Chapter 23

Ripples

The drizzle that Cerulean was famous for had settled in overnight. Light rain blanketed the city, running off rooftops and down gutters. It flooded streets with puddles and turned alleys into mud. Cerulean's residents, long accustomed to the rain, continued with their day-to-day business. Darting out from one awning to the next or hiding beneath umbrellas, the streets were still a bustle of activity. Water-type Pokémon frolicked in the rain on the street, basking in the moisture, while a Geodude glared at the water droplets behind a glass window.

Standing at the covered entrance of a cheap inn at the edge of town, Dimitri looked down at the muddy pathways with disgust. Of all Kanto's cities, Cerulean was one of his least favorite. His boots would be stained and wrecked by the end of the week and the dampness in the air would ruin his clothes before too long.

But loose ends had to be trimmed, that was why he was here. In the past few days, far too many pieces had been moved on the chessboard for his liking. Gym leaders who had happily governed in their small towns for years were now venturing outside their borders, looking in places they shouldn't. Rangers had disrupted their spore operation, and although any evidence had been cleared away it significantly affected the organization's balance sheets.

Ted had even been raving about Professor Oak stepping onto the playing field again. However, Dimitri hadn't had time to verify that claim, and he was loath to trust the paranoid lunatic at his word.

Glancing down at this watch, Dimitri confirmed what he already knew.

In 72 hours Subject 130b would be released and his mission would begin. Until then, he had half a dozen contacts to make, several bribes, an intimidation, and one police officer uniform would inexplicably go missing. Pulling his dark red cloak around his thin frame and readjusting his hood, he stepped into the rain and got to work.

No Pokémon trotted by his side as he wove through the narrow alleys, however, shadows around him rippled and stirred as something watched over him from their depths.

0000

"Water… Is formless. Water is adaptable. Water changes itself to fit whatever container it is in, whether that is a cup, a vase or a bowl. At the Cerulean gym, we rely on flexibility and creativity to win battles and complete missions. Water can flow, or it can crash. To be successful here, you will need to do both.

"Our colleagues, at a certain stone-based gym, will tell you the best way to handle a problem is to face it head-on. They would tell you to hammer away at a problem until it breaks… or you do. In the coming weeks, I'll show you not how to throw yourself onto the rocks, but to flow around them. Avoiding that which you cannot break and striking where your opponent is weak. Some say water is soft but given time water can cut down mountains.

"My name is Lily and while you train at the Cerulean Gym, I will be your instructor. Listen intently to everything I say, perform every drill as I tell you to, and maybe… Just maybe… you'll be able to challenge my sister and win."

As Lily spoke, she walked along the line of trainers standing at rapt attention in the rain.

Hands clasped firmly behind his back, Patrick didn't dare move to wipe away the wet hair plastered to his forehead and falling into his eyes. Standing at the end of a line of 12 trainers, Patrick could just barely see Lily from the corner of his eye. Bug was standing at attention on his shoulder, standing as tall as his 4-inch frame would allow. Listening intently to everything Lily said with wide eyes.

The trainers around Patrick had similar expressions on their faces. Most were younger than Patrick, ranging from early to late teens, and a variety of Pokémon stood at their feet. Like their trainers, they stood completely still, ignoring the rain that ran in streams down their fur or off their scales. Patrick was inwardly relieved that he had kept Meowth in her ball for this, as he knew the fussy cat wouldn't be willing to stay still in the rain like this.

"Now that introductions are over, it's time to get to work," Lily said, finishing her speech and clapping her hands together. "You all came here today via the Tidemaster's Path and no one drowned, so I assume you can all swim. We are starting today's session off with a lap around the entire island cluster. You have 1 hour, starting now!"

Trainers quickly broke the line they had been standing in, scrambling to their packs for swimwear or returning their Pokémon. Some of the new trainers looked down in dismay at the heavy travel clothes they were now expected to swim in.

Patrick smiled to himself as he kicked off his shoes and soaking-wet hoodie. He had called ahead earlier this morning and spoken to Diana, looking for any information or advice on the classes. She had been the one to tell him there would likely be a swimming component to their training and Patrick had packed accordingly. Standing in the surf, Patrick sported a pair of light, quick-drying shorts that wouldn't slow him down in the water.

"You waiting for a special invitation? Clocks ticking." Lily asked from where she floated in the water, bobbing up and down on a fiberglass paddleboard, paddle in hand.

