Chapter Nine - The Hunt for Answers
Rosa never thought she'd find a city beautiful, but after traveling on the ferry for five long days, the sight of Castelia City's lights twinkling across the bay nearly brought her to tears. From her place on the bow of the boat, Rosa could see endless skyscrapers stretching towards the clouds, reflecting sunlight off their windowed surfaces. It was incredible, the number of people that could fit in one place.
They'd reach the harbor any moment, and the crew was bustling about preparing for the passengers to unload. Beside her, Hugh tapped his foot impatiently and fingered his black leather gloves. He'd been nearly insufferable the past few days, despite their conversation the other night, but knowing they'd soon be at the port had brightened his mood from stormy to restive.
An intercom sounded overhead, and a deep voice droned, "We've arrived in Castelia City. All exiting passengers, please collect your things and go to deck three. We thank you for traveling with us, and hope you all enjoy your day."
It disconnected, and Hugh snatched Rosa's arm and nearly sprinted for the exit. "Hold on a second Hugh!" She cried, adjusting her bag on her shoulder before it could drop. "We'll get off regardless of how fast we go. Relax!"
They merged with the swell of people flooding the boarding area, and one by one, the travelers filed through the exit and descended the steel ramp onto the dock. Hugh's brooding eyes never left the city's skyline as they disembarked, and when they stepped onto the harbor, Rosa heard him heave a heavy sigh of relief.
"You seem a bit stressed, Hugh." She joked as they walked down the dock to the outer street that drew a circle around the city. Around them, other passengers prattled enthusiastically to their companions, no doubt enjoying being off the boat just as much as she was. The air still smelled strongly of salt, but Rosa could detect a slight tang of city smog mixed in as well. "Are you wanting to get back on the ferry?"
"Shut it, Rosa." Hugh grumbled as he shed his jacket to allow the sun to touch his bare skin. The navy t-shirt he'd worn underneath was slightly wrinkled, but she doubted her friend cared. "As soon as I find the HM Fly, I'm never traveling by boat again. Ever."
"But we had such a good time together."
"Ever."
She had to tilt her head towards the concrete to hide the grin tugging at her mouth. Rosa knew she was acting giddy, but she was so grateful to be back on land she couldn't help it.
They stepped onto the black asphalt of Castelia's wharf and stopped to survey their surroundings. If she'd thought Aspertia's population too much, Rosa knew she'd have never survived Castelia. There were people everywhere. Masses of them hurried down the roadways, all preoccupied in one way or another as they moved about. Vendors yelled at passerby to draw attention to their wares, tourists puzzled over their maps and argued over sites to visit, and Rosa overhead a group of trainers ask where the gym was located. The insane busyness of it all was overwhelming, but Rosa refused to be intimidated.
Squaring her shoulders, she turned to face Hugh. "I'm assuming you're off to do your own thing?"
He nodded. "I know you want to explore a bit, but I'm going straight to the gym. There's certain to be a crowd there tomorrow, since it'll be the weekend, so I want to get it out of the way before I search for Plasma. You'll let me know if you hear anything about them, right?"
"Of course."
"Good." Hugh tucked his jacket over his arm and nodded in farewell. "See you later, Rosa."
"Bye."
He strolled off in the direction of Burgh's gym, and within seconds was swept into the crowd. Saying goodbye felt bittersweet, but if she was being honest with herself, Rosa was kind of glad to be on her own again. Hugh's crabbier side could only be handled in small doses.
Inhaling deeply, Rosa started walking. She was unsure where to even begin looking for Plasma, but if there was suspicious activity happening in Castelia, the locals would likely know more than anyone else.
Her feet crunched noisily against the pavement as Rosa chose a street at random and followed it into the main section of the city. Shop windows lined the road she'd chosen, beckoning tourists to purchase glitzy clothes and overpriced food. In Aspertia, only travelers visited the shopping centers, so Rosa avoided those and continued walking. As she went, she overheard strings of conversation from those passing by.
"The Central Business District is the heart of Unova's economy, but you can't even find a place that sells cheap Casteliacones?"
"They can't close the Skyarrow Bridge, Mom! Make them open it so I can go!"
"Well she graduated top of her class, so it shouldn't be a problem-"
"Take that poor Pokemon to the Name Rater and give it a name that's actually decent. The old man has lived in Castelia for over forty years – surely if you can't think of something less stupid, he can."
Forty years?
Rosa's attention turned to the set of middle-aged men in business suits heading the opposite way. They both carried briefcases, and as one with a bald spot twisted his arm to check his watch, she saw a gold-printed logo reading Game Freak etched on the side of his case.
