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[Pokémon] A Coordinated Investigation

Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'
9,875
Posts
16
Years
Hoo boy, nothing like a contest infiltration to start my day. My only problem... the chapter is purple :O
EDIT: Sorry, was. Haha.
I always have to edit my posts here so they don't show up purple (my default font for all of my other posts including this one, lol).

Anyways. I saw nothing wrong with the contest appeals. You did well with the description. It's not necessary to go overboard, especially in your situation, where the main focus should be the plot and the impending explosion.
It's been a long time (since 2008) since I've last written a proper battle scene, so I'm happy to hear that it went well :) I know that my battles here aren't as long or as detailed as in my previous fic, but considering that the two have an emphasis on something different, I didn't think they needed to be so long. Good thing I'm not the only one who had that opinion :P

This made me laugh:
"Sine and tangent and then cosine, victory will soon be mine! Persian, let's solve this equation!"
Lisa moment :)
Well, it came to my attention that Lisa had focused little on math (and more on the criminal investigation and chasing down armed suspects), so I had to throw that little quotation in there xD

The final battle between her and Sadie was entertaining as well. And yes, the ending looks much better. So, this little fanfiction is almost over... Well, it was fun following it! Can't wait to see how it all ends :)
Thanks for helping out with getting that ending worked out :) Yeah, it took a little while, but I think it's a good, suspenseful way to transition into the next (and final) chapter.

Thanks for stopping by and commenting, and be sure to stay tuned for the final chapter, What awaits Lisa and Sadie behind that curtain? How will this investigation end? Find out next time!

And on a semi related note, I am happy to report that one of my most wanted fraud artist fugitives, Rebecca S. Parrett, has finally been captured after two and a half years on the run. Now this Ponzi-scheming grandma gets to spend the next 25 years in jail, instead of the ballroom dancing she enjoyed so much :)
 

Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'
9,875
Posts
16
Years
A/N: This chapter is rated a PG-13 for language and gunplay.

Once again, I would like to thank Haruka of Hoenn for use of her character Sadie and her help with proofreading the chapter.

Fugitive Joseph Wayne McCool, 63, is wanted for a Ponzi scheme involving an investment firm created by him and his co-conspirators. He is 6'2" and 230 pounds. If you know of his whereabouts, contact law enforcement agents immediately.

CHAPTER 7

CONTEST HALL BACK OFFICE, 11:05 AM


"No!" Nancy screamed as she watched the events unfold on the monitor.

"What the hell? Don't tell me… that Cassie girl was that agent from the League? Dammit! Jose, Tyson!"

The two men burst back into the room.

Jack shouted, "You two! Forget moving the stuff! Just burn these boxes and let's get the hell out of here!" As the two men reached for some matches in their pockets, a couple of female voices startled them.

"Why the rush?"

The four of them spun around to see Lisa and Sadie, still in their Contest dresses, blocking the door. Both girls were smirking, hands on their sides.

Jack hollered, "What are you two waiting for? Shoot those bitches!"

The two men pulled out handguns and began to open fire. Both girls jumped out of the way as Lisa reached for her own weapon. As gunplay erupted, Jack and Nancy took cover behind their desk. The two teens knocked over a large coffee table and hid behind it. Lisa continued to exchange gunfire with the thugs, ducking behind the table as shots came her way. Both pieces of furniture were soon riddled with bullet holes, but nobody had been hit with gunfire.

After several more seconds, the firing ceased as the room became eerily silent. Both parties had their guns at the ready, not knowing what the other would do. Without warning, Jack and Nancy took advantage of the lull, vaulting over the desk and sprinting for the door. Lisa dived across the floor to block them, but they jumped over her before she could stand up. Sadie chased the pair out of the office, kicking off her white high heels and holding the bottom of her dress out a bit so she could run faster.

With their bosses gone, Jose and Tyson resumed gunfire, and Lisa had to quickly take cover again to avoid being hit. The girl quickly picked up her gun and returned fire.

Like during the previous Contest shooting, everyone and everything was in chaos as people fled for the exits. Jack and Nancy were fleeing down the corridor connecting to the main auditorium. They could see the frenzied mass of people in front of them.

