Putting the conflict I had with Callum Carrillo aside, the main event of the fundraising proceeded smoothly. The handbag which I donated to the Aguirres was being auctioned off at a nice price, although I was a little surprised that the bidder was a young man who could only be a few years older than I am.
I didn't dwell too much on that though, and even bidded for an item that was almost certain to have nobody bidding for it in the auction. I decided to bid for it as a show of thanks to Myles for all the help and support he had provided thus far. Nobody seems to be interested in the item anyway, because it has a very specific purpose and use to it.
What I bidded for was a Ghost Gem. It's a held item that is able to boost the power of the holder's damaging moves that are Ghost type in nature. However, usage of held items are forbidden in the formal competitive setting of League regulated battles and very few would invest the time and effort to train their pokemon to master Ghost type moves. As such, I wasn't surprised that nobody had bidded for the item. I thought it would look very bad for the Aguirres if there's an item that nobody bidded at all, so I decided to help them out in my own way. Besides, at least to me, it's not like this item is entirely useless.
Vance had given me a black little credit card with no credit limit on it, saying that I can use it to pay for any expenditures incurred for anything that arises from helping to manage the family's businesses. At least, that is the "excuse" he gave for shoving this card into my hands and not giving me a chance to reject the gift. In truth, this card is my family's gift to me and I am free to swipe as much as I want with it because my family trusts me enough to not spend excessively or to overindulge in needless expenditure. Although if I have to be honest with myself, I could easily buy an entire building with it and my father probably wouldn't even bat an eye since he likes to spoil me so much. In any case, that card was what I used to pay for my bid and it was how I received the Ghost Gem.
I don't know much about gemstones nor am I familiar with the purpose and usage of such a held item, but even someone inexperienced like me could tell that this Ghost Gem is of a very high quality and its size should be much bigger than the average ones found on the market. I guess that in a way, I had struck the lottery with this one, because the size and quality of the Ghost Gem is also a factor of how effective this held item will be when used.
"You like it?" I asked Dolly when I noticed that Dolly was intrigued about the gem, going so far as to reveal herself in public just to stare at the gemstone I was playing around in my hand. Dolly replied with excited nods of her head, and I decided that I might as well give the Ghost Gem to the very first pokemon that I had met and caught from the wild.
"Okay, this is yours now. Take good care of it."
Dolly carefully received the stone from me, still staring at it in childish curiosity. I could understand why, because the lustre and glow from the gemstone was just so fine and gave it such a mysterious shine that I almost had the impulse to get it crafted into some sort of jewellery ornament. It really made me wonder who donated this item up for auction.
The crowd didn't immediately disperse after the last item was being auctioned off, but rather stayed and mingled with whoever had caught their interest. I'm not spared from it too, and I had collected the contact information of quite a handful of individuals that I believed might be of help to my family or to the interpol. For some, it may be both. Likewise, I had also given away my contact information to a few individuals who I believed might be worth the effort and time to get to know better.
"May I have the pleasure of speaking with you, Ms Vera?"
It was after the last person I spoke to had left, and I was on the verge of using this opportunity to quickly make my escape and head back to my residence when I heard that unfamiliar voice. I turned around to greet that person, knowing that it's wishful thinking on my part that I could make my way out of here without networking with at least a few more individuals.
Oh well, I'll just get this over and done with.
"I am Mikhail Sawyer."
I recognised that the person who I am speaking to was the same person who successfully bidded for my handbag from earlier. Black hair, bespectacled, a little on the lean side; there's nothing unusual about what I could observe about him and he would blend into the crowd very well if he stayed out of the spotlight.
It's obvious that he's only a few years older than I am, and I wasn't aware that there is any influential family in Unova that goes by the name of Sawyer. That immediately caught my attention.
In such an event, there would only be two kinds of people that will be invited. The first category would be people like me and Callum Carrillo, people who came from powerful families of significant social status and are true members of high society by virtue of our background. Those made up the bulk of the attendees of today's events.
