Burning light and jagged pain ruled over everything. Mechanical beeping and chimes rang out above him. Bo could do nothing to shield his limp body from the torture as he lay motionless. No matter how many times he experienced this, the sheer sense of helplessness always stunned and humbled him. Bo vaguely mused over the utter totality of this crippling condition, only to be brought out of contemplation as the world around him began to quake. The shaking ignited a new round of pain and forced an agonized groan from his mouth.
“Oh, shut up. I’m hungover too, you git.”
Dani’s grumble finally moved Bo to crack an eye open before wincing even at the dim light within the airplane. Turbulence continued to shake him painfully in his seat. Whatever pokemon was monitoring the wind around the plane obviously wasn’t concerned with granting the passengers a gentle trip. Floating above him, Rotobi seemed to be running a gacha game with the volume cranked obnoxiously up. Bo really hoped it was just using a demo version and hadn’t really attached his bank account to the game. Again.
Beside him, Dani was sprawled sloppily against the closed window, her own bloodshot eyes hidden by tinted glasses. He’d tried to get a pair of his own but Angel had refused to loan him his shades. Apparently, it was absolutely vital that the plump fairy looked stylish at all times now that Witch was around again.
“I still can’t believe we got banned from the whole region for a tiny bit of property damage,” he complained. “Who bans someone from an entire region for a tiny little brawl?”
“The same prick who forces two hungover trainers onto a plane without even a drink service to get some hair of the Growlithe. Fucking Nanu.”
“I’m just saying,” Bo continued without responding to his friend’s quip. “when we were in Kalos, I escaped from a freaking black site, accidentally attacked an ACE outpost, and got caught wandering around a terrorist hideout. They might hate me but I’m still technically allowed back there. It would probably mean a ridiculously intimate moment with border security without them even springing for dinner, but I can still do it.”
“Suck it up mate,” she yawned lazily at him. “Alola loves their Tapus. If they were to pick a fight with a toddler and end up sinking one of the islands, Alola will praise the Tapus’ restraint and that toddler would be the one getting patted downs at airports for the rest of their life.”
Their pointless banter was soon cut short while they both groaned as another round of turbulence shook the plane. Truthfully, Bo supposed that they were lucky Nanu hadn’t bothered to even question either of them about Po Town collapsing. Healing their pokemon and ushering them onto the first plane back to Kanto would have even qualified as a favor if the two of them weren’t in such a sorry shape. As is, any thank you the Kahuna was going to get would be as snarky as Bo could make it. Or even better, as snarky as Baron could make it.
He couldn’t really remember how long the brawl with the Tapus had gone on. He and Dani had had them on the ropes before Saber popped out of their ball and attacked. The sight of the supposedly cursed Legendary had sent the island guardians into a renewed frenzy. At their cries, it had seemed like the very forces of nature had warped around them to attack his and Dani’s teams. The ground sunk beneath them, the air cut them as they moved, thousands of minute droplets of water gathered within their lungs, even the light streaming down from the stars seemed to warp together in order to burn the Tapus’ foes.
The attacks seemed to completely ignore any defenses as they whittled down the various dark types. Seeing his team get decimated, Bo was sure that he would have panicked if he hadn’t been able to feel the guardians’ moods shift from anger to begrudging respect as the battle went on. Once the four guardians knocked out Angel and Witch, he and Dani had passed out from the backlash, only to be shaken awake by Nanu’s gaunt face.
‘Well, at least Baron held out the longest,’ Bo couldn’t help but think to himself. After all, it was thanks to his starter’s perseverance that they were flying towards Pallet rather than the Whirl Islands. The thought did make him glance over at his traveling companion though.
“Hey. Hey Dani,” he asked while nudging her slightly. She looked more likely to murder him than usual, but she did sit up and turn to glare at him. “I just wanted to ask, you are good with this right? They shoved us onto the plane so fast that we never really talked about it.”
“Haahh. Yeah, I’m good Skittles. We’re going to make you the best Gym Leader in Indigo or kill you trying. Murderville, here we come.”
“It’s Carmine Village, but thanks. You’ve never actually been there, huh?”
