Chapter 67: Information harvest
Early evening
Sinnoh
Jubilife City
Two females exited the bus and a crisp breeze brushed past their faces. Whi-2 disembarked first and turned around to see Platinum elegantly step down from the last stair. She wondered if the noble felt comfortable doing things she was not accustomed to. Even now, as the Berlitz heir slung a bag over her shoulder, she managed to attract the attention of a nearby group of teenagers. The boys ogled her whilst the girls snorted. Whi-2 suppressed a giggle, when one dressed like a fashion model, people were bound to turn around and gape. Ignoring the various stares people gave her, Platina hitched up her bag and marched down the alleyway, silver high heeled boots clacked on the ground and a pearly white scarf peeked out between the folds of her cream coloured cashmere coat. Her hair had been styled into a braided bun and wisps of it trailed sensationally in the chilly evening air. Whi-2 kept a step behind her glamorously clothed senior; the girl opted for a pair of jeans, black ankle length boots, a blouse and a silk overcoat to ward off the chill. Together, they zigzagged across the bustling streets and made a beeline for the shopping district. The Unova native let out a breath and looked up the towering stores with their neon signs competing for dominance and attention. Dazzling displays of clothing, accessories, food and technological gadgets winked out of floor to ceiling length windows. Instead of heading directly for the stores, Platinum stopped abruptly and consulted a map on the designer Poketch strapped on her wrist. Beckoning to Whi-2, the two squeezed into a side alley and emerged into a quieter street. Diners and hotels spilled mellow music and infused the evening with the aroma of freshly prepared pastries and bread.
They hiked up the worn stone steps of a homely lodge and stood in a softly lit foyer. Whi-2 eased off her backpack and interestedly peered at the paintings lining the lobby whilst Platinum booked for a room. The Sinnoh native collected the keys and strode regally up the stairs. Once they entered the room, they dumped their bags, sent a quick message to Emerald as per the new protocols and Platina faced her junior in order to discuss plans. "What should we do now?" The heiress questioned and Whi-2 stopped rummaging in her bag in order to look at her. "I...Never went out on my own so I am not sure what we should do" the noble admitted defiantly. The Unova native merely smiled and saw her senior flush with embarrassment; she haughtily angled her face away and stared out of the window. Whi-2 seized the opportunity and studied her cryptic senior. The moment anyone laid eyes on Platina, the image of a crafted porcelain doll sprang to mind. Pale skin complimented perfectly with her inkwell irises and indigo hair. She sat poised, always with her hands folded neatly in her lap whilst a large ring on her middle finger commanded attention. The signet ring of the Berlitz family either inspired terror or instilled a measure of respect, but if she looked past the perfect manners, past the facade of an arrogant heiress, Whi-2 saw a simple girl struggling to understand herself and wanting to keep the ache of loneliness at bay.
"First...You should change your clothes senior, ditch that fashion model look and wear t-shirt like me." Whi-2 let a short laugh escape when Berlitz eyed her disbelievingly, "if you keep walking around wearing stuff us commoners can't afford, they will have their suspicions." Platina slowly nodded in understanding and fiddled with her hair, "then we can take the day off. I'm starving, why don't we head to one of the restaurants and gorge oursleves-"
"Gorge?" An eyebrow joined her hairline, "we do not gorge on food Whi-2 and it's not proper manners." Platina sniffed and blinked when the younger girl dissolved into a fit of laughter. "I fail to see the joke."
"Ahahahaha!" Whi-2 rolled on her bed and fell off the mattress with a thump, her senior winced but the Unovian kept on laughing wildly till she gasped for breath. "We truly live in different worlds don't we?" The girl questioned and wiped tears of mirth, "for once, why don't you allow yourself to behave the way you want senior. I'm well aware of your status as a noble...But come on! You can't ever say that you didn't want to eat till you drop...Or shop till you drop. And you dress like an adult all the time, what's wrong with wearing skinny jeans and sneakers? I bet they are more comfortable than wearing high heels all the time." The brown haired girl's voice dropped tenderly, "it must be difficult growing up with so many expectations and pressures. You are the heir of the Berlitz family, you have ties to the noble families of Ransei...But just for tonight, you are Platina. You are normal girl who wants to eat, sleep, shop and not care about inheriting the huge assets your parents will leave behind. You are you." The older female let her junior's words sink in. True...She wanted to do the things normal people did, she wanted to go to school and mingle with other children rather than be holed up in a study and listen to experts drone about various subjects.
