A Thief in the Night (PG- PG-13)

Started by Scarlet Weather December 14th, 2007 8:00 PM
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In a House
Seen March 20th, 2016
Posted January 22nd, 2010
1,823 posts
16.6 Years
OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER OF DEATH:

-I don't own Pokemon.
-Nintendo, PUSA, Gamefreak, and affiliated corporations (with which I am not related in any way) do.
-All material in this fanfic owned by said corporate entities is used without explicit permission for the purpose of personal and public entertainment.

BUT...

I do own the region of Phyres, Gale Fortunato, and related original characters. If I have to, I'll get this publishd somehow just so that people can't claim them as their original characters.

Er-herm. Now that we've got that out of the way, time to dispense with the formalities. "Thief in the Night" is a chaptered fic centering around the regions of Kanto, Sinnoh, and the Isle of Phyres (Pronounced "Fie-REZ"). It details the life and times of, as the title would suggest, a thief, as well as a cast of supporting characters including Proffessor Oak's nameless Aide, numerous nameless henchmen and/or security guards, and the King of Spain. No, I am not actually including the King of Spain in this fanfic. I just put that in there to make people wonder about my sanity.

Alright, now to tell you why the fic is rated PG-13. Here's the rundown of everything planned to appear in its current incarnation.

-Alcohol Reference and Use (Though nobody actually gets drunk)
-Tobacco Reference and Use
-Pokemon x Human Love (Requitted and unrequitted, all nonexplicit for very obvious reasons)
-Violence
-Blatant and Shocking theft of royal jewelry, wallets, hair gel(?) and anything else that Gale happens to take a shine to.
-Disguised pop culture/classic literature/music references seeded throughout.
-Romance of varying degrees (Once again, no explicitness, and no ShounenAi or ShojoAi.)
-Death
-Various shenanigans
-Complete defiance of the laws of physics by most if not all Pokemon. (Hey, you think of a plausible scientific explanation for hyper beam and I'll drop this)
-Some Fanon elements centered around fan-made region (But no Fakemon)

Still wanna read? Fine. But I warn you, this is my first fanfic attempt so it's probably going to be horrible in comparison to most other good fics here. (Midsummer Knight's Dream by Jax Malcolm and Shining Nightmare by Glajummy are both required reading if you're looking for a sampling of the forum's best outside of the archives.) Anyway, sit down, grab a drink, and follow me into a world of my imagining...

Well, except for the parts that Nintendo and the rest of that brood own.

Chapter One: Fall Out

The tower was the highest point in the region. From its golden spire, it was said; a man could see the coast of Sinnoh, a country nearly two hundred miles away. It had been erected in the year 340 by the king of the region, who wanted something impressive to commemorate the impressive battle he had won against the invading forces from the north. Since then, Phiros Tower had gone through eight hundred separate renovations in its design, resulting in its unique appearance. The octagonal tower was nearly as high as the fabled Burned Tower in Ecruteak had been before a blazing flame had reduced a good ninety percent of it to ashes and driven away the legendary creature said to have roosted there. Phiros tower, when viewed from a considerable distance away, looked like nothing so much as a set of octagon-shaped blocks dotted with oval windows stacked on top of each other in an almost unending sequence, crowned by a golden spire that was nearly lost to sight amid the clouds. The walls of the tower were hewn from the finest marble, and it had taken exactly one hundred years to complete. The only method of ascent along the tower was a spiraling staircase that ran the entire length of the monolith’s height, all the way to the top floor, with a door positioned at every hundredth step, for a grand total of ten thousand stairs. It was said that ascending the staircase in ancient times was used as a means of determining a soldier’s manhood. If he could climb the first thousand steps or more, he was worthy of his post, but if he gave up before then, he was considered weak and useless. The actual total of deaths resulting from falls from the staircase was uncertain, but qualified historians speculated that at least eight hundred people had fallen. Climbing the staircase, which had long since lost its handrail, was considered an extreme sport of sorts among the people of Phyres Island.

Fortunately for Gale, there was an easier way to ascend.

Flicking a lock of his curly brown hair from his forehead, the twenty-year-old reached into one of the deep pockets of his purple trenchcoat. The coat fit Gale perfectly except for the high collar which seemed to swallow his head when he shrugged. It didn’t bother him much. The coat’s deep pockets made storing small objects and tools relatively easy, and it was good practice to learn to move about in such bulky attire. Gale himself had been doing it so long that moving quickly while cloaked was second nature for him. Besides, when your life’s work revolved around making sure you weren’t recognized after you finished a job a coat that obscured your face wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Gale’s leopard-green eyes seemed to spark as he removed a red-and-white sphere from his pocket. His face had an almost impish quality to it when he smiled. A sort of natural charisma surrounded him, giving every single insignificant motion he made a mysterious, intriguing quality. His black-gloved hand clenched the sphere as he clicked a pressure sensor hidden on its back, causing it to enlarge itself from the size of a marble to that of a baseball. Grinning like a madman, he tossed it into the air. “Augustus, come on out! It’s time to go to work!” he murmured in a voice that was so soft it was barely audible, yet still charged with excitement.

The ball hovered over his head for a moment before splitting open and releasing a deluge of white light that hovered in the air without obvious form before reshaping itself into a large, brown and tan bird about the size of a grown man with colorful red and gold feathers crowning its head. Gale nodded to the creature, who returned his greeting by staring at him incessantly, as if to say What’s going on this time?

“Time to go, Augustus. Remember, halfway up the tower without being seen. Think you can handle it?” Gale asked, pointing towards the impressive structure in the distance.

Augustus blinked for a moment, as if he didn’t understand the request. Then, with a nod, he grabbed the thief in his talons and within the space of a few moments was already halfway up the tower.

Pokemon: (noun): 1. Contraction of the words “Pocket Monster”. 2. Any member(s) of a species of creatures living alongside humans possessing intelligence and/or inexplicable abilities. (See “Pocket Monster” and “Pokemon Trainer”)

This is the definition that appears in nearly every dictionary printed in the world today. Pokemon are mystical creatures of sorts that live alongside humans. All Pokemon were born in the wild. However, since time immemorial, humans and Pokemon have coexisted, aiding each other. Theories as to why Pokemon allow humans to own them and travel with them are as varied as people on earth. Some believe that the ultimate goal of a Pokemon is to gain strength through battle, and travel with humans in order to take advantage of their superior strategic abilities. Some believe that Pokemon and humans were created as symbiotic races, with Pokemon and humans needing to work together in order to survive. Others say that since Pokemon are essentially human in their intelligence, they don’t really need people, and we are simply enslaving them against their will when we capture them. Regardless of one’s belief, the facts are simple: Pokemon and humans have been working as a team since the middle ages.

All humans who own Pokemon are known as Pokemon trainers, and are officially sanctioned by the league of their home region. Most Pokemon trainers either take part in Pokemon contests, which are essentially competitions designed to show off a Pokemon’s ability to create beauty through its abilities; or league battles, which are the basic one-on-one battles in which Pokemon rely on their human partner to provide them with strategic aid while using their unique powers, sometimes called “techniques” or “attacks”, in order to knock out their opponent. Many Pokemon owners just sit around at home and enjoy life with their friends. Others study Pokemon, in an attempt to figure out exactly what these creatures are.

There are others, people who use the supernatural abilities of their Pokemon to accomplish dastardly deeds. Indeed, the worldwide crime syndicate known as Team Rocket takes in more then eighty percent of their yearly revenue from Pokemon-related exploits according to an undercover survey taken in the last ten years. Other groups, such as the eco-terrorist teams of Magma and Aqua, have attempted in the past to use their Pokemon’s abilities to bring about an apocalyptic scenario. Many other groups have attempted to copy the methods of these two illustrious Hoenn-based teams, but so far none have succeeded in awakening the power of one of the Pokemon classified as Legendary, the ultra-rare and sometimes one-of-a-kind creatures directly in link with the forces of nature themselves. These Legendaries have such power that at one point they were worshiped as gods. Obviously, this has made attempting to deal with any Legendary-related crisis a major factor in the formation of the Global Police Agency, a worldwide group of licensed police officers specializing in halting Pokemon-related capers.

Still, not all who use Pokemon in order to accomplish evil deeds are part of a team. Some work alone, or on the request of another. These thieves are often the hardest to track because of their ability to immediately thrust the blame onto a member of one of the large crime syndicates when they commit a crime, and also because their burglaries are usually low key. Some, however, have a certain flare for the dramatic, making them either a much easier target, or a much more elusive foe.

