xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hau'oli Beachfront, Melemele Island, 10:32 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sitting on the sand was Oranguru, still playing Bevin's flute as a small crowd of strangers was watching and listening. As the Normal and Psychic type Pokémon was playing beautiful sounding music, over near the staircase to Malie City and against the wall was the con artist known as Bevin as Keats had his hand around his neck.
"Where did you get that vest?! How much did it cost?! Where'd you learn how to play that flute?! Are Torterras easy to find?! Does your shoes get filled with sand easily?! Did you know Miniors don't eat?!" Keats exclaimed as he rattled off random questions as Rotom and Anik looked at him with confused expressions.
"What?" Bevin thought as he was immensely befuddled by Keats' incoherent stream of questioning.
"He'zzzz doing it again..." Rotom said as Anik turned towards the floating phone.
"This a repeat of the last time he had to interrogate someone?" Anik asked.
"How'd you get your hair to go all the way to the side like that?! What that a custom job from a barber or did you do it yourself?! How much wood can you lift if you were looking to throw-" Keats continued to ramble until Bevin spoke up as the flutist looked over towards the astronomy enthusiast and the floating phone Pokémon.
"Okay, I'll talk. Can you please shut him up?" Bevin said with a face full of frustration and bewilderment. "And I am getting a headache... What the hell is with this guy?" He thought as he grabbed both sides of his own head and shook it in annoyance.
"Uhhh Keats, maybe you should let me take a swing at it." Anik said as she approached Keats as he let go of Bevin's neck.
"You sure? I can keep going with the questioning." Keats said towards his female companion.
'"Please, no."' Bevin, Rotom and Anik all said in unison as Keats raised an eyebrow.
"Excuzzzze me." Rotom said as it approached the con artist. "I'll start first. Why were you working for Imani?" It asked.
"I was going to ask that after I was going ask if he knew a fast way to dry wet socks..." Keats thought.
"A number of weeks ago, I was working on a corner. Playing my flute for some of the people here in town with my case open for handouts." Bevin said.
"You were a panhandler. We heard about that from someone on Ula'Ula Island." Anik said as Bevin raised an eyebrow.
"Who? Was it some girl covered in paint?" Bevin asked as Anik nodded. "Yeah, I remember her. Used to see her every now and again when she wanted something to paint." He continued as he remembered Trial Captain Mina.
"Anyway, give uzzzz more details on Imani." Rotom said as Bevin leaned against the wall adjacent to the stairs.
"One day, some girl approached me. Late teens, long grey hair with a single highlight, kinda cute but I could tell she was younger than me." Bevin said, giving a description of Imani. "I thought she was talking to me because she liked my playing, so we started chatting." He said as he recalled the day when he met the former Snagem Family member.
"Go on." Anik said as she folded her arms.
"Right. So... I meet Imani a few times over a few days a while back and she gives me this idea. There used to be this old thing in the Kanto region about the "PokéFlute."' Bevin said as Keats made a surprised expression.
"Yeah, the "wake up music" thing, right?" Keats said as Bevin nodded.
"Once she brought that up to me. She had this whole idea set up for a "get rich quick" scheme that I wasn't fully on board with until it worked the first time." Bevin said as he looked at the trio. "Because of that myth about PokéFlutes, some people were easy to trick with my musical talents." He said with a smirk forming on his face.
"I wouldn't be smiling if I were you..." Anik said with a glare in her eyes.
"Any moment, I can choozzzze to call Officer Jenny." Rotom said in a threatening tone as a shiver went up Bevin's spine.
"Al-alright, alright." Bevin said as he dropped the facade of self-satisfaction.
"What happened next, zzzzt." Rotom said.
"Phone call, phone call... Oh, that reminds me." Keats thought as he started to remember something.
"At first, Imani suggested I trick people with the roadblocks. After that, she started to suggest I start asking for money or gifts from people. My Munchlax and Grotle evolved and then I caught a Wailmer that later evolved and a Turtonator, upped the ante on the possibilities for what I could stop and fool people with." Bevin said, explaining the scheme further.
"Yo, Rotom. Come here." Keats quietly mentioned towards the floating phone Pokémon as it hovered over to him. "Keep up the questioning for me, please?" He asked towards Anik as she nodded before turning back towards Bevin as Keats walked away slightly.
"Things were going good with the amount of money I was raking in." Bevin said. "Imani originally wanted a fair split, fifty-fifty. Soon after she buys this cheap houseboat, she starts hiding away inside it and starts treating me like a minion." He said with complaintive tone.
"How so?" Anik questioned.
