It seemed that the place had been expanded quite a bit since Rotom had last visited. Of course, that had been some years ago at this point. Rotom wasn’t sure how exactly they’d managed to get the funds for all the renovations, let alone the sheer number of warp pads scattered around the building, but it certainly made for a confusing mess.
Rotom couldn’t exactly use the warp pads to get around, that would almost certainly alert them to the presence of an intruder, even if only when they looked back at logs later on. But giving them something like that to notice would have them searching other places, most likely eventually figuring out which files Rotom was going to snoop through. Plus it would be a reason to bump up security in the future, which was best avoided… So instead, Rotom was forced to slip N’s flip phone through air vents and doors that stayed open just long enough for Rotom to make it past without being seen by the grunts walking through them.
The hall that Rotom initially entered led to a room with nothing but a warp pad, and the ventilation from there led Rotom to a meeting room, which let out into a break area, and then there were sleeping quarters, and more warp pads, and on and on and on it went, eventually culminating in the location Rotom had been after from the start.
The server room.
There had been lots of computers that Rotom had passed on the way there, but so long as a competent tech team was in charge, they wouldn’t hold what Rotom was after. Isolating everything you could was important, especially when the League had a veritable army of Porygon running around.
As Rotom forced Rotom’s way into the computers, Rotom picked up on something odd. There was something moving through the building, something that stood out in a way that made the many walls, and possibly several floors, between them feel like they were paper thin. A hole in Rotom’s senses, seemingly eating away at what made Rotom Rotom. It took a moment for the Electric type to piece together what the anomaly was.
Interesting. Sneasel must have gotten stronger! Rotom remembers when the little monster was just a hatchling…
But if Sneasel really had grown stronger, and was actively prowling around the building, then it would not be wise for Rotom to waste time thinking back on the old days. Picking up the pace, Rotom started testing out old passwords, hoping that at least one of them would still grant access.
Cyrus… he’s too logical. He would know better than to keep the passwords the same. Charon, though… did Charon even still work with Cyrus?
Rotom recalled Charon being too good to work for someone. Always the prideful, money grubbing man who took the path most convenient to him.
Still, even if he’s no longer involved in anything, it couldn’t hurt to try.
Charon
…
Genius
…
Char0n1sAG3n1us
Access was granted. The man really was a fool. Rotom couldn’t believe that Rotom had suffered through all that experimentation from someone so arrogant…
The old bastard was probably dead by now, though. No sense in worrying about him. Instead, Rotom started searching through Team Galactic’s plethora of files, peeking through them to see what might be useful or interesting.
…he’s still alive? And he’s a Commander?! Rotom will never understand what Cyrus sees in working with someone like that. Though if he is the lowest ranking, perhaps some humility will be instilled… as unlikely as that is.
…there don’t seem to be any files on Rotom. How rude! Perhaps all of the research is still on paper, tucked away somewhere…
…hmmm. Reports on energy collection? Rotom wonders…. Checks payable…. Wait, what? They’re marketing themselves as a futuristic energy company? There’s no way Cyrus came up with that, but it does serve as a suitable cover so long as…
Oh. That is a lot of 0’s. So that’s where all the money came from. And yet, these numbers… they’re collecting so much, but selling so little… where does the rest of it go?
…’The Creation of Space’...
…’Mythical Pokemon’...
…’Red Chain’...
Cyrus… what have you gotten yourself into? I knew you were upset, but this…
Having seen enough, and not wanting to push Rotom’s luck, Rotom logged out, covered any traces of Rotom’s presence in the system, and moved back into N’s flip phone. Rotom’s mind raced as Rotom traced the route taken to the server room in reverse, careful to avoid the roaming Sneasel and any other prying eyes as Rotom exited the building.
Rotom is sorry, Cyrus. But Rotom has to stop you.
Rotom won’t be able to manage it alone, but with how suspicious N and that Shadow Triad are…
Rotom will save you.
Even from yourself.
----------------------------------------
“B1F… a basement maybe? Food and produce. First floor is a Trainer’s Zone,” N shuddered in disgust as he realized where he was, “Battle collection, technical machine corner, poke dolls and goods, rooftop plaza… how awful. This place really is centered around trainers, isn't it?”
He could almost feel Mimikyu rolling his eyes. “Yes, how surprisin’… let’s jus’ get ta the fourth floor and get this over with.”
