Trust And Trickery

I would like to focus on the progression of the anomaly's owner.

But…

I simply cannot.

Not with the possibility of its existence in this world.

Kyle almost jumped out of his seat but remembered just in time that Eve was on his lap. The Pokemon seemed to have noticed Kyle's intentions, as it prepared its legs just as its trainer was about to spring to his feet. Had Kyle committed to the motion, Eve might've gone flying.

Kyle gave an apologetic look to his Pokemon and settled down. Eve relaxed itself

"Leader" is not the name of a Pokemon move, Kyle thought. Which means this guy is definitely the real deal.

Kyle didn't know whether to feel panic or triumph. On one hand, he had received the Leader's attention. On the other, it was due to an unfavorable reason.

Kyle opened the message.

Leader:

Hello there, Judgment.

I'd like to thank you for all you've provided me thus far.

I've noticed a little post recently. I'll attach a link to it.

I'd like to know what you think. I eagerly await your response.

Attached to the message was a link. Kyle didn't click it, as he had already read it. He would use the extra time to think.

Kyle began to type into his phone. As he did, he felt a trace of nervousness in the back of his skull.

Should I be respectful? He wondered. Should I text normally? Will it change anything?

Kyle decided to at least give an acknowledgment to the Leader's status. He typed a message and sent it.

Judgment: Before I say anything, I'd like to tell you how much it honors me to be contacted directly by you.

Leader smiled as he read this part. Don't bother yourself, Judgment.

I know the one who posted it. He's a classmate of mine. We have a bit of a grudge going between us, and I guess he decided to try and get me removed from Team Dominion. I hope you won't believe him.

Kyle thought it was an acceptable lie for the amount of time he'd had to come up with it.

A return message from Leader came up only a moment later.

Leader:

Really? Interesting.

Anyways, perhaps you'd be willing to prove your loyalty. I have something for you to do.

I'll explain: Basically, I'd like to put your hacking skills to more of a test. I need you to find something specific for me. Do you think you can do this?

Kyle's eyes widened and his spirits lifted.

It doesn't seem like he wants to get rid of me! Kyle thought, relieved. Not only that, but this is going exactly as I thought it would! I just never thought the leader would tell me himself.

Kyle typed out a message and sent it.

Judgment: Of course. What've you got for me?

Leader sent a message in response.

Leader:

Excellent. I'll fill you in on what I'd like from you.

I want you to find a specific device for me. It's located deep in the CPP's digital files. Almost impossible for anyone but the best of hackers and infiltrators to dust off. Nobody at my disposal has been able to find a trace of it so far.

Kyle moved his fingers to type and explain that he couldn't accomplish anything with the equipment he had on hand. However, he paused and decided that would be best to try and make it less suspicious. He should drag the conversation out a little longer.

Judgment: So, how do you know if this thing even exists?

Leader: We have a strong reason to believe it does.

Kyle decided that what he had said was enough. It was time to get down to business.

Judgment: Well, if that's true, I probably won't have enough to get the job done. Would it be alright if I used some of your equipment to help me out? It'll most likely be easier and faster that way.

Leader smiled again and placed a closed fist under his chin, propping his head up and pressing his elbow into the table.

They didn't have very good equipment here. All Team Dominion really had were a few computers and a few gadgets that made it easier to poke their way into places they didn't belong. Seeing how Judgment did a much better job finding their way into the CPP database, it was safe to assume he had better equipment than Team Dominion.

He didn't even offer to try his hand in it, Leader thought amusingly. He just went right ahead and asked for me to invite him in.

Leader: Very well, you make a point. I'll make arrangments to have you brought here. I'd prepare for the trip. Your town is pretty far from where we are at the moment.

Leader was almost certain at this point that Judgment was against him. It was easy for him to see through his scheme.

And yet, he indulged in it. Nobody stood a chance at getting rid of Team Dominion. The power their Pokemon had combined with the technology they produced was an unstoppable force. The entire CPP couldn't stop them, much less some random guy at a laptop trying to be a hero. He hadn't even involved his Eevee, yet. What could he do?

Leader found himself actually hoping that Judgment was working for the CPP and the police. If he was, that would mean challenge and conflict. Some might say that there wasn't much fun in the game if the victor was obvious, but that wasn't important. What mattered were two things: Leader would be able to make a display of power, as well as drive out the boredom in his system.

