~ Chapter 55 ~

Route 212, The Pokémon Mansion

"Part of being in the family business means running deliveries for my uncles sometimes. When I was working on the ranches in the summer it was usually just a trip over to the next town—or a quick day trip a few towns over using the train. But, now that I was travelling around the Sinnoh Region, my job was to deliver Pokémon to other locales and places where my uncles couldn't get to as quickly. This time it was delivering a batch of 'Baby Pokémon' to a man named Mr. Backlot at his mansion on Route 212. Just south of Hearthome City, and north of the rainy, swampy marshes of Southern Sinnoh, Mr. Backlot was known for two things—his beautiful gardens filled with Pokémon sold by the Accardi Sinnoh Ranch, and his generosity at allowing travellers and Trainers to catch these otherwise rare Pokémon for themselves if they could prove their kindness to him."

The radio hummed and whirred as Alyssandra tried to tune it in to some music. She was thoroughly surprised however when a warning beep blared through the speakers.

It was the sound of an emergency update from the Pokémon League—everyone in Sinnoh knew it.

"This is the Sinnoh Emergency Broadcast System. This is not a drill. Please stay tuned for further information. This is not a drill."

The Sinnoh Emergency Broadcast System, or SEBS for short, was the sole property of the Pokémon League, and was usually followed by a live speech, or broadcast, from the Champion. That meant Valentina was going to be on the air soon, talking about something important.

"Hello my fellow Sinnohans. I am Champion Valentina, as some of you may know. Sadly…I come before you today, not with good news, but with a warning."

Sam and Alyssandra looked at each other as Sam took a corner, hands firmly on the wheel.

"Unfortunately, it seems the Black Claw Gang has made its way to Sinnoh. These infamous group of criminals and Pokémon Poachers, who have the audacity to call themselves 'businessmen', think they can come to our Region and do what they please with our people, and our Pokémon."

There was a pause for effect.

"I am here to warn them, if they are listening, that they are sorely wrong. We will not back down—we will not let you harm the Pokémon of this region. We will stop you, even if we have to fight to the bitter end!"

Cheers from the live crowd that Valentina was likely addressing.

"We will find where you are hiding, and we will fight you wherever you may appear. We will push you from our island, and we will never surrender!"

More cheering followed, louder and longer this time.

"Too long have you abused Pokémon for profit. Other regions have tried to stop you and bring you down—with no results. But I warn you, Black Claw Gang, the people of Sinnoh are hardened and tough. We will be the ones to crush you!"

Valentina paused again.

"I am pleased to announce to you all today, that we have started up an official taskforce. The Anti-Black Claw Coalition, consisting of members of Interpol, and the Sinnoh Police Department, as well as the Sinnoh League, and is funded by the Accardi Pokémon Ranch in Sinnoh, and the Pokémon League. Myself, alongside our former Champion, Cynthia, and Luciano Accardi himself, will head this Coalition. Our hope, is that with time, we can add the ranks of other regions to our Coalition of justice, and together we can end the Black Claw threat once and for all!"

The people cheered again.

"In the meantime, there is something you all can do as people of Sinnoh, to assist in our fight against the Black Claw Gang. The Pokémon League will be offering cash rewards to any and all people who bring forward substantial information about the Black Claw Gang, their whereabouts, or activities. Any information that leads to arrests will be given double the reward. You can report suspicious activities to your local Police Force, or to your local Gym Leader."

"In the meantime, I promise to all of you that we will not rest until the Black Claw Gang has been eradicated from Sinnoh—and then, after Sinnoh, the world! We won't stop until every single one of them is in prison and has ceased operations."

The people cheered, and Sam shut off the radio. He couldn't hear anymore. Valentina's warning had become a legitimate declaration of war against the Black Claw Gang. A war funded by his family…and while it was a necessary war, it still worried him—especially after his last run in with the gang.

"This has gotten serious," said Alyssandra suddenly, "If Valentina's gone and done this. She's never been one for extremes, but she's really on the war path here."

"I don't blame her," warned Sam, "The Black Claw Gang is really the worst. You remember what they were like. I'm glad they're doing something about them."

Alyssandra nodded. "Yeah. I just hope everyone is careful. We don't need people getting hurt. The Black Claw Gang means business."

