xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Heahea Beach, Akala Island, 5:23 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Buried on the beach was Imani Snagem, the sand up to her neckline and struggling to free herself as she scowled at the person in front of her. Kneeling down was Keats as Rotom floated next to him as his shadow loomed over her.
"Do you know why Digletts have hair here?!" Keats questioned loudly.
"Bite me." Imani responded.
"Was your houseboat insured?!" Keats exclaimed.
"Up yours." Imani said with anger rising.
"Is your hair color natural?!" Keats asked as Imani started to use her mouth to scoop up sand in an attempt to dig herself out.
"I am- ploof! Going to- ploof! Gouge your eye out with a- ploof! Spoon!" Imani said in an enraged tone in-between spitting out the sand in her mouth.
"...Hold that thought." Keats said as he raised a finger and then stood up to talk to Rotom. "...I'm surprised she's actually answering my questions." He whispered to Rotom, who was displaying a bothered expression on its screen.
"She's not really answering them..." Rotom thought as Keats turned his eyes in the direction of the former Snagem Family member.
"Let me out of here!" Imani screamed.
"Fat chance!" Keats said as he knelt back down. "You nearly tried to kill me and stole my sister's Pokémon; I could put you completely under instead if you'd like!?" He shouted.
"That would be attempted murder, Keatzzzz..." Rotom said with an exasperated tone as Keats ignored the phone Pokémon while Imani continued to try and struggle.
"Grrrrugh!" Imani grumbled as she tried to wriggle herself free.
"Alright, I'll let you out... If you tell me where the others are." Keats said as Rotom looked at Imani.
"I don't know where they are." Imani said with a disgruntled look on her face. "Only one I do know is Huell... But I am not giving this tubby idiot the satisfaction..." She thought with a twitch in her eye.
Forming an expression of annoyance, Keats stood up again and proceeded to walk over to the water. Reaching into one of his messenger bags, the overweight trainer pulled out a small pail and put some seawater in the bucket.
"Go make a sandcastle, you stupid- plaghgh!" Imani said until Keats suddenly threw the water from the pail at her, leaving her head and hair soaking wet as she tried to spit out the saltwater that got into her mouth. "What the heck?!" She shouted in response.
"I'm getting tired of waiting for answers!" Keats screamed. "Now talk!" He continued as Imani's eye twitched in frustration.
"...Bruxish... Where are you...?" Imani thought as she shifted her gaze towards the sea behind Keats and Rotom. "I need to drag this conversation out. Buy Bruxish some time so it can come and save me..." She thought further. "Hey." Imani spoke up, catching Keats and Rotom's attention.
"Finally willing to talk I see." Keats said with a smug expression forming. "I knew the bucket treatment would work." He thought as he looked at Rotom while swinging the bucket lightly in his hand.
"If you're thinking it's because of that pail, you're wrong..." Rotom thought with annoyance.
"Where's the four-eyes?" Imani questioned as Keats and Rotom looked at her. "Didn't see her with you or that Oranguru." She continued.
Without saying a word, Keats proceeded to shift his gaze so as not to look at anyone as he was embarrassed to talk about Anik and Oranguru. Concerned, Rotom shifted its eyes towards him as Imani noticed she hit a nerve.
"Oh, something happened with the girl and the Pokémon?" Imani said with a smile forming on her face as she looked out at the ocean before looking back up at Keats. "Guess she didn't want to help you in your "big raid" of my houseboat?" She continued.
Walking back over to the ocean, Keats scooped up more saltwater and proceeded to walk back over to her to throw the water on Imani again.
"Shut your trap!" Keats said in anger as he knelt down in front of her once more.
"Now you want me to be quiet? Maybe you should make up your mind!" Imani said while her head and hair was soaking wet again, mocking her captor.
"Just make it easier for us all and just answer my questions!" Keats exclaimed.
"...When you can be on topic, zzzzt." Rotom commented as Keats made an annoyed expression towards the phone.
