INTERLUDE - TRAP

Mira Compton lazily walked the streets of Veilstone with her hands behind her back as Carlos followed her. Her eyes darted around the entire street for any suspicious activity or anything out of the ordinary, but at this point, she knew her search would be fruitless. It was something to pass the time and that made her think that she was at least doing something instead of letting her goal slip past her.

"What do you say, Carlos? How 'bout I buy you some late lunch? I bet you haven't eaten yet, and they got some good quesadillas down at the Food Court!"

The gruff man stared at Mira, his face expressionless. She could never tell what he was thinking behind that one eye of his.

"I already had lunch when you were at the Pokemon Center," he answered. "Feel free to go eat yourself. I will follow."

"What if I just wanted to eat with you, Carlos? I want to study you a little—"

Mira.

Gardevoir's voice rang out in her mind. She'd evolved a few hours ago, around thirty minutes after Grace left for whatever it was she had to do. It was probably more training, if Mira had to guess. The fairy type was tall and shadowed her as much as Carlos did, and she was still getting used to how loud cities were for empaths like her. Gardevoir hadn't struggled as much as Mira thought she would, though, and she seemed to be having no problems whatsoever. She was sensitive to minute changes, but there was no pain or headaches. Right now, she was focusing on sensing individual emotions from random people.

The good thing about having Gardevoir out was that they could pretend not to speak, even with Carlos here. She could basically read her thoughts, after all. Mira's face didn't change, but her thoughts did. She wondered what Gardevoir wanted.

Do not turn around. There is a woman in front of me that is empty. She is traveling with a man and a child. The child thinks like a Pokemon and the man dons a mental shield, but I can still feel his emotions. Anxiety, excitement… he is going to do something illegal.

Well damn, that sure as hell was convenient. As it stood, the man behind her could be doing anything, but it was a lead, and Mira hadn't had one since she arrived in Veilstone. On the off-chance that this was more than it seemed, she decided to follow him. Carlos wouldn't know, of course. In his eyes, Mira would just be walking around. Would Trace be enough to track him?

It is. The man is hard to track and the woman is impossible, but the child is easy. Its emotions are loud. They are now one block away, you should start walking. Turn back, and then go right. Keep your distance.

"Nevermind about lunch, Carlos. I'm not hungry," Mira said. "Let's keep going. Hey, do you want to hear about that time in school when I accidentally flooded my locker in apple juice…"

Mira ranted to Carlos about whatever came to mind, but in reality, she was thinking. Originally, Gardevoir's Trace ability had been largely useless even though it was one of the rarer ones her line could get. It was useful to easily keep track of ghosts whenever they disappeared which was why Haunty hated playing hide and seek with her, but its range had been pitiful and impossible to make use of. Now that she'd evolved, she could apparently hone in on a single person and follow them for… well, they hadn't tested the range yet, but it was huge. Maybe it was because Gardevoir was an empath as well? That was her best guess for now, and Alakazam agreed with that hypothesis.

Emotions do help, yes, Gardevoir said. The louder they are, the easier it is to keep track. The woman would have slipped past Alakazam and most psychics, but my skills are beyond his now.

Mira mentally thanked Gardevoir for the assist, but told her to focus to not lose the group. She'd said that the woman was empty, and after Solaceon, Mira knew that it could only mean dark type. Things got even easier for Gardevoir when they left the dense city center and entered the suburbs, and Mira made sure to stay as far as her range allowed her without being too distant. At some point, the group of three stopped somewhere and so did they. Not that Mira could actually see them. They were still following from afar, further than they could be noticed.

The child is gone, but the man is still there. It is impossible to know if the woman is here or not, she said. What shall we do now, my dear?

My dear? Mira smirked and figured that was a fine nickname. Now, either the kid had somehow disappeared off the face of the earth, or he was a Pokemon as Gardevoir had said and had just gone back inside his Pokeball. The most obvious answer was that he was a Ditto. If he'd been a ghost, then Gardevoir would have known, but wasn't this too simple? It'd be too convenient if she was right.

