HAY GUESS WHAT? Update, cool beans. Anyway. Slow chapter, yet necessary. Plot development, awfully tricky blighter that it is.
And now for something completely different. Check my profile for my complete updating schedule, because I'm rearranging and changing stuff up in preparation for rotating in new fics/fics that haven't been updated in like, years. GG is moving to bi-weekly; again, full sched is on my profile. Thanks guys! Y'all are awesome.
Disclaimer: HAPPY FREAKIN' CHRISTMAS I don't own anything but this story and the disctinct assorted background characters, as well as the specific characterizations of the canon characters and a new phone, finally.
December 17, 2000
55 Pyrite Drive
Veilstone City
9:56 AM
Henry and Shiri were both awakened the next morning by the shrill ringing of the Police Chief's cell phone. Groggily, the two disentangled themselves from the covers and shifted, Henry poking an arm out from the warm haven and groping blindly for the phone.
After several tries, he made it, and placed the BlukBerry knock-off to his ear with a grunt. "Yeah." He grumbled into the phone, knowing that only one person would dare call him this early.
"Good morning, Chief."
Henry groaned again and checked the bedside table for the time, seeing that it was nearly 10. "What?" He grunted back in response, feeling Shiri shift in her dozing slumber.
"We've managed to find Mr. Scott, sir." Valerie replied in her brisk, yet tender, voice. "With the new camera tracking system we've found him."
"Good." Henry grunted.
"You didn't need to worry at all, sir." Valerie replied through the speaker with a hint of a smug tone. "I will personally be bringing him back into custody."
"Right, Lieutenant." Henry replied hoarsely. "A full report on my desk by Monday."
"Of course, sir. Enjoy your time off, sir, I've got things covered here."
Henry hung up the phone without any further pleasantries, knowing that his First Lieutenant didn't require any. Shoving his phone as far away from the bed as he could, he rolled over and spooned himself against Shiri, inhaling the scent of her hair gently.
She sighed and tucked herself closer to his body, feeling his hands underneath hers, sliding gently on the bed in the early morning. Breathing deeply, Shiri slipped back into slumber.
December 17, 2000
43 Malachite Avenue, Apartment 12
Veilstone City
9:56 AM
Gregori hummed to himself as he moved around in the kitchen, gathering a kettle here, a utensil there. It complemented his work; as the pitch rose he would gracefully swoop for the cabinet fetching a mug, as the melody softened, he pour the water at a slower, more subdued rate.
It was cold in Cyrus's kitchen. The man was fanatical at denying himself any emotion, and as such the heater in the apartment was off, rendering the place very chilly. The blue-nette could almost see his breath in the air as he moved around, his coat hanging limply from his frame.
He was used to this, however; coming from the region above Sinnoh, as far north as one could get, had adapted his body to the cold. For generations his family had lived above Sinnoh in their cold little region, eking out a simple existence by growing and breeding Ice-Type Pokémon to sell down to the warmer regions. It was simple and not very rewarding. His family had once been influential, but as generations passed their properties fell into ruin, his village drying up as people moved south. His grandfather and mother had lived through this squalor, and would probably never escape it, continuing their simple lifestyle.
In fact, he and Natalyia had been the first of his poor family to move away from their village, both noted for their brilliance in science and mathematics, respectively.
As such, he was humming the lullaby that his mother and grandmother had taught him, a simple tune that asked for forgiveness from the moon-side goddess. His home region was close enough to Sinnoh to receive most of its myths, and the village he'd grown up in was more than superstitious enough to make sure that the lullaby was engraved in his head.
Not surprisingly, it was similar to what could be heard in the children's rhyme that all Sinnohsians were taught. The main difference was that the Sinnohsians asked Cresselia for protection; Gregori asked for forgiveness.
From what exactly, he didn't know. It wasn't actually something he bothered himself with, nor considered. But he hummed the tune anyway, silently praying in his head that Cresselia would forgive him his transgressions.
The kettle whistled as the water heated itself to the right temperature for his cocoa, blowing steam visibly into the cold kitchen. Rubbing his slender fingers together, he wrapped a potholder around the kettle and brought it off the burner, pouring the steaming liquid into the waiting mug. Deftly dropping the crystalline flakes of the chocolate into the mug, he inhaled deeply, letting the aroma waft about the kitchen and, primarily, into his lungs.
Natalyia had always lectured him that the smoking would destroy his sense of smell, but so far, Gregori was still able to inhale the wonderful aroma of his cocoa. A delicacy his family had not often indulged in, Gregori had resolved to steal some of Cyrus's unused stash as soon as he had awoken very early that same morning.
