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Locked Topic
[Evaluated]Following Suit; 03 - Alexa Raegan-Wulf; Part 2 of "The Greed of the City" Arc
Topic Started: 26 Jan 2014, 02:12 AM (870 Views)
Posted Image Louielazuli
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Pokémon Declaration


Alexa Raegan-Wulf yawned widely as she grabbed her backpack from the boot of the cab. The morning air was slightly foggy, and tinted with the smell of exhaust fumes. It had rained heavily the night before, and the overcast sky trapped in all the moisture and smells of the city. Lex screwed up her nose. The city looked nice, but its smell sure didn’t.

As a general rule, Oreback Town was a pleasant enough place. Aside from the gigantic mining infrastructure off to the west, pumping plumes of water vapour into the sky, the town was quite homely. At the centre of town were plenty of shops, restaurants and even a few schools, all nicely arranged and looked after by the hardworking council. The CBD was a far cry from that of Parchdry Port, which was always busy with people bustling about with tunnel vision and no manners. The people were polite, and although they were busy running errands they always had time to stop and chat to an acquaintance, comment on a passer-by’s cute pokémon or even pop into one of the many quaint cafes along the main street. Moving away from the centre of town, suburbia sprawled away across hilly country, with small shopping centres and other facilities dotted between each suburb. Many of the houses were the exact same design, but the residents of Oreback had since personalised their homes. Some had very manicured lawns, while others had wild jungles reaching green fronds over the shingled roofs of the houses.

Lex and Captain Cooper had driven from the train station to their safe house as soon as they had arrived, Lex inquisitively asking the cabbie all sorts of questions about the town. From what she gathered, it was a very nice place to live, not quite a full-blown city, but with all the conveniences of a large town. There were a great many little parks scattered around, but no big nature reserves nearby. And apparently the schooling was excellent, as the cabbie wouldn’t stop carrying on about how pleased he was with his kid’s secondary schooling results. That really didn’t seem relevant to Lex.


Captain Cooper had remained quiet during their car ride, buried deep in his thoughts. When it was time for the cab driver to leave, he was however quite polite and tipped the man for his information quite well. The cab drove off, leaving the officer and ranger standing alone outside the empty plaster-board house, the sounds of morning traffic heard off in the distance.

“Shotgun top bunk!” Lex yelled, racing inside as soon as the front door was unlocked. She was disappointed to find singles beds. The cottage-like set up involved a single bed in either of the two rooms at the rear of the house, with a sparsely furnished living room between them. The living room led onto the kitchen and dining room, followed by a short foyer and one large bathroom to share. It was simple, yet functional. Indeed, it was anything but fancy.


“So Alexa,” the Captain began, dropping a red folder onto the table. He seated himself at the dining room table, nodding for Lex to join him. The ranger slid in on a chair opposite him, her eyes wide and lips pursed.

“I gather you know about the important meeting occurring in two days correct?”

“Only that it’s important,” she replied, her legs swinging rhythmically under the table.

The Captain sighed. “Yes, it is important. When you told me you saw the case on the television I thought you paid attention to the goings on.”

“Nah, that was only by chance I saw that news broadcast.”

The corner of the Captain’s mouth twitched. He hoped he didn’t regret bringing to girl along.

“Ok. Please look at this,” the Captain said, spreading the documents from the folder. He slid a photograph in front of the ranger. “This is Jonathan Mackelby, Oreback C.I.L., 71 years old. He was murdered as you know, at the East Side Ferryway Shipyard, at 7:05 am. He was killed in one shot with a 9mm handgun, by a mysterious person dressed in a black hoodie.”

Lex nodded. She hadn’t seen the man’s face before; the new broadcast hadn’t shown a picture of him for some reason. He was what Lex imagined an important lawyer-man to look like. He was a relatively chubby old man, a white circle of hair still clinging to his head. He also wore black half-rimmed reading glasses, of which he was looking over to stare at Lex. Seemed like a nice guy.

“He was important forty years ago when things around Parchdry Port were a little uncouth. He was recently heavily involved in the mining industry and working to maintain fair workers’ rights. A lot of people in Oreback apparently did not accept his views.”

Lex continued to nod. Politics was not really an interest of hers.

“Now, this meeting that is scheduled to begin at 9 am in two days is incredibly key to the balance of many West Godai mining industries. From what I’ve heard the topics to be discussed range from vacation pay to the protection of an entire ecosystem from damaging mining practices.”

Lex’s ears pricked up at this. Conservation was her thing.
“So, do you think this has something to do with the pokémon murders?”

The Captain raised a hand. “Alexa, please let me get to that. Now, at the moment, I have not drawn any useful connections between the two cases.” Captain Cooper shuffled through his organised deck of paperwork, and deftly slid a crisp white sheet of paper out in front of him. Lex leaned forward curiously. The paper was thicker than normal printing paper, and had gold leaf embossing along the borders.

Legislation Committee’s Annual Fontain Gala?” Lex read aloud, looking up at the Captain, who was smiling at her. His green eyes seemed to dance.

“While I have been unable to secure a way to view the meeting at any point during the three days it is scheduled to run for, I have acquired an invite to the gala event that is to be held on the first night.” The Captain pointed to a section of text lower on the page. Lex’s eyes followed, and she read silently.

Then she looked up, a strange expression on her face. One of uncertainty.

“Are you serious?”

“Why yes Alexa,” the Captain grinned, leaning back in his chair. “I am hardly ever in the business of fooling my partners.”

Lex gulped and stared back at the invite. She was going to a gala for the rich, and she hadn’t a dress to wear.

Edit

Edited by Louielazuli, 2 Feb 2014, 10:53 PM.
Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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Posted Image Louielazuli
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Lex pressed her nose to the glass and shaded her eyes to peer through the shop window.
“This place looks way out of my league,” she said quietly. Captain Cooper approached the window, his reflection appearing in the crystal-clear glass.

Today he and Lex were out of uniform, and when Lex had first seen the officer in casual wear she was quite surprised. On the front of a plain black t-shirt he bore the orange silhouette of the “Human Torchic”, a pokémon superhero Lex had herself enjoyed watching fight crime as a child. And beneath a pair of crisp, clean trouser he wore impeccably clean joggers, just the sort that looked as though they were straight out of the box. Lex had made fun of his childish t-shirt, but then had to endure a twenty minute spiel on why a grown man wearing a superhero shirt was acceptable in today’s society. He had then picked on her simple white singlet and denim shorts ensemble, commenting that she looked like a ‘lower class hillbilly’.

The Captain squinted through the glass, as if he were looking for someone.
“No, I think this will do fine. Besides, everything we spend can be refunded by the government, within reason. Now hurry along young ranger and please get inside the store.” With that he tapped her roughly on the shoulder to hurry her up. Lex sighed and shuffled over to the automatic glass door. The Captain followed once he had swiftly removed Lex’s nose print and breath condensation from the glass shop front with a pocket handkerchief.

Ding-a-ling! the door sounded as Lex entered. The small boutique was very tidy and presentable, with each item of clothing sorted into colour and size along the purple, velvet-covered walls. Behind the counter at the end of the room was a beautiful blonde woman, all dolled-up and wearing a floral yet stylish cocktail dress. Around her neck on a silver chain sat a sparkling diamond set into a purple orchid pendant. Her eyes lit up as the Captain entered the shop.

“Lunacakes!” she cried out, bustling forward with her arms stretched wide. The Captain scowled, cringing at the name.

"I told you Bridget that no-one calls me that but my grandmother,” he mumbled as the blonde drew near. She was as tall as the Captain, with an incredible bomb-shell body that many a man sought after and had cried over. She wore high black Stilettos that gave her backside an extra lift that it probably didn’t need, and her immense cleavage was practically popping out of the top of her dress. With her thick red lips she pouted and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

“Oh I know, Adrian. I’m just playin’. How have you beeeen?” she said as she hugged the Captain tightly around the waist. Captain Cooper’s eyes bulged and he gasped for air.

“G—guh!—good,” he croaked. When the woman finally let him go, she turned her gaze to Lex.

“And who have we here?” she asked in suggestive tone. Lex smiled shyly back at the woman, feeling like she was a toad walking into a model shoot.

“Hi there. My names Alexa Raegan-Wulf, but you can call me Lex.”

The woman held a hand to her mouth as she gasped in surprise.

“You didn’t tell me you were dating the daughter of Alexander Wulf!” she exclaimed. Before either the Captain or Lex could say anything she wrapped her thin arms around Lex in a tight hug.

“I’m so happy for you Adrian! And all this time I thought you weren’t into young women,” she carried on, Lex’s face pressed deep into the woman’s voluptuous cleavage. The Captain shook his head fervently, an incredibly awkward smile on his face. His ears were burning red.

“No, Bridget, you’ve got it all wrong…!” he said exasperatedly, pulling Lex from her arms. Lex resurfaced, her face bright red in embarrassment. She now understood why the cab driver had been pushing the idea of an Oreback education. He had thought that she and the Captain were a young couple!

“You mean you haven’t found a girl yet?” the blonde asked, suddenly looking very sad. She turned to face the Captain face-on, her hands placed haughtily on her hips.

“Adrian, you need to get your priorities right.”

“Bridget, my priorities are in order. I have not found an appropriate mate just yet, so I will continue to put all my attention into my work, as is expected of me,” he replied. The Captain’s voice was straining, as if he was trying hard not to sound whiney.

“Oh my poor child, when will things become clear?” the woman sighed, rubbing her forehead. She then straightened and a pleasant expression spread across her face. “Nevermind that. Aren’t you going to introduce us, Lunacakes?”

“Ugh…” the Captain groaned. “This is Alexa Raegan-Wulf, Pokémon Ranger. Alexa, this is Bridget Fahrenheit. She is the best stylist in the city. I have her tailor my clothing because her attention to detail is unmatched. And for a nosey woman she has impeccable taste,” Captain Cooper said begrudgingly.

Bridget gave an award-winning smile and kissed Lex on both cheeks. “Delighted! You sure have changed since the last time I laid eyes on you!”

Lex stared at the woman with confusion. She had never seen her before in her life. And she certainly didn’t have a face you could forget.

Then something clicked. Her Dad had grown up in Oreback Town.

“Oh! You must be a friend of my Dad’s!”

“Yes indeed,” Bridget nodded, “Your Daddy and I have been friends since before we could ride our bikes.” She then looked at Captain Cooper with an eyebrow raised. “You don’t know who Alexander Wulf is?”

“Why, should I?” Captain Cooper blinked. Bridget tutted, waggling a finger before her.

“And you say you are from Oreback Town. Alexander Wulf was our town’s favourite pokémon trainer back in the day. He was quite the legend ‘round these parts.”

The Captain shrugged. “I cannot say I’ve heard of him. Besides, that would have to have been thirty years ago, correct?”

Bridget looked up at the ceiling, thinking for a moment. Then she groaned, her eyebrows knitting.
“Yes, you’re right. Ugh, has it been that long?”

Lex couldn’t believe this woman was any older than thirty. Her skin was so perfect and clear, with not a wrinkle to tell of her true age. Bridget suddenly slapped the Captain on the back with a big grin.

“You wouldn’t even been a twinkled in your Daddy’s eyes, Adrian.”

“You don’t say,” Captain Cooper replied, shifting his black shirt so it was straight. “Anyway, we are here on official police business.”

“Here for a dress are we Adrian? I knew you would show your true colours one day,” she replied with a facetious smile. The Captain scowled, scratching the top of his head.

“I do not know exactly what you mean, but I can tell you are trying to make a fool of me. No, I am here to get my partner Alexa here a dress for the upcoming Legislation Committee’s Annual Fontain Gala.”

Both of Bridget’s eyebrows rose up, a genuinely surprised look sparkling in her enchanting green eyes.
“Oh? How on Earth did you, Adrian darling, get an invite to that? I can understand this gorgeous girl here, but honestly, you are nothing like those pretty-boy types.”

Lex turned her head shyly at the compliment, but remained silent.

“I told you, police business,” the Captain said shortly. Bridget stared at him a second then blinked.
“Fine. Have it your way.” She grasped Lex by the hand and pulled her to the back of the store.

“Come with me child. I will find you something that will smooth over those rough edges and bring out your inner diamond.”


Lex gasped at herself in the mirror. Bridget had taken all of ten minutes to find the perfect dress, and it was stunning. It was a floor-length, light blue halter-neck dress, made of a soft silk that shimmered a darker blue when the light caught it just right. Across her middle was a sandy-coloured sash, inlaid with delicate little shells. Subtle pleats were sown into the waist, with the halter part of the dress gathered up with a thick golden bead. The dress sat almost perfectly on her body, accentuating each curve to the fullest. Lex’s jaw was hanging open; she couldn’t believe how amazing the dress was, and that she was wearing it.

“It’s right out of last season’s fashion line, which I myself had the pleasure of creating. I know the shells are a bit gaudy, but I think with a bit of attitude you could really pull it off.”

“I can’t wear this,” Lex said simply. Bridget laughed.

“Alexa, darlin’. Of course you can. And if Adrian is paying for it, I’ll make sure you get the most expensive dress I have to offer,” she said light-heartedly. Lex blanched a little. She could only imagine how much money the dress was worth.


In the very back of the boutique Bridget had a small makeup and hair studio. Lex asked what it was for, but Bridget only replied, “For hair and makeup. What would you expect for such a boutique?”
Lex had never been in a clothing store that doubled as a hair salon.

“Now. Adrian has told me the dress is too flashy, and you will be noticed,” Bridget said, pushing Lex into a black leather salon chair. “But that was exactly what I wanted and I refuse to change my mind. SO!”

With her last word, Bridget slammed down a catalogue on the vanity bench in front of the ranger. Lex glanced from the image on the glossy page of the open catalogue to her reflection. Green?”

Bridget pulled up a wheeling stack of trays and briskly pulled a hair drier and spray bottle out and into a ready position. “Oh yes!”


“So….” Lex began as Bridget was applying paintbrush loads of bleach to her red hair. Bridget was sad to see the beautiful dark red go, but Adrian was just too stubborn.

“Ye----es?”

“How did you and the Captain meet?”

Bridget glanced at Lex’s reflection in the mirror, pausing mid brush stroke. “How did I meet Adrian?” With a chortle Bridget continued dying her hair.

“Well, I am the best stylist in town. His mother and I were friends for years, having met at a… *ahem* dancing class, if you’d like. Virginia knew he was quite the fussy one, so whenever it came to getting him dressed up for a family outin’ or a wedding or something, she would ask me to help him out. He was an arrogant little kid, I’ll tell ya.”

Lex didn’t see how Captain Cooper could be arrogant. He seemed so smart and compassionate to her. “Really?” she asked with surprise.

Bridget nodded, her lips pursed. “Oh yeah. That kid thought he was the bee’s knees. He would tell me that the teachers at his school were not fit to teach someone with such a high IQ. I had to stop myself several times from slapping that kid right across the face. But I didn’t hold back whenever I gave him a lecture. But luckily it looks like working for the cops has taught him a little humility.”

Lex’s hair was now simply soaking up the bleach, and Lex watched curiously as her hair colour disappeared to be replaced with a yellow blonde. Bridget absently removed her bleach-covered gloves and tidied her workstation.

“I think it’s strange he’s taken you on as a partner,” Bridget said after a long pause. Lex looked around at her. The beauty gazed right through Lex, as if she was searching for the elusive answer to an old question.

“Why’s that?”

“He’s a bit of a loner. And I aint ever seen him with a partner. He definitely hates anything that comes in twos.”

“What do you mean?”

Bridget pulled up another of the leather chairs and swivelled it around so she could sit facing Lex. She gave a nonchalant hand wave.
“I dunno why, but whenever any numbers or anythin’ got involved, it was all about threes with him. I ended up having to decide to put in three lights overhead just to please him.”

A pause.

“Huh. I guess you’re name has three words in it.”

Lex frowned. He hadn’t told her anything about a number thing, and she hadn’t noticed anything about threes. He did have a problem with untidiness, but that was all. Then she thought about her name. It did indeed have three parts to it. He had said something when they first met about her name. A-lex-a. Rae-gan-Wulf.
Huh. Three and three syllables.