"I'm gonna rest on this bench, Carlos. We've been walking for an hour and a half." She said. The League Trainer responded with a curt nod. "Hear me out here, I have another story."

Carlos didn't groan, nor did his face change, but Mira knew he was starting to get sick of her. He was a quiet man that enjoyed silence, but she needed to keep his mind occupied.

"I used to like this guy a few years back. He used to be really rude to me, but he stopped when almost my entire family died in that car accident that I told you about. I was alone with my uncle and he started to go off the rails with his research, but he was the only friend I had. His name was Frank…"

Ditto were an extremely rare species that were seldom found in the wild. They had been discovered a few decades back, originally in Kanto, and they revolutionized Pokemon medicine. Some theorized that they had actually been created by humans like Porygon or Claydol due to them appearing around the time Team Rocket got its start, and they were known to have dabbled in Pokemon experimentation. Regardless, Ditto were a blessing. Before their use in medicine, permanent maiming or even death was a lot more common in Pokemon Battles. Mira found the topic fascinating, but right now, she knew only one person who owned a Ditto.

Abel.

And the only reason they'd found him— or well, whatever dark type he owned was because Gardevoir had been practicing her empathy powers after having recently evolved. Talk about a stroke of good luck. What in the world was he doing here? His being in Veilstone was obvious, but why the hell was he just walking around? There was a goal to this excursion— Gardevoir had said as much.

Clarence Obel's mansion is up ahead, Gardevoir said.

Mira heart swelled with jubilation. There it was. A stroke of luck had led her to the closest she'd ever been at making meaningful progress. Abel worked with Team Galactic, and if she managed to catch him off-guard, then she'd be able to question him. The two problems was the danger and Carlos. First, Abel's Pokemon were a lot better than hers, and second, Carlos would never let her do what she wanted. Mira needed to shake him off, and she knew exactly how.

So he's going to pay Clarence a visit, that much is obvious, Mira thought to herself. Odds are, he's going to Teleport out if he doesn't get captured first.

Right now, Gardevoir needed to keep her senses focused entirely on him. Tracking Teleportation was impossible, but a Pokemon with Trace could do it if they were good enough. They'd been following Abel for an hour and a half, and she had gotten used to how he thought and felt even through his mental barrier. The details would be blurry, but it was possible. She theoretically could have sent Porygon to infiltrate whatever phone he used, but Mira didn't want to risk the poor thing's wellbeing. She was still just a little baby that didn't even know good from evil.

Alakazam will not approve, Gardevoir said.

He wouldn't if Mira was rash about this, but she wouldn't be. Not when her goal was at the tip of her fingers. So close she could almost taste it. They wouldn't confront him today, but if he was planning on taking Clarence somewhere, he'd either take him to Team Galactic's base or his own hideout. Then, all they'd need to do was track it down and sneak in another day when he was out. He had a Xatu, so it was possible that he'd sense them, but to him, they'd just be passersby. One of the thousands on the streets he saw every day.

Around fifteen minutes later, Abel moved again. Mira followed and realized quickly that he'd also been sitting on a bench.

He Teleported toward the mansion, Gardevoir declared. I cannot feel him any longer. He is probably about to break in.

Mira mused for a few seconds. Was he really going to kidnap Clarence that easily? She couldn't exactly see what was going on from here. On one hand, Clarence Obel suffering was a welcome development. No parent should have done what he did to Cecilia, and even though they weren't particularly close, Mira did feel for what she had gone through. It'd be nice if he could be roughed up a little, at the very least.

On the other, she couldn't really do nothing. Mira usually asked for forgiveness instead of permission, but her plan was going to get her found out eventually, and if the League discovered that she'd essentially known of the kidnapping beforehand and done nothing to stop it, she might get in more trouble than she could handle.

There was a tightrope she could walk here, and that was to wait a few minutes. If she could get Abel into multiple fights— enough to wound his Pokemon or him, then she'd be able to take advantage of that weakness. She doubted that Abel had any potions left. No stores would let him buy any, and she hadn't heard of him breaking into any Poke Marts or robbing any trainers.