"She wanted a bump in her cut. Started asking for sixty-five percent of the profits and then suddenly eighty percent after this phone call she had with someone she was calling her "little brother."' Bevin explained, continuing to complain. "All she told me to do was to keep up with kick-ups to her and then everything this past week had happened with tubby over there and Imani sending out her Pokémon to try and off him." He said as he pointed at Keats as the husky framed trainer was on the phone.
"Do you know what Pokémon Imani has on her?" Anik asked.
"A fancy colored Bruxish that's incredibly chummy with a few other ones, a Beheeyem that I am sure you already met, a Starmie and-" Bevin said until Anik spoke up to cut him off.
"A Sableye? With a Mega Stone?" Anik asked as Bevin looked at the astronomy enthusiast with a surprised look in his eyes.
"...Yeah? How'd you know that?" Bevin said, surprised by her knowing that information.
"Then there's the proof the two of them are connected to Keats' sister..." Anik thought as she looked over at Keats as he finished his phone call and walked back over.
"So, what I miss?" Keats said as Rotom floated next to him.
"I'll fill you in in a second, just have to ask one more thing." Anik said towards Keats as she turned back to Bevin. "What's her defenses like around her home?" She asked as Keats looked on with a serious expression.
"She has her Bruxish and its friends surrounding the houseboat in the water and her Beheeyem is floating around like a guard." Bevin said.
"And Sableye?" Keats questioned.
"Inside." Bevin stated. "Imani keeps that mute Sableye she has as a butler, basically waiting on her hand and foot. Starmie is kept in its ball as a backup." He continued as Keats and Anik looked at each other.
"She's a smarter cookie than Carter was." Keats thought as he compared the two Snagem Family members.
"Am I done? Can I go?" Bevin said with an annoyed tone.
"What makezzzz you think you can just leave?" Anik said with her arms folded.
"You zzzztole tons of money and items from people in the past few weeks." Rotom said with a stern tone.
"And some of that was mine too!" Anik thought with agitation.
"And like I said, Imani is the one who put me up to this. She's the one who's really at fault here!" Bevin exclaimed in a defensive manner.
"Doesn't matter! It's not like you can just skirt past being a crook!" Anik shouted in an angry tone. "Keats, say something!" She said towards her male companion as Keats looked at Bevin with a plain expression.
"Alright, let's go." Keats said as he put his hand on Anik's shoulder and looked at Rotom.
"Huh?" Bevin grunted in confusion.
'"What?!"' Rotom and Anik replied in shock.
"You're letting me go?" Bevin questioned.
"Yeah." Keats said bluntly. "Come on, I need some sleep." He said as he walked away while pulling Anik and Rotom hovering after them.
"Whoa, hey!" Anik said as Keats pulled her by her lab coat up the stairwell towards the city.
"Keatzzzz, what are you doing?!" Rotom exclaimed as Keats ignored the phone.
"Whoa... Hey, looks like I'm getting off scot-free." Bevin thought as he watched Keats, Anik and Rotom leave up the stairs as he started to smile.
Now on the sidewalk at the top of the stairwell, Anik quickly pulled herself out from Keats grasp on her lab coat. As she and Rotom looked at Keats with surprised expressions on their faces, the astronomy enthusiast and the floating phone Pokémon failed to notice a group of people approaching them.
"Keats, what the heck?!" Anik said with a shocked tone.
"What?" Keats said with a shrug.
"You're just going to let Bevin go, zzzzt!?" Rotom questioned in surprise.
"Heh... No." Keats chuckled before waving his hand to the confusion of his companions as Keats looked down from the stairs as Bevin walked towards where the small crowd of people Oranguru was entertaining were.
"You told me not to lizzzzten in on that call you made because I thought you were calling Officer Jenny!" Rotom said in a critical tone towards Keats.
"Nah, I called someone else." Keats said plainly.
"Huh?" Anik muttered.
"Yo." An unfamiliar female voice said as Anik and Rotom turned around as Keats smiled.
To the surprise of Anik and Rotom, the duo was caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of a young woman with pink and yellow hair in a pair of double tails on both sides of her head with heavy eyeliner, a midriff exposing black tank top, a pair of skull-like pins in her hair and black and white pants and sneakers. Behind her was the familiar Team Skull trio of Tupp, Zipp and Rapp as Keats waved at the group in a friendly manner.
"Hey!" Tupp said.
"Hi!" Rapp said.
"Ho!" Zipp said.
'"Yeaaaah! Plumeria, yo!"' The trio of Team Skull members said in unison as the young woman made an annoyed expression.