"If we can make it into the crowd, we can disappear and… oh, shit."

Ashley, Lorelei, and E stood in front of them, blocking their path. All three had their guns drawn. Behind the criminals stood Sadie, her hands stretched out The girl was panting and sweating, but an enraged look was on her face. Her pantyhose-covered feet approached the couple, step by step, as she addressed them in a low, almost snarling voice.

"You two… I love Contests… I have since I was a little girl. But what you two have done is a disgrace to Contests and everyone who lovingly participates in them. How dare you use our beloved Contests as merely a means to make money illegally. Do you even realize how much work and effort goes into a single Contest routine? No. No you don't. Because all you two think about is the bottom line. I will be happy beyond belief when you two are locked up for good!"

Jack and Nancy said nothing, completely frozen in their tracks. Even the investigators were taken aback by Sadie's reaction.

"All right, you guys, let's cuff them!"

"Um, right!" Ashley replied as she and Lorelei took the criminal duo into custody.

Meanwhile, the office gun battle showed little signs of letting up. The bullets had made Swiss cheese of both hiding spots, and neither looked like it would hold up much longer. Needing a way to end it, Lisa removed both shoes from her feet. When Jose and Tyson raised their guns in preparation to fire, Lisa answered by throwing her white high heels at them. The shoes hit their targets, knocking the guns out of both of their hands. Before they could recover their weapons, the girl leaped over the table and stuck her gun in their faces. At the same time, Ashley and Lorelei arrived in the room, also pointing their weapons at the two men.

Seeing that it was all over, the two men put their hands in the air and offered no further resistance. As the suspects were being detained, Lisa asked, "What about those other two?"

"Sadie and E have taken care of them. Oh, and a quick word of advice. Don't get Sadie angry. She can be absolutely terrifying."


QUALITY INN & SUITES, HEARTHOME CITY, ROOM 215, 5:03 PM

The large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall of the hotel room was showing the news. Lisa, Lorelei, Ashley, and Sadie were standing outside the Contest Hall along with a female news reporter. Behind them, the parking lot was filled with city police cars.

"For the second time in a row, gunfire disrupts a Contest in Hearthome City. Only this time, no lives were lost and arrests were made as the story of a massive conspiracy is starting to unfold. Here are Pokémon League Special Agent Lorelei and Hearthome Police Detective Ashley Smith."

"Thank you, Becky," said Ashley. Our departments teamed up to investigate the Bruce Fowler murder, but in the process discovered a major cover-up. We have reason to believe that Bruce Fowler was murdered because he knew of a massive fraud occurring within the Contests and the architects of this embezzlement scheme murdered him to keep him quiet."

Lorelei added, "But thanks to some investigation, we recovered his computer which contained enough evidence to indict. We also have arrested the gunman responsible for killing Mr. Fowler."

"And what about the gunfire today?" asked Becky.

"Better let us answer this one," said Sadie.

"Okay. Here are Sadie Catherwood and Lisa Northwood, two teenagers who helped in the investigation. Lisa works as a Special Agent with the League, while Sadie is a Contest aficionado who happened to be a witness to a couple of the crimes."

Sadie answered, "First, I need to say that I am so disappointed that someone would use our Contests for such a thing. I felt I needed to do something about it. Lisa and I entered the Grand Festival today to create a diversion where we could rush in and take down the suspects."

Lisa continued, "But they must have been waiting for us or something, because they had two of their assistants attempt to shoot us. I engaged in an extended gun battle with them while Sadie chased down the bosses. I was just fortunate that we ended it without anyone getting hurt."

Lorelei said, "And we recovered quite a bit of evidence from their office, which they were in the process of moving and/or destroying. We're currently looking through that to see what we can find."

Becky continued, "Among the people arrested during the course of this investigation were Jack Tinsley, former President of the Sinnoh Contest Commission; Nancy Tinsley, Jack's wife and the Commission's Financial Director; Timothy Redmond, Operations Director; and several others hired as grunt workers. The investigation continues and more arrests are pending. For News 4, I'm Becky Harris."

