Chapter Sixteen
Nasty Plot (Part One)
When night fell, Grimsley and the others went outside. They gathered next to a large tree that was a short distance from the walls. Gladion had Jester, his Zoroark, by his side.
"Brad and Trek are outside the walls, but they're busy with their phones," Gladion said. "I think we're good."
"Brad and Trek?" Grimsley asked.
"Team Skull. Brad is the dark-haired one. Trek is the bigger guy with green hair."
"Okay, let's run through our plan before we begin," Nanu said.
"Jester will pretend to be you, and I go inside," Selene said. "After that, you guys come in and we take on any Team Skulls coming at us."
"Team Skull should have the Yungoos inside their mansion, the Shady House," Gladion said. "We'll provide backup while Selene rescues the Pokémon."
"And if luck is by our side, Gladion will be able to talk to Team Skull's leader," Grimsley said.
"Good, good. Are your guys' headpieces working?"
"Yup!" Selene said. She and Grimsley tapped on the bluetooths behind their ears. Nanu had provided them those, mentioning these had been lying around in the police station for a while now.
"Okay." Nanu faced Gladion. "Now boy, your Zoroark."
"Right." Gladion turned to his Pokémon and gave him a single nod. Jester closed his eyes, and sparkling purple light cascaded over his body. Seconds later, he transformed into Nanu. He chuckled and flashed a toothy grin at everyone.
Grimsley's eyes grew wide, and he pulled his head back. He looked over his shoulder to see Nanu with his usual deadpan expression. An amused smile formed on Grimsley's llips.
"Well, I can already tell who's the real Nanu and who's not," he said, and Nanu glared at him.
"Save the jokes for later. Get in position, everyone."
"Okay Jester, that's our cue!" Selene said, and Jester nodded enthusiastically. They walked off.
Grimsley and Gladion peeked out from the tree. Selene and Jester approached the two grunts who had their backs on the walls. They stopped playing with their phones and stared at them. Grimsley's bluetooth began to pop with static, and he listened in on the conversation.
"Alola, y'all!" Selene greeted in an upbeat voice. "Ya boy Guzma wants to meet with me!"
"And you might be?" the first grunt asked. He was smaller and skinnier than the other grunt so that one must be Brad.
"Um, Selene? The trainer that defeated you guys a bunch of times, and Guzma not that long ago?"
The two grunts exchanged baffled expressions, and then Trek glared at Selene.
"Oh look, that lil' girl is finally here," he said. "And she brought that old cop with her."
"Yeah, what does he want?" Brad asked, pointing at Jester.
"Easy there guys," Jester said. His voice was exactly like Nanu's. That caught Grimsley off guard there for a second. "I'm only here to let her inside."
Both grunts gave Selene and Jester suspicious looks, and Brad shrugged.
"All right, you may come in. Don't expect to go through the rest of us easily, though."
They moved aside, and let Jester and Selene step forward. Gladion's hand covered his ear, where the bluetooth was.
"The code is 23115," he whispered through the device.
Jester punched in the code on the gate's door. After Selene stepped inside, the door closed and Jester stepped back. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder, giving a thumbs up.
"All right, showtime for you guys," Nanu said, and immediately Grimsley and Gladion moved out from hiding.
"Now, Jester!" Gladion yelled.
At that instant, Jester's illusion faded and he returned to as a Zoroark. Both grunts' faces fell at that act, and when Gladion and Grimsley approached them they sneered.
"Yo, Brad, Trek!" Gladion faked a grin.
"What the heck is going on here?" Trek asked, and Gladion's face turned back to serious.
"I need to talk to Guzma, it's urgent. Is he here?"
Trek snorted. "He is, but he's busy at the moment."
"And how about your other friend there?" Brad pointed at Grimsley, who stared at him.
"He's helping Selene get that Yungoos. Now if you'll excuse us, let us in."
Already the grunts laughed aloud, their hands on their stomach.
"You think we'll let you in easily?" Trek asked. "You didn't do your job half the ti--"
Before he could finish, Jester had his claws in front of Trek's face. He swallowed hard while Brad's face twitched. Even Grimsley's eyes grew wide.
"Step aside, or Jester will make mincemeat out of your faces."
"I would do as he says," Nanu said, approaching everyone. He folded his arms against his chest. "I've seen how wild Zoroark can get. They can do some nasty work."
Jester growled, his claw inching closer towards Trek's throat. He took a step back and held his hands up in defeat.
