"Something feels off about this place…" Brock's voice came out soft as he and the others strode through the deserted streets of Dark City.
It had been about a week since they had set out from Fuchsia City. Ash had obtained the Soul Badge after Gina, and now they were on their way to catch a ferry to get to Cinnabar Island. There they could obtain the Volcano Badge before doubling back to obtain the ones they missed along the way.
However, before the group left Fuchsia City, the pair from Pallet Town had a chance to visit the Safari Zone as well. It was a special preservation site within Kanto that only a select few trainers could access at a time. It normally had an even longer reservation time and was expensive enough that most trainers couldn't casually enter it, but Professor Oak had called in some favors so that the two of them could have a chance to catch pokémon there to aid in his research.
Ash had caught a single Tauros that they came across. It had been separated from its herd and stuck around after he had offered it food. Brock suspected that Tauros was a willing capture by the fact that it had not been very shy to humans like the others, meaning it was probably eager to travel beyond the Safari Zone. That suited Ash just fine.
Gina, on the other hand, had specifically gone out of her way to track down a Pinsir. She explained that she had intended to use it for her eventual rematch with Sabrina, since it was one of the few Bug-Type Pokémon in Kanto who weren't so physically frail. It took her nearly the entire time they were there to track one down, but she had succeeded in capturing it.
Now they were in Dark City, where there was an air of tension amidst the silence.
"I think you're right," Misty agreed. Normally, she would brush it off as just being paranoid. But even the smaller towns they had come across were livelier than here. She turned to Ash and Gina. "What do you two think?"
Both opened their mouths at the same time to speak. But they immediately cut themselves off when they realized the other was about to. Tension sparked between them before they both simply looked away from one another.
"…Are you two still on the outs with each other?" Misty asked, sighing when the pregnant pause that followed indicated that they were. Since they had earned their Soul Badges, both Ash and Gina had been having trouble talking with one another. Or rather, neither was willing to compromise on what they felt was the right way to approach their battles.
Ash was having trouble accepting the way that Gina had defeated Koga, using his own victory as proof that sacrificing her pokémon one after another wasn't how she should win. Misty suspected that part of the reason was because Ash had learned the consequences of that when he recalled how much he put Pikachu at risk to earn Brock's badge. It was a secret only Misty knew since she had been with him the longest during his travels, so she could understand why he would think that way.
Gina, on the other hand, was quick to point out that Ash won because of several factors that didn't rely on his abilities as their trainer. For starters, he already knew some of the tricks Koga would pull because he saw them used against her. Then he had used Haunter, who was both immune to poison and more than strong enough to match an out-of-control Sabrina while she was psychically boosting her Pokémon's abilities somehow.
Things only got worse from there when Ash suggested then that he would just go first on the two remaining badges that he needed. That way she wouldn't need to resort to tactics like the ones she used. But to Gina it was as if Ash was looking down on her as a trainer, insulting the pride of both herself and her pokémon, which was something she wouldn't take sitting down and brought up things from his past that embarrassed him.
Since then, things had been frosty between the pair. Brock and Misty refused to take a side in the squabble given that they acknowledged that what Gina had done was valid but could understand where Ash was coming from. It was simply something the pair would have to work out on their own.
"Maybe we should head towards the ferry dock in order to get a schedule?" Misty suggested, returning her attention back to Brock. "We can ask someone there if something is—"
BOOM!
An explosion drowned out her voice and set everyone on high alert. Grudges and uncertainty were shelved as they spotted a plume of smoke rising in the distance. A shared look between the collective was followed by a wordless nod as they prioritized heading towards the rising smoke to see what had transpired.
The scent of ozone reached their noses first. It was a familiar scent, given that they traveled with Pikachu. But the source of the scent itself came from an Electric-Type Pokémon they hadn't run across before as it stepped through the broken walls of what was a sundries store.
"An Electabuzz!" Misty recognized the humanoid-shaped pokémon covered with yellow and black fur the moment she laid eyes on it. Electricity danced between its antennae and its eyes were narrowed as it bared its fangs. It brushed off the charred splinters while covered in what were now smoldering wrappers and burned cans, making its way back onto the streets.
