Oliver breathed in deeply upon exiting the venue, the sharp January air filling his lungs pleasantly. So many scents mingled on the bustling streets of Castelia City that he found it impossible to determine where any of them originated. Well, some of them are definitely coming from there, he thought, peering at a continuous plume of steam rising dubiously from the grated sewer port.
Thankfully, there’s been a change of plans.
He hadn’t been looking forward to aimlessly wandering the sewers in his attempt to reach Castelia Park, something his teammate Vick vouched was possible, claiming to have reached the Park from the sewers a few years back. Well, his Vaporeon is as much proof as I need, Oliver thought, a smile spreading across his face as he recalled the sporty Bubble Jet Pokémon. Vick’s Vaporeon was their team’s unofficial mascot and often joined them in the pool during practices. Outswimming everyone, that majestic bastard.
Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring!
Oliver glanced down at his Rotom phone, hoping no one in Nimbasa suddenly needed him.
“Rotom, who is it?”
“Bzzt – incoming call from an UnKnOWn nUmBeR – bzzt,” Rotom’s autotuned voice sang out with concern.
“It’s alright Rotom, put them through, thanks.”
A moment later an unfamiliar voice bridged the gap.
“Hello? Is this Oliver Phlox?” A man asked, the slightest hint of a Nacrene accent coming through.
“Speaking, who is this?”
“Hey Oliver, it’s Burgh. Mr. Randall tells me you’d like to explore Castelia Park tomorrow?”
“Leader Burgh! It’s good to hear from you. Yes, I’d love that. Is it possible?” Oliver replied, his breath catching in his throat.
“Possible? Yes, quite. The mayor and I keep it closed to the public, something of a precaution against over-capture of our rarer species. Are you hoping to catch a Pokémon, then?” Burgh inquired without missing a beat.
Oliver drew in a quick breath and held it for a moment. “Honestly? Yes. I’ve been dreaming of partnering with an Eevee for a long time now.” There, I’ve confirmed Randall’s suspicions. At least I’ve still got the sewers if they rescind the offer, Oliver thought defiantly.
“I see. Well, luckily for you our Eevee numbers have been rebounding lately, ever since we installed new reinforced steel grates in the Park’s sewer connections. Can you believe those delinquents were desperate enough to wade through sludge? We finally realized what was happening from the tracks they left.” Burgh laughed cheerily.
“Oh, uhm, no. That’s so gross.” Oliver managed. “So, it’s OK if I capture an Eevee then?” Shit, shit, shit. Closed the sewers? This is my only option now.
“I… think we can work something out,” Burgh replied sheepishly, “But it has to be a male. The females are even rarer so we’ll need them to remain, you know, for birds and Combee purposes,” he laughed.
“Excellent! Hey, I, uh, don’t actually have a Pokémon yet…” Oliver started.
“No?” Burgh sounded a bit surprised by that. “Well, no worries, I can help you out. Listen, I heard you’re heading back to Nimbasa tomorrow evening to finish out the water polo season. Any chance you can help me out tonight? You know, the whole you scratch my back I scratch yours thing?” Burgh replied playfully.
Oliver came to a stop and narrowed his eyes. “What did you have in mind?”
“Come by my gym now, is that acceptable? There’s a few people I’d like you to meet.” Burgh sounded absolutely giddy.
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“You want me to do what?” Oliver could feel his cheeks flushing already.
“Life drawing study. It’s simple, my class is going to sketch you. I just need you to stand on that pedestal for 40 minutes… naked.” Burgh was rocking back and forth on his heels, giving his fingernails a scrutinizing glance.
The bastard even sounds bored, as if he asks strangers to strip for him every day. I’ve been nothing but meat for the Mandibuzz in this city. But if it gets me to Eevee… Oliver rubbed at his temples.
“Fine, I’ll do it. But no pictures and not a minute over 40,” Oliver accepted through gritted teeth.