And so they did, with N forcing himself to take the escalators through every floor instead of the elevator, witnessing just how steeped in barbarism the culture was here. Not that it was much better in Unova, mind you, it was just a bit shocking to see something like this after being told that this building housed practically everything you could buy in the region.
Of course, upon reaching the floor with the dolls, they encountered a different sort of problem.
“Of course they don’ ‘ave any Pikachu… jus’ my luck…” Mimikyu grumbled.
In the glass display before them were a variety of dolls resembling Pokemon. There was a Bonsly, as well as a Buizel, along with a good number that N didn’t recognize, but as Mimikyu had pointed out, there was not a Pikachu among them.
The employee working at the stand waited patiently, a smile on her face and her gaze betraying her fascination with the Pokemon on his shoulder. He supposed it would be fitting for someone who sold dolls to be intrigued by a Pokemon that wore a doll at all times.
“Mimikyu, I know you’ve told me that disguising yourself as a Pikachu is important to your kind, but is it really necessary?”
“I told ya, N, it makes us recognizable! It’s like… road signs, ya know? Ya can’t just ‘ave ‘em be any ol’ shape or color, they’re standardized so that ya don’ ‘ave ta stop ‘n’ inspect ‘em ta know what’s up! A red octagon means stop, ‘n’ a movin’ Pikachu doll means don’ look at what’s beneath it!”
“That may be true in Alola or wherever else Mimikyu are common, but how many people have actually recognized you since we met?”
That shut Mimikyu up. Shadowy tendrils reached out from under the cloth, making the girl at the counter tense up for a moment, but Mimikyu simply started counting with his claws. N doubted he would get very far.
“I mean… well… it migh’ not’ve been a whole lot so far, but–”
“Mimikyu,” N interrupted. “This isn’t a permanent thing. I’m sure we can figure out how to get our hands on a proper Pikachu disguise for you in the future, but the one you’re wearing is falling apart. Wouldn't an improper disguise be better than no disguise at all?
The saleswoman lit up at that. “Ah! You’re looking to buy a Pikachu doll? We don’t currently carry it, but I could special order one for you!”
N grimaced. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be in Veilstone…”
“That’s perfectly fine!” She waved off his concerns. “I can just have it shipped to the next Pokemon Center you’ll be visiting! Which way are you travelling?”
That… was a good question. It seemed like they’d probably turn south, given that those Psyduck were probably still blocking the route, but there wasn’t exactly an exact–
“We’re ‘eadin’ towards Lake… which is it… Lake Valor? ‘N’ then into Pastoria.”
Once again, N had to wonder how Mimikyu was so confident in that answer. Sunnyshore was also a possibility, wasn’t it? Although since they were tagging along with Lucas, perhaps looping back towards the center of Sinnoh made more sense as he’d likely need to visit other gyms in the region before heading out east…. Unless people departed to the League headquarters from Snowpoint instead of Sunyshore? He wasn’t quite sure.
Nevertheless, he repeated Mimikyu’s answer. He hadn’t exactly been wrong so far.
The employee smiled. “Perfect! I can definitely have a Pikachu doll waiting for you at the Pastoria City Pokemon Center by the time you arrive! Just, ah, maybe don’t let Crasher Wake know?” she added nervously.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
N didn’t have a clue who this “Crasher Wake” person was, but he nodded in agreement anyway.
Mimikyu sighed. “I s’pose if it’s only temporary…” He hopped off of N’s shoulder to get a better look. “Bonsly ‘n’ Mantyke are out ‘cuz there’s no head… Munchlax are rare and would attract int’rest… ugh, I’m gonna hate ev’ry second of this, ain’ I? Let’s go with this one.”
A shadowy tendril snaked out once more, pointing towards the doll in question.
“Right away!” The employee clapped. “If you two will step over to the register, I can get you rung up in just a moment! Thank you for choosing the Veilstone Department Store!”
----------------------------------------
“Porygon, the virtual Pokemon. The world’s first artificially created Pokemon. It can travel through electronic space.”
Lucas nodded along as his Pokedex read off the entry for his newest teammate, his eyes roaming the very… strange looking Pokemon. He’d heard the name more than a few times on his journey by this point, but this was the first time he’d actually seen one.