“How old are you?” Bridget asked out of the blue.

Lex was about to tell her, but then realised something. “21,” she said almost questioningly. Bridget nodded, knowingly.

“You’re also pretty smart. No wonder he likes you.”

Lex’s face reddened once more. She tried to hide it by lowering her head, but Bridget saw. She laughed, sounding like the jingling of golden bells.

“Not like that. It’s just, Adrian never really like’s people. He views them more as things to study. He must really find something interesting about you!”

As Bridget got to work on the next part of dying Lex’s hair green, the young ranger sat thinking about the Captain. It had certainly been weird that a Captain would choose to travel with a rookie ranger like herself. Especially when she’d had little to no previous police experience, and her pokémon were both still at a low level. She sighed. The lady behind her just nodded again with that knowing look in her eye.

“Yes, he is a pickle isn’t he? But you know what else is a pickle?”

Lex shook her head as Bridget clasped all of the ranger’s hair in her hands, holding it at the top of her skull like you would when pulling out weeds. She let it fan out at the top, reminding Lex of the spiky leaves of a pineapple.

“How I didn’t recognise you right away. You look exactly like your mother now!”

“Not really…” Lex murmured. Florence Raegan was very beautiful; Lex’s hair, eyes and complexion were inherited from her mother. The only thing she had inherited from her father was his determination and love for pokémon. As Lex thought about her parents, she began to get that familiar feeling she always got whenever she thought about home. But Bridget hummed in disbelief, not hearing Lex.

“So, how did you and Dad become friends?” Lex asked, pushing away homesick thoughts about her family. Bridget seemed happy to answer.

“Oh, we were once lovers.”

Lex’s eyebrows shot straight up.

“Wha!? You and Dad-”

“Don’t worry, it was well before your mother came along,” Bridget said quickly. “When Alexander left on his trip we broke it off. But it was a good run, so we remained best of friends. He used to call up almost every day to tell me about his adventures. But as soon as he met your mother… well, we talked less and less. Soon, I was only hearing from him once or twice a year. But then one year when visiting your grandparents he stopped by to show me his three kids; you and your brothers. Boy, he sure was happy.” Bridget fingered the orchid pendent around her neck, her eyes glowing with fond memories.

Lex looked long and hard at the woman behind her. In her elegant face she saw nothing that hinted at hard feelings. In fact, Lex’s instinct was that she was telling to truth about them remaining friends, and only friends.

“I’m happy you guys stayed friends. But he never talked about you.”

Bridget made a pshhhh sound with her lips and flicked Lex’s hair up so it was like a greeny-tinged spike atop her head.

“Yeah, because I told him not to. Can’t have your mum getting’ all jealous over me darling.”

Lex smiled. She really liked this woman.


Lex looked completely different. Her hair was now dyed a rich green, like that of fresh ocean seaweed. Bridget seemed very pleased with her work, and Adrian admitted the colour change was a good idea.

“It looks cool!” Lex said smiling at her reflection in the salon mirror. The person looking back at her seemed pleased as well.

Bridget was about to respond when the chime of the automatic door opening distracted her. A customer had just entered her shop.
“I’m glad you like it. Now hop along. You must have a lot of things to do before the fancy gala starts. I certainly do. I’m sure you won’t be the only young lady who is invited to the gala to purchase their gown from my shop today.”

She waltzed over to Captain Cooper’s side and gave him a wink. “I’d say she’s quite the looker,” she whispered so Lex wouldn’t hear. The Captain’s face crumpled up in embarrassment. She then trotted to the front of the store, calling out to the customer a friendly greeting.


Lex left the store with a wave at Bridget, her new dress under one arm carefully folded into a flat box. The Captain followed, glancing back at Bridget, his ears still tingling. He was nodding to himself, as if a conversation was occurring in his head.

“Alexa,” Captain Cooper suddenly said. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk just outside the store, seeming not to notice the old lady whose path he had just blocked. She frowned at him, but the officer didn’t notice, so she had to waddle around him.

“Yeah?”

“I need to report to my superiors and try and gather any additional information before the gala begins. I need you to return to our quarters and remain there until the event. It is not safe for you to be walking around out here with those Zen and Moxie sisters skulking about. If they find you, that would cause a severe hindrance in my ability to solve both cases as quickly as possible.”

Lex just looked blankly at the Captain. Now she could see what Bridget was talking about. But the Captain continued, not noticing how blunt his words had been.

“So. I will contact you on your wrist device. And you will stay put.”

Lex nodded. The Captain’s feathers had been ruffled by Bridget, and he was compensating by attempting to be more logical and straightforward than normal. Lex didn’t argue. She wanted to spend time with Jasper, as she hadn’t had the chance since arriving in Oreback.

“Yeah, okay,” she smiled, “I’ll be home before you can say: ‘Where did Lex go?’”

Captain Cooper nodded, a smile forming on his lips. He liked it when people did what he said, especially when he was trying to organise his thoughts and his surroundings in a sensible fashion.

“Good.” With that, he spun around and briskly walked on down the street. Lex watched him go, still catching herself admiring the purposefulness in his stride.



Lex didn’t exactly go straight to their house; she stopped by at a large PokéMart to pick up a few things. A few meaning she completely stocked up on any pokémon items she thought would be useful. But eventually she did make it back to where they were staying.

“Come on out Jasper,” she said, letting her pokémon free in the house. Jasper appeared, standing awkwardly in the centre of her bedroom. He looked around, scanning the smudged white walls and empty corners with his beady eyes. Then he lost interest and gazed down at the floor silently. Lex sighed, and once she had put away her shopping she scooped up the little pokémon.

“Hey you,” she said, plonking herself and her friend down on her bed. Jasper didn’t say anything, only looked sadly at his trainer.

“You miss Hugo, huh.”

Jasper dipped his head to confirm he was. There was a missing a piece in his little family.

“Me too.”

Lex crossed her legs and let the Trapinch wriggle around to get comfortable. He rested his big round head on one of her arms, while Lex stroked his head with the other. He was a young pokémon, but he was now almost too big to fit on her lap.

“Hey, don’t be sad. I’m sure he’s fine!”

Jasper cocked his head to look up at the ranger. “Piiiinch tragggg…”

Lex was only starting to understand her pokémon’s feelings, but she bet anything he was blaming himself. Heck, she was blaming herself for this whole mess.

“Seriously, if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. I was the one who got you both involved in this. Maybe we should’ve left it to the police, but it just wouldn’t sit right with me. I used you as bait, and you got hurt. Then I was stupid enough to get my face plastered all over the news. I’m why Hugo is gone. Not you.”

Jasper raised his head and bumped her face with his. This brought a smile to the ranger’s lips.
“Maybe it’s not my fault at all. It was that blonde woman. What did Captain Cooper say his name was? Gold Moxie?” Lex sighed.

Suddenly, Jasper jumped from her legs and gave her a light head-butt.

“What?”

Jasper nudged harder. “Traaaannnnpin!” he gurgled.

“What is it?”

“Trapp!” Jasper snapped, this time with feeling. His rough orange skin felt cool against hers, but it sounded like he was getting all fired up. He pushed her softly one more time, then gave her a shove straight off the bed and onto the tiled floor. Lex scrambled to her feet, fists balled up in a play fighting position.

“You wanna play it that way?”

“Trappinggg Piingh!”

“Fine then,” the ranger laughed, “But don’t think I’ma go easy on you!”

With that she tackled her pokémon and lifted him high into the air. The Ant Pit Pokémon flailed his stumpy orang limbs about, feigning a cry for help. Lex then hugged her pokémon so tight that he couldn’t escape, even when he started blasting Lex with gust from his open maw.

As trainer and pokémon played, both their spirits started to lift. They both knew Hugo was still out there, and that they would find him very soon. Lex knew the Captain would do all he could to help Lex get back her pokémon, and Jasper was going to do his best to get back his buddy. As long as they hoped, everything would turn out alright.

Edit
Edited by Louielazuli, 4 Feb 2014, 05:51 PM.
Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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Posted Image Louielazuli
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The night of the Legislation Committee’s Annual Fontain Gala had arrived. Lex and Captain Cooper stepped out from their hired white limousine onto the sidewalk, and were greeted by the over-stretched smile of a young parking valet. He was dressed in a red vest and black trousers, his hair slicked back with a black grease.

“Welcome, sir and ma’am,” the young man said with force cheerfulness. As he indicated to the Captain which way they should proceed, Lex peered out from behind her partner’s shoulder at the building towering before her.

The Captain had told her the building was known as the Coronet Hotel, the fanciest hotel in Oreback Town. It was approximately twenty storeys high, challenging the height of even the tallest office buildings in town. Smooth glass windows covered every surface of the slightly curved building, causing it to glow with the beautiful orange light of the setting sun. All around, men in suits and women in elegant gowns were filing into the main entrance of the building, walking down a red carpet lined with golden ropes strung between iron poles. The valets along the curb were busy taking the keys to very expensive cars from their equally well-off owners, occasionally helping a lady to step out of a car in her gigantic high-heels. At first Lex was embarrassed to be around so many rich types, but then remember she and the Captain had on seamless disguises.

The Captain was dressed in a navy blue suit, perfectly tailored to his size and lankiness. His fringed epaulettes were glistening with gold leaf, and his lapels were stiffer than cardboard from the amount of starch used in ironing the jacket. The only things that were not symmetrical about his outfit were the handful of military service medals pinned to his left breast pocket. His shoes shined with only the kind of shine that came from fastidious and routine cleaning. He was perfectly groomed, and he had borrowed a peaked cap from a military friend, ensuring beforehand that not a single skerrick of lint could be found. He had even polished the stylised Pidgeot badge on the front of the cap until he could see his reflection in the metal. He actually looked quite handsome.

Lex didn’t look too shabby either. As she followed the Captain down the thin carpet towards the hotel, her blue dress swished around her legs, accentuating her athletic build. Her face was layered with makeup, which, having done it herself, didn’t come up too bad. Lex had learned a few tricks in college, so she was no stranger to basic makeup and hair skills. She just usually couldn’t care less about it. Her newly dyed green hair was curled into ringlets and pinned in place, with one wayward lock still refusing not to sit in the right place. The little green ringlet popped out over her face, forcing Lex to constantly brush it away from her eyes. If Lex didn’t know any better, she’d say she looked like a mermaid out of the depths of the ocean. The sandy-coloured wedges strapped to her feet didn’t hinder the image either. She carried a comparatively plain green purse, in which she kept her two pokéballs, Holocaster and wallet. She gripped it tight in one hand, feeling comforted by the knowledge her orange friend was at her fingertips, and that Hugo’s empty ball would soon be occupied once more.

The two strode in through the entrance, Lex’s free arm looped through the Captains. Her eyes darted side to side, taking in the oddly plain foyer. It was a high-arching, yet shallow room lined with simple floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides. At the end of the foyer were three archways, one of which all the guests were streaming in through.

“And your names please?” the smartly dressed attendant at the centre archway asked as the pair approached. The Captain held a pleasant smile on his lips and nodded his head politely.

“I am Captain Adrian Cooper, and my young friend here is Laura Redburn.”

The attendant at the door scanned the clipboard he held for a moment, and then seemed to find what he was looking for. “Of course, Captain. Go on through.”

The Captain nodded his thanks and continued on past the foyer. Lex flashed a little smile at the attendant, but he was already greeting the next gentleman in line. She looked up at the Captain questioningly.

“Laura Redburn?”

“Why yes. If we are to remain undetected, I conjured up a fictitious name for you to go by, and a cover story to go with it. You are my niece Laura Redburn, daughter to my twin sister Mary. You are the youngest child of three, and your parents own a profitable glassworks company.”

“Hey, my parents own a glassworks company!”

“I know. I chose it so it would be easier for you to not be caught out on a lie.”

“Oh,” Lex said. That makes sense, she thought.
“But how come you get to use your own name?”

“Because the rank of Captain can garner respect from civilians, and I may be able to find out more information from them. It happens to be a rank in the armed forces as well as in the police force, so I will not arouse suspicion.” The Captain then gave the ranger a surprisingly cheeky smile and said, Captain Adrian Cooper was not also recently broadcast on every HoloTelevision in Godai.”

Lex scowled back at him. He was right, she had to admit. But the very least she could do was make up for it by getting to the bottom of the mystery by maintaining her disguise as best she could. The Captain and ranger passed through a narrow, plain corridor, following a rather fat gentleman in a tailcoat. Suddenly, the corridor opened up and the pair found themselves in an enormous room.

The Gala was being held in the Coronet Hotel’s main ballroom. It was an enormous domed room, built in the centre of the building, reaching up approximately three storeys. Circling around the entire room were great ebony and gold pillars holding up an ornately-railed balcony that also ran around the circumference of the room. The high-up ceiling was decorated with an ornate image depicting a mythological battle from some ancient scripture. Two great men stood astride great pokémon, charging at each other with silver swords held in their muscular arms, while a third, smaller pokémon stood in the centre, attempting to quell the fight. Around the edge of the room were six oak doorways leading onto spiralling staircases, each of which the guests could use to reach the balcony. The far end of the room was made up of three enormous glass panes, with a great ornate door built into the centre pane. This door, Lex assumed, led to an outdoor entertaining area. Scattered around the polished floor were long tables piled high with all sorts of canapés, drinks and desserts. Waiters made their way through the milling guests, handing out more wine and finger foods on silver trays.

But boy, were there a lot of guests. A few hundred finely-clothed people were laughing and chatting in slightly raised voices all around the ballroom, many leaning on the railings of the balcony or hanging around near the great windowed wall. To one side on a raised platform a small orchestra was set up, playing up-beat, yet classical music. It was all very fancy, and Lex wondered why in Godai the Captain had chosen to take her along to such a shindig.

“Now Laura,” the Captain said quietly in Lex’s ear as they stepped into the crowd. “We are here to gather information. We want to know exactly what this meeting entails, and what the headliner is of the upcoming act. We want to uncover who the main players are in this game of miners and corporations. We also want to know as much as we can about Mr Mackelby and what enemies he may have gained in his endeavours. Can you do that?”

Lex stared blankly at the Captain. “Yes?”

Captain Cooper smiled uncomfortably. He was trying his hardest to hide the feelings of doubt he felt about his partner. “Please, keep an eye out for anything important, any trouble, or any suspicious characters. And it would probably be for the best if you didn’t draw too much attention to yourself with any verbose comments.”

Lex gulped as the people grew thicker around them. I can do that. Easy. Just gotta remember my name is Laura and not to say anything about my real job and identity, she thought anxiously. The Captain was oblivious to her thoughts, his eyes scanning the faces they were now amongst. He leaned in closer to Lex’s ear.

“And whatever you do, please do not bring out that ground type of yours.”

“Eh? What’s wrong with Jasper?”

The Captain pulled a face, as if he had eaten something distasteful. “They are a rather unclean type, and would certainly draw the wrong kind of attention.”

Lex frowned at the Captain. He didn’t seem to like any of her pokémon. She rolled her eyes, tightening her grip on her purse.

“He will stay in his pokéball,” she promised.

The Captain nodded his head, a genuinely happy smile playing on his lips. “Great. Now, let’s see if we can find somebody to begin sourcing information from.”
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Captain Cooper’s eyes darted between the many faces around him, searching for some point of reference. He analysed and stored each of their faces in his mind, cross referencing them with his internal memory bank, but wasn’t pulling up any matches. They weren’t far from the centre of the room when Lex heard a woman’s deep voice cut through the hubbub.

“Ah, Captain Cooper.” The Captain’s head swivelled to see a tall, thin woman approaching from the left. She stepped in close and gave him a soft peck on the cheek, carefully holding her glass of champagne out of the way.

“Mrs Scarlett,” the Captain responded, tipping his peaked cap. Mrs Scarlett was a mature woman, looking to be in her late fifties, dressed in a frivolous orange gown and enormous ivory stilettos. Her hair was already incredibly silver for her age, but still had the shine of healthy hair. It was cut in a fashionable bob and held up by a large amount of hairspray. Lex could smell the sickeningly sweet hair product from several meters away.