He relished in the thought of an all-out battle in their hideout. Battles would be won and lost and lives would be lost and taken. That was the thrill of conflict.

And when the dust settled, Leader would stand above them all. He would hold his hand out to the sky, and in recognition of his great strength, the creature of the heavens would reach down and allow itself to be his…

Leader sighed as he daydreamed. Then he sat up and furrowed his brow.

Wait. It wouldn't come down for me, even if I did all that, he thought. He smiled. That's right. Crushing everyone standing in my path is only the beginning. I must prove that I can ascend to the heavens on my own.

To do that, Leader would need the device the CPP was hiding in their files.

Leader frowned. But if he's working for the CPP, the might've just given that information. Judgment might not be a hacker at all!

Then he shrugged to himself. If he's what he says he is, I can find a way for him to get me what I want when he gets here. If he's not a hacker at all, I can just hold everyone who comes hostage until I get what I need.

The leader finally noticed that Judgment had sent a message in return to his previous one.

Judgment: Great! Where am I going?

Kyle was hardly able to believe his luck. His excitement nearly drowned out his nervousness. It was difficult to believe, but Kyle hadn't actually thought about the time his trip would take. Would his family allow him to be away for a few days, especially when he couldn't actually tell them where he was going?

Would he be able to manage it? Could his whole plan be put to rest by something so small? These were the thoughts that crossed the back of his mind as he typed out and sent his next message. It took a little longer than it had before for Leader to respond.

Leader: I can't tell you. I'm sure you'll understand. We can't just give away the location of our most classified location.

Kyle wasn't surprised when he saw this. He had expected Team Dominion to be cautious. He was typing out a reply when Leader sent another message.

Leader: By the way, I need a photo of you so we know what to look for when we actually meet up. If you don't send one within a minute, the whole thing is off and I'm removing you from Team Dominion. Have your Eevee in the frame as well, so I know it's you.

Kyle hadn't expected them to be this careful. He sighed, knowing it was inevitable all the same. He took a photo of himself using his phone, being sure that Eve was also in it. The Pokemon didn't seem to share Kyle's anxiety when it came to being photographed and beamed every time a camera was pointed at it.

Kyle was about to send the photo, then paused. As if Eve knew about the time limit, it started to urge Kyle on while he was trying to think his finger hovering over the send button.

A thought had made its way into Kyle's head. He pondered over it for a moment, then typed in a message alongside his photo before clicking send. The picture made Kyle uneasy. He had decided to keep a straight face for the photo. It was better than smiling, but it still gave him anxiety.

Judgment: Here's the photo. Something else I felt like I should mention is that I don't work alone. I'll need my friends to come, too.

Leader raised an eyebrow at the message.

So assuming he is a hacker, he thought, he has people who assist him. It's a team. He leaned back in his chair. Assuming he's not a hacker, he's trying to get more than one person inside so they'll have a better chance at stopping me.

Leader opened the photo and examined it. He would have to admit that he was at least a little surprised.

The one in the photo was a boy no older than sixteen. Just a kid. Most of Team Dominion's members were kids, sure, but Leader hadn't expected the one who would lead the charge in taking him down would be so young. The Eevee was there, too, so Leader was sure that this was actually the face of the one called Judgment.

The fact that Judgment was only a child made Leader reconsider his suspicions. Maybe Judgment was just a member who wanted to help. Maybe the post about him being a false member was invalid. Maybe Judgment had told the truth at all times it was necessary.

Leader put a hand to his head as his thoughts began to mix together, making it difficult to find anything that made sense. his mind did this to him occasionally, forcing him to take the time to piece his thoughts together.

Leader spent a few minutes trying to get his mind back in order.

I am trying to reach the creature of the sky. The first piece, as well as the easiest one. It had Leader's end goal in all of this.

I need a device the CPP has ideas for. If I can get my hands on it, I can finish it myself and use it. The second piece. It was almost as easy to find as the first. From here, however, things would get harder.

This kid came to me with promising skills. However, as of right now, I have little idea as to where he is aligned. The third piece.

Should he be on my side, which is least likely out of all the options, I will help him so he can help me. The fourth piece.

Should he be against me or working with the CPP, I will force him to find what I need after dealing with the inevitable invasion on our base. The fifth piece.