And she was tired of wearing stiletto heels and stiff, designer dresses.
"Just...For tonight..." Platinum hesitantly agreed and Whi-2 uttered a wild cheer and dug in her bag. Forty five minutes later, the noble stepped out in the brightly lit street donning a denim skirt, a pair of glittery leg warmers coupled with pumps and a loose blouse. She vehemently refused the several graphic printed shirts Whi-2 urged her to wear. Her hair had been styled into a messy braid and that did not stop from a pair of guys smiling suggestively at her. Furious and cheeks tinting pink, she rotated in the opposite direction and with her head held high, marched away with Whi-2 at her heels. The youngster grabbed her senior's delicate hand and dragged her into a bakery, Platina eyed the decorated cakes impassively whilst Whi-2 pressed her face against the glass box and drooled over them. The things she ate at home were far more expensive and luxurious than anything they might find in this crowded city. A tiny smile bloomed on her pale pink lips as her azure eyed companion ordered a cake. The girl accepted box, located an iron wrought table tucked into a dingy corner and sat down. Articulating a delighted sigh, Platina watched Whi-2 blissfully dig in the pastry and she held up a slice. The cake did not look elegant and the cream they used was at least a day old...Nonetheless, the Sinnoh born accepted it and found herself smiling widely when her team mate smeared cream all over her chin.
She could get used to this; Platinum pondered as she listened to her friend's nonsensical ramblings about clothes and guys...Her shadowy reflection on the large window stared back at her with a content smile.
Next day, mid-morning
Sinnoh
Jubilife City
"The members of the Dex-criminals are elite individuals whom the Professors' of a particular region chose in order to gift the Pokedex to. It is rather sad to see that they would resort to crime instead of helping the country become a better place. Recently, the International Police force gathered together and attempted a large scale bust. Before this, they had several mishaps on their missions, I'm sure you heard about the Unova incident and the failed snatching of the Azure flute. Because they were careless in their escape, they left blazing trails and we pinpointed their base and hit them hard. The organization operates in a triumvirate formation which is quite unusual these days, however, it keeps them flexible and allows them to work both independently and as an entirety. We managed to capture the ring leader of the public image of the Dex Criminals...the faction known as Execution which is represented by two crossed swords. We believe the individual in our custody is the lynchpin of the organization and for the safety of the public, we shall not reveal his, nor any other names. Doing so will result in our detriment as they are very good with mixing in crowds and they dedicate an entire department for information harvesting." Platinum and Whi-2 fixated their attention to the flat screen television showing the news. The duo agreed to comb the streets and shops this particular morning and found themselves side-tracking into a furniture department store. On reaching the floor selling electronic equipment and devices, the Constellate duo halted dead in their tracks and viewed the news through a floor to ceiling length window. Pictures of a reporter conducting an interview with Sinnoh's Champion, Cynthia, multiplied several times over on the screens of different televisions. The duo mutely observed as the blonde woman detailed how the police devised and drew up intricate plans in order to trap them. Whi-2 gasped when they mentioned Hugh...Apparently the Unova league finalist divulged vital information which helped the police in capturing Execution's leader.
