juniper's laboratory, sitting out in the relative open. Right next to the Pokemon Center. The. Pokemon. Center. Sure, I had Caesar out and that helped me blend in a bit, but I'm still sitting outside the Pokemon Center by myself, keeping the goods hidden in as inconspicuous a manner as I could.

It's like I was asking to be discovered, questioned, and then arrested.

God.

But nooooo, my client wanted to meet me here. Today. He said that everyone would be so focused on the rally that we could use it for cover.

And damn was he right. It managed to get almost the entire damned city to watch. Adults and kids and elderly...and most importantly, cops.

But you know what else rallies like that brew? Weirdos. And of course, I'd have to end up with one headed right for me before I'd get any opportunity to talk with my client...

Black quirked an eyebrow, as the stranger approaching him was unique enough in appearance to justify snapping him out of his daydreams. He had long, tied back green hair, and odd jewelry around his neck and looped around the belt of his pants. Resisting his kleptomaniac urges to steal and examine them, he exchanged a glance with Caesar, wondering what the Tepig thought of the new arrival.

Caesar didn't seem to pick up the memo from Black, but it was clear at a glance that he'd taken a bit of an interest in the man who'd approach them. Despite his best efforts to keep his attention on Black, his gaze would constantly drift away to the stranger, only to snap back to Black when he realized he was staring.

The man seemed to notice this, and gave the Tepig a warm smile.

"Can I help you?" Black asked, his hand falling protectively over the bag he was keeping the "package" inside.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time the police sent someone undercover to try and bag me.

The man didn't respond. He instead crouched down, attempting to meet Caesar at an eye level. His smile, though it did not change, slowly became more and more disarming to look at.

He always was a bit creepy.

"Uh, yeah, he's a cute little fellow, isn't he?" Black said, taking a cautious step backward. "You a trainer or something?"

"He seems quite excited." The man spoke with an unusual haste, the words almost sounding like they were being merged together. "I wonder why."

"I don't know. He's got a big nose on him. Maybe Accumula's got some nice smells," Black said, his tone curt.

My guy sure decided to take his sweet-ass time. I knew if I couldn't get this guy off me fast, I wouldn't be able to meet my client at all.

"Now that can't be right…" The man stood back up, shaking his head. "You are his trainer?"

"More of a partner in crime, I'd say." Black gave Caesar a wink. He cleared his throat. "That being a metaphor of course. No criminal activity here, no sir!"

"Why would we be doing crime anyway?" Caesar asked, looking up to Black. "Isn't that like, bad?"

"You're right, Caesar, crime is bad!" Black agreed, nodding rapidly. "Which is why we never do it. Ever."

Poor, naive Caesar. I feel a little bad for leading the porker on like that.

The man had a strong, wide-eyed reaction to what Black had just said. He couldn't help but lean in a bit. "How...curious…"

"Whoa, there. Personal space, buddy," Black said, stepping back further. "Look, I'm trying to be polite, but I'm losing patience. What do you want?"

The man stood up straight again, giving Black his space. "Excuse me," he said, his face an indiscernible mix of emotions. At a loss for what to say, he turned towards the ongoing rally.

The rally, which had been going on for roughly 45 minutes by this point, was entering its final speech. One hour was all the time they'd reserved, but they were making the most of it with the passing crowds. They would go through their entire speech in the span of ten minutes, take a five minute break, then restart the speech from the beginning. It helped to prevent the crowd from getting too cluttered—after all, who would want to hear the same rehearsed speech twice—while also allowing them to condense their speech and allow random passerby to be drawn in for the entire message without taking up too much of their time.

"Do you hear them?" he asked without turning back.

"Hear who? The Team Plasma nutters?"

The man looked at Black now. "Do you?"

That look. That goddamn look. That's when I knew I was getting into something bigger than what was on the surface.

That look never faded.

That look never changed.

"Nah, it goes in one ear and out the other with me. It's all a scam, isn't it?"

"What a shame," he muttered. He thought carefully on what to say next. "Do you care about them at all?"

Black looked around the town, trying to see if he could spot anyone in hiding. "Am I being pranked or something?" He glanced at Caesar. "Is there a cameraman somewhere I'm not seeing?"

Caesar looked around, hoping that he would spot someone even more unusual than the man standing before them, but ultimately he ended up giving Black an upset sigh. "Nothing, Chief."

He's just that weird. I wasn't having it.

"Look, big guy, if you want me to answer your question I'm going to need you to be a little less vague," Black said to the stranger. "Who am I supposed to be caring about?"