The television switched off. "Wow, it's bit embarrassing to see yourself on television like that!" Sadie said to Lisa, her face red.

"I know! I mean, they definitely didn't catch our good side! Both of us had messed up hair and our dresses were all wrinkled! At least they didn't show our ripped pantyhose or the fact that neither of us had shoes! But at least that's the worst that happened to us."

"Yeah, when those guys started firing their guns, I was terrified! Even more than with your driving yesterday! Good thing you gave me that bulletproof vest to wear under my dress, even if we never actually got hit."

"I told you, Sadie. It's my duty as a League Special Agent to protect my cooperating witness. But as Lisa Northwood, it's also my obligation to protect my close friends. You're a great person and a really good friend. And a big help to us during this mission. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."

"Aww, thanks!" The two girls hugged each other. "You're a great friend, too!"

"Yup, and ace detectives Lisa and Sadie solve another mystery!" The brown-haired teen pumped her fist in the air as she struck a pose.

Sadie laughed loudly. "Oh, Lisa, you never change, do you? So, what's your plans from here on out?"

Lisa sat back down on her bed, closed her eyes and began thinking. "Well, after this mission, I'm supposed to be off-duty for a month. I think I want to go back to the States and finish off my vacation. After all, I've got a hotel room back there that I'm still paying for, for them to hold the rest of my stuff! What about you?"

"I know that after they find someone honest to run it, they want to hold a proper Grand Festival for all of us coordinators who were cheated this time. I hope it's soon because I'll have to stay in the Pokémon Center here in Hearthome until then. Yeah, I know this place is nicer, but I don't have the money like you!"

Lisa put her arm around her friend. "Well, I'll tell you what. If it happens to be while I'm still on break, you call me and I'll see about coming. I think it would be nice to attend a Contest without worrying about gunfire."

The two girls laughed. "Ain't that the truth! But yeah, once I find out, I'll let you know! Well, I guess tomorrow is goodbye again. It was good seeing you again, Lisa."

"Same here. Hopefully next time we get together, it'll just be for fun and relaxation."

"You said it!"


QUALITY SUITES HOTEL, PINEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, JULY 15, 6:04 PM

Back closer to home, Lisa stretched herself out on her king bed, wearing a light green sundress, blue blouse, and black leggings. She hit the power button on the TV remote control, then hit play on the remote to her own portable DVD player.

As the big LCD TV was flooded with anime girls in school uniforms, the girl's cell phone began ringing. She hit pause and flipped open her phone.

"Hey, honey," said a male voice over the phone.

"Oh, hello, Dad. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing, just checking up. So, how's everything going? Do anything interesting?"

"No, just the same old. Things going okay with you?"

"Well, we took your advice and bought a new LaCrosse. And you were right. Other than the tiny trunk and the fact that it's a little hard to see out of, we love it! Thanks for the advice, you really are becoming a car expert!"

"Well, you could say I've got a lot of experience with that."

"And I have great news! That business deal we've been working on… it finally got the green light! We're now an official supplier as well as the official hospitality provider of one of the world's top technology companies. We're looking at an additional fifteen million in revenue a year because of this deal!

Lisa sat bolt upright on her bed. "Wow, Dad, that's awesome! Remember to share the wealth a little, huh? There's this cute '72 Oldsmobile I've been looking at… the 75th anniversary Ninety Eight Regency edition, all original, 41,000 miles, for only $58,000."

The girl's father laughed. "Come on now, Lisa, you know you don't need our money. You already earn six figures a year from your own online business ventures. If you want it, just go ahead and buy it! Just make sure you have a place to keep it – our garage is already full with two of your cars and two of ours!"

Lisa rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, sorry, I know…But you know, when I see a really nice car, I just can't help myself! And maybe I will go out and buy it. You just never know. Anyway, how's Mom?"

"She's doing pretty good. We're headed out to dinner soon to celebrate this business deal."

"Well, that's good to hear. And Lindsay?"