That is wise. If Abel is weakened, Alakazam will approve begrudgingly, Gardevoir said. Your quick thinking is a thing of beauty.

Mira internally thanked her, but then her eyes narrowed. If she waited too long, she'd cause— she'd cause the deaths of innocent League Trainers. But if she didn't wait, then odds were Abel was going to get caught and her lead was going to go up in flames.

They are strangers, dear. You do not have to care about them, the fairy type said. Focus on yourself.

And yet, if she didn't, was she really any better than Uncle Ernie?

"...anyway, that's how my first crush told me to my face that I was annoying when I was eleven. It didn't really matter to me, though. It was just another slump. Oh, and by the way, Carlos. I have a confession," Mira said.

"Hm?"

"Abel is about to break into Clarence Obel's mansion."

Carlos frowned at her.

"Don't believe me? Why don't we go an check it out, then?" Mira asked with a tired smile.

The League Trainer shot up, and then whistled louder than what Mira thought possible. Two League Trainers dropped from the sky, one on a Pidgeot and another on a Staraptor. There were more guards? Mira bit the inside of her lips and internally swore. This was going to get complicated, and fast.

"Go check on Clarence Obel's mansion," Carlos said. He seemed to be the one in charge. "I will remain here and make sure she doesn't slip away."

The two trainers— one man and a younger woman saluted and flew off.

"Can I go check it out? Pretty please?" Mira asked.

"Absolutely not."

Barely a minute later, he received a message on his Poketch. The unmelted half of his face twisted into a grimace.

"Looks like you were right, Mira. They're forming a perimeter in hopes of trapping him. I have a question for you, however," he said before pausing. "How did you know this?"

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Mira clenched her hands around the bench in order not to tremble. Carlos was terrifying when he wanted to be, and his way of peering over her made her wish she could just disappear. A cold feeling rushed down her spine as the ghost that always clung above his shoulder made its presence known. Gardevoir placed a hand on her arm and pulled her back, standing in between them.

Do not pressure her, she said, adding Carlos to their mental link. We were following a man and weren't sure if it was him or not until we came to the conclusion that he owned a Ditto.

"There you have it," Mira shrugged, regaining her composure.

The mansion feels empty, as if it's slowly disappearing, Gardevoir said to only Mira. That must be the perimeter. They will attempt to stop him from Teleporting with dark types.

Would that mess up with Trace? Damn it, she was so close and it was falling apart.

It will, unless we get closer to the source. I sense fighting.

"Hey, Carlos," Mira sighed. "You know, I'm sorry for everything. Genuinely. I know you hated being assigned to me and that I made you work a bunch by being out every day instead of… being a normal girl, I guess."

"Hm?"

Gardevoir knew how to Teleport, but they hadn't practiced it that much, unlike with Alakazam. Carlos would react before she released Alakazam, and even if they got Gardevoir to release him instead, they'd need a few seconds to get him up to speed. Restraining him was out of the question from a morality standpoint. He'd been good to her, all things considered. He might not have talked much, but he listened to Mira's rants, her rage after days of no progress.

Her crying.

Do not fret. I shall go there myself and Trace his path. Interference will make this jump a hassle, but I believe I can at least manage to get up to the mansion. I only need to be slightly closer…

Before Mira knew it, Gardevoir was gone. Carlos grimaced, but he surprisingly didn't do anything. Was he taking pity on her? No, he wasn't the kind of man to do that. Maybe he still didn't know about Trace and thought Mira was lashing out like a child, but would ultimately realize nothing could be done.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Mira," he said. "Eventually, you're going to get too close to the sun."

"Maybe."

"No. It is not a maybe, it is a certainty. Look at my face, kid. This is what happens when you're young and you think nothing can happen to you. That you're on top of the world."

"How'd you get those, anyway?" Mira asked.

"Does it matter how exactly? I got a big head and got hit, that's all you need to know."

She paused. "I guess so."