Sam agreed and halted the pick-up truck outside of the gates of the Backlot Mansion. The entire estate was walled off by an old stone wall—built generations ago. The Backlots were old money—like the MacAbres. And yet they were one of the biggest customers to the Accardi Sinnoh Ranch in the region.

They were one of the first big customers the Accardi Ranches had and continued to buy Pokémon exclusively from Sam's family to this day.

Sam was here today, on a special request from his uncle, dropping off a new shipment of Baby Pokémon to Mr. Backlot.

His uncle Lou had planned to come to Hearthome City to visit Fantina this week, but just before he left he received a rush order from Mr. Backlot, who needed more Baby Pokémon for his prize-winning garden.

When Sam met up with his uncle, Sam offered to take the shipment—and borrow the pick-up truck to do so—to Mr. Backlot, so that his uncle could enjoy his vacation without having to take a day away from it just to work.

Mr. Backlot was a unique customer. He never bought any Pokémon for himself. His Pokémon were for his prize-winning gardens. The Pokémon were there to provide companionship to the wild Bug Pokémon that came and pollenated the garden.

But they were also there to be caught, and offered as prizes, to Trainers that proved their pure heartedness to Mr. Backlot.

Any Trainer found worthy in Mr. Backlot's eyes was given the chance to catch Pokémon in his garden.

Baby Pokémon were rare, and Mr. Backlot's wealth, combined with his large amounts of Baby Pokémon made him a target for Pokémon Poachers and criminals.

Some of the Pokémon Sam was dropping off today was delivered from the other ranches—guard Pokémon; specifically, Stoutland, Granbull, Manectric, Arcanine and Houndour.

Alyssandra chose to come with Sam on this trip—while Niya and Jeremy chose to remain behind in Hearthome City and wait for their friends to get back.

A guard approached the car—coming through a small door in the side of the wall that led to a gatehouse. "Who may I ask, is coming to see Mr. Backlot?"

"Sam Accardi, from the Accardi Sinnoh Ranch," stated Sam calmly, "This is my friend Alyssandra De Rossi, she is assisting me in dropping off an order of Pokémon for Mr. Backlot."

"Can I see some ID please?" asked the guard, looking between Sam and Alyssandra.

Sam handed over his Breeder's License, with his name and picture on it. The guard looked it over carefully, to ensure it wasn't counterfeit, and returned to it to Sam.

He walked around the back of the pick-up next and peaked into the bed. He saw several well-secured crates made of trays that resembled trays of eggs. But instead of eggs nestled inside the cradle of the metal trays, it was Poké Balls.

The guard nodded. "One second, please," stated the guard as he walked back over to his guardhouse and radioed up to the house.

Sam sat there silently while Alyssandra nervously watched the guard.

This was her first time doing a delivery for the ranch, obviously—but it wasn't Sam's first rodeo. Though it was his first time making a delivery without one of his relatives there with him.

He tried not to let the nerves show.

A few minutes later the guard returned and smiled at Sam. "Welcome to the Backlot Estate, Mr. Accardi," he said, "The boss is up at the house waiting for you. And may I say, thank you for the new guard Pokémon—they're going to make our jobs a lot easier. Especially with the Black Claw Gang now in Sinnoh."

"You heard that on the radio too?" asked Alyssandra.

The guard nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I have my radio going inside the guardhouse at all times in case of emergencies like that."

"Good to know," smiled Alyssandra, worry gripping her.

"Thank you," waved Sam as he thanked the guard. He drove through the opening gate doors and drove up the pebble driveway as the gravel and stones crunched beneath the heavy truck.

They were up at the front door of the mansion within minutes. The whole way up Sam could see the beautiful topiaries of Pokémon, hedges, rosebushes, and flowers that made the Backlot Garden's world famous.

It was an explosion of colour and scent and wild Pokémon.

It was beautiful.

Sam and Alyssandra stepped from the truck as Sam put it into park.

Mr. Backlot rushed out to meet them. He put his hand out for Sam to shake. "You're here with the Accardi Ranch I hear?"

Sam shook the man's hand. Mr. Backlot's grip was firm, but not unkind. He was a burly man, but not tall. Stocky, with a beard and moustache and a cleanly laundered and pressed suit.

He smelled of expensive cologne and wore many bejewelled and shiny rings.