"She probably didn't see you the same way you were looking at her." Imani said as Keats looked at Imani.
"...What'zzzz that supposed to mean...?" Rotom said as Keats fell silent.
"I had binoculars the other night, I was watching that little spar you were having with that woman with the glasses and the lab coat. Looked like fatso here was having fun getting to hang out with a woman. You lonely?" Imani said with a mocking tone towards Keats, the husky framed trainer just staring at her.
"Hey, knock it off, zzzzt!" Rotom said loudly.
"Don't know what happened but she must have realized how much of a loser you really are if she wasn't willing to tag along in your "big rescue" of Marie's Sableye." Imani said towards Keats as he shifted his gaze away from Imani as he stood up.
As Keats was now standing, a familiar Water and Psychic type fish-like Pokémon emerged from the sea as it looked on with a malicious smirk on its face. Noticing her Shiny Bruxish had finally found where she was, Imani made a face of anticipation.
"Keatzzzz, don't believe a word she is saying! She's just lying to you!" Rotom said towards the husky trainer as he just stared off into space.
"...Rotom..." Keats said towards Rotom but not looking at the phone Pokémon. "...What was on that note Anik left?" He asked.
"I know what you're thinking but it wazzzzn't a rejection. She just said she couldn't help because of something important coming up, she had to go and needed to reschedule that meetup you had planned with her." Rotom explained as Keats turned towards Rotom.
"...She never did say "yes..."' Keats said with a tone that was trying to hide how upset he really was.
"Uh..." Rotom muttered, unsure of how to answer. "He's getting depressed! This isn't the appropriate time!" The phone Pokémon thought as it looked at the husky framed trainer.
"Ooooohh... Anik, pretty name. Had a cute face too." Imani said, mocking Keats some more.
"...Did... She think I was a loser...?" Keats said towards Rotom, failing to notice Imani's Bruxish getting closer to land.
"No she didn't, Keatzzzz!" Rotom said as it floated over to him.
"Now!" Imani exclaimed as Rotom looked at the captured former Snagem Family member and then turned around, Keats still staring off into the distance and doing nothing. ''Psychic Fangs!"' She ordered as her Shiny Bruxish jumped out of the water. "Hahaha!" Imani laughed.
"Bruuuuxx!" Bruxish screamed as its razor-sharp teeth were glowing with a purplish pink aura as it lunged at Keats.
"Keatzzzz, move!" Rotom shouted next to his ear as Keats made an agitated expression. "The only Pokémon he has left is Diglett, she's not strong enough to beat a Water type!" The phone Pokémon thought.
"Not now!" Keats said loudly in aggravation as he swung his arm back attempting to hit Rotom.
"Bruux-ishxh!" Bruxish muttered until the red and white fish-like creature was smacked in the right side of its body, causing it to go flying face first into the sand. "Ishishish!" The Water and Psychic type said as it was now half buried in beach sand, its tail wildly flailing as it was unable to free itself.
"What!?" Imani shouted in surprise.
"Oh, thank goodnezzzzzzzz!" Rotom exclaimed in relief after dodging Keats' swing.
'"Thank" nothing!" Keats said with a disgruntled tone as he picked up the small hand shovel he had used to bury Imani and proceeded to jab it into the sand before walking towards the stairs into Heahea City.
"Wait, Keatzzzz! Where are you going?" Rotom said towards Keats.
"I'm going someplace else and then going home..." Keats said, visibly upset.
"Whoa! Whoa! Wait, come back! Don't leave me here!" Imani complained as she still struggled to free herself. "Come on! Don't just leave! S-Sinnoh! There's a guy in Sinnoh!" She continued as she begun to plead for help.
Suddenly, as she and her Bruxish flailed wildly to attempt to get out the sand, the sand started to move on its own underneath the small shovel. Catching Imani's attention was a small mound of sand that had a shovel sticking out of its head as a mouth and eyes formed on it with two small nubs next to the main mound.
"Saaandyyy." The small sand creature said.