The second category would be individuals who had made such a name for themselves that the host would deem them worthy to be invited into such events. I had done my research, and I am certain that there is no family which goes by the name of Sawyer which had significant influence or weight in Unova. In that case, this person had to belong to the second category, and these are people worth looking out for because they had to have some serious skills in their respective areas of expertise for them to be invited by Myles himself.
"Velda Vera, as you might have already heard," I returned the greeting in kind as a waiter walked past us with drinks on his tray, and I asked for another glass of red wine from him just to have something for my hands to hold onto and not look awkward. Mikhail took a glass as well, but his drink of choice was white wine.
"Do you like the Ghost Gem? I thought that it might find its way to you if I donated it for the auction. I will have to admit, it took me a while to find a gift as suitable as that."
"You were the one who donated that gem?" I asked in surprise and I could feel Dolly's surprise as well, who had been hovering beside me while caressing the precious gem that had caught her undivided attention. That was not all. He had made it very clear that he intended to discreetly pass the gem to me all along through the proceedings of this auction, and I had no idea for what reason or purpose he had done so.
He had obviously done his homework about me and researched my background, but I had never seen or heard about him until today. His words had set off several alarm bells in my head. He had also bidded for the handbag that I had donated when he obviously had no use for it, so he must have had a purpose in doing so, which is to have an opportunity to get close and approach me for unknown reasons.
"I apologise if my words had unsettled you, it wasn't my intention," Mikhail let out a brief laugh as a whimsicott playfully floated in the air near him, which obviously belonged to Mikhail. "I was simply curious about you after hearing what Leticia and Amelia had to say, especially so after witnessing how you dealt with Callum. Well done, by the way."
Leticia and Amelia? Is Mikhail associated with the Dandolos?
"Pardon me for asking, but your relationship with Leticia and Amelia…"
Mikhail simply replied with a polite smile, raising his glass a little in my direction in a toasting gesture.
"Similar to how Amelia is related to Leticia, I am related to them in the same way."
My eyes widened slightly in realisation and everything suddenly fell into place. Now I understand why Mikhail, a seemingly unimportant person, was invited to this event. He's not a nobody, he is a Dandolos. The Aguirres are close allies with the Dandolos, so it would make sense for Myles to invite them to the event that he was hosting. It's just that similar to Amelia, Mikhail hid his true identity and background under a false family name.
"I hoped you heard good things about me."
"I assure you, all I heard about you were good things," Mikhail replied and the mood of our conversation got a little warmer once we broke the ice. "Amelia was very happy to have made friends with you and for that, I thank you. She really does not have many friends her age due to her maturity and the responsibilities she had to shoulder from a young age."
"She's very capable, more so than I do," I agreed.
"Don't sell yourself short, I witnessed your capabilities for myself. Truth to be told, I was there when Callum approached you, but I wanted to observe how you would handle the situation and only step in if needed. I wasn't disappointed by the show you put up."
"What is Callum's reputation in his social circle?"
"Not very well-liked by people who are similar to you and I. Conversely, the kind of crowd that he usually mixed around with are also of a similar nature as he is. It's best to stay away from him if you can help it because it is an unfortunate fact that in… certain matters, women are naturally at a more disadvantageous position when compared to men. I know you are fully capable of protecting yourself, but I feel obliged to inform you that there were already victims who fell prey to Callum and his hooligans and they managed to escape the eyes of the law every single time."
"Thank you for your reminder. I will keep this in mind," I dipped my head a little in thanks for the concern and warning Mikhail had offered. A part of me was simply incensed because if I interpreted his words correctly, he's warning me that Callum is a rapist. Not only that, Callum is a repeat offender who used his family's influence to escape the clutches of the law every single time. Truly, the lowest of the low in human society.
"As long as you take my words to heart and keep your guard up around him, I don't think that there will be anything for you to worry about. Do not worry, I will take good care of him too, you were not the only one he offended just now."
"I wasn't aware that he offended you earlier," I allowed my surprise to show since I now know that Mikhail is my ally on account of the partnership between my family and his.
