Novels2Search

14. Bait

When Looker left he didn’t realize how much information he had given me.

Beside the fact that Team Galactic exists in this universe he had also told me, unknowingly, that they were competent.

Team Galactic had the means necessary to assassinate a Team Rocket member while in custody, not only that but they also had access to the police database in some form because they knew which of the Team Rockets could spill the beans, otherwise they would have killed them all.

They were competent which was scarier than I liked to admit.

I rather dealt with idiots like Team Yell or Team Skull but it seems that I’m playing the game in hardcore mode.

However Looker had also given me the final piece of the puzzle about my stay in Sunbright Hospital, he probably wasn’t even aware of it.

Looker had given me his phone number before he left, I wordlessly took the knife back as he left.

He either didn’t care or was too sleep deprived to see it, must suck to work for an organization like the International Police.

He stormed off and I found Hylla waiting on the other side of the door, holding a cardboard cup of tea and a sandwich, the same kind Looker had been eating.

I took them and sat down in the metal chair.

“You want to eat here?” Hylla asked. “Because there are better places to eat.”

“Can I ask you a question?” I asked kindly and I pointed at the chair opposite of me.

“Suuuure…” Hylla drew out the reply, clearly not understanding where this was going.

She closed the door behind her and sat down.

“So,” she fixed her eyes on me and smirked. “If you are about to confess your undying-”

I cut her off, “I want to know why.”

I love dramatics, or as long as I’m the one being dramatic.

Hylla blinked and tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“The truth.” I answered without a smile. “The truth about my stay in Sunbright town.”

She frowned, “I don’t think I follow, if this is about the mon-”

I cut her off again, gotta love those dramatic cut offs.

“I want to know why you used me,” I said. “used me as bait for Team Rocket.”

Her entire posture changed, not physically but it was like she suddenly dropped a mask she had been wearing for days.

She slightly leaned forward and gave me a smile. “So you figured it out? Even faster than I expected.”

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She seemed to be more amused than shocked, if anything she was smiling like she was pleased.

“So you admit it?” I asked cautiously, not sure why she was smiling.

She shrugged. “If you could explain how you came to your conclusion it would help us both. Otherwise we might be talking about different things.”

“Why does it matter how I came to the conclusion?”

“It does,” Hylla said sternly. “You’ll understand it later, hopefully.”

She was still being annoying as hell.

I glared at her. “Fine, my stay at the hospital, from the beginning to the end it was all part of your scheme to lure out Team Rocket and take them down, you used me as bait.”

Hylla rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “Yes I did, but how did you figure it out?”

She didn’t even look guilty, just relaxed.

What was she playing at?

I nonetheless revealed my train of thought. “You requested I would stay at your hospital before you even met me, it's very unusual for someone to stay at the hospital in Sunbright for more than a day. Yet you went out of your way to have treatment in your hospital. Even though you knew I had run into trouble with Team Rocket you didn’t hesitate on the chance to help me.”

Hylla nodded. “So you talked to the locals I assume?”

“Yes I did,” I said. “You sent me into town the same day I woke up, first I thought you wanted to make me feel better or something but that was not the reason.”

Hylla shrugged. “You do stand out, you know? Your blue hair and pale skin are really noticeable. There are only a few hospitals you could’ve gone to and it's a given that Team Rocket would keep their eye out for you.”

I gritted my teeth, why did I have blue hair and freakin’ vampire skin? Whoever summoned me must be color blind.

“The second day too, I didn’t have any plans to go to town but you told Chelsea I did anyway, to guilt me into going.”

“Not guilt per se,” Hylla said. “Just tried to push you in the right direction.”

My breakfast remained untouched.

The moment I confronted Hylla I had forgotten about it, I took a bite, deciding not to let Hylla get the better of me. Somehow it tasted awful.

“The guy Chelsea and I found in the alley. You refused to let him stay at the hospital despite the danger he was in, instead you moved him away,” I said accusingly.

“He was a risk in the long run and it was too risky to keep him around.” Hylla replied nonchalantly. “So, I brought him to a safer place.”

“He could’ve died during the trip.” I didn’t really care much about that random guy but still, it pissed me off that she treated it like it was nothing more than a nuisance.

“But he did not die.” Hylla said, “But I assume that part gave it away? The fact that I didn’t tell you that Team Rocket attacked him in a search for you?”

I didn’t answer which made her smile even more infuriating.

“Come on, tell me.” Hylla challenged.

“The attack at the hospital, you had a plan to deal with the attack the moment I stormed into the lobby. You were literally waiting for it.”

Every odd detail and moment started to make sense. Her unusual interest in me, the Pidgey cam, the lack of other patients. It finally made sense.

Hylla nodded. “The real question is, why did I do it?”

She was not even denying it, just twisting and making it some kind of mindgame.

I stared at her incredulously. “What? Why does that matter? I figured out your little scheme.”

“But not my motive.” She smiled.

I blinked, it was the biggest problem for my theory. The lack of motive.

“You either work for Team Galactic or the Sinnoh league.” I finally blurted out.

“That’s still not a motive.” Hylla said with a disappointed tone. “You think I would put so much on the line just to stop a bunch of criminals?”

“Yes?” I tried.

Hylla grinned. “I couldn’t care less about stopping Team Rocket. No you played a different role, you were never just bait for Team Rocket.”

She leaned backwards. “No, I simply needed an excuse to burn down the hospital.”