"Okay, chill dude! We'll get out of your way!" He and Brad moved aside to let Gladion punch in the code. The door to the gate opened, and Grimsley followed Nanu, Gladion, and Jester inside.
"You didn't have to go that far," Grimsley said in a low voice.
"Grimsley's right," Nanu said. "I would've come talk to the guys myself."
"Sorry," Gladion said, though his apology didn't sound too genuine. "I'm just tired of them not taking me seriously."
Grimsley frowned. "We need to help out Selene as much as we can. Come on."
As they moved forward, Grimsley glanced around his surroundings. All the houses and stores were abandoned, and the grass in the front yards was dried up. The Pokémon Center they just passed had cracks on the windows and was closed, too. Paintings of Pokémon and were splattered all over the cobbled roads and buildings. Most of the lampposts had lit up, but some weren't working and their glass was also broken.
"Man, oh man. Po Town is even sadder than the beach next to the Aether House," Grimsley said.
"I already told you how Team Skull had taken over the town," Nanu said. "No silly gambling antics while in here, all right?"
An annoyed grunt escaped from Grimsley.
He, Nanu, and Gladion passed a few more houses and buildings, and they stopped when they saw Selene going against a grunt. At that moment, Selene's Lycanroc jumped up and threw several rocks at a Drowzee. After being hit, the Drowzee shot a colorful psychic beam at Meli, but she dodged and rammed into him.
"There's Selene!" Gladion said, pointing at her. Right now the Drowzee picked himself up, but wobbled and took deep breaths. Meli had some scratches and was dirty, but otherwise was in much better shape.
The grunt Selene went against gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. "Zen Headbutt, Lil' D!"
"I think we're about done, Meli. Stone Edge!"
Meli howled and her paws slammed on the ground, causing the boulder pillars to pop up. Lil D's forehead glowed pink, and as he was rushing at her the boulder struck him in the stomach. He flew in the air, dropped down on the ground, and collapsed. The grunt's face fell, and he returned his Pokémon.
"There's a whole crew coming to get you, girl! Right now I'm outta here!" the grunt warned, and then he took off.
Selene stared off in the distance, and then she looked down at Meli. "We can beat the rest of them, right girl?" Meli responded with a cheerful bark, and Selene giggled. When she noticed the group, she beamed. "Oh, hi you guys! You missed me kicking that Team Skull's butt!"
Smiling a little, Grimsley said, "Wished I could've witnessed that."
"You can brag about that later," Gladion said. "We should head to the Shady House now."
"Not so fast!" a female voice called out. Everyone turned around to see three grunts. The one that spoke was on top of a car while the other two squatted in front of it. Gladion glared at her.
"Hello, Violet." Gladion lowered his stare back to Violet's other companions. "Jo-Jo. Mikey."
"Don't tell me you're helping this brat here," Violet said. She pursed her lips, folding her arms against her chest.
"I've heard of what you guys did to that little girl's Yungoos, and you won't get away with it."
"Yeah!" Selene said, taking one step forward. Meli barked. "I'm gonna save Yungoos, no matter what!"
All three grunts gave the group sharp looks, and then one of them pointed at Grimsley. "And who's this guy here?"
Grimsley faked a gasp, and he did a dramatic pose. "Me? I'm just a tourist that happens to get caught up in all of this."
"Yo Jo-Jo, isn't that the dude we met back in Melemele Island?" one of the grunts, Mikey, asked.
Jo-Jo blinked, and his eyes narrowed. "You're right! His Pokémon got us good!"
Grimsley's smirk grew. "Oh right, you're the men that stole Roland's Pokémon and then ran with your tail between your legs."
Both Jo-Jo and Mikey gritted their teeth and balled their fists. Jo-Jo grunted and said, "You'll pay for what you did!"
After Violet jumped off from the car's roof, all three grunts approached them. Grimsley pressed his lips and pulled out his pokéball. Nanu narrowed his eyes, his hand near his belt where his pokéballs were. Gladion and Jester glared at them and their backs touched. Selene clenched one of her fists while Meli assumed her attack stance and growled.
"Selene, Nanu, go to the Shady House," Grimsley said. "We'll handle them from here."
"Right!" Selene and Nanu gave each other nods, and then they along with Meli dashed off.
"I'll take on Gladion while you two deal with the other guy," Violet said. She released two Pokémon, a Houndour and a Grimer that was made of green slime instead of purple--an Alolan form.
