Lucas was very content with how his day had gone so far, all things considered.
Sure he had run into that creep by the lake thanks to Barry, but that little incident had mostly left his mind after everything that came after it. He got to see Barry after being away for the past few months, and then he had the chance to battle him with a Pokemon of his very own, with it being one of the rare regional starters to boot.
After he had grabbed his stuff from home and had said his goodbyes, he had made a beeline to Sandgem town to see if he could catch up to Barry. Of course, the mere idea of catching up to that embodiment of hyperactivity was wishful thinking, and by the time he had reached the quaint town, Dawn had spotted him and let him know Barry was already well on the way to Jubilife.
But before he could continue trailing his friend, Dawn had brought him inside Rowan's lab, as the Professor had wanted to have a few words with him. The conversation had started with basic things as the Professor had wanted to get to know him and Barry a little better. It made sense, considering he'd granted them the unique opportunity of being partnered with such a rare Pokemon. He seemed happy with Turtwig's mannerisms, stating that, "You two have been together for less than a day and you're already rubbing off on each other!"
Which he supposed was true. Turtwig was definitely enjoying her time with him, and he was with her. But as they made small talk, he slowly got the impression that Rowan was building up to something. His suspicions were confirmed when the researcher turned his back for a moment and began rummaging through his desk.
It was a strange feeling. Lucas didn't know exactly what had happened, but the moment the Professor turned his back to him, he immediately got the feeling that something was off. Whatever it was, it wasn't inherently dangerous, but he felt inclined to keep his guard up. So when Rowan finally turned around and stepped towards him, Lucas remained cheerful as not to raise suspicion, even if his gut disagreed with it.
And then his day got infinitely more complicated as the Professor explained the importance of the object he was giving him.
Lucas stopped walking to allow Turtwig to take a quick break, and he sat down at the base of a tree. The shade provided some protection from the surprisingly warm weather, something that was unusual for an autumn afternoon. Getting comfortable, he pulled out the Pokedex that the Professor had given to him an hour or two ago. He flipped the device open and peered at the first entry, Turtwig.
Rowan had given him basic instructions on how to use the so-called 'Pokemon Index'. Point the scanner at a Pokemon and it would display detailed information about both the individual Pokemons' status and its species as a whole. Catching a Pokemon would automatically register the details to the dex, regardless of if it was scanned or not.
Of course, Lucas already had a decent understanding of the device's function, and it's value. The Professor's explanation earlier was merely another unexplained courtesy from this morning. Had he not been trying to maintain a cheerful demeanor at the time, his jaw would've been on the floor. He wasn't once to look a gift ponyta in the mouth, nor was he going to when he inevitably saw the man again, but the idea that a world renowned Professor just gave him such an important and expensive piece of tech was simply baffling.
A soft hum drew his attention away from the enigma and back to his new partner, who had drawn closer and was looking over his shoulder. Turtwig was staring intently at the Pokedex's screen, and he gave her a warm smile when he realized what she was doing.
"Well aren't you smart! Did the Professor teach you to read?" She smiled at the praise, but shook her head at the question. He let it go unanswered and instead looked back to the screen. "What do you think, is this stuff accurate?"
Her eyes skimmed the blurb of text on the screen. She nodded at him once she had finished reading, and Lucas chuckled. He slid the Pokedex into his bag and stood up, deciding that their break had been long enough. He was making excellent time and if he continued at this pace, he'd be in Jubilife City by noon.
Their pilgrimage continued, with Turtwig leading the way through the forest. Trees were sparse here, allowing sunlight to blanket the trail in warmth. Turtwig trotted ahead of him and Lucas was left to examine the world around him.
If anything, Lucas was surprised with the lack of trainers on the route. The only other person he'd seen so far was a boy that had been running towards Sandgem earlier. Turtwig had fought the boy's Bidoof earlier, winning the battle and sending the kid on his way.
A yelp brought him out of his thoughts as he realized that Turtwig had vanished. His head turned towards what he thought was the direction o f the noise. Ahead of him was a split in the path, one curved off to the left, while the right one continued forwards into denser forest. Another yip pointed him to the right, and he tore down the path. He felt his phone buzz briefly in his pocket as he ran, but he ignored it. Vaulting over a fallen log, Lucas came across his Turtwig once more.
Playing with a Shinx.
He sighed in relief upon seeing this, as he had thought the noise was a cry of pain, not happiness. Turtwig noticed that he'd arrived and meandered over to him, speaking with the electric-type as she went. Lucas looked at the Shinx and gave a friendly wave. "Who's your new friend, Turtwig?" he asked cheerfully.
His partner looked towards the 'mon in question, and the two began talking to each other, leaving Lucas out of the conversation. He sat down on the log and spectated their bantering for a few minutes, before checking the time on his phone. He looked back at them.