"Shut your traps, you idiots." The young woman said as the trio cowered back slightly from her threatening tone.
"Te-Team Skull?" Anik said in surprise as she backed up towards Keats.
"That's who I called." Keats said with a smile as he looked at the trio. "How you guys doing?" He asked politely.
"Never mind the pleasantries." The threatening young woman said. "You the one that called about some scammer muscling in on our turf?" She asked towards Keats as Anik and Rotom quickly scurried behind the husky trainer.
"Yeah, that guy down there." Keats said as he pointed towards the beach as the Team Skull members looked over.
"That him?" The threatening young woman said as she looked at Bevin, approaching Oranguru.
"Oh yeah!" Tupp exclaimed.
"That's the greedy chump!" Zipp shouted.
"He be the guy whose been making our wallets lighter, Plumeria!" Rapp screamed as she identified Bevin to the punk-like woman.
"Then let's show him who runs the Alola region." Plumeria said before turning towards Keats. "Hey." She continued as Keats looked at her.
"Yeah?" Keats replied.
"Thanks for the heads up." Plumeria said as she and the Team Skull trio walked past Keats, Anik and Rotom.
"Hope all is well!" Tupp said towards Keats while making gestures with his hands.
"Come hang with us some time!" Rapp said while doing the same actions with her hands.
"But I can't on Thursdays! I got a thing!" Zipp said as the other two members looked back at their comrade.
"Yo, you ruined the flow!" Tupp said angrily.
"What the heck bro!?" Rapp muttered in frustration.
"Nah, it's cool man." Keats said as the trio looked at him. "I'll see you guys around." He said with a smile.
"You guys coming or what?" Plumeria said with annoyance as the trio of Team Skull members ran up to her down the stairs as they walked to where Bevin was.
"Give me back my flute!" Bevin angrily exclaimed towards Oranguru who ignored him and continued to play it. "If I can just get my flute back, I'd- huh?" He thought until he felt the feeling of someone tapping him on the shoulder with their finger.
"Yo..." Plumeria said as Bevin turned around as he locked eyes with the angry gazes of the members of Team Skull. "I think you might have some things that belong to Team Skull." She said with an evil smirk as Bevin begun to sweat from fear.
As Oranguru played one last note on the flute, the sudden ending of the beautiful music coming from the Normal and Psychic type Pokémon gave Bevin a moment to make a run for it. As Bevin ran down the beach and passed by numerous people in an effort to escape, Plumeria and the Team Skull trio each took out Pokéballs.
"Come on out, Salandit!" Tupp shouted.
"Zubat!" Rapp screamed.
"Garbodor, you too!" Zipp said loudly.
"Salazzle, go play." Plumeria said calmly as all four of them opened up their balls.
Emerging from the lights were the bat-like Pokémon, Zubat, the salamander-like Pokémon, Salandit and the living garbage-like Pokémon, Garbodor. Joining them was another salamander-like Pokémon but was noticeably tall with an all-black body, a purple underbelly with red markings, feminine features and purple eyes.
"Get him." Plumeria said as the four Pokémon chased after Bevin with the Team Skull trio joining in the hunt as she slowly walked behind them.
'"Salazzle, the Toxic Lizard Pokémon, a Poison and Fire type and the evolved form of Salandit. Salazzle lives deep in caves and forces the Salandit it has attracted with its pheromones to serve it. It punishes Salandit that couldn't bring it food with a fierce slap of its flame-spewing palm."' Rotom said, reading off the PokéDex entry for Plumeria's Salazzle.
"That's still disturbing." Keats said with a demented expression.
"Why did you call them to take care of Bevin instead of the cops?" Anik said towards Keats.
"Because that guy tried to kill me a few days ago. Calling the cops on him would have been light punishment..." Keats said with squinted eyes as Rotom and Anik looked at each other for a brief moment as Oranguru proceeded to walk up the stairs.
"Urururu-rang?" Oranguru said towards the group.
"Translation?" Anik asked towards Rotom.
"Oranguru asked if we got what we needed, zzzzt." Rotom said.
"Looks like it." Keats said towards the wild genius Pokémon. "Haaaa... I need some sleep." He commented as he put his hand in front of his mouth.
"Oh yeah, you didn't get any last night." Anik said as she noticed Keats' tiredness. "Come on, let's head to the Pokémon Center." She continued as she motioned for the group to head into the city.
"Yeah, with Bevin out of the picture, we need to rest up for tonight. Because tonight, we get back my sister's Sableye..." Keats said as Anik nodded with the duo of trainers walking away.
"Oranguru." Oranguru said towards Rotom.