"I was just going to wait for everyone else to get ready..." Patrick said, pointing to the other trainers quickly trying to change and packing their gear away on the shore. Patrick's gear was already packed away, sitting neatly beneath a tree, protected from the rain. Bug sat on top, glaring suspiciously at anyone who got too close to Patrick's belongings.

"You don't need to wait for them, you want to win right? Use this to your advantage to get ahead!" The Gym instructor said.

"Oh… I didn't realize this was a competition." Patrick said, turning back to the waves and eyeing the next island in the chain he was expected to swim around.

"You're a Trainer now. Everything is a competition." Lily said, with some force behind her voice. "Trainers play to win. Always.

"I can do that," Patrick muttered with a determined nod.

Rushing into the lake, Patrick leaped into a shallow dive and took off. Pulling himself through the water with powerful strokes and leaving the shore, and fellow trainers, behind. The trainers still getting ready yelled and redoubled their efforts when they saw Patrick getting further ahead of them. Seconds later, two more trainers leapt into the water, chasing after Patrick.

Living in Sandgem town for most of his life Patrick was no stranger to the water and he soon fell into an easy rhythm as he swam the long circle around the many small islands that made up the Cerulean Gym. Diana had already given him an overview of how each of the islands operated. The three biggest islands were used for formal training and where classes were held. With a mixture of stony coasts, dotted with sandy beaches and a small patches of grass and foliage on the islands, they were suitable for training most Pokémon. Their island, North Island, was where the novice classes were held, West Island held the intermediate classes and South Island had the specialist and advanced classes.

The remaining 7 islands were quite a bit smaller and filled in the spaces between the Big Three.

Labeled 1 through 7, these numbered islands were for battling. The number of badges a trainer had indicated which Islands they were allowed to battle on. With one Badge, Patrick was allowed to challenge or be challenged by anyone on Islands 1 or 2 as they would have one or two badges respectively. Higher badge level trainers would be restricted to the higher islands, battling similarly leveled trainers to prevent serious injuries.

Rounding West Island, Patrick continued his counterclockwise lap of the gym, aiming towards the southern tip of South Island. From there he'd have to dive under the Tidemaster's Path and then angle back up to North Island and their starting location.

With nothing to do on the long swim besides putting one arm in front of the other, Patrick's mind drifted back to Lily's parting words about what it meant to be a trainer.

Play to win… Always...

0000

Groaning, Patrick pulled himself out of the water and collapsed onto the stony shore. Another trainer joined him seconds later, rolling onto the stones and breathing in deeply.

"I thought I had you when we swam under the bridge." The man said with a grin, breathing heavily. He had dark skin and a subtle accent that marked him as a Sevii Islander. Lake water dripped from his short, black braids and ran down his face and neck as he looked up to the sky. The rain had stopped during their long swim, although none of them had noticed when, leaving everything damp. Above them, the ever-present blanket of grey clouds remained.

"If that Magikarp didn't keep bumping into you, you would have." Patrick conceded, sitting up and nodding as a third trainer wading her way out of the water.

"Yeah, what was that about? I saw a Magikarp follow you for like 5 minutes." The teenager chimed in. She was covered from elbows to knees in a black wetsuit, as Patrick watched water beaded and fell off the hydrophobic material as she stood on the beach. Despite the swim, she seemed barely out of breath. "Do you have food in your pocket or something."

"Do I have…" The man said slowly before his eyes widened and he plunged his hand into a pocket. Groaning, he pulled out a lump of mushy bread. "I forgot about my muffin." He sighed as Patrick and the girl laughed.

"You're fortunate a Magikarp was the only thing you attracted with that. I'm Naomi, by the way."

"Patrick," Patrick replied, raising his hand.

"My name is Lucky. Which I guess I'm not right now." Lucky said, laughing.

"I have some snacks in my pack if you need anything." Patrick offered, as Lucky hurled the lump of muffin into the lake. Seconds later a Magikarp broke the surface, grabbed it, and dove back beneath the waves.

"Thanks, I'll be fine though. That was my third muffin. I already ate two."

"Are they the ones from the Pokecenter? They are amazing." Naomi sighed.

"Yeah, I just arrived last night and got a room there for a few days. I'll probably move to somewhere cheaper to stay while I get ready to challenge Misty." Lucky admitted, shaking the last drops of water from his braids and standing up. "We don't have any gyms in the Sevii islands, so I want to be as ready as possible."