“I’m pleased to see you found a suit in time,” she said slyly, eyeing the Captain’s military dress with an expression that reminded Lex of a hungry predator. She turned her attention to Lex, looking down her nose at the undercover ranger. “And this is your partner? She looks a little… young,” she commented dryly.

“Yes, indeed she is. This is my niece Laura Redburn. Laura, this is Mrs Scarlett. She is one of the head organisers of this event, and the contact that organised an invite for the two of us.”

Lex gave her an uncomfortable smile. “It’s nice to meet you,” she forced, instinctively not liking the woman before her. But the way her voice went up in pitch at the end made it sound like she was asking a question. The woman blinked slowly. There was a silent moment, and the Captain started to mentally scold himself for bringing an untrained operative into the field.

“Pleasure,” she finally said, turning from Lex. She then leaned in close to the Captain, her red-lipstick almost touching his ear. “So how can I help you, Captain?” she breathed seductively. She sounded a little tipsy, and Lex could smell the alcohol on her breath.

But the Captain was oblivious to her flirting. “I need you to indicate to me the more esteemed guests, and tell me a little about them. I need to know their occupations and any important history. Particularly those involved with Mr Mackelby and the Mining Legislation meeting.”

The woman looked at the officer with half-closed eyes, her free hand firmly clamped to his shoulder.
“Yes of course, handsome. And, if you’d like, after that we could have a drink together.”

The Captain looked at the woman in disbelief. “Why no, that is not possible. I need my head to remain clear and alert in case of emergency. If you could presently point me in the right direction, that would be greatly appreciated.”

Mrs Scarlett was taken aback. She stepped back from the Captain, her lips pouted in rejection. She cupped her hair absently and shrugged.
“I see. Well, if that’s the way you want to play…” Taking the Captain by the arm, she led him through the thick of the guests. Lex trailed along behind, careful not to bump into any important-looking people.

The three of them stopped near to one of the tables with less people surrounding it. The woman downed her glass of champagne in one swig, and then reached for another from the table. She offered it to the Captain, but he shook his head fervently. Mrs Scarlett shrugged and took a swig.

“Alright. Who have we got,” she said to herself, her sharp eyes flitting around the ballroom.
“Okay, so over there by the second bar we have Mr Mark Reynholm, representative of ExTAT Enterprises. He took over the business four years ago when his father died. Some people say he has a mild case of narcolepsy.” Lex’s gaze followed Mrs Scarlett’s. Mark Reynholm was man in his thirties with black hair and a very defined widow’s peak. Other than that, he looked rather ordinary.

“Behind him talking the lady with the red hat is Mr Bruce Kelso. He is the sole owner of EmbryoN, a very influential mineral ore refinery. The man beside him is Mr Calvin Kruise, chairman of Kruise Limited. Those two companies forged an alliance over two years ago. Oh! And there is Mr Kevin Spades. He is the owner of the ROL Mineral Group. His wife has seven children! Who would want that kind of hassle?”

As Mrs Scarlett pointed out more and more people, Lex grew bored. She had lost track of all their names. Most of the people named all had very similar looking faces and hairstyles, so Lex had no hope of remembering even their individual faces. Her nose soon distracted her, and she began itching to try the delicious smelling canapés on the table behind her.

No, she thought to herself with a scowl, Captain Cooper is counting on me to pay attention. I really ought to at least try and remember a few of their names. Lex returned her attention to Mrs Scarlett, who for the past five minutes had rattled off names and gossipy titbits for the Captain.

The Captain himself was growing impatient. She was giving him some useful information, but Mrs Scarlett’s penchant for gossip was beginning to wear his patience thin.

“…and that’s Mr and Mrs Edwin! They’re an odd couple. Both high up in Firebird industries. Somebody told me they sent their son to boarding school after some mishap at a party. But you can’t believe everything you hear from gossipy old bags, now can you?” she laughed, tilting her head back and leaning on the Captain’s shoulder.

“Mrs Scarlett,” the Captain frowned, brushing her hand from his shoulder. “While your knowledge of each guest is astounding, I do not care to know every detail about every single guest here. I want to know who to speak to about Mr Mackelby, as I do not have all night,” he said abruptly.

Mrs Scarlett huffed and downed her fourth glass of champagne. She picked up a fifth glass from the table and gave the Captain a sleazy smile. She leaned in really close to him, stumbling a little as she did so. Some of the champagne in her hand sloshed out of the glass, dripping to the floor. The Captain flinched, fearing his uniform would get soiled.

“Alright, Captain. I know who you are looking for.” With a thin arm she pointed at a balding man down the other end of the table, standing close to a woman whom the Captain presumed was his wife. “Mr Daniel Kubasa. He worked closely with Mr Mackelby on a new set of laws about the mining industry. He’s the guy you’ll want to speak to.”

Captain Cooper tipped his hat. “Thankyou, Mrs Scarlett.” Mrs Scarlett smiled wonkily and went to put an arm around him. But the Captain was too quick and was already stepping away from the hazard of the tilted champagne glass. “Your help is greatly appreciated. Enjoy your evening.”

As the Captain hurried off to speak to Mr Kubasa, Mrs Scarlett reached out for him. Her arm was left hanging in the air, as if she didn’t realise right away he was out of reach. She looked down sadly, then remembered Lex was still standing there. She slowly turned and smiled.

“God he is such a sweet young man.”

Lex stared at the drunken woman. She shuddered, knowing full well what her intention for Captain Cooper had been. Lex wondered why any young man would go for such a sleazy old hag of a woman.

“Uh, yeah, he is,” she said and hastily followed the Captain without a backwards glance at the completely rejected Mrs Scarlett.

Captain Cooper honed in on the balding man named Mr Kubasa. He was of short stature, and quite plump around the midsection. He had a soft, round face, and wore a pair of thick black reading glasses that magnified his brown eyes comically. But his facial expression was not comical at all. In fact, he looked downright miserable.

“Mr Kubasa?”

“Yes, who wants to know?” the man said, turning inquisitively.

“Good evening. My named is Captain Cooper. I was hoping we could talk about Mr Mackelby?”

Mr Kubasa’s eyes widened, tens of wrinkles forming on his forehead as he raised his eyebrows. He looked around anxiously. By his side the mature woman with bleach-blonde hair held his arm, her kind eyes wrinkled heavily at the corners. She tugged at his arm.

“You don’t have to answer any more questions Daniel,” she said quietly, giving the Captain a glare. Mr Kubasa shook his head, his neck fat jiggling about as he did so. He waved an arm at the woman by his side.

“It’s okay Deliria. I can talk to this gentleman.” He leant forward slightly and said, “But we should go somewhere a little more private.”

Captain Cooper nodded. He paused a moment, then turned to Lex.

“Laura, honey, can I get you to go hang out with Mrs Scarlett? I’d like to talk to this nice man alone.”

Lex glared at him. In essence, he was saying: Go somewhere and do something useful. The grownups are talking. Lex did realise this Mr Kubasa needed someone with tact to find out everything he had to know, and the Captain didn’t need a little girl not accustomed to this social situation ruining any potential leads. But he didn’t have to be so harsh about it. Why did he even bring her along if he was just going to go at it solo?

With a huff, Lex spun around and headed back to where Mrs Scarlett had been standing just before. The Captain followed Mr Kubasa and his wife up a stairwell to the balcony where it was far less crowded to begin their conversation.

When Lex reached the table, Mrs Scarlett was nowhere to be found. She was quite relieved by this revelation. In her wake were six empty champagne glasses and an upturned plate of spring rolls. Lex wondered if she had consumed a little too much to drink for a woman of her age.

But then Lex caught the scent of something delicious. Delicious, salty and deep-fried. It was time to attack the canapés.

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At the left-hand side of the ballroom, Captain Cooper held open one of the three oak doors for Mr Kubasa and his wife to walk through. With a nod, the couple strode through. The three of them climbed the stairs and exited onto the elegant balcony overlooking the party below. Set out at regular intervals along the edge of the balcony were small clusters of tables and chairs, in case any of the guests needed a place away from the main crowd to chat amongst themselves.

“Please,” the Captain invited, indicating for his companions to take a seat. They all sat down, the Captain taking his cap off and placing it carefully on the table top. As he ran a calculating eye over the man and wife before him, he felt a familiar sensation in his stomach, which he quickly pushed away. He recognised that sensation, and it usually happened when he felt a part of the puzzle was about to fall into place. Clearing his throat, the Captain began his questioning.


Down on the floor of the ballroom, Lex had already made her way through several mouthfuls of food. It was only when she noticed an elderly man staring at her with bulging eyes that she realised the table of bite-sized foods wasn’t an all-you-can-eat buffet. It was for snacking on delicately and soaking up alcohol a little at a time. From then on, Lex took to placing small amounts of food on her plate, eating that first, and then going back for more.

Eventually the young ranger gave up on eating, her stomach feeling rather uncomfortable. So she made her way over to a quieter corner of the ballroom, taking with her a glass of champagne. Lex took a seat at a lonely table, setting down her glass and crossing one leg over the other.

And there she waited. She could see the top of Captain Cooper’s head over the fancy railings of the balcony, but was unable to discern how long he would be there for. She began to wonder what her role was in this evening’s exploits. Lex’s eyes wandered lazily over the party scene. Her arms were crossed and her face set into a bored expression. What she wouldn’t give to be out on a patch of quiet grass with her pokémon.

Suddenly she remembered Jasper was right in the palm of her hand. She was sorely tempted to release him into the ballroom just to keep her company. But she had promised the Captain he would stay in his ball. She slipped her hand into her green purse and pulled Jasper’s pokéball out. She had been bored in the afternoon, so had spent time polishing each of her pokéballs, even the unused ones, ensuring each was in perfect order. Jasper’s red and white ball glinted enticingly in the yellow ballroom light.

Even if I let Jasper out for a bit, he won’t cause any trouble. Besides, he would be better company than any of these hoity-toity people, she thought to herself. Lex stared hard at the ball, spinning it slowly in her fingertips.

Oh Hugo. I could be out there trying to find you, rather than wasting time like this, she thought, her gaze drifting towards the great glass window nearby. Through the lightly frosted glass she could see many of the gala’s guests laughing and enjoying themselves while they sipped disturbingly large amounts of champagne and wine. This definitely wasn’t the kind of place she belonged. She sighed, holding her head up with one hand, the other gripped tightly around Jasper’s ball.

Then she smelled something. A pungent aroma, wafting through the air. It smelt like menthol and burning plastic all rolled into one. Lex looked up to see a young man with messy dark hair approaching her. He wore a white dress shirt with a charcoal waistcoat. And tucked firmly into the corner of his mouth was an unlit cigarette.

“You are a vision quite unlike the ghastly folk floating around here, with their wine and frivolity,” he said softly when he reached Lex’s table, his head bowed slightly.

Lex raised an eyebrow. The young man before her smelled terrible, and looked like a slob, but his voice was warm and melodious. The way he pronounced his words sounded slightly exotic, and deeply intriguing.

“Oh…” She didn’t know what to say.

But the young man continued. “I dare not ask your name, for fear of finding out you are the daughter of one of my father’s competitors. I’d loathe having to ignore such elegant art as yourself.”

Lex hated to judge people for the way they smelt, but this man’s breath was nearly toxic. She breathed shallowly, trying not to appear put off. “Well, that’s probably not an issue. My father runs a glassworks business to the East.”

The young man smiled, looking up through his messy mop of black hair. He straightened and brushed the hair away from his eyes. Lex was surprised to see he was a very handsome young man. His smile was as beautiful as his words, in spite of the cigarette gripped between his teeth.

“That is fantastic news. But, the reason I came over here was because I cannot get away from this dreadful party, and many of these guests I find to be very contemptible,” the young man said, his face puckering slightly as though the word ‘guests’ had a very sour taste. “I’m not normally one for company of any sort, but in this situation at least I can share my dislike for other people with an alluring siren such as yourself.”

At this Lex felt a strange feeling, causing her cheeks to tingle. His compliments were really something else, and it was cheering her up. But at the same time she disliked his uncaring attitude. Or, quite frankly, his smell. He was leaving her with a very contradictive first impression. Lex simply smiled back, still gripping Jasper’s pokéball.

“That’s nice and all, that you want to keep me company, but I’m just fine on my own,” Lex said, making to get up out of her chair. In a flash the young man was helping her up out of the chair.

“You and me both,” he laughed. Without another word he took her hand and led her out through the glass door onto the patio.


One the balcony up above, the Captain was too engrossed in his questioning to notice Lex disappearing outside with a strange young man. He was going over all the things Mr Kubasa and his wife had said already.

“So, you are saying Mr Mackelby was specifically targeting the ROL Mineral Group?” the Captain asked, mentally shuffling the information around in his head. Mr Kubasa nodded.

“Yes. ROL Minerals recently acquired a very large tract of the mountains not far from the old Goliath mines. Very rich mineral deposits were found by surveyors, and Kevin Spades managed to get his hands on the information first. He then began a mining operation without appropriate permission from the Committee. His competitors, ExTAT Enterprises, who had initiated the survey of the area, tried to sue for the rights to mine on land that was already essentially their property. They lost their case on account of several loopholes in the legislation. So, they called on help from the Committee itself to amend these loopholes.”

“And that’s where Mr Mackelby came in,” the Captain said intuitively.

“Exactly. The famous Mr Mackelby. The man who tidied up Parchdry Port when it became overrun with lawlessness forty years ago. The laws he put into place were pretty air-tight, with the exception of the formation of the Satan Strip. That piece of unholy land was the only way the police could keep the rest of the Port safe, as trying to oust every last seedy establishment all at once would’ve meant a full scale uprising of the major criminal syndicates at the time. But he did it, and we now have the relatively safe Parchdry Port we know today.”

“That means Mr Mackelby’s murder could have something to do with an individual high up in the Satan Strip community. Somebody holding a grudge, possibly,” the Captain mused. Mr Kubasa’s eyes widened.

“You think somebody would hold a grudge that long?”

“I dare not rule it out,” the Captain replied. Then he identified fear in the balding man’s tone. “Why?”

Mr Kubasa fidgeted. His wife laid a hand on his arm, her kind eyes resting on his. As he looked at her, those wrinkles on his brow began to smooth out. After a brief pause, Mr Kubasa continued.

“I have been friends with Mr Mackelby since we were boys. We worked together on many occasions, particularly in the last six months. He was even my best man at our wedding. Do you think somebody could be targeting me next?”

“I think it is a possibility. As soon as we are finished here, I will contact the Oreback Police Department and have them keep an eye on you. But, please, I wish to continue our conversation.” Captain Cooper shifted in his surprisingly comfortable chair. He clasped his hands together and stared at Mr Kubasa thoughtfully. Then he continued.

“What would happen if Mr Mackelby’s refurbished laws were accepted by the Legislation Committee?”

“Well,” Mr Kubasa blinked, thinking hard, “A portion of the newly discovered resources would be unobtainable as the land would become pokémon reserve. But the majority would be returned to ExTAT Enterprises. I think with all that ROL Minerals has invested in the project, they would lose a lot of money. A lot of investors would back out or risk losing a lot of money too.”

“Do you know the names of any of ROL Mineral Group’s biggest investors?”

“Hmmm… The only one that comes to mind is Mr Gelsteller.”

“Geldsteller?”

Mr Kubasa leaned back in his chair, humming tunelessly, as if he were trying to remember something.

“Yeah. Lawrence Geldsteller,” he said presently. “He was born and bred in Parchdry Port. Police suspected him of being a Satan Strip tycoon, but nothing concrete has ever been held against him.”

Suddenly, Mrs Kubasa piped up. “Only because his brother is the Deputy Chief.”

Captain Cooper inhaled sharply. “His brother is the Deputy Chief?”

“Yes. I heard the reason Mr Geldsteller is so rich and untouchable is thanks to the Deputy Chief.” Deliria Kubasa brushed back her hair distractedly and focussed her soft eyes on the Captain. “Before he changed his last name, Deputy Chief Robert Freidrich was Robert Freidrich-Geldsteller.”

The Captain felt another piece of the puzzle click into place. Then another. He stared gobsmacked at Mrs Kubasa.

“How do you know this?”

“People talk,” she shrugged. “Especially at an event like this. When you are married to a prominent figure in politics, you learn a thing or two about the art of conversation.”