Her body suddenly went stone cold and her fingers benumbed. She couldn't move. Hugh...How could he give the police information so carelessly? Didn't he care at all? Of course not, her mind venomously delivered, why should Hugh care when he begged you to stay with him and you simply kicked his broken emotions aside and left? Lack-2 as well, none of them care, they are only interested in keeping themselves out of harm's way. Silent fury coursed through her veins and she inhaled deeply in order to calm the blend of confusing emotions threatening to drown her. A quick peek at her superior told her absolutely nothing. The Berlitz heir's face remained a perfect, emotionless mask as she listened intently. When the news finished, the noble faced her and together they made their way out of the store. The stuffy heat reflected off the pavement and hit Whi-2's face with a hot blast of wind. She swept her azure irises around and inspected the bustling city critically. A white skyscraper dominated the city's skyline and ensnared all attention with numerous satellite dishes mounted on a spire attached to the roof. She knew the building housed the broadcasting headquarters of Sinnoh and also functioned as a landmark. To the west, the Global trade station conducted the import and export of goods in Sinnoh and speakers repeatedly blared figures too large and complex for Whi-2 to properly process them. When she first arrived in the busy metropolis, a sense of nostalgia overcame her, now, as she spied posters and news headlines lining the sidewalks and decorating streetlamps, the city emanated a hostile presence. Caricatures of the Dex-criminals leered at her from all sides and she swallowed nervously on peering at a drawing and actually realizing whom they represented. Silver, the colour of his hair a mockery to the original, wore a black uniform with the letters TR emblazoned on the front in large red letters, next to him, Blue waved the azure flute about. Underneath them, several grotesque drawings represented Diamond, Pearl and Crystal. Behind this image, the shadowy silhouette of Red overshadowed them all.
Tearing her eyes away from the poster taped to the side of an information board, the Unovian saw Platina staring rivetedly and reading a few of the condensed articles displayed on the streets. Hurrying to her senior, she caught the words Berlitz heir, organized crime and Dex criminals printed in large letters before a pale hand reached up and viciously ripped the sheet of white cardboard off the concrete pylon. Dark hair swayed as the noble marched to the next poster and took it down violently. The headline read: Information traders, the esteemed Berlitz family is suspected of having illegal dealings with Dex Criminals, sources reveal that the aristocrats are funding the organization's atrocious deeds. One by one, the haughty female ripped the posters up and discarded them carelessly on the streets. Some people gave them a passing glance and walked on whilst others viewed them with mild disgust. Running after her senior, Whi-2 eventually caught up with her and stopped Platinum tearing yet another derogatory headline into shreds. The normally pale skinned girl flushed heavily and had her lips set into a thin firm line. She blinked rapidly and the younger member noted the dark emotions swirling heavily in her eyes.
"Senior..."
Platinum wrenched her hands out of her junior's grasp and elegantly combed her hair away from her sweat stained face. "I have acted in a rather unprofessional manner...I apologize for my actions Whi-2" The brown haired girl dipped her head; "I suppose the public are not very welcome of us and the police are still hot on our tails. We have the evidence right here...Come, let us see what other information this city has for us."
Late evening
Sinnoh
S.S Spiral
The sea swept by in a vast expense of dark water and in the distance, Gold watched Canalave city's harbour pull away and become smaller. The cafes and shops lining the waterfront gradually vanished from view and all around him, the world collapsed into a sea of shimmering blackness. Pushing himself away from the railing, he lowered his peak cap to hide his face and weaved through the evening crowd in order to go below deck. Velvet carpeted corridors coupled with melodic chatter and ambient lightning induced a relaxing mood. Ducking into one of the hallways, he located the shared room and twisted the ornate golden knob. Inside, Silver sat on the floor, in one corner of the luxurious cabin and had his nose buried in a book. Sprawled on the bed and with all his clothes still on, was Green. The man slept fitfully and his muted snores could be heard through the chamber. Gold grinned on seeing the spiky haired brunette clonked out and his best friend shut the book with a snap. A stained coffee mug sat on a little glass table and the amber eyed man grabbed it, opened a window and flung the cup out in the sea. Pulling off the too tight peak cap, he hauled a backpack out of a little overhead compartment and rifled through it.
"What did you do to Green?" Silver asked and jerked his head to the individual who grunted and turned over, "it's unnatural for him to be sleeping so early...And he keeled over right after he drank that cup of coffee."
"I spiked his coffee," Gold replied and pulled out a rumpled shirt, "with a generous dose of sleep powder I managed to get from Diamond. Hey, gimme a wig will you? I need it." The red head eyed him critically before pulling his bag and extracting the item, he questioned his friend on his doings and the amber eyed man paused a bit before answering, "Green's not gonna let me play at the slot machines so I put him to sleep. He's been watching me like a hawk since we boarded this cruiser, I mean, doesn't he have anything better to do?" Silver sighed and looked away when Gold changed his clothes in the cabin. "Do you have a fancier looking shirt?" Zipping up a pair of black jeans, the black haired trainer rummaged through the contents of Silver's bag and seized a military shirt peeking out from the bag, he put it on and smoothed it out, "it's a bit tight...But nice. Heh, I need to get me one of these." Finally, he snatched the proffered wig off the table and put it on his head. Silver's lips morphed into a distorted smirk, as usual, Gold looked ridiculous when he tried to disguise himself.