There, standing further down the road, was one of the pokémon that Ash had been looking for in the Safari Zone. The bipedal insectoid stood relatively tall, but its green body was blackened with marks from electrical burns. White scythes made up its arm, glinting in the sunlight, while its cream-colored wings expanded to make itself seem more menacing. "And it's fighting a Scyther?"
"Neither of those are pokémon found in the wild around this area, meaning they have to be trained pokémon," Brock said, brows furled as he combed the area for the ones responsible and eventually settled onto two young boys—one wearing a green overall and the other a black body suit.
"Told ya it was strong," said the one in green as he stood behind the Scyther that was panting. "We're gonna be the Gym for Dark City, so get lost!"
"Shaddup! We're the ones in charge!" The other boy turned to the Electric Pokémon and pointed at the pair. "Electabuzz, zap 'em!"
The Electabuzz's fur began to stand on end as it whirled its arms. Electricity danced off its yellow fur and it let out a bellow before sending out a tongue of lightning towards the Scyther. The Mantis Pokémon was nimble enough that it zipped out of the way before it could strike, but that just meant that the Thunderbolt was allowed to continue without direction. It slammed into the broad side of a building, wood blackening as the splinters exploded outwards.
"Have they lost their minds?" Gina couldn't keep the incredulousness out of her voice as she watched the Scyther take a swipe at Electabuzz with its sharpened arms. The Electric Pokémon dodged by jumping out of the way, but that just led to it cutting through one of the wooden columns keeping the overhang of a storefront in place. "They're tearing up buildings fighting like this. That's a guaranteed loss of a Trainer's License—and that's if they are even old enough to have one."
The sound of Brock's fingers tightening could be heard before he decided he had seen enough. He marched out before anyone else could move, brandishing two Pokéballs that popped open. Vulpix and Geodude ended up next to him as he stood at the end of the road, calling out to them. "THAT'S ENOUGH! CEASE YOUR BATTLE THIS INSTANCE!"
Scyther and Electabuzz both flinched away from his voice, warily stepping back from him as if anticipating something else to happen. It was a response that immediately caught Brock's eyes. Especially considering how both species were normally not the kind to shy away from being yelled at.
"This doesn't involve outsiders like you!" shouted the boy in the bandana. "Get lost!"
"A battle causing this much collateral damage does," Brock argued otherwise, softening his voice as he kept his gaze focused on the pair of pokémon themselves. "Are you trying to get people hurt by having them attack like that? Send them both back into their balls before you damage any more buildings. Now."
The boy in the body suit seemed hesitant for a moment. But then he shook his head defiantly. "Kaz says that it'll be okay, so I'm not listening to some stranger! Electabuzz, send that guy packing!"
Spurred on by the other boy's action, the one in the bandana gave the order as well. "You too, Scyther!"
The Electric Pokémon and Mantis Pokémon both fixated on Brock himself, snarling to drive him off with a warning. When the intimidation didn't work, they responded by bristle as they stepped closer and closer. The Fox Pokémon and Rock Pokémon were quick to get between them and their trainer in response, presenting themselves as targets, but their focus remained fixated on Brock himself.
The former Gym Leader found his frown deepening. The gears in his head were turning as lessons instilled into him as both a trainer and an aspiring breeder gave him a better grasp of the situation. And he drew a conclusion that he really didn't like—they were trained to intimidate and then attack humans that didn't comply with their trainer's orders.
The Electabuzz generated an electric charge that snapped the air and filled it with the scent of ozone. The Scyther's blades gleamed as its legs tensed and its wings went upright. They were about to attack him.
He made a judgement call at that moment to suppress them both. "Geodude, take Scyther head-on to avoid collateral damage and put it down as quick as possible. Vulpix, trap Electabuzz and keep it tight so we don't risk a fire. Don't hold back."
It was only then the two boys' expressions shifted as they caught on that the pokémon themselves were getting ready to attack the trainer. And he was making no attempt to run away, unlike the other adults who had tried to tell them to stop. Even they weren't so naïve as to think that was okay and tried to call them off.
