Chapter 2
On the Road Again
Cassius stopped outside of the station just before he walked back to his apartment. He decided to let the family out for the walk back. He unclipped his Pokeballs and tossed them into the air. Three bright flashes of light were released from the balls and out came Cerberus, Flash, and Patriot. "Alright guys, we have a new assignment. We are to protect a man from some 'overzealous' people who want him for his research. We need to go home and get ready. It's looking like it'll be a long trip, guys, so we need to get home and pack." Everyone responded with raucous cheers and they began their walk back home.
Cerberus and Flash were flanking him on either side, with Anubis running up front and Patriot resting on his shoulder. It had been a while since he and his Pokemon had done this. Not since he was back in his training days, anyway. Some days he missed the travel. And then he would remember all the near death experiences that were a regular occurrence for him when he was on the road. He pushed those thoughts back out of his mind and leisurely continued to walk the rest of the way to his home and through the door.
They arrived back at the apartment. Cassius pulled out his key, unlocked the door to his apartment, and stepped inside. He passed through the threshold and turned to face his Pokemon in the living room and said, "All right, I'll need everyone to help out a bit. Anubis, you and I are packing the bags. Flash and Cerberus, I need you guys to do some tidying up and grab some berries from outside. Patriot, grab what we need from the bathroom."
With a ruckus of understanding and agreement, they all went their separate ways. Cassius began to pull out some t-shirts and sweaters from the closet, while Anubis was grabbing pairs of socks, jeans, and underwear. Cassius loaded up his two suitcases with the clothes and moved them out into the living room. Flash and Cerberus had finished with picking up trash and dirty clothes in the room and moved outside to start picking some Berries. They grabbed some Oran, Aguav, Sitrus, Pecha, and Mago berries. He would have to remember to put those in the cooler tonight and to grab more to make some Poffins for the trip.
On his way back to his room, he caught Patriot looking in the mirroring, admiring his reflection. "Hey, Mr. Sexy, stop making kissy face at yourself in the mirror and get back to work," Cassius teased. Patriot squawked haughtily at Cassius and made sure to grab the always prepared toiletry bag from the bathroom, as well as the grooming kit from the hallway closet. Cassius was always prepared for travel. He was the lead investigator of the gang crimes unit in the Lumiose Police Department, so he would be called away to different cities all across the region to assist in dealing with minor gang uprisings.
With the bags packed and the cooler prepped, Cassius went to work making some Poffins. This was another thing that he picked up along his travels. He had made some friends who were from the Sinnoh Region when he still traveled; they taught him how to make them. His Pokemon loved this treat and they were healthy treats, too. He quickly made the Poffins and packed them in his Poffin Case. Everything was packed and ready to go. All that was left was moving everything into the car.
Later that night, Cassius was sitting on his couch reviewing the file on Darren Stone. The guy is almost as old as he was and very successful for his age. He garnered the respect of all the Professors of the world of Pokemon, such as Professors Oak and Rowan. He also seemed to be pretty capable, if the Pokemon that he carried with him had any battle experience. He carries a Sigilyph, a Rotom, and a Braviary, all seemingly strong and capable. So why would he ask for protection? What was it that caused him to ask for help like this? Was it someone that was after his research? Did he have something that these people wanted?
There are too many variables for Cassius to posit any scenarios at this point and it's not his job to find out why his ward is being targeted, only protect him from those who are targeting him. Cassius shook his head, as if to shake the thoughts of who was behind all this, and put the file down and headed off to bed. He had to wake up early and head out to Coumarine City before his ward arrived.
Cassius awoke before the sun rose over the horizon. He went over to his closet and searched for something to wear. He spotted his favorite red t-shirt and slipped it over his torso. He grabbed his favorite pair of worn, black leather boots that sat in the corner of his closet, along with his black leather belt that sat on the shelf, and tossed them towards his bed. He walked back out to his dresser and opened up a drawer, grabbing the first pair of jeans that he saw that weren't worn out, torn up, or just destroyed. Casiius paused and then went back into his closet to grab one last thing: a chocolate brown leather jacket that his father got him for his 16th birthday. It was his favorite jacket and it was well taken care of. It still looked almost brand new. Can't believe that I nearly forgot about this. After he grabbed his jacket, Cassius began to load his car up with the luggage. After he finished loading up the car, he went back to grab his sidearm and badge. He holstered his weapon and badge to his belt. He didn't want to leave anything to chance. Who knew whether or not these guys were strictly Pokemon users or would be packing heat? He let his Pokemon remain resting in their Pokeballs and started his car. As he set off for the highway connected to Coumarine, he pulled out his phone and made a call to Coumarine's police department.
A young woman's voice answered, "Coumarine Police Department, how may I help you today?"
"This is Lumiose City Police Detective Cassius Proctor; I'm calling to alert your police department of a person of interest who had requested police protection while here in the Kalos region. I am the officer who has been assigned to be his guide, escort, and bodyguard for the duration of his stay. I wish to brief your Police Chief of the situation myself."