"You will chase all the ladies away." The red head taunted and got up from the tiny couch squeezed in the cabin, "here, let me help you refine your disguise." His friend stood patiently as Silver styled his silver wig into stiff spikes, he forced on a chain and a pair of fingerless gloves. Taking a step back, he admired his handiwork and nodded, "your eyes need serious work, don't stare too deeply at anyone or they will be able to identify you with the colour. I don't have contact lenses with me; they are all in the trolley bags..." Reclining back into the sofa, the red head observed his friend staring into a mirror. "Gold...Don't do anything stupid alright? Green is only being like that because he's worried about you."
Satisfied with his appearance, he turned around and winked at his friend. "I'm not doing anything stupid Silver, I'm just hitting the casino. And why can't I look at anyone huh? What if I see a fetching gal in this place? I'm sure there are lots of them around her." Gold adjusted his gloves, "Wanna join me?"
"No..." Gold shrugged at his companion's reply, "and don't be too late or I'll come and drag you out of the gambling place myself." Silver irises observed the man flashing a sardonic grin as he let himself out. The breeder waved and shut the door with an audible click. "Seriously...Don't do anything stupid." The Johto native muttered to himself and watched Strategy's commander toss once more on the bed.
Gold followed the flashing signs to the casino cabin and the two bouncers standing in front of the doors gave him a tiny nod and motioned him to enter. The doors swung easily before him and at once, he sensed a euphoric buzz in his brain. Slot machines lined a corner, numbers reeling, lights flashing and sounds blaring hypnotically when someone hit a jackpot. Tearing his eyes away from them, he gave the room a sweep. A crystal chandelier dangled from the roof and the windows were draped with heavy wine coloured curtains. Fancily dressed men bet their stakes at cards and roulette tables whilst women, dripped in silk and ornate pieces of jewellery, hung on to the men. The Johto native inhaled deeply, the room reeked of money and greedy individuals. People barely gave him a glance as he sauntered to his favourite spot. A slot machine beckoned him teasingly. Grinning to himself, he let Aibo loose and the pokemon dove out of sight. Rubbing his hands gleefully, he pulled off the gloves and peered into the screen. One of ambipom's twin tails peeked out of the machinery and waved in a circular motion and Gold viciously pulled the lever. Rows and rows of numbers, symbols and pictures reeled by on the electric screen and he watched them monotonously, eyes darting about minutely. He waited for the machine to stop, his muscles tightened involuntarily and his breath hitched ever so slightly.
One...
Two...
Three...
The machine exploded with seizure inducing colours and a deafening cacophony. Gold smirked and watched the coins pile in. The man next to him gave him a thumbs up and drunkenly sputtered what sounded like a congratulatory phase. Pulling out his coin case, he reverently scooped the metallic disks up, his fingers enjoying the cold, engraved coins. For a good portion of the night, he sat there, hypnotized and hit the jackpot without fail. As the night passed, more and more people began to take note of a silver haired individual sitting at the slot machines and raking in the money. Dealers paused and stared as another annoying ditty permeated from the corner. The mysterious man never rejoiced when he hit the jackpot, instead, his eyes remained glued to the screen and after mechanically grabbing the coins, he pulled the lever with such force one would think he had a personal vendetta against it. Rumours of cheating passed around the cabin and the patrons discretely sent him glances. Finally, one of the officials placed a white gloved hand on Gold's shoulder and he looked at the guard with glazed eyes.
"Yo!" he greeted and gestured at the machine with a thumb, "I'm on a winning roll here. Mind if I get back to my game?"
