He knows what people call him behind his back.
The man who cannot be trusted, the man who is a walking library of secrets. The emotionless man whose decisions are dictated by logic and pragmatism for the PWL's cause.
They couldn't be more right, but at the same time they couldn't be more wrong.
He doesn't enjoy keeping secrets, but he has to. He doesn't particularly enjoy having to constantly wander around the grey areas of the law and morality, but he has to.
Because he is Looker.
He continues to look out of the window of his room, which happens to oversee the training ground located just outside of the building the interpol is currently staying at. The Vera siblings are going at it again, with Velda trying her best to beat her older brother in battle and causing quite a din as a result. He can feel the tremors constantly shaking the building despite how the building is supposedly built to be able to withstand pokemon assaults of the highest level.
Velda had shut herself in for a few days after that incident, not wanting to see or talk to anybody after the fear she experienced. The only exception was Vance, who managed to finally coax Velda out of her trauma and get her to somehow channel all of her fear into a drive to get stronger, so that something like that would not happen again.
Personally, Looker is glad that Vance is here in Unova, or it would take much longer for Velda to recover. Physical wounds will heal eventually, but mental wounds are those that are the hardest to recover from. Vance is integral for Velda's recovery.
Looker continues to spectate the battle from an unseen corner, his thoughts intermittently flitting between the past and the present. Yes, he has seen much, but he's far from being emotionless. The responsibilities he holds, the wishes he wants fulfilled, the person who he's searching for and yearning to see again, all of these were reasons for why he had made the decisions he made.
For now, there's nothing he could do other than to ensure that the interpol becomes stronger. Be it through recruiting more members or having the current members improve their respective skills, the interpol must be stronger than they are now. The members he picked had a taste of what a world-ending calamity could possibly be like during their participation in the war in Indigo, they now know what they could possibly be up against.
Team Plasma is not Team Rocket. Compared to Team Rocket, the way Team Plasma's operations are being handled are almost like the handiwork of unprofessional amateurs but that doesn't mean that they are to be underestimated. They are also extremely dangerous in a very different sort of way. There is no reason to take Team Plasma lightly, especially if he assumed that the mysterious masked man that assaulted Velda was indeed working for the Plasmas.
Velda, Skye, Shannon, Nova, Akamu, Mary; each of the interpol members he recruited hold immeasurable potential, which was why he recruited them in the first place. It would be better if he could get people like Volkner and Jayce on his side but he guessed he should already be counting his blessings. If all goes well, if the prophecy really unfolds as it was told, then their fates would eventually intertwine with each other again.
He cannot help but take out the omamori charm from his pocket, his fingers gently caressing the fabric of the amulet. It had definitely seen better days, the colour of the cloth had already faded to an extent that it shouldn't be possible. Hopefully, this time, nobody would have to be sacrificed for the sake of peace.
Hopefully, this time, nobody would have to share the same fate that befell his older sister. He had seen too many die in battles that were waged in the name of peace.
"Regret? Why would I? I did what I could to the best of my abilities. Have you ever regretted what you did?"
"No, I did what I had to. For you, and for her."
"And it's the same for me too. For him, for you, for my child. It's just… I wish I was able to spend more time with you, with everyone. I'm sorry, I cannot be there to protect you anymore."
Those words had once haunted him for many nights. There were some things that his older sister did that he never once understood the reasons for. Now, he's starting to understand. If things do unfold according to what he suspects to eventually develop into, if the prophecy that his older sister was a part of does have some truth in it…
It was by his own decision that he became Looker, but he's also starting to understand the role that he was being thrust into by the hands of fate. Maybe she understood her role too, because it would explain the things that she had done behind his back all this time.
It's been so long.
Vance and Velda had finished their spar and Vance was gone by the time he was done taking a trip down memory lane. Velda had remained at the training ground, sitting by the side to presumably cool off while being surrounded by the company of her pokemon. Looker briefly recalled what he witnessed from their spar earlier before deciding to make his appearance.
He will never deny that Vance is a capable and skilled trainer. However, ultimately, Vance is a Generalist, and being a Generalist is not where Velda's potential will shine. Yes, Velda never cared about being the strongest, much less if she ended up being a Generalist or a Specialist, but to not teach her to tap into her affinity with ghosts is a criminal waste of talent.