-Professor Will’s “A Treatise on Trainers”, Page thirty-two


Panting heavily, Augustus the Pidgeot continued to doggedly lift his two hundred pound burden up the side of the Phiros Tower, careful to avoid the strategically placed security cameras. As he flew, the bird thought about his passenger. He and Gale had been working together for years, since he had been a measly little Pidgey in fact. Back then they had mostly stuck to low-key robberies from secondhand stores and conning rich businessmen when they had needed money. This was their first high-security job. Two months ago, the Phiros Tower had been converted into a museum of Phyres history, and among the exhibits were the crown jewels from the days of the early monarchy. Tomorrow was the museum’s opening day, and mere minutes before the jewels had arrived, escorted by armed guard. The guard was probably loading the gems into the case right now according to the current timetable, and they wouldn’t be expecting an attack of the sort Gale planned to deliver. According to Gale, the entire thing was a perfectly worked out setup. They would sneak in on the floor the jewels were kept on, take out the cameras, and grab the jewel before escaping out the window. According to Gale, the escape plan was worked out completely, though Augustus had his doubts. What was to stop the guards from taking them out in mid-air? Oblivious to his friend’s concerns, Gale had stated emphatically that there was no way on earth that they would be caught. Of course, like any job, security had to be avoided, but since the only safe way up was either through the air as Gale planned to go or through a series of trap doors that went from floor to floor, connected by a set of ladders, Gale felt that as long as he didn’t do anything stupid the twosome were set.

Gale had no idea that anything as interesting as all that was whizzing its way through his Pokemon’s head. His thoughts were firmly centered on the prize. The gems of the King of the isle were said to be among the largest precious stones ever excavated. While gold and other precious metals were fairly common, jewels were hard to find on Phyres and a single fragment of semi-precious star piece could net the owner several hundred thousand yen. A single jewel from the King’s crown, therefore, would probably net Gale enough money to live comfortably for quite some time. Of course, he actually had to get to the jewel first. His point of entrance would have to be on the five hundredth floor, or the game was up. Running up the stairs would attract far too much attention, and since guards were stationed on every other floor, using the enclosed ladder stairway was out too. Preferably, he wanted to get there while the jewels were still being loaded into their display case as cracking a reinforced glass cage was never easy and almost always a good way to get caught. However, that didn’t quite seem to be the case at the moment. Slipping his hand once again into the coat pocket designated for Pokeballs and related equipment, Gale removed something that resembled a red handheld computer decorated with the insignia of the Phyres league: A tower with a small carved Dragonite on top. Gale flicked the machine’s flap open, revealing a small keypad and a screen, and called up the clock function. Two thirty. He was a bit late. “Pick up the pace, Augustus,” he whispered to his friend as a sudden gust shook the Pidgeot slightly. Gale struggled with all his might to avoid looking down. If he lost his nerve this early in the operation, there would be no way to regain it, and a great deal of the success of this venture relied on him being one hundred percent sure of himself. To ease the feelings of doubt and anxiety rising in his belly, he counted the floors. Four-fifty-one... four-fifty-two...four-fifty-four.... The numbers began to fall into a rhythm as Augustus continued to lift.

At last, the count reached five hundred. Gale reached up and yanked Augustus’s leg, the signal for the birdlike Pokemon to move in closer. Augustus complied, and Gale found himself standing atop the stairs, directly in front of the door to the room where even now the jewels were being unloaded. In the distance, Gale could faintly make out the shape of an orange, dragon like creature. It was a carrier Dragonite and it had probably been hired to take the guards to the top floor. It was an obvious choice. Gale cursed as his logic caught up with him. If the carrier was long gone, the security guards had most likely already made the transfer into the display case. The plan was already developing serious kinks. Rather then turning back, as he should have, Gale located the small window-hole at the top of the door and discreetly peeked through. His heart skipped a beat. Two security guards stood on either side of a large display case, holding the largest collection of gems Gale had ever seen in his life. Emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, pearls.... he nearly swooned with ecstasy. Then a different sort of valuable commodity caught his eyes. A set of keys were dangling from the black slacks of one of the guards. Gale took a moment to size the two up. No Pokemon, as far as he could tell, and from the looks of things a baton was the strongest weapon they had. His hand slipped into the pocket containing his Pokeballs before he drew it back and slipped it into the opposite pocket. He felt the handle of his revolver, a modified small-caliber handgun he had received from a set of attendants at the Phyres equivalent of Hoenn and Kanto’s Safari Zones. Contained within the gun rather then conventional bullets were a set of darts tipped with the extract of certain berries, as well as remnants of the sleep powder attack used by certain grass Pokemon. A single dart could lay out a charging Rhyhorn, and would be equally effective against a pair of dopy-looking security guards.

Gale decided that a quick entry was the best move. Knock the door down and two shots. He moved his hand to the latch and then stopped. As long as he was going to do something this insanely crazy, he might as well just go all out. Shifting his stance, he raised his leg and delivered a powerful kick to the door, effectively clearing the obstacle from his path. He nodded to the guards, smiling. “Greetings, gentlemen.” The lost initiative was worth it for the one moment that the guards stood in place, staring at him as if he had dropped from the moon. Then his gun was up and blazing. First the guard on the right clapped a hand to his neck, then the one on the left. Both guardsmen attempted to charge, but before they had moved three steps the sedative kicked in, sending them crashing to the floor. Gale raced in, his coat flowing. Stooping down, he retrieved the keys and picked the guard’s pocket without a second thought. Slipping the wallet into a pocket of his own trousers, he began examining the keys. One of them had to fit in the display case’s padlock, he knew. But which one? Racking his brains, Gale grabbed a key at random and inserted it into the case. To his surprise, the door unlocked with a click. “You know, security here is a lot more lax then we thought,” he commented to Augustus, whose enormous tan-and-brown bulk filled the doorway, “I mean, all I have to do is reach into this case and-”

It was, ironically, at that moment that the alarm sounded.

Gale gave a yelp of pain and yanked back his hand, rubbing it furiously. He stared at the jewel he had just been reaching for. On closer inspection, he realized that not only was the pedestal it was sitting on connected to an electrical circuit; two camera-like generators were clearly visible on either side of the case. A laser bar. And like the idiot he was, he had broken it. Cursing himself inwardly, Gale reached into his gun pocket and removed a small multitool. Flipping it open, Gale used the pliers to reach into the case and carefully disconnect the wire from the jewel’s pedestal. Whipping his hand in, he removed the gem just as a group of guards stormed into the room via the trapdoor, batons in hand. Gale cursed one last time before cocking his head, a signal to Augustus. With a nod, the birdlike Pokemon shot into the room. Flapping his enormous wings, Augustus stirred up a miniature whirlwind which sent officers flying every which way about the small space. Without pausing to talk, Gale raced out of the room, his Pokemon in hot pursuit. As they reached the small stairway Gale leaped into the air where Augustus’s receiving claws met his shoulders and began to bear him away from the tower.

The two flew in silence until Augustus broke the tension by nudging the hand Gale still clutched the jewel with. Gale’s eyes brightened. “I only managed to get one piece,” he said as he slowly unclenched his fingers while still keeping hold of the gem, careful not to drop it, “But it’s definitely the most valuable one.”

As Gale took a closer look at his prime haul, he realized that it wasn’t a jewel to be worn in a crown at all. Instead, the polished blue gemstone was attached to a string of pearls, similar to some sort of necklace. On impulse, Gale strung it out and hung it on his own neck. He lifted up the gem to examine it more closely. The small stone was a beauty indeed. It was blue, but it glimmered with a fire that no ordinary sapphire hoped to equal. In fact, when Gale lifted the stone to the sky he realized that the color of the gem matched that of the cloudless summer heavens almost perfectly. His eyes brightened. The gem was such a beauty that it would almost be a pity to sell it, which was always a good thing. Kissing the stone on impulse, the cat burglar let it hang to slap against his chest. “Easy street, here we come...”

Whatever else Gale had thought was lost to confusion as Augustus staggered in mid flight, wincing. Gale was shaken about roughly, like a rag doll. Craning his neck over his shoulders he barely managed to make out the assailants, a pair of security guards, mounted on a pair of creatures that looked like silver-armored vultures. The beasts seemed more metal then flesh, as if their gleaming armor was their skin. Upon closer inspection, Gale realized that was exactly what it was. They had Skarmory. Oh, joy.

Gale didn’t bother reaching for his gun. The weapon was small caliber and not really meant for long-range firefights, and Augustus was moving too quickly and erratically in his attempts to shake off their dogged pursuers for Gale to get a decent shot in anyway. Once again, Gale cursed. Augustus cawed and stared at his trainer. His eyes said it as plainly as his mouth, had he possessed one, would have: What now?

Gale shut his eyes, concentrating. Finally, a decision came to him. “Act like you’re hurt,” he whispered to Augustus, who was now heaving with exhaustion.

The Pokemon blinked. WHAT?

“I said act like you’re hurt. That way those goons on the metal birds will try to catch up with us and attack. When they do, I want you to go into the steepest dive possible without dropping me or the necklace and then even out once we’re below the tree line.”

Augustus blinked again. And then what?

Gale smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a Plan B, and it’s foolproof. We’ll be fine.”