It’s body was angular to the extreme, with not a single curve on it. The torso was sort of box-ish, though it was tapered towards the neck and the rear, where a tail was attached. It had two… legs? Feet? Big… he thought the word was pentagon… maybe he should have paid more attention in his classes… pentagonal prism? That sounded right… maybe… Though despite having the limbs, the Pokemon floated through the air, seemingly not affected by gravity in a way that didn’t quite match what he’d grown used to with Rotom’s Levitate. Similar, for sure, but almost like it was less affected by the world around it. The head was no different, a series of shapes coming together to form what might generously be called a face with a beak, though the only reason he called it a face at all was the presence of two large “eyes” that were black and white instead of the pink and light blue the rest of its body was colored with.
And he meant “colored with” quite literally. It was more like someone had painted the design on the Pokemon than it being natural, although with it literally being an artificial Pokemon, he guessed that made sense.
Were the eyes even real? Or were they just decoration to make it look more alive?
It didn’t really feel alive. It just floated there, not moving at all, not breathing or following his movements with its eyes. It almost felt wrong to call it a Pokemon when it seemed more like a toy.
Feeling unnerved, and unsure of how to interact with it, Lucas returned his new Porygon and continued on his way.
He had been eager to accept a new teammate, just as he had several times in the past when they’d been gifted to him, but this one was going to take some getting used to.
It was almost funny, though. As strange as Porygon was, it fit right into the team as yet another Normal type. At the rate he was going, Lucas might as well specialize in them….
Not necessarily a good thing when his upcoming Gym challenge was against a Fighting type specialist.
But he could worry about strategy later! He still had investigating to do!
And the building filled with loud noises and bright lights seemed like just the place.
His mom had always told him that gambling was a fool's errand, but the Game Corner was certainly enticing. Row after row of slot machines filled his vision, and he found himself slowly wandering up towards the only desk in sight, where an employee patiently waited.
“Welcome to the Veilstone Game Corner! Did you want some game coins? It’s 1000 dollars for 50 coins. Would you like some?”
Lucas’ eyes went wide. That was craziness! There was no way he was going to give up all of his hard earned cash for some lousy coins! Quickly shaking his head no, he moved on, deeper into the building. He didn’t need to gamble anyway, he was here for information on Galactic!
It quickly became apparent, however, that going to a den of gambling was maybe not the best spot for that.
“A friend in my group scored a ton of coins here…”
“I want coins, of course, but setting a record…”
“When a pokeball appears on screen, it’s a chance to…”
Lucas managed to learn a lot about how the slot machines worked, and was even generously gifted several thousand dollars worth of coins, but that didn’t exactly contribute to his goal.
He was surprised to learn that one of the gambling addicts was the dad of the local Gym Leader, but the man didn’t give any tips that might help in his upcoming battle, so that was ultimately a dead end as well.
Just when he was about to give up, however, a new sucker walked into the establishment. A familiar sucker.
The old man in the trench coat made his way to a slot machine towards the center of the building, looking around cautiously before taking a seat. Lucas watched as the man started playing, before approaching.
What had his name been again? Booker or something like that? It’d been a while since Lucas had run into the Interpol agent. He seemed to recall the man disguising himself as a Team Galactic member in Eterna and then… not really doing much of note while Lucas had handled all the criminals inside.
The man startled when he noticed Lucas. “Ah!” He quickly coughed, trying to cover it up. “It is you, yes. Examine, if you will, the reels.” He gestured to the screen, which showcased some gems and Pikachu and an assortment of other icons. “The Team Galactic logo, it is here.”
Lucas leaned in for a closer look. Sure enough, their logo was one of the spinning icons. Why, though? Did they own the Game Corner? Was this whole town run by them or something?
“Further investigation is needed, and I am just a man to do it. Also, where the masses gather, so too does information.”
They came here with the same intention then. Lucas figured if some bigshot interpol guy was thinking the same way, he was probably on the right track.
The Booker…. No, it was Looker, wasn’t it? He inserted his coins and ran the slots again, and Lucas watched as he came up with nothing.
“...Ack. My streak is broken…” The Looker let out a defeated sigh.
…or maybe the man just had a gambling problem like everyone else here.
What was the big deal, anyway? It didn’t look fun, not like his Wii back home.
Curious, he took a seat next to the Looker, and inserted a few of the coins he’d been gifted.