"Oh, don't you remember? Earlier he said, and I quote," Mikhail kept his voice lower such that only I could hear him. "Dandolos? Hmph, don't lump me together with those losers. Now, I like to think that I am a forgiving man and that there are many things that I can tolerate. But that? I might have to reevaluate my earlier assessment. Who does he think he is? The Carrillos? Hmph, who are they? They are nothing but insecure fools who had been vying for the position of the Five Weapons but had never succeeded throughout the long history of our region, not even once."
"I dislike him, but as of now I'm starting to pity him with how he had made himself an enemy out of you," I joked and Mikhail joined me with a polite smile before smoothly changing the topic of conversation.
"So, I heard Amelia introduced you to her preferred reading materials? Quite the exotic choice, aren't they?"
"Very… exotic," I agreed with a slow nod of my head, unable to find another word to describe her choice of literary works. Mikhail simply laughed.
"About that, you can just be truthful around me and be honest with your thoughts."
"They really are… exotic."
"You are just too kind," Mikhail sighed and took a sip out of his glass. "And ah, before that, I have to get to the main reason about why I approached you tonight. Leticia had specifically nagged at me for hours on end to make sure I talk to you about this in person."
I had consumed a fair bit of alcohol throughout the night. Still, I wasn't drunk nor was I feeling tipsy, but my mind still sobered up after hearing Mikhail's choice of words because whatever this may be, it must be important.
"I'm not sure if you remembered, but you did tell Amelia about your experience and of your run-in with a suspected Plasma agent in the underground auction you infiltrated into. Ring any bells?"
"I did tell her that," I agreed. "There's been progress in this matter?"
"Yes," Mikhail affirmed, and gave me a little shock when he suddenly gave a very deep and apologetic bow. "And before I continue with my explanation, Ms Vera, let me first apologise to you on behalf of the Dandolos family. We sincerely apologise for the assault you experienced that day and we hope that this will not affect the relationship between our families. We truly cherish the trust formed between our families and if there is anything our family could do to make up for it that is within our abilities, please let us know."
"Please, raise your head," I quickly tried to get Mikhail to raise his head, but he's determinedly not budging an inch, which really leaves me no other choice if I don't want people to start noticing our odd interaction and stare at us.
"Mr Sawyer, I have no idea what your apology is for, but I promise that I will at least hear you out before coming to a decision, because my family cherishes the partnership we have with yours as well. So please, get up."
"That is more than I could ask for," Mikhail finally raised his head and straightened his back, visibly letting out a sigh of relief. "To put it simply, the person who assaulted you, we are of the belief that he is our wayward cousin that we had lost in Indigo two decades ago, the one who we had been searching for and the one who you assisted my uncle in rescuing from the Rockets at Five Island."
That piece of information is a shocker. So he's telling me that the person who had made me truly fear for my life and gave me nightmares for that period of time was Jayce? He's that looney masked guy with the weavile? What was he doing with the Plasmas?
"How certain are you?"
"Fairly certain, certain enough to know that we have to apologise to you for the attack on your person," Mikhail patiently explained. "All of our leads about him came to a dead end and we were at a loss until now. Prior to that we received a similar tipoff from the Interpol as well, but it wasn't until Amelia noticed the oddity about your descriptions of the attacker through your conversations that we really started to look into it."
"I… Glad to be of help?" I replied awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say. Oh, I'm pissed alright, but those feelings were directed to Jayce and Jayce alone. I hold no ill-will towards the Dandolos because they all seem to be genuinely nice people thus far and let's face it, who would have thought that something like this would happen? Our families were having such a nice relationship until he appeared from practically out of nowhere.
And to think I risked my life and limb to rescue him from Ariana's hands back on Five Island… that ingrate.
Or… maybe that was why my life was spared and he didn't kill me that night after taking off my mask and finding out about my true identity? Was he even aware that I had helped to rescue him back on Five Island?
What a mess.
"Once again, we apologise."
"I won't lie, I'm angry, but that anger is directed to that cousin of yours and him alone. I accept your apology, I assure you that this incident will not affect the relationship between our families in any shape or form. My grudge is with him and him alone."
"I thank you," Mikhail dipped his head in thanks and I cannot help but wonder about Jayce, who I had admittedly kind of forgotten about until he was mentioned now.