"Alright, we gotta keep walking if we want to make it before noon." His pokemon nodded, then glanced at the Shinx. Lucas shrugged in its direction. "I don't mind if you walk along with us."
Just like that they were off again, with Turtwig and Shinx orbiting Lucas as they chased each other on the hike to the city's entrance. The rest of the trail was much more dense than the earlier segment, and he started wondering how it had gotten so overgrown in the first place. This was the main trail to Jubilife, after all. Or….maybe it wasn't? There was a split in the path earlier that he ignored.
Looking up he saw the skyscrapers of Jubilife growing ever closer, telling him that yes, he was on the right path. In the distance he saw light pouring onto the path up ahead, signaling the exit of the denser forest. Upon seeing this, Shinx immediately whined and took a step backwards, before falling onto its hind.
Lucas glanced at the little Pokemon, before squatting down to its level. Shinx turned its head back towards the forest, then downwards. The hesitation on its face was clear as day.
"You don't have to follow me." He spoke, a warm smile on his face.
Shinx looked at him again, caution replaced with curiosity. Lucas merely nodded. "Leaving home is hard. Believe me, I know. And you're young. If you choose to stay here, I won't be upset."
He pointed towards the tips of the city that poked out. "That's where I'm going next. It's a very different place compared to this forest. I won't blame you if you're scared. But if you want to come with me…" His arm reached behind him and produced a Pokeball, placing it on the forest floor. "It's your choice."
Shinx sat in thought for a good minute pondering the sphere in front of it. Then another. Lucas's legs were starting to ache from squatting. Right before he was about to stand up, Shinx slowly raised a paw, and took a step backwards. He gave a nod in understanding and reached to pick the ball back up.
Suddenly, Shinx's head twisted towards the side, focused on something. Lucas didn't even get the chance to fully turn when something big impacted his side, sending him sprawling onto his back. His head smacked against the ground and he saw stars. He could hear the cries of both his Turtwig and the Shinx, but something stopped him from pushing himself up. He felt something press down on his chest, pinning him. Blinking the pain away, he looked up at the attacker.
The first thing he saw was it's paw. It was massive, covered in a layer of black fur mixed with blue and yellow stripes, and with claws extended and digging slightly into his chest. Shuddering at the sudden pain, his eyes climbed upwards towards the rest of the body, and Lucas was face to face with a fully-grown Luxray. It was glaring at him, and he swore he could feel its yellow eyes pierce his soul.
He looked away, but it only served to amplify his growing terror. He was surrounded by a whole group of them, and he saw his partner being pressed to the ground in a similar manner by a smaller Luxio. Turtwig tucked herself into her shell, but the Luxio kept a firm grip on the 'mon. He couldn't see it, but he could still hear Shinx's cries somewhere nearby.
Shinx.
The dot's connected. One of these Luxray must be Shinx's parents. They probably thought that he was capturing the cub right under their noses. He winced in pain as the Luxray shifted its paw, its claws drawing cuts on his torso. His gut screamed at him to stay calm. Taking a breath, Lucas looked up at the one that had him pinned, taking care not to make direct-eye contact.
"I am sorry. I thought Shinx was on its own. If I had known that you were looking for it, I would've left it alone entirely." He spoke in a steady tone, trying to take his mind off the claws pressing into his chest. "If you let me go, you won't see me here again. I promise. I mean no ill will towards you."
For a moment, the only sound he heard was the heavy breathing of the creature above him. He kept his eyes downwards, desperately hoping that the Luxray would relax. The feline leaned its head closer, shifting more weight onto its paw and making him grimace in pain once more. He felt the electric-type's hot breath on his face and almost retched at the stench. Eventually, his eyes wandered upwards and met the Luxray's once more.
Another wave of fear immediately washed over him and he shuddered involuntarily. In the back of his mind, the word 'Intimidate' was swimming around, but it was irrelevant at this point. This Luxray was furious, and it made it's anger clear by putting more weight on its foreleg. Lucas wanted to scream as its claws dug deeper into his chest, but his instincts stayed resolute, almost commanding him to remain calm.
He heard more cries, and he spotted the Shinx dash towards him out of the corner of his eye. Both his and Luxray's gaze fell upon the Pokemon as it went to stand next to Lucas, before it started shouting at the bigger 'mon. It didn't take long for him to realize that it was defending him. Laying still, he watched as the Pokemon argued with each other in their language, occasionally taking glances at him.
Then things got worse. He didn't know what was said between the two, but he felt the Luxray tense up. In an instant, the feline raised its forepaw off his chest and slapped the Shinx hard, flinging it out of view. It huffed before turning and baring its fangs in his face.
Lucas only had moments to react before the Luxray struck, and his instincts had finally changed their tune, agreeing with his sentiment. Patience was no longer the answer to this conflict, it was action, and it was needed now. A single thought went through Lucas's mind.
Push.