"Zzzzomething the matter Oranguru?" Rotom replied.
"Ururu-rangrang. Rangurangu-uru." Oranguru said as Rotom made a surprised expression.
"You want to zzzzee Keats' Pokémon in my system?" Rotom questioned as Oranguru nodded. "Well, alright then." The phone Pokémon said as it floated over into the hands of the wild genius Pokémon.
"Rang-rang..." Oranguru said to itself as it glossed through applications on Rotom.
"It wants to look at moves?" Rotom thought with confusion.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hau'oli Pokémon Center, Melemele Island, 12:56 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Haaaa..." Keats muttered in his sleep as he slept on floor of one of the sleeping rooms in the Pokémon Center, using one of his messenger bags as a pillow.
"He doezzzz know he can just use one of the beds, right?" Rotom said in confusion as Oranguru sat on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed.
"Uru." Oranguru said with a raised eyebrow at Keats' bizarre behavior.
Meanwhile, outside the room and over at one of the computers in the Pokémon Center, was Anik, holding a wired phone and speaking to a familiar face of a man with blonde hair, glasses and a blue cardigan on the monitor. No longer in her tracksuit, she sported a new attire of a baby blue button-up, a light brown long skirt that stretched down to her ankles, long black socks that covered her legs, light brown slip-on shoes and her usual lab coat.
"You actually caught a Minior?" Molayne said on the screen while holding a wired phone as well.
"Yup! And I actually got to use it in battle!" Anik said with a face full of self-satisfaction.
"Can I see it?" Molayne asked with interest.
"Not right now, Nurse Joy is currently looking at it. Along with me and my friends other Pokémon." Anik replied as she looked over at Nurse Joy and her Comfey behind the counter.
"Well, I'm glad to see the time away from the observatory proved fruitful." Molayne said with a smile. "Got a bit worried when you hadn't contacted us in a few days." He continued.
"Yeah, things have been a bit hectic. But it's nothing an astronomer can't handle." Anik said with a boisterous attitude as she adjusted her glasses.
"Uh-huh..." Molayne said with a wry smile. "Still can't help but pat herself on the back, huh?" He thought.
"Hey, Molayne. Is that Anik?" Sophocles said as the small and overweight child came into view.
"Hey, Sophocles! Guess what, I caught-" Anik said, about to brag again until Sophocles cut her off.
"Hold that thought Anik." Sophocles said. "Molayne, is there any word on the trajectory of that meteor shower?" He asked towards his older cousin.
"Okay, I'll just keep quiet... No need to talk about my amazing capture of a rare Pokémon from space. Yeah, I'm totally fine with that!" Anik thought as her eye twitched.
"The angle of the movement the radar picked up showed signs of not only Minior but we might even be able to see Rayquaza, given the sensors picked up a large unknown object with a serpentine form up there." Molayne said towards Sophocles as Anik's eyes widened.
"Wait!" Anik exclaimed loudly, causing some of the other trainers in the Pokémon Center to look at her. "There's a chance Rayquaza can be seen tonight from the observatory!?" She questioned as Molayne and Sophocles looked at the astronomy enthusiast.
"It-it would appear so. If we're lucky with the placement of the telescope that is." Molayne said with a cautious tone.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Anik said in a giddy tone as she started to jump up and down in an excited manner. "I can't confirm the constellation just yet but one of them I researched was possibly a dead ringer for Rayquaza! I have to see this!" She said into the phone.
"Guess it's been enough time since you went on leave." Molayne said towards Sophocles as the child shrugged.
"Just don't cause too much trouble." Sophocles said with a stern tone at Anik before walking offscreen.
"This is so-... Uh..." Anik said with excitement until suddenly realizing something. "Wait... "Tonight?"' She said towards Molayne.
"Yeah. Where are you right now?" Molayne questioned.
"I'm on Melemele Island, I can get back to the observatory on Ula'Ula if I leave in the next hour but.." Anik said before turning her head in the direction of the hallway that led to the sleeping rooms. "This is kind of awkward..." She said as she scratched her face.
"What?" Molayne said.
"My friend has an important thing tonight and I've been helping him with it." Anik said. "He's asleep right now so I can't just pester him about this..." She thought.
"Well, it's not like you need to rush. There will be other times Rayquaza might be seen in the observatory telescope. We'll be waiting for you back here at Ula'Ula Island." Molayne said in a comforting tone.
"Yeah... But... I want to see it... And by the time Rayquaza possibly flies by again for the observatory to see it, my internship will be over..." Anik thought with a concerned expression. "I'm going to go now." She said as Molayne nodded, the video feed cutting soon after.