"I am, Mr. Backlot, sir," nodded Sam, "Sam Accardi. You probably spoke with my uncle originally, Lou?"

Mr. Backlot nodded as he walked over to the back of the van. "That I did. He explained to me you were coming by in this place. He got held up in a meeting back in Hearthome."

Sam nodded, not bothering to explain the truth.

Mr. Backlot introduced himself to Alyssandra, and then rubbed his hands together as he examined the trays of Poké Balls sitting in the bed of the pickup.

They were neatly packaged and wrapped, and tightly bound by cord and straps and sat perfectly on a pallet.

"I'll send someone out in a minute to retrieve the Pokémon," smiled Mr. Backlot, "Thank you very much for bringing these over. Considering the Pokémon, I keep in my back garden, I'd feel safer having some guard Pokémon around. Especially with the Black Claw Gang around."

Sam nodded. "Completely understandable. They're not to be trifled with."

"Ah, but where are my manners!" cried Mr. Backlot, "Come inside while you wait for that to be unloaded. Besides, there's still the matter of my payment."

Sam looked to Alyssandra who nodded enthusiastically.

The two of them followed Mr. Backlot into his mansion.

The usual fixtures of wealth greeted them; marble floors, long staircases, satin rugs, and expensive artwork on the walls. Vases and flowers and urns and decoration. Crystal chandelier. Giant mirrors.

Sam had explained to Alyssandra that the Backlots had made their money off of ore mining in the region. They held, at one time, the largest stake in the Oreburgh Mines and all metal production in Sinnoh.

Oreburgh Mines, Fuego Ironworks, and the shipping yard in Snowpoint were all theirs once.

But the family had sold off their interests long ago.

Now they made money through smart investments in the right companies and business.

This left Mr. Backlot more time to pursue his true passion—his garden and Pokémon.

Sam and Alyssandra were led through the narrow, white halls of the Backlot Mansion, until they finally reached a large library with a desk in the centre just at the end of a hall in the west side of the mansion.

Once inside the library, Sam could wall to ceiling bookshelves, ladders, a coffee table with two couches in the middle, and a large oak desk with a leather-backed chair near the far wall.

That far wall was actually a window, upon closer inspection; a massive window that looked out into the beautiful gardens behind the property.

Mr. Backlot sat down opposite Sam and Alyssandra by the coffee table on the left, blue couch.

"Can I get you two anything? Tea, coffee, water?" asked Mr. Backlot politely.

The two teens shook their heads.

Mr. Backlot nodded and returned to the business at hand. He pulled something out of his breast pocket—a chequebook—and continued his conversation with Sam from earlier.

"We had three break-in attempts in the past two weeks," explained Mr. Backlot, "Each time the attempts were not to get into the home, but to break into the gardens outback. Nobody was ever apprehended, but I've doubled my security detail on the gardens since."

"That must be scary," nodded Alyssandra, remembered her capture at the hands of the Black Claw Gang, "Do you think they're related to the Black Claw Gang?"

Mr. Backlot shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted, "No evidence ever suggested that from what my security found. We've had break-in attempts before. Usually they're trying to break into the mansion though—but even the attempts on the garden have been infrequent. All of a sudden we have three in two weeks?"

Mr. Backlot paused for a moment while he scribbled something on the cheque.

"I don't want to even imagine one of those precious Baby Pokémon ending up in the hands of scum like the Black Claw Gang," he grumbled as he kept scrawling, "They'd use them for profit, breeding, or experiments—and who knows what else."

"The Black Claw aren't friends of my family either," agreed Sam politely, "My family has gone so far as to help fund Valentina's task force. The Black Claw have been trying to steal from my family for generations. They were the reason we started training the Pokémon at the ranch."

Mr. Backlot nodded. "Oh, I remember," he smiled, "My gramps used to tell me the stories—sometimes I'd go with him. He'd go by to pick up his Pokémon and see the place near trashed. He helped pay for their first security system."

"Money well spent," smiled Sam.

Mr. Backlot laughed. "Oh, I'd say," he agreed, "It's because you guys stayed in business that I'm able to keep my going at my hobby. I garden for the Pokémon, and eventually they find homes with good trainings who appreciate good gardens."

Mr. Backlot finished with the cheque and handed it to Sam. His eyes flashed quickly over the numbers before he slipped it into the inner breast pocket of his jacket.