“Which is entirely unfair by the way. I showed you all around Ballonlea and every dangerous cranny of Glimwood Tangle. Carter and Emma showed us around Icirrus and the Dragonspiral. You, on the other hand, have reportedly been sitting on the backwoods version of Spikemuth and never once invited us.”
He went to answer when the intercom interrupted them both.
“ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS. WE HAVE REACHED THE MIDWAY POINT OF OUR FLIGHT. WE WILL BEGIN OUR DESCENT TO PALLET TOWN WITHIN TWO HOURS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE AT PELIPPER AIRLINES.”
“Welp,” Bo chirped happily-ish. “Looks like we’re going to fix that.”
*
They ended up touching down right as the sun was about to set. Disembarking the plane was a slightly less speedy process than boarding, but they still managed to collect their checked pokeballs and bags fairly quickly before heading for the exit. Without a word, Baron and Brute popped out and walked beside them. Witch would probably pop out once they were away from the crowd or to an area she could teleport away from. Bo always found it funny to watch crowds rapidly swerve away from the towering Grimmsnarl while still hovering to coo over Baron.
The Umbreon’s body was adorably tiny, showing no hint of the obscenely dense musculature held within. His well-kept coat alternated between the inkiest black and a shimmering gold. The canvas of black fur seemed to suck in light whilst the golden symbols seemed to glow even in the sterile airport light. The two tones combined only further enhanced the mesmerizing effect Baron had on people. Bo had to hold in a snort as one of the passerby was almost so entranced that they walked right into Brute. It was only the troll’s huffing snicker that alerted the careless spectator, causing him to yelp in alarm before scuttling off.
Bo shook his head in amusement and was just about to suggest finding an out of the way place for Angel to teleport them away when Dani stopped suddenly and pointed ahead of them. Towering over the scurrying airport crowd in a non-descript shirt and jacket, Carter waved at the two of them with a broad grin. A fierce-looking Houndoom stood by him, piercing eyes keeping watch on the surrounding crowd.
Dani, and definitely only Dani, let out a squeal of excitement at the sight and rushed over to him. She and Bo slammed into their large friend who agreeably wrapped them in a hug. Nearby, Brute and Baron greeted Apollo once he stepped around the group hug to meet them. Warm contentment surged through them all as they gathered together. If Bo held on a bit longer than necessary, reveling in the feeling as a three-year old weight finally lifted off him, no one said anything. He did finally brake off first to look up at Carter.
“I thought you were meeting us up in the mountains?”
“I was, but apparently one of you called Emma before getting shoved onto the plane and she miraculously came to the conclusion that you two would need these.” Carter answered, revealing a container holding two smoothies in his left hand. “Pecha and oran berry mix to wash out the hangover.”
“Aww!” Dani cried painfully loud before moving in to hug him tightly once more. “I missed you so much, my big strong Daddy!”
“Daddy!” Bo followed up quickly, also in as loud a voice as he could manage with his hangover while clinging to his large friend. “Dani really thought you might forget about us once you got married but I knew you still loved us Daddy! Oh, and your muscles are still so big!”
Carter sighed in resignation as the various onlookers gawked at the scene his friends were making. More than one old lady tutted loudly before pointedly looking away.
“I hate you both. Now get off me and drink your damn smoothies or I won’t show you any pictures of Reese and Maddie.”
“Fuck that, gimme!” Dani responded while quickly jumping back and snatching one of the smoothies. Bo moved more languidly but also eagerly started drinking the detoxifying drink offered to him. “Now, let me see my Arceus-babies mate. You and Em almost never post anything on the net, Reese has gotta be almost as tall as me by now.”
“You both post even less than I do. Last I checked, Reese is the one who taught you two how to use the pokenet in the first place.” Despite his grumbling, his face had split into a large grin as he flicked through his transceiver before pulling up several pictures. Bo and Dani spent more than a few seconds shoving at each other to see the various pictures of their honorary niece and nephew. Dani was right, Reese had started shooting up like a reed. Bo particularly loved the image of Reese posing proudly next to an adorably scowling canine pokemon that he recognized.