"I sympathize with your goal, Mira, but Sinnoh's safety takes priority."

"Maybe I should just give up, then, huh?" She tiredly said. "Maybe nothing I've worked toward these last four years mattered. I was so close. So damn close."

"Sometimes, you have to let go."

"I'll think about—"

Gardevoir appeared back at her side, and then she was somewhere else. It was only her fourth time Teleporting somewhere, but it felt as natural as breathing to her. Not that it was that difficult, since it was instant with no drawbacks unless the Pokemon that did so messed up and got you killed.

"Where are we?" Mira asked, looking around. It only took a second for her to realize where she was. "Oh, wait, this is my room."

Gardevoir had brought her back to the Pokemon Center that had been neatly arranged by Alakazam. Mira collapsed on her bed and stared at the ceiling. It seemed to be higher than ever.

"That could have gotten me killed. What if I got Teleported inside of a wall?"

I was confident I would succeed. I felt it, in fact. I would never let such a fate befall you.

"Alakazam would be angry if he knew."

He would, Gardevoir chuckled. Abel has fled the scene. I do not know where he is exactly, but I know the general direction. I believe that I can track him down, but you will have many League Trainers on your tail. I recommend releasing the rest of team to get them up to speed, dear.

"Gotcha," she sniffled. "You do some damn good work, Gardevoir. It'd be too obvious, so I doubt my room's the first place they'll look, so we should have a few minutes, at least."

Anything for you.

Mira wiped away her tears. She'd been so close to giving up just then, and the thought alone made her want to burst into tears. She had worked too hard to throw it all away. Mira grabbed her Pokemon and released them. Haunter, Magnezone, Alakazam, and even little Porygon joined in. Mira sniffled, then took a deep breath.

"We've got a lead on Team Galactic, and I have very little time to explain, so Gardevoir will take over for me."

Haunter's tongue lolled out of his mouth and he licked his lips while Magnezone shot him an annoyed look and buzzed at Porygon. The normal type let out a cute beep and got on top of Magnezone's head.

Alakazam shot the fairy type a suspicious look. It would be best if you could explain in a way that does not disappoint me.

Settle down, Alakazam. You know I would not endanger her.

We have different definitions of endangering. You feel things while I think like a rational being, Alakazam said. Go ahead.

We tracked down Abel using Trace, and he has Teleported somewhere with Clarence Obel. I can feel him around the Game Corner, but if I get closer, I know I will find his exact location.

This is idiotic—

I am not finished. First of all, before he Teleported away, I felt a bright emotion coming from him. Pain. It is still radiating off from the east.

Mira's expression twisted into a grin. Abel was wounded, and that meant they had a better chance to catch him off-guard.

Second, his Pokemon were also hurt, although I do not know to what extent. There were so many emotions jumbled there that it was hard to tell, especially with how many dark type moves were thrown around, so this one is not a certainly, since I was only focusing on Abel and not them.

"So we've got a chance, then," Mira nodded. "But wait, Alakazam. We aren't actually going to fight him. The goal for today is only to find his base. We won't actually go in so long as he's in there."

The psychic sighed. If you aren't going in, then I am willing to help. You must promise me that this is as far as you will go.

"I promise that I won't seek a fight I can't win," she said, her tone resolute. "I will not throw my life away."

A hint of a smile flashed on Gardevoir's face. Haunter cackled, his ghostly form wrapping around Mira's arm as the poison harmlessly washed off of her. Magnezone's magnets twisted in agreement while Porygon's head bobbed up and down.

Very well, Alakazam sighed.

"Thank you. Can you Teleport me somewhere you've been, then?" Mira asked. "They might be downstairs."

—

The problem with having pink hair was that Mira stood out. She stood out a lot. She couldn't help but turn around every few seconds, expecting Carlos to be here and scold her into next Thursday. Fortunately for her, however, he was nowhere to be seen. Still, League Trainers were starting to get agitated, so it was only a matter of time until someone got their hands on her.