"You got it, sis!" both Mikey and Jo-Jo said. They got out their pokéballs and released their Pokémon, an Arbok and a Trubbish. The latter reminded Grimsley of several Trubbish he came across in the alleys of Castelia City.
"Two against one?" Grimsley said, smirking. "Fine, I'll play that way." He tossed his pokéball, and Dice was released. He pulled his shredded skin up above his waist and stared at the Arbok and Trubbish.
"Stay sharp, Jester," Gladion told his Zoroark, who nodded and growled. He pulled out another pokéball. "Null, you help out too!"
A bright light flashed, and a Pokémon Grimsley had never seen before appeared. They had a body of a canine, but their head was covered in a helmet and fish scales as legs. The Pokémon Gladion named Null lifted their head and howled.
And they had Grimsley and Gladion's clash with Team Skull in Po Town.
"All right Tubby, Sludge Bomb!" Jo-Jo commanded.
"And you go for Aqua Tail, Mack!" Mikey ordered after.
"Avoid their attacks, and then target one of them!"
Tubby acted first, hurling a large amount of brown sludge at Dice. Dice dodged to the left, causing the sludge to spray onto a lamppost. A small yellow mist formed, leaving a slight smell there. Mack slithered and loomed over him, raising his tail that was filled with torrential waters. Just as he was about to strike, Dice jumped in the air and made Mack miss. While dropping back down, he kicked Mack's face and knocked the wind out of him.
"Go for Mud Bomb instead!" Mikey said.
"Try Rock Blast this time!" Jo-Jo said.
"Use Dragon Claw at the incoming attacks, and then at the Trubbish!"
Both Mack and Tubby inhaled, spitting out a muddy bubble and several small boulders respectively. Dice's claws were shrouded in green flames, and he was able to slice at the incoming attacks like diced carrots. He then approached Tubby and slashed him, tearing one part of his bag. Tubby squealed, covering his face.
"Hey Violet girl, how you're holding up?" Jo-Jo asked.
"What do you think?" Violet shouted, and Grimsley glanced over his shoulder to see her and Gladion's double battle. Jester released dark waves of energy at Violet's Grimer and Null swiped Houndour with their large claws. Violet ordered her Grimer to attack the Pokémon with the helmet, which she did by hurling purple sludge at them. Gladion's Pokémon dodged, moved at a blitzing pace, and rammed into Grimer, knocking them out. Violet gasped and returned her Pokémon, and Grimsley pulled his attention back to his own battle.
"Ice Punch at the Arbok!"
"Poison Fang, Mack!"
Mack's fangs glowed purple, and he lunged at his opponent. Dice leapt just in time, and while in the air, his fist was covered in cold mist and a blue glow. He dived towards Mack, punching him in the face. Mack whipped his head, a large bruise on his cheek.
"Sludge Bomb on his back!" Jo-Jo said, doing that rapper pose he had done the first time he and Grimsley had met.
Before Dice could turn around, Tubby spat out brown sludge onto his back. Some goo got stuck there, and Dice's eyes squinted when he tried to wipe them off. Even Grimsley plugged his nose with his fingers and his forehead wrinkled at the smell.
"Smack that Scrafty while he's still distracted!" Mikey did a similar pose with his arms.
Grimsley was about to call for Dice to watch out, but then an idea came to him and he grinned. "Take the hit, and then get back at your opponent!"
Mack hissed and his tail was covered with water once more. After Dice took off the remaining sludge on his back, he stood still and let Mack slam his tail onto his face. Dice's face was soaked and he fell down, but he quickly picked himself up and a ring of energy began to form around him.
Both Jo-Jo and Mikey gave each other baffled looks.
"Don't tell me that lil' dude is gonna--"
Before Bo could finish, Dice screeched and the ring blasted at Mack with great force. Mack flew backward and crashed at a nearby tree, collapsing on impact. Mikey gritted his teeth and returned Mack.
"It's all on you now, Jo-Jo!"
"I got your back!" Jo-Jo said. He glared at Grimsley, clenching his fist. "Seed Bomb, Tubby!"
"Zen Headbutt!"
Tubby inhaled and spat out several glowing green seeds straight at Dice. Dice's forehead lit up a soft pink color, and he rushed through the seeds head-on. He rammed into Tubby, causing him to go up for a second and then drop down. Tubby didn't get back up.
"Tubby, no!" Jo-Jo grunted in frustration, returning his Pokémon. "No way you're just some ordinary tourist."
