Operation: Retrieval

Katy stepped back to have a look at her Pokémon. She smiled with her hands on her hips. The tiny Ralts gave a look of surprise from where she sat in the grass.

"Holy smokes," said Christian.

"Better than a Ditto, right?" she said.

"I'll say." William walked around the Zoroark that looked just like Doug.

"Only one thing. If you focus on it too much, it doesn't work anymore. Or if you touch him." Katy mumbled the last part.

"Wait, what? If I touch him it doesn't work anymore?" William poked the Zoroark. Nothing happened. Houdini just kept standing there with a strange grin and wide eyes, making him look like Doug had gone partially insane.

"It happens sometimes. Remember, it's an illusion, not an actual transformation like Ditto can do. He's tricking your eyes." Katy crossed her arms.

William squinted his eyes at the image of Doug. "… You're right. I can see him as he really is now."

"Because your brain already knows it's not actually Doug!" Katy exclaimed. "Isn't it cool?"

"I don't know how cool it is if people happen to see a Pokémon pretending to be someone else with his pass on him and everything," said Christian warily.

"They won't. Besides, Houdini is fast. He'll be in and out in no time."

William kept staring at the Pokémon. "We'll use the ear piece to talk to him, tell him which way to go, what to pay attention to… Tell him to download everything onto…" He produced from his back pocket an external hard drive and handed it over to Houdini.

Houdini took it in both hands before bringing it to his human nose to take a whiff.

"Does he know how to use a computer? This isn't going to work," Christian shook his head at the ground.

"He's smart. If I can tell him what to do, it will be fine. I've walked him through all kinds of stuff before. He's a good boy." Katy reached up and petted Houdini's head, which would have seemed rather strange had anyone else been around to see her pet the head of an old man, who properly leaned into the love.

"Go ahead and check the equipment," William nodded at Katy.

She did as he said, turning up her trainer's brace and tapping the new camera application on her home screen. The display changed to a live feed of her looking at her brace. "Camera looks good. Let's try sound." She tapped the volume icon to move the slider up. "Testing, check, check." Her voice, received by the tiny camera on Houdini's neck, came back crisp and clear through her trainer's brace. "Excellent."

"Now make sure he can hear you," William instructed.

"I was doing that next," Katy said a bit irritably as she tapped the earpiece icon. It showed a microphone, ready for her to speak to her trainer's brace. "Can you hear me Houdini?"

The figure that looked like the old man nodded, still maintaining a creepy grin.

"Great!" said Christian, pumping his fist. "So… does that mean…?"

"Yep. We're ready," said William. He turned around and faced the large, mostly-glass structured building. It wasn't quite a skyscraper, but it wasn't terribly flat either. There were parts that rose to the sky in staggered steps of mini skyscrapers, leading up to a big letter A with a sweeping line crossing it.

What an original logo, Katy thought sarcastically. Nonetheless, they walked up to the double doors and she was pretty sure she could hear everyone take a calming breath, and maybe even a gulp from Christian. Registration was inside the lobby, as well as the pass check. "Okay, Houdini. Just show your badge to the person behind the desk when you walk through, and we'll tell you where to go from there."

The Zoroark nodded and walked through the automatic doors inside. Katy, Christian, and William all hid around a corner and watched Katy's trainer's brace, huddled around it.

In the camera's view, they saw several passersby. Men, women, and Pokémon. The person behind the reception desk looked up and smiled at Houdini as he approached. The Lickitung that flanked the receptionist unrolled its massive tongue to the floor at its feet, its beady eyes checking his pass. Houdini whipped it out closer to the Pokémon and practically shoved it in the Lickitung's face. Then the receptionist's.

"Right, Mr. McPherson! You're good to go!"

Houdini kept walking, ascending the stairs to the right of the desk. William spoke at Katy's brace. "Okay, Houdini. Take the elevator to the fifth floor. So, when you get on, press the button with a five on it."

The Zoroark did as he was told, boarding the elevator and promptly searching the buttons for the one with the five, followed by raising a single finger and firmly pressing the button, holding it in for a moment before releasing.

