Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.
Hi all,
Here's the next chapter. Lucas speaks with the prime minister, and his relationship with Sabrina grows stronger.
Chapter 31
Lucas paused to think about his words before responding to the prime minister's question. What argument could he use to convince the man that he was right for his niece? Depending on his response, he may gain the man's approval or leave such a negative impression that Shichiro would actively work against him to put an end to their relationship.
From a certain perspective, he could see why Shichiro was concerned about who his niece was dating, and he had more right to be concerned than any of the other busybodies. He wasn't only Sabrina's uncle but also the prime minister, so the public and Shichiro's political opponents would pay special attention to her. Even so, dealing with people who couldn't seem to mind their own business was aggravating.
"I make her happy and have helped her come out of her shell," Lucas finally said. He continued, sensing from Shichiro's expression that this wouldn't be enough to convince him. "And I have Bree's approval."
Shichiro's eyes widened. It appeared that he had truly surprised the man. Lucas felt a sense of accomplishment after getting one over on him. Before Shichiro could respond, Salem appeared, which didn't seem to surprise him at all.
"Hello, Salem," Shichiro said. "Or am I speaking to Bree? Have you put Lucas under your protection?"
Salem nodded and showed a creepy smile.
"You knew Salem was here?" Lucas asked, surprised.
"I am the prime minister, so my security is extremely important," Shichiro explained. "If I didn't know how to detect ghost-type Pokemon, my opponents could use them against me. Even though I knew Salem was here, I didn't know the reason."
"Mind sharing how you can detect ghost-type Pokemon?" Lucas glanced at Salem as he asked this question.
Shichiro smiled. "And spoil Bree's fun? Not a chance."
Lucas shrugged. There were likely ways to detect ghost-type Pokemon if he really wanted to, but he had grown so accustomed to Salem's sudden appearances that he didn't see the need.
"Sabrina has been distracted as of late," Shichiro said. "She has also begun to express her emotions more. I never expected her to open up so much, and I suppose I have you to thank for it."
"So what is the point of this interrogation?"
Shichiro's expression turned fierce. "She is the only surviving member of the Kuroi family, aside from my own family. She is like a daughter to me. You can be certain that I will meet her boyfriend and remind him of what will happen to him if he hurts her."
Lucas nodded. "Okay, give it to me."
"What?"
"How were you planning to scare me?"
"It no longer matters," Shichiro sighed. "When you have Bree by your side, it's hard to intimidate you. If I do anything egregious, she is going to find a way to punish me for it. Besides, if you hurt Sabrina, you will have to worry more about what she does to you than me."
"Banette!" Salem chuckled.
Lucas shuddered. He could almost imagine Bree sitting in her room, plotting how she would punish him if he made a mistake. What if she decided to turn him into a doll?
"Sabrina has already suffered because she is related to me," Shichiro said in a rough voice. "It's because of me that she was suspended as a gym leader, and someone tried to get her into trouble by sending her on a mission to Pallet Town. My opponents would use anything against me, including making my niece appear bad."
"I hope you took care of the clown who assigned her to the mission."
Shichiro offered a thin smile. "I made him regret his mistake. There is also the church, which is a major issue in and of itself. They regard Sabrina as an abomination, even though they are unaware that she has lost her psychic abilities. I don't like how the church's influence has spread in the past few decades, but controlling them is challenging."
"They have no influence in the Rota kingdom," Lucas reminded him.
"Yes. It would be an excellent place to retire with my family, wouldn't it?" Shichiro said. "There was another reason I wanted to meet with you. I don't want to scare you off, but are you aware of the ramifications of dating my niece? You're going to come under a lot of scrutiny."
"Nobody's going to scare me away."
"You say that with such confidence," Shichiro said, shaking his head. "What a joy it must be to be your age again and feel as if nothing can touch you."
This couldn't be further from the truth, because he had already died once, and it was partially his fault for being so damn curious. He now possessed a healthy sense of self-preservation.
