Moxy and Zee continued through the musty hallway. The blue wallpaper had already started to peel off, and their footsteps echoed through the silent hall, despite the loud music being played in the arena.
"Right this way, Ms. Crimson," the man in the suit said in front of them. Moxy and Zee looked at each other, unsure what they were about to get themselves into.
They reached a wooden door that hadn't seen sunlight in ages, the wood rotting and covered in dark, red stains. The man stopped in front of it before turning around.
"Only Crimson." He said, looking at Zee. This time, he wasn't taking no for an answer. Zee was about to retort, but Moxy stopped her.
"Relax. I'll be in and out quick. Just wait out here for me, okay?" Moxy reassured. Zee looked at the two of them, and she sighed before nodding.
The man in the suit opened the door for Moxy.
"That's a flush, haha!" she heard a crinkled, arrogant voice say, followed by a few sighs and groans.
She entered a dark room, only lit by a single, yellow lightbulb hanging over the low table at the end of the room. Around that table were about four men and one woman, all wearing fancy robes and sitting cross-legged on cushions. Unfortunately, Moxy could identify none of them properly, for they all wore cartoon masks that resembled pokemon. Each person had a pokemon sitting beside them, except for one of the men. Playing cards and bottles littered the table, and a heavy layer of smoke covered the ceiling.
It seemed Moxy had interrupted their game, for a man wearing a mask of a Granbull squirmed in surprise upon seeing her.
"Hey!" he said in alarm, the Togetic beside him fluttering in a bit of a panic. "Who is this person?!"
"Didn't know we were getting some company, haha!" another man wearing a mask of a Honedge said with a nasally, eastern accent that sounded Kalosian. He looked Moxy up and down, which made her extremely uncomfortable. The Unfezant sitting beside him, on the other hand, was glaring daggers instead.
"Didn't I tell you not to bother us?" a man wearing a Zorua mask at the head of the table asked, that same arrogant voice she heard earlier belonging to him. His voice was just as smoky as the room, and along with his mask, he wore a shawl over his head to hide his hair, if he had any.
"You told me to bring the person who beat Edgar." The man in the suit replied, his voice strained like he was afraid of saying something out of line to the Zorua mask.
"Beaten? Edgar? Hm…" the Zorua mask sounded surprised, and the Absol behind him bristled with suspicion. Moxy spotted a silver briefcase sitting all lonely beside the Zorua mask.
That must be the briefcase from the lab! Moxy realized. The task to find it was complete. All she had to do now was get it somehow.
After a moment of thought, the Zorua mask waved off the man in the suit. The door was shut behind him, and Moxy just stood there waiting for someone to speak up.
"S, what's all this about? No one else should be here." the woman spoke up in her cool, articulate voice. She wore a mask of a smiling Haunter, and her pokemon of choice was a Murkrow that had clawed itself to her shoulder. Her long hair was a shade of silver-blue.
"Relax K," the Zorua mask hushed before pointing at Moxy. "What do they call you?"
"Caitlin Crimson." Moxy mustered up all the courage she had to say the name. Despite how on-the-spot the name was, it felt almost natural to call herself that.
"I could hear the crowd chanting Crimson out there. Quite ironic, you look nothing of red, with that brown hair of yours, heh," The Honedge mask chuckled. The Zorua mask laughed with him, but the Granbull mask and Haunter mask shook their heads.
"S, I agree with K." The Granbull mask whispered angrily. "I assumed our party was to be… private."
Moxy locked eyes with the only person in the room who had stayed silent through the entire conversation. His mask was black and dark blue with red eyeholes and flared purple lapels. Her heart thumped with fear, and she realized why.
He wore the mask of a Hydreigon, and she could see his dark blue hair peeking out from behind the mask. Unlike the rest of the group, he had no pokemon sitting beside him. All he did was stare at Moxy with those red eyeholes.
"Didn't think anyone would beat Edgar." The Zorua mask ignored the Granbull mask before standing up. He was wearing a yellow robe with red pinstripes, and he held a fancy glass of brandy between just two fingers before strutting up to Moxy.
"Crimson, they call you, ehh…" the Zorua mask leaned in. Despite the mask, Moxy could still smell the alcohol in his breath, and she leaned back.
"Why so shy? Let me get a good-" he tried to take another step, but this time Moxy outstretched her palm in front of her. The Zorua mask was silent for a moment, and Moxy feared she might have ruined her chances. She was relieved when he gave her space instead.