The man pointed to Caesar. "Him. Who else?"

Black rolled his eyes. "Oh. Sure, yeah, we're friends," he said without much interest. "What, you want to liberate him from me or something?"

"I want him happy," the man said. He took another look at Caesar, smiling. "Like I said before, he seems excited. Is he happy, too?"

"Well, he hasn't ditched me yet, so I'd assumed so." Black shrugged. "You happy, Caesar?"

"Heck yeah! These have been the best couple days of my life!" Caesar cheered.

"That answer your question?"

"It does." The man's smile moved from Caesar to Black. "You do hear them."

This was the first time in my life where I felt weird for being able to understand Pokemon, because it made me feel like I was being lumped in with this guy. At this point, I figured the only way I was going to get further along was by playing his game rather than my own.

"Well, I think everyone can," Black said slowly. "As long as they're willing to listen."

"Oh, I wish it were that simple…" The man sighed and slowly shook his head, looking back briefly at the Team Plasma rally, but then returning his attention to Black. "My friends call me N."

Bingo. Progress. "Oh? Nice to meet you then, N," Black said, offering his hand.

N awkwardly reached out for the hand to shake it.

I was still too suspicious of him to offer him my own name, but that had me actually surprised. In his own odd way N actually seemed to be trying to be friendly.

Black flinched. N's hand was cold. "Soooo… you from around here?"

"Unova is my home, but this city isn't," N said. "I'm from the central area. Nimbasa."

"Oh, Nimbasa!" Black smiled at the memory of amusement park rides and sports festivals. "I've always had a soft spot for that city…"

Easy crowds. So many tourists to pickpocket.

"Are you from there as well?" N asked.

"Nah, from around Castelia myself, but my er…job requires a lot of travel, so I know Nimbasa pretty well."

N arched a brow. "You're a traveller?"

That got his attention.

"It must be nice to see the world," N said. "I've only left home for the first time recently. It's amazing just how...different things are from place to place."

"It has its moments." Black quirked a curious glance over to N. "So, you're pretty sheltered, eh? What's it like to finally get your first real look at the world?"

N absently looked at the city around him. "I'm not sure," he said blandly. "It feels like it's missing something. It's missing the excitement I expected it to have." He looked back to Black. "It's boring."

To his credit, life can be boring, but not as boring as the Plasma drones.

"Well, I can't relate too much to that statement," Black admitted. "My life's been a lot of things, but never boring. Get into a few scuffles, man. It'll get your blood pumping."

I lost him a bit with that.

"Fighting? In a perfect world, I wouldn't need such a thing for excitement."

"Psssh, too bad we don't live in a perfect world, then, huh. Doesn't really matter to me, though. I'm content with Unova being just the way it is."

"Are you truthfully?" N thought for a bit, even though he asked the question. "You. What is your idea of a perfect world?"

"A world where I always win?" Black shrugged. "Closest thing to an objective answer I can give."

N shook his head at the response, looking disappointed. "That won't do at all," he said. His gaze moved to Caesar. "What about you?"

"Me?" Caesar asked, pointing to himself.

"What's your perfect world, Caesar?"

"Well, I feel rejected," Black snorted.

"Uhh…" Caesar thought for a moment, but looked to be having a hard time. "Gee, I dunno. I guess so far, perfect world… Chief's pretty grand so far. We won our first battle already! I wouldn't mind staying with him forever if forever is like this."

"That's one hell of a compliment, pork chop." Black let out a long, low whistle. "I think you're pretty cool too, little guy."

"Fascinating… I didn't expect to hear that." N turned his gaze back to Black. "You do understand them, don't you?"

I've never really cared about making that ability "public." Hell, sometimes it lets me make a quick buck.

"Okay, at this point we're just talking around in circles," Black chuckled. "But yeah, I've always understood Pokemon speech. Honestly, I didn't think there were other people like me."

"It's a true shame that others can't hear them," N said, looking at the crowd in front of the rally. "They could learn many things…"

"Yeah? I think the ignorant are the way they are intentionally," Black said. "I don't think wasting time enlightening idiots is worth it, personally."

"Ignorance… Yes. Ignorance. That's a good word for it." N nodded. "Thank you...oh. Sorry, now. I never got your name."

"Name's uh… Hilbert," Black said the first name on the tip of his tongue.

As eccentric as this N guy was, I didn't want to risk that he'd blab about me to the authorities. Still had a delivery to make and time rapidly running out to make it.