"Why don't you try your hands at the other games good sir?" The bouncer directed Gold's attention to the cards and tables, "you seem to have Giratina's luck...I'm sure you'll be able to win more than that." The ebony haired man blinked stupidly and his irises widened at the bulging coin pouch. The official didn't say a word, he had seen worse, some people fainted at the slot machines and this individual was no better. Nodding understandingly, the gambler flashed him a brilliant smile.
"Yeah, you gotta point buddy, no use wasting my time here." The Johto native got up weakly and hauled his over flowing case with him, "by the way, could you tell me what time it is? I don't see a clock in here."
"It's two o'clock in the morning sir."
Two...
Sleep could wait.
"Thanks" Gold intoned and walked over to the roulette tables, his retreating figure reflected off the guard's dark glasses. The man whispered a few words to the mike hidden in his tie and after making sure the gambler fully immersed himself in another game, the official crouched down at the slot machine and inspected it. His brows furrowed, he didn't see any sign of tampering and there wasn't any strange devices stuck inside the machine. Straightening up, he dusted his slacks and looked at Gold once more. All vestiges of confusion disappeared off the silver haired stranger's face and his piercing, golden eyes swung back and forth intently like a pendulum. The bouncer sighed, chalked the odd winning streak up to luck and went back to his post. At the roulette table, the amber eyed trainer became the centre of attention and hot gossip. The other gamblers eyed him with envy and helplessly forked over their hard earned gambling earnings to the new person who joined them. On his left shoulder, an ambipom wound its mauve tails around the man's neck and grinned at them diabolically. Gold's eyes spun in tandem with the roulette and his face split into a smirk when he the little white ball fell into his predicted number. He threw himself on the table and eagerly pocketed his winnings. A feather light touch graced his nape and he straightened up to come face to face with a beautiful woman. She smiled at him, the corners of her glossy lips complimenting the dimples in her cheeks as she wound her arms around his shoulders. The Pokedex holder caught a whiff of perfume; he stepped out her sensual embrace and continued with probing Aibo for the next prediction.
Several hours later, the door to the cabin opened with a bang and Gold stumbled in whilst clutching a bag. Silver unwound himself from his cramped sleeping position on the sofa and stole a glance at the clock, the luminous hands showed half past six. His friend staggered about, dumped the bag on the little table and sunk down on a bed. Green still snored peacefully and after making sure that the commander won't suddenly wake up, the red head turned to his friend and hissed: "It's six in the morning Gold! And I warned you not to stay up all night." Kicking off his shoes and pulling off the wig on his head, the amber eyed trainer ignored his friend and reached for the stuffed bag. Silver's eyes widened on seeing the sack full of money and a few notes fluttered down and settled on the carpet. "Gold...Go to sleep. You have been up all night."
"Did you stay up just to lecture me?" The breeder slurred, "I appreciate the gesture but you didn't have to." Grabbing a fist full of money, he attempted to count it, instead, the notes kept on slipping through his fingers and raining on his feet.
"Are you drunk?" The red head grabbed his friends chin and scrutinized him in the dim light of a lamp. Glassy irises stared back at him dumbly. "Hey...did you-"
The ebony haired man garbled something incomprehensible and Silver understood that Gold had spent far too much time in an adrenaline fuelled state. When he finally came out of the casino, his body simply decided to crash. "Not drunk..." Gold confirmed his suspicions, "my eyes have been spinning in circles and the whole world is spinning with me. I'm so tired I could die." Instead of quietly laying down, Gold gave his friend a little push and reached downwards in order to gather up the notes at his feet; he fumbled about in the dark and sluggishly located the snippets of paper. Holding them more securely this time, the man grabbed his bag, crouched in a corner of the cabin and started counting his money, placing the notes in neat little piles on the table. Silver sat opposite him and simply watched, the rocking of the cruiser lulling him to a state of comfort and relaxation. Time trickled by and he observed Gold tallying his money with an uncanny look in his eyes. The rustle of paper and Green's soft snores provided an odd combination to the silence.
Rustle.
Fingers flew over the notes.
The notes were gathered into a pile.
And placed neatly on the table.
"Why do you want so much money?" The phantom thief softly questioned and his companion looked up dazedly. "Never mind Gold. Get some sleep, you still have quite a bit left before you finish and in the state you're currently in, I won't be surprised if the figures don't add up. When Green wakes up, he'll throw a fit if you aren't ready by the time we reach Unova."