Shichiro continued. "It's fortunate that you have no criminal record and already have a promising career ahead of you, as it will make it more difficult for my opponents to spin it the wrong way. Being an orphan is also a positive aspect, because it demonstrates that you aren't defined by your upbringing."
"I feel extremely honoured," Lucas said dryly.
"It won't be long before the word gets around that Sabrina has a boyfriend," Shichiro said, ignoring him. "So we need to get ahead of it and stop any negative rumours from spreading."
"What are you getting at?"
"I've prepared a news article that will reveal your relationship to the public tomorrow." I wanted to meet with you first before I gave the final approval."
Lucas groaned. "Have you told Sabrina?"
"Yes. She wasn't very happy with me, but she understands that it's necessary."
"Well, as long as it's okay with her. I knew it would get out sooner or later. We haven't exactly been discrete."
Shichiro stared at him intently. "You are handling this better than I expected."
"I know what I am getting myself into."
"No, you don't," Shichiro corrected him. "We are going to experience turbulent times over the next few months, and you will find yourself caught in the midst."
"That sounds ominous."
Shichiro leaned back in his seat, looking tired all of a sudden. "Has Sabrina told you about the work she is doing for me?"
Lucas shook his head.
"We are working to bring down those responsible for her parents' murders," Shirchiro explained. "You may be wondering why I haven't taken care of them yet, after all this time. However, proving they did it has been a long and difficult road, and I also have responsibilities to my family. That will change in the coming months, and it will be a bloody battle."
"Is it one of your political opponents?" Lucas asked.
"Yes, but he's just a puppet for the real culprit," Shichiro said, leaning forward with a determined expression. "Team Rocket has been a thorn in my side for far too long. They pose a significant challenge due to their affiliation with corrupt politicians and the extensive resources they possess. However, the recent incidents involving Pallet Town and the cruise ship are too much. I am no longer willing to look the other way."
That would definitely lead to violence. To challenge Team Rocket, he needs to have nerves of steel.
"What happened with the cruise line? Have you finished your investigation?"
"Not yet," Shichiro replied. "However, we have enough information to make multiple arrests. The government will take over the cruise line's operations."
"So, Team Rocket really had a stake in the company," Lucas mused.
"Did Sabrina tell you about that?" Shichiro inquired, then waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. I suppose I can't stop her from revealing some secrets. I heard that you will be returning to Viridian City soon."
"Yes. For the time being, it will serve as my base of operations."
At this point, Lucas realised he might have to reveal the truth about the mines. Because selling unrefined evolution stones was illegal, he would have to do it on the black market. If he told the government, he would lose half of his profits, but he wouldn't have to mine them himself. Because of the growth potion, it was no longer his main source of income.
Now that he was dating Sabrina, he had to be above reproach or her reputation would suffer. There was also the issue of having to deal with Team Rocket if he used the black market, and since the prime minister was about to declare war on them, he didn't want to be associated with them in any way.
"It's probably best for you to leave Saffron City," Shichiro told him. "It will allow things to settle down after news of your relationship gets out. Sabrina will join you in a few weeks. She will not be involved in the main conflict if I have anything to say about it."
The discussion ended, and Shichiro instructed the driver to take him to Sabrina's apartment building.
Lucas made his way to Sabrina's flat, reflecting on his meeting with the prime minister. He felt that the conversation with her uncle went much better than he had anticipated. It was clear that the man genuinely cared about his niece and wanted the best for her. Lucas imagined he would be a formidable enemy if he ever hurt her.
He used a key to gain access to Sabrina's apartment. She gave it to him last night, and he felt honoured by her trust in him. Sabrina was in the living room, and he nearly swallowed his tongue when he noticed her wearing one of her kimonos. He was certain that she knew what that outfit did to him and was deliberately teasing him.
"How did your conversation with Uncle go?" Sabrina asked.