"A Sandygast?" Imani thought with a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her head.
Locking eyes with the Pokémon, she then shifted her gaze around and begun to spot more hand shovels suddenly appearing around her. Making a fearful expression, Imani was shocked to see more Sandygasts forming on the beach as they begun to approach her and her still stuck Shiny Bruxish.
'"Sandysandygastgastgast!"' The multitude of Sandygasts muttered.
"Ah-ahhhh-ahhhhhh!" Imani screamed.
Walking away while being careful not to trip on the sand like he has been doing, Keats proceeded to walk up the stairs as Rotom floated next to him.
"You hear that, zzzzt?" Rotom asked towards Keats.
"Other than the fake screams of terror?" Keats thought with a bothered look in his eyes.
"She mentioned the Sinnoh region." Rotom said as Keats was still silent. "We got Sableye, the stone and we know where to go next so-" The phone Pokémon continued until Keats spoke up.
"...Rotom..." Keats asked as he stopped walking, partway up the stairs.
"Ye-yeah, zzzzt?" Rotom replied. "Uh-oh..." The phone Pokémon thought.
"...What did Oranguru say?" Keats said as Rotom's digitized eyes widened.
"...I zzzzaid already... "Good luck."' Rotom said nervously.
"...No..." Keats said as he looked at Rotom. "I think that thing said more than that..." He continued as Rotom just stared at the husky framed trainer. "...What did Oranguru say... Exactly?" Keats asked again.
"...Oranguru said it was disappointed with you for how you handled Imani, zzzzt..." Rotom said, revealing the truth of Oranguru's opinion of Keats. "And said you were "a mediocre excuse of a trainer" before walking away and giving you back that ball it took." The phone Pokémon continued as Keats stared at Rotom.
Silent, Keats shifted his eyes downward again as he took a deep breath before proceeding to walk back up the stairs.
"Look, don't take it that way. Oranguruzzzz are known to be judgmental to trainers with a lack of experience. You are still developing as one so it's-" Rotom tried to explain before Keats stopped walking, put his hands on his face and hunched over. "Why are you in your thinking pose-" The phone Pokémon asked until it was suddenly cut off by the sound of shrieking.
"Mmmmpphhhh!" Keats screamed into his hands to the surprise of Rotom.
"...Keatzzzz?" Rotom questioned as Keats stood up straight and took his hands off his face.
"I want some sleep... So, get me a plane ticket home later... Let's go to the Pokémon Center." Keats said with a bothered expression on his face as Rotom just looked at him.
"I've never seen him this distraught..." Rotom thought as it looked at Keats.
"...I just want to go home back to Johto... Okay?" Keats said towards Rotom.
"I underzzzztand..." Rotom replied.
"I don't want any more crap to deal with until I get home so- huh?" Keats said until he suddenly heard the sound of a Pokéball opening up and turned to the side to see light emerging from his pants pocket.
Confused, Keats and Rotom looked down to notice Keats' Alolan Diglett had appeared, sticking her head up from the ground. Bending down, Keats wondered why Diglett came out of her ball on her own.
"Diglett? Why'd you come out on your own like that?" Keats said.
"Digdigdig-lettelette." Diglett said towards Keats. "Diglettedigdigdig." She continued as Rotom's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry, what's she saying?" Keats said as he turned towards Rotom.
"...Diglett is asking if we're going back to your zzzzizzzzter'zzzz ranch." Rotom translated.
"...Yeah? That's where I live..." Keats thought with a surprised face from the question.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Heahea Pokémon Center, Akala Island, 8:37 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sitting in a chair in the Pokémon Center of Heahea City, Keats sat with his hands on his face as Marie was on a video call on Rotom's screen as other trainers and their Pokémon roamed around, the local Nurse Joy and her Comfey behind the counter.
"I'm sorry, are you telling me Diglett didn't like our ranch and wanted to stay in Alola?!" Marie said in an offended tone.
