Chapter 6

It's Just a Drink

"Excuse me," Cassius questioned. The good Doctor just flashed him another grin

"Never mind. Oh, look at me; I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Professor Darren Stone, leading authority in Pokepology." Professor Stone extended a hand to shake with. Cassius, not wanting to be rude, grasped the man's hand and gave it a brief shake.

"Nice to meet you. I'm sorry to cut this whole introduction short, but we should get you over to the Police Station. Police Chief Ryodan wanted to be sure to meet you before we went out on your expedition."

Professor Stone flashed him another quick smile.

"Of course! Just give me a moment to collect my belongings. I'll just be a moment."

The Professor began walking briskly towards the baggage claim area to pick up his luggage. While waiting for him to get back, Cassius decided to take another brief visual sweep of the area. He turned his head back in the direction that Professor Stone strode off towards and saw him walking back with a large rucksack and a Snivy.

This puzzled Cassius. I don't remember reading about him having a Snivy. Cassius looked back to his Pokemon and motioned them forward to his side.

"So these must be your Pokemon," Darren exclaimed. "They look like you've trained them really well."

Anubis, loving the praise that he received, barked in approval and puffed out his chest in an attempt to look buff. The others were less…vocal…about how much they appreciated the praise. Nonetheless, they all smiled and nodded in approval.

"Yes, they are. They're my family and partners. We've been through a lot and put a lot of bad guys away. You're in safe hands with us." Just reassuring this man that we can keep him safe.

"Yes and what strong hands they look to be. So, how are we getting there?"

Again, Cassius was thrown for a loop with this blatant advance. All he could do was just smile and deal with it.

"I have my car just around the corner. It's just a short walk over this way."

Before continuing on, Cassius returned all of his Pokemon. He looked back at the Professor, motioning for him to follow.

"I just have a quick question. Is that your Snivy? I don't remember being briefed on this new addition to your team."

Professor Stone looked down to the Snivy before answering.

The Snivy smiled brightly up at its Trainer with a boisterous "Sni!"

"Yes, her name is Rhea. She was given to me by Professor Juniper. My last research trip took me to Unova and I played a bit with the Pokemon at her lab when I was taking breaks. She became a bit attached and the day I left Professor Juniper insisted I take her along with me. That was a few days ago."

Alright. Guess that explains the lapse in intel. They began to walk down the street for a little bit before rounding the left corner at a four-way stoplight. After walking for a few more minutes they made it back to Cassius' navy blue Honda CR-V. He motioned for Professor Stone to move towards the trunk. Cassius opened the trunk, slipped the ruck sack off of the Professor's back, and tossed the bag in the trunk. As he was closing the trunk, he noticed the Professor looked a bit dumbstruck.

"Is there a problem, Professor?"

The Professor picked his jaw back up off of the ground and gave a few rapid blinks before responding.

"Uh, no. Just…you moved so fast! I barely even noticed you lift my bag off my shoulders! Color me impressed," Professor Stone mused.

"Uh huh…" was all that Cassius could respond with.

They both hopped into the car and buckled up. The Professor's quiet Snivy sat in his lap taking a nap.

-.-.-

After about ten minutes of silence in midday rush hour traffic, Cassius decided to strike up conversation. It was awkward enough with the guy hitting on him nearly every time he spoke, but the silence was even worse.

"So what exactly is Pokepology anyway? I've never heard of that branch of science before. Is it new?"

Cassius' interest was genuine. He tried to keep up with the scientific community as much as possible, what with new discoveries in species, evolutions, and breeding happening every day.

Professor Stone looked at Cassius with something that resembled pleasant surprise. It seemed that not many people took interest in his work. So the enthusiasm in his voice when explaining what his field of study was didn't surprise Cassius.

"Pokepology is the study of interaction between humans and Pokemon and how each influences one another. For example, some of Eevee's evolutions depend on the bond it has with its Trainer. If the Eevee's bond is strong and it's during the day when it finally evolves, it will become an Espeon. To gain an Umbreon, the time of day is switched. If there is a strong love between the trainer and Eevee and it knows a move that is classified under the Fairy-type then it will evolve into the newly discovered Sylveon. The same applies to the newly discovered Mega Evolution."

"But doesn't that just involve the right stones for the right Pokemon to Mega Evolve," Cassius interjected. "How does a strong bond between a Trainer and Pokemon factor into the Evolution process?"

"Well, to facilitate the evolution process there needs to be a strong bond. That bond catapults the Pokemon into a further state of temporary evolution that is only attainable under the proper conditions," Professor Stone stated matter-of-factly. "But kudos to you for knowing what is necessary for Mega Evolution. It's still relatively new to the scientific community and not much of the public knows about the whole process."

"Well, I try to keep up with world news. Plus, I used to be a Pokedex holder for Professor Sycamore when I was a child," Cassius said. "I really didn't pay much attention to his talks on Mega Evolution. I was too focused on trying to become the Champion."

The Professor looked down at his sleeping Snivy, then to Cassius.

"How did that end up for you?"