Augustus rolled his eyes as he prepared to carry out his trainer’s orders. While the Pidgeot knew that his partner hardly ever steered them wrong, he couldn’t shake the feeling that if this “Plan B” were really foolproof it would have been Plan A. Nonetheless, he carried out the orders. Immediately he began dragging his left wing, staggering in mid-air in order to create the illusion that the earlier Swift attack had injured him and he was favoring his right side. The Skarmory launched the expected attack. Augustus felt a hail of star-shaped condensed energy hammer into the base of his right wing. Even with the Pidgeot expecting it, the pain of the impact still made him stagger and added a very convincing dimension to his performance.

“Not yet. Wait for them to move in for the kill.” Gale whispered, one hand clutching the necklace tightly and the other retaining a firm grip on his Pidgeot’s leg.

Augustus nodded in agreement as he steeled himself in preparation for the daredevil maneuver his trainer had conceived.

The opposing Skarmory swept in, their wings glinting in the sunlight, as their riders realized they had scored what they took for a decisive hit. The two metal birds were gaining by the second, the gap between the three closing rapidly.

“Wait for it...” Gale muttered, repeating the phrase like some kind of bizarre mantra. At last, however, the Skarmory drew up alongside and he shouted the word to the winds: “NOW!”

Augustus complied admirably, and without hesitation he folded his enormous, tawny wings and dove toward the trees below with a speed that nearly knocked the prize from Gale’s hand. The trainer was ecstatic. This was probably the reason he and Augustus had become cat-burglars in the first place. The speed and exhilaration, the thrill of a perfectly executed strategy, never knowing when your life or freedom could depend on a single, quick decision, always at the mercy of luck or fate, whichever you favored, and still coming out on top. For better or for worse, the life he had chosen. A grin split Gale’s face as the criminal screamed a battle-cry of sorts: “YAAAHOOOOO!!”

Keep the celebrations to yourself, Eejit, Augustus groaned in his native tongue as the two descended, rapidly followed by the two Skarmory, We aren’t out of the woods just yet.

While the daredevil shot had confused the two guards momentarily, they had caught on quickly, ordering their Pokemon to rapidly descend as well, though not quite so quickly as Gale because of their position on the Pokemon’s back and the uncertainty of their grip. Gale cursed. “Okay, Plan B when we hit the treeline. I’m not liking how this is working out.” He groused.

Augustus dove through the canopy of foliage, and straightened out immediately, abandoning all pretense of injury. The guards were close behind, and evened out just as the Pidgeot did. The gigantic bird looked at his human partner. NOW can I hear what plan B is?

“Yeah, just calm down. This is gonna be a bit dangerous.” Gale muttered in reply, fumbling to reach something in his pockets. His shoulders ached and he was tempted to leap onto Augustus’s back, but this job required that he trust the stronger grip of his Pokemon then his own. “Alright, here’s the fun part.”

Why is there always a fun part with you?

“No clue. Anyway, here’s what we do: Land and act like we’ve given up.”

LAND?

Gale met his partner’s incredulous stare with a chuckle. “Yeah, I know, they’ll call for backup. But not,” he continued, his eyes twinkling, “If I use this.” His hand removed a black cylinder from his pocket. “Communications jammer. Picked it up for a song last month.”

No wonder we couldn’t pay the phone bill...

“Hey! All sarcastic jokes are to be made by me and me alone. No exceptions.” Gale riposted, chuckling. His eyes sparked. “Get ready. If this doesn’t work, we’re totally doomed, by the way.”

With you, it’s always all or nothing. Augustus groaned, but complied nevertheless. Surprised by the sudden compliance of their quarry, the security guards slowed to a snail’s pace as they too descended. One dismounted, moving towards Gale and his partner.

“Alright, hands up, and-ugh!” The guard stated, surprised as a red-armored creature resembling a humanoid mantis with crab-clawed hands swung one of its metallic appendages into his head after emerging from behind a tree, knocking him out. The second guard reached for his radio as the two Skarmory charged at the attacker, but Gale had already depressed the button on his jammer, and all he received in reply to his SOS was static. The guard turned. “How?”

“Good question,” Gale replied, grinning cockily as he rubbed his shoulders. “I hid Laertes’s Pokeball in the undergrowth as ‘Gust and I descended. And that’s not all.” Gale pointed to one of the Skarmory, who was struggling in the grip of a large, bipedal creature that resembled a rocklike rhino with a drill-like horn. To the side, Laertes could be seen holding down the second one with some assistance from Augustus.

The guard was stunned. It was his first time meeting someone so thorough in his planning. “You set this up,” he accused, “You knew that we’d send two men in after you.”

“No-ooo,” Gale replied, shaking his head, “I didn’t plan for this in advance. These plans only work if you do ‘em the minute you come up with ‘em, or they won’t be quite as surprising. Then again, if you’re a security guard, it shouldn’t have been a surprise anyway. When a thief has one Pokemon, chances are that at least two more are lying in wait. Little life lesson for ya there, kid.” He flashed the cocky grin again.

The guard fumed. “Well, here’s my life lesson. When you impede the progress of the law, make sure that you get lost. You won’t be able to sell that necklace anywhere. There’s nowhere you can hide, and now that I’ve got a good look at you you’re going to have a wanted poster as well.”

“Really, now,” Gale replied, interested, “Kind of a pity I’m not planning to let you wake up in time for that.”

The guard paled. “You mean you’re going to kill me? That’s murder!”

Gale shook his head. “Get your crooks straight. I’m a thief, not a murderer. But I don’t need to kill you- all I’ve got to do is get on the next boat off this island before you can send out a warning. G’Night, kid,” His statement finished, Gale fired his pistol nonchalantly. The guard stepped back in surprise before collapsing, another victim of the sedative. Whistling softly, the cat burglar returned to his Pokemon, who were still engaged in holding down the Skarmory, and fired twice. Both vulture-like creatures struggled momentarily before at last sinking into sleep. On impulse, Gale twirled the gun around his index finger before returning it to his pocket. “Laertes, Aristo, good timing. And as usual, Augustus, you’ve definitely more then made up for the trouble we went through to get that HM. You fly like a pro. Great job, you all!”

The rhino-like creature that Gale had identified as “Aristo” lifted himself from the unconscious forms of the Skarmory. Puny Skarmory didnae stand a chance against Aristophanes, he stated, his face flat and inexpressive and his voice deep and gravelly as his build would suggest. If holding is all thou dost require, Aristophanes can easily complete such a task. Skarmory cannae ‘ope ta break free from mah grip wi’out much strugglin’.

Gale smiled at his odd-speaking Rhydon. “Not many Pokemon or humans can get up easily when they’ve got a few hundred kilos on them,” he commented, “Much less a few hundred kilos of rock-type attitude.”

Gale, we should really be making our escape, Augustus reminded his partner. Just because we managed to down a guard or two doesn’t mean that we’re out of this yet.

“Oh, liven up ‘Gust,” Gale chuckled, “I mean, it isn’t as if there were other-“

“Pursuers?”

Gale stared at the owner of the voice which had finished his sentence. It was another security guard, outfitted in the standard Phyres uniform, this one clutching his head with one hand and a red-and-white sphere with the other. Gale whirled on Laertes before berating the red-armored mantis. “I thought you knocked him out already!”

I barely tapped him. I didn’t want to cause any serious damage, after all. Laertes replied, lifting one of his massive crab-like pincers and clenching it furiously. Don’t blame me. You’re the one who calls the shots around here. You’re the shogun, I’m just a humble-

“Ronin, I know, we’ve been through all this before. Give me a break! You blame me every time you mess up these days. Could it just be that evolving into Scizor threw off your precision, huh?” Gale asked, his eyes flashing.

Laertes narrowed his tiny eyes. Oh, and now you’re bringing all that up, eh? Well, Mr. Blameshifter, I’ll have you know that my hits have more precision then ever since evolving, and-

“Could I interrupt your truly fascinating conversation for a moment?” The guard interjected, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Now where were we? Ah yes, I was just about to bring you in as a thief with some help from my friends,” he continued, the sardonic tone in his voice nearly tangible. “Come out, Nidoking, Weavile, Blissey!” he shouted, tossing first the sphere he had already clutched into the air, then another pair from his belt.

Gale! Hurry up and shoot ‘em down! Augustus exclaimed as he launched himself into flight.

“I Can’t! No more ammunition!” Gale called back. “It’s up to you guys now. Aristo, Hammer Arm on that Blissey! Laertes, see if you can keep that Weavile busy with X-Scissor!”

Aristophanes complied admirably, charging forward while swinging his arm in a circular motion as if attempting to build power behind the swing. As he did so his opponent materialized from the jet of white light emitted from her Pokeball. The creature was almost as tall as Gale, and resembled nothing so much as a large, frilly pink egg come to life. Its arms were tiny, much too small to be any good, and its feet seemed almost impossible to move such bulk about with. Its stomach, if you could call it that, was divided into its pink upper body and a white lower body that seemed to be ringed with a frill of feathery growths of skin. Both halves were joined by the presence of a large, white egg in a pink pouch located just behind the cute, almost cartoony facial features of the creature. The position of its ears was marked by a pair of curling, pink growths resembling hair and its face was screwed into an expression of anger that seemed more cute then menacing. Its trainer shouted his first command just as Aristophanes prepared to bring down his rocklike fist upon the creature’s head. “Blissey, protect!”