"Excuse me!" She called, tightening the grip she had on her travel bag as she chased after the men. They didn't hear her through the crowds of other people, but Rosa picked up her pace and followed the men around the street corner.
The balding man scratched his nose. "I still think Pickles is a cute name."
"For a Tyranitar?"
"He likes pickles, okay?!"
"Excuse me." Rosa huffed, poking the younger of the two men on the shoulder with more force than necessary. He whipped around at her touch and extended his arm back like he was going to smack her with his bag, but the agitated expression he wore melted as quickly as it had appeared.
"What is it, Miss? Can I help you?"
She swept a lock of hair behind her shoulder and pulled the map from her bag. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I overheard you guys talking about the Name Rater. Could you possibly tell me where I could find him?"
They exchanged relieved looks, though she wasn't sure what they'd been nervous about, and the balding one nodded. "Of course. If you go to the Central Plaza on the west side, there's a building near Route 4 where the Name Rater works. You can usually find him on the ground floor, sitting in the reception area. He's an older gentleman with massive eyebrows like Zigzagoon tails – honestly, you can't miss him."
"Unless you're an idiot who's too stubborn to change his Pokémon's name and relieve it's suffering."
"You leave Pickles out of this!"
"Thank you." Rosa said, tucking the map into the pocket of her jeans. Hopefully the map's programming would help her find the building they'd indicated, but Castelia was large enough she was still worried she'd get lost. "By the way, you guys haven't heard anything about a group named Team Plasma, have you?"
Again, they exchanged looks, but this time the expressions they swapped were confused.
"I'm sorry, Miss." The younger man said, adjusting his Christmas-colored tie even though it wasn't crooked. "I've never heard of them. Have you, Brian?"
Balding's eyebrows drew together. "Afraid not. Sorry, Kid."
Rosa sighed and ran a hand through the free strands of hair swaying by her cheek. She hadn't expected a helpful answer, but an irrational part of her had been hopeful anyway.
"That's alright, you've been very helpful. Thank you both for your time. And by the way – I think Pickles is a perfectly charming nickname." She bowed her head respectfully, then turned the other way and started down the street for the Central Plaza.
As she started back down the street, Rosa pulled the map from her pocket and used it to navigate her way through the city. Claustrophobic tension strained her shoulders, but she did her best to keep her expression serene. The roads leading to the Central Plaza were far lengthier than any of the paths in Aspertia, and every so often, Rosa would have to stop and ask a passerby the way. Some of them were helpful, but most stomped past her without so much as a sideways glance.
She really hated cities.
The Central Plaza was a welcome sight. Unlike the rest of Castelia, the Plaza wasn't composed of massive skyscrapers and business towers. Instead, lush vegetation and a variety of tree species expanded the spherical area, shielding it from city noise. Forest Pokémon hung lazily in branches and scurried across the grounds with little care for the humans surrounding them, and Rosa was perplexed by their comfort until her eyes found a wooden sign reading, "No Catching"
Stepping onto the grass, Rosa sighed and allowed the waves of anxiety pulsing through her system to subside. The moment she creamed the gym and finished chasing all the low-life Plasma scavengers away from Castelia, she was taking the first route out.
Being in the square made finding the Name Rater's building much easier. The west side of the plaza was composed of only a few cafes, a bookshop, and the designated tower that loomed over her ominously. She paused briefly at the bookshop window to peer at the collection of printed treasures lined upon wooden shelves, but forced herself to walk past and enter the tower.
The reception area was quiet at least. Shining granite tile floors gleamed under florescent lights, and she could hear the administrator typing behind his desk at the front. To the right of the space was a sitting area with stiff-looking couches, a gray-patterned rug, and several large armchairs.
Only one of them was occupied, but Rosa's heart jumped when she realized it was an elderly man with a warm expression and caterpillar eyebrows.
When he caught her watching him, the man straightened and smiled. "Why hello there, young lady! Come to rate the names of your Pokémon, have you? Well, I can certainly help with that. Come here, come here. Keep an old man company for a moment."
His voice was earnest and gentle, and it washed over her like warm water. She hesitated at the question pulling at her. How often did he get visitors? "Well actually, I-"
Abruptly, the Name Rater sprung from his chair and swiped the first Pokéball from her belt. Rosa let out a cry of protest, but the gentleman was already rolling the collapsed ball in his fingertips and humming thoughtfully.
"So, this Pokémon's name is Zaveid, hmm? That is quite the name, but I think we can do a little better, don't you?"
He pressed the center button, and the capsule poured scarlet-colored light into the room as it opened. Zaveid stretched lazily and opened his wide jaws in a carefree yawn, but when he realized the person who'd released him was not his trainer, his back arched aggressively and he ripped the razor shells from his hips.