As the resident and only Ghost Specialist in the group, the least he could do is to teach her how to think and fight like a Ghost Specialist.
He reappeared a short distance away from her through Shadow Sneak. Not too far that it would make them seem distant, but neither too near so as not to spook her and made her feel like her personal space was being infringed upon.
"Looker?"
"Couldn't help but notice the battle earlier," Looker initiated the conversation as Sparkles and Missy made themselves known as well. "And after seeing that, I thought you might want to learn a thing or two from a Ghost Specialist if you are feeling up for it."
He could see how her eyes lit up in anticipation at the mention of learning something new, displaying the thirst for knowledge that is uniquely hers.
"Use your ghosts, Vel, and only your ghosts. Our lessons start now," Looker stated as his own ghosts swirled and appeared from the shadows. Velda's reply was to stand up and let her ghosts appear as well, each more eager than the last to battle with their kin.
"Agatha taught you the characteristics of ghosts and how to command them, so my approach will be different. It will be a little more… hands-on as compared to Agatha's theoretical lessons. I only have one demand for you," Looker pointed to himself as his own ghosts swirled around him with excited howls and cackles, his own thoughts momentarily going back to the day when he had his first lesson with his teacher.
"Our lesson starts now. Your first task is simple: hurt me."
He cannot help but let the edges of his lips curl up a little into a smile at the memory as he recited those same words.
"Hurt me."
He spotted the hesitation in her body language. He also saw how she quickly brushed it aside when she realised there's no hope of her ever hurting him at her current skill level unless she gives it her all. Her army of ghosts immediately rushed into battle, each playing a different role under the leadership of Wacky and Dolly.
Looker's ghosts weren't idle either.
Sparkles alone was able to block the brunt of their assault with a lazy wave of its arms, the invincible green shield of Protect manifesting upon its command. Underhanded tricks and reckless attacks were exchanged between their ghosts as their bloodlust gradually took over, indulging in the violent and vicious nature that is innate in their species with increasing intensity.
Looker discreetly observed Velda as their battles went on. One can never hope to be a proper Ghost Specialist if they are not comfortable with seeing their worst side, and he's glad to see that he spotted no signs of discomfort from her upon witnessing just how cruel her ghost types can be in their battle. Just like how even the most violent of pokemon have the capability to be gentle, even the most gentle of pokemon can turn violent under the right circumstances. This is especially true for ghost types, and he wants to make sure that Velda understands that before he shows her more.
He moved, charging forward in her direction. That definitely took her by surprise and he could see her other pokemon reacting in response to the perceived threat to her safety.
"Only ghosts, Vel!"
His reminder was effective. Velda had immediately commanded her non-ghost types to stand down while having several of her ghosts regroup around her for defence. Perhaps he should thank Rena for trusting him that he will never harm Velda, or else the importance of this lesson might never sink into its trainer if that espeon is always so protective.
The wispy dark arms of his cofagrigus lashed out, grabbing onto and restricting several of Velda's ghosts at once to clear a path for Looker. Wacky reappeared from thin air, punching cofagrigus back with a Shadow Punch only to be intercepted by Looker's own gengar. That left Velda wide open.
"First lesson: do not be entirely dependent on your pokemon for safety!"
The moment he was close enough, Looker's hand lashed out as if telegraphing a punch. He had held back, making sure that he gave Velda enough time to react because his only purpose for this lesson was to leave an impression on Velda. Still, Velda barely managed to dodge the punch with a shocked yelp, clearly unexpecting things to develop in such a manner. A trevenant tried to ensnare him but was immediately greeted by his chandelure, allowing Looker to carry on pressing his advantage.
Looker's gengar reappeared in front of Velda, quickly inflating itself in a bright glow.
"Second lesson: When facing ghosts, expect the unexpected! Always assume the worst! Powerful ghosts are notorious for their love for suicide attacks! Use it to your advantage!"
He's not sure if he was too hasty to teach her about this particular aspect of ghosts, he's not sure if doing this would be taking this too far for their first lesson together, but he trusts that her ghosts and other pokemon will be able to guarantee her safety for what was about to come next.
"Gengar, Explosion!"