Captain Cooper was impressed with the woman before him. He looked down at the table, mentally going through the few remaining loose puzzle pieces. He glanced up at Mrs Kubasa with a curious expression.

“Tell me, did a relative of Mr Geldsteller or the Deputy Chief suddenly relocate or fall into a lot of money?”

Mrs Kubasa nodded firmly. “Indeed. Mr Freidrich had a first cousin employed in his police department. Jonas, his name was. I can’t remember his last name, sorry. But just the other week he packed up and moved to North Godai. He even left his fiancé behind. Nobody knows why.”

The Captain grimaced. He knew the reason. In his perfect memory he recalled a fact from his criminal psychology studies. More often than not, close relatives would do a lot for family if they knew they would be protecting a loved one and/or protecting their own interests. This included murdering a complete stranger for the sake of money.

“I hope this ‘Jonas’ enjoys his new found wealth. It will be of no use to him in a District Prison,” the Captain remarked forebodingly.

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Edited by Louielazuli, 5 Feb 2014, 07:14 PM.
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The young man pulled Lex out onto the patio and down the steps into the lush garden at the rear of the hotel. The pale moonlight afforded Lex a gloomy view of the elegant landscaping, with carefully pruned shrubbery and a large stone fountain bordered by a wide, circular cobblestone walkway. The fountain was made up of three great stone bowls, with a chic statue of a maiden standing in the centre of the top bowl, seemingly pouring water from her open palms.

“My lady, would you stand beside the fountain?” the young man said in his honeyed voice. Lex did what he said, craning her neck to see the stone maiden high above her head.

“I’m Laura. What’s your name?” Lex said uneasily as the young man peered carefully at her face. He had a strange slanted smile now, his unlit cigarette popping out of the corner of his mouth.

“Shush shush, don’t talk,” he said simply, placing a finger on her lips and continuing to examine her face. Lex frowned.
“My name is Archie Melene, if you must know. But be still. We must be silent and isolated from the humming of that incessant hive to truly understand an air of elegance.”

Lex had no idea where this was going, but alarm bells were going off in her head. They were alone and out of sight of any of the other party guests. The Captain didn’t know where she was, and she couldn’t stop thinking about the sleazy Mrs Scarlett. Was this young man the same as that drunken woman?

“You… you are a piece to be admired, much like that statue above,” Archie said, almost to himself. He stepped back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Then, nodding, he turned her head to the side with a slender hand. Lex could see Archie out of the corner of her eyes. He was pulling a small notepad and pen from his waistcoat.

“What are you doing?” Lex asked, straightening her head. Archie’s face suddenly scrunched up.

“Don’t move!” he hissed, roughly turning Lex’s head to the side. As soon as he let go her head snapped back to face him.

“Seriously, stop that. What do you think you’re doing?” she asked indignantly. But the young man only reached forward to turn her face back.

“How am I to write poetry when I have a disobedient muse? You are a sight to behold with your emerald locks, but your attitude leaves much to be desired.”

Lex slapped his hand away. Enough was enough. This guy was insulting her with sugar-coated words, and it was getting on her nerves. And playing along with his silly little game was getting her no closer to finding Hugo.

“Sorry, I’m not going to be your mannequin!” she snapped and started to storm away. Archie lashed out and grabbed her by the wrist. Lex tugged at her arm, but the young man's grip was surprisingly tight. He sighed and brushed his shaggy fringe from his eyes with his free hand.

“This is why other people are so detestable. They never understand true genius. Why won’t you let me create beauty to equal to your own?”

Lex wrenched her arm free. “I’m busy. I don’t care how much you flatter me, I’m not going to be pushed around by a punk like you!” The ranger still had her pokéball in her hand, so she held it up defensively. But Archie just smiled.

“Oh, a pokémon battle?”

No, please tell me you don’t have a pokémon, Lex silently begged. She didn’t know if Jasper was up for a battle right now. He seemed more confident when they had played together earlier, but it might still be too soon…

“Ok. I’ll play your game,” Archie said, pulling a pokéball from his pocket and pressing the button to expand it to its full size. “And if I win, Miss Laura, you will stay here and allow me to weave my magic and create a masterpiece worthy of a great poet such as myself.”

Lex rolled her eyes. He may have had a way with words, but clearly years of living a lonely, spoiled life had left him with the manners of a Piloswine. But she could see he wouldn’t leave her alone even if she made a run for it. He was like a starving pokémon who had just found his meal ticket.

I will win, and you will leave me alone.”

“Fine. But you won’t win.”


Back inside the ballroom, Captain Cooper had left Mr and Mrs Kubasa and was on the hunt for his next quarry down on the ballroom floor. He weaved through the crowd, sharp eyes darting back and forth. He had a very detailed description to go on, and sure enough, he soon found who he was looking for.

Lawrence Geldsteller was an imposing man. At just under six foot, he wasn’t too much taller than many of the guests surrounding him, but he had wide, bulky shoulders, making him appear much bigger than he actually was. He had a very dark and hairy complexion, with a large, misshaped nose that told of many a brawl in his younger years. His hair was still black and curly in spite of his fifty-odd years, trimmed so it appeared he had a short, black mane framing his clean-shaven face. He wore relaxed expression, clearly at ease amongst the rich and influential. Around his bulky frame he wore a very expensive, custom tailored suit, trimmed with purple and gold rope which practically screamed extravagance. Even the watch he wore on his left wrist sparkled with at least four small diamonds.

Mr Geldsteller’s eyes swept around the room as he politely conversed with the guests around him. He appeared to be looking for someone. As the Captain approached, straightening his military uniform, the dark man noticed him. The Captain took a deep breath, carefully deciding what to say, and offered out his hand.

“Mr Geldsteller, I believe?”

“Why yes, young man. Lawrence Geldsteller at your service,” Mr Geldsteller said in a booming voice, vigorously shaking Captain Cooper’s outstretched hand.

“A pleasure to finally meet you. I am Captain Adrian Cooper,” the Captain introduced, taking his now aching hand back from the big man’s grip. But at the mention of the Captain’s name, something glinted in Mr Geldsteller’s eyes. Something akin to recognition.

“Same to you Captain,” Mr Geldsteller said, not skipping a beat. “I hope these merry guests aren’t giving you a hard time. You know how civilians can be around military personnel.” At this Mr Geldsteller laughed heartily and slapped Captain Cooper on the back.

“Y-yes, they are a boisterous lot aren’t they?” the Captain smiled back, wincing at the heavy slap. He cleared his throat and decided to jump in with both feet, as the saying goes.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from your brother in Parchdry. Robert is always saying how proud he is of his brother, the great entrepreneur. But he never mentioned you had an interest in the mining business.”

Perhaps mentioning his brother hadn’t been one of the Captain’s better ideas, but there was no taking it back now. But instead of becoming defensive like Captain Cooper predicted, the burly man was pleasantly surprised.

“Oh he did? He never mentioned you before. In fact, we don’t talk much at all these days. How is his wife going with her treatment?” he asked, smiling widely. The Captain was momentarily stumped. If this was a trick question to test if he was lying, this could very well be the end of his investigation. Silently cursing himself he quickly flipped a mental coin to decide his next outcome.

“Oh, she’s been up and down lately. You never know with these kinds of sicknesses if the end is just around the corner or if there is still a fair way to go yet.”

The Captain had chosen the correct answer it seemed. Mr Geldsteller visibly relaxed, his shoulders dropping as if they had been tensed.

“Phew, that’s great news! Patricia sure is a fighter!” Mr Geldsteller boomed. He chugged down the glass of champagne he held in his beefy fingers. He slapped the Captain once again on the shoulder, gulping down the bubbly liquid.

“It’d be great to talk mutual friends some more young man, but I have someone I have to meet with tonight. Enjoy the rest of your evening Captain,” he said cheerily, and gave him a parting wink before disappearing into the crowd.

Captain Cooper stared with dismay after his primary suspect. This man was going to be very difficult to pin down. He needed to update Alexa on everything he had learned. Swivelling on his heels, the Captain looked around for his young partner. He spotted the table where he had conversed with Mrs Scarlett, but there was no sign of green, curly hair or an inebriated older woman dressed in orange.

Of course, the Captain hadn’t seen Lex leave the building with the dark-haired poet Archie, nor could he see her in the garden through the lightly frosted windows.


Archie stood slightly hunched over, as an artist of his weedy build would be expected to stand. He held out his pokéball and gave it a light kiss.

“I need you to win, Tots. Genius is on the line!” he said to the ball before lobbing it into the air.

Trainer Encounter!


From Archie’s pokéball burst a tiny green pokémon. It landed softly on the cobblestone, and looked up at it’s trainer.

“Baaaahh…” it sighed excitedly, jumping up and down. Archie rummaged around in his waistcoat and produced a lighter. He cupped the lighter to his mouth and lit his cigarette. Taking a long, slow puff, he grinned at Lex.

“See if you can defeat the poetry of my Tots,” Archie said with an air of condescension, although it was probably the cheesiest thing Lex had heard him say.

Lex looked down at her pokéball. She had to be confident, or Jasper would become frightened and immobilised. She released her pokémon without a word. Jasper appeared by her feet, looking up at his trainer with his shiny black eyes.

“I know the last time you battled, it didn’t end well for you. But this time you have size and weight on your side. And I believe you can win this!” said Lex to her pokémon. Jasper gurgled back happily. He was ready to do his best.

They then heard sniggering. It was Archie.
“Like that can bean Tots. It’s a ground type, for crying out loud,” he mocked. But Jasper wasn’t to be intimidated. Neither was Lex.

“Wow. I see you really are a genius for your age,” Lex retorted, tugging on her lower eye lids and sticking out her tongue. She knew she was being childish, but her taunt seemed to take effect. Archie’s cool smile disappeared, and his eyes narrowed.

“I wouldn’t want your pokémon to fall asleep from how boring your jokes are. Tots, use worry seed!”

On command, the Budew spun around and inhaled sharply. It then held its breath and squeezed. Suddenly, from between the folds of the bulb above its head a small green seed shot out. Before Jasper could even think of evading it, the seed implanted itself in his head.

Jasper cringed, but no damage came. He looked around confusedly, waiting for an attack to come out of nowhere.

“Jasper, it’s okay. That attack won’t hurt you. It just means you can’t go to sleep,” Lex explained soothingly. Jasper snapped his jaws twice to show he understood. He stepped towards the enemy Budew with his jaws wide.

“Our turn. Jasper, sand attack.”

Instantly, Jasper jumped to it and started digging at the cobblestones. But obviously, he couldn’t kick up any of the stones. Lex groaned as the Trapinch stared dumbly at the ground.

“No, Jasper! The grass!” she said, pointing desperately at the grass by the edge of the cobblestone walkway. Jasper gurgled and raced over to the grass. By the time he’d started digging up soil, the enemy Budew had begun closing in. As large chunks of grass and dirt were flung at the Budew, it cowered back, shying away to protect its eyes.

But Archie was just getting started. “Come on Tots, circle around and use absorb!”

Tots made a squeaking sound and ran away from the flying soil clumps. It then skidded to a halt, turned around and ran headlong into the soil once more, glowing an eerie green. It rushed in, a green tentacle of light stretching out before it. But the Trapinch had seen the green glowing coming for him through the dark and already moved out of the way.

Feint attack!” Lex ordered. The Budew squealed as it halted and searched for its opponent as the remaining blades of grass and dirt rained down around it. But then the Trapinch appeared from the shadow of the fountain right in front of the Budew.

“Pii-IIINCCCHH!” Jasper cried and head-butted the tiny bud pokémon right in the face. It was knocked back, stumbling awkwardly on its tiny legs. Jasper was already out of range of another absorb by the time Tots regained its footing. The glow around Tot’s intensified as it concentrated hard.

“Tots, you aren’t shining bright enough to be the star!” Archie cried out passionately. Suddenly, Tot’s expression hardened and it gave a meagre cry. The glow around it intensified, then cut off suddenly. Tot’s looked back at its trainer. It had done all it could with the amount of light it had.

Clever. Using growth like that will cause serious problems for Jasper if he gets hit, even without a lot of sunlight, Lex thought to herself. Gotta think fast!

Absorb their life essence until there is nothing left!” Archie said melodramatically. The Budew cried out and another green tentacle formed. It then reached straight for Jasper, who had no hope of dodging out of the way in time.

“Jasper, gust!”

Without hesitation, Jasper sent a strong blast of air from its jaws straight at the Budew. It interrupted its attack and caused Tots to stumble backwards. Tots squealed and tried to use absorb again, but Jasper just countered with gust. Growing frustrated, Tots tried to run closer to the Trapinch to get in range, but it was just too light. Jasper’s gust was blowing it back and keeping it just out of range.

Lex started to feel good about this battle. The Budew was just too small and light that it couldn’t get a good foothold to fire a powerful enough absorb to blast through. The best part was, gust was causing super effective damage.

“Tots, show me the elegance and power of a flower in bloom! Mega drain!” Archie cried out in his melodious voice. Tots stopped trying to get in close and stood its ground at a comfortable distance from the Trapinch.

“Baaaaahhhh…” it hummed as that same eerie green light surrounded it. The bulb above its head began glowing brighter and brighter. Lex gasped. She didn’t have much time to-

Jasper suddenly scuttled forward, spitting half-chewed clumps of dirt and grass at the Budew. Lex watched in astonishment as her baby Trapinch used mud-slap; a move he’d never used before. The Budew fired off the mega drain, hitting Jasper with perfect accuracy. Jasper squealed in pain as some of his energy was sucked out of him. But then suddenly the beam was cut off as the sticky mud slammed into Tots’ face with a wet thwack.

“Oh no!” Archie gulped, a hand scrunched up in his shaggy black hair. Tots made muffled sounds of surprise, shaking its head side to side, trying desperately to remove the mud stuck to its face.
“Scrape it off, Tots! Argh! It’s making your leaves all ugly!”

Now, Lex had the upper hand. Tots was unable to see, and so unable to aim an absorb or mega drain. Jasper was panting from the mega drain, but still in relatively good shape.

“Trap him with Sand Tomb!” Lex commanded with confidence. Jasper whipped his massive head from side to side. His internal sand and the soil scattered on the ground around him was whipped up into the air, forming a vortex around Tots. The grass type was still in vain trying to unstick the mud from its face, while taking damage from the rough vortex around it. It continued making muffled noises, cringing each time it took damage from the airborne dirt and sand.

“That’s unfair!” Archie whined, but Lex wasn’t going to waste any more time.

“Jasper, bite it as hard as you can!”

The tiny bud pokémon just managed to remove the mud stuck over its face in time to see the giant maw of Lex’s Trapinch closing around it. With a frightening crunch, Jasper brought his sharp jaws down on the Budew. It’s leafy body didn’t stand a chance against the force of the bite, and it fainted while still in Jasper’s jaws.

“Traaaggggnnn!!” Jasper cheered, and then spat the grass-type onto the cobblestones. Lex silently cheered with him, although she did feel bad for the Budew. It had only been doing its best for its master.

Archie just stood there, staring at his partner’s unconscious form in silence through narrowed eyes. Lex walked up to Jasper and petted him on the head.

“I’m so proud of you!” Lex cooed. Jasper gurgled back shyly. He was in truth ecstatic. Then the ranger scooped up the Budew, careful not to cause any more injury.

“Aren’t you going to come get it?” Lex asked, holding out the bud pokémon. Archie glumly stepped forward to receive his Budew. Taking it gingerly, he returned it to its pokéball.

“You were like a rare lily tonight, my poor Tots,” he murmured as his pokémon disappeared from his hands. He then glanced sheepishly at Lex.

“Your battle was valiant. You were like a Valkyrie, storming through all odds and defeating your enemy with such grace and majesty,” he said with big eyes. Lex gulped.

“Are you going to leave me alone now?”

Archie kneeled at Lex’s feet with his hands pressed together prayer-like, his face actually sincere.
“Please, your fearlessness was inspirational! I must create from your prowess!”

Lex just looked at man before her. He still had his lit cigarette burning between his lips, forming a lazy line of smoke that tickled Lex’s nose. She pushed him away, feeling a little weirded out.