Lucas sat down on the sofa, reached out, and lifted her onto his lap, causing her to gasp. He nuzzled her neck and inhaled her scent, completely intoxicated. She tilted her head to give him more access, and he gently pulled her kimono aside to kiss the hollow that ran from her neck to her shoulder. She squirmed on his lap, eliciting the expected physical reaction from him.
"Surprisingly well," Lucas replied, fighting the urge to groan as her bottom brushed against his arousal. "He told me about the news article."
"Are you okay with it?"
"I understand the need," Lucas said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Bree was there to provide support. Her presence, more than anything else, convinced him that he could trust me."
"Hmm," Sabrina replied, nodding. "That, and the background check he ran on you."
Lucas wasn't surprised. A man in his position of power needed to be cautious, so he wasn't particularly offended. "He told me what he was going to do in regard to Team Rocket."
"He did?" Sabrina twisted around to look at him, surprised. It allowed him to plant a kiss on her lips, which she eagerly accepted. She then pushed against his chest, causing him to release her. "Don't distract me. I am surprised my uncle confided in you."
"I guess I just have a trustworthy face," Lucas joked before turning serious. "That being said, there are a few things I need to disclose to you if I want to appear flawless in your uncle's view."
Her face took on a wary expression. "What is it?"
"I found mine a while ago," Lucas explained. "I stumbled upon it while exploring Viridian Forest. I realised I should have informed the government sooner, but I was too greedy at the time."
Sabrina relaxed. "Have you started mining it yet? Does anyone else know about it?"
"No. I only explored a part of it once and haven't returned since."
"When you return to Viridian City, you can simply claim that you discovered it there and then," Sabrina said. "Are you upset that you have to give up half your profits to the government?"
"After hearing how your uncle is going head-to-head against Team Rocket," Lucas asked. "Not really. Besides, I have another revenue stream that I need to tell you about. But I need you to promise me not to say anything until I figure out what to do next."
"I promise. What is the big secret?"
"You know that I am practising alchemy, right?" Lucas said, and when she nodded, he continued. "Well, I created a potion that everyone is now wanting to get their hands on after I sold it at the auction."
"The growth potion?" Sabrina drew back in surprise. "Your Enigma? My uncle has been going crazy trying to figure out who you are."
"Would he try and take the recipe from me?"
Sabrina shook her head. "He isn't like that. He would try to work out a business deal to manufacture and sell the potion to everyone. It would provide a significant boost to the region's economy. But this is your creation, so do whatever you want with it. I'm not going to tell him that you made the potion."
"I always knew I couldn't keep the potion forever," Lucas said. "Having it manufactured and sold to everyone would result in significantly higher profits in the long run. However, I plan to continue auctioning the potion for a while, leveraging the generated interest to earn some easy pokedollars."
"That sounds smart."
Lucas, no longer able to resist, moved his hand to the belt that held Sabrina's kimono closed. Sabrina shivered, letting out a small breath as the cool air of the room caressed her skin. As Lucas pulled back the fabric of her kimono, he caught a glimpse of her flawless form. Sabrina was stunning, a work of art that he couldn't help but admire. She was wearing a set of lavender-coloured lingerie, and the delicate silk cups cradled her rounded breasts in a way that made Lucas's heart race.
With a low groan, Lucas pushed Sabrina onto her back, his body following hers as he slowly explored every inch of her. His hands moved across her body, tracing the curves and contours with a gentle touch that caused her to press up against him with increasing urgency.
"Are there any other secrets that you need to share before we go all the way?" Sabrina asked breathlessly.
"Did you know Meowth speaks the human language?"
"What?"
The next morning, Lucas awoke to a naked Sabrina beside him, her head tucked into his shoulder. He smiled and ran a hand gently over her body, causing her to squirm in her sleep. He was unable to get enough of her, despite the fact that they had sex multiple times late at night. He felt slightly guilty for pushing her so far, since she was a virgin. But she was so sexy and insatiable that he couldn't help himself. He had technically also been a virgin, at least in this body.