Standing up from the chair she was sitting in while on the call, Anik proceeded to walk back to the sleeping room in the Pokémon Center as she opened the door and saw Keats still on the floor. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, she looked over at Rotom and Oranguru, the latter sitting on the bottom bunk.
"Why's he on the floor again?" Anik questioned towards Rotom.
"Your guess izzzz as good as mine." Rotom said with an exasperated tone. "You get that phone call taken care of with your bosses?" The phone Pokémon asked.
"Yeah, I got into contact with Molayne and Sophocles. And they told me something... Interesting." Anik said as she walked over to the bottom bunk and sat next to Rotom and Oranguru. "Apparently there will be a Rayquaza flying by tonight..." She said while biting her lip.
"A Rayquaza, zzzzt? Oh, that's a space Pokémon." Rotom said as Oranguru looked at Anik.
"I know! It's so cool! And I want to go see it!" Anik shouted as she quickly stood up, causing Keats to stir on the floor. "The only issue is that..." She continued in a regretful tone.
"Wait, that'zzzz happening tonight?" Rotom questioned. "Tonight's when we're... Oh..." The phone Pokémon said.
"I'm so torn right now..." Anik thought as she sat silently. "A part of me wants to go back to the observatory so I can see Rayquaza in space... But I know that Keats could use the help with beating Imani." She continued.
"Orangururu." Oranguru said as it caught Anik and Rotom's attention.
"Huh?" Anik muttered.
"Oranguru-rangrang." Oranguru said as Rotom made a surprised expression on its face.
"Oranguru said you should go, zzzzt." Rotom said as it turned towards Anik.
"You-you think I should?" Anik said.
"Orangururu." Oranguru said.
"Oranguru said that if it's important to you, you should go, zzzzt." Rotom translated.
"But..." Anik said as she turned towards Keats, still asleep.
"When you see my feeeeet..." Keats said in his slumber as everyone just made confused faces at Keats being weird on the floor.
"Oranguru. Rangrang-ru." Oranguru said as Rotom looked at the Normal and Psychic type.
"I zzzzee where you're coming from, but don't you think it would be better if-" Rotom said as Oranguru lifted up its hand to cut off the phone Pokémon.
"Orangururu." Oranguru said as it pointed at Keats. "Rangrang-ru." It continued.
"Uh... Well... Zzzzt." Rotom said.
"What did Oranguru say?" Anik asked.
"Oranguru said that dealing with the Snagems is Keats' problem. And judging by the fact there's other Pokémon stolen that he needs to find, he's never going to get better as a trainer if he doesn't develop on his own to handle this issue, zzzzt." Rotom said as Anik looked at Oranguru. "You have your own goals to focus on, leave it to him." The phone Pokémon said.
"I get he's not the best, but I told him I would help." Anik said. "Among the other reason I'm still helping him..." She thought with embarrassment.
"Oranguru. Rangrang." Oranguru said.
"Oranguru said that you did a ton already by helping Keats find Imani and helped to get rid of that con artist flute player, zzzzt." Rotom said, translating more of Oranguru's speech.
"Uh..." Anik muttered. "But, is he going to be alright fighting her on his own?" She thought with concern as Keats flipped over onto his belly.
"Your calzone is... Making me tree barks..." Keats said in his sleep as everyone just looked at Keats with confusion again.
Pulling out a pen and a piece of paper, Anik proceeded to start to scribble on it. Raising an eyebrow, Oranguru and Rotom looked at her as she continued to write before putting the pen away and then giving it to Oranguru.
"Here." Anik said towards Oranguru.
"What did you write, zzzzt?" Rotom asked.
"It's a note to Keats. Give it to him when he wakes up, it has my phone number." Anik said. "I also wrote a little apology for the fact I couldn't help him at the end but to let him know that I am rooting for him." She said as she got up from the bed. "And... I wrote something else." Anik said with a blush on her face.
"Uru?" Oranguru said with a questioning tone.
"Just give him the note. Good luck guys." Anik said with a smile and a wave. "Bye Keats, hope we can make that date once my internship's done... I'll look up your sister's ranch to see if I can stop by some time. Just... Be okay." She thought as she walked out of the room.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hau'oli Pokémon Center, Melemele Island, 3:56 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Haaaaa..." Keats yawned as he finally sat up from the floor. "Oooof... My back." He complained as Rotom and Oranguru looked at him, clutching his backside.
"You know you could've zzzzlept on the bed, right?" Rotom asked as it floated over to Keats' face.