"Funny you should bring her up… She told us she saw you on the news. Something about solving some murder and fraud case?"

The teen gulped. "I didn't want them to find out about the mission!"

Her father continued. "So, nothing much happened, huh? That certainly doesn't sound like 'nothing,' now does it?"

Lisa chuckled nervously. "No, I guess not. But I didn't figure it was anything important…"

"Lisa Kimberly Northwood, you took a trip to Sinnoh and you didn't even pay your little sister a visit? I'm very disappointed in you, young lady."

"I… I'm sorry! But I was so focused on the mission and…" Lisa could hear her father laughing in the background. "Huh?"

"Oh, don't worry, Lisa, I was just kidding! I knew you were busy on your mission and probably didn't have time to visit her. But you know, she does miss you."

"Jeez, Dad, don't scare me like that! But I might be headed back there for part of my vacation, and I'll definitely see her then! Well, I need to get myself some dinner, and I'm sure you need to get some too! We'll talk later, bye!"

As Lisa ended her call, she noticed that she had gotten a new text message:

"Hi Lisa!

New Grand Festival Date: July 25, 11:00 AM

Hope to see you there!

Sadie :)"

"Well, that gives me a week and a half at least. Now to get dinner and later, watch some Pretty Cure!"

The girl switched her phone and the TV off. Grabbing her bag, she skipped out of her hotel room with a big smile on her face.


HEARTHOME CONTEST HALL, JULY 25, 12:45 PM

The hall was definitely decorated more lavishly this time, with cutouts of Contest trophies and ribbons plastered on the walls, long streamers running from corner to corner, decorative luminaries lining the edge of the stage, and large, bright banners proclaiming "GRAND FESTIVAL!" hanging over the doors. Overhead, large inflatable balloons shaped like popular Pokémon like Buneary and Pachirisu looked down on the event, smiling. Even the floor was littered with confetti that had rained down as the Contest first began. But the crowd was silent, focusing on the event unfolding in front of them.

On stage, under the bright spotlights, stood two trainers. On the left was Sadie in her green floral Contest dress and white pantyhose, her Roselia in front of her. Facing her was a blond haired girl in a blue dress and black pantyhose, who had a large, smiling red and white sphere in front of her. Both Pokémon wore battle scars, and were panting heavily out of exhaustion. On the monitor above the girls, the countdown timer read 0:49. The bars that indicated both girls' points were dead even – and almost completely empty.

Among the fans watching the Contest were two brown-haired girls sitting next to each other. The older one wore a blue floral dress, white pantyhose, and a green blouse, with a white brimmed hat with purple bow atop her head. The other girl wore a dark purple floral print dress. The younger girl asked, "Lisa, why aren't they making a move?"

She answered, "This is probably the turn that the Contest is going to be decided, Lindsay. They're both trying to see what the other will do." Lisa's attention then turned back to center stage.

As the clock ticked down, both opponents looked at each other intently, trying to anticipate the other's next move. Finally the girl in the blue yelled, "Let's end this! Hyper Beam!"

Her Electrode fired off a golden energy ray, aimed at Sadie's small green Pokémon.

"Roselia, Petal Dance!"

Waving the red and blue roses at the ends of its arms, Roselia began to summon a flurry of pink leaves . The small projectiles moved in an almost rhythmical fashion as they began to engulf the Hyper Beam, slowing it down long enough for Roselia to step to the left. The beam of flower petals struck the curtain on the far side, exploding into a storm of pink confetti that rained down on both the stage and the first few rows of bleachers as the audience looked on in awe. On the overhead monitor, the last of the girl's point meter disappeared. A loud buzzer sounded and the announcer came in over the PA.

"And that's it! Alyssa's points are now at zero! Your winner and Grand Festival champion is Sadie Catherwood!

As the crowd erupted into a uproar of clapping and cheering, Sadie smiled and waved to the crowd as Alyssa fell to her knees, sobbing. Sadie ran over to her opponent and tried to comfort her.

"I… I worked so hard… but I couldn't win… my mom's going to be so disappointed in me…"

"No, no she isn't. You worked very hard to get this far and gave me a battle I'll never forget! Come on, you did great!"