“Great, ah! Right there. Remember that pose, the brooding look suits you. The class will start in an hour, until then feel free to look around this floor. Oh! And careful not to open the pods,” Burgh gestured towards the giant cocoon structures situated at the corners of the great room, “entering those might land you in a sticky situation with my gym trainers,” he smiled and was off with a wink.
The Castelia City Gym was a sleek, minimalist affair. An attendant had been waiting for him at the entrance and had quickly ushered him all the way to the top to meet Burgh. Glancing through a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows there was a breathtaking view of Castelia Harbor and parts of the city skyline. The sun started to set as Oliver gazed out, filling the room with a soft orange-pink hue. Pulling away, Oliver noted the ambient air was cool and strangely muffled by a deafening layer of silk that covered… everything.
Kind of gives me the creeps, but it’s amazing how this particular silk isn’t sticky. Bug Pokémon are more nuanced than I’ve made out, eh?
Just then a small crowd started milling in, accompanied by a small waitstaff holding trays of hors d’oeurves and glasses of wine. They didn’t seem to notice him standing alone by the windows at all.
I suppose I am sort of an object in this situation, damn rich people.
An attendant split from the rest and flagged him over with a wave.
“Mr. Phlox, if you’ll come with me I can take you to the changing room?” he asked politely, though it sounded more like a command than a request.
Oliver followed the young man into a series of back rooms. This actually looks a lot like… wait a minute. Does Burgh live here?
“…something wrong, Mr. Phlox?” the steward asked. When Oliver shook his head, he continued. “You can change into this robe in the bathroom, I’ll come to get you when we’re ready for you.” The man smiled, handing him the fluffiest white robe Oliver had ever seen, then departed.
Oliver quickly changed, folding his street cloths in a neat stack and double-checking that his pokéballs were secured. The robe was comfortable.
So comfortable, damn them.
He left the bathroom and took in his surroundings. Burgh’s apartment was much more vibrant than his gym. Sketches and paintings, only a few of which seemed complete, were strewn all over. The smell of acrylic and oil paints mingled synthetically and the fumes of turpentine were leaving him light-headed. The same huge windows as before flanked the main living areas with equally remarkable views.
“Ah, see anything you like?”
Oliver started as Burgh’s reflection materialized in the window he was glancing through. He turned to see Burgh had changed into more formal attire to receive his class.
“The views are incredible, I can see why you wanted to move here.” Oliver reached for anything, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
“Yes, Nacrene City offered me a great start but the colors of the sun setting over the Castelia Harbor simply hypnotized me at first sight. I regret nothing,” Burgh smiled, more to himself than Oliver. “Shall we?” He gestured towards the back where Oliver had entered with the attendant.
Oliver nodded, following.
“If you need something to take the edge off, I’ve recently acquired a secret berry concoction that helps to numb the mind a bit. A friend of a friend returned from a pharmacy in Johto that employs the most creative Shuckles,” Burgh grinned, taking out a small glass vial of brightly colored pills. He popped one out for himself before offering to shake one out for Oliver.
As long as I can stay standing it doesn’t matter how numb my mind goes; let’s just get this over with.
Oliver swallowed the pill and followed Burgh into the silky room where his pedestal awaited him.
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“Rise and shine, sweetheart.”
Something poked Oliver at his side. His eyelids felt glued shut. As he rubbed the sleep away, he made out a faint light marking the beginning of sunrise over the far side of the harbor. He was still wearing the robe from the night before. Did I stay the night?
“Here, drink this,” Burgh pushed a mug of coffee into his hand. “We’ve got a busy morning ahead of us. You do still want to capture an Eevee, yes?”
Oliver groaned as he sat up, noting that it was a Leavanny that had poked him in the side. She gave him a concerned glance as he looked around.
“Did I…?”
I remember posing for the class but things get a bit blurry after that….