If he turns out to have no hacking skills at all, I will simply keep him here until he becomes useful. The sixth piece.

If nothing works in my favor, I will at least have had fun making my enemies crumble. The final piece. Now that he had his head straight, he looked back at the message.

If Judgment had a team of hackers, he would surely need them to find the files Leader was looking for. He also wanted to meet everyone he would be relying on.

Leader: They will accompany you. I'd like to meet all of you. How many?

Judgment: There are four of us in total. I'll send pictures when I can.

Kyle grinned, proud of himself for finding a way to get his friends in as well. Leader seemed to be going along with it, too.

Leader: Good. I'll send the details of how we'll meet up when you send those photos. I'm signing off for now.

Kyle closed the application and leaned over the back of his chair. Eve seemed satisfied with its mood. And why not? It had every reason to be. Everything had gone as well as Kyle could hope for. The only thing left to do now was for his mom to let him go on a trip for a few days.

Adrien stepped into Redvale park. It had been a full day since he had battled Petal Dance with his friends. He was stopping by the park in the hopes of finding a few opponents to pass the time.

Chu was outside of its Poke ball, resting on Adrien's shoulder. It had found that spot only this morning, and it seemed attached to it. Adrien guessed that Carol and her Dratini had given it the idea.

A pair of battling trainers caught Adrien's eye. As expected, he could always find at least one battle going on in the park. He was completely used to it.

Adrien began to walk towards their battle. One of them had an Electabuzz while the other was using a Mightyena. The former appeared to be winning.

As Adrien approached, he opened his mouth to ask if he could battle the winner, but he never got the chance. As soon as the two boys caught sight of him, their faces turned from looks of determination to looks of unease. They stowed away their Pokemon and began to back away before jogging away from Adrien.

Adrien frowned and tilted his head. Sure, he expected everyone to have the same reaction towards him as the two boys did, but he had always thought they would run after they had talked to him, not before.

Adrien decided to pay attention to everyone else in the park and found that they, too, were watching him with unease. It made Adrien much more uncomfortable than he wanted. He turned around and walked out of the park as fast as he could without making it seem like he was rushing.

What was that all about? He wondered.

Th...were...alwa...fraid...of...e…

Kyle knocked on the door to his mom's room. It wasn't completely closed: there was a crack in between the door and the wall.

"Come in!" He heard from inside.

Kyle pushed the door inward and entered the room. He had been required to stay up a little later than usual to be able to talk to his mom since she came home from work so late. He had passed the time by teaching Eve a few tricks. Now the Pokemon was asleep in his room.

Kyle's mom, Emily, worked in multiple jobs. During the morning and most of the day, she worked at a clothing store about fifteen minutes away from the house. During the evening, she worked at a restaurant that was open for a while into the night. Kyle could only imagine how she would be every time she came home.

Yet every time Kyle had seen his mom when she had come home or gone off to work, she was always sweet, kind, and cheerful. She had a radiance to her that no darkness could seem to dim. Kyle was certain that she was putting on a face to reassure her children, and that was something Kyle greatly admired and worried over at the same time. While he was happy that her spirit was unbroken, he wanted her to be open if she was tired.

This time was no different. Emily was sitting on the messy and unmade bed in her waitress uniform, taking off her high-heeled shoes and tossing them to the ground. She straightened her legs in front of her and flexed and curled her toes. She leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and sighed in relaxation. She then opened her eyes and looked at Kyle, smiling.

"Hi!" She said with a joy that couldn't be put into words. "You're usually asleep by the time I come home! It's so nice to see you! How have things been going? I'm sorry we don't get to spend as much time together as we used to."

Kyle couldn't help but smile back. "Hey, Mom," he said. He sat down next to her on the bed as the two began to chat.

Kyle had heard many other kids at school talk about how they were annoyed with their parents, usually because they thought they were being controlled. He figured that his experience deviated in a large way from theirs. Kyle never found his mom annoying or controlling in any way, even when she had been around more.

Emily had always been supportive of her children, helping them every step of the way they needed. Some would point out that it had been sorely needed since their father had been greatly indifferent towards them, but Emily had taken extra pleasure in guiding her children.