I know it now. He is in here, somewhere on the upper floors, Gardevoir said.

Mira breathed out a sigh of relief. It had taken almost an hour for her to pinpoint Abel's location.

We can leave now, then? Alakazam said, twirling his mustache. We got what we needed.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can go," she nodded. "Thank you for agreeing with this."

Alakazam levitated one of his spoons out of his hand and ruffled her hair. I know how important this is to you, child. Just know that you are cared for. Even the ghost likes you.

"Hey, Haunty's a nice fellow," she smiled. "You just dislike him because he wants to play all the time."

His definition of play is skewed, Gardevoir said. Also, may I also… perhaps…

Mira chuckled as the fairy type hesitantly lifted a hand.

"Go ahead, goofball!" She exclaimed, angling her head forward. Gardevoir's soft hands gently patted her head, unlike Alakazam's rough handling.

Did you see it, Alakazam?! I did it! I did it!

Oh, Legendaries, he rolled his eyes. Spare me your celebrations!

"Come on, guys. Let's go apologize to Carlos before—"

Mira stopped herself when Gardevoir placed a hand on her shoulder, her soft eyes having grown confused.

Abel is gone. He is further away now— so far that I cannot sense him.

"Wait, he's— he's gone?" Mira exclaimed. "Where the hell did he go? Another base, maybe? Did he know we were here somehow and escape?! He must have Teleported away."

I couldn't feel any panic, just general anxiety before he left.

"If he's gone…" Mira muttered. "Could we go and check it out?"

Mira—

"He's not here, Alakazam. We can at least see what's inside," she interrupted. "The only risk is if he Teleports back and catches us off-guard, but we'll be alert at all times."

If it is what you wish.

Mira bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

She knew he disapproved, but it was what needed to be done. She could have called for help from her friends, and maybe some of them would have helped, but she didn't want to involve them in this. Not when their lives would be at stake.

Plus, there was the possibility of them snitching too. No, it was best to do this alone.

Abel's hideout was in a well-off apartment building, but when they entered, they realized that the inside looked decrepit and uninhabited. The ground was littered with dust, dirt, old newspapers, broken glass, and everything she could think of. For such a nasty-looking place to be near the Game Corner… well, it looked pretty from the outside, at the very least. Alakazam swore when he stepped on a shard, but apart from that, they kept going. Gardevoir directed them up the stairs and led them to a door in the deepest parts of the third floor.

Could she feel anything in there?

One man, she answered.

Yes, one man is correct, Alakazam nodded.

He is terrified. It is probably Clarence Obel, she said.

It is definitely Clarence Obel, he corrected.

Stop correcting me.

"It's just Clarence, then," Mira muttered.

They could go in, free him and hand him back to the League, along with studying whatever it was that Abel kept in his hideout. If she rescued Mr. Obel, then at least that'd make her actions a bit easier to swallow. She was already in too deep to stop. There was no way she'd be allowed to go anywhere with a psychic type out of their Pokeball after this, so the best course of action was to go inside. Mira released Magnezone and Haunter appeared behind her. Gardevoir held out her hand before she even gave the order and forced the door open. Splinters exploded forward with a loud crash and all three of them stepped into the room.

Clarence was tightly bound on the dirtied floor. He shook like a madman when he saw her. She froze for a second, but the gears in her head began to spin.

"I'm here with the League to save you, Mr. Obel!" She smiled, rushing to his side.

What are you doing? Alakazam yelled in her head.

She mentally asked Gardevoir to tell him just to roll with it for now. The teenager ungagged Clarence, who took a few deep breaths as tears, snot and spit streamed down his face.

"Oh, thank the Legendaries! Untie me, please!" He yelled.

"Wait, first I need to know where Abel is," she lifted a finger. "There is the possibility that you cooperated with him to escape, after all. You've worked together before."

"As if I—"

"Tell me, or you might share your friend Harvey Bianchi's fate. The prisons of the Lily of the Valley Island are pretty bad, I hear. It'd be a shame when you've been living in a mansion all this time."