The rustling stopped and the golden eyed Johto native dumped the remains of the notes back in the bag. "Execution doesn't have much money." Gold admitted, "I lost a good portion of it...well...It happens all the time so I didn't dwell on the situation, besides, when we go on a mission, we can easily earn some money and bring the budget out of the danger zone. But...Things didn't go as planned. Senior Red got busted and we had to leave everything behind and run away." A slight pause punctuated the conversation and Gold fiddled with the shirt he wore, "when Green proposed Execution merging with the other departments, I felt a sense of relief...However, Dia didn't want to go anywhere and decided to command the faction by himself. Can you believe it? He is a little brat and he wants to be the leader of Execution" A dry chuckle escaped his lips, he lapsed into a brooding silence and listened to the occasional snore, "He is a brave brat though, I seriously admire him for doing what he did. So I decided to give it my all and help him. I'm the oldest in the department and yet I didn't step up and take responsibility the way he did. Since our huge budget problem won't miraculously disappear; and I can't just take off to the game corner whenever I want to...I took the opportunity to earn quite an amount." Silver nodded understandingly at the bulging sack, "the money should last us quite a while provided the police don't come busting us again. Dia's not good with handling money and budgets so I'm doing it for him." At his words, the red headed male smirked mockingly, "Oi! Don't laugh! I know it's ironic but I swear I won't go wasting this money anytime soon...Man...I think I just threw half of my life away tonight! There was this fine lady being up close and personal with me and I didn't even look at her 'cause you said I shouldn't!"
"Good, I'll arrange a trophy for your accomplishments," Silver drawled and rolled his eyes whilst Gold bemoaned his lack of female companions, "Now will you please get some sleep? I don't want lug your dead weight around in the morning." The execution team member got up from his corner and yawned heartily; he crossed over and moved towards the door.
"Sure, I think Senior Blue has a spare bed in her room...I'll jus-"
Thud.
Silver let out a huff and quietly placed the table lamp back on the wooden bedstead. It had a polished bronze base, perfect for giving his best friend a concussion and knocking him out for the duration of the journey. He smiled sadistically and hauled his weightier co-worker on his shoulders. Staggering, he ambled his way to Green's bed and unceremoniously dumped Gold next to the older man. If Green woke up and instinctively choked the intruder to death...It wasn't his problem. Pulling thin blanket over the black haired man's sleeping form, the red head retired to the next bed and curled up. His eyes found their way to the clock and he let out another involuntary sigh. Half past seven...He spent the last hour trying to coax Gold into sleeping and got nothing but suffering in turn. Sunlight bled through the drapes and danced on the carpet, he eyed the shadows maliciously and pulled the duvet over his head.
Work could wait...
First, he needed to sleep his fatigue away.
Morning of the next day
Unova
Castelia City Wharf
The Kanto and Johto natives sat inside one of the harbour cafes and listlessly drunk their choice of hot beverages. Blue eyed her friends warily; her male comrades huddled opposite her and gave off strong, pessimistic vibes. The professor clutched his head and groaned, Gold, with dark circles around his glazed eyes, had his face squashed on the wooden table they occupied. Silver grabbed his mug with both hands, his expression so dark and thunderous; it reminded her of an imminent storm. She wondered what happened between the three of them. Surely they didn't get into a fight did they? Sapphire irises gave them a once over and arrived at a negative conclusion, they didn't have any bruises and the trio simply appeared to be overly tired. Outside, swanna and ducklett fluttered down to the waterfront shops and a multitude of early morning workers swelled through the entrance of the cafe in order to buy breakfast or coffee. The Dex Criminals tucked themselves away in an inconspicuous corner and Constellate's leader kept a watch on the crowds whilst her friends mulled about. Overhead, a fan rotated lazily and distributed the aroma of milk and freshly baked croissants throughout the fancy cafe.
Green shut his eyes against the light spilling form a wall fixture, everything seemed too bright. The sun burned his retinas when he disembarked from the S.S Spiral. Gurgling the steaming contents of his mug down, he set the cup down with a clunk and furiously rubbed his temples. "Gold...What did you do to me?" He hissed lowly and trained his jade irises accusingly at the ebony haired man. "I feel nauseous and my head is pounding."