Sam was glad Alyssandra didn't get a look at how many zeros were on that cheque—she might've fainted.

"Thank you for your continued patronage, Mr. Backlot," thanked Sam gratefully, "Your family's business over the years have kept us running."

"A mutually beneficial relationship, then!" toasted Mr. Backlot without a drink. He chuckled to himself and then looked Sam over seriously.

"You're not working with the Ranch full time are you, Sam?" asked Mr. Backlot.

He was sharp.

"No, I'm not," Sam admitted, "I'm actually out on my Pokémon Journey right now with my friends. The rest of them are waiting for us back in Hearthome while Alyssandra and I made this pit stop. We were coming this way anyway, so we figured we'd help my uncle out. But I did work on the Ranches in the summers until recently."

"When you started travelling," finished Mr. Backlot with a careful nod, "Well, I think that's grand! All the skills of a Pokémon Breeder, with all the practical applications of a Pokémon Trainer who's gone out and experienced the world. Nothing like travelling to open one's eyes to the possibilities."

"What do you mean?" asked Alyssandra, finally gathering the courage to speak. Her words came out a touch louder than she intended and echoed through the giant room.

"I remember when I was young and travelling the world," explained Mr. Backlot, "I learned a lot about people, Pokémon, and most importantly, myself. I grew so much the years I was travelling."

"I feel the same way!" exclaimed Alyssandra, her eyes lighting up, "These past few months I feel like I have grown and changed more as a person than I ever had in my sixteen years in Twinleaf Town."

"You'll often find that is the case with life," smiled Mr. Backlot.

Alyssandra and Mr. Backlot continued to talk while Sam watched Alyssandra happier than he had seen her in days. She was happy—cheery even, sure—but not like this.

Not passionate and fired up about something she felt inside.

It was amazing to see.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

A maid entered shortly after, ushered in by Mr. Backlot's voice. "Excuse me, sir," she started calmly, "But the shipment has been unloaded and brought to the back garden."

"That'll be your cue to leave them," frowned Mr. Backlot, who was enjoying the conversation, "I'd love to have you over for dinner—but you have an adventure to get back to, and I like to be there for the Pokémon when we release them into the garden."

Sam nodded and stood up. "Next time we're in the area, we'll stop by and have dinner with our friends. How does that sound?"

Mr. Backlot smiled. "That's a splendid idea," he laughed.

Alyssandra shook Mr. Backlot's hand and said goodbye. However, before the two could leave, Mr. Backlot called out.

"Before you go!" he cried, reaching into his desk, "I want to give something to you, Alyssandra."

Alyssandra blushed and look at Sam for an idea of what to do. Sam simply shrugged.

Mr. Backlot approached Alyssandra and handed her a Poké Ball. "Inside is a Pokémon that takes time and experience to grow and evolve," explained Mr. Backlot, "A Riolu. Though not technically a Baby Pokémon, it was one gifted to me recently by a fellow from Iron Island. They're known for raising Riolu and Lucario and can supposedly use Aura powers like the Pokémon they raise."

Sam eyed the Poké Ball with interest. Lucario had always held an air of mystery and awe for him. A Pokémon he had always wanted to befriend. He would need to stop by Iron Island on his travels and try to catch a Lucario.

"You be careful now though," warned Mr. Backlot, "The Black Claw Gang is out there, and you're an Accardi. I wouldn't be surprised if they try to use you as leverage to rob the ranches."

If only Mr. Backlot knew.

Alyssandra thanked Mr. Backlot, before her and Sam were walked back to the truck outside the mansion.

The two entered the truck and Sam turned the engine over.

"Mr. Backlot only gives Pokémon to Trainers he sees as worthy," smiled Sam, "He must have really liked you. He must know you were a good person."

"I don't even know what I did," shrugged Alyssandra as she placed the Poké Ball into her bag.

"You helped him remember a time when he was happy," smiled Sam, "Probably some really good memories from his travels."

Alyssandra smiled.

There was silence.

Then, Alyssandra leaned over and kissed Sam on the cheek before turning the radio back on, opening up the window and staring out as the wind blew her hair.

Sam's face turned beat red and he looked out his own window.

Nothing else was said the rest of the trip.

Nothing else needed to be said—mostly because Sam was sure if he spoke he'd vomit out his heart.