Chapter Six - Stars and Studios
Rosa had never been a fan of construction zones, but then again, most of them weren't filled with Pokemon to battle. The Virbank Complex was built on the coastline near the city, and it was surrounded by enormous concrete walls that prevented the entrance of forest Pokemon on one side and flooding from seawater on the other. The unpleasant smell of salt water and rust clinging to warehouses made Rosa's nose wrinkle. The construction crew working at the site were likely used to the odor, but she didn't intend on staying long enough to grow desensitized.
There wasn't a lot of grass to wander around in, but Rosa made due. Her gym battle against Virbank's rock star heartthrob Roxie had gone smoother than expected, but she was still determined to put another training session behind her before leaving the city. Zaveid and Anna hadn't argued against the idea.
Well, not much anyway.
Workers passing by shot her strange looks as she wandered up and down the complex, and she even heard a few joke to each other about calling wildlife services to handle the 'enraged monster' that had gotten loose. Rosa rolled her shoulders and ignored them. There was no telling how strong the trainers on the mainland would be, and she wanted to be prepared to face them.
Somewhere along the stretch of hours training, Rosa realized she'd picked up another shadow. The pair of eyes burrowing into her back weren't threatening, but each time she tossed a glance over her shoulder to meet them, the puppy Pokemon following her would scurry away.
It was obvious Growlithe's presence was bothering Zaveid. Her Dewott's body was stiff as he finished off another Magby with a spray of his water gun, but the distinct scrambling of pawed feet padding behind them was suddenly too much. Whirling on his heels like a child's top, Zaveid let loose a powerful jet of water. His impatience made the movement clumsy, however, so rather than hitting the bothersome Growlithe, the blast of liquid soaked Rosa's leggings and shoes.
"Hey, watch it!" She complained as she skipped sideways. Zaveid's water tantrum halted, but he crossed his arms against his chest and chattered sullenly. Rosa rolled her eyes. "Good grief, there's no need to get huffy Zaveid. He's not hurting anything. If all the training is getting to you, then just tell me so we can take a break. Maybe you'll feel better with some food in you."
Rosa lifted one leg to wring out the bottom hem of her pants, then did the same for the other. Frigid water gushed between her fingertips and dripped onto the grass, and when she pressed her foot down, her shoes made squishing sounds. She heaved a sigh. Her clothes were going to be wet for a while.
It was a different experience to picnic in a construction site. Rosa sat cross-legged on the lawn between two warehouses and offered pokeblocks to Anna and Zaveid, who both tucked into their meals enthusiastically.
The breeze stirring the salty air was pleasant, despite the smell. She pulled a berry sandwich from her backpack, and while she ate, Rosa watched Virbank's massive steel crane move cargo boxes onto ships. "So what do you think, guys?" She swallowed the bite of bread and jam and cleared her throat. "We don't really have a reason to stay in Virbank, but we can do a bit of exploring if you'd like. I've heard Pokestar Studios is located just north of here. It's supposedly one of the largest film producers in Unova. Not that you guys care about movies, but it would be a break from training."
Zaveid grunted, but Anna looked up from her food to nod and grin. Her cheery gaze fell past Rosa to gaze over her shoulder, however, and her eyebrows knit in concern.
"What is it Anna?"
Growlithe was back. The latte-colored tuft of fur on his head stuck out every which way, and his gray eyes were fixed on the food in Rosa's hand. The hungry look in his eye reminded her of Zaveid, and Rosa chuckled.
She ripped off a square of bread from her sandwich and held it out to the puppy. Her expectation had been that he would approach her hesitantly or sniff at it, but instead the dog floundered forward and scarfed down the food like her hand had always been the one that fed him. Rosa doubted he'd even chewed the piece it was gone so fast, but then he ran his rough tongue along her extended fingers and whipped his tail furiously.
"Sakes, you are hungry, aren't you?" The container of pokeblocks was still sitting next to her lap, so she unsnapped the lid and poured a handful of food into one of her empty dishes. Zaveid observed the action jealously, but his gripe of protest was ignored as she placed the bowl of food in front of Growlithe.