Shadows raged on both sides just as his gengar blew itself up in an explosion. Looker was relieved that Velda and her pokemon had disappeared completely when the smoke was cleared, indicating that she had made her getaway. That would also mean that he had successfully carved the shock that he wanted to carve into her. Ghosts thrive in life-and-death battles; they grow best in treacherous situations. Having a gengar suddenly trying to take her down by attempting to blow itself up right in front of her would definitely sear this lesson into her mind as an unforgettable memory. It will force her and her ghosts to learn as quickly as possible, it's a rite of passage that all Ghost Specialists and their ghosts will have to experience at one point.
Like this, one of his objectives for this lesson is complete. To be a proper Ghost Specialist is to be comfortable with the idea of having danger as your constant companion. To live alongside danger, to not hesitate to gamble and take calculated risks, to be readily willing to snatch victory at the cost of your well-being are traits expected and needed for a true Ghost Specialist.
Because that is what ghosts are, and thus Ghost Specialists have to be able to reflect those traits to be able to command these fickle creatures and unleash their true potential.
Missy intercepted an unseen attack with a Shadow Ball, alerting Looker to the ambush. Velda reappeared a short distance away with the entirety of her team while gasping for breath, a scowl clearly visible on her beautiful face. Looker allowed a smirk to show, because it seemed that Velda was progressing a lot faster than he had hoped.
Not like he expected any less from someone who is so loved by ghosts.
"Not bad. I wasn't aware you finally realised the things you can possibly do with Phantom Force."
"That was… Phantom Force?" Velda looked a little confused, but quickly turned to look at Dolly. Dolly simply gave an unconcerned shrug from where she was floating close by, freely admitting that she was the reason how they managed to avoid his gengar's Explosion earlier.
Oh great, so that escape was a fluke on her end. That would not do, Velda must at the very least, be aware of and be able to utilise the properties of Phantom Force with expert ease. He is sure that given enough practice, Dolly's Phantom Force can grow to become her literal get-out-of-jail card.
"Alright, time out. You need to learn more about Phantom Force if you intend to continue using it like how you did earlier, or else you would only hurt yourself," Looker clapped his hands twice to get everyone's attention before deciding to demonstrate it personally. "Golurk, Phantom Force."
Looker felt the familiar chill which signified that he had been temporarily warped into a separate plane. Even after more than a century of studies nobody could properly explain just where ghosts disappear to when using Phantom Force. The best explanation they had was that ghosts temporarily shifted themselves into a parallel plane when using this move. From Velda's perspective, he had disappeared, but in fact he's still standing where he was standing all along before Golurk took him for the ride. The only difference is that in this plane everything is muted. Be it colours, sounds, smell; everything. In fact, the air here is thin as well, making it harder to breathe than it is supposed to.
The biggest advantage from this move, in Looker's opinion, would be how the user would be undetectable and temporarily invincible in the real world while Phantom Force was active. It is the perfect tool for both espionage and also to save himself in emergencies, a tool he frequently relied on.
However, most ghosts are only able to stay within this realm for a few seconds before being forcefully ejected. Only ghosts above a certain strength and possess a certain level of mastery in the move can possibly use it to bring other people or pokemon along, and very few ghosts have the ability to keep themselves and other people or pokemon in this plane long enough before this alternative plane inevitably ejects them back to the real world.
For ghosts who had thoroughly mastered this move, however, they not only have the ability to hide in this untouchable and separate plane of reality for however long they like, they could also theoretically bring along other passengers regardless of their consent. Again, the scale of the move, number of passengers, and duration in which the ghost in question could hold Phantom Force's influence over itself and the guests it brought along is highly dependent on its power, mastery, and experience.
Dolly had proved herself capable of a huge group away with Phantom Force earlier, even if it was only for a second or two. That would mean that Velda must be getting closer in becoming a Ghost Specialist even if she is obviously still unaware of her progress. Phantom Force is not a move that can be easily mastered without the guidance of an experienced trainer. It is a very important defensive skill for ghosts who are able to learn this move because it guarantees a short period of invulnerability. It signifies that they will have in their arsenal a move that can possibly turn the tide of the battle. The results of this lesson had exceeded what he was originally hoping for.
Looker took a few steps forward until he's now standing right in front of Velda. Golurk is still keeping them here with Phantom Force and he knows his Golurk can hold them here for far longer, but his objective was to simply make Velda aware of the applications of Phantom Force, not test Golurk's limits. He's sure Velda would be able to figure out everything else from here on.