Their relationship had reached a new level of intimacy, which only served to highlight how great they were together. He was tempted to stay in the city, but he knew he needed to deal with the mine. Furthermore, the teleport towers were never too far apart, and one of them could visit the other if they had time.
He checked his watch and noticed that it was just past dawn. He got out of bed and headed to the shower. It served to wake him up and review what he needed to do over the next two days. Before leaving for Viridian City, he wanted to make some more growth potions to sell, and he needed to find a safe way to get them to Jasper. He also wanted to compete in a match against the arena's representative.
Lucas grabbed the harness and the Vulpix egg and went into the kitchen. He was halfway through his breakfast when he remembered he needed to release Meowth from his pokeball. To increase his affinity, he had Meowth spend some time in his habitat each day.
"It's about time you let me out," Meowth said before noticing where he was standing. "Oops, you didn't say you were going to be staying here."
"It's okay," Lucas replied. "She knows you can talk like a human."
"Well, dat's good," Meowth said as he walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. "Sabrina has salmon! What a great gal."
Lucas sighed in exasperation as Meowth took the package out and tore it open. He would have to pay her back for the food later, but he didn't think she would mind too much.
While he waited for Sabrina to get up, he looked through his menu. With eight skill points at his disposal, he felt he had a lot of options for skill upgrades.
He didn't hesitate to max out his bountiful gain's skill, which cost him five skill points. But the cost was well worth it. He would now receive three pokedollars per level of the Pokemon he defeated. More importantly, his Pokemon gained two effort values per battle, which meant non-participants would now receive one. This would speed up the process of grinding for stats in the future.
After some consideration, he also improved his Egg Insight skill. The second level provided him with some additional information about the egg's parameters. There were only two additions, but one of them was something he wasn't expecting.
Pokemon Egg: Vulpix
Gender: Female
Parents: Ninetails (female), Ninetails (male).
Potential Inherited: 60%
Quality: High
Initial Level: 5
Time until hatching: 3 days
Are there any special requirements? Yes. The requirements have been met.
Bonded? Yes
Favorability: Liked 100/2000 (+10% stats)
Condition: Perfect
Experience: (0/10000)
Lucas looked through the additional information. He was pleased to see that he had already bonded with Vulpix and that his favorability had reached the Liked stage. This was the advantage of developing a bond with an egg in its early stages.
The next bit of information confused the hell out of him, though. Why would an egg have an experience requirement? Could a Pokemon earn experience while they were still in their egg? What purpose would it serve? Perhaps it was to raise the Pokemon's initial level.
Lucas retrieved the guidebook so he could understand the new addition. When he read up on it, he cursed himself for not increasing the skill sooner. The system was a troll, locking new mechanics behind higher skill levels. It felt like a game where the developer locked content behind a paywall.
If he managed to max out Vulpix's experience, then he would gain some benefits, such as an increase to a hidden stat or an extra trait. It was different for every Pokemon and it could be influenced by the quality of the egg.
To gain experience, he could apply the ExpShare patch to the egg, which would automatically transfer to the Pokemon when they hatched. The problem was that he only had three days until Vulpix hatched, so he would have to grind for more experience points.
Then a thought occurred to him, and he realised that he didn't need to exert any effort at all. He still needed to feed Icaria the two rare candies as part of her evolutionary bonus requirements. She would share half of the twenty thousand experience points with her teammates.
Sabrina entered the kitchen and greeted him with a shy smile. He opened his arms, and she slipped into his embrace.
"How are you feeling this morning?" Lucas asked.
"I am sore," Sabrina complained. "Someone kept me awake all night and wouldn't let me rest."
"You were an eager participant," Lucas countered. "I didn't hear any complaints at the time."