"Alright then, Ms. Caitlin Crimson. As you wish." He lifted his mask a bit before taking a sip of his brandy, revealing his thin, beardless chin and long mouth.
"So, what am I doing here, Mister… um…"
"Call me Mr. S," The Zorua mask replied, adjusting his mask back on his face. "Before I answer you, however, why don't you tell me what you're doing in my place of business? What made you come here to challenge my arena, here in Lilycove?"
Moxy was caught by surprise. She didn't think that far ahead. "I, um, come from Rustboro. I'm just an over-eager trainer, trying to make some cash wherever I can. Speaking of which…"
Mr. S looked at his friends before erupting in laughter, "Haha! Look at that! She comes in here and her first demand is getting paid! Money on her mind! I like it!"
He reached into the pocket of his robe, and Moxy's eyes gleamed when he held up a wad of cash.
"Here, for beating Edgar, Ms. Crimson," he tossed the money to Moxy. She caught it in shock; after counting, she held about 1000 pokedollars.
"Jeez, just for beating that chump?" Moxy raised an eyebrow.
Another chuckle arose from Mr. S. "Hehe, full of confidence, too… say, where you headed to after this? Plan on sticking in LC for a bit, Crimson?"
"I'm… not sure…" Moxy said, still glancing at the briefcase behind him and wondering how she could get it. Should she try to attack him and take the briefcase? Maybe she could negotiate?
"How about you work for me? I could use someone like you. To be my new champion."
This is oddly familiar. Moxy raised an eyebrow at Mr. S.
"W-what about Edgar?" she became skeptical, wondering how Mr. S could sweep his champion under the rug so easily.
"He's proved his worth." Mr. S paced a bit. "He is no longer undefeated here, so I have no use for him. He also made… mistakes."
"What kind of mistakes, Mr. S?" Moxy tried to gauge. His mask darkened under the yellow light when he looked away from her.
"The messy kind…"
"Messy like that weird drug Edgar was using on his Incinaroar?" Moxy started, raking her index finger on the side of her leg in impatience. Mr. S glanced at her, his adorable mask making her uneasy.
"Eh? What about it?"
"I've never seen anything like it before. What is it?"
Mr. S chuckled, a bit proud of himself that she asked. "It's called X, tuts. It's a street drug we've developed. Gives pokemon that extra kick, know what I'm saying? Why you askin', anyway? Don't like how Edgar played you?"
"I don't," Moxy was cold. "If I become your champion, I want to make sure I'm on the same level as all these other trainers. I want that stuff."
Mr. S opened his arms out casually. "Join me. I can provide it for you."
Moxy was split. Time seemed to slow down, for she began to seriously consider his offer at the moment. She tightened her fist. She thought about Walter and Janice, her mind's public enemies number one. With Mr. S backing her up, she could probably destroy them.
She thought about the crowd outside. They were chanting her name, and she got a high over it. She realized by joining him, this is what life could be like in the long run. And along with the cash brimming from her pocket, she could definitely get used to this. Screw being Champion, she could be the most powerful trainer in LC. Nobody would mess with her then.
The offer drew her in like a Lapras singing a lovely song from the banks of a moon-lit sea. A song so powerful and dangerous that she was aware she'd drown following it through. Despite how enticing it was.
A family, Moxy remembered Tabitha call Team Magma. It wasn't as ideal as she wanted, but Team Magma was truly her only hope of being able to leave Hoenn and live a life of peace. She looked at this scumbag of a man before her. He was a fool if he'd thought she would leave the people who saved her from the jaws of society for a group of kidnappers and mafioso's.
No. Was her answer, and she took pride in it. She called Tabitha patriotic once, but right now, she felt like the most Team Magma a Team Magma grunt could be.
Moxy steeled herself. She had her orders; save these pokemon and get out. And the best way to accomplish that was in Mr. S's good graces.
"Fine. I'm down." She finally rescinded, a smile creeping up on her face.
"Haha! Excellent! Now-"
"Under one condition." Moxy interrupted. The group behind him had become mildly interested now.
"A condition?" Mr. S sounded hurt. "What more do you want? Money? Power?"
"I want to play cards with you," Moxy announced, placing a hand on her hip for extra confidence.
There was a moment of silence. She was unsure what they were thinking, but it became apparent when Mr. S erupted in a hearty laugh.
"I like you! Yes, join us!" he beckoned her.
This is my chance! Moxy thought as she followed him to the table. She clutched Zubat's unprimed pokeball hidden in her palm. Just need to get as close as possible to the briefcase. I'll let Zubat out to disorient them, snag the case, and then-
"She's lying."