Rosa bit thoughtfully into her sandwich as she watched him. Maybe he'd had a previous owner, and they had gotten separated somehow?
A loud buzzing sound pierced the silence, and Rosa's eyebrows drew together as she glanced over at her barrel-shaped bag. The container itself wasn't shaking, but the obnoxious vibrating was very apparent when she unzipped it to find the Xtransciever. She pulled it out and accepted the call.
"Calling again so soon, Curtis?" She asked dryly. "Are you already worried I've given your Xtransceiver away?"
"More worried you'd forgotten you have it, actually."
A valid point, as she had in fact done just that. It was information she would keep to herself, however.
"Well I don't know what to tell you, I have a life you know."
"Aspiring trainers usually do." He replied, chuckling. "But it's only been a week. You should really be keeping track; I don't want you overcharging me when I get my Xtransceiver back."
"I'll overcharge you anyway. And I don't remember telling you I was a trainer, so why are you assuming that?"
He laughed again, the same heavy-chested one from before. "You're right, I'm sorry. I know what they say about assuming. Are you actually a trainer?"
"Are you?" She shot back.
"Yes and no."
"That's vague."
"So are you."
She ground her teeth together. He was good. "Fine, you're right. I'm a trainer from Aspertia City, and I'm working on getting my gym badges so I can challenge the Unova League. Happy? Your turn." Rosa tugged at the grass, but stopped when Anna placed a soothing paw on her arm.
"You're a trainer from Aspertia City, and you're working on taking the champion's title. That's a more impressive life than you're making it out to be. Not just anyone can go after the league. How many badges do you have?"
"That's not fair, Curtis. I don't give away all my information for free, so you're going to have to cough something up too. And I don't like talking to strangers anyway, so the more you say, the easier this will be for both of us."
He hesitated. "I'm not a trainer, but I work with a lot of different Pokemon. A lot of my job involves traveling and talking to people about their relationships with their Pokemon, and even though it doesn't leave me with a lot of spare time, I still really enjoy it."
There was a pause, followed by the same inaudible chatter she'd heard during their last phone call. "Speaking of which, I have to go. Thanks again for keeping my Xtransceiver for me, Rosa. I know this whole situation is a bit strange, but I promise I'll pick it up as soon as I can."
Rosa touched the tuft on Growlithe's head. "Yeah, sure. No problem."
She waited for a reply, but the line had already gone dead. Rosa sighed and ran a hand through the length of her brunette hair. Curtis was nice enough, but his abrupt end to conversations taxed her patience. Was his work that busy that he couldn't manage a simple goodbye?
After a moment of thought, Rosa attached his Xtransciever to her wrist. If he was going to be calling often, she might as well wear it. It would be easier than digging through her bag all the time anyway.
"You know, you're awfully docile for a wild Pokemon." Rosa noted, turning her attention back to Growlithe. "Do you do this to all the trainers that pass through here? Play nice to get their food, and then run off to bait the next sucker? If that's the case, then I'm surprised you haven't been captured by now. That's pretty smart though, I'll give you that."
He yapped cheerfully as she spoke to him, which sprayed her with wet crumbs of food. Rosa involuntarily shuttered and wiped a saliva-damp chunk off her cheek.
Zaveid huffed moodily and took a defiantly polite nibble of the food he'd been devouring just seconds before.
Growlithe didn't finish his food, but he was still starving for attention. He leapt into Rosa's lap and pushed his fluffy head into her stomach, and when she scratched him behind the ears, his rumbles of satisfaction were overly dramatic. There was something comforting about him, though. She stopped and leaned backwards on her hands to look at him, and the puppy's eyes grew wide and sad.
Rosa snickered and rubbed the side of his face affectionately. "You're a dork, Growlithe. No manners at all. And you get on Zaveid's nerves."
His wagging tail whipped harder.
'But I think you're exactly what this team needs. I've been meaning to find someone to balance Zaveid's mood swings anyway. Would it be okay with you if I became your trainer?"