"That's the last time I'm spending an entire night in the game corner..." Execution's member blathered nonsensically, "everything is turning around me...My life is flashing in front of my eyes." Gold peeled his face off the table top and snatched another envelope of sugar, tearing the top part off, he dumped it in his half-drunk coffee and swirled the dark liquid around. Silver observed him with a grimace, his best friend put one too many sugars in that coffee of his. "I'm tired...can we take a day off and sleep?" The amber eyed man questioned and pouted at Blue, the woman rolled her eyes and shook her head firmly, she pointed at a livid Green and repeated his question.
"He spiked senior Green's drink with a generous dose of sleeping powder..."
"He...YOU What?!" The spiky haired brunette's fists curled beneath fur lined cuffs and he sat up straight.
"And then he spent the rest of the night lolling around in the casino and making a mess of himself." Silver ignored Green's hostile response and glared at Gold, "Fortunately, he didn't do anything to compromise our position so you can cut him some slack." Oak relaxed his rigid stance but his incensed gaze never left the Johto trainer, "Gold had some responsibility to uphold and he knew you wouldn't allow him to go and blow his energy in the game corner so he resorted to drastic measures." The red head tucked his chin in the black turtle neck he wore and listened to his sister's disproving remarks. "I understand Sis, he's forever doing stupid things and his actions will continue to be irrational. He won't listen and the only way to keep him quiet is to clobber him into obedience or fix a date with a girl he fancies..." The Kanto natives gave Gold a fleeting glance and despite being tired, the perverted male still had the energy to wriggle his eyebrows in a twisted manner. "See? Can we give him a break for today? He's-"
Constellate's leader brusquely stood up from her chair and cut Silver's request off. "I'm sorry Silver...we can't afford breaks." Turning to execution's member who highlighted his self-induced plight with a pitiful moan she added, "Shape up Gold, Silver went through many nights without sleep, what kind of rival will you be if you can't last a night?" Her words had a profound effect on the golden eyed trainer and at once, his dulled irises ignited with a competitive spark. Drowning the lukewarm coffee in one gulp, he stood up defiantly and sent a gesture at Silver. The man simply rolled his eyes and preferred to stare at one of the painting displayed on the wall. It showed a latte art and he wondered how people felt when they drank little masterpieces, did those taste any better or... "Come on guys, we have to book a hotel, draw up plans and sortie. Don't dawdle around." Piling the dirty cups into the centre of the table, Blue left a generous tip and they trooped out into the bustling street. For a moment, Gold swayed at his spot and grabbed on to lamp post as the quartet briskly made their way to a hotel. The surroundings seemed to close on him and he shook his head vigorously to ward away the vestiges of sleep. This part of Castelia seemed very familiar to him and he struggled to quash the bitter memories which threatened to engulf him.
How could he do this to me?
They booked two rooms and Gold timorously complained when they found out the rooms contained one bed each. He didn't want to be anywhere near Green, the male savagely stated and Silver suggested that he sleep on the floor. Ignoring the bickering trio, Blue did a customary sweep of both the hotel rooms; she checked underneath the beds, removed the paintings, studied their frames and scrutinized the door knobs, basin taps and even the screws holding the bathroom mirror up for any bugs or hidden cameras. Satisfied with her observations and the tasteful decor of their semi-luxurious rooms, she unpacked her trolley case on a chestnut desk and hauled a multi compartmented box out. Green and the others stopped their arguing when they laid eyes on the chest as it fanned and gave them a perfect view of the contents. Pallets of make up in all sorts of colours, lip balms in an array of different shades, contact lenses, wigs, fake eyelashes, eyebrows and face enhancements lay juxtaposed with each other. In another section, the brown haired woman ran her fingers over a row of coloured hairspray. Plucking a can out, she turned towards her comrades, grinned and held it up. The three males ceased their verbal fight and smoothly settled for poking each other viciously as they took synchronized steps away from the female commander. Green brought two fingers together, gave an accurate and painful jab in Gold's solar plexus and after all the energy in the ebony haired male's body drained out, the spiky haired brunette pushed him towards Blue. Constellate's leader winked at her quarry and he frowned miserably...the wink promised pain. Whilst being dragged to the bathroom by an unrelenting Kanto native, Gold helplessly glanced at Silver who peeked at his best friend disinterestedly and resumed in his dispirited scanning of the room. The painting in the top left corner looked very interesting...Far more interesting than Gold's wild gesticulations for help.