Aristophanes rebounded, skidding backwards along the clearing as a translucent blue shield enveloped his target, blocking his attack. Snorting and growling, the Rhydon lowered his head and charged, drill-like horn spinning madly.

Meanwhile, Laertes had squared off with his opponent, a black, impish creature. The Pokemon grinned maliciously as it flexed the sharp claws capping its stick-like arms. The crest of red feathers that crowned its head as well as marking the locations of its ears whistled for a moment as it leapt into the air. The yellow gem on its forehead gleamed as the Weavile released a blue, glowing beam. Laertes, however, read the attack as it was launched and proceeded to dodge with a speed so intense that he appeared to be a blur as he moved, causing the beam to harmlessly impact the ground which was immediately covered by a patch of ice. Raising his pincer-capped arms, the Scizor crossed them and gathered energy, causing both arms to become enveloped with a faint orange glow. Before the Weavile could land, Laertes launched himself into the air, hammering both arms into his opponent’s body with a slashing motion resembling, as the attack’s name suggested, a huge “X” which temporarily hovered in front of his opponent’s body before dissipating into thin air. The Weavile crashed to earth as Laertes landed gracefully. To the Scizor’s surprise, however, his opponent picked himself up, chuckling, before racing forward, claws outstretched.

Augustus, meanwhile, faced a much larger opponent. The Nidoking the guard had released was a large, purple-armored creature with gigantic, mouse-like ears. Its entire body, with the exception of its white underbelly, seemed to be covered with a thick, purple skin that seemed perfectly capable of deflecting most physical attacks, while its fanged jaws were definitely powerful enough to bite through flesh without problem. Raising its horn-tipped head, the Nidoking roared at his Pidgeot opponent in anger before punching the ground with one massive, purple claw. On impact, the ground below the beast’s claws broke into at least a dozen slabs of what appeared to be solid rock covered with a thin layer of topsoil, which then shot into the air over Augustus’s head. Gale was quick on the uptake, spotting his partner’s precarious situation. “’Gust, Detect!” he commanded, before turning to his other two Pokemon. “You guys! Take care of the competition! I don’t care how you do it, just get it done!” he commanded.

Augustus stared at the mass of rocks preparing to plummet upon him before following his partner’s advice. A spark of energy momentarily lit the Pidgeot’s eye as he nimbly corkscrewed away from the path of the falling debris. Panting slightly, he returned to position above the enemy before immediately launching a counterattack. Beating his wings furiously, the Pokemon created a burst of air which threatened to uproot several small saplings caught in its path. The Nidoking staggered a moment, but easily recovered once the gust passed. Lifting its mouth to face Augustus, it released a flurry of tiny needles that Gale immediately recognized as a Poison Sting. “August, pull up!” he commanded, jabbing his finger in the indicated direction. Augustus complied, pulling himself above the range of the stream of needles with a few wing beats.

Meanwhile, Aristophanes seemed to be having some difficulty as he faced the Blissey his trainer had ordered him to combat. No matter what he tried, the pink creature seemed to have some defensive technique in its arsenal that easily countered his shots. Snorting, the Rhydon charged again, leveling his horn at the opponent, the end glinting. His opponent, unfortunately, was prepared for such an assault. Just as her opponent reached her, the Blissey shrank to the size of a small grape. Unprepared for this tactic, Aristophanes was carried well past his target by his own momentum. Returning quickly to normal size, the Blissey then removed the egg from its pouch and threw it at the back of the unprotected Rhydon where it exploded with the concussive force of a small bomb. Aristophanes turned his eyes red with rage as he began another charge...

Laertes, meanwhile, faced an annoyingly unkillable opponent. No matter what he tried, the small, impish creature seemed to dance out of its way and counterattack. On the rare occasions when one of Laertes’s attacks connected, the creature seemed to simply pull itself to its feet without problem. Already several trees bore large scars left by wild punches. The Weavile grinned as it launched another slashing attack, which Laertes blocked with his armored claw just in time. The Scizor retaliated immediately, launching a claw enveloped with a white glow at his foe. The enemy Weavile merely sjirachied at his opponent as he nimbly danced to the side, causing the Metal Claw to leave a small crater in the ground.

Gale bit his lip as he gazed at Augustus. The Pidgeot, he knew, was exhausted after his earlier flight from the tower, and the injuries from his scuffles with the Skarmory were beginning to take their toll. Gale could see what was happening already. The guard didn’t have to win the battle; he just had to delay Gale long enough for reinforcements to wonder why the guards hadn’t radioed in yet and send a search party. With worn-out Pokemon and no ammunition, Gale had a butterfly’s chance in hell of avoiding capture if other guards showed up now. Narrowing his eyes, Gale made his decision. “Augustus, we’re wrapping this up quickly. Full power!” he commanded, his eyes glinting viciously.

Augustus stared at his trainer. You mean....

“Augustus, Hyper Beam!” Gale commanded, pointing his finger dramatically.

Augustus hovered in place for a moment before opening his beak. As he did so a faint, golden glow surrounded the Pidgeot’s body before slowing being collected into the cavity of its open beak. The Nidoking stepped back, surprised, as did his trainer. “What the-“

Augustus released the energy in that instant. A white-hot burst of light cut through the ground creating a deep rut as it headed for its intended target. The Nidoking roared in pain as it was enveloped by the golden glow, which sent it hurtling across the battlefield into a large sycamore. Its trainer stared. “What’s with this? Hyper Beam? That’s a move that only advanced trainers use! Just who are you?” the guard demanded.

Gale smirked, flashing his trademark pearly-white smile to his enemy. “I’m no one in particular,” he admitted. “I’m just a thief in the night, that’s all. Just a thief in the night...”

“Yeah, whatever. You’re pretty much doomed anyway,” the guard replied, pointing at his Pokemon. “You’re down for the count already.”

“What the hell are you- oh, shoot,” Gale groaned as the angry beast that Augustus had blasted away only moments before pulled itself, injured but still very much conscious. Not only that, but Augustus had fallen to the ground, much of the color missing from his plumage. Gale cursed the necessary side-effect of Hyper Beam: all the energy remaining in the Pokemon must be used, and a period of time ranging from a minute and a half to thirty seconds was required to re-energize afterwards. Not only that, but Aristophanes lay to the side, panting, as his annoyingly pink opponent rushed forward to launch an attack. Laertes still stood strong, but Gale could see that the Scizor was fighting exhaustion as well.

“You shouldn’t have messed with me,” the officer grinned. “I’m chief of security for the museum, so of course I’m going to have Pokemon capable of withstanding whatever pathetic attacks you can hurl. Hyper Beam was a surprise, I’ll admit, but you underestimated your opponent when you used it.” Gesturing to his Nidoking, the guard smiled sardonically. “Look at what’s around his neck.”

Gale lifted his eyes to stare at the strange necklace draped across the Nidoking’s neck. This was not in and of itself unusual, as many trainers hooked items useful for battle onto such necklaces for their Pokemon. What was unusual was the gleaming white orb latched to the iron necklace. “Alright, talk. What is that?” he demanded.

The guard shook his finger at Gale, clearly enjoying his moment of triumph. “Temper, temper, Mr. Thief. That orb happens to be hewn from a chunk of pure Braskan.”

Gale’s face paled. “Braskan?”

Braskan (Noun): A mineral found in large quantities on the island of Phyres characterized by its pearl-white coloration and luminescence. Mining is permitted only in limited quantities by the Phyres government due to the radiation waves proceeding from it. Licensed for use only by certified members of the GPA and certain law enforcement officials.

Braskan Radiation (Noun): Energy emitted from the mineral Braskan. Has the effect of doubling the stamina of any Pokemon within contact of it as well as reducing pain from physical injuries. Effects on humans, if any, are unknown at this time.

-Griffen’s World Encyclopedia


Gale knew quite well what Braskan was, and its effects in combat. He also knew that it was allowed only to cops and security guards for this exact purpose: to trap a thief in combat with nigh undefeatable Pokemon. Slowly, his hand strayed to his pocket. If Augustus could move, he could have ordered the Pidgeot to relieve his foe of the necklace. Under the circumstances, however, there seemed to be one thing only that Gale could do. “’Gust, come back! Aristo and Laertes, you too!” he commanded as he removed the same three spheres that had enclosed all three Pokemon earlier. Depressing the silver buttons at the Pokeballs’ centers, he watched as a beam of red light shot from each one to make contact with the targeted Pokemon. All three affected creatures blinked in surprise as their bodies were transmuted into red light which the balls reabsorbed. Placing all three Pokeballs in his pocket, Gale lifted his hands. “Okay, okay, I give! Just call your Pokemon back and let me go!” he complained.

The security chief shook his head as his Pokemon assumed protective stances around him. “Not a chance, Thief. If I call my troops here back, you’ll make a run for it and I’ll be stuck without a job. Tell you what, you come over here and lay that coat where I can see it.” He gestured towards the area in front of him.

