~A few years later
“Lucian, wake the fuck up. Boss wants to see you. I’m pretty sure some of the Flute boys were down by the dock stirring shit up.”
I wake up, bleary eyed, to Tom’s skinny ass prodding me.
“The fuck, man. I’m up, I’m up!” I sit up on the cot and put my feet on the ground and sigh. “And it’s too early for all this hoodrat shit. What’d he say?”
“Just to come get you.” Tom replied. “I don’t know anything else, but if I had to guess, they were probably asking about the latest shipment.”
“Ight. Get out and round up Jerry and Crystal and meet me outside the harbor warehouse. Don’t start any shit till I get there.”
Tom nods as I start getting changed. I swing on my large purple hoodie, black sweats and beret, with a purple and white bandanna around my neck, repping the Sugar House gang colors as usual. I look in the mirror to make sure I look alright. A little of my black hair sticks out under the beret, just the way I like it.
I sigh as I put on my running shoes and grab my skateboard out the door. If it was the Flute boys, odds are it was Rook pokin around with some of his grunts. And it was probably gonna come down to a battle.
As I exit, I make my way towards the team’s hideout by the contest hall. Roquelle put it there because all the business the gang does with betting on the Normal and Super rank contests. And it’s lucrative too. People from regions halfway across the world have heard of the Lilycove contest hall. Sinnoh claims to have created the contest format to begin with, so whoever claims the Lilycove’s master ribbon is the closest thing Coordinators have to a Pokemon World Champion. Not that we could or would ever touch the master or even hyper contests. But, since we got 2 of the 3 judges on the cut for the normal and super contests…. Well, it just so happens that our betting house makes a little more than other. Maybe a little bit more than a little.
I skateboard down Main St. down past Town hall. Downtown Lilycove from business district to the Contest hall is all bright and happy vibes. All the officers the city has mainly stick to patrolling around here, and there’s a tacit agreement among all the roaming crews for no fights break out here and no one claims turf around here. It’d be too hot to claim anyways.
After a quick 15 minute jaunt, I finally make it to the crib. Pete’s Premium Pokeblock Palace looked exactly like you’d imagine it to be. Giant Purple letters adorn the storefront, trying to attract customers. The doorbell rings as I enter in. I swing past two customers and nod to the clerk. In the old days it used to just be Ming manning the storefronts back when I was lil, back when it was Ming’s meals and our whole outfit was small. Now, the store had 3 huge additions at this site, and we opened one downtown and just last week, the one down in the harbor district.
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I snag a candy bar from one of the shelves and head past storage down to boss’s office.
“Yo, boss. You called?” I sit at one of the chairs in front of his desk and start eating the bar.
Nico is a tall and wiry unassuming man. As usual he’s wearing his trademark dull gray suit with a purple bowtie and handkerchief. He looks up from his desk and takes stock of me.
“One of the youngsters saw Rook and a couple of the Flute boys’ grunts loitering around the Pete’s down in the harbor.” Nico says, glaring at me. “Are you handling it?”
“I found out about it literally 20 minutes ago. I’ll talk to Rook. Forcefully.” I say, thinking. “I already told Tom to get Jerry and Crystal.”
“No.” Nico’s eyes narrow. “The last thing we need is to start shit while this new business is getting done. I didn’t think I needed to explain this to you, especially given how much work you’ve put into setting all this up.”
God damn it. Nico is a great gang leader, but he’s always only focused on what we can lose rather than what there is to be gained.
“Nico, this shit cannot fly.” I lean forwards. “The harbor district needs to undisputedly be ours. If we look weak here, we can kiss all the pokedollars we-”
“Fuckin hell, Lucian.” Nico pinches the bridge of his nose. “Understand my point of view here. Understand what’s at fucking stake. Think of the long-term view.”
I fold my arms and meet his eyes.
“I always think of the long-term view. What do you pay me for? The Flute boys will always claim the harbor district. T won’t move himself to try and start a war for it, but now that we’ve made moves there, they’ll want to make their claim on it. Rook wouldn’t be aggressive without T’s approval.” I rush through it. “We’ve had a stalemate for years, it’s the new generation that sets up to be the difference makers here. If I make an example out of Rook, the flute boys won’t push for a fight for a battle they can’t win.”
“You’re an arrogant little shit, you know that. That’s a lot of respect you think you command.” Nico says.
I just smile back at him.
“Fine.” Nico sighs. “Have your kiddy spat with Rook. But handle it in a way that garners no escalation. I do not want to battle T again.”
“On it, chief. Who am I getting?” I ask.
“Taillow.”
Taillow! Nico had caught him like a month ago and he had barely gotten any experience in practice or trainer battles, much less a street fight.
“Nico, this is Rook we’re talking about, let me take Lotad at least.” I plead.
“I’m giving you the opportunity to make a statement here Lucian. You’ve been getting a lot done lately. All this new business needs someone to help run it. What better person to run than the one whose idea it was. Roquelle agrees with me.” Nico gets out of his chair. “But that’s if you keep your head on straight. So, get the job done with Taillow. Plus he needs the experience and he’s not gonna get that with me for now.”
“Fine. I’ll get the job done.” I take the pokeball he offers me and make to leave the office.
“Oh and Lucian? In case it wasn’t clear, kick his ass. Gangleader’s fuckin’ orders.”
I turn back to him and raise my purple bandanna from my neck to my face to make it my mask.
“Course boss. To me it’s just another day in the office.”