"I will transfer you. Please hold."
A few minutes pass before there was an answer. "Police Chief Cyrus Ryodan. I have been given the bare bones of the situation but I need to get clarification from you. Why does this man need police protection?"
"Apparently he has been attacked numerous times while on trips for his research. The group that has been targeting him has become progressively aggressive, with attacks ranging from minor ambushes up to nearly successful kidnap attempts. I have no clue as to why, but he may be able to provide more insight after he arrives tomorrow. He put in the request directly to Kalos Champion Diantha and she approved it. Lumiose City Police Chief Broderick will be emailing the paperwork later today."
There was a pause before a sigh could be heard over the phone. "Roger, I appreciate the heads up. I will put together a small task force to assist you while you're here in Coumarine. You will be running point on this, I assume?"
"Yes. I will make sure that this will be taken care of as quickly and smoothly as possible. You can count on that."
"Roger that. I want you to report here as soon as you get into the city. I would much rather like to meet you in person than over the phone."
"Roger."
Cassius hung up the phone and continued to drive. Taking the highway from Lumiose to Coumarine was approximately a five hour drive. Cassius could make it in four.
Upon arrival at Coumarine City, Cassius made his way to the Police Department. He pulled up into the parking lot and got out of his car. Walking up to the doors of the Coumarine Police Department, Cassius saw a man waiting for him with a Floatzel standing beside him. He was an older man, his hair black with grey beginning to set in with a matching beard. He wore a black suit, a white button up with a red tie. "Good afternoon, Detective Proctor. How was your drive?"
Cassius gave a brief salute that the Chief returned. "Good morning, Chief Ryodan. I enjoyed it very much. I assume that this is your Floatzel. It looks very…capable." Capable was the only way to describe it politely. It just looked downright intimidating to him. What is up with Police Chiefs having some of the most intimidating Pokemon? "I was hoping to get maybe three or four men for a protection detail while Mr. Stone is in town. When he leaves I will coordinate with the police department who oversees the locations that he will be visiting."
The man replied with a grunt and a curt, "Thank you. I will be able to have a protection detail set up and ready for you to lead by this evening. We'll be ready for the briefing at 6pm this evening. Be here fifteen minutes prior."
"Yes, it is. I will check in at the inn and take a look around town, see if I can get a feel for it. I haven't been here in a long time. Do you know if Ramos is around? I wanted to drop by and say hi."
Ryodan gave him a disapproving look, and then said, "Yeah, he should be in the Gym. He likes to take a lunch break around this time, so he should be free to chat."
"Thank you." He gave the Chief one more salute, and then got back into his car to drive to Seaside Station and take the monorail to the Gym. Ramos was the nicest of the Gym Leaders that he could remember meeting. He even gave him some good advice for raising Flash.
Twenty minutes later, Cassius was getting off the monorail and headed for the Gym. He reached the entrance, with Anubis following beside him, trying to remember what the obstacles were for this Gym. He walked through the entrance and got a brutal reminder of what it was: rope climbing. Why do I do this to myself? He walked forward to one of the Gym Trainers and said that he was an old friend of Ramos and wanted to chat. He was ushered away from the rope climb and to a hidden flight of stairs. Never mind. I just lucked out of a workout!
He climbed the stairs and reached the top where Ramos sat at his table eating his lunch. Cassius approached slowly. It had been years since he had seen or spoke to Ramos. It would be nice to see an old face.
"Good afternoon, Ramos. How are you doing?"
Ramos turned his head to look over his shoulder to see who had spoken. Once he laid eyes on him, Ramos stood up with a smile stretching across his face and exclaimed, "Come here, boy! The last time I saw you was just before you went off to the academy! How's my favorite grandson?"
Cassius walked forward to give his grandfather a bear hug. "I'm doing fine, Grandpa. I'm in town on assignment and I just had to see you. I'm gonna be in town for a few days, so I wanted to make sure I saw you at least once." He loved his grandfather and felt terrible for not visiting more often. Unfortunately, there has been an influx in crime since Team Flare had been caught ten years ago. Smaller gangs were vying to be the top dog all across Kalos, most of them situated in Lumiose City. Since he was one of the Head Investigators of the Gang Crimes unit out of his station, the long nights of paperwork and foot chases kept him away from his family as much as it kept him from painting that damn kitchen.
"Really? What kind of assignment? You know that I like to make sure that my town is safe while I have jurisdiction here."
"Nothing crazy. I'm playing bodyguard for an archaeologist while he's here in Kalos. Mind if I join you? I haven't eaten a thing since I've been on the road all day."
"Of course, Cassy, of course," Ramos said as he pulled out a chair from the table for his grandson. "Here, have a sandwich."
Cassius took the sandwich gratefully and was just about to take a bite when Anubis pulled on his pant leg. Cassius looked down and saw that puppy dog look on his face. Damn, how could I forget about my Pokemon. They haven't eaten since we left this morning, either.