Sabrina was distracted by Meowth and the three open packets of salmon on the table. "Did he just eat all of my salmon?"
"Hello, Mistress," Meowth said with a charming smile. "We are all part of the same family now, so you should share the wealth."
Sabrina raised an eyebrow at Lucas.
"Don't worry. I will give him to you so he can work off his debt."
"Meowth!"
Lucas spent the day with Brock, showing him the basics of making gels and producing some more growth potions to sell. When he called Jasper about supplying him with more potions, he was all too eager to accommodate his demands. Jasper would send one of his Pokemon to pick up the potions in secret. He'd deposit all of his earnings directly into Lucas' bank account.
When they left his room and went down for dinner in the dining room, things took a turn. Sabrina had informed him she would be working late, so he opted to spend the evening with Brock.
"Those people at the other table are staring at you," Brock told Lucas as he perused the menu.
Lucas looked up and spotted the people he was talking about. One of them was waving a newspaper around and pointing at him. He knew what it was about immediately.
"Did you happen to read the paper today?" Lucas asked.
"Nope. You kept me busy making potions, remember?"
"Well, there's an article in it about Sabrina and my relationship." I imagine I will be getting a lot of attention from now on, and now they know where I'm staying."
"Surely it can't be that bad," Brock reassured him. "It's not like a reporter is going to come here to interview you."
He wished Brock had kept his mouth shut, and maybe those words wouldn't have come true. He noticed that the dining room became crowded as he was eating his meal, but he paid no attention to the stares. But when there was a commotion at the door, he looked up and saw a woman enter, followed by a man with a camera on his shoulder.
"You're on your own, boss!" Brock rose from his seat and quickly left the dining room.
"Do you want me to scare the lady away, partner?" Meowth whispered to him as he noticed the reporter and her cameraman approach Lucas' table.
"It's fine," Lucas said, wiping his mouth. "If she becomes too annoying, I already have someone else for the job."
"Mr Walker," she said, sitting at his table without his permission. Everyone in the dining room fell silent as they watched the unfolding scene with interest. "Hi, my name is Irene from the Saffron Daily Dispatch. May I ask about your relationship with Miss Kuroi?"
Lucas pretended to give the question some thought. "No, I think I'm good."
Irene's expression hardened, but she retained an amiable smile. "Come now, Lucas. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are interested in the details of your relationship. How did you meet? What attracted you to her? Is it her relationship with the prime minister?"
"Didn't you read the newspaper?" Lucas asked. "It contains all the details you need to know. Everything else is private. Can I get back to my dinner now?"
Irene didn't leave and continued to pester him with questions. The cameraman got up close and shoved the camera in his face. Lucas was on the verge of pushing the man away when Salem came to his rescue.
Salem appeared in front of the camera lens, terrifying the man and causing him to fall on his ass. Meanwhile, Meowth picked up the cold soup and tipped it over Irene's head. She gasped and jumped to her feet, now drenched in green liquid. Just as Irene was about to scream at him, she noticed Salem, who gave her a creepy smile, and she sprinted for the door. Her cameraman followed her as she fled.
There was a brief period of silence before the dining room erupted in applause, and Meowth bowed with a flourish. Deciding that he had enough, Lucas grabbed Meowth and left the dining room. He would head over to Sabrina's and wait for her there. At the very least, her apartment building was protected by security.
The following day, Lucas entered the arena to fight the representative.
As you advanced to a higher rank, you had the chance to face a representative. They were typically strong trainers with impressive arena records who were difficult to defeat. Even if he didn't think he was ready, he didn't want to leave the city until he had tried, at least. He had no idea who the representative was, but he didn't doubt in his mind that his opponent had studied his battles and devised counter-strategies.
The audience cheered from the stands as Lucas took the stage. This was Arena Two, which was significantly larger than Arena One, where he used to compete at the lower rank, so the atmosphere was livelier. In addition, an announcer called out your name as you entered the stage, which added to the atmosphere.