He thrusted both of his hands forwards, and there was a brilliant flash of blue light.
~0~
When Looker had been informed that he'd be on escort duty for the next few days, he wasn't exactly thrilled. Of course, he understood that most other field agents were preoccupied and that someone had to fill in, but the thought didn't really convince him that a senior agent like himself should be the one assigned to low priority assignments like this one.
However Looker was a professional, and kept his complaints to himself. The other operative that he'd been working with recently shared his sentiments, but insisted that he stayed the course anyway. And thus, he was left to compose himself on the flight to Jubilife.
It didn't take long for his assignment to become complicated however.
Barry, son of the Tower Tycoon himself, was hopefully still sitting in the Jubilife Pokecenter's lobby where he'd last seen him. His father had somehow overheard the commotion that Candice had stirred up yesterday, and had pulled a few favors to get a security detail for his son for a few days. While Looker could understand a father looking out for his son, he felt that this glorified babysitting assignment was entirely unnecessary.
So when Looker had found him earlier, he tried his best to keep his disgruntled mood out of his expressions and followed standard procedure, making contact with the boy by informing him of who he was and other relevant details. The boy had nodded along in understanding, but as he explained a bit more Barry jumped in with some information of his own, causing Looker to falter for the briefest of moments. He told him that he and his friend had seen a strange man wearing strange clothes and blue hair earlier today when they had visited Lake Verity.
Looker's mind immediately flew to the information that was fresh in his mind. Interpol was currently focused on a new fringe group on the rise that called themselves Team Galactic. The group was annoyingly elusive, with their true intentions currently unknown to them, and he was sure that some of the higher ups were pulling hairs at their antics. But recently, there had been a sighting of a person that Interpol currently presumed was a leader within the group. The Snowpoint Gym Leader had informed them last night that she had spotted the man standing before Lake Acuity, mumbling to himself about Valor before hiking away.
That man had strange clothes and blue hair.
He had pressed the boy for details, but it wasn't much. Apparently, Barry had made the mistake of confronting the man and had to be bailed out by his friend, who'd pulled Barry away from him as soon as he could. When Looker asked where his friend was, Barry had helpfully supplied a description, along with a declaration of, "That slowpoke is probably still hiking his way up the trail here!"
Which led to where Looker was now. After ordering Barry to stay put, he had headed south and departed Jubilife, hiking down Route 202 at a steady pace. This Lucas had also confronted the strange man, and he would have to question him for information as well. If what Barry said was true, then agents would have to be stationed at each of Sinnoh's lakes.
Looker frowned. Two sightings of the leader at two of the lakes. He was already putting together the report back to HQ in his mind, along with the suggestion to post agents for stakeout at each of Sinnoh's Great Lakes. If they were lucky, the man would make an appearance again and could be apprehended for questioning. But the motives that could be implied from visiting the lakes didn't sit right with Looker. The senior agent could only think of a few select reasons as to why they would be a point of interest, and given the rumors surrounding them, none of them reflected positively on Team Galactic. After all, anyone that believed in Legendary Pokemon was either a child, or deranged.
But that report would be for later. For now, he wanted to see if he could procure any more information from Barry's friend. He looked up from his musings at the split in the path before him. One led into denser forest, the other to a more open section of land. He walked towards the left path.
Looker managed to take a whole two steps forwards before he was briefly blinded by a flare of blue. On reflex, his arm flew to cover his face from the light. Eyes squeezed shut from the flash, he wasn't quite prepared as a shockwave washed over him, causing him to stumble. He steadied himself as the worst of the explosion passed.
Years of experience guided his response. His right hand shot towards the Pokeball at his waist, while his other reached for his sidearm. His partner Toxicroak materialized beside him, and Looker held the pistol in his hands as he scanned the treeline for any movement. Ignoring the branches still swaying from the blast, the senior agent bolted towards the woods without hesitation. He signalled for Toxicroak to push ahead of him to scout the area.
Looker's frown grew. He didn't want to admit it, but feeling that wave of blue light wash over him had rocked him to his core. His hands were shaking. He positioned himself behind a large oak and leaned his body against it.
Forcing his hands to still enough that it wouldn't hinder his aim, the agent pivoted out from behind the tree and continued on. Looker pushed a branch out of his face and he spotted his poison-type in a clearing ahead. Toxicroak heard the brush move and whipped his head to look at him. The 'mon glanced to the side, before quickly gesturing for him to holster his gun. Looker hesitated, but he trusted his lifelong friend. He holstered the weapon and stepped into the clearing with his partner.
The first thing that his eyes were drawn to was the Pokemon. A sizable group of Luxray had congregated in the clearing, each of them sitting down and facing away from him. Near the center a much larger Luxray was also sitting on its rear, looking down upon the figure in front of him. None of the Pokemon so much as flinched as he cautiously passed by them, trying to get a better view of the person. His Toxicroak was focused intently on them, and Looker had to freeze as well when he saw the boy that was sitting upright.