Slowly, Gale walked forward as he tugged at the left sleeve of his trenchcoat as if preparing to remove it. The guard frowned. Something about this guy didn’t seem right. He was willing to give up so-

Gale grinned as another red-and-white sphere dropped from his hand to the ground.

BOOM!

The officer coughed as a thick, dark smokescreen issued from the ball that had dropped from Gale’s hands. Cursing under his breath as he attempted to clear the smog by waving his hand wildly, he heard the chuckles and footsteps of a fleeing thief racing through the undergrowth. Gale turned, glancing at the officer and his Pokemon flailing and coughing as the choking smog closed in on them. Chuckling, he sprinted through the undergrowth as he issued one final taunt: “I won’t go so easy on ya next time!”

Gale was elated. Sure there had been a few wrinkles, but so far he was still okay. Now all he had to do was make his way through the rest of this forest to a good take-off point and he would be home free. Just as he completed this through however, his foot encountered some form of resistance in the terrain. The would-be cat burglar sprawled head over heels before landing face-first on the forest turf. Pulling himself to his feet, he angrily whirled about to face whoever had tripped him. “Hey, what’s the big idea?”

A tall, lanky young man not much older than Gale stepped from behind a small tree, whistling nonchalantly. “You know, I almost didn’t believe the reports when I heard that a man with a Pidgeot had broken into the crown jewels exhibit. After all, the altitudes up at the top of the tower can do strange things if you stay up there too long. But now here you are, purple coat and all, running through the woods and giggling like a toddler.” He shook his head, shocks of unruly blonde hair bobbing in the sunlight. “Man are you stupid.”

Gale could have groaned. Brilliant- another guard, dressed in his civvies to avoid detection, but a guard nonetheless. He turned to bolt just as the guard reach for a cunningly hidden baton. Gale had hardly taken a step before he felt the hard wood strike the back of his head, and everything went black.

Gale’s Code of Do’s and Dont's for Thieves- Tip #1: If you have multiple plans and your Plan A fails, go directly to Plan B. If Plan B fails, go directly to Plan C. If either B or C does not exist, resort to your final option: Either take the cops down with you or grab the money and run like hell.

Augustus’s Tips for Sensing Bad Situations- Tip #1: If Plan A has failed and someone tells you not to worry because Plan B is foolproof, you are probably about to encounter serious difficulties.

x x x x

In a House
Seen March 20th, 2016
Posted January 22nd, 2010
1,823 posts
16.6 Years
Well, Finally finished chapter two. Please review, people. It's annoying when I don't get any comments whatsoever. >.<

Chapter Two: The Politicians

The guard stepped smartly through the corridors of Phiros Tower’s ground floor. The large badge pinned to his lapel which marked him as a senior officer gleamed as shafts of light streaming through the tower’s windows glanced off of it, causing a small light to play about the room like a dancing fairy. As he reached the large ebony door at the small hallway’s end, he stood at attention and proceeded to give it a sharp rap. A deep, booming voice resounded from the chamber: “Enter!” Without a moment’s hesitation, the guard opened the door and stepped through it smartly.

Within the chamber sat a small man whose hair had gone grey with age. Puffing, the dumpy character pulled himself to his feet and stepped from behind his mahogany desk to greet the guard. “Report, sir,” he commanded, his voice notably less impressive now that it was not being amplified by the echoes of the hallway.

The guard, who was nearly twice the height of his employer, saluted quickly before launching into his report. “Sir, one of our plainclothes officers was able to apprehend a fleeing criminal as he attempted to purloin the central gem in our collection of the crown jewels, the Queen’s Necklace. That piece, as you well know, is valued at over ten billion yen. We were considering reporting him immediately to the authorities, but we assumed that you’d want to know first so as to decide which charges to press, how much money you wish to receive in compensation, etc., before turning him over to the...”

“I’ve already heard from the arresting officer, and we won’t be turning him over,” the curator interrupted curtly.

The guard, naturally, was flabbergasted. “What did you say?”

“I said that we won’t be turning him over. Our little thief apparently has friends in extremely high places.”

The guard was no fool. “How much did these friends offer you?” he asked, disgusted.

The curator toyed with an end of his long, black mustache. “Enough to make me reconsider my earlier position on this man... for a few days at least. We have enough money now that I can afford to give all of you a raise should I choose to do so.”

The guard turned angrily, preparing to storm out. “I’m informing the authorities anyway,” he declared. “This man attempted to steal an integral piece of our country’s history, and he isn’t getting away with it.”

“He is. Unless you don’t want your piece of the loot, he is.” The curator’s black, beady eyes drilled into the back of the guard’s head as the taller man paused. “Think about it,” he said, honey oozing from his tongue, “You won’t have to worry about those bills for a few months at least. There’s quite enough here for me to share a little bit with you, after all, the bulk is going into your pay anyway since the money entered the museum’s account....” His voice suddenly changed tones, becoming more threatening. “The alternative is the loss of your job. Take your pick- a nice fat bonus, or the satisfaction of watching a dime-a-dozen failed crook carted away in irons from your spot on the unemployment line?”

The guard was no fool. He knew the curator well, and the man was more then capable of doing exactly what he had said. “I’ll inform the others that we have a case of mistaken identity, and the prisoner will be released,” he sighed, saluting.

The curator smiled, his mustache twitching. “Very good. And give him this, and tell him that his benefactor asked that he appear there within twenty-four hours. Run along, then.”

The guard didn’t like impeding justice like this, but he knew he had no choice. He accepted the slip, saluted smartly, and strode down the hallway.


Gale didn’t like enclosed places. He had been lost in a cave once when he was seven, and a Zubat had scared him into falling into a hole in the cave’s floor. He had been trapped there for close to a day before his parents had found him. Ever since then he had an aversion to both caves and enclosed spaces that bordered on a phobia. So when Gale woke up and found himself locked in a small room on the tower’s bottom floor which had been used for keeping prisoners in the old days, he was understandably upset. He tried everything in order to keep himself from snapping, from pacing up and down the narrow confines to curling up in a corner and trying to sleep. Nothing seemed to work. Seconds turned to minutes turned to hours turned to days turned to years, and it was all Gale could do to keep himself sane. He tried singing a dirty song he had heard once in a bar, only to have the security guard posted outside his cell yell at him to shut up. He tried making conversation with the guard, who immediately countered his efforts by inserting a pair of foam earplugs apparently used in case of a firefight. His efforts were hopeless. Slowly, Gale felt the tiny room closing in on him. He wanted out.

Click.

Gale sighed in relief as the large, wooden door that sealed off his cell from the outside world swung open and a security guard strode in, baton in hand. “Thank God, now I don’t have to go mad in here. I can do it in the police station instead,” he quipped sarcastically.

The guard hauled Gale to his feet roughly before forcing a piece of paper into his hand and barking, “There. You’re free to go, on the condition that you report to this address within the next twenty-four hours. If you don’t, we’ll be informed and you’ll have every law enforcement agent in Phyres after you. You have three days before we report you to the authorities anyway. Your Pokemon and tools are in the back room, I’ve already informed the officers there that you will be picking them up. Now get out of my sight.” He ended his short speech by pulling a disgusted face.

Gale stared at the guard for a moment and burst out laughing. “I get what’s going on here,” he chuckled. “I’ve gone insane while I was trapped in the cell. This is all a hallucination. When I blink, you’ll be gone and I’ll be sitting here with the walls closing in on me all over again.”

The guard waited impatiently as Gale blinked. When the thief opened his eyes, his captor was still there. Opening his mouth slightly in surprise, Gale pinched himself. “Either this is actually happening or this is one vivid hallucination,” he muttered.

“Are you quite finished? If you don’t get out of here soon, I’ll have to drag you out, and you don’t want that,” The guard growled, tapping his baton against the open palm of one hand peevishly.

“Right, right... just one thing?” Gale said as he slipped past the guard and out into the hallway.

The guard turned to face Gale just in time to catch his own wallet as it hurtled through the air. Gale was already dashing down the hallway as he cheerfully called “Keep a closer eye on your valuables!” before opening a door and disappearing through it.

The guard groaned as he picked up the wallet. “This is for my own good, this is for my own good...” he muttered.


Gale slipped his trenchcoat back over his shoulders and loaded his supplies into both pockets before thanking the officer ever-so-kindly for giving him his stuff back and discreetly slipping out the nearest exit. So, somebody had put in a good word for him and wanted him to come say thank you? Whoever they were, they knew Gale well. The fact that he had nowhere else to go anyway was a motivating factor, to be sure, but Gale was also intrigued by the fact that whoever had saved his bacon must have been fairly high up and in connection with law enforcement to guarantee a three-day head start. Gale didn’t know anyone with law enforcement connections- he knew a few lawyers, true, but none of them was silver-tongued enough to argue him out of this situation and they certainly weren’t rich enough to bribe the museum into letting him go. Gale wanted to know who had saved him and why, not so much to thank them as to gratify his own curiosity.