"Wait, Ele—"
"Scyther, don't—"
It was too late. A bright, blue bolt lanced forward in serpentine motions, and a green blur shot ahead like an arrow. Both were aimed at Brock himself, each attack with more than enough potential to be lethal for a human.
But before either could connect, Geodude put itself in the way of the serpentine bolt while holding a conjured stone twice the size of its own body in its grasp. The electricity broke itself against his rocky exterior, immunity at work, as he threw the stone forth without mercy towards the green blur. The small boulder slammed into the Mantis Pokémon, and you could hear the crunch as it was smashed into the ground.
Vulpix followed up the assault, inhaling a deep breath before unleashing a stream of fire that snaked forward until it reached the Electabuzz. The roar of the flames drowned out its cries as the fire curled around it in the form of a blazing twister and seared at its fur until it collapsed in silence. Only then did the Fox Pokémon let the fire die to reveal her foe's charred and twitching form.
"…You two." Brock's voice was as cold as stone while he addressed the two boys who had gone silent as they stared down at the defeated Electric and Mantis Pokémon. "Who allowed you to have those pokémon?"
The pair snapped out of their daze upon hearing the question and recalled the pokémon into their balls as Brock moved towards them. "W-We caught em ourselves—"
"No, you didn't." Brock cut them off before they could even begin to lie. "Electabuzz tends to prefer other places, and the Safari Zone is the only place you could get a Scyther around here. You'd need clearance for that, along with a certain class of Trainer License. And if you had that, you never would have violated the rules of conduct trainers have to oblige by—especially attacking other people."
The bandana wearing boy began to step back as the older figure advanced slowly like a wall pressing down on them. "I didn't mean for him to attack directly, I just—"
"Newly caught pokémon tend to have to be taught never to attack a trainer as an ingrained response," Brock continued, ignoring his excuses. "Because depending on the species, especially those known to be either aggressive or territorial, they could very easily cause severe harm even without meaning it. For a pokémon that's the fastest death sentence you can give them."
"D-Death…?" The boy in a jumpsuit turned pale as the implications sank in. "Y-You're lyin', aren't ya…?"
Brock was not. Smaller and early stage pokémon tended to be on the weaker side and didn't usually cause long-lasting injuries, so very rarely did they get euthanized for attacking trainers. But for pokémon like Electabuzz, Scyther, Fearow, and Primeape, which were normally seen as being aggressive to the point of intentionally killing people, they were judged a lot more harshly.
That was the reason Brock himself had taken to treating Primeape as he did. That was why Misty was putting in effort to rehabilitate Tentacool. And it was why Gina had privately confronted Fearow about his behavior and had even threatened to lock him away for good. They knew very well that not teaching their pokémon otherwise would get them potentially euthanized, and it would be their fault as their trainers.
And for that reason, Brock was not showing these two any kindness. "I won't ask again: who gave you those pokémon?"
The pair looked at him warily before they followed the instinct children were known to have when they were in trouble: they ran.
"Let them go," a voice called out when Brock was moving to give chase after them with Geodude and Vulpix. He stopped and turned to the mouth of the alley he had been in before, where he saw that there was a black-haired woman dressed in simple clothes but also a pink jacket. She hurried over towards him and repeated, "Don't chase them."
"With all due respect ma'am, those children don't know what they're doing and are putting themselves, their pokémon, and this place at risk. I need to get to the bottom of this before they cross a line they can't come back from."
"I know that," she said, reaching for her zipper and slowly undoing it before pulling the collar away enough for him to see beneath it. There was a PIA badge hanging around her neck. "Which is why I'd rather you work with me instead before it gets to that point."
[-oOo-]
Ash was somewhat confused by the situation as they were led back to the only traveler's inn within the locale and guided into a room, where the woman in black was staying.
They had been getting ready to send out their own pokémon when it was clear that Brock was about to be attacked, only for her to stop them and show her badge. Ash didn't recognize it, though he could guess by the fact that it was a badge that the woman was some kind of authority figure. But Misty did and told them she must have been a member of the Pokémon Inspection Agency, which was the main reason they didn't send their own teams out to help once they saw that Brock had the situation under control.