“Looks like Reese and Cake-Pop are still getting along. I also still can’t believe you let him name a Maschiff Cake-Pop, by the way.”
“Those two have been inseparable since you gave Reese his egg. As for the name, he is a baker’s kid. Once Emma and Maddie named Donut, he thought it made perfect sense for the next family member to be called Cake-Pop. Also, the little guy really loves cake-pops.”
“Boys and their dogs,” Dani said with an eye-roll. “Just as long as we’re clear that I’m getting Maddie her starter. She’ll look adorable with a little Impidimp or Hatenna and you won’t even have to worry about scaring off any horny teenagers. A couple ‘pranks’ from a properly raised forest fairy will get rid of the riffraff in no time.”
The three of them took joy in chatting about Carter’s kids and catching up on some of the smaller slices of their lives that had occurred over the last few years. Dani had taken surfing lessons. Because watching Witch learn to surf was funny and the instructor was hot. Yes, Carter was in fact serious about the man bun. Well, Emma had already married him so the two single idiots could suck it. Bo had finally finished his degree. Yes, a Bachelors in Treasure Hunting did count. Yes, it did Baron.
It was only once they had left the airport and walked outside that Carter quirked his eye upon catching sight of Bo’s wide grin and fidgeting posture. Answering the unspoken question, Bo couldn’t help but widen his smile as he locked eyes with his two companions.
“I’m good. It’s just that, it’s really hitting that this is the first time in three years all three of us are together again.”
As they processed his seemingly simple sentence, matching smiles began to grace their own faces. Hungry glints lit up within Dani and Carter’s eyes, so similar to one in his own wide gaze. Eager, low-pitched growls began sounding around them as the three mons picked up on their trainers’ eagerness. Carter was the first to break the silence.
“I think I saw a battle court a couple blocks over.”
*
Bo was visibly bouncing with excitement at the coming battle as he and his two dearest friends ringed around a small courtyard. Angel lounged easily next to Brute next to the midfield point while erecting a few barriers. Despite the late hour, a few local youngsters watched the group curiously, no doubt wondering about what three out-of-towners were doing in Pallet so late in the season. The court itself was nowhere near the spacious and high tech battle courts utilized in League circuits, but the small backyard-esque field certainly took him back. Perhaps thinking something similar, Dani spoke up while popping an Ultra Ball from one of her casual vests.
“Skittles, you mentioned you had a newbie on you, right? Carter, any chance you have yours with you?”
“Ah, I got you. Probably don’t want to be messing up a public field our first day in the region. Besides,” the massive man answered while plucking the second pokeball he carried from his belt. “Regina has been dying for a real battle and the rest of the team can only hold back so much.”
“On three?” Bo asked as he grabbed Fay’s ball. Her spirit lit up at the opportunity to show off in front of the two she had heard so many stories about. There was also more than a little bit of competitiveness leaking out of her spirit. Bo knew more than anyone that she was growing steadily, but she herself often felt out of place amongst his stronger pokemon. This would be the perfect chance for her to prove herself.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Count us down Brute,” Dani called while shaking out her arms in anticipation.
“Grim.”
A deep chuckle rumbled in Carter’s chest as he leaned forward.
“Snarrl.”
Bo felt the rest of the world dim around him as he focused fully on the court before him.
“Grimmsnarl!”
“Show time, Fay!” / “Floragato!”
“Wreck’em, Bancho!” / “Pancham!”
“You got this, Regina!” / “Vullaby!”
As the three mons burst onto the field, Bo’s gaze swept over them. As per usual, Fay couldn’t resist appearing in a dramatic pose as though waiting for her adoring audience to applaud. Indeed, it did seem that she had caused the gathered watchers to stir with interest. Vullaby and Pancham were already somewhat rare to see in Kanto, but as the Paldean League had only recently joined the International League and a starter from there would never have been seen before. Despite the frivolity, her antics still made him crack a smile, especially upon noting her ears twitching back and forth while her fur bristled around her. He knew it was a sure sign that she was excited despite her efforts to appear calm and aloof.