Christian sang along to the song that was playing on the elevator ride up, but Houdini seemed to keep his head straight. Once he'd arrived on the fifth floor, William gave him directions to the station Taron had used. Lo and behold, it was available and the machine was waiting for him. Houdini took a seat and stared at the screen.

"Shhhit!" Katy hissed. "His password!"

"Fuck," William turned around, putting his hands in his hair.

"You mean we got this far and we didn't even think about how we were going to log on to his machine?" Christian squeaked.

"Fwah," said the Ralts unexpectedly.

William turned back around. "What. Do you know it?"

The tiny Pokémon gave a single, confident nod.

"Oh my God, we are so lucky!" Katy clapped her hands. "Here, type it on my notes!"

Houdini had since turned his head to watch the office aquarium. There was an Arrokuda blowing bubbles at him.

The Ralts started tapping buttons on Katy's brace with her tiny hands. R-A-L-T-S-2-0-1-9. Again. How original. "Okay, Houdini. Type this in…"

With single strokes with his index finger, the Pokémon typed in the password Ralts had given them and pressed Return. Viola. They were in. Was it really this easy?

"Now plug the thing in and download everything!" said Christian.

"He doesn't understand that, Christian, we have to give him step-by-step instructions," Katy said calmly.

"Well hurry up before someone notices he's using the machine!"

When Houdini became distracted by a woman giggling loudly over the phone in the cubicle next to him, Katy had to reign his focus back in. She walked him through inserting the drive into the USB port, then the click through actions to download the files. Soon enough, the download had begun and they were in business.

"Ay, Doug!"

Houdini twitched his head around to see a young, but mostly bald man reaching for his hand.

"Good to see you again! It's been a while!"

Katy hissed, "Houdini, grab his hand."

Houdini promptly wrapped both hands around the man's outstretched hand.

"Didn't think I'd see you around these parts again, with you working from home and all. How's the remote life been treating you?"

"He can't talk," William growled.

"We're screwed, we're screwed!" Christian pulled his curls.

"Just nod, Houdini," Katy whispered to her brace. The camera moved up and down.

"Good to hear! Say, you know anything about the item fourteen two? Someone said you were in that last meeting," said the bald man, scratching the back of his head.

"Shake your head, Houdini." Katy kept her face close to her brace.

The camera moved side to side.

"Oh. Okay. Someone said you were there. I guess they were mistaken. Well, hey, it's good to see you! Take care!" He walked away.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close one.

And bingo! The download was finished. Katy talked Houdini through ejecting the drive and back to the elevator. A woman stepped on and a Baltoy floated in with her. She organized some papers while they rode down to the first floor—but the Baltoy kept staring at Houdini. Houdini stared back. "Don't—don't stare at it, Houndini. Just look forward."

The camera swiveled up to view the doors of the elevator. And that's where it stayed—until the Baltoy turned upside down and began spinning with a God-awful screech.

"B-Baltoy, what's the matter?" said the woman.

"Screee! Screee!" The Pokémon spun around and around.

Houdini tried to look forward, but it was apparent he was having difficulty.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what's gotten into her!" said the woman to Houdini. "She's usually so well behaved!"

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Katy demanded, "Hurry! Get out of there!"

Houdini took off at a sprint and all three chimed in.

"No, no, no!" they said, "Don't run! Walk!"

The Zoroark slowed down and ignored the receptionist when she said goodbye and the Lickitung that unfurled its tongue again, briskly making his way out the doors and back to his trainer.

"Good boy! You did it!" Katy hugged Houdini as he shifted back to his fuzzy self.

"Aark." He turned to William and handed over the drive he'd been given.

"I godda admit," William shook the drive between Christian and Katy. "You guys got some impressive Pokémon."

"Thanks!" the younger two said in unison. Then they giggled at each other for having been so in-tune. "So, now what? We find a computer and see what's on it?"

"That's right. After some food." William turned and started walking.

The Zoroark went back into its Ball and Katy and Christian followed. They didn't need to be told twice; they were starved.