"Please, take a seat," said the woman as she unlocked the door. "This might take a while, and I need to ensure that we weren't followed."
Ash filed into the room to find it wasn't large by any stretch of the imagination. It was serviceable, but it was meant for one person rather than five people. He went over to the wall and leaned against it along with Brock, while Gina and Misty used the bed as a place to sit. Pikachu had chosen to sit on Misty's lap rather than standing up.
They waited for two minutes until she came back and shut the door behind herself, letting out a slight huff. "Okay, we're all clear to talk now."
"Forgive me if I'm incorrect," Brock began. "But you're a part of the extended Joy clan, aren't you?"
The woman blinked for a moment. Then her slender hands came up to hips and she asked, "I thought my disguise was pretty good. Was it really that obvious?"
"Not for most people," Brock said. "Call it me being perceptive, but I'm fairly sure you're the one who visited my Gym a while back when I was active. Since you're with the agency, I'm guessing that you went out of the way to dye your hair because you needed to be incognito?"
"Mm-hmm." She finished zipping down her jacket and then setting it onto a rack, revealing she was wearing a plain shirt beneath it. "I wish the circumstances were different that we'd meet again, but it might be good luck that I ran across you and the Troubleshooters."
"Troubleshooters?" Gina muttered softly before speaking louder. "What do you mean by that?"
"That is the unofficial name that's been going around in our circles for you four," Joy said with a slight smile before looking to Brock. "I was honestly surprised when I heard you retired from being a Gym Leader, only to hear a little while later you were going around with the youngest of the Sensational Sisters to pick fights with Team Rocket and dealing with rampaging pokémon. My fifth cousin in Gringy City got in touch with my second cousin in Pewter about the situation there, and at this point they're wondering whether Lance ended up getting you into the G-Men under plausible deniability."
Brock shook his head. "It's purely circumstantial. I'm going through with my correspondence to be Breeder at the moment."
"Oh, good for you." She sounded genuinely happy for him. "Still, there's been a few incidents with your name under them as being one of the key factors in resolving them. You just about stumbled into another one now."
"Can you tell us what's going on?" Misty asked. "I can't say I'm familiar with how the PIA usually acts outside of inspections, but the fact that you're here means that the situation is a lot bigger than two kids fighting recklessly."
"Normally, I wouldn't be able to disclose much. But considering your reputation I can give you enough information to decide whether to help or to leave. Can you tell me why you came out to Dark City in the first place?"
"We were intending to catch a ferry boat here to Cinnabar Island, so that these two can get their next badge," Brock answered. "On our way in we spotted those kids and saw the damage. I intended to stop them but noticed something off about their pokémon and from how they were acting, so I wanted answers. I'm guessing you have them?"
"Mmm… yes, to a degree." She crossed her arms beneath her chest and then looked over towards the door. "This place had actually petitioned to get a minor Gym opened and I was sent out to see if the city was suitable ahead of the given date, only to find out there are two competing unofficial Gyms. Both of whom have resorted to handing pokémon to unlicensed trainers to use as tools to fight one another in the streets and drive one another out."
"It's a situation like with Saffron City then?" Misty asked. Prior to Sabrina taking control of her own Gym and booting out the competition, the Psychic Gym had been competing with the Fighting Dojo there. Sabrina had won out in the end and made it one of the most difficult places in Kanto, up there with Vermillion and Fuchsia.
Brock shook his head at that. "That was sanctioned, and the fighting never spilled out into the public. This is two small groups of people effectively attacking each other in the streets like a gang of hooligans, which immediately disqualifies either of them."
"If it had been reported officially then we would have already had the situation dealt with," Agent Joy said. "However, I suspect that the mayor has intentionally been keeping the situation from leaking so that he can at the very least get a Pokémon Center built here. It's got all the signs of it."
"Is getting a Gym and Pokémon Center here that big of a deal?" Ash asked. From his perspective this was a lot of trouble to be causing for something that were ordinary staples that he was used to at this point. But because he was someone who used them as a traveler, he didn't understand why it was that important.