There was a sharp gasp behind her, followed by pained wheezing. Rosa flipped her head around to look at Zaveid, who was choking on the piece of pokeblock he'd been eating. Anna, who was beside him, reached out a gloved arm to hit him rhythmically on the back until his breathing steadied. Zaveid's body shuttered, and then he shot Rosa a dumbfounded look.
"Hush Zaveid, you can get along with anyone if you put your mind to it. What do you say?" She grinned down at the Growlithe on her lap and fluffed the tuft of fur on his head, "Would you like to come along with me? It won't always be easy, but I'll look after you. We'll look after each other."
Growlithe pushed his head into her stomach again, and Rosa laughed. She pulled her bag over to her and rifled through its contents until she found a spare pokeball. The sphere expanded under her touch, and as Rosa tapped it against the pup's head, he disappeared in a flash of light.
The ball didn't shake and shutter like Anna's had. Its rocking motion was as gentle as the sea, and when it clicked, Rosa smiled.
"Sven will be your name, after the famous top ranger. Stop scowling like that, Zaveid. Your face is going to freeze."
Pokestar Studios appeared to be the earthbound version of a galaxy. Every surface seemed to twinkle with light. An iridescent golden pathway stretched out to the main square, then broke off into four sections at a bubbling fountain that marked the intersection. Each segment was easily discerned by the individual building resting on its property, but their white column-style architecture reminded Rosa more of fortresses than modern structures.
The cascade of lights wasn't the only part of the studios that drew attention. Every corner was packed with people. There was a massive gathering of screaming admirers outside of the filming studio, but they were held off by velvet rope and security officers wrestling to control the crowd. "Don't reach over the rope," Rosa heard an officer roar at a group of overly buoyant women. "Touch any of these actors and you're out!" The girls appeared to be in their early twenties, but most of them had sheet straight hair and wore glitzy outfits that did little to cover their skin. They were practically tripping over each other to get closer to the rope.
Curious to see what was going on, Rosa pushed through the crowds to get a better view. The gathering of tightly packed bodies shoved her every which way as she wriggled through them, but she clutched her bag against her chest and pushed back until she'd reached the front lines. It had been difficult to discern what was being said from far away, but now that she was part of the crowd, some of the voices untangled.
"Stu, pleases cast me in your next movie!"
"I love you Stu Deeoh!"
"Will you autograph my copy of Love and Battles?"
"Please take just one picture with me!"
"Is Christoph really in the studio right now? Please send him out!"
A headache was forming between Rosa's brows, but she stayed where she was and stood up on her tiptoes to catch a glimpse at the man catching so much attention.
He wasn't young and gorgeous, as Rosa had anticipated. The gentleman was older, probably in his sixties, and the flashy pinstripe suit he wore wasn't doing his bulky build any favors. Neither was his silver hair, which was styled like three pushpins sticking out of his head. His sunglasses covered his eyes, but the prideful smirk etched across his face was enough to showcase his emotions. Rosa was surprised she hadn't immediately recognized him: Stu Deeoh was the most famous film director in Unova.
"Now now, just relax everyone. I'm glad you all love my work, but I can't cast just anyone in my films. Each actor must be strong! Elegant! Awe-inspiring!" Stu twirled in a circle, surveying the crowd. "Who could my next star be? Not just any person! Not just any Pokemon! I require beauty to tug at heartstrings and please you wonderful fans!"
Oh, geez. Rosa thought as she watched the director flash a grin at a reporter's camera crew. Nothing about the entertainment industry made sense to her. Aspertia high school students bled celebrity gossip, so prior to graduation, Rosa had been up to date on things like music and upcoming actors. That had been months ago, however. There was no way she was going to waste time catching up.
"You, dear girl!" Stu Deeoh cried, suddenly thrusting a manicured finger in Rosa's direction. "Such long, flowing hair! Such courage in your eyes! You could be my next rising star!"
The crowd instantly fell quiet. Rosa's blood turned to ice as five hundred pairs of eyes fell onto her shoulders. Her body stiffened under their scrutiny.