Augustus blinked as Gale released him as well as the others from their Pokeballs. “We got bailed out of jail by someone we don’t know, and they left a note saying we should come to a certain address. We’re on our way there now,” the thief announced.

Augustus shook his head. Gale, why would someone help us out? We don’t know anyone who could possibly have known about us getting caught. Why do they want us to come to this address anyway? I don’t like this.

Gale shook his head. “We’re going anyway. We’ve got a three day head start before the police start chasing us, and if these people are genuinely there to help us we can’t take any chances.” He flashed his trademark grin before adding, “Besides, I’m curious.”

Augustus hid his head beneath his wing. I’m ashamed to say I know you, Gale. Come on, let’s just go.

Gale was surprised. “You’re agreeing with me this quickly? Usually it takes us about an hour before we finish bickering.”

I’m resigned to my fate. Whatever happens now, it’ll be no worse then how the museum thing turned out. Augustus replied. Besides, even if I argue you’ll just go into your ‘Well, when you came with me you said that I could make all the decisions if I wanted and you didn’t really care just so long as I didn’t do anything completely stupid’, and then you’d say that this is a brilliant plan for reasons X, Y, and Z and by then it’s already sundown and nothing’s been accomplished and we’re both annoyed and you sweet-talk me into agreeing with you and we end up doing what you wanted in the first place. Easier just to give up now, and save both of us the trouble.

“That’s just cruel and you know it. If a certain someone hadn’t let that guard stay conscious long enough to start a battle...” Gale growled, jabbing a finger at Laertes.

The Scizor’s eyes flashed with anger. Hold on just a minute, there! Why are you blaming me? I fought valiantly and well! If not for me, that Weavile would have frozen you and-

If not for you, that Weavile wouldn’t have been released in the first place, Augustus pointed out mildly.

Grrr... That does it! I challenge both of you to a duel! Laertes waved his pincers in exaggerated motions. I shall pick your flesh from your bones and avenge my wounded hon-oof!

The Scizor struggled in vain as Aristophanes’ arms constricted his body. Laddie, shut yer geggie an’ give it a rest. Yer drivin’ me absolutely nuts. You’re a braw, doughty warrior, everyone knows that, but ye’ve been challengin’ Gale an’ everyone left an’ right ever since ye evolved. Are ye sure ye aren’t scared of losin’ yer touch now that ye don’t have your arm blades? He asked in a considerate tone.

Unhand me this instant! I do NOT have any regrets about this evolution! I shall-

The bolt of red light from Gale’s Pokeball absorbed the Scizor and ended his tirade. “Hooboy... he’s going to be steamed in the morning,” Gale sighed. “Thanks for holding him, Aristo.”

Twas naught, Gale, The Rhydon replied. But Ah doon’t understand why yer bein’ so hard on poor Laertes. ‘Tis not his fault that the guard didnae stay down. ‘Twas an accident, could’ve happened to anyone.

Gale shook his head. “Mostly because he’s been angsty ever since he evolved. It’s always ‘you’ve wounded my honor this’ or ‘you question my abilities’ that. I swear, he’s getting to be a bigger headache every day.”

Augustus covered his head with a wing, groaning. Either way, Laertes is probably going to kill you the moment you let him out of that Pokeball, Gale. Maybe you should give him a day’s rest to simmer down a bit.

“Way ahead of you,” the thief replied as he pocketed the ball. “Anyway, we’ve wasted enough time. Aristo, you can take a break for now. ‘Gust, I hope you’ve had enough rest to get us airborne.”

The Rhydon nodded before being recalled to his Pokeball while Augustus launched himself into the air and grabbed Gale’s shoulders in his talons once again. Get comfortable down there because it may take me a few minutes to find a good thermal. the Pidgeot stated dryly as he propelled himself and his companion into the sky.

“I don’t care if you take twenty years to find it. Just take us to this address,” Gale said, dangling the paper in front of his Pidgeot’s eyes.

Oh. An address in writing. Which would be extremely helpful... if it weren’t for the fact that I can’t read! Augustus squawked, hammering the back of Gale’s head lightly with one of his wings.

“Ow! Sorry! Ow!” Gale exclaimed as he attempted to fend off his Pidgeot’s attacks. “Look, just take us towards the city. I’ll find the place from there.”

Bending his head down, Augustus drily commented [I]That would also be helpful. But which city?[I]

“You know! The big one, with the fountains everywhere, and the big statue of a...”

I meant the name, Gale.

Gale racked his brains furiously. He stared at the paper, before realizing that the city name was almost completely illegible. “I think it was something like... er... Hammerstave?”

Augustus rolled his eyes as he adjusted his course. Is it ‘like’ Hammerstave, or is it Hammerstave? You’re so indecisive sometimes, He groused.

At this point, Gale had had enough. “Alright, just take us down! We’ll try Hammerstave first, and if that isn’t right we’ll go to the next town over! Just go!” he shouted.

Yessir, oh fearless leader, Augustus mocked as he adjusted his course appropriately. By the way, Gale?

Gale was taken aback by his Pidgeot’s suddenly inquisitive tone. “Yeah?”

Remind me to beat you severely if this isn’t the place.
Gale’s eyes narrowed. “One day, buddy, we’ll have one of these arguments on the ground. Then I can tranquilize you without worrying about falling.”

Augustus chuckled, a whirring sound that reminded Gale of a clucking hen. No you won’t. Not if you want me to participate in your next hare-brained scheme.

It was Gale’s turn to chuckle. “Yeah, whatever. We both know that you like doing this as much as I do.”

Oh really?

Partner and bird steadily winged off towards the nearest town, still bickering.




He slipped up beside the maid in her starched, ruffled dress without her noticing. She was taken aback by the silence in his tread, and how quickly he had snaked his arm around her, firmly enough that she couldn’t run yet relaxed enough that she didn’t scream for help. At least, just yet. Before she could respond at all, he was whispering things in her ear that made her blush. As he continued, however, her embarrassment at being caught by surprise while delivering the tea to her employer in his chamber on the second floor of the mansion slowly turned to annoyance and then disgust. Before her would-be wooer and captor could react, she had twisted out of his grasp and brought her hand across his face with such force that he actually reeled a step or two backward. When she saw him, she was surprised. He was a young man, who could have been anywhere between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, dressed in what appeared to be a military uniform. A Phyresian military uniform. And what’s more, across his chest was pinned quite a few medals of decoration- she recognized one, a large silver Dragonair curled around a giant star, as being an award traditionally presented to high-ranking officers. Did that mean that this boy was a commander of some sort? And that thing at his waist… was that a pistol? Ordinary citizens shouldn’t have firearms. And those decorations for valor, did they mean he had fought in a war? The last one had been five years ago! Surely he wasn’t that old!


A sudden greeting startled both soldier and maid as a tall, portly man with a head as shiny as the golden pocket watch dangling from his suit appeared on the balcony above them. “General Michael, you’ve made it! I was afraid you would be engaged in too much other business to bother meeting a humble bureaucrat such as myself!” he called jovially, his belly shaking with laughter.

“But of course, Mr. Speaker,” the soldier responded in like tones, “I couldn’t very well ignore a summons from an old family friend, now could I?” He bounded up the steps with surprising speed and agility, even for one so young, and shook the speaker’s hand heartily. “I trust today finds you well.”

Speaker of the House: An official in the Phyresian government whose rank is only just below that of the Prime Minister. Responsible for overseeing certain affairs of state, as well as being in charge of organizing civil service. Traditionally, he holds a high ranking in the military and is authorized with authorizing detachments of troops for overseas operations.

The maid stared in surprise and anger. This perverted soldier was a general? Clearly he couldn’t be as young as he looked. More importantly, however, this man was the master’s guest, and he had behaved so shamefully? She had half a mind to give him AND her employer a piece of her mind, but before she could the soldier called out “I apologize for my conduct earlier, Ma’am, but you know the stories of soldiers and young beauties.”

“Indeed, Veronica, you had nothing to fear from General Michael. I saw everything, and from what I can see even if his character was-“ the Speaker hesitated, “Less-than-reputable, it appears you are perfectly capable of handling yourself, if what I just saw is any example of your capabilities.” Before the girl could protest any farther, he waved his hand and ordered “Please, leave us now. You can take the rest of the day off if you desire. I have much to discuss.”

Veronica opened her mouth to protest but then thought better of it. Instead, she turned on her heel and disappeared out the door in a huff.

The Speaker returned his attentions to his guest. “Michael, by rights you shouldn’t have been so forward with her. Veronica is a good girl, and I don’t like people harassing my employees, whatever the case,” he sighed, shaking his head and staring at the floor. “Then again,” he continued, his eyes glinting, “You really didn’t have any intention of doing anything to her, did you? Otherwise you wouldn’t have let her slap you like that.”

“Oh, so you noticed?” Michael asked, surprised and slightly disappointed. “I thought I did a good job of making that look genuine.”