“No worries, it seems the secret berry concoction was a tad too strong for you. You made it about 30 minutes into the session last night before falling asleep. Don’t worry I had Tony – he’s my assistant – check you out of your hotel and bring your belongings here. Why don’t you go shower and get changed, leave breakfast to Leavanny and I,” he smiled consolingly. “We make a mean omelet.”
Oliver nodded and fumbled his way to the bathroom, finding his backpack there along with the undisturbed stack of his clothes from the day before. The hot shower worked miracles to wake him. With his eyes fully open, he noticed the shower was state-of-the-art. Jets streamed from the walls and from above – I could get used to this.
He changed quickly, stowing his pokéballs carefully in his pockets and the rest in his sports bag, which he shouldered like a backpack. Burgh had set the table with three small omelets – Leavanny joined them – and they strategized as they ate.
“Are you certain we’ll find one?” Oliver asked.
“Oh, definitely. Lately they’ve been keeping warm in their hollows – they’ve cornered the market on the big hollowed-out trees near the center of the Park.”
“Do you think I’d be able to capture one without battling it?”
Burgh considered his question over a sip of coffee.
“There are bound to be a few young Eevee curious to see the world; imagine how each of us left our hives for a life elsewhere. That said, Eevee love contests. I doubt you’d convince one to join you without impressing it in some fashion.”
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“I see,” Oliver stroked his chin, “and if we have to battle it?”
“We? You," Burgh laughed. "In that case I’ll lend you my Swadloon – don’t worry, he’s got a gentle nature and will even listen to a rookie like you,” Burgh winked, then checked his Rotom phone. “Tch, we should go. Do you have everything?”
“All in here,” Oliver shrugged, jostling his bag.
“Good, we’ll have a taxi drop us off nearby and take the rest on foot. At this hour traffic is non-existent, so we’ll be there in 10. Get excited!”
Thumbing the luxury ball in his pocket, Oliver couldn’t imagine feeling any other way.
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At the Castelia Park entrance gate Oliver could tell something was wrong. By the light of the streetlamp – the dawn sunlight hadn’t quite crept through the skyrises yet – Burgh was investigating the lock on the gate, which was visibly disturbed. It appeared that whoever had been there before them had made a rudimentary attempt at resetting the lock, but in a few steps Burgh had it open without the key.
“Change of plans,” Burgh whispered, resetting the broken lock, “follow me at a crouch and stay below the bush line. With any luck it’s a few neighborhood trespassers upset about the sewer reinforcements.”
“And without luck?” Oliver asked, unsure he wanted to know the answer. Burgh was focused on his Rotom phone, shooting off a series of quick messages, then, for better or worse, he just shook his head and motioned for Oliver to follow.
For ten minutes they had been sidling along the bushes just outside of the paved path towards the center of the pokéball shaped space; nothing struck Oliver as unusual, but Burgh seemed to be on another wavelength entirely. He stopped occasionally to study minute details of the foliage and listened. Finally, Burgh pulled him down under a large bush and slipped a finger over his mouth. Confused at first, Oliver soon heard a pair of voices that came within earshot.
“—ery specific, they wanted three; one for each of ‘em,” a man’s voice grumbled.
“We’ll be lucky if we can find a single one. We’ve already been out here for hours,” a woman’s voice replied.
Looking through the bottom of the bush, Oliver noted they wore matching dark gray pants tucked into identical black boots.
Tactical gear? In the middle of Castelia City?
Oliver felt Burgh tense on top of him, the smaller man’s body barely registering to him as a weight at all.
“You don’t want to disappoint the Triad, they’re rabid. Just the other day Mark left befo—”
The voice trailed off. Burgh shuffled to his feet and offered Oliver a hand up. Surprisingly strong for a stringbean, Oliver thought.
“Team Plasma,” Burgh stated with a furrowed brow, snapping Oliver back to the moment.
“Who?” Oliver had never heard of them.
“A terrorist group taking root in Unova. They haven’t been bold enough to move in the open until just recently, the gym leaders were first briefed a few weeks ago,” Burgh offered, suddenly more resigned. “Let’s go, I think our Eevee population is in for a rough morning.”