Stu's slanted grin grew impossibly wider as he twisted his outstretched palm up and cricked his finger in a beckoning motion. "Come here, girl. This could be your first step into stardom! Come here so I can look at you better. Do not be shy! I know I am striking, but you are as well. Come here so the world can see you!"
Rosa's face grew paler than parchment. She shook her head and took a bewildered step back, but the masses of people behind her suddenly propelled her forward, guiding her to the velvet rope. One of the officers standing guard lifted it as she approached, and then Rosa was standing on the crimson carpet.
Nothing about this could be real. Rosa dug her fingernails into her bag as Stu whipped his sunglasses off and strode up to her. His steps were swaggered, and as the director cast his eyes over her, he tugged at his pointed beard.
"What is your name, girl?"
When she didn't respond, he tapped on her shoulders, and she jumped. "Ah, there we are! Got her heart started again!" He bellowed in laughter, and some of the watching crowd joined in. "It's natural to be nervous, but there is no need to be! You will be my next star, and then you will draw the attention of nations! Come inside the film studio with me, girl. Do not hesitate, come with me."
Rosa's thoughts were jumbled, but she managed to shake her head again. "I really don't-"
"Wonderful!" Cheering sounded around them as Stu threaded her arm through his, and then she was being dragged into the polished building behind them.
Despite the thundering voices, Rosa was very aware of the roar of blood rushing in her ears. The doors closed as she and Stu waltzed through them, and the secretary at the front desk chimed, "Welcome back Mr. Deeoh!" in a practiced voice before returning to her work.
"Mr. Deeoh." Rosa murmured, tugging at her arm. His chatter was enthusiastic as he talked about other actors and went on ignoring her.
She tried again. "Mr. Deeoh, I'm not-"
"She would have been my grand prize, you know! Strong, sophisticated, completely beautiful! She would have had my audiences in tears!"
"Mr. Deeoh, I'm not interested in-"
"But she hurried through Virbank City without visiting me, and I couldn't reach her in the Unova League! It's so well guarded – imagine this! Those sentries wouldn't let me in to give her my invitation to be in my newest film! They just kept demanding I show them my gym badges! An incredible man like me, being mistaken for a trainer – can you believe it? Now she'll never be a star, of course, as she disappeared not two weeks after I tried to visit. Such a tragedy for the art world!"
"Mr. Deeoh, there is no way I'm going to be a movie star!"
The man's grip slackened as he gaped at her, and Rosa ripped her arm away and stepped away from him.
"I'm sorry, but I have never been interested in the entertainment business, and I could never be one of your painted show birds! Such a thing would be degrading to myself and my Pokemon, and believe me, my Dewott is already vain enough without an audience to feed his ego."
"Relax, dear Rosa," Stu suddenly interrupted, holding out his hands. She blinked when he used her name. She hadn't told him what it was, had she? "I'm not going to use you as an actress."
"How do you know my name? Do we know each other?" Rosa asked, stepping back further.
"Don't be silly girl, I'm far too busy to know all of my fans! Professor Juniper asked me keep an eye out for you, as well as your friend Hugh. She wanted me to give you this."
Stu reached into the inside pocket of his pinstripe suit and pulled out a white envelope. He handed it to Rosa, who swiftly tore the seal and pulled out the blue laminated ticket inside.
Rosa's eyebrows rose. "A ticket for the seaport?"
He bobbed his head. "Of course! You'll need it to reach the mainland, as you don't yet have a Pokemon that can carry you across the water. I owed the lovely professor a favor, so I promised to help get you little Duckletts to Castelia City! She didn't want you spending your money on such trivial things such as travel. Isn't that just like the elegant Juniper to be so caring towards children?"
Rosa's eyes scanned the ticket again, and she was pleased to see it was only good one way. She wouldn't be able to return to her little island. How unfortunate.
"Thank you for passing this along to me, I know you're very busy." Since becoming a trainer, Rosa had earned more than enough money to purchase her own seaport pass, but it was nice knowing Juniper was mindful of her and Hugh. She tucked the ticket inside her bag. "Tell Juniper thanks from me as well."