"Oh… okay…" the girl said as Sadie helped her to her feet.

Among those cheering were Lisa and her sister Lindsay. "All right, Sadie, you won! Way to go, girl!" Lisa shouted, jumping up and down. Lindsay looked at her sister, a frown beginning to form on her bright red face.

"Come on, sis, you're embarrassing me!"


QUALITY INN AND SUITES, HEARTHOME CITY, 4:27 PM

The lobby of the hotel featured rich dark cherry furniture and a polished granite floor. Plush upholstered recliners and a couch surrounded a large brick fireplace, above which was mounted a flat screen TV. Thick, heavy burgundy velvet curtains flanked the windows. Seated in two of the chairs were the Northwood siblings, still wearing the same clothes that they had during the Contest. Two girls entered through the lobby's automatic doors, one in a green dress, the other in a blue dress, smiling and chatting with each other.

"Oh, man, those interviews were brutal!"

"I know! But Sadie, what are we doing in this hotel?"

"Come on, I have a couple friends I want you to meet." The pair came over and sat down across from Lisa and Lindsay. "Hey, I want you to meet Alyssa Emerson, who, as you know, was my opponent in the championship match. Alyssa, meet Lisa and Lindsay Northwood, two very good friends of mine."

"I remember you, Lisa! You were on the news when they arrested the old Contest director! I just wanted to thank you for helping save the Contests, and you'll be glad to hear that they're back to their former glory, now that Judge Fowler's wife is the director."

"Actually, I saw. I was there watching the whole thing. And I want to say congratulations to the both of you for a really great performance!"

"Well, I wasn't that good," said Alyssa as she looked down.

"What are you talking about? You were great!" Sadie said.

"But, I was so nervous! I mean, look what I did!" Alyssa pulled up the hem of her blue dress a little to show a large hole in her black pantyhose.

"You mean, like this?" Sadie showed her a similar hole in her white hosiery. "During that final battle, you really almost had me, and I was a nervous wreck!"

"Hey, wait a minute! Y'all are copying me!" Lisa called out as she showed off her ripped pantyhose. "And I wasn't even participating, just watching!" The three older girls laughed while Lindsay rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Linds," Lisa said, handing her sister her digital camera. "How about getting a picture of the three of us, the 'Ripped Pantyhose Crew?' All right girls, in front of the fireplace, and… big smile!"

After the photo shoot, the girls returned to their seats. "So anyway," Lisa asked, "how were the interviews after your big win?"

"Exhausting!" said Sadie with a big sigh. "It went on for hours, with me standing in that hot dress and those itchy, ripped pantyhose for what seemed like forever, answering the same questions half a dozen times!"

"Yeah," Alyssa added as she slumped in her chair. "They interviewed the two of us together since we came out of the Contest Hall at the same time and… standing in heels for two hours in the hot sunlight and on hot blacktop is not something I want to do again!" She kicked off her shoes, and Sadie and Lisa followed suit.

"Well, at least you weren't wearing a bulletproof vest under your dress. That would have been brutal!" Lisa and Sadie laughed, while Alyssa and Lindsay looked on in confusion.

"Bulletproof vests?" Alyssa's eyes were huge and almost perfectly circular.

"Yeah," Lisa said. "During the investigation, we wore bulletproof vests under our dresses for the fake Grand Festival. And believe me, we almost needed them! If not for the gunmen's bad aim…"

"Gunfire?" exclaimed Alyssa. "I mean, I heard about it on the news but was it really that serious? I couldn't make it to that first Grand Festival because they moved the date so close…"

"Well, be glad you missed out on that one," said Sadie. "Contests and gun battles should not mix."

Lindsay stood up and declared, "I've decided! Next year I'm doing Contests instead of training! Y'all looked like you were having so much fun out there!"

The two coordinators giggled. Alyssa said, "Yep, it's certainly a lot of fun! It's a lot of hard work too, but I wouldn't want to do anything else in the world!"