Carter’s Vullaby was also clearly young but certainly the most threatening at the moment. She was plumper than most Vullaby, and the bone diaper surrounding her torso was thick, well-carved and free of any cracks. Upon landing on the field, she immediately hunkered down in a practiced defensive stance while keeping her two opponents in view. Carter had obviously ensured she had strengthened her lower body from the get go even if he was no longer battling competitively.
Dani’s Pancham, on the other hand, bounced eagerly from foot to foot with obvious energy. Bo wasn’t too familiar with the species, but, if his memory was right, it was a bit stouter than the species average. The fur coat was also sleek and shiny with clear care. The adorable bear appeared the most nervous of the three but it didn’t stop it from raising two diminutive fists into a boxing stance. Bo knew from Dani’s love of the sport that this particular one was referred to as south paw.
These observations raced rapidly through his mind before he snapped to a quick decision. His bond with Fay was shakier than with his other partners but he still managed to nudge her spirit in the right direction.
“Quick, go low,” he said calmly.
“Guard.”
“Iron.
“Taunt.”
“Flatter, darling.”
“Go wild Fay!”
The young pokemon snapped into motion at the three’s rapid commands. Fay went from a standing pose to a blurring sprint in a blink. The green feline leaned near parallel to the ground as she raced towards the Vullaby, angling to sweep into the bird’s back legs. Bo felt a surge of pride as she used her low stance to carefully trail her claws across the ground, a sharp glint building in her eyes. Teaching her to use Hone Claws while running at that speed had been hard work but well worth it. She was a breath away from connecting when Bancho snapped in front of her. With a practiced motion, the Pancham grabbed Fay before twisting and tossing her past Regina.
Meanwhile, the Vullaby herself didn’t bother to move from her spot as she began to shine like polished steel. In response, Dani quickly tried to shut down Carter calling for any further status moves. Regina proved too quick though, as her confident expression suddenly turned awed and adoring while chirping in a preening tone. Whatever insults the fighting type had been intending to fling at her dissolved into sputtering as it distractedly bit down on its own tongue.
Bo leapt on their distraction to signal for Fay to use her most powerful move. It tired out the younger pokemon too much for her to use it often, but it was perfect for this situation. The lithe cat smirked happily before flicking her arms out decisively. Razor sharp flower petals burst out from the Floragato’s sleeves and flew towards both of her opponents. The Petal Blizzard unfortunately didn’t faze the sturdy Vullaby, but the whirling petals sent Dani’s Pancham tumbling back. Bo felt his lips twitch in a smile as they landed the first blow but he tempered it when he saw Carter smiling.
“Spray shot Toxic Regina,” Carter called, content to ignore the attack sent their way. In response, the diapered bird whipped up a quick Gust before coughing up a spray of poison into the wind. The Gust itself wasn’t strong enough to do any damage but it easily caught and flung the dangerous poison out over the field. Unable to dodge, both Fay and Bancho winced as several sizzling drops rained down on them. Bo noticed Dani mirroring his own grimace. They were on the clock now.
Bo’s grimace quickly turned to a surprised smile as Fay whipped the small rose she held out towards the unprepared Vullaby. Another Toxic flew out of the sweeping flower towards the flying type. They had been working on learning Copycat with the help of a student at Uva that specialized in eeveelutions, but so far it was a hit or miss move. Unfortunately, Carter hadn’t skimped on Regina’s training either. She didn’t attempt to knock the poison back but rather used another quick Gust to send herself tumbling backwards with a giggle. Fay’s Toxic landed harmlessly on the ground in front of the bird.
“No time to screw around Bo. Bancho, Work Up and Low Sweep,” Dani called out as her Pancham broke out of its confusion and sprang back into the fray. Bo nodded slightly as he reached out to calm his frustrated grass type. Doubling up on Carter wasn’t particularly sporting but Fay and Bancho’s poisoned condition had put them on a timer. If he and Dani wasted anytime on each other, Carter could just wait them out.
“Box her in Fay. Use Quick Attack. Keeping honing in.”
“Tailwind, love. Duck and dodge. Kite as you can.”