----------------------------------------
Ash idly palmed the pokeball holding his newest teammate as they entered Veilstone.
Gligar was certainly an interesting Pokemon, but given that they’d only recently met, Ash didn’t think the little guy would be participating in the Veilstone Gym’s challenge, even if Brock was right and it would give him a type advantage.
Still, though, who to use instead… Staravia was a pretty obvious choice, he supposed. Type matchups didn’t matter to him all that much, but the Flying type of his current team had been working hard lately. And maybe Chimchar? After all the abuse Paul had put the Fire type through, a chance to prove himself would probably do wonders for his confidence. Of course, Ash wasn’t even sure of what sort of battle it would be yet, so he didn’t want to get too deep into the planning.
“Pika?”
His best friend pulled him out of his thoughts.
“Hey Ash! Over here!”
Ash’s gaze fell to the source of the voice, a smile on his face as his eyes met an old friend. “Hey, Zoey!” He waved.
But then he realized who she was with.
“Dawn, it’s good to see you!” Brock quickly joined in, thankfully covering for Ash’s short lapse, even if unknowingly.
He couldn’t be like this. Dawn was a friend, too! Sure the way they’d parted was a bit unusual for him, but it’s not like he’d ever be upset with Misty or May or whoever else for leaving!
Dawn shyly waved back to them. “Hey guys!”
Ash let his eyes trail up and down her, sighing with a bit of relief when he saw that all of the bandages he’d seen her in last were gone.
“Pika pika!” Pikachu shouted as he leapt down from Ash’s shoulder, bounding over to Dawn before climbing up her instead as the two groups approached each other.
“Fancy meeting you two here!” Zoey smiled. “But I guess it’s only natural for you to be visiting with a Gym in town.”
“Yeah, I’m excited for it!” Ash cheered, forcing himself to look at Zoey instead of Dawn.
“R-right!” Dawn stuttered. “We’re just passing through, really, so we can get to-” She cut herself off with a yelp as a stray attack sailed through the air just a few feet away, striking a tree and exploding. “What was that?!”
Ash’s mood sank even lower. That was a move he didn’t think he’d ever forget.
And as another flew past them, and another and yet another…. He had a feeling he’d have to get involved.
Brock put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, having some understanding of what was running through his mind.
Taking a deep, slow breath to try and calm himself, Ash explained. “Those are Aura Spheres.”
----------------------------------------
It was displeasurable to have to resort to this.
But upon realizing that he felt displeased, he stamped down on that feeling, crushing it into nothingness.
There would be no room for such things in his ideal world. But until that ideal could be realized, there was no reason that he should not strive for getting as close as possible.
It was only logical to detach himself from his emotions, from his spirit, to ensure that they did not hamper his judgement.
He picked up the phone, the one he’d set aside solely for this purpose, lest an unwanted guest try to use the connection against him.
It rang only once before it was answered.
“Is this line secure?” The voice on the other end demanded immediately.
“So long as you have taken the necessary precautions on your end,” he replied.
His contact was not like the fools who served under him. They would not be so easily swayed by the imitation of emotion, and so he would not bother with the facade.
“Hm. Quite.” If they were annoyed, they did not show it. “And why is it that you’re calling me?”
Even if the line was secure in every manner that could reasonably be achieved, he still did not dare speak plainly.
“I have reason to believe that some Bidoof have moved into the area. Ones with some amount of training, though I could not tell you how much. They stand to cause problems in the near future, which I’m sure you know cannot be allowed.”
The person on the other end was silent for a moment. “And you believe that they are not within your ability to handle?”
He hated the brief surge of anger that he felt at that insinuation. He would become a god, he was not weak.
But a god should not be angered by such petty things.
“It is not that they cannot be handled, it is that regardless of who handles them, they are sure to draw unwanted eyes in the process. Better you than any of mine if that is to be the case.”
There was silence, for a moment, and he did not break it. They both knew how this conversation would end. Being impatient would change nothing.
“Very well. I cannot move immediately due to other engagements which require my attention, but I will arrive soon and handle things for you.”
As he had known it would be.
Not bothering with any pleasantries or goodbyes, he simply hung up the call, placing the phone back into the secure container it stayed in most of the time.
Now he just needed to ensure that nobody did anything truly foolish until his contact could arrive. A draining effort, most definitely, but a necessary one.
All for a better world.