Moxy and Mr. S were halfway there when the Hydreigon mask stood up in his white and black robe, one of his pale-white fingers pointing at a horrified Moxy.
"What are you getting at, G?" Mr. S asked, his voice dangerous.
"She's been staring at your briefcase since she walked in." The Hydreigon mask nudged his head to the case in mention. "There's a pokeball in her left hand. She's not here for any money or fame. She's after that."
"Haha, whaaaaat?" Moxy tried to dismiss, hiding her left hand behind her back before she realized that was a huge mistake. Mr. S lowered his head a bit before jabbing a finger at her.
"Little fucking liar! You're a Red Hood!" Mr. S accused her. "I knew your outfit would come after me sooner or later!"
Moxy primed Zubat's pokeball, but she was too slow when a dark figure knocked the pokeball from her hand. She spun around to see the Absol, its growl deep as a bout of saliva dripped from its gnashed canines. Everyone in the room had stood up, their pokemon glaring and ready to tear Moxy's throat out.
Shit. she gulped, frozen. Her heart was thumping erratically.
"What's the meaning of all this, S!" the Granbull mask asked. "Who are the Red Hoods?"
Mr. S rubbed his temple. "Stupid Edgar, he just had to make a complete mess of everything. I told him to get me some pokemon, and what does he do? Steals pokemon from the people I specifically told him not to steal from!"
Mr. S sighed in annoyance before pulling out a glossy, metal object from the inside of his robe. Moxy's eyes widened at the pistol aimed directly at her.
"W-wait!" Moxy cried. "Look, we can put all of this behind us! Forget it! Keep the c-case! Just let me go!"
"It's too late for that. You… understand, right?" Mr. S said, almost sorry now as he swished his glass of brandy in his other hand. "I can't have your outfit discover it was I who stole those pokemon."
"I won't tell a soul about what happened, I swear on Arceus!" she pleaded.
"Sorry, I don't trust you enough to keep your word, tuts. There'd be a gang war, and that's another mess I don't need right now…
"So, any last words? You deserve that right at least, Crimson… if that is your real name."
No… Moxy's life flashed before her eyes. All of her dreams and wishes just moments from scattering in the dust. The final chapter of her story, to die in this drab and filthy gambler's room. Killed by a man who was just covering his ass. It was a pathetic way to die.
Moxy shut her eyes.
This was the end.
I'm sorry, Charles, she cried, her tears plinking onto the floor. Strangely, they were very loud. And metallic sounding. And-
Huh? Moxy peeked open an eye.
Plink went a silver canister, past her and right on top of the table. It was like slow motion, the way Mr. S leaned backward from it in surprise as his glass of brandy shattered against the hardwood floor. All the pokemon around the table widened their eyes.
"SHIT!" the Granbull mask screamed.
Flashbang, Moxy knew exactly what it was. She covered her eyes just in time as the canister exploded in a flash of blinding light.
It all happened so fast. The wooden door exploded into a million splinters, and opening her eyes, she saw her hero.
"C'mon!" Zee yelled outside the door, mounted on top of her Tyrunt.
Moxy spun her head towards the group. Everyone was in a panic, waving their arms around like inflatable tube men. Moving quickly, Moxy vaulted over the table and snatched the briefcase.
"Ah! Don't let her get away with that!" Mr. S was still trying to rub the flash out of his eyes. His disoriented Absol swiped at Moxy with a wicked claw. There was no physical pain, only the emotional pain of hearing fabric tear open.
Not the money! Moxy's heart dropped when the 1000 pokedollars Mr. S had given her exploded from her pocket. Pokedollers fluttered all over the room and as disheartening as it was, it provided a distraction long enough for Moxy to grab Zubat's pokeball.
Sprinting outside, Moxy found the man in the suit sprawled out on the hallway floor, unconscious.
"Holy shit, Zee, right on time! Since when do you carry flashbangs?!" Moxy asked as Zee helped her onto her Tyrunt. With a squawk, Tyrunt blasted down the hallway, and Moxy held onto Zee's waist with one arm lest she fall off.
"Gotta be prepared, babe. Aren't you glad you brought me along?" Zee smiled.
Yeah. If not, I would have been… Moxy didn't even want to think about the scenario. She was just happy to be out and alive. It didn't take too long for them to get back to the main area.
"Out of the way, punks!" Zee shouted at the top of her lungs. As soon as the guest saw her on the Tyrunt, chaos ensued. People were jumping away and screaming as Tyrunt stomped across the club and towards the exit.