Fay raced forward once again, this time looping around to try and press the Vullaby towards Dani’s Pancham. She charged in from the side towards the baby bird but a rapidly growing wind lifted Regina up and to the side, turning Fay’s charge into a glancing blow while easily looping around Bancho. At the same time, the Vullaby started whipping up a continuous Gust as she dodged. The gale of wind started buffeting into the other two pokemon to great effect and ruined any hope of switching to ranged attacks.
Worse, Bo could feel the poison starting to take its toll on his pokemon even as she quickly gathered her strength for another Quick Attack. Hone Claws would eventually heighten Fay’s perception enough to land a hit, but they didn’t have the time to let the game of tag play out if they wanted to win. Taking in the plump flying type’s deceptively agile movements himself, Bo focused in on the slight eddies the blowing Tailwind made in the air before pushing his spirit out towards Fay. As precisely as he could, he used his aura to try and direct the Floragato’s next attack without tipping off Carter.
He held his breath in anticipation as Fay charged forward once more. Regina twirled out of the way of the Quick Attack, but Bo’s face twitched into a smile as the feline didn’t even stumble this time. Instead, her charge carried her past her opponent and towards the edge of the battlefield. Limberly leaping and twisting, Fay landed feet first into the wall formed by Angel’s screen before shooting off it and into Regina’s unguarded back.
Bo wanted to cheer for his pokemon, but had to repress a sigh as the little grass type ended her attack by striking another dramatic pose. At least his little show off connected first he mused to himself. The rebounding Acrobatics had staggered Regina forward and straight into Bancho’s sliding kick. The bolstered Low Sweep nailed the squat bird’s ankle and sent her tumbling. The Pancham quickly rose back up and circled around Regina as Fay ceased posing and helped pin her in. Bo felt a surge of excitement as he felt the battle enter the final stage, one way or another.
“Iron Defense!”
“Ice Punch”
“Thunder Punch.”
Bo noticed that Regina’s own wild smile seemed to mimic Carter’s as she braced herself against the incoming attacks. Glimmering like steel and with her head tucked as low into her bone shell as possible, the flying type rocked as two diminutive fists, one shimmering with a cold light and one sparking with electricity, slammed into her. The two super effective blows clearly hurt her, but her sturdy defenses allowed her to endure.
““Go!”” Dani and Bo shouted in unison as their two pokemon pulled back to attack once more, the trainer’s spirits quivering with effort to drive the pokemon forward. The two TM moves might have been perfect for fighting a flying type but neither of the pokemon had the needed experience to use them as quickly and efficiently as they would eventually. Feeling a tingling echo of the poison type energy that was rapidly boiling up within Fay’s veins and lungs, Bo knew they wouldn’t be able to last past this next attack. Carter’s next call sent his heart hammering though.
“Roost.”
Spouting a victorious expression, the plump Vullaby simply flopped onto the ground with a sigh. With the regenerative move completely using up her flying typing and the other two unable to switch moves fast enough, both Fay’s Thunder Punch and Bancho’s Ice Punch easily knocked Regina back but didn’t pack enough power to knock her out. As the diapered bird gleefully rolled away from the impact, the black furred bear and green toned cat dropped limply to the ground, unconscious.
“Grimmsnarl!” Brute called decisively as he pointed towards the victors while the spectators cheered. In the short time the battle had taken, the crowd had grown from just a few local kids to a dozen youngsters yelling excitedly. Bo and Dani returned their partners with a few whispers of praise and antidote sprays before turning towards Carter. Without bothering to look, Bo knew Dani’s face mirrored his own.
‘Damn, it’s good to be together again,’ Bo thought while a smile split his face in two.
*
“Alright, at ease,” the man’s clipped voice rang out with a sharp tone of expectation, though the man himself didn’t show any outward reaction to the fact that only two of the five figures before him had to change positions in the first place. Inwardly, he felt a stab of irritation at the slapdash crew of men and woman before him. Oh, they had the look of seasoned veterans alright, all weathered musculature and steely eyed confidence, but only two of them would have been recognizable as a ranger without their uniform. The rest looked more like the local thugs, with their slouched stances, open smirks, and complete disregard for proper boot polishing.