The name "Hilbert" was a terrible choice, though.

Black stammered a bit. "W-wait, um, can I change my answer?"

N's reaction was a little delayed to Black's response, at first staring at the trainer with a bit of an uncanny look. However, it wasn't long before he started to break out into a slow, childlike laughter, one that grew louder and more intense as he went on.

N's laughter was surprisingly infectious, and despite himself Black managed a sheepish chuckle even as he felt turn red. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. As long as I don't ever have to go by Hilbert."

"What was the name Caesar gave you?" N asked, still laughing throughout his response.

"Chief, you mean? I mean, as far as affectionate nicknames go, you could do worse, I guess."

"Chief… Hilbert…" N's eyes went wide, and he smiled innocently. "Chief Hilbert! It's perfect."

Black's eyes widened in absolute terror. "No. No. I forbid this."

I still forbid it.

Caesar snorted a bit, starting to laugh as well. "Chief Hilbert! Haha! It really is perfect!"

"Hate you. Hate you both. Caesar, I'm putting you up for adoption."

Caesar was still giggly. "Aww! But Chief Hilbert!"

N pointed to Caesar. "See? He likes it."

"I'm not a fan of how well you two are getting along," Black said. He folded his arms, practically pouting. "Especially since it's at my expense."

"We're just having fun," N said, prompting Black to stick out his tongue at him.

Though when I looked behind N...I'm pretty sure the color drained from my face.

The last two people I wanted to see were standing in the crowd, idly listening to the Plasma presentation.

That kid with the Bulbasaur...

And a man that definitely seemed like a detective officer of sorts standing right next to him.

Deal's off. I'd call the guy later to re-negotiate. I needed out.

"Ooh, you know what? Caesar, I realized that we're late… to our… tap dancing lesson. Don't want to miss out on… tap dancing. See you around, N!"

N tilted his head a bit. "You dance?"

Caesar looked up in complete confusion. "We dan-ohaaaaaaaaah!" His sentence was cut off by his sudden liftoff into Black's arms.

And without saying another word, Black ran off towards the entrance to Route 2, not even turning around once.

Though I heard one last thing before N went completely out of earshot.

"Uh, bye!"

––––––––––

"Ladies and gentlemen! Children and Pokemon! I ask only for ten minutes of your time! My name is Ghetsis, and today, we are here representing Team Plasma."

I remember every word. Every single one.

Team Plasma had just begun their final speech for the day. As with all their previous speeches, they'd managed to draw a small crowd of the locals in Accumula Town, right in front of the square.

It only seemed to be a crowd of about fifty strong—a pitiful crowd compared to the hundreds that they had for each of their first two speeches—but it was a crowd they were proud to have and happy to present for. Any number of people willing to hear their message was a victory to them.

Included in that crowd was a middle-aged man in a brown trench coat, eyeing Team Plasma with a cautious, borderline suspicious gaze.

Standing next to him was a young teenager, dressed in his favorite, exotic orange sweater, with a Bulbasaur in his arms and a Lillipup at his side.

Everything after my long talk with Looker happened so fast.

When we finished talking, I immediately made my way towards Cedric's office. He was the last one with the Pokemon, so odds were that he either still had them with him, or that he knew where they were.

It was the former. Ephraim and Maurice were both wide awake and sounded healthy and fine, which was a huge relief off my shoulders. Cedric even gave us some time to talk alone, which allowed me to skim over the plan with them in private.

To my chagrin, Ephraim was hesitant. He felt that we were both much safer at the lab and that this policeman could handle the thief on his own. He didn't share in any of my frustrations, not even towards Black or Aurea. He told me to let go.

However, to both our surprise, Maurice the Lillipup was very adamant about doing exactly what Looker suggested.

Maurice, of course, was new. We'd only met him yesterday after he saved our hide during the battle. Neither of us trusted him as much as we did each other, and he most likely didn't trust us entirely either.

Yet, after revealing the offer I'd been given, Maurice was immediately and wholly determined to help free myself from Aurea and help me get my revenge.

"Asshole deserves it," he said.

And as reluctant as Ephraim was, he was firm on going wherever I went.

With both Pokemon on my side, we went to Aurea's office to check in on Looker.

I'm pretty sure we walked in right as they were finishing up.

Aurea's extremely frustrated expression combined with Looker's slight smile towards me told me pretty much all I needed to know.

I was free.

That didn't change some of my apprehension around Looker. He was still essentially a stranger, and he was taking me out of my safe space in the lab out to the world, where I felt far less comfortable.