“No,” she said firmly, “I beat you fair and square. Go back inside where…”

Lex couldn’t finish her sentence. For walking swiftly towards the entrance to the hotel were two hazel-skinned women, each wearing silky black slips that shimmered in the yellow light flowing through the glass windows of the hotel. Under their dresses they wore flat shoes and fishnet stockings. One woman had brown, straight hair that fell past her shoulders, and the other was of shorter stature and had pixie-cut platinum-blonde hair. The taller one walked as though she was floating on air, while the other one walked with purpose and power.

Lex couldn’t believe her eyes.

It was Zen Jade and Gold Moxie. They were about to enter the party disguised as guests!


Battle Summary

Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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“No. Way.”
Lex’s jaw was hanging open. They were the last people she thought she’d see at the gala. After all that worry that she wouldn’t find the Zen and Moxie sisters, there they were, only fifty meters away, strolling in through the back entrance to Hotel Coronet.

“Jasper, it’s them! The ones who took Hugo!” Lex exclaimed, pointing out the sisters.

“Traaa…” came the reply. The reply was forced and very quiet. Something was wrong. Lex knelt by her friend, her eyes big with worry.

“What’s wrong Jasper?” she asked anxiously. The orange pokémon looked up groggily at his trainer and opened his mouth to reply, but only produced a pained, groaning sound. Lex put a palm to his round head and gasped.

“Oh no Jasper! You’re burning up!” Jasper just groaned again and rolled over onto his side, letting his head rest on the cold cobblestones.

He’s poisoned, Lex thought with a deep frown, that Budew must’ve had the ability Poison Point.

Lex looked from her sick pokémon to the sisters entering the building. Argh, I don’t have time for this! Lex took out Hugo’s pokéball, and unhappily she returned him to his ball. I’m sorry Jasper. I’ll patch you up as soon as I can.

Lex stood and dusted of her knees. She looked around and was surprised to see Archie wasn’t annoying her anymore. He was standing with his back to Lex, staring at the hotel.

“Those girls…” Archie murmured. Lex came up beside him and blinked. He was staring at the disappearing forms of the sisters with the same wide-eyed expression he’d been staring at Lex with before. “They are like magnificent angels! How honoured we are that they grace our earth.”

Lex couldn’t believe it.
“Snap out of it Archie. Those girls are bad news!” she barked, shaking his shoulder.

“You know them?” Archie suddenly asked Lex, his eyes shining with hope and… something else. The ranger nodded solemnly. “Well in that case, introduce me! I must ask them to become my next work!”

“Two seconds ago you wouldn’t leave me alone, and now you are dumping me for a pair of vicious mercenaries?!” Lex huffed. Unbelievable.

“So they are more like fallen angels then, swayed by the influences of the devil. Cutthroat yet alluring.” Archie was only half listening to Lex as he started walking briskly back to the hotel. Lex grabbed his arm and tried to tug him back.

“I’m serious, don’t even think about talking to those two. They will rip you to shreds.”

Archie turned to Lex with a wide, slimy smile. “All the more reason to try.”


As the undercover ranger and the poet re-entered the ballroom, Lex saw Zen Jade disappear up the nearest flight of steps to the balcony. She heard a tutting sound from Archie.

“Ugh, just look at all these people,” he grumbled in disgust.

“What am I, Tauros chops?” said Lex impatiently, scanning the crowd for the Captain’s borrowed peaked cap.

Archie sniffed, refusing to look at Lex as he addressed her. “Yes, indeed you are. But you are a means to an end now. You are going to get me close enough to those beauties that I can fulfil my desire for creation. You have purpose, even if it is only temporary.”

Lex gave Archie a filthy glance. His general dislike of people was infuriating enough, but he seemed to be treating woman like they were inanimate pieces of art, including her. And now a prettier model had come along, she was reverted back to ‘people’ status.

“Look, Archie. I can get you close to those girls,” Lex said through gritted teeth, thinking quickly. “But we have to wait for the right moment.” She leaned in close, so close that she was essentially passively smoking his cigarette. “But we have to be invisible.”

Archie nodded, happy to do anything for the sake of art. Art was like live game to him, and he could be a very patient hunter. Lex figured for a creeper like Archie, sneaking up on two women wouldn’t be too difficult.

Lex and Archie quietly made their way up the stairs, leaving enough time to ensure that the sisters were well and truly out of the stairwell. As Lex spotted them over the balcony threshold, she was surprised they were here at all. They must be confident that Lex hadn’t told anyone, as they were out in the open, undisguised for the world to see. Lex and Archie slipped onto the balcony, taking a seat at one of the tables not far from where Zen Jade and Gold Moxie had stopped. Lex sat facing the sisters, and Archie sat across from her with his back to them. The sisters appeared to be waiting for someone.

They didn’t wait long. A man built like a wrestler strolled up to them, an enchanting grin plastered across his dark features. He held a glass of red wine in one hand, which he raised to the women as he approached.

“Ah, my lovely ladies. You look divine, the both of you,” the man complimented lavishly, tipping his head slightly. Zen Jade gave a flicker of a smile, but Gold Moxie’s face remained stony.

“Cut the crap, Geldsteller,” she snapped. The man’s smile disappeared.

“Not one for pleasantries, even at a party, eh Goldie?”

“No,” Gold Moxie replied. “I’m here for our payment. You haven’t given us the final instalment.”

The man named Geldsteller pulled a mock pouty face and gasped. “Oh, didn’t I? I must’ve forgot!” he said in a high pitched voice reminiscent of ditsy little girl. But then his face suddenly crinkled up into a snarl, which was very intimidating. But it didn’t seem to affect either of the women before him.

“It might be because you haven’t finished the job yet. Down there,” he growled in a low voice, pointing to the ballroom floor, “There is an undercover cop. He knows too much. You didn’t take out the ranger girl when you had the chance. Now you can make up for it by fixing up my new friend Captain Adrian Cooper.”

Lex stifled a gasp. The Captain! Lex was using Archie’s head to hide her face, and was leaning in close to him to better hear the conversation. She could hear what they were saying relatively well, but being so close to Archie was almost unbearable. He smelled dreadful. But it was imperative the mercenaries didn’t recognise her, and that she heard every word.

Gold Moxie seemed to hear something, and looked over at the nearest occupied table which she believed was just out of earshot. All she saw was a young man with dark hair and a girl with green hair getting close and friendly at the table. Probably too drunk to hear the conversation anyway. She turned back to the dark man, and shook her head.

“No way Geldsteller. You’ve been using us as a distraction so you can run your little operation. But we don’t fly that way. If what you are planning goes belly-up, we get nothing out of this, only more attention from the cops. I ain’t risking my neck, let alone Jazz’s, for the extra dough.”

Gold Moxie leaned in close, her steely eyes narrowed. “Deals off.”

Geldsteller’s face grew more menacing. “You can’t just-”

“What,” Gold Moxie interrupted, “Cut and run? Just watch us.”
With that final, sassy remark, Gold Moxie turned from the man and leaned over the railings. She was making a point of ignoring him. Geldsteller looked to Zen Jade for help, but the brunette only shrugged and looked away.

“Bah! Fine then,” Geldsteller grumbled, taking his leave. He stopped right beside Lex’s table and shouted back at Gold Moxie, “You’re missing out on a lucrative business offer my friends!”

Geldsteller looked down at Lex and Archie with a jovial grin, both of which looked up at the man with masks of mild surprise.

“Women. They never know what they want,” Geldsteller said to Archie, slapping him on the back. The poet laughed weakly, wincing at the stinging pain. Then the hulking man continued on his way down the stairs.

Inside, Lex was having a heart attack. That man was consorting with the Zen and Moxie sisters. He was the one who had hired them to take out the service pokémon, and he who had ordered the investigation be stopped. Whoever this man was, Lex was determined to find out.

Zen Jade turned to her sister with a light smile.
“I’m proud of you, Goldie,” she said quietly. Gold Moxie looked back at her sister with a cold stare.

“We missed out on a lot of money tonight Jazz,” she said and turned her back on her sister, “I hope you’re happy.” With that she began walking away down the stairs. As she strode past Lex’s table, she didn’t even spare the young couple a glance. She didn’t want to leave an impression of any kind on anyone, even if it was just some stupid kids.

Zen Jade sighed, and made to follow her sister. But as she was passing Lex and Archie’s table, the dark haired poet reach out an arm and grabbed her wrist.

“Goddess of the shadows, bringing a cold embrace with thine eyes. I wish you would stop and spare me a moment to write your perfection into poetry.”

Zen Jade was startled, but she reacted like any other woman would in this situation.
“Oh, uh… thankyou. But I really have no time for that sort of…”

Zen Jade trailed off. Her gaze had shifted to Lex, who was sitting bolt upright with wide eyes, staring straight at the mercenary who she had helped to arrest. Zen Jade instantly recognised Lex, even through the makeup and green hair.

She recognises me! Oh no, oh no, oh no! Lex thought frantically, knowing that even if she denied who she was, the Zen Jade would see right through her thin lie.

There was an intense moment of silence as ranger and mercenary stared at each other in shock.
Zen Jade blinked slowly. She couldn’t believe the girl whose pokémon they were holding hostage would dare, no, even be able to track her and her sister to a gala event like this one. She must really be desperate to get her pokémon back. She looked at the terror in the girl’s eye, which she knew was the fear of having her friend killed. Zen Jade’s face suddenly softened and she turned back to Archie.

“I’ve changed my mind,” said she, her voice as melodious and precise as Lex remembered, “We shall meet tonight, however another time, another place. The corner of Roebuck Avenue and Skelette Terrace, at the third chime of the Noctowl’s cry. There, I will let you meet my boyfriend, poet of incomparable talent, like a Rufflet in a nest of Pidgey. There you shall have your want fulfilled.”

Zen Jade brushed Archie’s hand from her wrist and continued down the stairs after her sister, without even a backwards glance.

The young poet was shattered. He was nearly brought to tears by the revelation that not only his prized muse was already owned by another, but that she herself could produce beautiful, poetic prose as elegantly as she walked. He looked to Lex furiously, snuffing out his cigarette on the tabletop.

“Why didn’t you tell me there was another poet?”

“I didn’t know,” Lex said distractedly. She didn’t care about Archie. The mercenary wasn’t even talking to him. She was giving Lex a message. As the woman had looked at her, Lex thought she had seen a tiny spark of compassion in her eyes. Lex thought hard.

Zen Jade was giving her a chance to see Hugo.

It could be a trap, but Lex didn’t have any other option.

She stood up from the table and left Archie alone without a word. The poet didn’t seem to care. He just sat, crestfallen, staring at his cigarette butt still producing a thin line of smoke. Lex was a long forgotten memory as he dwelled on the beauty that he’d had no chance with from the start.
Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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On the corner of Roebuck Avenue and Skelette Terrace was a twisted old building many in the town of Oreback refer to as ‘Old Reggie’s House’. It was made of very old timber and stone, of which had become infested with moulds and tiny burrowing critters. One of the rafters had snapped over the years, causing part of the roof to cave in. Vines and trees had worked their way into the windows, with their roots breaking up the cement walkway that skirted the house on all sides.

The house was said to be haunted by the ghost of Old Reggie, a decrepit old man who died alone and crazy in the living room. The building was so old it was almost heritage listed, but for some reason, the real estate company in charge of it could never keep tenants in the house for more than a month. So, the cottage-style house sat half-buried in the overgrown garden for many years, with nary a visitor save for the more adventurous neighbourhood kids trying to scare their friends.

It was at this place Lex knew Zen Jade had been talking about in her message. Lex had run barefoot from the party, her wedges clanking together in one hand and with her purse in the other. Third chime of the Noctowl’s cry. That part of the riddle was obvious: 3:00 am. She had forty-five minutes to reach the meeting point, which wasn’t all that far away, but Lex wouldn’t be late if she had the chance to see her friend again. So it took her all of fifteen minutes to get there. When she did, there was no sign of the mercenary, obviously, so she stood out the front of the house, glancing nervously over her shoulder at it every so often.

Lex’s Dad had told her all sorts of stories from his childhood, and one of them involved Old Reggie’s. He had been exploring the dilapidated house with two of his friends at the time and had stumbled upon an abandoned pokémon. Unfortunately it became enraged when they tried to get close to it, and ended up having to call in Animal Services to stop it from rampaging down the street. Lex had loved that story, but standing out the front of the house now gave her the creeps. She certainly didn’t feel as brave as her Dad had been.

After a heavy internal debate, Lex finally decided to go inside and check out the famous cottage. Cautiously, Lex entered the thick greenery attempting to engulf the house. Up a couple of creaking steps and onto the porch, she came face to face with the front door already opened. She crept over the threshold, looking around nervously. The living room opened up before her. It truly was deserted of human life; there were no personal effects anywhere, and many a weed was sprouting up through the floorboards. She slipping through the room and wandered down the short hallway. A bare kitchen and a couple more empty rooms were all the house had to offer.

Lex decided now would be a good time to try her new Item Finder App. Activating the app, Lex scanned the room for anything of interest. A dull tone rang out from the speaker, telling Lex there was nothing of value anywhere around her.
That’s a shame, she thought. It didn’t surprise her though. The house had been empty for years, and if anything of value was ever left behind it would’ve been cleared out long ago.

Suddenly, Lex heard the floorboards of the living room creak. Heart pounding like a bass drum in her ears, she dropped low and crept back down the hallway towards the front door.

Oh Mew, oh mew oh mew! It’s Old Reggie! she thought freaking out. Her logical side was telling her not to be stupid, but she was alone in an old, creaky, abandoned house at three in the morning. There was probably a perfectly logical explanation, but all she kept thinking was that the crazy, and infuriated ghost was going to phase out of the roof overhead and dive at her.

But then, a shadow filled the hallway ahead of her. She squealed, her stomach and heart trying to leap into her mouth at once.

“A little uneasy are we?” the figure said dryly. Then Lex recognised it was Zen Jade, still dressed in her slim, black dress. Her heart didn’t slow down though. Because, in the darkness, she could make out a hessian sack in the mercenary’s hand.

“Is that-” Lex started just as Zen Jade threw the sack at her. Lex caught the sack and quickly opened it. Inside was Hugo, curled up unconscious. His feathers were ratty and unwashed, and he didn’t stir when the bag opened.

Lax glared up at the mercenary angrily. “What have you done to him!?”

But the woman didn’t answer right away. She looked at the fuming ranger with cold, expressionless eyes.

“Nothing too damaging,” she eventually said. “He’s only sleeping.”

Lex pulled Hugo from the bag, clutching him to her chest. She could smell that Hugo had been in the bag for a very long time, unable to rip it open from the inside. She had tears forming in the corner of her eyes just thinking about how scared he would’ve been.

“If you've hurt him…” Lex growled, choking back a sob. Zen Jade stepped forward, her eyes flashing menacingly.

“If you do not stop chasing us, my sister will kill your Rufflet. And your other pokémon. She may even kill you.”

Lex stared up at the woman. There was no lie in her words.

“Why are you doing this?” said Lex after a pause. She was gritting her teeth, unable to hold back the tears that now flowed from her eyes.

“Because,” Zen Jade said, turning away from the ranger. “I don’t like killing people or pokémon. I will if I have to…”

With that she disappeared from the doorway, leaving Lex alone once more in the hallway of the sinister cottage.

“Hugo…” Lex said, biting back another sob. Her pokémon looked like he had been through a rough few days. She pulled him closer, feeling his chest rising and falling against hers.

“It’s okay. I’ll keep you safe now.”

Lex, now unafraid of any imaginary ghosts, walked straight out through the front door and down the ratty garden beds to the road. She looked around to see if Zen Jade was still hanging around, but the mercenary had gone. Of course she had. Tucking Hugo into his pokeball, Lex began the walk back to the gala to find Captain Cooper.


[Item Encounter Fail]

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Edited by Louielazuli, 6 Feb 2014, 06:30 PM.
Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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“Can I help you?” the nurse at the counter asked. Lex nodded tiredly and handed the nurse her two pokéballs.

“Can you please help my friends?” she asked. The blue-haired nurse smiled sleepily and nodded. It had been a long graveyard shift and was surprised to be called to the front desk this early in the morning.