Rosa paused then, fingering her bag uncertainly. She'd been panicking too much to really listen to his earlier rant, but now that her pulse had returned to a normal rhythm, she was curious.
"Sir, about something you said earlier, when you were talking about Champion Touko. You said that she disappeared. But well, that can't be right. Everyone knows Touko went traveling abroad to the Johto region two years ago. Her departure was all over the news."
Champion Touko was well loved in the Unova region, and had been known for guarding her position in the league jealously. Her personal life was somewhat of a mystery, but Touko was an icon to the trainers studying in Aspertia. Teachers who had met her boasted of her passion and kind-hearted nature, but far more rumors flew about her Pokemon's insane strength. It was said she could take out a challenger's entire team using only her Serperior. By Rosa's junior year, Touko had become the very image of perfection to Aspertia's student body, and many vowed to reach the league just to have the chance to meet her. There had been several sets of swollen red eyes the day Touko's departure to Johto had been announced, but the female population found solace in gossiping that she had left to search for a special 'friend'.
Rosa glanced up to shoot Stu a half smile, but was astonished to see his usual cheer had morphed into wicked smugness. The old man tugged on his beard and raised a furry eyebrow, and when her eyes tightened uncertainly, he smirked.
"Really?" He leaned close enough she could see the rim of gold in his eyes. "So that's what they're telling people, eh? Well dear girl, I have been a director for long enough to know that there is only one thing you can rely on with absolute certainty: the media lies. And if you're still skeptical, then tell me why Touko hasn't had a single news story reported on her since the day they announced her departure."
Rosa stepped away from him, hardly believing what the older man was telling her. Everyone knew Touko was in Johto. They hadn't publicized her reason for leaving, but she'd always assumed it was because the champion wanted to experience more than just Unova. That was completely understandable. It was the same life Rosa wanted herself. But Touko wasn't gone. She wasn't missing.
Was she?
Stu Deeoh seemed to think so, because he was observing Rosa's conflicted state with bitter amusement. "Listen girl, I'm not saying you should believe me. Even though I am very well informed. Fame has many benefits, you know. But if you want the truth, I'd suggest doing some research and coming to your own conclusion. No harm has ever come from investigating."
What he was saying couldn't be true, but as Rosa searched his eyes for hints of deceit, she came up empty. Her heart sank. How could Champion Touko just vanish? Had she run away? There was no reason for anyone to harm her; everyone adored Touko.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." She couldn't accept it. Not until she knew for sure.
Stu clapped his hands together, shocking her out of her thoughtful state. "Well then, I must be off. Creators of art are very busy, and I simply cannot spend any more time with you. I'll let Professor Juniper know her gift has been delivered, and that it was well received." He paused. "Oh, but Rosa, one last thing. I'd ask that you don't go to the seaport right away. I heard from my guards that there are some shady people lurking about by the ships! My sources say they were out there protesting – about Pokemon liberation, or some Trubbish like that - but Juniper would never forgive me if she knew I let you get tangled up in that! It's best if you watch a movie or something until the situation is cleared up."
"Shady people?" The blood drained from Rosa's face. Her last experience with shady people hadn't been a good one. "Do you know if these people have a name?"
He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I don't quite remember. My guards said they were some sort of team. Did it start with a P? Team Plaque, maybe? Team Pain?"
Rosa bristled. "Team Plasma?"
"Oh yes! I believe that was it."
There was no way she was letting them get away with what they did to Hugh. She wasn't sure she was ready to face the man with the Stoutland, but how could she not go? "Thank you for everything, Stu. I really appreciate it."
She nodded her head respectfully, then briskly walked towards the studio's entrance. Rosa couldn't see Stu's face, but he sounded panicked as he cried, "You're not going after them, are you Rosa?"
Oh, yes. She certainly was.
A/N: Sorry for the late update! My goal is every Friday, but I had a busy week. We're finally starting to get into the story, and I'm getting excited guys. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. As always, have a lovely day!~