His eyes noticed the blood first. A fair amount of it coated his shirt, making it stick to his chest. The boy, who had to be Lucas, wore an expression akin to bafflement towards the entire situation. Both of his hands were pressed against the Luxray's chest, half buried in fur. Looker had to do a double-take as the teen gingerly removed his hands from the Luxray, before settling them back onto the ground, glowing a faint blue.
The feline raised itself back up on all fours, prompting the rest to follow suit. The leader bowed its head for a solid two seconds before darting away into the forest, followed by the others. Looker watched as the Luxray vanished into the dense greenery, before slowly turning to Lucas. His eyes stole another glance downwards, confirming for himself that it hadn't been a trick of the light. Shit.
Looker finally realized what that glow meant, and was mentally berating himself for not recognizing it sooner. Human usage of aura was ridiculously rare but he had seen it himself before. He would question Lucas about it, but for now...
"Kid, are you okay?" He went down on one knee and waved his hand in front of his face.
The boy blinked and shook himself out of his stupor, looking at him. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."
His eyebrow rose. "You're covered in blood. You're not in any pain at all?"
The teen shook his head. "I know that I'm covered in blood but I'm good, I'm good. Who are you?"
He gave him another lookover before standing up, extending a hand. Lucas took it and the agent helped him to his feet. Their eyes met.
"Call me Looker. I work for the International Police." He shook hands with the teen, and he couldn't help but drift downwards again, glancing at the fading glow that surrounded Lucas's palms.
"My name is Lucas," he spoke, then frowned. "You're staring. Do you know why my hands are glowing," Lucas asked, breaking off from the handshake and taking the chance to inspect his hands.
Wait, what?
"You...don't know why they're glowing?" Looker questioned, concern creeping into his voice. Lucas shook his head, confusion plastered on his face.
"No, should I?"
The senior agent felt the beginnings of a migraine stirring in his mind and he resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Lucas, I'm going to have to ask you to follow me. We can talk about that," he gestured to the teen's hands, "on our way to Jubilife. Alright?"
"Yeah, sure, but let me find my partner first." The teen turned back towards the edges of the treeline, cupping his hands around his mouth. He called for his partner Turtwig, and a cry was heard off to the right, causing everyone present to turn in its direction.
Toxicroak was the first there, dashing over from where he stood with Lucas following close behind. Strolling over as well, Looker came across two Pokemon next to each other. There was a Shinx splayed out on the ground, bruised but conscious, and a Turtwig standing defensively next to it.
Looker saw the grass-type's nervous eyes shoot to the side, and he followed their path to Toxicroak, who then turned to him. With a nod of understanding, Looker grabbed his Pokeball and returned the large poison-type, before turning back to the younger mons. The grass-type visibly relaxed upon seeing large poison-type vanish into the Pokeball.
Lucas had already kneeled down to their level, trying to calm the Pokemon down. He glanced towards the Shinx, who was struggling to get on all fours, and watched as it collapsed back to the ground. He turned back to his partner.
"You were protecting Shinx, right?"
It was less of a question than it was a statement of the obvious, given the situation. There was a pause, before a warm smile grew on his face. "I'm glad you're both okay." He turned back to the electric type. "Here, I'll carry you. You can't walk in your condition."
Arms outstretched, the trainer went to scoop the Pokemon up in his arms. But the second he made contact, the light returned to his hands, startling him. The glow began to spread, first covering his hands entirely, then moving over a portion of the cub's blue fur. Looker watched quietly, the azure hue lighting the shady patch they sat under. A moment passed and the trainer pulled away as the glow died down, letting Shinx back onto the ground.
As if it hadn't been injured moments ago, the Shinx sprung to its feet and dashed in circles, new energy flowing through its body. Looker glanced over to Lucas, who was studying his hands and occasionally looking at the newly revitalized 'mon. The electric-type in question suddenly bolted into the brush, before returning with the Pokeball from earlier. Shinx abruptly dropped the ball and tapped the button with its paw, allowing itself to be captured.
Shaking his head in mild disbelief, he stepped forwards and squatted down, picking up the ball and looking it over, before clipping it back to his belt. Lucas turned towards his partner, a smile on his face. "Turtwig, you wanna keep walking or would you rather get in your ball?"
The grass-type in question almost looked insulted at the question and proceeded to walk past him, back towards the trail where Looker stood. The agent in question couldn't help it this time, and instinctively pressed his hand against his face in exasperation. Standing back up, Lucas walked over to them and got a smug look from his Pokemon. "Alright, I get it, it was a stupid question, lets go," Lucas said curtly, fighting to keep the growing smile off his face.