"Wow, no gyms on any of the islands…" Naomi said slowly. "So do you know there is a trainer test and a battle for each badge in Kanto?"

"A trainer test? Is that why Brock made me hike into the mountains to find a fake egg before our battle?" Patrick asked, perking up.

"Yeah, all the gyms in Kanto do one. They each test a quality of being a trainer that the Gym Leader deems important. I know Brock values survivability and toughness in his trainers, while Misty values adaptability and creativity and their trainer tests will reflect that. I only have those two badges though, so I can't tell you about any other gyms." Naomi admitted.

"Ah, I thought I just had to beat up a Goldeen and she'd give me a badge." Lucky admitted, "What is Misty's test like?"

"You'll have to challenge the gym to find out," Naomi said, smirking.

"Ahhh, Come on!" Lucky groaned, before turning to Patrick. "What about Brock's test? You said something about eggs?"

"I… Um… may have said too much." Patrick quickly stuttered. "You'll have to challenge Brock to find out."

"Good answer," Naomi said, nodding to Patrick. "You should know better than telling trainers about gym challenges though! That's taught to everyone in Kanto, even non-trainers."

"I'm guilty of being from Sinnoh, I'm afraid. No one told me to keep it a secret." Patrick admitted, raising his hands.

"Ah, another foreigner." Naomi laughed. "No worries, Misty's gym will be the same as Brock's. Learn everything you can from Lily and you'll pass no problem. Lily knows what the test is and will prepare you as best she can."

"If you don't mind me asking, if you already have the Cascade Badge, why are you still training here?" Patrick asked, curiously.

"My parents live in Cerulean." Naomi shrugged. "I'm just getting stronger here until I want to get my 3rd badge. Then I'll pick a gym and train there for a month to get a feel for their style and then challenge the leader."

"That's my plan." Lucky nodded. "I think my Pokémon are strong enough to get our first badge and maybe even my second badge before I head back home for a bit."

Splashing brought the three trainers' attention back to the group still in the water. Patrick hadn't realized how far ahead Naomi, Lucky, and he had been. The remaining nine trainers seemed to have grouped up and only now were they emerging from the water. Lily guided her paddleboard into the shallow water behind them.

"Alright Noobies! Get dried off and put some clothes on. We're battling in 5 minutes." Lily bellowed as she strode out of the water, easily hoisting the long paddleboard over her head.

"See you on the battlefield!" Naomi said, jumping up and following Lily.

Nodding, Patrick and Lucky both stood and headed for their packs.

0000

Meowth hissed, glaring at the small blue tadpole Pokémon across from her. Tan hair stood on end, doubling the housecat's size. She kneaded the stony ground with her sharp claws, waiting for the match to begin.

Opposite her, the Poliwag looked around absentmindedly. Bouncing from one stubby leg to the other, and only paying the smallest attention to the furious feline, which angered Meowth even more.

This would be their third match against Parker and his Poliwag.

"For those pairs still fighting, your final match starts on my count. Winner takes all!" Lily yelled from the center of the island. "As a reminder, this is a battle to surrender, injury or knockout. Or as I like to put it: Tap, Snap, or Nap."

Only two of the six pairs of trainers still stood, the other four matches had already been decided.

Patrick stared down atParker, the younger teen fiddled with a Pokeball in his hand, chewing on his lip and deep in thought. He and Poliwag had come out strong, landing a decisive victory against Meowth by tricking the cat and then blasting her with hypnosis from Poliwag's spiral stomach. Meowth had crumpled into a heap without inflicting any damage against the amphibian that round.

Patrick blamed himself for that loss, he should have remembered that Poliwag and its evolutions had that ability and should have prepared Meowth accordingly.

Their second battle lasted longer, Meowth took care not to stare into Poliwag's spiral stomach too long and instead focused her fury swipes against Poliwag's back and long, thin tail, constantly keeping the water-type turning and pivoting. After a long struggle, Poliwag finally tripped and Meowth pounced. Landing heavily on the water type pinning it to the ground and winning the second round.

With one round to go, Patrick hoped Meowth would be able to overwhelm the slippery amphibian and secure a clean win.

As Lily's countdown hit zero, both trainers barked commands.

"Slow her down, Poliwag!"

"Fury Swipe, Meowth!"

Meowth acted fast, shooting across the distance between the two, claws gleaming.