Misty, on the other hand, knew otherwise and explained as much to him. "For a small city like this it would be a huge deal. The minor league Gyms don't carry as much reputation as ours, and you'd need two badges just to make up for a major one at the conference, but it'd effectively put this place on the map for trainers who can't cut it against Gym Leaders like Koga and Lt. Surge. It would also mandate that they have a Pokémon Center built, which gives trainers a place to stay and thus spend their money, along with grants to make the travel routes easier and such as part of the League initiative."
It went slightly over his head. But Ash got the gist of it. "So basically, they want to open an Official Gym to make money for the city?"
"That's the theory I'm working under." Agent Joy sighed. "My guess that they intend to hide everything once my scheduled visit date arrives, to make it look like nothing was out of the ordinary. I've already collected enough evidence of the fighting and damage though, so that's meaningless."
Brock let out a low hum from his throat. "You've got more than enough evidence to get forces moving to handle the situation. But Electabuzz and Scyther are not easy to come by in Kanto, yet a bunch of untrained kids have been given them as incentive to join. That would be suspicious enough to dig into as it could indicate there's an illegal breeding operation or worse."
Agent Joy only brought her finger to her lips and made a zipping motion. She could neither confirm nor deny it. "All I can say is that in about two weeks the visit is officially scheduled and both parties have been showing signs that they are willing to escalate soon, including bribing passing trainers to help them out. Knowing when and how would be beneficial since I'll have to report those kids as being a part of the situation, and without knowing just how deeply they're involved... their futures won't be that bright."
Gina's brows folded in as she mulled over the context. Then her eyes widened as it clicked. "They'll be banned from ever having pokémon, won't they?"
Rehabilitating pokémon that were actively trained to attack people took time and effort, and if they were deemed too far gone, they'd have to be euthanized. And if that happened someone would be blamed for it. Those kids were the only ones that fingers could be pointed to, so they wouldn't be allowed a Trainer's License or be allowed to own a pokémon, whether as a hobbyist or a trainer.
"…I've been here a while and can safely say that most of those kids do not know better," Joy said after a long enough silence to let it sink in. "They think they'll get to become Gym Trainers and do something good for the city, so they're being told it's okay to push the other side out and a little damage is excusable. None of them are good at caring for pokémon though, much less training species as aggressive as those. I can only speculate that whoever gave them those pokémon conditioned them to act that way and listen to inexperienced kids. So, if I can find out who, I can mitigate some of the punishment they'll receive."
"What do you have in mind?" Brock asked.
"I think that someone is supplying them with those pokémon, but I can't get close enough to tell. Since they're recruiting wandering trainers into their ranks, I'd like to ask for your assistance before it gets to the point of an outright brawl in the middle of the city."
Misty straightened up. "You want us to go undercover?"
"Not you and Brock since you're too well-known." She pointed towards Ash and Gina. "But you two aren't that well-known. A change of hair, outfits, and an alias should be all that's needed. You could join up with the opposing Gyms and keep an eye on them for a little while, until you can identify the one handing them the Pokémon. Then Brock, Misty, and I will move to capture them."
Gina wore a skeptical look. "Can we actually do that?"
"Within limitations," she answered. "I'll be held accountable for it, but considering your exploits to this point I think you can manage it. Are you willing to help?"
Ash didn't even take a moment to consider the ramifications before he answered, "I'm in."
"Ash, you need to really think about it," Misty warned him. "It doesn't sound too dangerous, but if you mess up you might get into some real trouble. Even if she's being held accountable for it."
"I can't just do nothing." Ash looked down towards Pikachu, resting in Misty's lap. "I've been where those kids have been living in a small place like Pallet Town and wanting to become a trainer. Someone taking advantage of that and getting them into enough trouble where they'll lose that chance… it doesn't sit right with me."
Misty's expression softened at that. She knew exactly where he was coming from, since it was no different than how she couldn't let what Nastina did go unpunished. It simply struck something so deep inside of them that ignoring it would gnaw them from the inside out to the point where they wouldn't be able to forgive themselves. So, Misty instead turned to Gina, who was looking pensive at the offer. "What about you?"