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Another half hour went by before Burgh straightened in the shadow of a tree and signaled for Oliver to look over at a small clearing. All around them a stand of trees had grown quite thick, forming the perimeter of a small glade of tall, silver grass and winter wildflowers. The inward facing aspects of the trees each had a hole just big enough for an Eevee to fit through. Oliver looked around, feeling on-edge, no sign of Eevee or the intruders yet.
He signaled to Burgh, looking for what to do next. Burgh considered him thoughtfully then nodded, handing him a few large Oran berries and Swadloon’s pokéball.
In the distance a Pidove called out, but otherwise the morning stillness had yet to be shattered here. It somehow felt wrong to disturb the tranquility but Oliver had come this far. No backing down now; he gritted his teeth and stepped into the glade.
By the time he reached the center of the clearing he knew he was being watched. He decided the best course of action was to confidently go about his business, and right now that meant sitting down and shaving up the Oran berries. He made quick work of them using a pocketknife from his bag, arranging the slivers in an even stack in front of him. With any luck, the Eevee would allow curiosity to get the better of them.
It was the right thing to do. Oliver was rewarded when a handful of Eevee stirred from their hollows, stretching leisurely in the morning damp as if the free meal had been on their agenda for days. They slowly made their way to him, with a larger male leading the others. He glanced at Oliver cautiously, then tested him with the lightest brush of his prominent tail. When Oliver didn’t make any sudden movements, he diverted his attention to the Oran slivers, first nibbling then engulfing one in delight. He poked his head up with a “vee” and the other curious younglings descended on the berries as well, each one of them a magnificent show of brown and cream fur.
Suddenly their elongated ears cropped up in unison towards one edge of the glade. Looking up, Oliver caught sight of the pair of tactically dressed individuals from before, each with pokéballs at the ready. He desperately scanned the tree-line for Burgh, but to his horror he was gone. His hand gravitated to the cold metal of Swadloon’s ball as he stood to face them, causing the Eevee to scramble away.
“This Park is off-limits to the public,” he called out, hoping to bluff his way out of confrontation.
“Oh, is it?” the woman called out sweetly, a finger twisting through her red hair, “I could’ve sworn the gate was open. Are you here to catch Eevee as well?”
“Nice try lady. Leavanny, Sticky Web!” Burgh was somehow standing in the canopy of the tree behind the grunts.
The pair cried out as a lightning-fast web descended on them. The woman was partially immobilized but the man managed to escape in the last second. Did Burgh just use me as bait to draw these guys in?
“Leavanny, pursue that man!” Burgh shouted, then turned to Oliver. “Keep an eye on this woman, will you? Don’t let her out of your sight. Remember the moves Swadloon knows. I’ll meet you back here, OK?”
Oliver nodded and Burgh was gone, jumping along the branches like some kind of superhero. He felt as if he was seeing a new side of Burgh entirely.
“Left you all alone eh? We were worried we might run into Burgh, but a rando like you? I’m not concerned. My partner drew the short straw.” The lady was pinned from the waist down but her arms were free. “Let’s go, Sandile!”
A pop-hiss sounded as a red orb of light materialized into a small lizard with huge black eyes and black stripes across its back. The Desert Croc Pokémon let out a hiss that put his pokéball to shame. It immediately sized up its surroundings and focused on Oliver when no other Pokémon were in sight.
This is really happening. I’m having a Pokémon battle. OK, calm down. I can do this. What happens if I don’t send a Pokémon out?
“Hah! Are you going to send out that Swadloon or not? Let me make the decision a little easier for you, hun. Sandile, use Sand Attack on this clown!”
“Dile!” The lizard opened its mouth and blasted a small amount of sand at Oliver, stinging his arms as he used them to cover his face.
That answers that question, Oliver frowned. He clicked once to enlarge Swadloon’s pokéball and took a deep breath.
“Swadloon, go!” He called, tossing the pokéball between Sandile and himself.