“Of course. Just place them in that tray there. Have you been here before?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll need to grab your details.”


Lex waited for what seemed like an age in the main waiting room of the Pokémon Centre. After Lex’s details were taken, the nurse casually carried the pokémon into the back room for examination. Lex stared around her. Luckily, Pokémon Centres were nothing like human hospitals. It was so much easier to keep them smelling fresh and clean of sick and dying, as it was far easier to cure a pokémon of an ailment than a human. All that energy research and careful training of the nurses made Pokémon Centres a place to relax as well as get your pokémon healed without feeling like a Darkrai had his hand on your shoulder.

Lex looked up at the clock. It was ticking close to four-thirty, and Lex was feeling incredibly exhausted. But a part of her was happy. Hugo wasn’t dead, and he was away from the sisters’ clutches.

A jacket was unexpectedly place over her. It smelled of Captain Cooper. Lex pulled the jacket closer, suddenly thankful for the extra warmth. After all, she was still wearing her blue gown, which didn’t exactly keep her arms warm in the heavily air-conditioned Pokémon Centre. The officer seated beside her smiled, placing a hand on her back. He couldn’t decide whether it was more comforting to stroke her back, rub in circles or pat it, so he just pulled his hand away after a few seconds.

“I learned a lot tonight,” the Captain said a little abruptly. Lex looked up at him, smiling back even though she felt like she was going to fall asleep any second. But she wasn’t about to respond to a comment like that. She didn’t have to energy to attempt to maintain a conversation with the awkward Captain.

Captain Cooper sensed this and sighed. Humans were easy to question and get information from, but difficult to comfort. Without warning he started rummaging around in his pants pockets.

“I almost forgot,” he said, cringing inwardly at the blatant lie. He never forgot anything, but it seemed the socially acceptable thing to say to begin a new conversation topic. From the pocket he knew full well it was in the Captain produced a sparkling crystal of some sort. It was a delicate blue, like a foggy winter’s sky. He handed the crystal to Lex, who looked at it with big eyes.

“I bought a Flying Gem for the occasion when your… flying-type, was returned to you. In case this sort of thing happens again. Give it to him as soon as you get the chance. In an emergency, it is important to be prepared.”

Lex looked from the crystal to the Captain. Her face broke into a thankful smile. She was about to thank her partner when the voice of the nurse from before rang out across the waiting room.

“Alexa Raegan-Wulf, to the counter please!”

Lex hurried over, the Captain’s jacket falling off her and onto her chair. Picking it up and folding it carefully first, the Captain followed the anxious young ranger to the service desk.

Standing in front of the desk was a grumpy old doctor, a scowl etched on his features. He was a masculine looking man, with a stethoscope hanging around his neck. His arms were crossed, and he stood in front of Lex’s pokéballs so she could not touch them.

“I’m worried you are not fit to be a pokémon trainer, young miss,” the doctor growled, uncrossing his arms. “Your Rufflet showed signs of serious neglect and I’m afraid I cannot allow you take back your pokémon.”

Lex just stared at the doctor, not knowing what to say. Her whole world was on the verge of crumbling down around her ears. But luckily, Captain Cooper came to the rescue.

“I am Captain Adrian Cooper,” the Captain said, holding up his wallet containing some form of official police identification. “This young lady’s Rufflet was recently involved in a kidnapping case I am investigating on behalf of the Parchdry Police Department. You’d do well to allow her to reunite with her healthy pokémon, Doctor.”

The doctor’s expression softened, transforming into that of sympathy and sadness.
“Oh, I’m so very sorry to hear that. Here,” the doctor apologised, handing Lex the tray containing her pokéballs. He continued to apologise profusely.

“Sometimes we get pokémon in, which have been neglected, and we are forced to take them from their trainers. It’s better we get them to a good foster home rather than let them live a bad life with a trainer. I’m really very sorry.”

But Lex had stopped listening. She turned and released her pokémon onto the Pokémon Centre floor.

Jasper the Trapinch and Hugo the Rufflet appeared in front of her out of the flash of energy. Hugo’s eyes suddenly widened as he recognised his trainer’s face.

“RUFFLET!!” he cawed loudly, launching himself onto Lex. The ranger caught her pokémon and pressed her tear-streaked face to his now clean feathers.

“Hugo! I missed you so much!” she cried as her pokémon nuzzled into her neck, squawking away happily.

If the doctor had any doubts about the green haired girl and her Rufflet, they had instantly vanished.


Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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“Mr Mackelby’s amendments to several laws were passed. ExTAT Enterprises will be taking back their land from ROL Mineral Group, while leaving a portion for pokémon reserve.”

Lex stared intently at Captain Cooper’s image on her Holocaster. He was back in his impeccable police uniform. It was the final day of the meeting, and many things had been decided that would change the mining industry for a long time. When the Captain had told his superiors all he and Lex had learned at the gala, they had pulled a few strings to allow Captain Cooper to observe the meetings. The death of Mr Mackelby had done nothing to slow the progress of his amendments. In fact, it may have actually strengthened the resolve of those working closely with Mr Mackelby on the laws.

“So, does that mean Geldsteller has lost?”

There was a pause while the Captain cleared his throat. “Well, I do believe so. Either he backs out and loses all the money he invested, or he stays with the company and loses a lot more. Depending on his contractual agreement with the company. But I still need to confirm his connection to the Deputy Chief and the young police officer that retired from the station before I can take him into custody. He looks nothing like the man, and the only reason we have to suspect the relation is by the words of a politician’s gossiping wife.”

Lex nodded. Everything seemed to be turning out okay. Hugo was perched on her head, happily cooing away. Jasper was curled up on her bed having a nap, fully recovered from the other night’s battle. And now it seemed with a bit of luck, the two cases the Captain and she were working on would be solved and she could return to her pokémon journey.

“But Lex,” the Captain said, breaking into her thoughts. “Those Zen and Moxie sisters are still out there. They may have returned your pokémon, but do not think that they no longer perceive you as a threat. You know too much, and as soon as I leave here I will organise a new safe house for the time being.”

“How long will you be?” Lex asked cheerfully. The Captain’s words couldn’t get her down right now. Yes, she knew she was still in danger, but to be honest, the safe house looked like any other house and nobody knew who was staying in the house. Not even the Oreback Town police knew they were there. The house had been organised by the higher-ups in the government to avoid any confrontations between rival police groups etcetera.

“I’m not sure. But, in the meantime, please prepare to leave,” he replied. “And do not touch any of my possessions. I shall pack them when I return.”

With that the Captains image disappeared. Lex sighed, smiling at Jasper. Although the cost had been great, they had really done well helping the Captain. He would not have known the sisters’ names, that guard back in Parchdry might’ve been seriously hurt, and she had discovered the connection between the Mackelby murder and the pokémon murders.

Collapsing back on her bed, Lex felt so very tired. It had been an emotionally draining several days, and she hadn’t had much sleep. Hugo hopped off Lex’s head and sat happily on the bed by her side.

“This whole thing has been intense, huh,” said Lex, ruffling her friend’s feathers. Hugo pipped back, playfully pecking at her hand. The Rufflet had recovered all his strength, and with a wash or two, Lex had returned Hugo to his healthy, proud-looking self.

“Hugo, I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Lex said quietly. But Hugo had had enough of apologies. He jumped onto Lex’s stomach, his sharp little talons scraping against her skin. Lex laughed and rolled over onto her friend, squishing him into the mattress. Hugo tried hard to push his trainer off, but she was hugging him tightly.

Then, Lex heard the front door close. Releasing Hugo, she walked briskly towards the front of the house.

“The Captain must be home,” Lex told Hugo, who was trailing behind. He whistled back at her, trotting along on his short legs. Jasper also pushed himself from the bed and followed Lex, albeit more slowly, to the foyer.

But then, Lex’s happy feelings crumbled away. In their place an ice cold fear took hold as she recognised the figure in the foyer was not Captain Cooper.

It was Gold Moxie.

Lex was stunned. Both Jasper and Hugo instantly began screeching at the woman, anger wrenching in their guts.

“Hello there, Ranger. I see you have a new hair colour. How nice,” she said venomously. This time, instead of her ninja-like outfit, the mercenary was wearing a pair of baggy cargo pants and a plain, white singlet. She appeared unarmed, by Lex knew it would be ridiculous to assume she wasn’t carrying any weapons.

“How did you find me?” Lex asked fearfully, her eyes wide.

Gold Moxie tapped her chin. “Might’ve been that time I followed that police guy back from the Legislation Committee meeting yesterday. Or was it that other time I had my sister tail you home from the Pokémon Centre. I can’t remember now.”

Lex didn’t say anything. Her mind was racing with all the times she or the Captain could’ve been followed back home. There were indeed many. Gold Moxie stepped forward, her arms outstretched.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” the blonde woman said, trying to appear sincere even though her voice was incredibly sarcastic. “I just want to play a game.”

“What game?” Lex asked cautiously. She took a step back, quietening her pokémon with a gesture. Hugo launched himself up onto Lex’s shoulder and stared efiantly at the mercenary while Jasper stood by his trainer’s side, trying to look brave.

“Oh, a game I like to call…” Gold Moxie’s thin lips stretched into an ugly sneer. “…Kill the birdy.”

Lex’s heart pounded, panic beginning to seep in. She had no idea what the mercenary was going to do, as she stood grinning maliciously at the ranger. Gold Moxie took another step forward, then another.

“Jazz tells me never to play with my prey, but I think she’s a party pooper. What’s the point of the hunt if you don’t have fun, right?” With that, she pulled a pokéball from her pocket.

In a flash of light a Taillow appeared, perched silently on her trainer’s shoulder. His sharp eyes darted over the ranger and two pokémon in front of him, assessing his opponents.

“Here’s how it goes,” Gold Moxie said with a sickening grin. “If I beat that bundle of feathers, I will kill it right in front of your eyes.”

Lex just stared at the woman in horror. “What if you lose?”

The mercenary shrugged.
“I won’t. Simple as that. But if you don’t play, I will kill it right now anyway. I’d rather give you a fighting chance, as small as that chance might be.”

Lex’s thoughts turned to the battle ahead. She looked around the cramped house. A flying pokémon would be at a disadvantage in such a small space. That meant the Taillow would be unable to escape Hugo, but she didn’t know how high a level it was. If it was stronger than Hugo by a lot, it didn’t matter how small a box they fought in.

“Okay, but wait,” Lex said quickly, before Gold Moxie had a chance to begin the battle. “Why don’t we take this outside?”

Gold Moxie seemed to understand the reasoning behind the suggestion. “I see. That will make things more interesting. But,” Gold Moxie said, producing a glinting curved blade from a sheath hidden in her pant leg. She pointed it at the ranger threateningly.
“If you try to signal for help or anything, I will cut you down where you stand.”

Lex didn’t doubt the threat. The menacing glint of Gold Moxie’s steel-blue eyes was promise enough. Leading the mercenary through the house, Lex couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by the battle she was about to have.

Life or death.
Those were some high stakes. Lex had to either win or hold out till the Captain returned. But he hadn’t given her a time, so for all she knew, Hugo would be long dead before the police officer even stepped through the front door.
Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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Battle Start


The backyard to the house was relatively spacious for a suburban house. It was covered in a dry grass browned under the harsh summer sun, skirted by a six-foot wooden fence on three sides. Running along the fence were a variety of tropic plants, many of which were tall palms spreading their fronds high above the fence. Gold Moxie pushed Lex out onto the grass, watching as the ranger stumbled to one end of the yard. Lex looked up at the sky, squinting in the mid-afternoon sun. It was a warm day, and there were only a few puffs of cloud in the sky.

Taking up position at the other end of the grassy yard, Gold Moxie raised her blade at Lex.
“This will be one on one. Your fluffy friend’s life is the prize,” she grinned. Raising her other arm she allowed her Taillow to shimmy his way up to her wrist.

“Shoot him through the heart Arrow,” Gold Moxie said and launched her flying-type into the air. The Taillow shot straight up, exactly like an arrow as his name suggested. He swooped back down and circled his trainer, warming up before the battle truly began.

Lex looked to Hugo perched on her shoulder. The Rufflet looked right back, blinking at his trainer.

“You have to win this. If you don’t…” Lex banished the thought of Hugo dying from her mind. This Gold Moxie was just some punk with a knife. If Lex could beat her, the mercenary would become flustered and Lex might be able to get away.

Jasper butted Lex’s calves with his muzzle. The Trapinch was eager to prove himself, but Lex shook her head.

“Sorry Jasper. This is Hugo’s fight.” The Trapinch’s gaze moved downward. He looked upset, but Lex didn’t have time to comfort her pokémon. She swiftly returned him to his pokéball so he wouldn’t be hurt by any dirty tricks the mercenary might pull.

“Enough waiting. Arrow, quick attack!”

As soon as Gold Moxie’s command left her lips, her Taillow swerved in the air and streaked towards the Rufflet still perched on Lex’s shoulder.

“TAAAAAAYYYYYY!!” the Taillow screeched, white energy blazing in his wake. Hugo barely made it off Lex’s shoulder before the Tiny Swallow pokémon slammed into him. Hugo squawked in surprise, but regained his balance mid-air. The attack was only glancing, but it had still hurt

“Woah, that was close,” Lex muttered, feeling the energy from the pokémon’s attack tingling on her ear. She had almost taken a quick attack to the face!

“Hugo, up!” she commanded. Hugo flapped his strong wings once and zoomed straight upwards. The Taillow was wheeling around for a second attack. Hugo swivelled in the air, staring down the Taillow.

Leer!”

Hugo’s eyes glinted as he gave the Taillow a powerful glare. The way the Rufflet was holding his ground actually worked on the pokémon, causing it to wobble in the air as it flew forward. Lex had to take a chance while she had it.

“Hey! Don’t you dare chicken out Arrow! Wing attack!” Gold Moxie shouted up. But the leer had done its job. The Taillow was looking at Hugo nervously. It continued on its flight path however, powering up its wings for a powerful attack.

Wing attack Hugo!” Lex ordered. Hugo shot forward, one wing glowing white. As the Taillow closed in, Lex held her breath. But her tactic had worked. The Taillow’s lowered defences allowed Hugo to duck in under its wing attack and deliver his own with perfect timing. The Taillow was smacked backwards, spiralling downwards. Lex had counted on a combination of Hugo’s greater weight and attack power to stop the Taillow dead in its tracks.

But Gold Moxie was no slouch at pokémon battles, so she was ready with her next command the instant she saw Arrow knocked back.

“Shake it off! Focus your energy and use quick attack!”

Arrow righted himself just before he slammed beak-first into the grass. The Taillow shot straight up into the sky once more, his speed leaving Lex awestruck. Hugo moved half as slow as the pokémon at top speed, and his greater bulk made him a bigger target to hit. Lex felt herself becoming flustered and mentally tried to calm herself down.

“Hugo, hone claws!” Lex ordered. Both Taillow and Rufflet began powering up. Arrow narrowed his eyes, concentrating hard on his trajectory. The tips of his feathers started to glow a pale orange, leaving a faint comet-like tail behind him. Hugo on the other hand moved horizontally, scraping his talons together to produce a dark aura. The Rufflet cawed as he felt the aura fade and spread into his talons. The tingling energy spread up into his wings, strengthening his flying muscles.

“Above you!” Lex suddenly shouted. Hugo looked up to see the white and orange comet that was Arrow screaming towards him with a powerful quick attack. Hugo didn’t have a chance at dodging the attack. The pokémon was simply moving too fast.

“Hugo!” Lex cried out as the Taillow and Rufflet fell ground-ward, crashing hard into the grass below. Gold Moxie simply laughed.

“Yes! Straight as an arrow!” she cheered. Hugo had cushioned the blow for the Taillow, so the small pokémon was standing on top of the Rufflet relatively unharmed. Pinning him down, the Taillow began to peck his opponent repeatedly.

“RUUUUUUHH!” Hugo howled as the needle-sharp beak stabbed through his feathers. Lex stared in horror as she saw blood appear on the Taillow’s beak. She had to do something!

Fury attack! Get it off!”