"Do you have any idea what he is planning? Why would he join the Plasmas?"
"Truthfully, we are still unsure if he had really affiliated himself with the Plasmas because after all, he had not done anything to officially identify himself as one. As such, our assumptions might have been wrong to begin with," Mikhail elaborated, subtly pointing out that our line of thinking might have been flawed from the start. "What we do know, was that he was adamant on seeing them eradicated as soon as possible so in this sense, we are all on the same side. What we do not know is the method in which he had chosen to employ to reach that very goal, and why he had not contacted us even having arrived at Unova for a period of time. We are still trying to figure that out."
"As long as we are all on the same side, then it should be fine. Although I will say, I cannot promise you that I would not slap him at the first given opportunity for what he had done to me."
"By all means, go ahead," Mikhail laughed after hearing what I had to say as the awkward tension between us began to disappear. "I would love to hear about it. If it's not too much trouble, could you send me a picture of it too when you finally slap him?"
"Isn't he your cousin?"
"First off, I had never met him before. Secondly, that still is not going to stop me from laughing at him for the stupid things that he might have done. The same goes for the rest of my family."
I don't know anything about Jayce, but from what I can tell about the other Dandolos that I had met thus far, they must have a very close knitted relationship with each other despite the size of their family. Hopefully, Jayce will get to meet them someday, because they seem to be genuinely nice people, discounting Grimsley's grumpy attitude. After getting to know a little about his history, I think it would be nice for him to meet his family in this world at least once.
Even so, my point still stands. I am going to slap him at the first given opportunity.
Serves him right.
The event eventually concluded as the attendees started to disperse and go their separate ways one after the other. It was late into the night by then and I had called for Sebastian to pick me up. I didn't wait for long. A familiar looking car soon pulled up and I quickly entered before I could catch a cold waiting outside in the chilly night autumn breeze. The interior temperature of the car was nice and warm, much to my liking.
"From the looks of it, I take it that things went well for you, Miss Velda."
"Better than expected," I yawned from where I was seated in the backseat, the fatigue finally setting in after I was able to drop the mask that I had to wear in public as Velda Vera. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Sebastian. I wasn't expecting the networking to take up so much time."
"Waiting is part of my job, Miss Velda. There is nothing for you to apologise about," Sebastian reassured me as he started to drive the car out onto the streets.
"And oh, in case I forgot to do so, please help me to inform my father or my brother that we will not be doing business with, or allow the Carrillos to conduct any of their businesses in Hoenn. They were being very disrespectful to us and I think that there is a need to show them just who they had messed with."
"I will convey your wishes to Master Griff and Young Master Vance."
"I will have to trouble you to try and investigate them. Remember the attack we experienced at Nimbasa after meeting Leticia? I have reasons to believe that the Carrillos were behind it or at the very least, were involved in the execution of the attack. Remind me to inform my family about it tomorrow morning."
"The Carrillos? They are very closely allied with the Euclid family," I could see Sebastian frowning from the rear-view mirror of the car. "I see. I will step up protection around our residence. You cannot come to harm, Miss Velda."
"They can certainly try, but now that I am aware of who had tried to take my life I will not be making the same mistake twice," I looked out of the window, trying my best to not scowl at the thought of Callum Carrillo and also at the Euclid family. What did I ever do to warrant a death threat from them? Was it because I had sided with the Dandolos? If so, how very petty of them.
Whatever, that can wait. I'm tired.
"I'm tired, Sebastian. Wake me up when we reach our residence."
"Understood. Have a nice rest, Miss Velda."
I closed my eyes and rested my head on the headrest, wanting nothing more than to catch some sleep right now. Rena curled up on my lap, her presence providing me the comfort and warmth like she always did.
Networking in the upper class society really wasn't easy, and now I have a newfound respect for Dad and Vance who had to do this on a regular basis when I was younger and was more ignorant about the world and my family's duties.
I had grown up now, now capable of sharing their burden, even if it wasn't much.
I just hope that I can be of help to them, even if it's just a little.
Character and pokemon list:
Velda Vera, Age: 14, 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
18) Haxorus, male