"You're right, I'm not." Grimsley shrugged, and Dice went to his side with his chin raised. "Either way, you guys lost."
Both grunts' faces turned red and their hands shook.
"Man, this is wacked," Mikey said. "We're outta here!"
Jo-Jo nodded, and then he turned his head. "Hey Violet, we're leaving now! Catch ya later!" He and Mikey bolted off.
Gladion was also close to finishing his battle with Violet. Violet just ordered her Houndour to use Flamethrower at Jester, but he dodged and swiped the dog with his claws. The Houndour had scratches on her skull and dirty fur. Some of Jester's fur was burned, but he was still in much better shape.
"Huh, what gives?" Violet asked, annoyed and baffled. She was distracted by Jo-Jo and Mikey leaving, which gave Gladion the opportunity to tell Jester to use Shadow Ball. After the crimson ball struck the Houndour on the face, she fell and didn't get up. When Violet turned back, she screamed. "Did you just hurt my Pumpkin while I wasn't looking?"
"You should've paid better attention, then," Gladion said. Next to him, Jester gave what sounded like a cackle and Null snorted.
Violet glared at Gladion, biting her lips. "Guzma's gonna beat you down real hard when he sees you." She ran off.
Grimsley hummed, glad that those grunts were taken care of. Gladion dragged out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. His Pokémon went to his side, the one with the helmet on their head rubbing against his cheek. Ever since they appeared, Grimsley took a great interest in them.
"I have to say, that is one tough pup you have there," Grimsley said, and Gladion stared at him.
"Null's not a cute puppy. They've been my most loyal partner, and I'm willing to do anything for them."
"Willing to do anything for them, huh?" Grimsley hummed in amusement. "I suppose that goes for me too if any of my Pokémon are in danger."
Gladion regarded him for a moment, and then he said, "Me and Null... We're more alike than we might look. We're both what we're made out to be." Gladion turned his gaze away from Grimsley, and at the Shady House. "We should move."
Grimsley nodded in agreement. They returned their Pokémon and hurried off.
Up ahead there was a large mansion that appeared to be in ruins. More graffiti was sprayed on several spots, and the infrastructure and many of the windows were cracked. There were two floorboards on the lower roofs that led to an open window.
As they headed towards the mansion, Grimsley hoped that Nanu and Selene were all right.
Xxx
Nanu had been inside the Shady House many times before, mostly to make sure the Team Skull kids stayed where they were supposed to. Whenever he visited, the grunts would either tell him to leave or tease that he was old enough to be their grandfather. Today's visit though they might be more hostile to him.
The walls were filled with graffiti, and some of the paint was chipping off. Several shelves and broken furniture had been left behind like a thief store. The carpet was dried and sticky against his sandals, most likely from the soda and beer that was spilled on it. Nanu's nose wrinkled at the smell of alcohol and cigarettes that lingered.
"Hey, did you get to see that broadcast from the Aether Foundation?" Selene asked as they went up the first set of stairs, her Lycanroc following behind.
"Hm?" Nanu blinked, and then he raised a brow. "I did, yeah. What about it?"
"Well, the president showed off that video of my Brionee going against that Ultra Beast!"
"Wait, that was you?" Nanu said in surprise. They stopped before where the stairs had split into two.
"Ah-huh!" Selene said with an enthusiastic nod. "That thing is strong, but Poppers is even stronger!"
Nanu's forehead twitched, and he felt his blood pressure rising. "Those Ultra Beasts aren't like the usual Pokémon you battle with! They're extremely dangerous, and need to be handled with precaution."
Selene's face perked up. "Have you encountered those things before?" she asked seriously.
Memories of his encounter with UB Symbiont came back to him like a static VHS recording. He, Looker, and Sana went deep inside Lush Jungle and encountered three of those jellyfish monsters. Their Pokémon sustained hard hits but managed to subdue them. One of them being experimented on by an Interpol scientist, screaming. Nanu mentally took a deep breath.
"It doesn't matter," he said in a gruff voice. When he didn't follow up on that, Selene tilted her head and gave him a suspicious look. Meli seemed to have a similar expression, her tail wagging.
"Fine, you don't have to tell me." Selene shrugged, and then she said, "You're the kahuna, right? Can we do the Grand Trial after this?"
Nanu regarded her for a second, and then he snorted. "Sure, if we get out of here alive."
Selene raised her chin and had her hands on her sides, staring at him. "Wow, such a downer."