"Whoa Zaveid, no!"
She darted forward and snatched her agitated otter around the waist. He squirmed in her embrace and attempted to bring his shell down on her arm, but then his charcoal eyes lit with recognition and he drooped like a sack of potatoes.
"My, he really does have a fighting spirit, doesn't he? I can tell you've raised your Pokémon with love and care, just by the way you two treat each other. Such bonds bring joy to my heart!"
Rosa raised an eyebrow. If only he knew.
With a beaming smile, the Name Rater scrunched his fuzzy eyebrows together and said, "For a wonderful Dewott such as this, I have the perfect nickname. Little one, your new name shall be Dewey!"
Pickles would be better off not getting his name rated.
Revulsion twisted Zaveid's expression. Rosa felt his anger as he writhed in her embrace and used his paws to try and pry her arms open, and she had to collapse on the ground and trap him with her legs to prevent him from breaking free.
"That is a very kind offer," Rosa panted, heaving back her Pokémon as he chattered furiously at the man, "But I think we'll stick with Zaveid for now. I didn't actually come here to change my team's nicknames – Zaveid, you're being a punk! - I just needed to ask you a question."
Genuine surprise flashed across the gentleman's face, but a caring smile quickly stretched his mouth and warmed his eyes. "Oh, is that so? Well then, I'm happy to help a young trainer if I can. What is it you wanted to ask me?"
"Have you," She locked both arms around Zaveid's thin belly and pinned him firmly against her stomach. "Heard of a group of people that go by the name of Team Plasma?"
She puffed and used her wrist to brush a stray strand of hair from her face. This conversation was taking up more time than she'd thought it would.
A humming sound buzzed in the man's throat as he returned to the chair he'd been sitting in. His eyebrows scrunched as he twisted his head this way and that, and she felt her heart flutter painfully.
Was this a dead end?
"Well, I don't personally know anything about them. It's funny you ask, because I've only heard the name once, and it came from a young woman who was in here just a few hours ago. She was asking me if I'd recently rated names for trainers using any of the three Unova starter Pokémon, like your Dewey there. So I told her, I said, 'Of course! I get people coming in all the time!'
"Well, she looked sort of panicked, and asked me if any of them were wearing blue outfits with the letter P on the front. 'Course I told her no, I haven't seen anyone like that here. But she told me to keep an eye out for folks calling themselves Team Plasma, then she left in a mighty hurry. Nice girl, very nice. A bit ditzy, perhaps."
Rosa chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully, momentarily forgetting the unhappy Pokémon in her arms. Ditzy, huh? There was only one girl she knew that was like that, but it couldn't possibly be the same person.
"Sir, do you happen to remember what that girl looked like?"
He laughed. "Certainly! I may be old, but I can remember a face from a few hours ago. Now let's see here; she was short, kind of like how you'd imagine a pixie to be, with blonde hair. Her jacket was bright orange, and on her head, she wore this humongous hat that reminded me of a delicious mushroom!"
A groan built in her throat, but Rosa smothered it before it could escape.
Bianca.
Rosa tapped her fingers rhythmically against the café table's wooden surface, trying her best not to look anxious as she awaited Bianca's arrival. The inside of the Spinda Café had been sweltering hot, so she'd opted for a table on the cobblestone patio outside. Thankfully, the lateness of the afternoon had left the restaurant practically empty, but she could still hear chatter from passerby on the street.
Rosa's legs bounced restlessly underneath the table, but Anna maintained a peaceful expression as she sat on her trainer's lap and rested her head against her chest. Despite the intensity of the emotions Rosa knew she was giving off, her Riolu had insisted on sitting with her.
There was no reason for the stress she was feeling, but pushing it aside only made the prompting that something had happened worse. Her Pokémon's company hadn't necessarily made her feel better, but the death grip Anna had on her fingers was reassuring.
The one or two other customers eating at surrounding tables occasionally shot Rosa curious looks, but she kept her head down and ignored their prying eyes. Bianca would be arriving any minute, and she didn't want to look anymore rattled than she probably already did.
"Rosa?"
She drew a deep breath at the voice and lifted her head. Bianca was standing in the patio entryway, her mushroom hat tilted sideways as she observed. When their eyes met, the assistant let out a happy squeal and wove through the tables.
"Rosa, I've missed you!"
Anna didn't move to allow Rosa to stand, but Bianca plowed into her chair and clumsily threw her arms around her neck. The young woman's grip was strong despite the thinness of her arms, and Rosa had to force herself not to squirm when her air supply was temporarily cut off.