But that was a huge step for me. For us.

"That Ghetsis character… he seems to have become something of a celebrity of Unova as far as I can tell." The cogs were turning in Looker's brain so fast that one could imagine steam blowing out of his ears. "What do you know about him, Luca?"

Luca seemed completely disconnected from the world until Looker said his name. "Huh? Ghetsis?"

"The person speaking right in front of us?" Looker's eyebrow raised in suspicion. "I'm not even from Unova and I've heard of him."

Every word. I remember every word.

"Today, everyone, I would like to talk to you about what Team Plasma was founded for: Pokemon liberation."

"I feel like I've heard the name before today, but...I don't know at the same time..."

If I'd ever heard the name before, it was most likely from Dad watching TV. Team Plasma had not only appeared on the news multiple times already, but they were running TV ads, and my father would rarely pass up an opportunity to watch anything Plasma if it came on.

I never paid any attention to it. TV was a Dad and Spectral thing.

Looker shook his head a bit. "Well, he's Plasma's mouthpiece, I know that much."

That much was obvious.

"I'm sure that many, if not all of you believe that us humans and Pokemon are partners that have come to live together because we want each other. You believe that by living together with Pokemon, there is a mutual benefit! A mutual gain! That it leads to nothing but prosperity for both sides! It is wonderful!"

"What are they anyway?" Luca asked, watching the rally. "I've heard of Team Plasma before but never known what they're about."

"They're an activist movement supporting the segregation of people and Pokemon," Looker explained. "On the grounds that trainers abuse and exploit Pokemon for their own gain. They've amassed quite a cult following."

"Oh. I...guess that doesn't seem so bad," Luca said.

I say as Looker mentions the thought that trainers are abusing and exploiting Pokemon. If I heard that today I'd snap.

"That's weird, though. Why separate us for that? Couldn't we just...talk it out with them?"

"Talk it out with Plasma, you mean?"

"What? Uh, no. The Pokemon," Luca said, looking at Ephraim.

I cannot believe I said that so casually. I'd be hitting myself over that nowadays.

A surprised smile sprung to Looker's face. "You remind me of someone I knew back in Kanto. Unfortunately, Pokemon aren't creatures that can advocate for themselves in the context of their relationship with humans. Some humans feel the need to advocate for them as a result, I suppose."

Luca sighed. "I guess so…"

"Everyone, I ask you this! Is that really the truth of our relationship? Is this nothing but a lie, fabricated by both our ancestors and ourselves, that we have believed so profusely that we take it as the truth? Are Pokemon really happy? Think!"

Luca's expression turned saddened, and he looked at the Pokemon he had with him"...hey, Ephraim? Would you say you're happy with us?"

"Well, yeah, I'm pretty happy," Ephraim said, looking up at Luca. "I dunno what these guys are talking about. You treat us all pretty nice."

"And before you go on asking me the same question, my answer's yes, too," Maurice said, taking a few confident steps forward. "These humans think they know what they're talking about..."

"They seem content enough to me," Looker said, chuckling gently. "That's the trouble with generalizations; they rarely show the full story. Not that Ghetsis doesn't have a point…"

"The point is…?"

"Pokemon who get pushed around to work for us and do things we cannot... Those who battle under the command of trainers with little to no will of their own... Those whose homes we have destroyed so that we might build our own... Wake up! See the truth before you! We see this relationship as perfect because it benefits us more than it benefits them!"

"At the end of the day, Pokemon are exploited for their abilities. Plenty of them are at serious risk in battle, and are used by us to assist in our work to an unhealthily reliant degree. Plasma's essentially saying the problematic elements of our relationship are so deeply rooted that the only solution is to cut ties entirely."

"Yeah I guess he does have a point there," Luca said, pondering the situation a bit. "But… I dunno. Cutting ties just seems like it'd cause more problems?"

"That's a conversation you might want to have with them," Looker said, shrugging. "I've always been more of an analyst than a philosopher personally."

Sure didn't stop him from talking philosophy.

"In truth, I'm more concerned with their unified movement than their alleged ideals."

Luca looked at Looker now. "Unified movement?"

"Their organization in general. We have no idea where they originated, how they've gotten their fundings… I'll admit, I've become a bit suspicious of organized groups given, er… past experiences. Plasma seems like it has a lot to hide. But maybe that's my own jaded outlook."

"Uhh…" Luca squinted a bit, trying to inspect the rally a bit closer to see if he could spot anything odd.