“You did,” the Speaker replied, “But anyone with any knowledge of military training in Phyres would know that a general with extensive hand-to-hand combat training in his background simply does not get slapped by a disgusted kitchen maid unless he wants to be.”
Michael gave a half smile and placed his hand on the Speaker’s shoulder. “You know me too well, sir. Are you absolutely certain that you don’t want to enter active military command again? It would be a welcome change from politics.”

The general sighed and shook his head again, before shrugging off Michael’s hand. “Save the offers for later, general, tempting though they may be” he ordered. “From here on, it’s strictly business. Have you acquired your man yet?”

General Michael nodded, producing a device shaped like a Pokedex, before opening it up. After tapping a few keys on its small pad, he handed it to the Speaker. “See for yourself.”

“Gale Fortunado?” The Speaker stared at the name, before quickly running through the background. “No incarcerations, implicated in the theft of a shipment of experimental Pokemon-related technology three years ago as well as many smaller thefts before and after that incident, but nothing was ever conclusively proved. Has a few higher-level Pokemon, but no experience as a battler to speak of as far as we know. Lives in an apartment in a small town, works as a librarian part-time, and” the Speaker paused and turned to Michael incredulously. “A librarian?”

“Keep reading,” the general urged.

The politician grumbled under his breath for a few minutes, before returning to reading the file. “Completed two years of military service according to Phyresian law recently, and was honorably discharged. Applied for and received a permit to own a small tranquilizer pistol recently. Has a basic knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, some background in explosives technology, and generally received a lot of compliments from superior officers, though many of them noted that he appears to have a distinct dislike for being beholden to anyone and had no interest in pursuing a military career. Holds a record for completing the training camp obstacle course in record time, and showed a remarkable degree of aptitude in war-games.”

“There, you see?” Michael said triumphantly.

The Speaker was incredulous. “You want him because he made record time on an obstacle course?”

“Hey, you should have seen the obstacle course,” the general countered. “Besides that, he’s got a skill set most people don’t. I’ve checked his job as a librarian. He’s an expert at memorizing patterns and data. He knows explosives. He’s physically eligible for the job. He’s had the training necessary to recognize concealed weapons. But most importantly, he doesn’t like being anyone’s lap-dog. Meaning, if we do something for him, he’ll probably be willing to do something for us to get out of the debt.” The general grinned smugly. “Especially if we make him think it’ll be to his profit to do this thing, and avoid ordering him around directly. It’ll be safer that way. Even if he is caught, they won’t be able to prove he had any ties to the Phyresian government. I have full confidence that he’ll be able to get what we want him to. Besides, he was one of my recruits. I’ve observed him personally.”

The Speaker wasn’t as enthusiastic. “Are you sure we can’t send in a covert ops agent?”

The general shook his head. “You said it yourself, sir. Our intelligence department is having enough trouble trying to keep up with things in this country thanks to the downsizing, let alone seizing a foreign possession that may or may not exist. We don’t have enough manpower to spare one. Right now, we have two choices: try to barter with the Rockets, or take a gamble and send in someone who can get the job done. And we can’t afford to do business with the Rockets. You know that, sir.” He chided, gently.

The Speaker threw up his hands in disgust over the whole matter. “Whatever you say general! Send in your untested, half-baked recruit if you want. But be warned,” he threatened, “That if he is captured and traced back to us, it will mean your head.” With that, he stormed out of the room.

The general shrugged, running a hand across his slicked-back black hair. “Well, that could have gone better,” he admitted to himself, before reaching into a pocket of his uniform and removing a Pokeball, which he promptly threw. White light burst from the ball, before condensing into a large, purple serpent with a spreading hood. “Nag, go and intercept our incoming guest. Give him this,” the general ordered, scribbling something onto a legal pad he had taken from his pocket before offering it to the snake, “And then report back. Dismissed!” The serpent nodded once before taking the note and gliding through the door. The general shook his head a moment before grinning mischievously. “Gale Fortunado, you’re about to join the military again, whether you know it or not.” His grin widened. “I hope you have fun…”

Gale’s Code of Do’s and Don’ts for Thieves #2: If somebody happens to bail you out of jail, always make sure to thank them in person. It makes them think that they actually accomplished something by releasing you. If possible, leave a very good impression on them, and engage in stimulating intellectual conversation. This may increase your chances of getting bailed out again if you need help in the near future. Whatever you do, DO NOT offer to give them stolen money, goods, or anything of that nature. They will almost never appreciate the offer. Trust me.

Augustus’s tips On Sensing Bad Situations, #2: Do not EVER insinuate that a Scizor has lost his touch. It’s like walking up to a samurai and insulting his manhood. It will inevitably lead to decapitation, beatings, and/or both.

x x x x

Alter Ego

that evil mod from hell

Age 35
Touhou land, grazing danmaku all the way
Seen August 8th, 2010
Posted June 4th, 2010
5,751 posts
17.9 Years
Well, Thesis, since you asked so nicely...

this fic sucs u r gay lyk michel jackson

There. I reviewed. Be happy. >O

Ahem, in all seriousness, I was actually intending to review this even before you asked, but hey...extra motivation doesn't hurt. xD Here goes.

The tower was the highest point in the region. From its golden spire, it was said; a man could see the coast of Sinnoh, a country nearly two hundred miles away. It had been erected in the year 340 by the king of the region, who wanted something impressive to commemorate the impressive battle he had won against the invading forces from the north.
The double 'impressive's here don't look to impressive, y'know? Maybe reword that somehow? :3

Panting heavily, Augustus the Pidgeot continued to doggedly lift his two hundred pound burden up the side of the Phiros Tower, careful to avoid the strategically placed security cameras. As he flew, the bird thought about his passenger. He and Gale had been working together for years, since he had been a measly little Pidgey in fact. Back then they had mostly stuck to low-key robberies from secondhand stores and conning rich businessmen when they had needed money. This was their first high-security job. Two months ago, the Phiros Tower had been converted into a museum of Phyres history, and among the exhibits were the crown jewels from the days of the early monarchy. Tomorrow was the museum’s opening day, and mere minutes before the jewels had arrived, escorted by armed guard. The guard was probably loading the gems into the case right now according to the current timetable, and they wouldn’t be expecting an attack of the sort Gale planned to deliver.
You could split the paragraph here to make it a bit less bulky.

Gale gave a yelp of pain and yanked back his hand, rubbing it furiously. He stared at the jewel he had just been reaching for. On closer inspection, he realized that not only was the pedestal it was sitting on connected to an electrical circuit; two camera-like generators were clearly visible on either side of the case. A laser bar. And like the idiot he was, he had broken it. Cursing himself inwardly, Gale reached into his gun pocket and removed a small multitool. Flipping it open, Gale used the pliers to reach into the case and carefully disconnect the wire from the jewel’s pedestal. Whipping his hand in, he removed the gem just as a group of guards stormed into the room via the trapdoor, batons in hand. Gale cursed one last time before cocking his head, a signal to Augustus. With a nod, the birdlike Pokemon shot into the room. Flapping his enormous wings, Augustus stirred up a miniature whirlwind which sent officers flying every which way about the small space. Without pausing to talk, Gale raced out of the room, his Pokemon in hot pursuit. As they reached the small stairway Gale leaped into the air where Augustus’s receiving claws met his shoulders and began to bear him away from the tower.
Y'know...this just occurred to me: with a Pidgeot's talons being as sharp as they are, wouldn't being towed around like this be extremely painful for the carried individual? With the mass of an adult human dangling there, it's unlikely that ordinary clothes could take the strain, so you'd have to take a physical hold of the actual person beneath them, but then - again - these are talons meant for snatching and maintaining a hold of struggling prey so they'd not only have to be very powerful, they'd also be quite exorbiantly sharp and probably curved to make them hard to extricate from flesh once they get in. I can't imagine that being a very pleasant ride, especially at the altitudes they'd be at (considering that this is from the 500th floor), and then there's the fact that Gale would have been in a state of free fall when Augustus caught him, meaning that Augustus would have to exert a vertical force equal to Gale's weight and add that increase the moment he starts carrying him to prevent being dragged down (or at least disbalanced by the sudden weight increase), which is easier said than done.

...

I should just shut up about this now, shouldn't I? It's a lovely, dramatic scene, but the more I think about it the shadier the physics of it all become. o.O

Gale shook his head. “Get your crooks straight. I’m a thief, not a murderer. But I don’t need to kill you- all I’ve got to do is get on the next boat off this island before you can send out a warning. G’Night, kid,” His statement finished, Gale fired his pistol nonchalantly. The guard stepped back in surprise before collapsing, another victim of the sedative. Whistling softly, the cat burglar returned to his Pokemon, who were still engaged in holding down the Skarmory, and fired twice. Both vulture-like creatures struggled momentarily before at last sinking into sleep.
Another thing that occurred to me (you're really going to hate me for these, aren't you? xD), with a Skarmory's skin/plumage being as tough as it is, would a sedative dart from a low-caliber gun really manage to puncture it? It seems to me that you'd have to aim very carefully to hit some kind of joint or soft spot between the plating, and even then it looks sort of iffy.