"I'm worried that Nurse Joy out there might get angry if I did after the last time I was here." Keats said as he laid on his side. "What time is it?" He asked as he looked at a nearby window.
"Almozzzzt four o'clock." Rotom said as Oranguru got off the bottom bunk bed.
"Oranguru." Oranguru said towards Keats.
"I don't know what you said but I'm taking it as an insult." Keats said with a disgruntled expression towards the wild genius Pokémon.
"Rang-rang..." Oranguru said with an unimpressed expression as it lifted up the note from Anik.
"Huh?" Keats mumbled.
"That's a note from Anik, zzzzt." Rotom said as Keats started to look around.
"Actually, where is she?" Keats said as he looked around for his female companion.
"Well, zzzzhe had to go." Rotom said as Keats slowly turned his head towards the floating phone before standing up.
"...What?" Keats said with furrowed brows as he quickly took the note out of Oranguru's hand. "Let me see this!" He exclaimed as Rotom and Oranguru noticed his slightly agitated tone. '"To Keats, I can't you thank you enough for the help you have given me in catching both Minior and Vigoroth and for being a good friend. You seem like a fun guy, and I know what's happening tonight is serious, but I have to go back to Ula'Ula Island to-" is she rejecting me!?" Keats thought as looked at the note, not fully reading it.
"Keatzzzz, you okay?" Rotom questioned as Oranguru raised an eyebrow.
Suddenly, to the surprise of the floating phone and wild genius Pokémon, Keats proceeded to crumple up the note from Anik with an angry expression on his face. Walking over to a nearby wastepaper basket made of wood, Keats threw the note into the can and then pulled out lighter fluid and a match from his messenger bag.
"Whoa, wait! Keatzzzz!" Rotom exclaimed in shock as Keats set the bin on the fire to burn the note.
"Damn it all to hell!" Keats shouted as angrily as the garbage bin was now burning. "Couldn't catch a Pyukumuku! Couldn't get a date! I hate this region!" He commented as he turned around, ignoring the fact the flames were quickly spreading.
"Did he even read the whole thing?!" Rotom thought in exasperation.
"Rang-rang!" Oranguru said in surprise as Keats looked at the Pokémon.
"What the hell Keatzzzz!?" Rotom shouted.
"I can't believe it! All that stuff she said about wanting to help and agreeing to go out with me for helping her with finding that floating rock and she just dips on us!" Keats complained as the flames start to set the nearby curtains on fire. "This is not the first time I got a rejection note from a girl! I didn't think it'd happen a fourth time in my life!? Ugh! What a jerk that girl was!" He continued as Keats walked away, going out of the room as Oranguru and Rotom just looked at the blaze.
"Rangrang-ru..." Oranguru said, wide-eyed.
"Oh, you memorized Anik's phone number. Good... Zzzzt." Rotom said as Oranguru proceeded to go to a nearby closet and pulled out a fire extinguisher that was on the ground.
Pulling the pin, Oranguru quickly used the fire extinguisher to put out the fire before it could it cause the fire alarms to go off. As the smoke cleared, the Normal and Psychic type Pokémon and the floating phone looked on at the black marks that were left behind by Keats' sudden and impulsive act of arson.
"I'm very worried about the next few hours... And I probably should contact Anik to tell her he didn't read the note fully..." Rotom thought.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Alolan Ocean, 7:48 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As the moon was now overhead, Imani was pacing around inside her houseboat as her stolen Sableye was patiently sitting on the coffee table. Looking out through on the windows, she watched as her Beheeyem stood guard while floating above the water and then shifted her eyes downward to spot the three pink and yellow Bruxish, swimming in the sea.
"Okay, everyone is still on guard, my Bruxish and Starmie are resting in their ball... Bevin, where the hell are you!?" Imani thought as she was growing impatient. "Ugh..." She grunted.
"Beheeee..." Beheeyem said as it looked around at the water.
"Bruxish- bruxbrux!" One of the pink and yellow Bruxish said under the water until it suddenly noticed a small jet ski approaching from several meters out. "Brux-brux!" The Water and Psychic type exclaimed as it jumped into the air, causing Imani inside to turn her head.
"Finally." Imani said as she walked over to the door. "Forget the password, I need to get the confirmation now." She thought as she opened the door to the houseboat as her Psychic type Pokémon turned towards the direction of where the jet ski was coming from. "It's about-" Imani said as she stepped out onto the deck of her houseboat before noticing the jet ski wasn't being ridden by her flute playing subordinate but by a white orangutan-like Pokémon on the handles and a familiar bearded individual clinging to the backside of the Pokémon.