He gently and gracefully sat down at the small table in the kitchen, cradling the garishly colored mug in his slender hands. From this vantage point, he couldn't see the combined living/dining, nor could he see the little door that opened to the rest of the world. As such, he missed the tiny shape dart behind him and hover uncertainly in the middle of the room; at least, until a crash jolted him from his thoughts and he jumped up, fingers reluctantly leaving the refuge of his warm mug.
Clutching a Pokéball that was buried deep in the pockets of his coat, he looked around, instinctively putting up his mental barriers to keep out any inquiring telepathic probes. Cautiously peering around the corner into the living room, he was met by a curious sight.
A purple creature was aimlessly drifting about the living room; the crash apparently caused by a light bulb that was separated from its lamp socket and lying in pieces on the floor. Gregori relaxed slightly, but he kept his hand clenched tightly on the Pokéball in his pocket. Hesitantly stepping into the room, he cleared his throat pointedly.
The reaction was immediate. The creature whirled, shock plastered on its garishly contorted features. It opened its mouth for a second, gaping like a Goldeen, clearly fighting within itself for a course of action. Before either of them could do anything, it narrowed its eyes and waggled its head, and then it vanished into thin air.
Gregori was just as surprised by the creature's response; within moments the thing seemed to collapse inside of itself and vanish from view; Gregori looked around for the intruder when he felt something very solid connect with his back; crying out in pain, he fell to the ground, twisting to avoid falling on his injured left arm.
He was mildly startled to see that the purple creature was floating above him, peering at him curiously. He lay sprawled on the floor, coat askance, the tape binding his left arm to his side clearly visible. Biting back a stream of curses, he raised the Pokéball threateningly, mainly as a deterrent to the purple creature more than of actual use. Blinking away tears, Gregori saw the creature shrink back in cowardice. It hovered nervously on the floor as if it had been caught red-handed stealing cookies.
"Mis…mismagius?" It asked him haltingly, peering from behind the table leg.
If his ribcage wasn't screaming in pain, Gregori might have felt sorry for the thing. He lowered the Pokéball, tucking back inside of his large fur coat.
"You're not so bad are you?" He asked, sitting up, trying valiantly to ignore the pain radiating from his side. Stumbling, he rose to his feet and sat back down at the table in front of his cocoa. Taking several calming breaths, he focused and the pain seemed to dissipate as he focused his attention on other pursuits. "Although… you're a tricky little fucker. I won't hurt you."
The creature, which Gregori figured was a Mismagius, peered comically over the lip of the table, acting like the man couldn't see the elaborate crest of its forehead that rose nearly a foot over its little face. It blinked a couple of times as Gregori took a couple of nonchalant sips of his cocoa, pointedly ignoring the creature. Then, it pulled its body incrementally over the table's edge until finally it was floating at eye-level with the slender man.
Gregori flicked his slender eyes at the creature, raising one eyebrow as the two made contact. After a few heartbeats that felt very much like an examination, the Mismagius cackled and swooped playfully in a circle.
Gregori chuckled, piercing the steam above his mug with a gentle exhalation. "Now that's decided, why are you here?"
The Ghost-Type stopped. Gregori could see that it was very clearly conflicted again. It hovered nervously, an expression of sadness playing about its face. For a second, the slender man set down his mug and looked the Pokémon over, curiosity most evident in his deep blue eyes.
"Ah…you're not supposed to be here, are you?"
The Mismagius shook its head sadly, lowering a couple of inches towards the table in subservience. Gregori got the distinct impression that if it had feet, it would be shuffling them back and forth; a child being chastised.
He let out a simple grunt of acknowledgement, before raising his mug to his lips again and taking a sip. After a few moments, as the Mismagius regarded him fearfully, Gregori set his mug back on the table with a gentle clunk.
"It'll be our little secret, eh?" He replied with a smirk.
The Mismagius let out a cheerful cackling noise and rushed over to the man's form, rubbing its pointed crest against the man's arm in a cheerful way. It let out a cackling sound that Gregori could have sworn was a purr, and he chuckled as he patted the elaborate crest atop its head.
"So…who do you belong to?" He asked, but the Ghost-Type shrank back in terror.
It mewled in fright and vanished on the spot, and Gregori looked around in confusion.
A loud curse came from the other part of the otherwise-empty apartment, and the blue-nette heard Cyrus toiling around in his bedroom, grouchily searching for something.
Gregori looked behind him interestedly, hearing Cyrus bang around in his room. Snorting in understanding, he took a gentle, prim sip of his cocoa, letting the warm liquid slid down his narrow throat.