Golurk released them from the alternative plane of reality upon his silent signal. Velda jumped a little in shock at how they seemingly appeared in front of her from out of nowhere but recovered quickly enough.
"That is what you can possibly achieve with a ghost who mastered Phantom Force. They can bring you along with them to a different plane where you are effectively untouched and also undetectable by inhabitants of the real world. The stronger the ghost, the longer they can assist you in staying there. But, there's a risk."
"I could hardly breathe in there. The air there was so thin," Velda replied with beads of sweat still slowly rolling down the sides of her face.
"Yes, that's the main problem for us humans. After all, I don't think that plane of existence was created for us in mind, but do you now see the benefits of being able to master this move? Like how Dolly brought you out of my gengar's blast radius earlier?"
"I wasn't aware she could do that, I think she only just unlocked this ability," Velda deduced after mulling over it for a short while, then shot him a glare. "And were you seriously trying to kill me earlier? Explosion, seriously?"
"I have faith that your pokemon there," Looker gestured to the large team of pokemon standing behind and belonging to the girl as he said that, "were able to protect you, and I made sure to let gengar know not to put his full power into that blast. You said you want to learn more about ghosts back on the ship and I did promise that I can show you a few tricks I have, but did you remember what else I told you? Ghosts thrive in life-and-death battles. You need to get comfortable with life threatening situations occurring out of the blue to be able to relate to their behaviour, because that is just what ghosts are. They don't follow logic. One moment they could be content with idling their time away and in the next moment they suddenly would think that trying to fight Arceus itself would be a good way to pass time. I need to impress that way of thought into you while we are still able to guarantee a safe and controlled training environment. If your pokemon wasn't able to get you out in time, golurk would. You were in no danger the entire time."
Golurk made a deep hollow sound of agreement from where he was standing behind Looker. Looker's gengar laughed with a slightly insane gleam in its eyes as it began to reform its gaseous body right in front of them as though it hadn't just torn itself apart with Explosion.
"So lessons with you are always going to be like this?"
"It's how I was taught and how I learnt. If you want to blame someone, blame my teacher," Looker did not hesitate to shove the blame onto his teacher the first chance he got. Missy laughed at his words while zooming about in frenzied loops before chattering something at Velda.
"Leaf got stuck in my hair? Yeah, thanks for telling me," She offered Missy her thanks while fumbling for a stray wilted leaf that had gotten itself stuck to her long blonde hair that she had tied up into a high ponytail even before the start of the training. Looker had frozen upon seeing that, not even moving a single muscle while watching Velda finally locating the stray leaf with her hand and removing it from her hair.
"Vel, did you just…?"
"Just?" Velda looked up, still not aware of what she had done.
"You… understood what Missy said?"
The air went still as they both stared at each other. Velda's jaw went slack, her mouth wide open, before slowly turning back to Missy who was also staring back at them as though not understanding why this was such a big deal.
Velda immediately turned to face Dolly.
"Dolly, say something to me. Something simple."
Dolly started on another of her usual excited chattering.
"Kratos… stupid?"
Dolly clapped her appendages in joy and began to fly excitedly in loops like how Missy was doing. Excitement began to build in the air as the various ghost types around them immediately tried to test if they could now converse with the girl. The only pokemon that doesn't seem too happy is the tyranitar, who is now irritatedly chasing after the mischievous banette with snapping jaws for openly insulting its intelligence.
"Pecha berries… look like Joy?"
Wacky let out a cheer, confirming that its trainer had now somehow unlocked the ability to understand their language. Looker can see how the excitement had infected Velda as well as she immediately began to try speaking to any ghosts in her vicinity, to confirm that what she just did wasn't a fluke.
The outcome of this lesson was a lot better than he hoped it to be. More than the lessons and knowledge that he was trying to impart to her, more than the sudden unlocking of her potential as an Ability Holder, the most important outcome that he wished for had come true. Velda had made a speedy recovery from her trauma from the auction incident.
Finally, she's no longer moping.
Still, who was the masked man that managed to instil such fear into Velda, one of the most fearless and reckless persons he ever met? To instil fear into your enemies may sound easy, but doing so like how Velda described it to be is almost like a sadistic form of art in itself. He had met a handful of such individuals before in his career, but they are far and few in between.