"Eh, not the first time folks had said that to me."
"What's this, intruders in our crib?" another voice called out. Nanu and Selene looked down to see two female grunts approaching them. He recognized them as Deedee and Jazzy.
"What you're doing here, old cop?" Deedee asked.
"Oh, just checking the premises as usual," Nanu said in a flat tone.
"If so, then why you have a little girl with you?" Jazzy said, pointing at Selene.
"I'm here to get a Pokémon back! And to kick your guys' butt!" Selene said, her foot taking a step forward. Meli barked.
Both grunts laughed, and then Jazzy said, "Aw how cute. She thinks she can take us down."
Selene grunted and clenched her fist. Meli did an attack stance and growled. The trainer opened her mouth, but Nanu raised his hand.
"You go find Guzma. I'll handle these clowns here."
Selene gasped, and then she hummed in understanding. She and Meli took the left side of the stairs. When Nanu was left alone, both Deedee and Jazzy chuckled and pulled out their pokéballs.
"Felicia and Dennis told me that you had beat them twice. We're gonna show you who's boss, gramps!" Deedee said. She and Jazzy released their Pokémon, a Golbat and a Mareanie respectively.
Nanu made a bored grunt, went down the steps, and took out his own pokéballs. Krookodile and Sableye came out, doing their battle poses. The crocodile Pokémon roared and caused the grunts' Pokémon to flinch and back away. Satisfied that Krookodile's Intimidate ability was working, Nanu cracked a smile.
"All right Dolly, Spike Cannon at that Sableye!" Jazzy said, thrusting her arm forward.
Deedee did the same gesture and yelled, "Air Cutter, Goldy!"
"Deflect with Power Gem, Sableye," Nanu said calmly. "As for you Kookie, slam that Golbat with your tail."
Dolly squealed, her spikes jumping up like hair being rubbed by electricity. She fired several pin missiles towards Sableye, but Nanu's Pokémon countered by having her gem glow and release a number of bright stones. Both assaults collided in a small explosion. When the remaining gems showered onto Dolly, she whined and covered herself with her tentacles.
Meanwhile, Goldy flapped his wings furiously and razor-sharp air struck Krookodile on the chest. A few cuts were left there, but Krookodile wasn't fazed one bit. He stomped hard on one foot and swung his tail, glowing green, into the Golbat. Goldy was sent flying into a pile of furniture, and after he screeched was immediately returned to his pokéball. Soon a Salandit popped up and took Goldy's place on the battlefield instead.
Deedee's face fell. "Hey! What trick did you pull, geezer?"
"Dragon Tail switches your opponent's Pokémon." Nanu had one hand on his side.
Deedee groaned and clenched her fist. "Gonna play it that way, huh? Come on Sal, burst out your flames at them!"
Sal hissed and swung his tail wildly. Flaming liquid flew out from the red patterns on his body, which splattered on both of Nanu's Pokémon. Krookodile shook the liquid off and grunted in annoyance while Sableye was stunned for a second and wiped her eyes.
"Good work there, bud!" Deedee faced Jazzy and said, "So Jazzy, can we move our sushi date tomorrow from the afternoon to later?"
"Huh?" Jazzy blinked at her, and then she nodded. "Sure, no prob. Why, though?" She turned back to the battle. "Full-on Knock Out on that Krookodile!"
Were the girls talking date plans during the battle? Nanu brushed that off and focused back on the battle. "Punch that lizard, Sableye. Kookie, you use Thunder Fang on the Mareanie."
Sableye grinned and her fist formed a blue aura with cold air swirling around. She punched Sal's jaw, knocking him backward and making him screech. He picked himself up and hissed, some pieces of ice stuck where Sableye had hit.
Krookodile's fangs crackled with electric sparks, and he charged at Dolly. Dolly jumped up and swung two of her tentacles at Krookodile, but he grabbed one of them with his teeth and shocked her with large amounts of electricity. After he let go, Dolly wobbled and had a dazed expression on her face. She was left with several burns all over her.
Both Deedee and Jazzy glared at him.
"Dragon Rage at that Sableye, Sal!" Deedee said. She glanced at Jazzy. "Got a call from that malasada shop, sayin' they're willin' to interview me."
"Oh my gosh, that's great news, girl! And you Dolly, Poison Jab at Krookodile!"
Nanu sighed and rolled his eyes. "Can your guys' conversation wait until the battle's over? Use your tail at the Salandit, Kookie. Sableye, Shadow Sneak."