Hugo’s howl of pain turned into a howl of anger as he hoisted his talons out from under the Taillow. With an almighty battle cry, Hugo furiously scratched at the Taillow’s eyes, the added strength from his dark-energy honed claws surging through his talons.

“Away, Arrow!” Gold Moxie called, anxiety creeping into her voice. The Taillow tried to get out of range, but Hugo used one of his claws to hold onto the smaller bird. The Rufflet pushed himself up with his wings and rolled over on top of the dark-blue pokémon. He continued tearing away at the pokémon with his free claw, the pinned Taillow screaming in pain beneath his weight.

Lex hated to cause this much pain to a pokémon, but this was Hugo’s life on the line. And possibly even her own life. This battle would only get dirtier from here.

“Hugo, wing attack!”
Hugo swung a wing back, using both claws to hold the Taillow down by its wings. The Rufflet’s wing gathered white energy. Arrow knew what was coming and struggled furiously to get free.

“Attack him, Arrow!”

The Taillow continued to wriggle about, but he couldn’t slip out of the heavier pokémon’s grip. Hugo brought his white wing down on the Taillow’s head.

“TAY-” Arrow’s cry was cut off abruptly by a hard whack. He stopped struggling. But Hugo had become enraged. This pokémon was a threat to his friends, so he would receive no mercy. Hugo flapped his strong wings and lifted himself and the Taillow off the ground. Gold Moxie watched with an unreadable expression as her limp pokémon was carried high above the ground.

“Arrow! You are going to lose if you don’t get away!” She growled. Lex just watched in silence as her pokémon took the battle into his own claws. Hugo released the Taillow when he figured he’d gained enough height, then dived straight after it with his wing glowing once again. He was going to use another wing attack!

But then the Taillow found his strength. Arrow used the momentum of his fall the swerve out of the path of the Rufflet just in time. Hugo overshot, crying out in frustration. Arrow circled back up high, hiding himself in the burning summer sun.

“Taaaaaaiilllloooooow…” Arrow tweeted tauntingly. Hugo tried to look at the other flying-type, but the sun was too bright.
“Ruff RUFF!” Hugo squawked back, circling lower to the ground in an attempt to bring the opponent lower.

Quick attack! Gold Moxie called. Her pokémon had the upper hand, so any anxiety Lex had heard in her voice before had completely vanished. Arrow blazed straight for Hugo, approaching at an unbelievable speed. But Lex now understood the Taillow’s attack pattern.

“Roll right!” Lex shouted quickly. Hugo did as he was told and rolled blindly to the right. The Taillow flashed by, missing his target by three inches.

The Taillow was travelling with such great speed for its little frame, that it had a hard time steering. So, Gold Moxie had trained it well to attack in a straight line, delivering maximum power as accurately as possible. But that was also Arrow’s biggest weakness. When it’s using quick attack it can’t turn. Straight as an arrow. So if we wait for just the right moment… Lex just hoped her pokémon could pull off another roll in time.

“Hugo, when it charges again, roll!” said Lex. Hugo chirped back that he understood, and tipped his wings so he circled around to face the Taillow. Arrow whistled in annoyance that he’d missed, and swooped up high once more.

“Go! Focus energy, then quick attack!” Gold Moxie was grinning. The thought of one final blow to take out the enemy was enough to give her goose bumps. Lex on the other hand was frowning. Too much was on the line for her to be enjoying any sort of battle. Particularly one in which each side doesn’t hold back.

Arrow arched up high into the sky where he powered up, becoming a shimmering orange streak. He then twisted in the air and aimed himself straight for Hugo, shooting down like a torpedo with an orange-and-white flame spewing from behind. But he had made a mistake; he didn’t fly up into the sun this time. So Hugo watched him the entire time and was ready when the Tiny Swallow Pokémon dive-bombed straight at him with frightening speed.

“Ruuuuuff… LETT!” Hugo spun out of the way just at the right moment, a single feather clipped by the attack. He then dived down onto the Taillow, slamming a wing attack down on the centre of the pokémon’s back. The Taillow crashed down to earth, this time with the Rufflet on top. The two pokémon didn’t move for a second, then the larger pokémon stirred.

“Don’t you dare Arrow…” Gold Moxie cringed when she saw who the victor of the battle was. Hugo stood astride the unconscious Taillow, glaring at the mercenary with great pride. He had one eye closed, and his feathers were all dirtied and askew, but otherwise he still looked okay.

“We won Hugo-” Lex started to cheer but a snarl from Gold Moxie interrupted her.

“No, this isn’t over! Your turn, Streak!”

To Lex’s surprise, the mercenary threw out another pokéball, before even returning her fallen Taillow to its pokéball. From the ball emerged a purple and yellow feline pokémon. The pokémon didn’t say anything, only crouched down low in preparation to pounce on Hugo.

“But you said it was one-on-one!” said Lex. Gold Moxie smiled that same wicked grin.

“I lied. Streak, scratch that runt to pieces.”
The Liepard instantly leaped. But Hugo wasn’t about to become cat-food. He flapped hard and jumped just out of reach, the Cruel Pokémon overshooting and skidding to a halt. Lex was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she recalled a similar thing had happened when battling Zen Jade.

“No, get higher!” Lex called. Hugo did so, just as the Liepard tried to leap up and scratch him. Now Lex had to be careful. Hugo was probably hurt from his last battle, so she had to make sure his next moves were put to good use.

Then suddenly, she remembered the item Captain Cooper had given her. Rummaging through her pockets, she searched for the blue crystal. Meanwhile, Gold Moxie was growling at the flying-type keeping just out of the Liepard’s reach.

“Get down and fight, you coward!” she shouted angrily. But Hugo would not be goaded. He had calmed down after defeating the Taillow, and knew he needed to keep his wits about him if he was to defeat this fresh opponent. The Liepard realised after two jumps that it would not defeat the Rufflet in that fashion. So she turned her back on her opponent and pressed her muzzle to the unconscious Arrow.

“Purrrrrrrdd…” Streak cooed, trying to rouse the feathered pokémon. But it didn’t move. Streak looked to her trainer with a scathing glare. She was disrespecting her own pokémon by leaving it exposed and knocked out on the battlefield. Gold Moxie understood and pulled out Arrow’s pokéball. The Taillow disappeared from the dried out grass in a flash of red energy.

With the battlefield clear, Streak was ready to fight to her fullest potential. Hugo admired the care his opponent had for his teammates, but wouldn’t be going easy just because he was battling a like-minded foe.

Then, Lex found what she was looking for in her uniform pocket. “Hugo, catch!”
Lex lobbed the Flying Gem at her friend, who caught it easily in one of his talons. Hugo looked down at the gem, suddenly feeling giddy from the power the stone gave off.

“Hugo, get in there with a wing attack!” Lex called. Gripping the gem tightly, Hugo dived straight at the Liepard with both wings glowing. But the Liepard suddenly vanished. All around the swooping Rufflet appeared copies of the Liepard, each one vibrating as the opponent used a skilful double team. The Liepard was closing in, and Hugo had no idea which was the real one.

Lex saw one of the Liepard copies had leaped above Hugo with their claws out.
Of course! The easiest way to take out a flying pokémon would be to ground them!

“Hugo! From above!” Lex cried out. Without even looking around, Hugo did something remarkable. He flipped upside-down and stretched his free talon straight up. As the real Streak’s claws came down, Hugo knocked them out of the way with his claws. Hugo made no attempt to escape. Instead, he allowed the Liepard to move in close to deliver a fury attack. The Liepard cried out and fell away, landing awkwardly on the grass.

Just before he hit the ground, Hugo flipped back around and swooped away along the lawn. The Liepard sprung onto its feet as well, and gave chase. The Liepard was incredibly fast, so it wouldn’t be long before she was on the Rufflet.

“Hugo! Swing around for a wing attack!” Lex shouted, the speed of the battle making her incredibly jittery. Hugo, having practiced long and hard in dead air at Brackbrine Flats, swiftly made a tight turn in the windless yard and flew straight for the approaching Liepard. Streak’s eyes widened with surprise as the Eaglet Pokémon drew closer with blazing white wings. The Flying Gem in Hugo’s talons glowed bright, filling Hugo with an intense energy.

The attack hit full force, slamming into the neck of the Liepard. On impact, the Flying Gem shone incredibly bright, powering up Hugo’s attack by a significant amount. It then shattered into hundreds of tiny fragments, having been used up.

Streak had looked better. She was having trouble breathing, having taken the full force of the powerful attack to her windpipe. Lex saw this as their only shot to finish it.

Wing attack again Hugo!”

Torment!” Gold Moxie suddenly shouted. The Liepard gulped down a massive amount of air, and let loose an ear-splitting yowl. Hugo stared at the Liepard in shock. The torment was working. The glow that had begun to form on Hugo’s wing dissipated.

Oh no! He can’t use wing attack now! Lex thought. She was grinding her teeth trying to think of a way to outsmart her cunning opponent. I’ve got it! I’ll send in Jasper! He can probably handle the Liepard after all that damage.

Lex pulled out Hugo’s pokéball and pointed it at her friend. “Hugo, return!”

Gold Moxie suddenly grinned viciously. Pursuit!”

Just as the red energy beam from the pokéball hit Hugo, Streak flung herself at breakneck speed straight at Hugo. She slammed into the Rufflet so hard he was instantly knocked unconscious right before he was sucked back into his pokéball.

“Hugo!” Lex cried, cradling the pokéball. He had taken a lot of damage. Hugo would now be unable to battle. All her hope was riding on her young Trapinch.

“I took out your little bird friend. I’d say I won, but I’m actually enjoying beating up your pokémon. How bout we keep going?” Gold Moxie said. She certainly looked like she was enjoying herself. Lex half expected to see her licking her lips. Looking down at the pokéball in her hand, she wondered if Jasper would have a chance against the Liepard. The pokémon was absurdly fast, whereas Jasper was slow with not exactly the hardiest of defences. She just hoped Hugo had caused enough damage to the Liepard to bring it down before the fight dragged on much longer.

“Ok Jasper, you’re up,” Lex said nervously, throwing the pokéball. The ball arched high into the air, then released Jasper onto the grass. Jasper stood with his head held high, his eyes sparkling.

“Traaagggh!” Jasper gurgled excitedly, finally getting his chance to show Hugo that he could protect Lex too.

“Aw, look how pathetic it is,” Gold Moxie scoffed, “Liepard, I’m sure a scratch would rid us of its uselessness.”

The Liepard took off instantly, sprinting straight at the exposed Trapinch.

“Jasper, you gotta hide!” Lex cautioned. Jasper gave little squeak before kicking up the dried grass around him in a sand attack. Before long he had kicked up a large cloud of dust, in which Streak lost sight of her prey.

“Don’t let it get behind you Streak! Try and sniff it out!” Streak lifted her feline head and sniffed, but the dust was hiding Jasper’s scent. Jasper, on the other hand, was used to living in a dusty environment, so knew exactly where the Liepard was.

“Nice going! Now, sand tomb!” shouted Lex. From within the core of the dust cloud, a vortex began to take shape. Streak looked around frantically, but dust was blurring her vision. And then the whirling sand tomb was upon her. She yowled as the flying grit scratched against her fur and found its way into her ears.

Lex felt optimism bubble up inside. “Yeah! Use that dust storm as cover! Get in there with feint attack!”

Streak swivelled her head from side to side, trying to detect the Trapinch. Jasper suddenly appeared as a shadow in the dust, and the Liepard made to swipe at him, but misjudged how far away he was. Jasper executed his feint attack, hitting the Cruel Pokémon in her side. She looked around her frantically, but the Trapinch was practically invisible.

Then, the dust began to settle. Gold Moxie tutted as the dust settled around Jasper.

“That was a good move, using the dust, but it won’t work again, so don’t even think about it!” Gold Moxie clenched her fists in anticipation. “Streak, fury swipes!”

Without hesitation Streak bolted at the Trapinch, yowling fearsomely. Jasper, completely out in the open, started to freak out. His stubby legs began shaking and he had his mouth clamped shut. Lex was worried this would happen.

“Jasper, don’t freak out! Please! You gotta fight back!” shouted Lex, frowning worriedly.

Jasper could hear the desperation in his trainer’s voice.
Lex was relying on him to win this battle. It was all on him to save his family.
It was time he grew up and took responsibility.

Jasper stopped shaking. He raised his head fearlessly, facing down the charging feline. As the Liepard closed in, a victorious sneer on its face, Jasper opened his maw wide and inhaled sharply.

“Yeah! Gust!” Lex shouted with pride, pumping the air with a fist. Jasper fired a powerful blast of air at Streak. It wasn’t enough to stop the pokémon attacking, but the Liepard was struggling with all the damage it had accumulated.

“Slash it to bits!” Gold Moxie roared. Streak pushed on through the wind and scratched Jasper’s face repeatedly, anger welling up from how long it was taking her to defeat a slow, scared, unevolved pokémon.

Jasper gurgled in pain as the feline’s claws cut deep into his tough skin. Then, out of reflex, he bit the Liepard on one of its forelegs. Streak screamed in pain, trying to shake off the pokémon. But Jasper was not about to let go. He only clamped down harder.

“I can’t believe you’re letting me down like this Streak! Do something!” Gold Moxie ordered, her patience running thin. The game wasn’t as fun when she was losing.

“PAAARRRRRRDDAAARR!” Streak continued pulling back on her trapped paw, her face screwed up in pain. She then started yowling in anguish, attempting a torment. Jasper shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the attack, but he failed. His jaw loosened, allowing the Liepard to slip free. But Jasper wasn’t about to let the Liepard take back the battle. Just as she slipped her paw free and leaped backwards, Jasper used all the energy he had remaining to blast Streak with one final gust.

“Streak!” Gold Moxie cried out as her second pokémon fell to the brittle grass unconscious.

Lex was gobsmacked. Her scaredy-Meowth of a Trapinch had just defeated a foe far stronger than himself. And he’d done it using his strength alone.

“You did it!” Lex applauded, jumping on the spot. Jasper looked down at the defeated pokémon, feeling totally exhilarated. His heart was pumping so fast, feeling the rush of victory coursing under his chitinous shell. He looked back at his trainer, brimming with happiness.

But Gold Moxie wasn’t celebrating. Far from it. Disbelief was sprawled across her face, her eyes absolutely livid.

“No more playing. No more fighting chances,” she barked at Lex, drawing a third pokéball from her pocket. She immediately threw it onto the battlefield, yet again leaving her unconscious pokémon on the field.

From the ball emerged a massive Nidoking. The poison/ground-type stretched out his arms, giving an almighty roar to the heavens. He then looked down at his opponent.

This time, Lex was okay with Jasper being petrified. She herself was petrified, knowing it was all over.

“Squash that bug.”

The Nidoking burst forward, one of his giant feet outstretched. In one almighty leap he landed in front of Jasper, and in a second, swift movement he kicked Jasper in the head. The orange pokémon didn’t stand a chance. He tumbled back towards Lex and lay still by her feet.

“Jasper! Jasper! Are you okay?” she asked fretfully. But Jasper didn’t respond. He had been instantly knocked out by the Nidoking’s attack.

Gold Moxie laughed hauntingly. “You go, Gila! Let’s kill these brats and get out of here!”
The Nidoking named Gila roared again, and stomped towards Lex with his arms outstretched.

Lex stared up at the giant purple pokémon fearfully. It looked immensely powerful, and didn’t move too slowly either. It was a well-trained pokémon. And its expression mirrored that of its trainer.

As he drew closer Lex recognised the look in its eyes. It was of a self-consuming lust for violence. Lex’s heart stopped in pure terror as the Nidoking raised a heavy foot, preparing for another double kick.



Battle Summary


[NPC Profile for Gold Moxie]

Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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Lex panicked. She grabbed Jasper and dived out of the way, narrowly avoiding a double kick to the head. Gasping, Lex scrambled to her feet and carried her fifteen kilogram friend back towards the house.

“Where do you think you’re going?” asked Gold Moxie, pointing her blade at Lex. But Lex didn’t stop to look. She heard the gargantuan Nidoking on her tail, stomping after her in no hurry.