Well, he can ponder over that later.
"Looker! Looker, look! I can speak to ghosts! I can speak to ghosts!"
Velda was unable to contain her excitement, continuously bouncing on the soles of her feet and finally acting like the thirteen year old that she is. Come to think about it, she's going to turn fourteen soon if he recalls correctly.
"Congrats. I guess you can start trading notes with Akamu and co now."
"I don't even know how I did it, I just… suddenly…" Velda trailed off, at a loss of words to describe how she did what she just did. She's still riding on the wave of excitement after finding out she just unlocked another facet of her unexplainable ability with ghosts. "Maybe Phantom Force was the key to unlocking my ability?"
"Who knows? But I don't see Volkner getting struck by lightning or Nova being buried into the earth to be able to understand their respective typings."
"You don't seem very surprised."
"I've seen my fair share of Ability Holders in my line of work, and now the bulk of my interpol are Ability Holders. I have to get used to it," Looker deadpanned.
"I thought Ability Holders are rare?"
Looker looked up into the sky in thought, thinking if it would be alright to reveal to her a little more about his history.
It should be fine.
"Remember my older sister that I told you about?"
"You said she was the one who introduced you to your teacher," Vel nodded, telling him that she remembered what he told her that day.
"My sister was the very first Ability Holder I met. I have been dealing with Ability Holders since I was young, I'm used to witnessing strange things happening around me that I cannot explain. She's like you, just that her affinity was with Poison types."
Velda tried to hide it, but he can identify the shock she was trying to conceal.
"She can understand Poison types?"
"It's one reason why she was so successful as a Poison Specialist," Looker briefly recalled those memories fondly before deciding to stop this conversation here. "Alright, I've kept my word and showed you one of my tricks. Once you are sure you have mastered it, let me know and I'll see if you are ready to learn another one. I'm not going to force you to become a Ghost Specialist, but as a Ghost Specialist myself it really irks me with how you are wasting your talent by not even tapping a fraction of your ability to work with ghosts."
"I'm not that bad of a Generalist, am I?"
"No, but like Agatha said, you could be so much more if ghost types had been your focus all along. Alright, see you."
Looker allowed his ghosts to transport him away with Shadow Sneak. Was he too hasty? Had he revealed too much?
Maybe, maybe not, but after Velda's close brush with that unidentified man it may be better to give Velda the needed push to hurry and familiarise herself with the talent he knows lay dormant within her. The same goes for the other Ability Holders in the interpol. They would need every kind of strength they can get in their quest to save the world.
And once the world is stable and at peace, then maybe, just maybe, he might see her again.
"To be able to keep looking forward is a kind of strength as well."
She said looking forward is a kind of strength, so he became Looker. He will keep looking forward to the day where they can meet once more and this time, he would no longer need to hide behind the false identity of Looker and he would no longer need to remain distant, but he can only do so if this world is protected and safe.
Soon.
Soon, there will come a day where they can be reunited, and he's looking forward to it.
Character and pokemon list:
Velda Vera, Age: 13, Female, Pokemon Trainer, Member of the International Police
Pokemon on hand:
1) Rapidash (Flamel), male
2) Swampert (Bigblue), male
3) Banette (Dolly), female
4) Flygon (Snap), male
5) Absol (Kelsa), female
6) Charizard (Toothless), male
7) Cradily (Lily), female
8) Espeon (Rena), female
9) Pachirisu (Fuzzy), male
10) Tyranitar (Kratos), male
11) Clefairy (Joy), female
12) Nidoqueen (Ness), female
13) Pangoro (Hulk), male
14) Porygon-Z (Jarvis), genderless
15) Scizor (Archer), male
16) Lapras (Chill), female
17) Gengar (Wacky), male
Vance Vera, Age: 20, Male, Heir to the Vera Family
Pokemon on hand:
1) Gengar (Macky), male
2) Sceptile
3) Salamence
4) Metagross
5) Gallade
6) Walrein
7) Electivire
8) Weavile
9) Magmortar
Name: ?
Age:?
Codename: Looker
Director of International Police
Pokemon team:
1) Sableye (Sparkles)
2) Mismagius (Missy)
3) Cofagrigus
4) Gengar
5) Golurk
6) Toxicroak
7) Chandelure
8) Mr Mime