"Calm down, it's not that big of a deal." Adam said as he walked into the video feed while holding a Snubbull in his arms.
"It's a big deal to me!" Marie said as she turned back towards her husband. "We put a lot of money down to make this ranch hospitable for all kinds of Pokémon, I can't believe Diglett didn't like being here!" She said before turning back to Keats on the video call.
"Diglett said she prefers the climate and grounds of the Alola region as opposed to what she experienced in Ecruteak, zzzzt." Rotom said as the artificial Pokémon appeared on the phone screen.
"Soooo how did Keats handle this?" Marie questioned as she reappeared on the screen as Keats just sat quietly in his chair with his hands on his face.
"When I told Keats that Diglett wanted to stay in Alola, he just stood there for a full four minutezzzz." Rotom said. "Then he slowly pulled out her ball, held it down and released Diglett and she just left, thanking him for that meal he made her from a while ago..." The phone Pokémon continued. "Between everything that happened with the misunderstanding with Anik, then Oranguru's criticisms and now Diglett leaving... It's not been the best twenty-four hours." Rotom thought.
"I don't know which is worse, being insulted by your Diglett or having to watch your Pokémon have to deal with your Surskit's hostile attitude towards everything breathing." Marie complained.
"Huh, zzzzt?" Rotom muttered.
"Oh yeah, what a debacle that happened here." Marie said with surprise. "After you sent over that nutcase of a Surskit here, she started attacking all of the Pokémon me and Adam have been taking care of. Whatever Pokémon you had boxed here and even the Cleaner's Pokémon had to help me and Lopunny keep her occupied from just assaulting everything that moves." She said as Rotom appeared on screen again.
"When zzzzhe was brought back, she stabbed Keats in the palm despite listening to him in battle." Rotom said as Keats still sat in silence.
"Keats, can you look at me?" Marie asked of her younger brother as Keats pulled his hands down slightly to look at her sister on the video call. "You okay?" She asked.
"...I've had better days..." Keats said, finally talking. "I want to go home, cover myself in peanut butter and roll around in my bedsheets out of spite for that cleaner guy who is messing around with my stuff." He thought as he looked at his sister on the phone.
"If you want to talk about it, I'm good for a few minutes but then I got to get back to work, okay?" Marie said with a worried tone towards her brother.
"...I'm good..." Keats said as he put his hands on his head and slumped back into his chair.
"Are you sure?" Marie questioned again.
"Yeah... Yeah..." Keats said as he looked at the ceiling.
"Well... Alright then. Talk to you guys when you get home." Marie said as she pressed a button on her keyboard and the video feed cut, Rotom's face returning on the phone screen.
"Hey, zzzzt." Rotom asked towards Keats, still refusing to look at anyone.
"Shut up Rotom..." Keats muttered.
"Come on, don't box me out, zzzzt." Rotom said with a stern look in its eyes. "What's bothering you?" It asked.
"I don't have a cute girlfriend, the smartest Pokémon I've ever met thinks I'm a complete idiot and I lost one of my captures... Where do I start?" Keats said with an annoyed tone.
"...Why did you azzzzk out Anik in the first place, if I may ask?" Rotom asked.
"...Remember when I fixed that telescope for her?" Keats said. "I mentioned I was "bored on a Friday night" and read a book on telescope repairs?" He continued.
"Yeah, zzzzt?" Rotom replied.
'Yeah, I am a lonely guy who doesn't have many people to talk to and it's not very often you find a cute girl in a lab coat in the woods, so I thought I'd give it a shot..." Keats said as he shifted his head down, finally looking at the floating phone.
"Should you really have asked her out in the middle of your hunt for the Snagems though, zzzzt?" Rotom questioned.
"It was a rare opportunity. Besides it wasn't like I was going to ask for much, I just wanted one date. It's not like I went up to her spouting weird poetry on my knees while holding her hands when I first met her." Keats commented. "And seeing as how things went, guess she didn't feel the same way." He thought. "...Also, between you and me, glasses and lab coats on girls are amazing." Keats continued.