As Lex reached the rear door of the house, Gold Moxie’s blade imbedded itself in the door-frame by her shoulder with a thunk. Lex only spared the thrown blade a glance before barging her way into the house. She held on tight to Jasper as she slammed the wooden door shut behind her and locked it, dismayed at the tiny size of the lock. Looking around her, Lex tried to find something she could use to help her situation. But the house empty of any sort of weapons. It was also dead silent. The Captain had not yet returned.

Lex had neither defeated the mercenary nor held out for long enough for the Captain to get home. So, Lex ran through the only options she had as she leaned against the back door.

I could try to disarm her and tie her down, but if I run to my room to get my rope, I may be cornered. I could also try hiding somewhere, but I’m pretty sure that Nidoking could sniff me out, Lex thought with dread. Then, she looked down through the house to the front door.

I have to make a run for it.

She didn’t have much of a choice for as soon as she’d made up her mind, the door behind her cracked and exploded inward, forcing her to the floor. She lost her grip on Jasper, so he slid still unconscious away under the dining room table. Lex tried to get to her feet, but not before a flat shoe was place squarely on her back, holding her down.

“Thought you’d get away, did you, little Rattata?” Gold Moxie sneered, pushing down hard on Lex’s spine.

Lex coughed for breath, trying frantically to drag herself away from the nasty mercenary pinning her down and crushing her chest. Gold Moxie casually lowered her curved blade to Lex’ neck, having dislodged it first from the door frame. Gila squeezed himself into the room, not wanting to miss any of the action.

“You’ve been a blast, Ranger. But now it’s time to say nigh-night. I have more important things to be doing than toying with you at this point,” said Gold Moxie, poking the blade into Lex’s neck. It began slowly sliding across Lex’s skin. The ranger closed her eyes tight, waiting for the end. Hoping it would be quick and relatively painless.

Then, there was the jingle of keys at the door.

Gold Moxie removed her sword from Lex’s neck, having only created a shallow cut. All eyes in the room fixed on the front door as it was unlocked and swung open.

Revealed like a guardian angel, Captain Cooper stepped through the door surrounded by a halo of the bright sunlight outside. He was carrying a bag of groceries in one hand and the keys to the house in the other. His casual blue T-shirt was displaying an image of the PokéVengers, including the characters ExegguThor and Laironman, among others. It seemed appropriate at that moment that the Captain should be wearing his favourite superhero shirt as he took in the scene before him.

There was one of his main suspects, standing astride his partner, with a blade pointed at her neck. Behind her was a giant, menacing looking pokémon; a Nidoking. A broken door lay askew on its hinges, evidence of some kind of battering. And finally he could see the unmoving form of Jasper under the dining room table. For such a chaotic scene, the Captain’s brain analysed and pieced together all the available information into a plausible scenario at an almost super-human rate.

Dropping the groceries and keys to the floor, the Captain drew a pokéball from his casual slacks instantly. The Girafarig that had saved Lex from Zen Jade emerged, giving a confident whinny.

“Leonard, psybeam!” he ordered in his smoothly articulated voice. The Girafarig breathed in sharply and exhaled a rainbow-coloured beam of energy from its mouth. The beam slammed into Gold Moxie, sending her flying back into her Nidoking. The two of them then flew back out into the backyard, the Nidoking’s arms taking out the wooden frame of the door on their way.

Captain Cooper didn’t stop to check if Lex was okay. His priority was to disarm him opponent and capture them before he could do anything about Lex’s possible injuries. He raced past Lex without a glance. She was crawling towards Jasper under the table, trying to see if he was at least breathing.

“Ugh…” Gold Moxie groaned, lying on her pokémon’s stomach. The Nidoking sat up, sliding the mercenary to the ground. Shakily she got to her feet, pushing herself away from her big pokémon. “Well, this is awkward,” said Gold Moxie, holding her torso.

“Indeed, this is awkward,” the Captain said, stepping over the obliterated doorframe which lay shattered on the ground. “I suggest you surrender yourself now. Your pokémon is at a severe type disadvantage, and you’d do well to prevent it or yourself from coming to any more harm.” The Captain took several steps out onto the lawn and stopped, staring coolly at the mercenary.

But Gold Moxie would not be giving up so easily. “And what happens if I kill you and your pet before you get off your next move?” she sneered.

“I doubt that’s possible. The blade you had drawn earlier was knocked from your hands back inside the house. And as soon as your Nidoking makes a move, Leonard here has been trained to attack right away.” Captain Cooper moved closer, his Girafarig now standing loyally by his side.

Gila raised his arms in a fighting stance, but Gold Moxie held out a hand. He moved his arms behind his back. The Captain narrowed his eyes. The movement seemed suspicious.

“Whatever,” she shrugged. “I don’t wanna to stir up any more police attention than I already have. You can keep your precious lives. My sister and I will be leaving town soon anyway. But if you come after us, be sure that next time I won’t be so forgiving.”

The Captain raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean next time? I’m capturing you right here and now, so you will not be the cause of any more harm to innocent people.”

Gold Moxie took a step back, her Nidoking mirroring her moves. She shook her head, grinning madly.

“No, you’ve got it all wrong. There’s a reason I’m good at what I do,” she murmured ominously. Then, out of nowhere, Gila the Nidoking flung a shadow ball from behind his back straight at the Captain and his pokémon. Leonard the Girafarig countered with a swift psybeam, breaking the dark ball of energy apart in an impressive explosion. A portion of the dried-up ground beneath the explosion was destroyed, releasing a cloud of dust into the air. Gold Moxie turned and vaulted over the nearest fence, her Nidoking following suit.

Trying to see through the dust, the Captain threw two more pokéballs into the air. A Hoothoot and Durant appeared, ready for action.

“Howie, Jish, after that mercenary and her Nidoking! Don’t lose them, whatever you do!” the Captain ordered. His pokémon nodded and pursued the suspects over the fence into the neighbouring yard.

The Captain then turned around to see Lex standing in the destroyed doorway.

“Captain, we need to go to the Pokémon Centre!” she said, hugging the unconscious Trapinch in her arms. Blood was trickling down her neck and staining her uniform, but she didn’t care. The injured pokémon in her arms was her number one concern.

“I cannot go with you to the Pokémon Centre,” the Captain grimaced. As much as he’d love an uncomfortable taxi ride with a ground-type drooling in his lap, he had to keep his priorities straight. “Call a taxi and head there right away. I’ll catch up with you once I’ve captured that woman and her pokémon.”

Lex just stared at the police officer in the centre of the backyard. “You serious? Jasper’s in trouble!”

But the Captain wasn’t listening. He was punching a number into his Holocaster and waiting for the recipient to pick up.

“Yes, Johnston? It’s Captain Cooper. I have a suspect outbound on Walters Crescent, in need of assistance. Suspect on foot, possibly accompanied by a Nidoking.” The Captain stopped to wait for a response, then continued relaying data to the individual on the other end of the line.

Lex sighed and looked down at Jasper. “You did great Jasper. Now let’s get you and Hugo to the Pokémon Centre.”

[NPC Profile for Captain Adrian Cooper]
Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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Oreback Police Department Interrogation room. 9:55 am.

Captain Cooper sat across from the chained up Gold Moxie. She was pouting, having failed at her escape attempt, and had her pokémon, Holocaster and weapons confiscated. She was still dressed in the white singlet and cargo pants from the day before, having been held in a cell for the night. She hadn’t said much the previous evening, so the Captain gave her the night to think about the consequences of not saying anything.

“So,” said Captain Copper, breaking the silence. “Have you come to a decision? Will you cooperate or will you choose to waste years of your life in a maximum security District Prison?”

Gold Moxie scowled, hunched over the aluminium table. She was fiddling with her chains absently, not making eye contact with the officer. Instead she was staring around the boring room, looking for a means of escape.

“I want full immunity,” she mumbled.

“I cannot allow that.”

“How ‘bout you let me go?”

“I’m sorry, Gold Moxie, but you are being charged with some serious offences. Attempted murder is just one of them.”

The blonde woman leaned back in her chair, looking at the Captain down her nose. She was contemplative for a moment, then sniffed.

“Okay, how bout we scratch the murder thing from the records and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

The Captain only blinked, not saying a word. He needed the information she held about Mr Geldsteller, but she had committed many atrocities. It didn’t seem right that she should get away with attempting to murder Alexa and her pokémon in exchange for a few titbits of information. He shook his head.

“No. How about you tell me exactly what Mr Geldsteller is planning, and give a testimony outlining everything you know he was up to, and I will ensure your sister is not pursued.”

Gold Moxie stared stony faced at her captor. The Captain knew Zen Jade was this mercenary’s weak point. From everything that had happened, and all Lex had told him, she would do anything for her sister.

“Fine,” Gold Moxie eventually shrugged, trying to seem like it was no big deal. She figured she’d be able to find a way to escape en route to a prison, or even break out of the station itself with ease. The Captain leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the table-top. He smiled, his green eyes crinkling slightly.

“Now please, start from the beginning.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alexa Raegan-Wulf, to the front desk please!”

Lex lifted her head groggily and looked around. She was in the waiting room of the Pokémon Centre, and had fallen asleep waiting for Jasper and Hugo to recover. Wiping the drool crust from the corner of her mouth, she rolled off the chairs she was sprawled out on and headed to the reception desk.

When Lex had arrived at the pokémon centre, the butch doctor from before was conversing with the nurse at the front desk. He looked up to see the ranger running in carrying her Trapinch, her arms about to give out. She had explained what happened and the two medicine practitioners exploded into action. The nurse took Lex’s pokéballs while the doctor whisked Jasper away on a stretcher. Lex watched anxiously as her friends were taken away through the glass doors to a treatment room.
She had then waited for a very long time, sitting vigil in the waiting room, even once the sun had risen. But eventually, she dozed off.

After sleeping for eight hours stretched out across three waiting room chairs, Lex wasn’t surprised she had a very stiff neck and a dead arm when she awoke to the sound of the nurse’s call.

“Are my friends okay?” Lex asked the nurse drowsily. The fresh new nurse smiled and pointed to the end of the bench. There, sitting happily on a stretcher was Hugo and Jasper. Jasper had a bandage around his head, covering one eye, so he had to look at Lex sideways. But he looked like he was smiling at her.

“Let let!” said Hugo, crossing his wing across his chest. Lex smiled, brimming with joy.

“Oh you guys!” she laughed, hugging her two pokémon. The nurse at the desk watched with a cheery grin. It warmed her heart to see such displays every day. But then, her attention was caught by a gentleman marching briskly into the waiting room. He was well-dressed in a handsome police-officer’s uniform, with a sense of purpose evident in each stride.

“Alexa!” the Captain called, marching straight over to the ranger. “We have a situation.”

Lex placed her pokémon back onto the stretcher before facing the Captain. “What kind of situation?”

The Captain took a calming breath before continuing. “We captured Gold Moxie as she tried to escape the scene of the crime. She has been in our custody overnight, and we have been taking every opportunity to find out what she knows. I managed to convince her to tell us Mr Geldsteller’s plans on the promise that Zen Jade will be left alone.”

“Yeah, and?” said Lex impatiently. The Captain had a bad habit of waffling on. She wondered if he even cared how Jasper and Hugo were, or even how she was. He certainly hadn’t asked her how she was feeling, or when she’d had her wound seen to.

The Captain held a hand to his chest, a proud look on his face.
“Through decisive wordplay and interrogation skills, I have uncovered Mr Geldsteller’s next move. On the night of the gala he originally tried to-”

“Captain, get to the point?” Lex interrupted. The Captain scowled, hating disruptions when explaining the facts.

“Well,” he huffed, “Mr Geldsteller did not agree with the result of the Legislation meeting, so has decided to take matters into his own hands. Gold Moxie informed me that she and her sister were originally going to help him with his contingency plan. Now however, he has hired other goons to help him in his attempt to sabotage ExTAT Enterprise’s operations in the mountains.”

“What’s he going to do?” asked Lex. The whole thing sounded to Lex like a desperate man trying to bring down the people around him as he fell.

“He is going to destroy the stability of the mountain where the resources were found. He is planning on planting explosives in Goliath Caverns, as well as in the infrastructure ExTAT Enterprises has recently constructed in the mining zone. In doing so, he will demolish important pathways through the mountains as well as extinguish the lives of hundreds of wild pokémon living in the area.”

Lex’s stomach turned to ice. She just stared at the Captain in shock. What kind of person does it take to bring down an entire company and kill innocent pokémon and people all out of spite? She imagined the black-haired man laughing manically as the caves around him collapsed, crushing the life out of the poor, cave-dwelling pokémon. She shivered. It was a terrifying image.

“Why are you telling me? Surely your police buddies can handle him on their own?”

The Captain shook his head. “No. The Goliath Caverns are enormous. We need every able-bodied arm of the law in there to track Mr Geldsteller down and stop his ridiculous plan from succeeding.”

Lex looked to Hugo. The flying type was standing with his chest out, glaring at Lex. She held out her arm, letting him hop onto it.

“How would you feel about bringing Geldsteller to justice?” Lex asked her friend. Hugo held a wing across his chest, giving Lex a good-natured smile.

“Let Let!” he squawked confidently.

Lex sighed. Of course Hugo would do all he could to save those pokémon. Lex turned around to face the Captain and saluted.

“We’ll help you stop Geldsteller.”

The Captain smiled. He had counted on it.


Konan Dune

Alexa Raegan-Wulf
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I wake up angry, go to bed furious.

::love:: Thank you for your patience. Your topic has been evaluated! ::love::
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RP Notes
 

  • Why do they only have one bedroom.
  • Cooper is like…. “Excuse. Don’t interrupt”
  • Hillbilly? So rude! lol
  • LOL Lunacakes XD
  • LLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLL BOOB HUG
  • “No Bridget...I’m gay.”
  • Inner diamond...miner talk XD
  • Looking for a dress...coming out lookin’ pretty...where have I read this before?
  • LOOOOOOOOOOL I CANT! XDD ONCE LOVERS??
  • Lol I thought Jasper was trying to tell Alexa that she missed a clue. XD derp
  • Green hair is still...yuck x3
  • Wait why did he give his real...Oh.
  • Younger than you, that’s for sure.
  • Leon ran off with Lan Fan and that’s FINAL.
  • Adrian you about to get the business. As in...my fist to your face.
  • Sexy voice*
  • Who is this guy.
  • Idk if I’m putting the pieces together like Cooper is...
  • DERP. ITS ARCHIE. LOOOOOOOL
  • L.M.F.A.O I CANNOT WITH JASPER
  • No...Pretty sure Jasper killed Tots. Lol
  • Steak Chops?
  • Holeee sheeeeeiiittttt my brain just had a think! More puzzles coming together!
  • Lex...Where’s coop? You can’t ride Hans Solo!
  • Archie...Reggie...Do you read Archie comic books?
  • LOL Never forgets XD get out of here coop!
  • Gold needs to die. ASAP
  • ^ what I said above x 4000

Topic Record
 

  • Alexa sold her golden nugget and bought supplies!
  • Jasper killed defeated Tots! +16 EXP to Jasper!
  • Jasper was P-p-p-poisoned! He needs help :<
  • Alexa reunites with Hugo! Both her pokemon need medical attention!
  • They get said attention!
  • Gold challenges Alexa to a duel to the death! Alexa wins! Kinda! Not really! No EXP was won but her pokemon need a mental and physical break!
  • Also, Hugo used a flying gem! -1 Flying Gem
  • Hugo and Jasper are healed!

Topic Evaluation
Alexa Raegen-Wulf
TAT: 22 AP
Topic: 16 EXP
Evaluation: 36 EXP
Total: 52 EXP
Dians:
*dian* 5,787
Bonuses: Star Posts
Penalties:Misusing Encounter
Evaluation Wrap-Up

Note: Bonuses/Penalties have already been calculated into your rewards!

This topic has now been concluded. Please submit in a Modification to update your character with your new rewards!

This topic is now closed without further ado.
Thalia the Dreamer • Ace Trainer • Total EXP Gained: 0 • Dians: *dian* 1,000 • Location: Boilspout Power Plant

Dreamer


Guillaume De Los Santos • Thief • Total EXP Gained: 0 • Dians: *dian* 0 • Location: Icicle Caverns
Spinarak
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