"Hiiii!" Keats said with an angry look on his face and a smile.
"What?!" Imani exclaimed in shock as the three pink and yellow Bruxish and her Beheeyem quickly rushed in front of the houseboat to protect her.
"Surprised to see me!?" Keats angrily exclaimed as he reached into his messenger bag and pulled out the sneaker filled with concrete.
Throwing it with as much force as he could muster, one of the Bruxish quickly jumped into the air to meet the shoe. Unbeknownst to the fish-like Pokémon, however, it did not know about the concrete it was filled with as the Bruxish was instantly knocked out from the force of being hit by the concrete filled sneaker, falling into the water with swirling eyes.
"Hey, my shoe is sinking!" Keats complained as the shoe sank into the sea as Rotom popped out of Keats' pocket, floating next to him.
"Oranguru." Oranguru said with an annoyed tone towards Keats.
"Can you just give it up with the stupid shoe, zzzzt?" Rotom said with an exasperated tone.
"Like I said, it was a limited edition!" Keats exclaimed in anger.
"Not good... I need to-" Imani thought until her train of thought was cut off by the sound of Beheeyem being struck.
"Beheeehehe!" Beheeyem exclaimed as it was knocked into the water.
"Huh?!" Imani grunted in surprise as she looked over in the midst of the distraction as she saw Keats' Surskit on the water with its usual competitive expression.
"Skitskitskit!" Surskit laughed as she stood on the water as Beheeyem quickly hovered back out of the sea.
"Now it's Raichu's turn!" Keats exclaimed as he pulled out Surskit's Timer Ball to recall her before he looked upward, prompting Imani to look up as Keats' Electric and Psychic type mouse-like Alolan variant descended downward.
"Rai! Rai!" Raichu said as his body glowed with a blue tint as the other two pink and yellow Bruxish floated out of the water.
'"Brux!? Brux?!"' The pair of Bruxish exclaimed in surprise.
"It's using "Psychic" to pull the others up?!" Imani thought in surprise.
"Now use "Spark!"' Keats ordered as Raichu begun to charge up with electricity.
Hovering over to the pair of Bruxish, Raichu proceeded to lift its paws slightly and poked the pair of Water and Psychic type Pokémon on the side. Sending a surge of electricity through their bodies, the pair of fish-like creatures were hit with super effective damage as sparks continued to gestate around them before Raichu stopped holding them telekinetically, causing them to fall into the water, paralyzed.
"Beheee!" Beheeyem exclaimed in anger as it looked and saw the three Bruxish were now immobilized.
"Huh?!" Imani thought in shock as she looked on from her houseboat.
"Alright Imani!" Keats shouted, catching the former Snagem Family members attention. "You're down to just your own Pokémon now!" He screamed as he took out Raichu's ball to recall him.
"Yeah, and?!" Imani replied as Keats saw he was getting under her skin.
"And your flute boy is gone too!" Keats said with a smirk as he folded his arms while standing on the jet ski. "Guess who this belonged to!" He said as he motioned for Imani to look at the jet ski.
"That's Bevin's ski..." Imani thought as she recognized the vehicle.
"Now make it easy on us both!" Keats shouted. "Give me Sableye! And I won't drown you like you tried to drown me!" He continued to scream.
"He's just letting all of his rage out..." Rotom thought judgmentally as it looked at Keats.
Making a hesitant expression, Imani looked back at Sableye for a brief moment before turning back towards Keats. Suddenly, she took a deep breath to calm herself before making a confrontational expression as she walked over to her stolen Ghost and Dark type Pokémon.
"Sableye, hold still for a moment." Imani exclaimed with a quiet maliciousness.
"Ururuang." Oranguru said with a look of caution in its eyes as Keats looked at Rotom.
"What it say?" Keats asked.
"Her tone'zzzz different." Rotom said hesitantly.
"Beheeyem." Imani said towards her extraterrestrial Pokémon as she closed the door to her houseboat. "Wake that one up." She said as she pointed downward.
"Be?... Behehehe." Beheeyem said with confusion until realizing what she meant as Beheeyem suddenly sent out a signal of psychic energy towards the ocean floor.
Confused, Keats raised an eyebrow until him, Oranguru and Rotom made troubled expressions as they suddenly felt the water begin to shake. Looking down, they noticed something massive begin to emerge from directly below them as they looked on with wide eyes.
"Oh no!" Keats shouted.
"We forgot about-" Rotom said until the group was cut off by suddenly being raised into the air slowly by the massive creature that came out of the ocean.