"Grandpa, do you mind if my Pokemon join us? They haven't eaten yet, either, and I would feel terrible if I ate without them."
"Of course, my boy, you go ahead and let them out. I haven't seen any of them in a long time, either. Might as well get reacquainted."
Cassius smiled, then stood up and reached for his Pokeballs. He released Patriot, Flash, and Cerberus. "Everyone, say hi to Grandpa. Cerberus, this is the first time that you've met him, but I hope you get along."
Flash sauntered right up to Ramos and nudged into his side. Ramos scratched him behind the ears and smiled. "I remember you. You're that little Shinx that my grandson found. You've grown up quite a bit. But you're still just a little kitten on the inside." Flash just kept nuzzling and purring, smiling the whole time. Grandpa looked right at Cassius and said, "You've done a fine job raising this one. He was so shy around everyone when you first got him. Now he can't help but walk around with pride and confidence."
Cassius smiled at the compliment. "I wouldn't have known how if it wasn't for you, Grandpa. You were the one who taught me how." Ramos just smiled back, and then looked at Patriot. "Oh my. Wasn't that you're little Rufflet? He's gotten so big!" Patriot perched himself on top of the bookshelf and tried to look majestic and failing miserably. Ramos just laughed and said, "You grew up rather well. You're larger than most in your species, you know. It's just a shame that you still haven't quite adjusted to your size." Patriot squawked in indignation, to which Ramos gave a grin. "I'm just pulling you're leg, kiddo. You're glorious and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Cerberus still sat beside Cassius, trying to find the right way to approach. He was the most intimidating of all the Pokemon and didn't want scare the elderly man. Cassius saw the gears turning and decided to put a stop to it before poor Cerberus had a breakdown. "Grandpa, this is Cerberus. He is my newest Pokemon. I got him while I was gone at the academy. Raised him from a little Houndour, too."
Ramos turned to look and saw the nervous Houndoom looking bashful around this elderly man. Ramos smiled and shook his head. "Pup, you are not the scariest Pokemon that I've seen." Ramos walked up to the Houndoom and rubbed its head, relaxing Cerberus. Cerberus grinned at himself and looked back at Ramos with what looked to be a smile. Then Ramos caught sight of Anubis. "Anubis! Oh my, you look so strong. Been helping my grandson here wrangle up the bad guys, eh? I can see that it's a workout."
Anubis looked up at Ramos with a smile in its eyes, enthused by the compliment of how strong he looked. Cassius couldn't help but smile at the adorable fighter.
They both sat back down for lunch and started to talk. They spoke about whether or not Ramos was going to retire (which got Cassius a swift smack to the back of the head and an earful of "I'M NOT THAT OLD!), to what kind of cases that Cassius worked on, leading up to the one that Cassius was working on right now. He explained what the job entailed, but not why he accepted it. He didn't want his grandfather to know that he could be working the last case his father was on. Ramos already lost his son to it; he didn't want him to worry about his grandson or entertain the thought that what happened to his father might happen to him.
"It's been a while since I've been back here in Coumarine. It's actually very relaxing to be here. There isn't the craziness of gang members trying to kill each other or innocent people on the streets." Cassius breathed in a deep and mind clearing breath, relaxing slightly. Guess the giant tree in here makes the air fresher.
"That doesn't mean that the gangs don't exist. It's just a lot less of a problem. We have a few B&E's every now and then, but there really hasn't been any violence up here," Ramos stated.
"As long as there aren't gunshots going off every 10 minutes like clockwork, I'm happy," Cassius replied, a grin forming on his face.
Ramos returned the grin with one of his own and a very unexpected question. "Have you been seeing anyone, Cassy?" The question caught Cassius by surprise so much so that he nearly spilt coffee all over himself.
"Come again, Grandpa?"
"Oh, come on, sonny! Have you met anyone, dated anyone? I can hardly believe that you would be single. A handsome young man such as yourself needn't work hard to bring in the ladies," Ramos said, his eyebrows doing what appeared to be "the wave".
"No, Grandpa, I'm not seeing anyone. I haven't been on a date in months." I'm really not looking, anyways. Last person I dated was a two-timing gold-digger. "Work has gotten out of control, what with all the gang wars going on all around Kalos. I'm either chasing down criminals all around Lumiose City or being shipped around the region to provide some help where it's needed. Dating really hasn't been a priority for me."
Ramos frowned and shook his head. "You're working yourself too hard. When was the last time you had a vacation? If you keep this up you'll end up running yourself into the ground." There was a pause. "I just don't want to lose you like I did your father."
Those words were like a kick to the stomach. He felt bad for thinking that he was the only one suffering from his father's disappearance and even worse for not telling him that his next case would be the one his father disappeared on.
Cassius steeled himself, though, and looked his grandfather right in the eye while placing a comforting hand on one of Ramos', saying "Don't worry. You won't lose me."