Sal inhaled and released a blast of purple flames at Krookodile. To counter, he raised his tail and swung at the flames, causing them to disappear. Krookodile then slammed his tail at Sal, who got squashed on the floor and collapsed.
One of Dolly's tentacles glowed purple, and she swung at Sableye. At the last second, Sableye dodged and backed away with a giggle. Her eyes turned red, and a shadow of herself appeared behind the Mareanie. Dolly looked around in confusion, and when she finally noticed Sableye's shadow it punched her several times without warning. When Sableye was done, she pulled her shadow back and Dolly fainted.
"What the…" Jazzy said with a dumbfounded face. She and Deedee returned their Pokémon.
Deedee had a similar expression, and then she grinned. "It's okay, babe. I still got Goldy." She released her Golbat, who screeched and flew around frantically. "Get back at that Krookodile!"
"Strike first with Aerial Ace!" Nanu said, raising his voice.
Goldy's wings shined a metallic color and he dove down, only for Krookodile to charge at the Golbat in a blur and ram him into the wall. Goldy collapsed on impact. There were a few cracks in the foundation. Deedee returned her Pokémon with a fuming face.
"How can a sleazy cop like you defeat us?" Deedee asked.
"I'm also a Kahuna, so of course I'm stronger, " Nanu said. Krookodile raised his snout and snorted while Sableye cackled.
The female grunts stared at him, and then Jazzy said, "Guzma's stronger than you, so you better watch out, yo!" They held hands and exited the mansion.
Nanu released a tired sigh and looked at his Pokémon. "What a hassle," he said, and both Sableye and Krookodile made noises of agreement. He returned them and took the left side of the stairs.
When he made it to the hallway, that sinking feeling inside his stomach returned. As Nanu moved forward, he glanced at the paintings that were ruined by the graffiti and pinned pictures of Team Skull. He stopped when one picture caught his attention. It was a picture of a younger Guzma with several other kids around his age and an older man. His eyes grew wide.
"Kahuna Laney," Nanu muttered to himself.
Laney was the Kahuna before him. His title was stripped away by the tapus due to a shady group he had formed. He did that because he thought Alola's customs were outdated and the region wasn't keeping up with the world, or so the rumors went. No surprise where Guzma got his beliefs from.
"It's your fault that we lost! Your tank top was too tight and it distracted me!" someone yelled, and Nanu was pulled away from his thoughts. He turned to see two other female grunts storming out from one of the rooms. Nanu moved to the corner.
"My fault? Your Raticate kept messing his moves up!"
The girls passed by Nanu, not noticing him, and went down the stairs.
"Your Rattata wasn't so hot, either! Also, when was the last time you washed your tank?"
"Zip it!"
Nanu's forehead wrinkled. When he turned back, Selene and her Pokémon came out of the room and were in front of him. She held Poppers close to her chest while Meli was behind them.
"You know what's going on with those two?" he asked.
"You mean with the grunts I had just beat? They wore each other's shirts and were sore that they lost to me."
"Wearing each other's shirts?" Nanu raised a brow and shrugged. "Kinda stupid to get worked up over."
"I know, right!" Selene said. Poppers squealed and clapped his flippers. Meli barked, seemed to also in agreement.
Nanu shushed them and said in a low voice, "Not so loud. There are still some grunts here. There's one walking right now."
A short distance from them, a grunt paced around the hallway with his phone and headphones on. He rapped on a song he was listening to, his shoulders moving and head bobbing. Nanu recognized him as Lorenzo.
"Don't know what ya want from me, bro. Already used up all my cash on cigars, Julio. Gonna fly high up in the sky. Come and catch me, if you wanna try!"
After he finished that verse, the grunt turned around and headed the other direction. Nanu didn't react as he had seen more than one grunt do that. A pinched expression crossed Selene's face.
"Their singing always hurts my ears," she said.
"Eh, you get used to it." Nanu shifted his gaze for a second. "Let me ask you something, girl. Do you really want to battle Guzma?"
Selene's face fell, and her gaze fell on the floor. Poppers looked up to her and gave a sad squeaking sound.
"To be honest, not really. I just want to get the Yungoos back, but I'm not afraid of him."
Nanu regarded her for a moment, and then he said, "Okay, good. There's something of Guzma's I want to check. His laptop, to be specific."
"Oh, you're trying to get some dirt on him? How you're gonna do that?"