The same pop-hiss sounded as a red orb formed Swadloon’s squat shape. The Pokémon looked around and took in his surroundings.
“Burgh left you with me for the moment Swadloon, will you lend me your strength until he returns in a moment?” Oliver explained calmly, taking a knee to bring himself closer to Swadloon’s level.
The Leaf-Wrapped Pokémon peered up at him and nodded in understanding, turning to face the Sandile.
String Shot, Tackle, Bug Bite, and Razor Leaf. How should we play this?
“Thank you, buddy, let’s start with a String Shot. Slow down this Sandile.”
“Dodge it! Work your way in for a bite, Sandile,” the lady called, still struggling against the Sticky Web.
Swadloon shot off a series of String Shots but couldn’t seem to catch Sandile, who managed to work its way within Swadloon’s guard.
“Dodge to the right Swadloon!” Oliver called, but he was too late and Swadloon was too slow. The Sandile took a powerful snap, partially tearing Swadloon’s leaf cloak in the process.
Oliver cringed as Swadloon squeaked in distress, flinching hard.
Right, time to play up the type advantage, “Swadloon create some distance and hit it with a Razor Leaf!”
“Sandile, Sand Tomb,” the woman called through gritted teeth.
This time the moves met in the middle, a spray of sand and leaves scattering across the glade. At least the Eevee are hidden out of sight, Oliver thought amidst the chaos, though any hope of catching one is gone now, he sighed.
“Swadloon, Razor Leaf again!” Oliver called anxiously.
Swadloon twirled, sacrificing its shredded cloak to generate a greater number of leaves. This time quite a few leaves met their mark, causing the Sandile to hiss in agitation. On closer inspection, the leaves cut deeply enough to draw blood, multiple red rivulets merging into small streaks in harsh contrast with the dusty scales. The Sandile eyed Swadloon with something akin to respect now.
Just as Oliver was beginning to relax a fraction, the sand scattered across the glade rose and gathered in the air around Swadloon, as if possessed.
He took the last Razor Leaf head on because he was still concentrating on the Sand Tomb. Oh, shit, Swadloon! I…
Swadloon was swaying on its feet, cloakless, eyes closed as if far away in a world of its own. If he’s gonna go out, it’ll be on his terms. Something ethereal, he reminds me of Burgh in a way.
Maybe it was the helpless state Swadloon was in or the way that he had funneled his only defense into a desperate attack to save this sorry situation… whatever it was, it made Oliver move as the sands rushed towards Swadloon’s small form. Oliver cradled him with his body just as the sands descended.
Pain became him.
Oliver cried out, beads of bloody sand trickling down his face.
“You idiot!” The lady jeered. “Why’d you run out like that!”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Oliver coughed out, “Swadloon, you OK?”
The frail form beneath him looked up with incredulity and nodded. He’s got a brave face but that bite gave him quite a gash, he needs medical attention. Oliver sniffled and steeled himself.
“Swadloon, you were amazing… return.” A slight surprise crossed the faces of the lady and Sandile, even Swadloon as he was reduced to the red orb once more. Oliver carefully pocketed the pokéball, wiping the blood and sand from his forehead with his other hand.
“Looks like you’re out of Pokémon,” the lady smirked, “now either cut me loose or Sandile will take better aim at that handsome face of yours!”
Oliver glared, maybe Burgh will finish up on his end soon. At least the Eevee got awa—
“Vee?”
Oliver froze, eyes wide; a nudge at his pant leg registered as the large Eevee from before positioned himself between Oliver and Sandile. He glanced back at Oliver briefly with a look of determination and a nod.
Is this real? But if he’s still here the others might not be far off yet, we’ve got to buy them time!
“Let’s save your friends, OK?” Oliver wiped at his face again with a sleeve, as the Eevee nodded once more.