Scooping up a clump of loose earth with his tail, Poliwag lurched forward into a roll and whipped his tail overhead. The mud shot towards Meowth like a cannonball and smacked the charging cat directly in her face.

Meowth stumbled and skidded to a stop, not expecting the ground-type attack, and pawed at her eyes, and coughed out a mouthful of mud.

"Dodge left!" Patrick yelled, and Meowth leapt to the side. Despite being blind and disoriented Meowth moved like liquid and landed without a sound. Poliwag's tail smacked the ground where Meowth had been standing with a dull thud.

"Follow her, don't let up the pressure!" Parker yelled from his side, the quiet boy had worked himself up to a frenzy now, bouncing on his feet.

"Make space!" Patrick cried.

Meowth leapt across the battlefield again, pawing at the mud on her facing and blinking away the grime. She was slowly regaining her sight, but the attack had slowed her down and Poliwag kept her off balance.

A jet of water blasted from Poliwag's mouth and just barely missed the agile cat. It tore a shallow trench in the soft earth they battled on and sprayed mud and water all over Meowth. Eyes widened and then narrowed in rage as she saw her silky coat now matted with muck, Meowth yowled in anger and threw herself at the Poliwag, claws aimed at his soft white stomach.

An instant before the Meowth reached the water-type, the spiral on his stomach jolted, spinning rapidly and Meowth charged headfirst into another full-powered hypnosis. She collapsed and skidded to a halt inches from Poliwag.

Sighing with relief, Poliwag turned and hopped back over to Parker, who showered him with praise.

Patrick quietly withdrew Meowth into his Pokeball without saying a word.

"Okay, that wraps up the first round!" Lily said, clapping her hands together. "Winners, find another winner and challenge them to a battle. Losers watch the winner's battles. I'll come around to each of you individually, and you can tell me why you lost."

With that said Lily walked over to the trainer nearest her. A woman wearing a Pewter gym jacket. She cradled an unconscious Geodude in her arms.

0000

"Patrick, your turn. Why did you lose?"

Patrick pulled his eyes away from the battle between Lucky and Naomi. Lucky's Totodile jumped and snapped at Naomi's Butterfree, chasing the airborne bug-type across the island. Showers of dark sparks flew from Totodile's teeth with every bite. The dark-type energy in his jaws crashed together and dissipated with each missed attack.

Yellow powder drifted from Butterfree as it led the big jaw Pokémon around the battlefield. A few more applications of the stun spores and Totodile would barely be able to move.

"I didn't warn Meowth about Poliwag's hypnosis until it was too late. As a trainer, I should know what every Pokémon we battle is capable of." Patrick said quickly. He was the last of the six trainers to speak to Lily and had had plenty of time to prepare his answer.

Patrick had watched Lily drift from trainer to trainer and was impressed with the amount of feedback each trainer had received. Despite watching six battles at the same time, Lily had detailed insights and recommendations for each trainer. She also kept glancing at the battles currently happening, no doubt keeping track of any mistakes and missteps she saw.

"That's correct for the first round," Lily nodded, facing the battle rather than Patrick. Totodile's whole body was stiffening up and he leapt forward in odd jerky motions but he had hit Butterfree with a water gun and the damp bug fluttered her wings wildly, fighting to stay airborne. "What about the third?"

"I…" Patrick stammered, not expecting the follow-up question. "Meowth wasn't fast enough to avoid the mud slap and I didn't direct her enough when she was blinded."

"No, I would say Meowth handled herself quite well when blinded. Yes, she was on the back foot for most of that fight. But Poliwag didn't land a direct blow until Meowth was sprayed with mud, and she got reckless." Naomi replied.

"Meowth is very particular about not letting her fur get wet or dirty." Patrick admitted, "Should we work on drills to keep Meowth calm in battle?"

"I wouldn't start there. Yes, that is something you could work on. But there is one glaring mistake you haven't mentioned. The reason you lost both rounds." Lily said turning, leveling her eyes at Patrick expectantly.

"I should have warned Meowth about the hypnosis?" Patrick asked, uncertainly. He'd already said that but there was nothing else he could think of.

"Poliwag shouldn't have been allowed to use hypnosis in the first place!" Lily practically yelled. "Your Meowth is strong enough to learn to taunt. If Meowth had used that, Poliwag would have been forced to attack directly. No funny business, no status moves. And in a direct confrontation, Meowth wins every time."