"I'll force him out. And I know the perfect Pokémon to do so."
Nanu pulled out a pokéball from his belt and released Honchkrow. As the bird cawed and flapped his wings, Selene and her Pokémon gazed up in awe.
"I need you to distract Guzma and his guys for a while," Nanu said to his Pokémon. "Can you do that?"
Honchkrow nodded and screeched, which Nanu assumed to be a yes. He pointed to a large vase that was next to one of the windows.
"Break that vase over there, and then once Guzma's out, go get his sunglasses."
After Honchkrow glanced at the vase, he opened his beak and fired a crimson ball straight at it. The vase was shattered into several pieces.
"Huh, what's going on?" the grunt from earlier yelled. Nanu, Selene, and her Pokémon hid behind old furniture with boxes piled on there. When Nanu peeked from the corner, Lorenzo approached Honchkrow and glared at him. "Yo Big Bird, what'cha doing here? Tryin' to find some shiny bottle caps?"
Honchkrow screeched and pecked at his face. Lorenzo kept crying "ow, ow, ow!", shielding Honchkrow's attacks with his arms.
"Hey, Lorenzo, what's all that noise?"
Nanu immediately recognized that voice to be Guzma's. The man himself appeared with Dennis and Felicia behind him.
"This Honchkrow broke that vase, and is now pecking me!" Lorenzo said while Honchkrow kept doing that.
"Really?" Guzma asked. "Why's that?"
With a hard stare, Felicia said, "That Honchkrow looks familiar…"
Nanu's heart thundered against his chest. He hoped their cover wasn't blown this early.
"Hold up, Feliz. You don't mean…"
Before Dennis could finish, Honchkrow stopped hurting Lorenzo and turned his attention to Guzma. He grabbed Guzma's sunglasses with his claws and flew outside towards the balcony.
"Get back my sunglasses, you brat!" Guzma screamed, shaking his fist. He and his group rushed outside.
Nanu sighed in relief. "That should buy us some time. Let's move."
Everyone hurried to Guzma's room, which was on the other side of the hallway. After Selene opened the door, they stepped inside.
It had been a while since Nanu had entered Guzma's room, but he remembered it well enough to know it hadn't changed much. Nanu stepped on one of the many beer cans scattered across the floor. Up ahead there were some stairs and a sofa that had been torn and dirtied. A large banner with Team Skull's logo was pinned on the wall. That spot had been referred to as Guzma's throne; a far cry from proper royalty. The scent of alcohol and cigarettes that first lingered on the first floor stuck around here also.
"You try to find the Yungoos while I snoop around his laptop," Nanu said. Selene nodded, put Poppers down, and then she and her Pokémon began searching the room.
He took the stairs and approached Guzma's laptop, which was on the small stand that was next to the sofa. It was on sleep mode, so he pressed a key and the laptop lit up back to life. The login screen asked for a password. Nanu pressed his lips in annoyance.
"What kind of password Guzma would use?" he muttered. Guzma would probably have his favorite Pokémon for that. After remembering what that Pokémon was, he typed "Golisopod" and hit enter.
That password failed.
If favorite Pokémon didn't work, then the Pokémon's nickname. Now, what was it? He recalled Plumeria saying it was Goliath, like that character from that one story. He typed "Goliath" and hit enter.
That password was successful, and he greeted with the laptop's wallpaper of the Team Skull logo and splattered paint. That made finding the information he needed faster.
Nanu opened the browser and clicked on a tab, QMail. Guzma's information was saved, so he was shown his inbox already. Many of the emails were newsletters and promotions from various companies, but there were some from the Aether President, Lusamine Jubert, that made Nanu's stomach jump. He clicked on one of those emails.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Hey, Madame Prez. Can you run down to me again why this Cosmog is so important?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Cosmog has the ability to open Ultra Wormholes and bring beings from other dimensions. If someone were to have that Pokémon and not used its powers properly, that can spell disaster.
Here is all the information you need regarding Aether's research on alternate dimensions. Have your men bring Cosmog and Lillie back to me, and you will be paid handsomely.
Attachments: aether_wormhole_research.pdf
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Wow, that's a lot of info to take in. I don't understand half of the alternate dimensions mumbo jumbo, but this sounds serious. Don't worry, my guys and I will take care of that for you.
Nanu furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin. He didn't remember anyone mentioning a Cosmog when he was in Interpol. Could this be the Pokémon Gladion and Charlotte had mentioned that Team Skull was after? Also, why did Lusamine want her daughter back? Nanu was under the impression Kukui had hired Lillie as his assistant on the spot.