"...Didn't need to know that about you Keats..." Rotom thought with a disturbed face on its screen. "But for that other thing, like I zzzzaid, Oranguru's are known for looking down on inex-" The phone Pokémon said until Keats cut it off.
'"Inexperienced trainers," I know. You said that already." Keats said as he folded his arms. "Guess you have further proof of that with Surskit and what happened with Diglett..." He said with a headshake.
"And Imani, zzzzt..." Rotom said as Keats pinched area between his eyebrows. "I mean, not all Pokémon are compatible with every trainer..." The phone Pokémon thought.
"...Yeah... That jerkwad lady too..." Keats muttered in frustration.
"Excuse me." Nurse Joy said loudly. "Is Mr. Keats still here? Your Pokémon are all healed up." She said as Keats looked over at her.
"That's me..." Keats said as he stood up from his chair and walked over to the counter, grabbing his three Pokéballs and Ultra Ball.
Looking down at the tray, he stared at the Timer Ball that housed his Surskit as Keats bit his lip for a brief second before grabbing the ball. Holding it in his hands for a moment, he put it away back into his pocket before nodding to Nurse Joy, beginning to walk away.
"Oh, one moment, please." Nurse Joy said towards Keats as he turned back to look at her.
"Something wrong?" Keats said.
"We received a phone call asking for a "Keats" a moment ago." Nurse Joy said as Keats became nervous.
"Whomever it is, tell them I didn't do it." Keats said as Rotom looked at him.
"It's from the Hokulani Observatory on Ula'Ula Island. A person named "Anik?"' Nurse Joy said as Keats' eyes widened before turning his head towards the direction of the wired phones and monitors in the Pokémon Center.
Quickly rushing and sitting down in one of the seats in front of the screens, Keats picked up one of the wired phones to listen in. As Nurse Joy transferred the call, Keats watched the monitor as a familiar woman appeared on screen, dressed in the same attire she wore when she left him and Rotom the day prior.
"Hello? Keats! Can you hear me?!" Anik said from the Hokulani Observatory on Ula'Ula Island as her Cleffa was standing on the table in front of her, the small Fairy type Pokémon looking at the screen with a confused expression.
"Get ready for Keats to wildly scream at her..." Rotom thought, expecting the worst.
"He-hey..." Keats said in an awkward manner to the surprise of Rotom.
"Oh good, you're alright! I just saw the Akala Island news and got worried when you didn't call." Anik said as Keats raised an eyebrow and Rotom made an embarrassed look on its screen.
"I don't have your number..." Keats thought as he looked at Anik on the screen.
"...I... Forgot to get her phone number from Oranguru after everything that happened..." Rotom thought, realizing it had forgot something.
"Hold on, what was that about the news?" Keats asked.
"Yeah, here." Anik said as she put down the phone and grabbed the webcam on the computer she was using for the video call, pointing it towards a nearby television screen as she grabbed the phone and pointed the speaker towards the television so Keats could hear it.
"An unconscious Wailord was found beached in Heahea City today and alongside it was a young woman who had been detained by the police alongside her Bruxish, buried in the sand up to her neck. A former professional flute player in the hospital with his fingers broken on Melemele Island has stepped forward to link the woman to a series of scams that had been plaguing the region for several weeks. The woman in question is being brought in for questioning to-" A female news anchor said as Anik proceeded to reset the webcam and the phone back to the way it was before.
"Wow... We didn't even need to call the police, zzzzt..." Rotom commented as Keats nodded.
"I was up all-night waiting for a call from you." Anik said. "Didn't you put down my number from the note I left?" She questioned as Keats' jaw dropped slightly before turning towards Rotom.
"You should have waited before you set that wastepaper basket in the Pokémon Center on fire." Rotom thought with a judgmental face as it looked at Keats as he turned back to look at Anik on the screen.