He froze, and then Mira knew she had him. A person as young as she working for the League wasn't unheard of, but it should have alerted him. She wasn't even in a League Trainer uniform. Clarence was too scared to think for even a second.

"He said he had a meeting with Team Galactic! He Teleported away a few minutes ago with his Xatu, I don't know where it's taking place!"

She had it. She fucking had it. After looking for a gateway to meeting her uncle for so long, she was no longer chasing after a dream. She was making it a reality.

No! Not yet. Mira couldn't rest on her laurels, not when there was still information that she needed to gather before making sure that she could trap him here. She couldn't go into a fight she couldn't win without risking herself and her Pokemon.

Ask him about his wounded Pokemon, Gardevoir asked.

She had been about to. "Are his Pokemon hurt? I wasn't assigned to protecting your mansion, but apparently he was wounded before bringing you here. Is that true?"

Your acting could use some work, she commented.

Silence and let her focus, you damned fool! Alakazam yelled.

"He got stabbed by something on the left side of his waist, and he was so hurt that he almost passed out. His Shedinja fainted, his Mimikyu and Machamp are seriously hurt. Malamar and that strange dark type he calls Zazza are the only ones that came out of that battle unscathed," Clarence rambled. "I don't know about the rest, but he didn't use them to fight!"

"When he went to his meeting," Mira started. "Did he Teleport with one of his wounded Pokemon? For protection?"

"No, just his Xatu."

Mira's face twisted into a grin. Three wounded Pokemon, and two dark types that he couldn't Teleport back with. That was five Pokemon that were potentially taken out of the equation. If he hadn't gone to see Team Galactic with his wounded Pokemon, the odds of him coming back with them in a place he considered safe enough to dump Clarence in were—

Extremely low, especially after a victory such as this one, Alakazam finished. Gardevoir has been feeding me on your thought process. You have learned well, but you are missing a key piece. Ask him about his Xatu's capabilities. It will be the only Pokemon he comes back with, and I already know that you want to trap him now that all of this information is confirmed.

Mira's eyes widened at the fact that he was okay with that.

Our chances of success are high. It is a battle you will win, especially when Abel is wounded. The constant pain will make him sloppy, Gardevoir said.

That was true enough, she thought, before asking the psychic type to thank Alakazam again for her.

"His Xatu," Mira said. "How good is it?"

"Does it matter? You're a damned League Trainer! Just take him down and send him to the slammer!"

"Answer me," she hissed.

Haunter's cold breath brushed up against Clarence's face, and he recoiled in terror.

"When I bought his services months ago… he told me that he only had five Pokemon capable of battling. He didn't say what they were, but now I know, and you should too. He used them all during the fight."

"Okay."

Mira sat on Clarence's body and slapped his face. He yelped.

"Why— what are you doing—"

She slapped him again, although her hits weren't very effective because of how physically weak she was. "That one was for your daughter. I'm in charge here, you prick. Shut up and watch. Gardevoir, when he Teleports back, you restrain him. Alakazam, you focus on Xatu. Haunter, choke her out so she can't concentrate on fighting back. Magnezone, you zap the shit out of her. Stay alert, he can be here any second. When we have him, I'll ask him questions about Team Galactic."

The key was to pretend to give him a way out of this mess, along with the feeling of time constraints to pressure him. Abel was a man with principles, but he was a rational person at heart, just like she was. His honor would fly out the window if it was to save his own skin.

"Say, Clarence. Why is it that you hate your daughter so much?"

"Who even are you?! You aren't a League Trainer! Everything I did, I did for her own good—"

"You aren't listening to me," she sighed. "I'm wondering if I should just leave you to Abel after all."

Of course, she was lying, but his squirming and begging was music to her ears. Six minutes later, Abel appeared. Her entire team sprung to action, restraining him and knocking out his Xatu. She reasoned with him, gave him all the facts, and he was ready to cooperate.

Just as she had predicted.

"What do you want to know?" He sighed.

She answered with a sheepish grin. "Now that was easy, wasn't it?"