Gina's black eyes shifted over in Misty's direction, taking in her own expression. Then she turned her attention to Ash, sporting a look of determination as unyielding as he was stubborn when he set his mind to something. Sighing, Gina raised her head and focused onto the older woman. "I have two questions before I consent to this."
She met Gina's gaze firmly and nodded. "Ask away."
"First, assuming that they are giving out pokémon in exchange for joining them, will we be allowed to keep them?" Gina asked. "I've been looking for an Electric-Type Pokémon for a while now, so if I can use it in the League then I will."
Joy brought her hand to her chin and her brows furled in thought. "…You are licensed, so there wouldn't be any qualms about you registering them as your own provided things go smoothly. But you would also be responsible for them from that point on."
"That's fine," she answered. "Then for the second question, to what extent would we have to play to our cover?"
"That depends." Agent Joy crossed her arms beneath her chest. "Could you elaborate more on it?"
"I won't go as far as to attack trainers or collateral damage, but…" She set her hands onto her knees and began to drum her fingers. "If they're looking for strong trainers for an inevitable conflict to push the other side out, then they'll likely be looking for people willing to do what it takes to scare the other side into submission. So that means there won't be any problems if I make the other side regret getting involved in this, right?"
Ash frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"If a fight does break out, then it'll be a mess depending on how many people are involved." Gina's gaze grew colder as she voiced her intentions towards the woman who'd asked for their help. "But there's no Pokémon Center out here, so the easiest way to deal with that is to make it so that they can't fight back by leaving their pokémon too weak to keep fighting. They can't have that much in terms of medical supplies, and unlicensed kids don't really know how terrifying a real battle can be. If push comes to shove, I get the feeling from how they ran earlier they can be made to understand."
The older woman looked towards the ground with a slight grimace as she took a moment to parse what Gina was stating. "…I understand. There are some risks involved with unlicensed trainers not knowing what they're doing, so I was prepared for some issues to arise. But anything that would cause permanent harm is out of the question."
"…Then I accept your terms," Gina said, rising to her feet. "So how do we do this?"
[-oOo-]
Earth rumbled with a loud crash that shattered the evening ambience of the amber sun hanging over the grounds of Kaz's Gym. Dust erupted from upturned soil that smothered the rays of gold. And a deep roar left the greenery surrounding the perimeter of the grounds to rattle as the leader of the Gym observed what was looking to be the final moments of an unexpected battle.
The Kaz Gym and Yas Gym were two long-standing groups within Dark City. The two had been unofficial Gyms for a while now, but with the chance of becoming official they couldn't tolerate competition. And with time running short until the Pokémon Inspection Agency arrived and determined which one of them was worthy of becoming official, both were in an arms race to drive one another out.
Breaking through the veil of dust that had been thrown up first was a bundle of blue fur that was brown in places from the dirt being caught on it. And following that pokémon was another with loosened soil rolling off its large frame composed of towering muscle and natural armor. The ground rumbled as the latter, a Rhydon that had bloodshot eyes and purple froth slipping out of its mouth, charged forward to run down the former, a Nidorina, like a bulldozer.
"Crush that furball, Rhydon!" shouted Tes—Rhydon's trainer. Kaz had brought him into the Gym for the sake of gathering enough force to push the Yas Gym out once and for all. The Drill Pokémon was his most powerful pokémon, packing enough muscle that he could run over most of the others with ease. "Horn Drill!"
"No mercy, Nidorina!" called out a girl from the opposite side of the field. The Nidorina's trainer was dressed in a blue sleeveless shirt and red skirt, with slips of the black undershirt and shorts visible as the wind blew. She held a hand on her hat to keep it from blowing it away. "Put it out of its misery."
Bracing its hind-legs to dig into the ground for purchase, the Poison Pin Pokémon seemingly braced for impact as the on-rushing Drill Pokémon lowered its head to bore into her with its horn that spun like a drill. Then Nidorina's legs unfurled like a spring as they were shrouded in power before she somersaulted above its head. The horn passed beneath her while she drove her empowered legs into Rhyhorn's skull with thunderous force.