"Oh." Patrick mouthed, straining to remember what he had read about Meowth in his Pokedex. When he still had a Pokedex. Taunt didn't cause damage directly, instead, it enraged the enemy Pokémon so much that it would immediately use its strongest attacks against Meowth, recklessly pursuing Meowth with everything it had.

Encouraging a Pokémon to attack Meowth hadn't seemed like a good strategy, so Patrick had dismissed it. But if it prevented a Pokémon like Poliwag from using hypnosis… then it was worth another consideration.

"Do you know why we do best of three battles?" Lily asked, suddenly.

"I assumed so you could have more time to see what our Pokémon could do." Patrick reasoned.

"It's so I could see what the Trainers do between rounds." Lily corrected. When Patrick didn't respond, she continued. "After the first round, I want to see the problem-solving begin. Every trainer will lose hundreds of times in their careers, I want to see how you respond to that.

"You reasoned that Poliwag can only fire hypnosis from his stomach, so you had Meowth attack his back. That strategy won you the second round." Lily continued. "Parker saw you outmaneuver his Poliwag, so he had Poliwag slow Meowth down with a mud slap right at the start. He's been coming to the gym for some time, so he is always looking for ways to turn the tide of battle."

"I'll know exactly what to look for next time," Patrick said, mentally already going over strategies for Meowth to beat Poliwag.

"That's why you are going to battle someone else next time," Lily said, smirking. "I'm not going to make it that easy for you. By the time you leave here, you should have a solid strategy for every other Pokémon here."

"Thank you, Lily," Patrick said.

"Work on taunt with Meowth. I want to see her using it in battle in the next few weeks. If Meowth has a hard time getting the hang of it, I'll find a Pokémon at the gym who can use taunt to give her pointers." Lily said brushing off the thanks, turning to the battle and walking toward a dismayed Lucky who had recalled his paralyzed Totodile while Naomi cheered and congratulated her Butterfree. "I also want to see how your other Pokémon battle next time we do this drill."

Patrick's heart sank as he looked around the small island. All around him, Pokémon stood quietly with their trainers watching the battles and, beyond occasionally greeting others of their type, kept to themselves.

Nidorino would lose his mind if he was released around this many Pokémon…

0000

With a deep breath, Patrick sat down in front of the PC at the Pokécenter and dialed Professor Oak's number.

The animated phone icon jingled on the screen as the phone call went through, and Patrick watched himself shift uncomfortably on the screen. He had been putting off this conversation with the Professor since he arrived in Cerulean.

It was true that he had been busy over the past few days, between Nidorino's stay in the Pokécenter, classes, and buying new gear to replace his lost pack he had been running nonstop. He hadn't discovered a new Pokémon evolution since his arrival either, so there was nothing new to report.

Misty was only ever in the city long enough to sleep and restock, before heading out into the mountains every morning. She seemed hell-bent on turning over every rock, stone, and boulder in the mountain range, searching for any spore activity, and checking on the health of all the known Paras colonies. Diana reassured him every time he visited the gym that his request for a meeting had been sent to Misty, although no response had come back yet.

On the fifth jingle, Patrick had begun to hope that the professor wasn't in when the screen cut to black, and then Professor Oak's face lit up the screen.

"Ah, Patrick! Good to see you, my boy. I was wondering when I'd get a call." The Professor's cheerful voice said from hidden speakers. "The only reason I knew you had made it through the mountains was because I received a bill from the Cerulean Gym!

Patrick winced slightly at that, but the Professor didn't seem to mean anything by it. Chuckling to himself, Oak continued.

"I bet you have some stories from your trip, I'd love to hear them if you have the time! Did you make it through the overground route safely? You had said that was your plan, and you had met a lovely young lady to accompany you. I must say, those mountain passes are some of the most picturesque in Kanto."

"Thanks, Professor. I'm not sure if I'd describe Tasha as a 'lovely young lady'." Patrick said, nervously glancing around to make sure Tasha hadn't appeared from nowhere. She'd be the first to disagree with that description, but Patrick feared for his safety if she heard him say it. "Sorry, I've been out of contact. The trip from Pewter to Cerulean was quite eventful and we've been recovering."

Some of the shine left the old professor's eyes at Patrick's vague response, and an emotion Patrick couldn't quite place flickered over his face.

"Did all your Pokémon survive?" Oak asked, quietly.