In a moment, they were outside, breathing the fresh and crisp night air.
"Oh, man! That was exhilarating!" Zee shouted, pumping her fist in the air. The Tyrunt tried the same, except his hands were too small.
"Let's just get back, okay?" Moxy whispered, glancing through the door for Mr. S' Absol.
Zee smacked Tyrunt on the side of his neck, and with a squawk, he took off down the midnight streets.
However, a blast of fire suddenly collided in their path.
"SKREE!" Tyrunt hollered in fear.
"No, Tyrunt!" Zee couldn't control her pokemon as he made a detour into an alleyway.
They reached a dead end.
Moxy clutched the briefcase in her arms, fear taking over. "Crap, we need to get out of-"
"We didn't get that rematch, Caitlin Crimson," A familiar voice said from behind them. Moxy looked horrified at Edgar and his Incinaroar, the latter jacked up again with the X drug.
"Not you again." Moxy gritted her teeth, hiding the briefcase by her side. "Don't you know when to stay down?! You lost! Get over it!"
"I'm going to beat the shit out of you. Then, the boss is gonna take me back!" Edgar took a step forward. He had this uncontrollable smile on his face. "Right after I kill your friend there, I'm going to have Incinaroar rip you and your fucking Sylveon to shreds!"
He was cackling like a maniac now, almost jumping in glee. Moxy and Zee looked at each other.
"This guy is nuts!" Zee tilted her head.
"Oh, you shut your damn mouth, whore!" Edgar yelled with a trembling voice. "I didn't become the greatest trainer in Lilycove City just so I could be bested by some bitch from the westside!"
"This is on you!" Moxy stomped her foot. "Mr. S told me what happened. You might be the greatest trainer here, but you stole from the one organization you shouldn't have! And now you're paying the piper!"
Edgar sagged his shoulders. "You're right. I got sloppy. I guess that's what happens when you're the greatest. You let your guard down. The boss will understand… people make mistakes… right?"
By Arceus, this is pathetic, Moxy shook her head.
Edgar raised his hand forward, and the Incinaroar roared before stomping forward, its weight cratering the concrete.
"But I'll fix my mistakes now! By killing you!"
"Woah, that pokemon is a lot bigger when it's right in front of you," Zee spoke her thoughts out loud as the Incinaroar revealed its row of monstrous fangs, fire spilling down its jaw like molten drool. A wave of nauseous fear caused Moxy, Zee, and Tyrunt to freeze up under the Incinaroar's glare.
"Zee, please s-shut up." Moxy's voice was small. She'd wondered if her luck had run out as she watched the Incinaroar stomp towards them slowly. Both Zubat and Sylveon were incapable of fighting this thing the way they were, but Moxy raised both of her pokeballs in rattling palms, hoping the action alone would deter the Incinaroar to some degree.
The Incinaroar just chuckled, amused rather than intimidated.
"Use Blast Bur-ARGHHH" Edgar's bones locked up the moment an earth-shattering bang erupted behind him. Blue electricity coursed over his entire body, electrocuting him and sending him falling flat on his face with a sizzle.
What the hell!? Moxy noticed the bullet hole in his right leg, electricity sparking from it.
"RAU? R-RAU!" the Incinaroar shifted its gaze at its trainer, eyes wide at the bullet hole in Edgar's right leg, electricity spasming from it.
Suddenly, a swift figure dashed into the alley, grabbing Incinaroar's pokeball from Edgar's hand. Before the Incinaroar could do anything, it was quickly engulfed back into its pokeball.
A bright flashlight shined on Moxy, who took too long to understand what had just happened.
"You okay?!" a voice yelled behind the flashlight.
Moxy was broken from her trance, and she peered through the light. Green eyes, black hair, and that lanky build. It could only be…
"Aiden!" Moxy ran up and hugged him. Her body shivered as she held his Team Magma hoodie tightly. Moxy looked behind her, only to catch Zee laughing behind her hand.
"Erm… hey." Moxy released her grip quickly and composed herself. "W-what are you doing here?"
"Mission was a bust. Silph Co didn't have what we needed." Aiden explained, a confused look befalling him.
"I meant, how did you find me? Moxy placed a suspicious hand on her hip. "I didn't tell anyone I was coming here."
Aiden rubbed the back of his hooded head. "I… kind of tagged your wristwatch."
"What?!" Moxy looked down at the yellow watch around her wrist. She was about to take it off, but Aiden stopped her.