Of course, after the man she had loved so much had abandoned her, she had been stricken with grief. For the first few days after he had been gone, when he was around ten years old, Kyle didn't see his mother in any state of sorrow. However, there were nights when he heard her sobs echoing though the halls. They had lasted for a few months. Every time he went to visit her, it seemed that there was nothing wrong. She had always put on a happy face for him.

Kyle had enjoyed every minute of the time they had spent together as a family. The days where he, Emily, and Chelsey hung out were amazing. The times were so great that Kyle had never bothered to put any effort into making any friends at school. Not only were they disappointing compared to the personalities of his sister and mother, but he had so much fun with them that he never felt lonely. Carol had been an exception.

After time passed and Emily realized the financial trouble they were in, she had been forced to sacrifice her time in order to keep everyone on their feet and under a roof. That had been a long time ago. Kyle had almost forgotten how it felt to spend time with her.

Their conversation was an excellent reminder. Emily was still as charismatic as ever. Kyle had never inherited her social confidence and skills. She knew all the right things to say and ask. She was respectful, attentive, and encouraging.

Emily didn't say much about what had been going on with her. All she said was "Oh, you know, the usual. Taking orders form idiots and telling customers 'no, we don't have Pokemon hats in stock yet,' before asking what Kyle had been up to.

Kyle told her about everything that had happened since the first shipment of Pokemon had been made by the CPP. Everything from his despair at not getting a Pokemon from his recent battle with Petal Dance. He left out everything that Team Dominion had been involved in, as well as the incident with Adrien. Emily hung on every word and sighed when he was finished.

"Wow," she exclaimed. "It seems like you've found yourself a special little partner. Maybe you could introduce me sometime."

Kyle smiled. "Yeah, sure. It's sleeping right now, but I can definitely bring it to see you some other time."

Emily returned the smile. "I'd like that." She paused before continuing. "And you're still hanging out with Carol." She nodded to herself. "That's nice. I like that girl." Then she grinned wickedly. "Have you decided to make any moves yet?" She teased. "Ask her to a nice walk on the beach? Or maybe it'd be just a simple Pokemon battle for your generation?"

Kyle scowled in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, though he knew it was in vain. He felt his face grow a little warm.

Emily let out a laugh. "You don't have to say anything. I know the answer. We both know you'll never have a chance with a girl." She said the words with a playful smirk.

Kyle scowled again and decided not to rebut. He let his mouth curve upward just a little bit.

"And you've made a few more friends, too," Emily added. "Adrien sounds nice, and I'm glad Jordan was able what he was doing wrong."

Kyle nodded. He decided it was time to do what he had come to do.

"Hey, Mom, can I ask you something?" Kyle asked.

Emily smiled. "First off, you just did. Secondly, are we finally getting to why you came to see me?"

"Well, I haven't seen you for a while anyway," Kyle said defensively. "And of course, I enjoy spending time with-"

Emily cut off her son with a laugh. "It's fine, it's fine," She said, waving a hand dismissively. "What did you need?"

"Well," Kyle said, preparing to use the lie he had created, "The CPP invited me to visit one of their facilities. They're going to come to pick me up and take me and my friends there."

Emily examined Kyle's face as he hoped the lie would work. She smirked suddenly.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't lie to me," She said, chuckling slightly. Then she laughed again when she saw Kyle's reaction.

Damn, I can't seem to get away with lying to anyone, Kyle thought. It must have been pure luck that Leader believed my story.

"Look, Kyle," Emily said. "You don't have to tell me what you're up to if you really would rather not. I trust you."

Kyle blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. You're a smart kid. Go do what you want to do. I'm sure it'll all end up fine. Your friends will be there, too?"

Kyle nodded.

"Good," Emily said. "Carol's a smart one, too. I'm sure you can't get into any trouble. Just make sure you have a good time, whatever you'll be doing."

Kyle smiled. "Of course. Thanks, Mom."

"Not like I could stop you, anyway," Emily said, sighing, "I've got things to do."

Kyle stood up and walked towards the door to leave. He turned back to say one more thing.

"We'll be gone a few days," he added.

"Get out before I take back everything I said."

"Right, bye"

Kyle quickly exited the room, but not before he saw another smile on his mother's face. He smiled himself. His task had gone successfully, and he had been reminded of something that had been lost to him for a time.

I should really talk to her more.