"They did, yes. Nidorino spent a few days in the Pokécenter, but he is back on his feet and was just cleared to get back to training. He'll have some shortness of breath and may cough during exercise for the next few days, but the doctor says he'll be as good as new after that."

Despite the assurances that Nidorino would fully recover, Patrick hadn't slept well for the days they had been separated. Patrick had a sneaking suspicion that Nidorino should have been kept at the Pokécenter for monitoring for a few days longer than he had but the big poison-type had grown restless and had begun attacking nurses and Pokémon that tried to enter the room, earning him a more rapid discharge.

While the Pokécenter staff had been quite short with Patrick when returning Nidorino, Patrick had been elated that his partner had the energy and fire to pick fights. Living his life crippled and unable to battle would be a fate worse than death for Nidorino.

"I see…" Professor Oak said somberly, "The road of the trainer is not an easy one. Many walk that path only to realize, months later, that it isn't a lifestyle suited for them. Please remember that should you ever want to return to lab work, that door is always open to you."

Patrick sat up straighter and forced a smile. "I appreciate that, the thought had crossed my mind once or twice. But I've made promises to myself and my Pokémon. I owe it to them to keep advancing. I helped some rangers on a job while we were making our way through the mountains. After seeing what their Pokémon are capable of, I don't think Nidorino will accept anything less."

"Helping rangers on a job?" Oak repeated, grey eyebrows shooting up. "Now you simply must tell me about your trip. Spare no detail!" On the screen, Patrick saw the enthusiastic professor shuffle his chair closer to the camera in preparation.

With the practiced ease of telling this story many times, Patrick launched into a quick description of his journey, meeting Tasha, battling the Charmeleon, finding the mushroom grove, capturing the leader of the drug operation, and fleeing the titanic battle between Tyranitar and Aggron.

Professor Oak was a captive audience during the retelling, asking questions for clarification, and gasping at the most exciting parts. Patrick found himself smiling as he finished his story, the joy Professor Oak simply radiated when discussing Pokémon was infectious.

"What an adventure! Were you able to get any sneaky Pokedex scans for that Weavile? Or even the Tyranitar? I know they were documented years ago, but they are so rare you never know what oddity you might discover." The professor asked.

"That's actually one of the reasons I called you," Patrick said, suddenly feeling nervous. "We lost our packs during the escape and that included my Pokedex. I think it was crushed during the cave-in."

"I see… and I supposed you'd like a replacement?" Professor Oak asked evenly.

"I can pay for it! Or have it subtracted from my wages? I promise it won't happen again." Patrick said quickly, waving his hands around.

"Calm down, my boy." Professor Oak laughed. "I gave Red and Blue a pair when they were ten-year-olds. They've lost or broken a dozen Pokedex between them since. That's one of the hazards of the job. I'll call the factory that produces them for me and have them send you one. Will you be in Cerulean for long?"

"Thank you, Professor." Patrick sighed with relief. "Yes, I will be. I still haven't met with Misty, so I haven't been able to ask about any extrinsic evolutions that may have passed through the gym. She's been out of town hunting down spore operations for the past few days."

"All the better for me then, I'll have the boys at the factory send you over a new one," Oak replied easily. "Fair warning about Misty. She is a firecracker and swears like a sailor… which I suppose she was at one point!" Oak guffawed at his own joke.

"I'll keep that in mind." Patrick said, "I've got to go now. Nidorino needs his meds and Nurse Joys wants me to do a few exercises to keep the scar from tightening up."

"Well thank you for the updates, I look forward to any discoveries you might make in Cerulean. Take care!" Oak waved at the camera before the screen went black.

0000

A small bead of moisture slowly condensed on the stony ceiling as water slowly trickled into the underground holding cell.

Until recently, this small underground chamber had been used as a storage room for extra equipment for the police station above. Crates of protective gear, helmets, vests, shields, restraints, and various office supplies for the station had been temporarily moved to another room to make space for the room's sole inhabitant.

Deemed too risky to be kept in the general holding cell above, Miguel had been separated from the handful of petty criminals awaiting trial. Here he would stay until a Psychic from Saffron would collect him and take him to the capital, where he'd stand trial for his crimes.

The ragged executive chuckled to himself in the dark. His boss wouldn't leave him here, he knew too much about their operation. They would be sending a team to Cerulean to free him any day now.

All he had to do was wait.