Within the chamber sat a small man whose hair had gone grey with age. Puffing, the dumpy character pulled himself to his feet and stepped from behind his mahogany desk to greet the guard. “Report, sir,” he commanded, his voice notably less impressive now that it was not being amplified by the echoes of the hallway.
So...if this guy is the guard's superior, how come he's addressing him as 'sir'? o.O

The guard was no fool. He knew the curator well, and the man was more then capable of doing exactly what he had said. “I’ll inform the others that we have a case of mistaken identity, and the prisoner will be released,” he sighed, saluting.
I think we already established that the guard was no fool the first time you used that particular sentence, which was...oh, three paragraphs ago? Um, yeah, careful with the repetitiveness

The curator smiled, his mustache twitching. “Very good. And give him this, and tell him that his benefactor asked that he appear there within twenty-four hours. Run along, then.”
Double 'and's. Once again, I suggest a reword.

Speaker of the House: An official in the Phyresian government whose rank is only just below that of the Prime Minister. Responsible for overseeing certain affairs of state, as well as being in charge of organizing civil service. Traditionally, he holds a high ranking in the military and is authorized with authorizing detachments of troops for overseas operations.
I'm not sure if this was intentional, but the double authorizing here sounds sort of...silly. xD

The general sighed and shook his head again, before shrugging off Michael’s hand. “Save the offers for later, general, tempting though they may be” he ordered. “From here on, it’s strictly business. Have you acquired your man yet?”
Pardon me, but wasn't the old guy Speaker of the House rather than general? Or is he a general who also acts as a speaker of the house? If not, then that's one of them there typos.

The general shook his head. “You said it yourself, sir. Our intelligence department is having enough trouble trying to keep up with things in this country thanks to the downsizing, let alone seizing a foreign possession that may or may not exist. We don’t have enough manpower to spare one. Right now, we have two choices: try to barter with the Rockets, or take a gamble and send in someone who can get the job done. And we can’t afford to do business with the Rockets. You know that, sir.” He chided, gently.
That's funny, because I don't recall him saying anything about that. o.o Umm...yeah, this remark sort of isn't working since the thing he's referring to hasn't been revealed to the reader.

The Speaker threw up his hands in disgust over the whole matter. “Whatever you say general! Send in your untested, half-baked recruit if you want. But be warned,” he threatened, “That if he is captured and traced back to us, it will mean your head.” With that, he stormed out of the room.
This reaction seems a bit too...sudden, to be honest. I mean, first he's just doubtful about it and the next thing you know he's channeling the spirit of a certain police chief we all know and love, minus the book throwing. *shot for Armania reference* Personally, I would have liked to see a bit more arguing back and forth between the two before detonation.


Overall...so far so good. You've got your characters introduced (quite the surprise to hear that Gale had military background too, though odds are that there might be more than just talent behind his extremely positive record. xD) and there's some major intrigue dangling in the future, so there's no concern about that. A few places stuck out, though. For instance, when reading the conversation between the guard and the curator, I found myself wondering if it was really necessary to know precisely how the guard felt about all these things (this could have been conveyed through expressions, word choice, and tone rather than correctly saying 'he didn't like' etc. if necessary). Given that he seems to be an irrelevant NPC not even graced with a name, I don't think he really warrants such...personal attention in the narrative.

The second point that didn't really pan out for me was the point where Michael was playing lech with Veronica. There seemed to be absolutely no reaction from the guy after being slapped, which was sort of...odd. o.O Also, as a small note: military personnel are typically addressed by rank and surname, leaving out the given names altogether. Now arguably they could be on a first name basis on account of the family connection mentioned, but then why bring up his military rank? As it is, there seems to be an odd mix between informal and formal here that's sort of throwing me off. xP

Other than that, good job. Looking forward to future chapters. ^.^
Featured Theme: Patchouli Knowledge (Touhou Project)
Provided by and jointed with: Phani
Best viewed together, profile customization still in progress



Scandalous Maido Love Affair and Pair: Phani
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Illegitimate Lovechild: Mika
Card-gaming Beta on a Leash: Scarlet

In a House
Seen March 20th, 2016
Posted January 22nd, 2010
1,823 posts
16.6 Years
Y'know...this just occurred to me: with a Pidgeot's talons being as sharp as they are, wouldn't being towed around like this be extremely painful for the carried individual? With the mass of an adult human dangling there, it's unlikely that ordinary clothes could take the strain, so you'd have to take a physical hold of the actual person beneath them, but then - again - these are talons meant for snatching and maintaining a hold of struggling prey so they'd not only have to be very powerful, they'd also be quite exorbiantly sharp and probably curved to make them hard to extricate from flesh once they get in. I can't imagine that being a very pleasant ride, especially at the altitudes they'd be at (considering that this is from the 500th floor), and then there's the fact that Gale would have been in a state of free fall when Augustus caught him, meaning that Augustus would have to exert a vertical force equal to Gale's weight and add that increase the moment he starts carrying him to prevent being dragged down (or at least disbalanced by the sudden weight increase), which is easier said than done.

...

I should just shut up about this now, shouldn't I? It's a lovely, dramatic scene, but the more I think about it the shadier the physics of it all become. o.O
Eh, well, it's kind of a physics-negated scene, yah, but only because at that point Augustus is using Fly, which I intend to explain at some point in the near future. The only reason there isn't an explanation for how that's possible in this chapter is because I was torn between giving one, or waiting for a bit and not interrupting the pacing. Plus, it's hard for me to remember sometimes that my readers aren't always as tuned in as I want them to be. 0.o



Another thing that occurred to me (you're really going to hate me for these, aren't you? xD), with a Skarmory's skin/plumage being as tough as it is, would a sedative dart from a low-caliber gun really manage to puncture it? It seems to me that you'd have to aim very carefully to hit some kind of joint or soft spot between the plating, and even then it looks sort of iffy.
Er.... ARMOR PIERCING DARTS OF DOOMZORZ!?!?!? Yeah, this one I did totally miss. The funny thing is that I caught most of this "defying-the-laws-of-physics" stuff and intended to explain it at some point, but with this one I completely forgot the explanation between chapters. *shot'ed for making excuses* Anyway, thanks for pointing that out, I'll have to remember that when I make draft two of chapter one.



So...if this guy is the guard's superior, how come he's addressing him as 'sir'? o.O
Er... to indicate formality and respect? Or perhaps the guard is named "Sir"? I dunno. Totally didn't catch that. 0.o


This reaction seems a bit too...sudden, to be honest. I mean, first he's just doubtful about it and the next thing you know he's channeling the spirit of a certain police chief we all know and love, minus the book throwing. *shot for Armania reference* Personally, I would have liked to see a bit more arguing back and forth between the two before detonation.
*Shoots again for not referencing CARD GAMES in the same breath*

Well... all I can offer in way of explanation in this one is that I kind of hurried chapter two along to the end because I was desperate to get a new chapter out, even if it got torn to pieces. Hopefully I won't procrastinate so much with the next chapter, so it won't happen again. Hopefully.

Incidentally, I DO have an actual reason that General Michael is addressed as that. Michael is, in a weird twist of fate that I totally didn't come up with only after reading these comments actually his surname! Lashings of ginger beer for everyone, for avoiding actually responding to well-thought-out criticisms from someone who knows from experience how the military works! *shot'ed*

As for Gale's military background... well, originally I had planned to say that he completed two years of civil service as a warden in a Safari-Zone type place, which would explain why he owns and knows how to use his tranquilizer pistol as well as his physical fitness, but I decided that a career in the military would work just as well for some of that, and would also give a reason for him to be wanted by someone. By the way, kudos to you for indirectly giving me the idea of having a military background for my character, though in Gale's case it was more of a voluntary thing than being impressed into the army by a Civil Service law. And Michael was... well, a last-minute addition. I wanted a random lecherous character at some point just because I feel like any weird story with lots of intrigue needs a suave, lecherous guy who really doesn't have much of an actual success rate with picking up girls in its cast of "they might be villains but then again, maybe they aren't". So that probably explains a few things, like why I really didn't think through his interactions with the Speaker of the House, or why I didn't think of addressing him by his surname.

Well, glad you liked these chapters, and I'm surprised that you really found fault with relatively little. I was expecting to have my work dragged apart because it was so horrible. X3 I really don't have a lot of confidence in my own abilities, sometimes...

Oh, and for anyone who's interested... well, I don't usually hold with giving fanfiction a "theme song" as if it were some sort of anime, because they're really two different modes of expressing yourself. However, this song was really just too good to pass up because it fit the mood of the fic so well. So if this fic were ever to be made into an anime or some other form of visual medium... well, I'd want this song to be the theme. Blue Bird, by Ikimono Gakari, if anyone wants to know without actually clicking the link. And yes, I know it's taken by Naruto, but that doesn't stop me from being ENVIOUS. RAWR. *double shot'ed, for feeling possessive of a song that really has ZERO bearing on the fanfic anyway.*