Nope. Just a bunch of guys in dark uniforms. The only oddballs were a pair of smiling, peaceful Plasma folk wearing an older-looking gray uniform instead of the sleeker black ones, and Ghetsis in his really over the top multi-colored and strangely patterned robes.

That man gave my fashion sense a run for its money.

"To me so far it just seems like they're just a bunch of guys who want to...I guess try and make Pokemon happier. I'm just curious where they got the idea from."

"You're likely right," Looker admitted. "I certainly hope their intentions are pure at any rate. Believe it or not, this line of thinking has been very popular as of late. Several top trainers in the Indigo League have advocated for revisions to ensure the safety of Pokemon involved. Ghetsis just seems to be taking things a step further."

"Is Pokemon safety really that big a concern in Kanto? Did something happen over there?"

Looker laughed at that. "Understatement of the century. Let's just say that things got very violent for a while. You know, it probably would benefit you to take more interest in the world around you, young man. There is a lot you're missing out on."

To this day, I've still never learned what the heck happened in Kanto to prompt this line of thinking.

Luca shied away a bit from the crowd after that statement. "I'm...not that interested…"

"You'll find that ignorance can only protect you for so long, Luca…." Looker seemed almost disappointed, but he didn't press the issue.

A stranger was approaching them, curiosity written on his features.

He didn't say anything when he stopped in front of us. He just quietly stared...like he was judging us.

He kept his gaze on me and the Pokemon a lot longer than he did with Looker...

Luca shimmied away from the man at first, as if to take shelter behind Looker, but something stopped him mid step and made him stare at the stranger.

A lot of big things that happened to me on this day.

I met and subsequently befriended Looker.

Maurice joined me, "pledging" his loyalty.

I left Aurea and the lab behind, setting out on my quest for revenge.

I learned a lot about Team Plasma, their message having a lasting influence on me.

But that moment right there was the single most important and impactful one of them all.

That moment where I stopped moving back.

"Can we help you?" Looker asked, keeping his tone light to hide his discomfort. He didn't like the piercing look in his eyes. People like that were either extraordinarily smart or insane. Sometimes both.

"Oh. Yes. Who are you?" He asked, not wasting any time.

"Looker of the International Police," he replied, showing him his identification. "This is my…nephew, Luca."

I didn't stop because of fear.

Luca gave an empty wave, not removing his eyes from the stranger's. "H-hi…"

I stopped because of a lack of it.

The man seemed shocked by Looker's status. "International Police? There isn't anything wrong happening here, is there?"

"Not at all," Looker said. He rose his hands up in the air as an offer of peace. "I was mostly just curious about Team Plasma, personally."

"Ah, yes." The man looked to the ongoing rally.

"Pokemon are not humans. They are different from us. They always will be. They do not think the same, they do not act the same, they do not even speak the same. They are living, individual beings with their own thoughts, abilities, and talents, all different from that of us humans. We can learn much from these creatures—so much untapped potential!"

"Does the International Police have a problem with them?" the man asked. "They have been nothing but peaceful so far."

Looker shook his head. "No, this is a personal venture. I'll admit though, that suspicious groups of people in outfits draw a bit of suspicion from me. Merely my own narrow viewpoint, however. I don't wish to cause a fuss."

"Hmm." The man gazed at the rally even after Looker was done speaking, only turning around when he wanted to speak. "Why bring your nephew?"

"He hasn't been out much," Looker said. "He wanted to see the city. Isn't that right, Luca?"

"Um… Yeah, Uncle Looker." Luca couldn't hide the unease in his voice, but it seemed apparent that it was a result of the man and not of the sudden lie he had to buy in to.

My mind was a racing mess at this point, trying to process everything going on. The speech in the background, Looker's lie that I'd just become a part of, this new stranger in front of me contributing to my recent slew of new and unfamiliar emotions, life in general...

Everything eventually just collapsed back into fear.

Ephraim giggled a bit. "Uncle Looker… Could be goofier, I guess."

The man, however, seemed surprised by this. "Did I hear that correctly?"

"Hear what correctly?" Looker asked, exchanging a curious glance between Luca and the new arrival.

The man, however, shook his head. "No, it's nothing. I believe I'm mixing up voices." He looked at Ephraim in Luca's arms, and Maurice standing beside him. "I see your nephew is...a trainer. Are you one, too?"

"I have no personal Pokemon of my own, no. I've worked with a few for my job, though."

"Have you?" the man asked, his attention suddenly shifting to Looker. "How?"