"I've missed you too." Rosa lied, twisting her head away from Bianca's blonde curls. She felt Anna's weight shift as well. It had been almost two months since she'd last seen the spunky assistant, but she would have been happy to keep their record going. Not that she'd ever tell Bianca that.
At last Bianca pulled away, but she snatched the nearest chair and scooted it as close to Rosa's as possible. The scraping of metal against rock made her cringe, but Bianca didn't seem to notice as she asked, "So how have you been? It's been so long since I last saw you, I almost didn't recognize you. You look amazing – just like a trainer. I think traveling helped you lose the last of your baby fat!"
"Erm, thank you Bianca." Pressure built between Rosa's brows, and she had to squeeze Anna's paw to prevent herself from massaging her forehead. The Riolu's jaded eyes flashed up to stare at her in concern, but Rosa ignored her gaze. One conversation would not kill her.
"And you've caught such a cute little Riolu!" Bianca's smile stretched all the way to her ears as she leaned over to stroke Anna's ears. Rosa felt her Pokémon cringe, but Anna didn't pull away as Bianca's fingers smoothed her dark fur. "You're so lucky, Rosa! Professor Juniper says female Riolu are extremely rare, with the ratio of male to female being around twelve and a half percent. That's amazing!"
Like a mother talking to a newborn child, Bianca cooed, "Isn't that right, little one? You're one of a kind. Would you like to come sit with Auntie Bianca?"
Eagerly, Bianca reached out to snatch Anna up. Sharp streaks of pain laced through Rosa's fingers as Riolu's claws dug into her skin, but Anna didn't fight back as she was transferred onto Bianca's lap.
"Anyway Bianca," Rosa said, snubbing the guilt creeping through her at Anna's alarmed expression, "It's nice to see you and everything, but I'm afraid I don't have a lot of time for catching up. I called you here because I needed to ask you something."
"And what would that be?" Bianca was too busy making faces at Anna to glance up.
"Someone told me you're searching for Team Plasma. I want to know why."
The assistant froze. Blood drained from her round face, leaving her ghostly, and when Rosa tried to catch her gaze, her forest eyes fell towards the table. Anna took the opportunity to leap from Bianca's lap and bury her head in Rosa's stomach.
"You know about them?" Bianca whispered.
Rosa nodded.
"How?"
She shrugged and wrapped her arms around Anna's waist. "I ran into them a few times back on the island, and they're causing more trouble than I'm comfortable letting them get away with. I'm sure you know what they tried to pull a few years back – about their ridiculous plan to take over Unova?"
Rosa felt stupid that Hugh had had to tell her. Such a story should have been all over the news, but it seemed the media was skilled at keeping citizens in the dark. "Why do you look so scared, Bianca? Did something happen?"
Bianca looked away. "I'm not supposed to say anything. Professor Juniper told me not too."
That didn't sound good. "Not to anyone?"
She shook her head.
"Why not?"
Bianca rested her elbow on the table and placed her hand in her cheek. "I just can't."
This conversation was going nowhere fast. She wished she could just leave it alone and let the assistant have her silence, but Bianca was her only lead. Even if she didn't know where to look for Plasma, maybe Bianca could shed some light on what motivated them (she wasn't buying the Pokémon liberation gimmick.) Without Bianca's information, she'd be back to square one.
"Bianca, please." Rosa's eyes turned pleading. "I don't want to get you in trouble, but this is important. They're stealing Pokémon and threatening trainers, and I need to know why."
Again, Bianca shook her head.
"Hugh and I had to stop Plasma grunts from attacking innocent people back in Virbank. One of their Watchogs tried to make a chew toy out of a woman's arm. They're not messing around, Bianca. Please."
Rosa watched a wave of conflicting emotions dance in the assistant's eyes. She seemed to want to say what she knew, but Bianca respected Professor Juniper's opinion above all else. Getting her to go against her idol's wishes could be impossible.
Bianca chewed on her bottom lip and stared at the cracks in the table for a long time. She had her hands in her lap, but Rosa could see her fidgeting with the silver ring on her finger.
Come on, Bianca. Please.
Exhaling heavily, Bianca finally brought her eyes up to meet Rosa's. Her hands were shaking, but the girl tightened them into fists. "If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone else? Not even Hugh?"
Rosa frowned, but nodded curtly.
"I mean it, Rosa. No one else."
"I promise."
Bianca closed her eyes. "Team Plasma attacked Professor Juniper's lab last night. All of the new trainer records are gone."
A/N Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed the latest installment of "my Pokemon journey wasn't supposed to be this way". You know, I really want to use this author's note to thank all of you guys for your support. Stories are more fun to write when there are readers out there enjoying them, so I'm really grateful for all of you who've stuck with me so far. You guys are all awesome!