'"Wailord!"' Keats and Rotom screamed simultaneously as Keats and Oranguru clung to the jet ski as the massive Water type whale-like Pokémon was now sitting in the middle of the Alolan ocean.
Because of how wet and slippery Wailord was from the water, Keats and Oranguru's jet ski was starting to slide off the side of the enormous Pokémon. Quickly getting off of it as it fell off the body of Wailord in the sea, Keats and Oranguru were starting to slip and slide as they failed to maintain balance on top of the Water type Pokémon. Struggling, Keats and Oranguru looked on as Imani stood on her deck as her entire houseboat was also now on top of Wailord.
"I told Bevin not to put his Wailord back in its ball. Came in handy at just the right moment." Imani said with a malicious grin.
"I was wondering where this stupid thing was!" Keats stood up and quickly stomped his foot several times into Wailord, who simply ignored the feeling of being struck on its back.
"Rangrang!" Oranguru said as it stood up.
"Focuzzzz up!" Rotom said towards Keats.
"Ye-yeah." Keats said as he looked on at Imani, stepping off of her houseboat onto Wailord's backside.
"I don't want to dirty my hands anymore. I worked too hard as a Pokémon thief, so I deserve a nice retirement. And you're getting in the way of that." Imani said as she motioned for Sableye to stand next to her, the brainwashed Pokémon complying. "I haven't battled in a good while... So, I'm going to use your Pokémon for some practice. Then finish the job that Bevin started!" She exclaimed as her Beheeyem floated in front of her.
"Guess it's battle time." Keats thought as he reached towards his pocket as Oranguru grabbed him by his wrist. "Huh?" He said as he looked at Oranguru.
"Orangurururu-rangrangru." Oranguru said towards Keats.
"Oranguru made some changes to your team and their moves, zzzzt." Rotom said.
"What?! I didn't approve that?!" Keats shouted angrily towards Oranguru.
"...Orangu." Oranguru replied.
"It said, "thank him later" now check me for the new stuff, zzzzt." Rotom said after translating Oranguru one more time.
"Fine, whatever!" Keats complained as he reached into his pocket to see four Pokéballs, Surskit's Timer Ball and Druddigon's Ultra Ball and then placed them back in his pockets before looking at Rotoms screen. "I'd almost think having a Pokémon battle on top of a Wailord would be an awesome thought if I wasn't the one in the fight!" He thought with worry.
THIS... IS... IT! Also, ha ha! Keats got rejected! Never happened to me in my life ever! Nope not once! *tears rolling down cheeks*... Excuse me, I need to use the toilet...
Keats' Pokémon (on-hand):
1. Pineco. Gender: Female. Ability: Sturdy. Moves: "Spikes," "Explosion," "Rapid Spin," "Bug Buzz."
2. Stunky. Gender: Male. Ability: Aftermath. Moves: "Dark Pulse," "Toxic," "Smokescreen," "Sucker Punch."
3. Diglett - Alolan Form. Gender: Female. Ability: Tangling Hair. Moves: "Sand Attack," "Iron Head," "Mud Shot," "Bulldoze."
4. Raichu - Alolan Form. Gender: Male. Ability: Surge Surfer. Moves: "Psychic," "Spark," "Light Screen," "Quick Attack."
5. Druddigon. Gender: Male. Ability: Rough Skin. Moves: "Bite," "Hone Claws," "Flash Cannon," "Dragon Tail."
6. Surskit. Gender: Female. Ability: Swift Swim. Moves "Quick Attack," "Leech Life, "Sweet Scent," "Soak."
Keats' Pokémon (in rotation):
1. Porygon. Genderless. Ability: Download. Moves: "Tackle," "Thunder Shock," "Psybeam," "Recycle.""
2. Venonat. Gender: Female. Ability: Tinted Lens. Moves: "Tackle," "Poison Powder," "Bug Buzz," "Sleep Powder."
3. Dragalge. Gender: Male. Ability: Poison Point. Moves: "Poison Tail," "Toxic Spikes," "Double Team," "Water Pulse."
4. Cloyster. Gender: Female. Ability: Shell Armor. Moves: "Take Down," "Aurora Beam," "Supersonic," "Iron Defense."
5. Timburr. Gender: Male. Ability: Guts. Moves: "Poison Jab," "Smack Down," "Focus Energy," "Scary Face."
6. Swalot. Gender: Male. Ability: Liquid Ooze. Moves: "Sludge Bomb," "Stockpile," "Swallow," "Bodyslam."
Authors Note: (She'll be gone for a while, but this WON'T be the last we see of Anik. I had planned for her to leave from the start. Next chapter might be a bit of a long one so be prepared.)