"Well, uhhh... I-I was in a bit of a rush because I woke up super late once nightfall came about so I couldn't read the whole thing so can you uhhhh... Give me the condensed version?" Keats said, trying to hide the fact he didn't read her note completely.
"Huh? But didn't Rotom or Oranguru tell you what I wrote?" Anik questioned as he turned towards Rotom again, failing to notice Anik blushing after agreeing to go on a date with the husky framed trainer.
"Well, I uhhh... Had a bit of a falling out with Oranguru..." Keats said with an embarrassed expression as he turned back to look at the astronomy enthusiast.
"What happened?" Anik asked as Kingler walked by behind Anik as Cleffa jumped off the table and clung to the crown-like spikes on top of the crab-like Pokémon.
"...Well, I thought that she thought I was a loser so if I tell her the full story of what happened, she will definitely think I'm a dumbass..." Keats thought as a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face. "It's... Uhhhh... A bit of a long story." He said, still unsure of how to respond.
"I got time." Anik said.
"Honestly was hoping you didn't say that..." Keats thought as he bit his lip as Rotom floated over into Keats' pocket.
"To quote Oranguru, good luck, zzzzt." Rotom said with a smug tone from Keats' pocket.
"Well, I'll give a condensed version. Me and Imani fought on top of Bevin's Wailord and she kicked my butt with my sister's Sableye." Keats explained.
"...Oh..." Anik mumbled. "I wanted to see Rayquaza but now I feel really bad I didn't help." She thought as she scratched her cheek, nervously.
"Yeah... Oranguru was not too pleased with me... It had this whole plan it wanted me to follow, and I failed miserably..." Keats said while rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "Then I wound up plugging up Wailord's blowhole with my-... I mean, with Diglett and we fell into the water and wound up here on Akala Island." He continued as Anik listened.
"Jeez..." Anik said.
"Yeah... In a way, you dodged possibly drowning in the ocean." Keats said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Heh... Kind of like how we met." Anik said as she fixed her glasses.
"Oh yeah, you nearly drowned in that lake, and I helped you." Keats said, remembering how he and Anik met a few days prior. "I was worried when I pulled you out that I had to give you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until Rotom said that doesn't actually help." He said with an embarrassed smirk as Anik blushed.
"...Ye-yeah... Of course, it doesn't work." Anik said slowly. "I actually didn't know that!" She thought with embarrassment. "Well... Did you manage to get Sableye?" Anik asked, causing Keats to reach into his messenger bag and pull out Sableye's Pokéball.
"Somehow." Keats said as he flashed the ball for a moment before he put the ball back in his bag. "Though... Ever since you left it's been a bit rough..." He said with a disgruntled look on his face.
"You do look tired..." Anik replied. "If he didn't read the note completely, he probably didn't see the part where I said "yes" to the date deal... He just looks really out of it." She thought with a slight blush. "So, what's the plan for you next?" Anik questioned.
"I'm going to get some sleep because I didn't get any all night." Keats said. "And hopefully not cry over everyone's opinions..." He thought as he shifted his head downward so that Anik couldn't see just how unsettled he actually was. "Rotom said Imani yelled out "Sinnoh" at some point when I was interrogating her, so I guess I'll be heading there next..." Keats continued as Anik just kept looking at him.
"Ahhh okay..." Anik said, unsure of else to say. "You-you know, I could ask for some time off from my internship. I mean, we made that arrangement and everything and if you need the help, I could tag along with you to Sinnoh and-" She said until Keats spoke up.
"No, no, it's fine..." Keats said with a sigh as he begun to squeeze the area between his eyebrows again. "I appreciate the help you gave me during the time I was here. I'm not a huge fan of the tropics but meeting you was pretty neat." He said with a very tired expression. "I could use the time before I leave for Sinnoh to think about... Things..." Keats continued.
"Uh..." Anik muttered.
"Rotom." Keats said towards his pocket as Rotom popped back out, floating next to him.
"Zzzzomething you need?" Rotom questioned. "He's clearly still upset..." The phone Pokémon thought, noticing Keats' depressing demeanor.