Oliver took in the glade. The Sandile is still concentrating, holding onto the Sand Tomb, no doubt. The woman is continuing to struggle with the Sticky Web. If we can close the distance, we’ve got a chance, but we have to avoid Sandile’s attacks. Thankfully, I’ve read up on Eevee enough to know their early moves.
“He’s hurt, Eevee, let’s take him out. Quick Attack!” Oliver called.
“Vee, Vee!”
The grass and sand stirred abruptly at Eevee’s feet as he blurred out of sight. A split second later he crashed into Sandile full force.
Sandile lost control of Sand Tomb, tumbling away from the attack with a splutter.
This Eevee packs a punch!
Sandile stopped on his back, chest rising faintly. Eevee stepped in cautiously, sniffing actively. A moment later he bounded back to Oliver’s side with a brush against his leg.
“Great work, Eevee,” Oliver reached down, offering a pat.
“Sandile, return.” The woman gave Oliver a withering look. “What now? You turn me into the police?”
“Something like that,” Burgh answered, walking into the glade, the man at his side tied up in spun silk. “Leavanny, could you tie up the other intruder as well?”
“Lea,” Leavanny nodded and sprung into action, rolling the woman rapidly between her arms as silk bloomed from her mouth. The woman shrieked up until Leavanny gently covered her face, generously leaving her nostrils clear.
Bug types really come in handy with restraint, Oliver noted.
“Oliver, you’re bleeding,” Burgh examined him with a frown. “We’ll get you cleaned up as soon as we can.”
“It’s nothing. Burgh? Swadloon lost his cloak in that battle. He took a mean bite as well, I’m sorry,” Oliver met Burgh’s gaze and handed him Swadloon’s ball back tenderly.
“You used Razor Leaf in a pinch, didn’t you? Swadloon must’ve gone all in for you, I’m impressed! Don’t worry about the cloak, Leavanny has been showing him how to make them. And it seems that you made a new friend as well? Aren’t you a handsome boy,” Burgh crooned.
Eevee perked up, sitting attentively at Oliver’s feet, “Vee?” He looked up at Oliver.
“Say, Eevee,” Oliver cleared his throat, dropping down to a knee facing Eevee. It’s now or never. “Would you like to be my partner Pokémon?” Oliver asked. He pulled out the luxury ball and presented it to Eevee.
Eevee glanced between the pokéball and Oliver, then turned back and eyed his hollow. “Vee!” He dashed back to the hollow.
Well, I guess that’s his decision. Can’t blame the little guy, this place has everything an Eevee could want.
Oliver stood, made a show of brushing off some sand and faced Burgh.
“Ready to take these guys in?” Oliver asked Burgh.
“What and leave this little guy hanging?” Burgh nodded back towards the hollow.
Turning, Oliver found Eevee wagging his tail leisurely as he sniffed and brushed against several other Eevee. Family? Friends, perhaps?
“He’s coming this way!” Oliver called, hardly believing his eyes as Eevee finished his good-byes.
“Vee, vee?” Eevee asked, wagging his tail when Oliver presented him with the luxury ball again. Eevee gave the center button a playful nudge. A moment later he disappeared as the ball began rocking back and forth and ding!
Eevee’s my partner now, Eevee’s my partner now! Oliver could hardly believe it. He picked up the luxury ball and released Eevee, who promptly tackled him to the ground, licking at his face.
“Hey, enough tongue already, you'll paralyze me at this rate. Want to ride up here with me?” Oliver smiled.
“Vee!” Eevee announced resolutely, arranging himself on Oliver’s shoulders, his fluffy tail brushing the sand out of Oliver’s hair.
“Well, I’d say this turned out rather well,” Burgh grinned, “let’s get these criminals to the police and you on your way to Nimbasa.”
Turning back, the group waved their good-byes to the Eevee and set off, Leavanny dragging her victims in their cushioned cocoons behind her.
Leaving the forested center of the park, Oliver felt the sun on his face and Eevee stretch across his shoulders. Absently burying a hand in Eevee’s soft fur, he knew, his life would never be the same.