The mournful bellow of Sinnoh's bitterly cold winds as they lamented through rocks and whispered past peaks, sung a sad tune in Emerald's ears as his fingers flew over a keyboard. A fleece blanket tucked around his shoulders provided warmth and his hunched form cast a haunting shadow on the cave wall. To his side, the fire crackled merrily, hissing, spitting and reducing wood to cinders and ash. A collection of five laptops lay open before the midget blonde and expertly, his irises flew over them as information streamed in from all corners of the world. Despite hacking his way deep into the hearts of several intelligence agencies, he still had to find a lick of information on Red. Perhaps the ex-champion's affairs were being handled in an off record manner. It would make total sense to keep quiet if the International Police didn't want a public riot on their hands. His stringent gaze veered off one dimly lit screen to the other and he spared a second to read up the new reports streaming in from Green, Platina and Yellow's group as they uploaded information on an hourly basis. The chamber he sat in remained eerily quiet and slowly, very slowly, the sound of a deep breath and brush of hot air skimmed past the top of his ear. Clenching his jaw tightly and reigning in an outburst, he jerked his head around and his long blonde hair whipped the intruder in the face. Diamond blinked and sheepishly backed away from his scowling senior.
"To bed...All of you, I'm accustomed to staying up nights, it's a requirement when you are part of Team Strategy, the only thing you people are doing is distracting me." Rald hissed and stared at the shifting band of humans accusingly, "Ruby...Crystal...in fact all of you...Just leave me alone and go to sleep!" The group seated behind him scooted back a bit more and refused to leave. Glaring at them for a moment longer, he turned his attention back to the laptop and found cake crumbs all over the keyboard. "Diamond...Move back or I'll shift someplace else." The new commander crouched next to Pearl and the room descended into a quiet hush once more. Rald saw Ruby straining his eyes to get a glimpse of the screen and for the benefit of the unmoving crowd, decided to read some of the snippets of information out aloud. "Platina and Whi-2 stated that the police and public are still wary of the Dex-criminals and thus we should tread carefully. As for senior Gold...He let himself get wasted in the S.S Spiral's Casino...Wait, they have games in there?" He heard Crystal exhale angrily and continued with his commentary, "and now Senior Gold is giving the rest a difficult time...Oh, he also spiked Green's drink." At this, Rald and Pearl giggled fitfully as they tried to imagine their commander falling for such an old trick. "They are currently in a hotel room and senior Blue is fixing up disguises for them. As for Saph and Yellow, they will be landing in Johto shortly." Instead of alleviating the tension hanging above them like a cloud, the blonde's words served to worry them further. Right at the back, Crystal hugged White close to her and sighed.
It's going to be hard to stay awake through this long night.
A/N: Poor Gold, his gambling tendencies and the torture the Kanto native will heap on him. Anyway, did everyone enjoy New Year's day? Good, because I was writing exams. Much thanks to all those who read and reviewed, virtual hot chocolate for all.
At Jack54311: Mega-evolved aggron looks pretty nasty, and apparently aggron mercilessly beats up anyone that violates its environment. How is he gonna get past that? Heh! At sakurafox1218: How are they going got get past the aggron? Read on to find out. Red's pokemon are powerful, they were just caught off guard. Gold and Green, heh, have fun reading more about them. At Guest: Your review was…AWESOME! I like delving deep into a character's mind and seeing what makes them tick. I've got two Ace Attorney fanfics where I explore Godot and Kristoph's inner workings. Anyway, the short story was fantastic. Obviously Yellow won't always be sunny. Glad to noted the little details, I like to put them in because it's the little things that make the most impact. Pfft, Gold should have reckless as a second name and I honestly think he will flirt with Yellow just to rub Green off the wrong way :D