When they had travelled a little bit further down the path, Looker decided to begin asking his growing list of questions. Looking up at the slowly growing cityscape he said, "I have a few questions that I have to ask you, Lucas, if you don't mind."
His head tilted towards him slightly. "Is this about the glowing, or…?"
"No, but we'll get to that. I'm here on Interpol's behalf, conducting an investigation on a suspicious person. I heard that you had an encounter with a strange blue-haired man?"
"How did you..."
Before the teen could even finish formulating a response, Looked palmed two Pokeballs from under his coat and lobbed them upwards. A Porygon appeared out of one, and a Hakamo-o out the other.
"Hakamo-o, soundproof the immediate area. Porygon, start a recording." The two Pokemon went to work, as if it were routine for them. The diminutive dragon stepped in front of them and began to focus on an unseen force. A moment later it's scales started oscillating rapidly, filling the air with a strange hum.
Meanwhile, the Porygon began hovering above them and in response to the hum, became covered in a soft white glow. Immediately the humming lessened, and Looker glanced at his Pokemon, giving them a brief smile.
"How did I know about your encounter?" The agent asked, finishing the boy's sentence. "I spoke with a wildly overenthusiastic boy named Barry, and he told me about it." He paused, before taking on a more serious tone. "Interpol believes that he may be linked to an extremist group, and is trying to build a profile on this man. To put it simply, I'm asking for any information you may have seen or heard from your earlier encounter."
He turned back towards Lucas who was looking at his partners. Looker took the chamce to explain. "It's a combination of Hakamo-o's Soundproof ability, and Reflect." he explained. "Our immediate area is currently soundproofed to the outside world. It's to make sure no one hears anything their not supposed to." Lucas nodded along in understanding, and Looker continued. "Please, tell me everything that's happened to you this morning up until you got away from the man."
Lucas recounted his morning to the agent as best he could, answering his questions with the little knowledge he had. It wasn't much to work with, but Looker was sure Interpol would be eager for the info nonetheless. Once he was sure the topic had been exhausted Looker shifted gears to the questions at the forefront of his mind.
"So how long have you known about your ability with aura?"
"Is that what it's called?"
"The question, please."
"I only found out about that just now, I promise. One of those Luxray was going to gut me and I was trying to shove it off and get away. I pushed it right before it attacked, there was a big flash of blue and just like that, they had all calmed down." Lucas looked up at the agent, who was silently pondering the explanation.
They continued walking in silence, Lucas patiently waiting for his response. Eventually, Looker nodded to himself. "Alright, I'll believe you for now."
"You will?"
He shrugged. "Mhm. I'll even keep it out of the official report...for now. However, I can't just let a teenager with strange, uncontrollable powers wander around. That can only end poorly."
"So...what are you gonna do about it?"
He chuckled. "I'm not really going to do anything. I'm going to make some phone calls, and have someone much more qualified in the field do something about it. After all, I can't just drop what I'm doing to help you with your abilities. I have my own issues to deal with."
Another nod. Before he could get his next question out though, Looker pointed forwards. Up ahead was the very clear outline of Jubilife City, the distinct satellite dish on top of Jubilife TV's tower a sure indicator of it. Looker recalled his Pokemon, and had Lucas follow him through the city
Lucas continued trailing behind the man, keeping the same pace as Looker led them to a familiar orange building. The doors slid open as the two of them stepped inside, and Lucas immediately spotted Barry, who was staring at the TV screen. The agent pulled the boy aside. "I'm going to be right back. Stay with your friend, and don't go far. And don't tell him about your ability."
He gave the teen a look, and Lucas nodded. The trainer headed over to Barry, and Looker walked the opposite direction, heading down a hallway deeper into the Pokemon Center. He passed a few doors as he read their labels, and stepped into the first conference room that he saw. The room was empty, and Looker stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
He palmed a Pokeball and Hakamo-o rematerialized, it's scales rattling together. Looker gave a signal and it nodded as the strange hum returned. Porygon reappeared as well, curbing the sound slightly. Pulling out his burner, he flipped the phone open and dialed his supervisor. Two rings went by before his call was answered.
A woman's voice spoke into the receiver, "Metagross."
"Braviary", Looker responded, identifying himself. A pause. Then, "Agent Looker, report."
"Ma'am. Contact was made with the initial VIP of the operation. VIP provided information confirming the target's appearance in Lake Acuity. Information led me to his friend, who also had an encounter with HVT. Leaving VIP under care of my Pokemon, I found aforementioned friend and questioned him. Porygon will forward you the recording of his interview." He motioned to the 'mon in question, who glowed white briefly before nodding back to him.
Her voice returned. "Recording received. I'll forward it to the eggheads, see if they can extrapolate anything else out of it. Anything else?"
"No ma'am."
There was another pause before her voice came back again. "Alright, the official transcript is done. Anything to add off record?"
He nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "A few things. With the information that I gained today, I'm going to request that I'm taken off babysitting duty and moved elsewhere. The confirmed sighting implies that the target will either be visiting Lake Valor next, or has already been there. Either way, the kid's not in danger."
His supervisor hummed in agreement. "Noted. I'm sure Palmer will be happy to hear it. Any reason you didn't record Barry's questioning?"
"It was nothing we didn't know already. Poor work, I know. Bite me."
Looker huffed, trying to piece together a way to explain Lucas' ability. A slight chuckle came through the receiver. "I heard that. Is it that bad?" Her voice said, shaking Looker out of his musings.
"Of course not. It's just a bit different than what I'm used to."
"Alright then. What's this other thing?" His supervisor questioned
"Right. It's about his friend, Lucas. Apparently he's an aura adept."
This time the pause was longer. Looker sat in one of the chairs, waiting for a response, and eventually she spoke again.
"Go on…"
"I was looking for the kid when a big blue flash nearly blew me off my feet. He was defending himself against a pride of wild Luxray, and his ability essentially pacified the whole group. It also healed whatever injuries he'd sustained before that. The kid's shirt was covered in blood, but he was completely untouched. Lucky no one else was around to see it." Looker scratched his head. "I know we don't have any aura users on staff, but does this info check out with what we know about it so far?"
He heard a keyboard clacking away on the other end.
"I'm not sure," she eventually said. "Any reason you didn't want to put this in the official report though?"
"Ehh, I didn't want to be the one that files a mountain of paperwork that goes along with finding an adept." He waited, before hearing a sigh on the other end of the receiver as Agent Faraday groaned. "You're making me do it, aren't you."
"Sorry about that." he said nonchalantly.
"Fine, whatever, I'll get you back another time. But what are you going to do about him?"
"Well, I was going to ask you if there were any Sinnohian adepts on that list, and then see if they wanted to train him."
More keys were pressed and Faraday hummed. "The closest one to Jubilife on the list is...registered as Riley Terlan from Iron Island."
"Works for me. Call him and see if he can help train Lucas' abilities."
She actually laughed at that one. "Now that's funny. You've just dumped a massive pile of paperwork on me, and you're still trying to get me to do more? That's just rude. I'm sending you the number, so you can see if he's willing to help." She said smugly.
The older agent couldn't really argue with that. His phone buzzed in his hand as Riley's contact info came through. Faraday continued talking. "New orders are already in for you. You are to head to Oreburgh to supplement security for the new Gym Leader's inauguration. You are also to escort both of the teens there. Palmer is already there as part of the ceremony, and wants to speak with them.
Looker resisted the urge to groan.
"On the bright side, you'll be reassigned to actual work once they get to Oreburgh." The agent swore he could hear chuckling on the other end of the receiver. "If that's all you have then I'll leave you to it", Faraday's tired voice said through the phone. "Keep me posted."
"Of course."
The dial tone met his ears. Ending the call, he went to his messages, where Riley's number had been sent by an unlisted number. The phone went back to his ear as the second call went through.
It was answered on the first ring. "Hello?"
"Is this Riley Terlan?"
"Who is this?" A voice questioned.
"My name is Looker; I work for the International Police. Are-"
"Interpol? What the hell do you guys want now? Last time I was asked to help you guys I nearly got killed!" He said in an annoyed tone.
Looker made a mental note to ask Faraday about 'last time'. "Rest assured Mr. Terlan, Interpol itself doesn't actually need your services at this moment. Think of this as an agent asking a favor."
"And what exactly is this favor you need?" He questioned.
"Well, while on assignment, I came across a teen that has very recently developed abilities similar to yours."
There was an audible pause and both sides sensed the tension diminish.
"I..well, shit. I…" there was another pause, and Looker could definitely hear him muttering under his breath. "Okay, so much for my vacation, stuff like this takes priority. Should I meet you somewhere...or?"
"If you're busy I could ask anothe-"
"No, no it's fine. I'll do it. Give me a location."
The agent checked his Poketch, and considered the distance to the inauguration.
"Can you make it to Oreburgh City by tonight?"
"That's going to be a busy scene. I can make it though. Where will I find you?"
"Call this number back when you're in the city, and we'll work it out there. Understood?"
"Got it. I need to gather some things now, but we'll talk later. Bye."
The dial tone returned once more, and Looker closed the burner phone. He flashed his Pokemon a thumbs up as he pulled out their balls, returning them. Their smiles dematerialized in a flash of red, and the agent allowed himself a brief smile as well.
It didn't last though, and Looker pulled himself out of his memories and shuffled out of the conference room. Heading back towards the lobby, he spotted his temporary charges looking up at one of the many televisions in the Center. The news was blaring a developing story in Johto that he ignored, and the duo turned upon his approach.
Barry spoke first. "So, what's the deal?"
Looker looked him in the eye.
"Get your things. We're going hiking."