"Hey, keep that on. If we hadn't found you in time, you would have been toast. Do you realize you're in Striker's home base, the most dangerous criminal in Lilycove City? What were you thinking coming over here!?"
"Striker? You mean Mr. S? And whose 'we'?" Moxy asked. Aiden turned and pointed to a building behind them. In a window on the second floor, Moxy saw a feminine figure, and she recognized the blonde, straight hair that reached her waist. The figure held a long, glossy-looking object in her arms.
"Is that Natalia?" Moxy asked, eyes squinted. Aiden nodded.
"Who do you think saved you at the last minute?"
Moxy looked down at Edgar. His eyes were closed, but his chest was still moving.
"She electrocuted him? With a bullet? Is that a sniper rifle? And she got him in the leg!?"
Aiden gestured her to calm down. "Too many questions. Yes, Natalia's the best sniper Team Magma has. Her feats are nothing short of legendary."
"R-really?" Moxy asked with a mixture of awe and fear. She watched Natalia disassembling the sniper rifle by the windowsill. Her lips were neutral, her body stoic and expressionless. The way Aiden was sometimes.
"So, why were you both here? Striker is off-limits to Team Magma. None of us are allowed to attack him, or else we'd have a gang war." Aiden's voice verged on the edge of anger.
Moxy rubbed her hands silently. Anger clashed with Aiden's laid-back persona. She became afraid to tell him what had transpired, which was odd as keeping things from him was against her nature. Fortunately, Zee spoke up for her.
"These guys robbed Chloe's Lab! We were just investigating on behalf of the doc!"
"Investigating doesn't mean infiltrating an off-limits hideout. You should have reported this first instead of running in blind!"
"We couldn't waste any time!" was Zee's excuse. "Those pokemon were being killed!"
"Is that right?" Aiden asked Moxy. "Do you have the stolen pokemon, at least?"
"Yeah. I also found out they've been pushing drugs into the city. Something called X." Moxy handed him the briefcase and the broken, red vial.
"X?" Aiden asked.
"Didn't you see that Incinaroar? It was a lot bigger than a normal one."
"I thought it just powered itself up with Bulk Up or something." Aiden took the vial before examining the liquid, seemingly impressed. "This little vial did that? Incredible…"
Moxy and Zee nodded their heads in unison. Aiden was lost in thought for a moment before sighing.
"It's fine. At least you guys caught Striker red-handed. We'll have to inform Tabitha about his betrayal now. C'mon then, there's a chopper stationed on the rooftop. With a little luck, we should be back before 1 AM."
"What do we do about Edgar?" Moxy asked, pointing to the man himself sprawled on the floor.
"Hmph." Aiden just pocketed the Incinaroars ultraball. "He'll wake up. We'll see how much he'll pay to have his star partner back. Teach him not to mess with us ever again."
We're taking his pokemon? Moxy was conflicted. Edgar did threaten to kill her, but she wondered if having his pokemon stolen away from him was a bit too much. Aiden didn't seem to care.
The moon dazzled down on Moxy, and she breathed in the midnight air. All the worry in her head had vanished. Chloe's mission was complete, and Moxy would be paid. She mused about the recognition she'd get due to her discovery of Striker's conspiracies.
Moxy smiled. Things are looking-
"Kill him."
Moxy raised an eyebrow. "W-what?"
Aiden turned around. "Huh?"
"K-kill him, Aiden?"
Aiden was just as confused as she was. "I didn't say anything."
Moxy lowered her eyebrows. "I'm not making this up. I heard-"
"Kill Edgar." Another voice said, this one higher in pitch.
"W-wait. Moxy put a palm on her head. Aiden's eyes widened.
"Kill him! Now! He was trying to kill you!" multiple voices chanted in her mind as if the crowd from the arena was now living in her head.
"N-no! Why?!" she turned around. Zee grabbed Moxy's shoulder, and her mouth moved. However, the voices were so loud that she couldn't tell what Zee was trying to say.
"KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM!"
"No! Stop!" Moxy shouted, shaking her head. "I… I…"
A wave of vertigo overwhelmed Moxy, and she fell on her back. The last thing she saw was the dazzling moon at its highest point in the sky before her world turned black.
A/N: Bonus points to whoever can see the connection between the masked gamblers and their pokemon! Thanks for reading!
Reviews:
RedBloodedMoon: Yep! I'm happy you noticed Sylveon's frustrations with Moxy! It only gets more interesting from here! Thanks for reviewing!