"Pokemon abilities can seriously come in handy," Looker shrugged. "Growlithe can pick up a scent with ease, Croagunk come in handy in incapacitating undesirables, and Joltik's small size are vital for covert operations."

"Potential that is being squandered under our rule!"

"I see. All owned by your...organization, I take it?"

"Typically, yes."

The man's interest in Looker had quickly and visibly waned.

Yeah, I wasn't sure how to feel about that either.

He put his attention back towards Luca. "And what of your Pokemon? Did your uncle...give them to you?"

"Um, no, sir," Luca said, holding Ephraim closer and tighter. "I got them from—"

"T-too tight!" Ephraim said, starting to struggle against Luca's grip.

Luca gasped a bit at the reaction, loosening up his hold. "Ah! Sorry, Ephraim…"

The man had briefly turned away from Luca to focus on the rally, but then turned back around when he heard Ephraim's cries, watching Luca take a bit of time to comfort Ephraim after the small accident.

"If you care about your Pokemon, then hear our plea! Release your Pokemon! Liberate them! Take responsibility as their masters and let them be free! Allow them the same freedom that we give each other!"

"You treat them well," he said, a small smile forming on his face. He reached a hand out towards the Bulbasaur. "Ephraim, you called him? May I?"

Luca still seemed a bit unnerved by the man, but something about the man's smile kept him in place. He looked at his Pokemon. "Ephraim?"

"Uh..." Ephraim thought about it for a bit. "Pets only. No picking up."

Luca nodded, and offered Ephraim to the man. "You can pet him, but—"

"I won't pick him up," he responded as he started to give Ephraim some friendly pets under his chin. It wasn't long before the Bulbasaur looked to be in complete bliss with the man's petting.

Luca gently stroked Maurice in the meanwhile, prompting the Lillipup to sit down and relax as Luca's tension eased up a bit.

"I see you are something of an artisan when it comes to Pokemon care." Looker smiled as he watched Ephraim's foot begin to thump on the cement.

That might be the happiest I've ever seen Ephraim.

The man smiled with Ephraim. "They deserve it, do they not? They work so hard for us…"

"That they do." Looker nodded. "I'm sure Ephraim is very grateful for the affection."

"I am," Ephraim said with a small laugh of delight.

"Might we have the pleasure of knowing your name?" Looker asked in an attempt to be conversational. "I'm sure anyone who knows how to give good belly rubs to Bulbasaur is a person worth knowing."

I chuckled there. He was witty when he wanted to be.

"My friends call me N," the man said, rising and offering Ephraim back to Luca with a smile.

"Then, and only then, can humans and Pokemon be truly equal. Only then can our relationship be fair!"

When N turned to face Looker, most of it had vanished. "If you want to call me that, too, that's fine."

"Er… Okay." Looker glanced back to Luca, raising a questioning eyebrow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, N."

Luca gave a subtle shrug back to Looker, leaving Ephraim on the floor by Maurice. "Hi, N," he said.

"Thanks, N," Ephraim cooed.

Maurice scoffed a bit. "I better be next."

"Maybe next time," N smiled. "Unfortunately, I must be going now," he said, bowing his head a bit and taking a few steps away from the group. "It has been a pleasure to briefly meet the four of you, but I do not wish to be left behind by my friend."

Looker nodded his goodbyes, still not sure what to make of N, while Luca stared at the man, completely bewildered by the experience. He looked more out of it than when he first arrived in the city.

Even then, I could feel it. Something about that man...

Looker cleared his throat to snap Luca out of his reverie. "We'd better fan out, search for Black, though I'm assuming he wouldn't stay in the city long for fear of being seen."

"Huh? Oh, right, Black."

I'd almost forgotten about the whole reason I was in the city in the first place.

Luca shook his head to focus himself. "Right, uh, I'll check by the center, you can check the rest of the crowd?"

"Sounds like a plan." Looker strode forward, intending to flag down a few members of the now dispersing crowd to see if they knew Black's whereabouts.

Luca split off from his "uncle" during this time, trying to see if he spotted anyone or anything suspicious amongst the crowd.

Unfortunately for him, all he saw was N making a casual run to the Route 2 entrance, Team Plasma wrapping up, and Black was nowhere in sight.

I was frustrated...but I wasn't going to give up that easy. Even as the crowd began to disperse, I searched...and searched...he had to be somewhere...

"Please, consider our words. Consider the feelings of your Pokemon, and what you are doing to them. Think carefully on how to proceed. Thank you for your time."