~0~
Tonight was one of those nights that reminded Mars just how much she enjoyed her work.
The operation was simple, and she'd committed the files from earlier to memory already. Tonight was one for celebration, as a new Gym Leader was being inaugurated. Roark Tougan, son of the so-called 'Man with the Steel Body' himself, was following in his father's footsteps and becoming a Rock-type Gym Leader. It wasn't every day that a new Leader gets sworn in, with Mars recalling the last one in Sinnoh's roster being...Maylene?
It didn't really matter to Mars though. What did matter, was that a ceremony like this was attended by some of the more important figures in the region. Cynthia showing up was a given, along with the Elite Four, and it was characters like these that held Mars' interest tonight.
The operation was simple. Reconnaissance. The Commander was to observe the festivities as the night progressed, while Jupiter did her PR spiel. Saturn would be observing through live-cam, giving her info and further instructions if needed.
The operation was simple.
But Mars wanted a challenge.
The primary objective of the night was reconnaissance. But the secondary objective was a bit more involved. After all, planting a bug on the best trainer in the region would be without question a risky maneuver.
Mars peeked out from the wall she was leaned against. There were a few stragglers of the ceremony in sight, but none of them were facing her. Everyone was gathered further down the road for the event. She turned to Purugly and gave a nod and the duo stepped out from the shadows. Her current outfit fit the surroundings, a hoodie to help conceal her face and a pair of loosely fit sweatpants. It was a chilly night after all, and who would suspect her of being anything other than a curious teenager.
Granted, she basically was a curious teenager, but that only helped her disguise even more.
She began heading towards the crowd of people that were gathered outside the Gym. There was a stage that had been hastily set up by a Rock or Ground type, of some sort that the large crowd of people were gathered around. Mars stuck to the outskirts of the masses, watching the ceremony from a distance. Onstage, she could pick out a few people. There was the man of the hour himself, Roark, with what she presumed was Byron close by. She spotted Jupiter sitting amongst the various spokespersons off to the side, dressed in a navy blue suit. And of course, the unmistakable long blonde hair of Sinnoh's Champion.
Saturn's voice came through her earpiece. "The ceremony itself is winding down right now. Cynthia is going to say a few more lines before concluding, and then Roark is going to hold some exhibition matches."
She processed the information. "Who's fighting him?"
"Besides Byron, we don't know. Jupiter's itinerary didn't specify the others."
A raucous applause erupted from the crowd, and Mars turned to see Cynthia stepping backstage, her speech clearly finished. Most of the other presenters followed behind her, including Jupiter. Roark remained onstage, and gestured forwards. The audience took a step back and Mars watched as a much larger platform was lowered into the ground, creating a makeshift stadium in the ground. The new Gym Leader turned behind him and welcomed the much more familiar Byron onto the stage. His father waved to the crowd, and Mars stepped away. Sure the battle would be interesting, but she had other things to do.
She whispered quietly to the microphone hidden on her neck. "Jupiter, you have an update for me?"
There was a brief pause before Jupiter herself spoke. "Yes. Cynthia and the Elite Four are backstage, but they're going to be leaving soon. They're sticking around to watch the first battle and leaving afterwards. It'll be risky Mars."
She resisted the urge to scoff.
"Keep me updated." She whispered before heading towards the stage. The crowd grew thicker as she weaved between the spectators, making her way closer to the opposite side of the field.
The Champion's popularity was working in her favor tonight. There was a crowd of people clamoring near her and the Elite Four as well, asking for autographs, challenging them to battles, whatever. Most of the spokespersons had already left, but Mars spotted a few, including her fellow Commander. An idea started playing out in her head.
"Jupiter, I need you to lure Lucian away from the group for a minute. It doesn't matter how, just get him away from the target for a moment." Watching her comrade, she saw Jupiter glance her way and nod. Taking that as her cue, she joined the crowd that surrounded Cynthia, pushing herself closer to the woman in question.
The Champion was giving an autograph to a group of children at the moment, and once she looked away, Mars took her opportunity. "Excuse me, Miss Cynthia?" She asked, feigning nervousness. The expert battler turned her head and their eyes met. "Yes?"
"Could I get an autograph too?" Mars asked, pulling out an empty Pokeball for her to sign.
"Of course," The Champion said with a smile. Taking the Pokeball in one hand, the woman looked down and began signing it. Which was exactly what Mars wanted. The moment she looked down, Purugly looked up.
And used Hypnosis.
Mars and Purugly had already run similar scenarios before, on other, less important missions. They worked fast. Mars took the Pokeball out of Cynthia's hand and thanked her, keeping up appearances for both of them. Purugly rubbed up against Cynthia's leg and Mars watched as a tiny dot of yellow attached itself to Cynthia's leg.