Sadie added, "Hey, maybe during the off season, we can teach you a few of the basics, just like I did when you started training. And on the way over here, Alyssa and I were talking about perhaps traveling together and participating in Contests in the Kanto region. You know, since my good friend Rena left to tackle the Pokémon League. Would you be interested in traveling with us, Lindsay?"

"Really? That would be awesome! Thanks a lot, you two!"

"Alright now, Lindsay, you have two very good coaches here, so I want to see you become a top tier coordinator by the next time I come visit, okay? Looks like I have three coordinators to root for now!" said Lisa.

"Yeah, alright sis."

"Sounds like a plan!"

As the four girls left the lobby for the parking lot, the sun was still bright and intense, despite hanging lower in the sky. As soon as they had gotten into a rented Buick LaCrosse – the same one Lisa rented during the investigation – Lisa's cell phone received a new text message.

"00479:

New operation in Orre requires your assistance. Meet me at HQ by 0900 hours tomorrow.

L."

Lisa sighed. "Perfect timing, just what I would expect…"
 
Last edited:

Haruka of Hoenn

Rolling writer
297
Posts
16
Years
One thing. Here:
Like during the previous Contest shooting, everyone and everything was in chaos as people fled for the exits. Jack and Nancy were fleeing down the corridor connecting to the main auditorium. They could see the frenzied mass of people in front of them.
It would have been better if your described it a bit more. Instead of saying that the scene was just like the previous shooting, show it with visual details, but make the description similar to how you described the shooting in the first place.

And here:

... her hands stretched out The girl was panting and sweating...
Missed sentence break. :P


I loved Sadie's little speech there, but it could have used some more exclamations. I didn't get the feeling that she was yelling at them... unless you meant it to be that way.

"You two… I love Contests… I have since I was a little girl. But what you two have done is a disgrace to Contests and everyone who lovingly participates in them. How dare you use our beloved Contests as merely a means to make money illegally. Do you even realize how much work and effort goes into a single Contest routine? No. No you don't. Because all you two think about is the bottom line. I will be happy beyond belief when you two are locked up for good!"
Other than that, the gunfire scene was well done and exciting. Also, the ending line of that scene made me smile :P So unlike the Sadie I first thought of, yet it resembles a great character transformation that started in one fic, and ended in another. Haha.

Well, here ends the mini-fic. (All the fun of a regular fic, only shorter!) Did I ever mention how it was endlessly entertaining to see how the frilly pink world of the contests could mix in with a murder? The ending was satisfying as well, and I especially liked how you closed it off with Lisa receiving yet another mission request from Lorelei. It keeps things moving, in a way.

It's been fun reviewing! Now I'm off to work on my own :P See you... next fic.
 

Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'
9,875
Posts
16
Years
I loved Sadie's little speech there, but it could have used some more exclamations. I didn't get the feeling that she was yelling at them... unless you meant it to be that way.
You know that low, growling, snarling voice that people sometimes use when they're really upset? Yeah, that's what I had in mind here xD

Other than that, the gunfire scene was well done and exciting. Also, the ending line of that scene made me smile :P So unlike the Sadie I first thought of, yet it resembles a great character transformation that started in one fic, and ended in another. Haha.
Wow, I never thought of it that way, lol. This really was envisioned as a short action/mystery piece, without having to be concerned with excess baggage like character development and such. But in retrospect it does make sense that she would have gone through those changes after the events in both of our stories.

Well, here ends the mini-fic. (All the fun of a regular fic, only shorter!) Did I ever mention how it was endlessly entertaining to see how the frilly pink world of the contests could mix in with a murder? The ending was satisfying as well, and I especially liked how you closed it off with Lisa receiving yet another mission request from Lorelei. It keeps things moving, in a way.

It's been fun reviewing! Now I'm off to work on my own :P See you... next fic.
Thanks again for reviewing my story till the end (not that it was that long; I'm probably done with writing long stories)! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the combination of contests and murder mystery that I came up with one hot summer night :P

As for my next one... don't expect it too soon, as I need to come up with some ideas... Thanks again for reviewing, and I officially bring this one to a close :)
 
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