"I think the crowd is here mainly to cheer on your opponent," Meowth mocked him.
"That's okay. I'm sure they will cheer for me by the end of the match."
"You think you have a chance of winning, partner?"
"If all else fails, I can throw you into a fight. Who knows? Maybe you will emerge victorious solely through the element of surprise, earning your five-minute moment of fame."
"Not funny, Meowth."
His opponent stepped onto the stage. "Please welcome Black Belt Shiro to the stage. He is the son of Master Kiyo, the Saffron City Fighting Dojo's leader. He has an eighty-seven percent win rate and is about to advance to the next rank. Will Lucas be able to defeat him?"
Shiro was dressed in a white gi with a black belt, which showcased off his massive frame. What truly caught the eye, though, were his thick brows that looked like large, hairy caterpillars.
"At least you are more handsome," Meowth whispered in his ear.
He ignored him and waited as the referee went through pre-match preparations. Just as the match was about to begin, an individual rushed into the arena and addressed Shiro. He frowned and shook his head in response to what the newcomer said, but the man became even more insistent.
Lucas' brows furrowed. What was going on?
Eventually, it appeared as if Shiro conceded to the man's demands, and he headed over in Lucas' direction.
"Sorry, but it appears that another representative is interested in fighting you," Shiro said. He leaned forward, whispering. "You are Sabrina's boyfriend, correct? When dealing with Zero, you should exercise caution. He is a Church of Arceus fanatic, and the way he is pushing me out of the fight doesn't bode well for you."
"Who would name their son, Zero?"
Shiro shrugged and moved off the stage. Lucas' new opponent arrived, but his name wasn't mentioned, nor did the crowd clap for him. It didn't seem to bother the young man, and he headed straight for Lucas.
"What a creep, Meowth."
Lucas couldn't deny Meowth's observation. Zero was undeniably unusual in appearance—extremely pale, slim, and completely bald. What stood out the most were the tattoos on his face and head, which Lucas identified as depictions of the legendary Pokemon.
"Peace to you, my friend," Zero said with a blank expression before bowing slightly. "I am sorry to interrupt your match with Shiro, but I couldn't wait to meet you."
Lucas felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Despite the polite greeting, he was getting some bad vibes from Zero. Meowth seemed to feel the same way as he drew closer to Lucas.
"I am curious why you would want to meet me," Lucas replied. "I don't believe we have met before."
"We haven't met," Zero stated, his face breaking into a benevolent smile. "But when I heard about your relationship with Miss Kuroi, I couldn't wait to meet you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I understand that Miss Kuroi has led you astray, and I am determined to guide you back onto the right path. Miss Kuroi isn't someone you should be associating with."
"Are all the members of the church as crazy as you?"
Zero kept smiling, but his blue eyes bore into him with unusual intensity. "I would like you to let this audience know that you are breaking up with Miss Kuroi. Rest assured, I am doing this for your own good."
"And if I don't?"
"Then I must use force. Unfortunately, sometimes an iron hand is required to bring wayward sheep back into the flock."
He had had enough of this creep's nonsense. "Let's just get this match started."
Zero returned to his side of the stage, and the referee had to go over the match preparations again. Alakazam raised a barrier over the stage, and the match began. It would be a two-on-two battle, and he would lose if both of his Pokemon became incapacitated or he forfeited the match. Zero didn't wait for the referee to flip a coin to determine the order; instead, he reached for a pokeball and released his Pokemon onto the stage.
Species: Mienfoo
Level: 27
Condition: Excellent
Threat Level: High
Lucas used Insight on the Pokemon. He appeared to be a well-trained Pokemon with some impressive parameters. Still, Mienfoo had an obvious disadvantage against flying types, so his choice should be obvious. So, why was he hesitating?
"This weirdo is going to cause some trouble," Meowth declared.
So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas has a challenging fight on his hands.
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Thanks for reading.