A bug in every sense of the word. The Joltik in question would keep itself scarce, as it was trained to, and its thoughts would be monitored daily by one of the psychics on base. Purugly dropped the hypnosis and Cynthia snapped out of a trance that she didn't even realize she was in. She spotted the feline for a second time, none the wiser. "Oh I didn't even notice you down there! Is this your Purugly?" She asked cheerfully.
She maintained the facade. "Yes she is. It seems that she's taken a liking to you." Purugly rubbed against her legs once more. "Well, thank you very much Miss Cynthia," Mars smiled and turned away, leaving before the Champion could even give a response. Leaving the crowd opposite of the direction that she'd just come, Mars and Purugly ran away from the crowd. They dashed through Oreburgh's streets, until she was sure they were far enough away from the action.
Panting slightly from the brief sprint, she spoke into the mic. "Saturn, can you confirm that the bug is secure and functional?"
"...Confirmed. Excellent work Mars. Continue to maintain overwatch on the festival until otherwise informed."
"Understood." The commander leaned back against a wall for a moment and stretched her arms. She was getting a little chilly, but at least the hard part was over. Pushing herself off the wall, Mars meandered over to the prearranged lookout spot, an abandoned construction site.
Jumping the fence, she headed up the stairs and sat down on a plastic chair that someone had left there. She unzipped her bag and pulled out a pair of binoculars, taking a seat to continue her surveillance. Purugly hopped up into her lap, warming both of them. From her vantage point, she could clearly pick out faces in the crowd, spotting Jupiter, Cynthia, and a few others.
She rested the binoculars on the ground and stretched her arms. If Jupiter's itinerary was correct, then she had a few minutes of repose before she'd be ordered to pull back. Leaning back, she closed her eyes to take a quick rest.
"Orbeetle just lost connection with the bug."
Well, so much for her downtime.
"Isn't that your problem, Saturn?" Mars jabbed.
"Everything's fine on my end." He protested. "Something compromised the Joltik. Mars, Jupiter, I need some eyes on Cynthia."
She picked the binoculars back up and peered through them, looking for the blonde. Mars spotted her quickly, along with the crowd she was with. A couple of teens, some dude in a blue getup, and an older man in a brown trench coat. She watched as he flashed a badge towards the Champion.
"Jupiter, I suggest you vacate your immediate area. I spot at least one Interpol agent, likely more nearby."
There was a moment of silence, in which Mars watched as Cynthia interacted with the agent and the person in blue. The blue person had his palm outstretched in front of him, as if he was holding something. The two kids were standing off to the side, watching them interact. Perhaps they were relatives of some sort?
A voice came through the receiver. But not the one she expected.
"Commander Jupiter, I need a closer visual of the group."
"Y-yes Master Cyrus."
Mars continued watching from afar, picking out Jupiter in the slowly dissipating crowd. She was staring right at the group from a distance, not daring to disobey Master Cyrus.
"Is this close enough, sir?" She asked anxiously.
"Yes. Mars, Jupiter. Return to base. Saturn. I want a copy of both of their live-cam videos."
"Of course Master Cyrus. Anything else?"
There was a moment of hesitance, which was rare for the leader. "...No. Send me the videos immediately, I have some things to consider."
There was a click of feedback as Cyrus presumably walked away. Mars let out a sigh and peered through the binoculars one more time. More people had gathered around the group. She spotted the Elite Four, Byron and Roark, and another blonde whose name she knew but couldn't quite place. Jupiter wasn't anywhere to be seen, which she supposed was a good thing. She lowered the binoculars and put them back in her bag, before standing up. Purugly hopped off her lap, and Mars recalled the feline. She climbed down from her perch and threw her hoodie back up, disappearing into the dark as she headed back to base.
~0~
AN: I'm alive!
In all seriousness though, I didn't mean for this chapter to take so long to come out. I've been struggling to keep myself motivated on working on this fic, solely because of the fact that it's not high on my priority list. As fun as it is to work on this, school, work, and basically everything else comes before this fic. I'll try to post more frequently, but no promises.
So, onto the chapter itself. The first thing I need to mention briefly is what I spoke about in my previous AN, the wilderness communities. Essentially, this wasn't the best chapter to try and expand on it, and so there wasn't much mention of it in the chapter. It'll be more prevalent later on though, don't worry.
Also, Lucas has Aura. This was something that I'd planned from the start of this fic. Of course, he won't be the only one, considering Riley has to make sure he doesn't accidently blow something up. More on that next time we're in Sinnoh.
To the one viewer that asked which iteration May closest resembled, the answer is that she's more based on her Anime/Game appearances. As much as I enjoy the Manga's depiction of May, that version of her works because of the dynamic between Ruby and Sapphire.
And Brendan is currently in a different region.
In any case, I promise I'll try to post new updates more often. Until then, feel free to fav, follow, review if you're enjoying the story. Happy holidays, and see you next chapter!