"Can you log Anik's number for me in the contacts... I'm going to go lie down then we'll catch a midday flight back home to Ecruteak City." Keats said as he stood up and put down the phone but not on the receiver as he walked away, his hands in his pockets.
"Hey, Anik, zzzzt." Rotom said as Anik slumped back in her chair, her arms hanging as she stared at the ceiling.
"Seeing Rayquaza in the observatory telescope was awesome but I knew I should have stuck around to help..." Anik thought with regret as her Kingler and Cleffa looked at her and then at each other.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Pastoria City, Sinnoh Region, 12:00 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Pastoria City, the fourth town on the gym leader circuit for the Sinnoh region and home to one of the region's well-known landmarks; the Pastoria Great Marsh. Within the local town Pokémon Center was a mysterious yet familiar young man in his late teens sitting with a laptop on his legs as he laid on a bed in one of the sleeping rooms, dressed in a blue long sleeve shirt with silver wing-like designs, grey shoes and pants as he was fixing his shaggy brown hair as a Skarmory mask was situated on top of a nearby nightstand. Floating next to him was a familiar green Rotom drone, connected to the laptop via a cable as another former member of the Snagem Family, Huell, was watching footage.
"Hmmmm..." Huell muttered as he watched Keats and Imani battle atop Bevin's Pokémon, recorded via the camera on the Rotom drone that was hovering nearby. "He lost five Pokémon whilst Imani brought out Sableye before she lost all of her own... It's hard to judge..." He thought as he put the laptop to the side and stood up from the bed.
Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper and proceeded to tear it up with both hands. Opening up the drawer to the nightstand, Huell pulled out another piece of paper and a pencil, starting to write on it before glancing over at his Skarmory mask and then reached around his neck to look at the Mega Stone activation ring he had in a necklace.
"I think I'll use both..." Huell thought as he put on his Skarmory mask and continued to write until he stopped and pulled out an envelope, placing the folded paper inside.
Placing his laptop into a backpack, Huell walked out of the sleeping room and into the main hall of the Pastoria Pokémon Center. Stopping at the front desk to greet Nurse Joy, Huell proceeded to place the letter on the front desk and then placed a Pokéball next to it.
"Please send these for me to Ecruteak City." Huell said as Nurse Joy and her Chansay stared at him before looking at each other in confusion as he walked towards the door. "Number four..." He thought as he walked out of the Pokémon Center.
"What an odd young man..." Nurse Joy said softly to herself as she looked at the envelope.
Staring at the ordinary white envelope, Nurse Joy wasn't sure what to make of Huell's request until she turned it over to look at the message written on it. "To Rarest Level Ranch in Ecruteak City, signed; "Birdclaw."'
Someone really has to tell Keats how to interrogate someone, he's not going to get anywhere like that you know. You have to play "good cop, bad cop!" One person offers to break their legs, the other offers to get them a cream filled eclair. That's how you get the results! Welp, Keats... I don't think I've ever seen him get this down. Normally he just doesn't give a dang and moves on, but it seems like the idea of Anik thinking he was a loser, Oranguru calling him a bad trainer and Diglett just straight up leaving him because she didn't want to leave Alola and go to Johto was some jabs too many for him. Managing to reconcile with Anik because she called the Pokémon Center, Keats plans to head home... But is he still the same large and humorous man we've come to enjoy after everything that happened in the god-awful tropics? And what do we make of Huell? What is his goal? And who the hell is "Birdclaw!?" I have to know! BIRD... CLAW...
Keats' Pokémon (on-hand):
1. Pineco.
2. Stunky.
3. Raichu - Alolan Form.
4. Druddigon.
5. Surskit.
Keats' Pokémon (in rotation):
1. Porygon.
2. Venonat.
3. Dragalge.
4. Cloyster.
5. Timburr.
6. Swalot.
Released:
1. Diglett - Alolan Form.
Author's Note: (It had to be done.)