He glanced over his shoulder to see Selene and Meli checking out a chest full of z-crystals, the dog sniffing at the contents. Meanwhile, Poppers looked behind a shelf filled with alcohol bottles. Nanu clicked on another email thread and read it.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Yo, Madame Prez! Thanks so much for sending in the money. My homies and I are gonna live like kings, thanks to you!
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
That's only the first half of the payment. You get the rest once Lillie and Cosmog are in Aether Paradise.
Nanu pulled his head back and made a "tch" sound. That meant Aether's president had been pulling the strings all this time. It was no wonder he was suspicious of the organization.
"Hey, I found Yungoos hiding behind Guzma's bottle stash!" Selene said cheerfully. She approached Nanu while holding the mongoose against her chest. Yungoos growled and flashed his teeth, a bit shaken up. Behind them, Meli and Poppers cheered also.
"Thing must've been scared half to death if he's glad to see a wretch like me."
"Maybe. I won't be surprised if Team Skull had harmed him beforehand." Selene glanced at the laptop, and then asked, "Did you find anything good?"
"I did, and it's big. Apparently Aether's president had been Team Skull's secret benefactor."
"What, really?" Selene said in a shocked voice.
"Yup. She gave some money to Team Skull and wanted them to bring Lillie and Cosmog back. Lillie is Lusamine's daughter."
Selene sucked in a breath and frowned. Meli and Poppers looked up at her with sad faces.
"That explains why the president acted strange when Hau mentioned her. Does Gladion know about this?"
"I'm not sure, but we can ask." Nanu closed the browser and snapped the laptop shut. "We better get back to him and Grimsley before Guzma sees--"
"Why the heck are you guys inside my throne?"
Both Nanu and Selene flinched. They slowly turned around to see Guzma, Lorenzo, Dennis, and Felicia surrounding them. The Team Skull leader had his hands on his sides, and a wicked grin spread across his face. His sunglasses were on his forehead, so he got them back.
"The hated boss who beats you down and beats you down and never lets up... Yeah. Big bad Guzma is here!"
Nanu fixed his stare at him. Selene glared, holding the Yungoos tighter. Meli assumed a stance and growled while Poppers barked angrily.
"I don't really get you, kid," Guzma continued, "but at least this is a change of pace. It's not everyday someone comes straight to me for a beating!"
"I'm not here for you, bumhead!" Selene immediately said. Yungoos in her arms hissed at him.
"No bone to pick with me, huh? Then it's for Yungoos, I guess." Guzma shrugged, and then faced Nanu. "And you brought this washed up cop with you to help."
"I knew I recognized the old dude's Honchkrow before!" Felicia said. "You were creating a distraction. aren't ya?"
"Maybe," Nanu said flatly. Honchkrow was outside the mansion, so he would have to get him later.
Guzma glanced at his laptop and narrowed his eyes. He jabbed a finger above Nanu's chest.
"You were snooping around my laptop, too. For what purpose?"
"I know your connection with Aether, and why you have your guys get Cosmog."
All three of his grunts shot confused looks at their leader. Guzma scrunched up his face and then relaxed.
"I gotta admit, that's bold of you guys to get Yungoos like that." He grinned, licking his lips. "However, I'm gonna teach you to stay out of other people's business!
Guzma's grunts chuckled and took a step forward. Nanu gritted his teeth and already had his hand near a pokéball. Selene gasped and gazed down at Yungoos, who hissed and wiggled. Her Pokémon stared and held their ground.
Before anyone could make their move, Gladion and Grimsley showed up and everyone turned their attention to them.
Nanu's face twitched. About time.
Author's Notes:
1. Real quick, went ahead and fixed the grammar and prose in Chapters 12-15!
2. Originally Nasty Plot was going to be one chapter, but it became a bit too long and so I have it split into two chapters. The big Guzma battle will be next chapter.
3. Forgot to mention last chapter, but one of my readers ScarletMage did some fanart! It's based off
the Murkrow thief back in Chapter 5 and it's cute. Please check it out and give them your support.
4. Also! Twitter user Amyliobat is doing a Grimsley & Nanu comic called
En Prison. GO CHECK IT OUT.
Yeah, I think that's it. Thanks to bobandbill for the beta as always. I might aim for Chapter 17 to come late October or early November. See you then!