Cassius looked back at the Professor with a somber timbre in his words.

"I made it all the way to the Elite Four with just three Pokemon. Then I stopped."

"Why?"

Cassius Looked back at his ward, debating with himself on whether he should tell him or not.

"That's a story for another time."

-.-.-

After another twenty minutes of small talk, they finally made it to the station.

Everything was still a mess from the night before. The section of the building that was blown to pieces was cordoned off, crime tape separated the onlookers and personnel not needed in the area. Bricks from the building and pieces of furniture had been launched all the way to the tree line from the force of the explosion. Burnt papers and files were scattered everywhere in the open.

God, I hope they went digital with their files or they're all screwed.

CSI's were all over the site of the explosion, trying to determine its source location and how it had been started. Residue samples of the explosion were being taken for further testing, photographs of the scene were being captured, and insurance agents made an appearance to determine how much of the gaping hole in the wall would be covered under the government and how much they could leech from the government pockets.

"What the hell happened here," Professor Stone queried, stepping out of the SUV.

Cassius had flashbacks to the previous night: the deafening sound of the explosion, the blinding flash of light, and the flames flailing in the dark. But the memory that stood out the most was the face of that bastard Faust.

"Nothing you need to worry about. It's need to know." Cassius shut his door.

Cassius led Professor Stone and Rhea the Snivy past the mess and through the front doors. It was like trying to maneuver through an obstacle course to get to Chief Ryodan's office. Cassius rapped on the door three times.

"Who is it," The gruff voice asked.

"Chief Ryodan, it's Detective Proctor. I'm here with the Professor like you asked me this morning."

There was the sound of rummaging behind the door. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor was audible behind the barricade. Footsteps could be heard making their way to the door. A second later the door was open and the Chief stood in front of Cassius.

In just one night's time, the man looked like he had physically aged another ten years. The bags under his eyes sagged. The Chief scratched at his beard and pushed a hand through the tangled mess of hair on his head.

Had he been here all night working?

Cassius felt a pang of guilt at what had been left in the wake of his incompetence. He began to question what would have happened if he had even attempted to apprehend the escapees. Could he have been able to stop them? Was there any plausible and safe way of detaining the convicts had he won in battle against them? What would have happened if he lost?

"Come in. Excuse the mess. It's been a busy night."

Cassius, Professor Stone, and Rhea stepped into the office. In a single night, the tidy office became a monument of chaos and disorder. Papers were haphazardly strewn all across the desk. The pictures and awards on the walls were still crooked from the explosion.

"So, you're the Professor. You seem to be rather young for the title, aren't you?"

Cassius noticed that the question was poised to gauge the response of Professor Stone. He viewed this as an understandable move due to recent events.

You can never be too careful, Cassius thought to himself.

"No more so than Detective Proctor is for his position, sir," Professor Stone responded.

A smile appeared on Chief Ryodan's work weary face.

"You've got a quick wit. I like that." He extended his hand to offer a shake. "I'm Coumarine City's Police Chief Horatio Ryodan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Professor Stone clasped the other man's hand and gave it a brief shake.

"The pleasure's all mine. Now may I ask why you wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Before we get to that, why not take a seat?" Chief Ryodan motioned to the chairs opposite his desk. Cassius and the Professor took their seats. Rhea hopped into the Professor's lap.

"I want you to tell me what happened the last time someone attempted to kidnap you. I've been informed that there have been numerous attempts and that they're from the same individual."

Professor Stone inhaled a sharp breath. A subject such as this was a touchy one and having to relive it made it that much more terrifying. But the Professor took control of his nerves and nodded his demeanor calm once again.

"It was a few days before I left the Unova region. I was researching some ruins in the desert when I was attacked by a Bisharp. There was a sandstorm raging around us, so I couldn't immediately identify where its Trainer was. I called out my little Mekhos and battled the Bisharp while trying to reach Route 4. I knew that as soon as I made it back there, where there were other people, I'd be able to escape and get help."

"What gave you the idea that he would stop once you got to a populated area," Chief Ryodan inquired.

"I know because I've been attacked by the very same Bisharp before. It belongs to my would-be kidnapper," Professor Stone stated.

The Chief and Cassius perked up at this.

"So you know who it is that's been trying to kidnap you all this time," Cassius asked.

Professor Stone looked at him and nodded.

"I've never been able to get a good look at his face. He keeps it hidden under a hood every time he tries to capture me. He uses the same Pokemon for every attempt."

"Can you describe anything else? What he wears or what he sounds like," the Chief queried.

"He wears big leather boots. I think they're black. His pants are a dark blue. His jacket is the same shade. He wears leather gloves, too. I assume to hide any fingerprints. He's very agile and very strong. Oh, and he wears an old looking bracelet with a rainbow stone in the center of it."

As the Professor was rattling off details that he thought might help identify his pursuer, Chief Ryodan was writing everything down.

After the interview was over, Chief Ryodan assured the Professor that a BOLO would be issued for the Hooded Man as soon as possible. The Professor breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, so much. I feel a bit more at ease now, what with the police looking for him and being given a handsome bodyguard to watch over me."