Ranger Leader Nolan Cabe had been with the Ranger Union’s Pewter City branch since he signed up at the age of fourteen. Putting in the real work to stand out to the higher ups, leaping on high profile missions and rising through the ranks, he should have been sitting in a central command with the other shot callers, but he had been shunted to his current posting years ago and left there. Finally, though, he had an opportunity to correct this, even if he had to pull some strings to get a few ringers onboard. “I’ll keep it short. As of now, I’m authorizing your official leave of absence. I expect all of you to stay sharp though, and yes Wilson, that means I expect you to skip the bars tonight. We’ve got training scheduled starting tomorrow at 6:00 AM sharp, and all of you are to be there on time.”
Nolan had to hold in a tsk of annoyance as two of them rolled their eyes, while Wilson laughed. Those three would never have made it into the Ranger Union in the first place if Nolan hadn’t personally hired them for their skills. Ever since, the ungrateful louts had made nuisances of themselves, sometimes even publicly, causing Nolan a large amount of grief. They would be useful for his needs though, as long as they knew their place.
Leveling his practiced glare at them, Nolan stared them down imperiously. “I don’t recall saying anything funny,” he spat. “You will show up on time for training or I’ll find somebody else in need of a resume polish. Don’t think any of you are irreplaceable and don’t think any of you are getting another job after the rangers if I blacklist you.”
Seeing the three chuckleheads finally slump in defeat while the other two’s faces tightened in anger but stayed quite. Those two had been with him for a while, and Nolan knew they needed this just as much as he did. “Good, dismissed.”
Leaning back as the rangers left his office in silence, Nolan tucked away a few documents back into his cabinet. A few minutes later, Nolan rose up from his desk to do a quick check around the office before filing his own leave. Stopping at the mirror on the wall, he gave a quick check that his uniform was still in perfect form before sneering at the crumpled & abused picture taped to the left of the mirror and leaving his office. He only made it a few steps before he paused upon picking up the nearby words spoken by one the department’s Operators.
“No. No, I understand your concern for your child’s safety,” Jules said with a carefully patient voice. “I’m just trying to explain that we specifically can’t help you. The Pewter Rangers don’t have jurisdiction within Mt. Moon itself, we only have authority extending up to Route 3. If you feel your son is in need of assistance, you need to contact the Carmine patrol organization. If a regular patrol hasn’t already found them, they can send a rescue team to track them down… Carmine Village, it’s a village located towards the top of the mountain and has jurisdiction over the Mt. Moon area… No, to be clear they are not rangers. There are no official rangers authorized to operate within Mt. Moon… It’s a jurisdiction issue. You can find the contact details for the Carmine patrol officers… No, do not under any circumstances hire someone to fly up to Mt. Moon. There are very specific licenses needed to fly there… I understand. Quick question though, do you care about getting killed by territorial dragons for flying over their nests? Cause that tends to happen... Good day to you too. I’m glad the Pewter Rangers could assist you- and you’re already gone you insufferable jerk.”
“Operator!” Nolan barked out from behind her. Rather than startle or bother looking ashamed, the normally put-together woman leaned back with a groan before swiveling to face her boss.
“Yes sir?” she asked dully.
“Care to explain that call?”
“Some friend of a friend of a councilman’s son went diving deeper into the mountain and hasn’t checked in in a few weeks. I’ll pass it along to the Moon clan’s patrol corps. The guy just didn’t like hearing that there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Ignoring her casual tone, Nolan himself huffed angrily at her words. “There should be. It’s perfectly reasonable for respected citizens to not want to leave their loved ones’ safety in the hands of those half-cocked wannabes Moon has doing our jobs. Mt. Moon needs real rangers. Men and woman with the training and experience to uphold the responsibilities entrusted to them. This is why I keep reporting to Central tha–”
“Sir,” the Operator quickly cut off her boss’s familiar rant whenever Mt. Moon came up. “It’s not our Mankey. Besides, the Moon clan’s patrols and rescue results are consistent with leading ranger teams across the region. I’ve looked through the statistics myself.”