The Drill Pokémon's charge was turned into an out-of-control tumble as its head was spiked into the ground. The momentum of its charge toppled it over while she landed a safe distance away, red eyes fixated on her prone foe. But it wasn't even trying to rise back up as it spat out globs of saliva dyed purple from the poison coursing through its body.
"Is that the best you can do even after I gave you a handicap by using a pokémon who has a Type-Disadvantage?" There was an air of disappointment within the girl's voice as she stood there with Nidorina in front of her. "That didn't even make for good practice for when I go after the Earth Badge."
Rhydon's trainer naturally bristled in fury. "You played dirty!"
"A Poison-Type Pokémon uses poison." She then reached into a satchel around her waist and pulled out a Pecha Berry, tossing it to Nidorina. The Poison Pin Pokémon grabbed it and then ran over to force feed it to the Drill Pokémon while she turned back to him. "Since you're complaining, I'm assuming you didn't have any Antidotes stocked up. No need to thank me since one should always be gracious in victory."
His expression turned ferocious, and he let out a snarl. "You—"
"Enough!" Kaz cut in before he could get another word out. "Tes, take your pokémon and let it rest up. We'll need it to be good to go later."
Tes clicked his tongue before he recalled Rhydon into its ball. Then he marched off, leaving Kaz to make his way over to the girl who had come to his gym with confidence in her eyes and her chest puffed out in pride. He had thought her arrogant when she first came up and said that she wanted to offer her services in exchange for an Electabuzz.
Apparently, word had been going around that he was offering one to any passing trainers willing to help the cause and she had been looking for an Electric-Type to round out her team. That part had been true enough, those who helped out would get to keep them in the end once the Gym was established as the sole one in Dark City. But she wanted one upfront rather than when everything was said and done.
Those Electabuzz were rare enough in Kanto that he had more than a few working under him for a chance to get one. But unlike the local kids who he'd known, the passing trainers were a lot less trustworthy. Handing over one of his bargaining tools to some unproven newcomer wouldn't be wise, especially since he would need his supplier to bring him another set soon.
Her response when he'd told her she'd have to wait was to pull out a hardcase and flip it open to reveal there were several Kantonian Badges from the Major Gyms. "Electabuzz are rare enough that I'm willing to take a week or two out of my schedule since there's more than enough time before the League starts. But Scyther are also rare, you know?"
Kaz had taken the implied threat for what it was. That either he brought her on-board or she'd go to Yas' side for a Scyther instead. It was bold, bordering on foolishness. But those badges showed she was competent enough that it wasn't unfounded confidence, and even Tes only had four badges—so they agreed to see if she was worth the price rather than risk her being used against him.
That match only served to prove that even at a disadvantage, she was good enough to win against his most useful recruit. And there was no telling what other tricks she had up her sleeves. It was better to have her work with him to use those skills and get rid of Yas, before their time ran out.
"We move in a week to drive out Yas and his guys," Kaz decided, holding out a pokéball that had one of the Electric Pokémon meant for barter. He let it out to show her and to make the change of ownership clear enough for it to understand. "He's yours, but I'll need some collateral to make sure you don't run off until it is done. Understand, missy?"
"My name is Green," she said before bringing out her badge case again. Then she held it out for him to take in exchange for the ball. "I'm not handing over one of my team since I'll need them for the job, so you can hold onto these until it's done. Just don't lose them."
Kaz agreed to the trade, acknowledging that she was serious by putting her badges on the line. It was possible that she wanted an Electabuzz enough that she was willing to throw one of her own pokémon away for it. But trainers couldn't enter the Indigo Conference without their badges, which made them even more valuable in the end. "Just pull your weight and you'll get them back by the end of the week."
Green nodded once, tipping the brim of her hat up as she eyed her newly acquired pokémon. She held her hand out towards the Electric Pokémon, whose body tensed for a moment as the limb drew close. But then she instead chose to crouch down so that they were eye-level and said, "We're going to be working from now on. Just do what I say, and everything will be fine, understand?"
The Electabuzz was slow to respond and cautious as it nodded. "…Buzz."