The Chief took notice at that last comment and looked back and forth between the Detective and the Professor. Then he smiled at Cassius. A mischievous smile filled with all of the "I'm going to enjoy watching this train wreck" and "where's my popcorn" stretched across his face. Cassius could only blush with frustration at the Chief. Cassius had to get out of there and FAST!

"Well, Professor, we better get going. You still need to check-in at your hotel and get some rest. I'm sure your journey has been very tiring."

The Professor looked back up at Cassius. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Off we go then!"

When the door closed behind them, Cassius could swear he heard the Chief howl with laughter.

Geez, at least wait until we're out of earshot!

Cassius looked over to see if the Professor heard anything. He didn't show any signs of whether he did or not, so Cassius just didn't ask. That was a can of worms that he didn't want to try to clean up.

They worked their way through the maze of what was left of the bullpen, stepping out into the midafternoon sun. As they were striding towards the car, the Professor looked up at him.

"So how about we go hit up the bar tonight? Get better acquainted with each other?"

Cassius stopped in mid-stride, nearly as frozen as he had been last night.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, since we'll be stuck with each other for the next few months, we might as well start getting comfortable around each other."

Cassius tried to swallow down his discomfort, but his mouth was too dry for such a thing to happen. Cassius reached for his car keys to unlock the door.

"I don't think it would be for the best. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow and we need to rest."

The Professor stuck out his lower lip in what looked to be the most well practiced pout Cassius had ever seen.

"It's just a drink," he whined. "If you want, we can have a curfew. How about midnight?"

Cassius considered this. He didn't want to go out and he knew that he shouldn't. But the Professor was right. They had to live with each other for the next few months and if they didn't get along, the whole thing would be hell.

Cassius sighed in defeat. He had to concede to the offer, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a complete lack of control over the situation.

"Fine, but the curfew will be 9. And I will not be drinking. I'll be on duty, technically."

"How about 10 and you do a shot and let me buy you a beer?"

Sheesh, he really wants to "bond".

Cassius considered the offer.

"Fine, but we get the shot out of the way as soon as we get there. If I'm driving, I have to be as sober as possible."

"Deal."

-.-.-

After going back to the hotel and getting the Professor checked in to his room, they headed for a local bar called the Dizzy Spinda. It was a little hole in the wall bar, but it felt comfortable to Cassius. The bartenders and patrons were all amiable, even to the two newcomers. The bar was closer to the back of the joint and there were a multitude of tables strewn throughout the building.

They walked over to an empty table and sat down to look over the menus. After a few minutes, a very pretty waitress sauntered over.

"What can I get you gentlemen tonight?" she said in her most sultry voice. Cassius could tell she was flirting for tips and that she was a pro at it. Too bad for her it wouldn't work on either man, even if it were for separate reasons.

Cassius was about to order when Professor Stone interjected.

"We'll need two shots of your best Fire Blast whiskies and then two Umbreon Moon Beers."

The waitress whipped out her notepad and pen and scrawled down the order.

"Anything else you might want? I can say for sure that we have some of the best wings in town!"

The Professor furrowed his brow in consideration before giving the affirmative to place that down on their order. Cassius just looked over at him, an eyebrow cocked up in his direction.

"Well, you seem to be pretty into this tonight. You wouldn't even let me order my own drinks," Cassius stated, slightly flustered.

"Well of course! I'm treating tonight. Besides, you didn't specify what kind of shots or beer you wanted, so I ordered what I normally get. Is that alright?"

Cassius huffed. "It would probably be better in the future, Professor Stone, to be more communicative about the affairs of food and alcohol. You're lucky that what you usually order is what I usually order."

The Professor smiled back at the detective.

"Duly noted. But please, could you stop calling me Professor? I'd prefer it if you could call me Darren; allows us to be a bit friendlier towards each other."

Cassius nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you're right. Like you said before, we're gonna be together for a while. Feel free to call me Cassius."

Darren's brow furrowed in consideration, trying to make a choice.

"Cassius is a bit of a mouthful. How about Cas?"

Cassius nodded in agreement, assenting to the use of the nickname. A few moments passed before their drinks and wings showed up. Darren picked up his shot glass and motioned that Cassius follow suit.

"I propose a toast to the two of us having a safe and successful journey," Darren proclaimed.

Cassius nodded in assent. They clinked their shots together, tapped the glasses on the table and drank. The name of Fire Blast Whiskey isn't just a name. Cassius' throat burned as if a Magmar was truly breathing a Fire Blast down his esophagus.

He and Darren finished their shots, simultaneously placing their glasses on the table. A tingling sensation from the alcohol ran down his spine, causing Swanna-bumps to pop up all over his body. Cassius reached for his beer to chase down the whiskey, while Darren began to eat some of the wings.

The rest of the night consisted of some more small talk about the proposed route of travel, though that conversation didn't last long once Darren saw the dart board.

"Can we play a round?" he asked.