“Oh really, Operator?” Cabe asked sarcastically. “Those the same statistics showing the death tolls for all the people that wonder into ‘danger zones?’ Moon practically labeled the whole mountain a restricted area so that they can write off any accidents that occur. He’s hiding something, I just know it. The League should have never handed control back to Moon.”
“Oh, yes, I’m sure they should have left it under your command sir,” the Operator agreed emotionlessly while not looking at him, causing the ranger to grimace as though in physical pain. Once, for a brief period of time during Nolan’s successful rise up the ranks, the League had in fact stripped the Moon clan of their authority over the mountain area and entrusted the Ranger Union with its safety. Nolan himself had volunteered to take command over the new operations. The results had been… less than optimal. Old Man Moon’s interfering and some bad actors up the chain of command at the time had been to blame, but Nolan was still paying the price. “By the way sir, didn’t I see you and a couple others were going on leave soon. You’ll be gone for a few months, yes?”
Hearing her words, a slow smile returned to Nolan’s face as he nodded slowly before leaning in conspiratorially. “Something like that. Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about though. I’ll let you in on a little secret though. Change is coming.”
The Operator nodded back slowly in appropriate awe bordering on incredulity at his words but didn’t ask any further questions as he started walking back towards his office. Unknown to her, the Operator’s words had helped cheer him up. When he and his handpicked troops won the Indigo Pillars Tournament, the League would have to allow him a bit of leeway, even if it was just for public image. It might mean working with those ingrates for a while longer, but he would finally leave this dead-end post, and it would all be worth it once Mt. Moon finally had a capable warden once again. Not to mention, being able to shove it down that arrogant, slovenly, Slaking-headed Old Man Moon.
“Sir, sir,” a nervous voice coming from behind Nolan broke him from his thoughts right as he entered his office. Turning, he saw one of the newer recruits approaching him with an anxious look on his face and a stack of papers clasped in his hands.
“Make it quick. I’m on leave in the next five minutes. After that, you’ll need to take it up with Richards.”
“Yes sir. Uh, there’s a missive from the Moon clan that needs your sign off. It’s well, it came in by fax a couple of weeks ago.”
Scowling angrily at the child’s words, Nolan quickly snatched the papers away from him. “Why the blazes am I only getting this now then?”
The young man gulped nervously before answering. “Well, it came by fax sir, and well, none of us knew we had a fax machine?”
Too put upon to curse out the young man, the senior ranger simply scanned the documents quickly. Hopefully, whatever the bushy-bearded bastard wanted was simple enough to leave to Richards. Looking over the papers though, Nolan felt his eyes raise slightly and his teeth clamp together. The paper themselves were a standard notification that he’d seen dozens of times before, designed to let the Ranger Union know when particularly dangerous species of pokemon were going to be brought into the area. Apparently, Princess, a second Tyranitar, and two foreign Legendaries were being moved into the Mt. Moon area.
That was bad enough. That freaking “Princess” was the very reason the rangers had to so often remind people that they couldn’t fly over Mt. Moon. Whenever she was in the area, she chased down any unknown flyers, sometimes all the way back to Pewter even. The slideshows of the aftermath shown to new recruits had led to more than a few upset stomachs painting the headquarters’ walls. Having more dangerous pokemon to contend with would only be worse. The real problem though, was the estimated duration printed out at the very bottom of the memo.
Indefinitely.
Princess would be returning to Mt. Moon indefinitely. Which meant Rainbow Moon would be returning to Mt. Moon indefinitely. Presumably with trainers bringing a Tyranitar and two Legendaries... Two and a half months before the start of the Indigo Pillars Tournament. Crumbling the papers into his fist, Nolan’s guttural growl sent the rookie scurrying back despite not being dismissed. Looking up to the picture taped to his wall, Nolan Cabe glared wildly at the beady eyes of Old Man Moon smirking back at him. A few seconds later, quite a few heads, some surprised and some all too understanding, poked their heads around as an angry shout echoed around the building.
“Arceus-fucking Mooooon!”