INSIDE HOTA (finally hey?)
"Everything is ready?" asked a middle-aged, handsome gentleman calmly as he stood in front of a large, body-length mirror held up by two hushed, stymied looking girls in deep purple pencil-skirt suits with a discreet HoTa emblem stitched into the right lapel of their jacket. An efficient-looking red haired woman stood by the door, tapping away at her PDA with a perpetual scowl on her face and nodded briskly, potentially the only person in the entire building who didn't look up with Mr Houghton-Taylor directly addressed her. Then again, it wasn't like she needed to – Holly had been the Director's PA for more years than she cared to remember, having been offered the job by the man who was once her peer at their shared high-school during a particularly dry spell of job offers one rainy Sunday around a decade ago.
"As ready as it has been since last week, Steve," she said simply, not once looking up from the tablet as her stylus clicked away with terrifying accuracy – it was almost as though her eyes were merely guiding the brain, the hand moving on autopilot across the screen of the handheld. "Cynthia and Cameron have checked in, Cameron in usual style, and the Hoenn, Kanto and Johto delegations are around Celadon as we speak, so after your introduction they will be here. The Conference Centre is fully staffed, all stands and pitches are manned by their respective staff and that problem with Devon's latest Decoy Smokescreen and the fire alarms has been rectified. All security personnel are stationed at their posts, with extra manpower around stations G and J as requested, with another 50 on standby should they be required, Saffron and surrounding borough police are also on Amber alert, with a company of officers from each station manning the roadblocks, the roof and Saffron airspace. Caterers are scheduled to begin preparations within the next 2 hours and Jane will report back to me as soon as there is any movement down there, with the agreed menu approved by yourself. The Grand Ballroom is practically decorated fully, there are finishing touches to be made by the groundsmen in the Gardens outside and there are a few problems with fairy lights on the blink but the electricians are dealing with this. And the...hold on a sec Steve," trailed off Holly as she pressed a finger to the device in her ear, wincing slightly in concentration as she listened to the words coming over the slightly crackly line. With a nod, a small smile spread across her face and she returned her stylus-wielding hand to her tablet, "the Academy have arrived – they are being greeted by the Cabinet and the Unova Champion as discussed, but I believe your Daughter has flouted protocol completely and is roaming the halls of HoTa as we speak...as predicted."
"Excellent, excellent Hol, I knew you'd have it all taken care of for me, I don't know what I'd do without you," Mr Houghton-Taylor said breezily as he turned to the side, fiddling with the collar of his immaculate suit – a crisp black suit that cost more money than the combined construction and staffing costs of Raikou and Entei dorms at the Academy – and brushed some imaginary dust off his broad shoulder. Tilting his head to the side, he surveyed himself closely; being nearly as vain as his Daughter, Mr Houghton-Taylor wouldn't settle for looking anything less than perfect. Mid-forties, he was a very handsome man, with short black hair streaked through here and there with the stubborn grey hairs a man of his age and position would have expected to find a decade previous. His tan skin wasn't indicative of sessions in a sunbed, or of any kind of spray or lotion, more his natural olive skin tone, unlike the somewhat artificial tone of Brogan. Brown eyes twinkling with good humour, he nodded towards Holly with a final pull of his jacket before smoothing down the arms despite the lack of creases in the fabric anyway. "How do I look?"
Holly glanced up from her screen after a moment, nodding her head ever so slightly before averting her eyes back down to the handheld computer. "Ravishing as always Steve, I don't see how those hormonal teenage girls will be able to keep their hands off you. Good job we hired all those extra security bods." She answered with a sober tone, defied by the amused twinkle in her eyes at her boss and friend's vanity. Mr Houghton-Taylor rolled his eyes and sniffed, waving his hand towards the mirror-wielding employees dismissively, already on his way out of the door as they hurriedly took their leave.
"Fantastic, just what I was aiming for. Now, I must go and find my darling Daughter. Later Hol, keep up the good work and I'll find you in an hour or so. Any emergencies, I'm on the XTransciever."
Brogan
Brogan strode through the hallways of HoTa up towards her Father's Penthouse office, an office that stretched over the entire top portion of the building, with determination. Now, here at the Expo, she would convince him that she was ready to come back home, having been at the Academy for more than enough time to learn to appreciate her peers and Pokemon. Yep, she had friends...perhaps not friends as such, but she had spoken to people at the Academy...that was enough surely. He would understand what a challenge it was for her in the first place, he wouldn't ask her to go above and beyond HIS call of duty...
"Brogan!" came a deep, amused voice from behind her and she stopped walking with a small smile spreading over her face before turning to see her Father walking towards her with that same self-assured swagger that accompanied a self-made man but didn't stink of arrogance like the personas of some...namely herself but whatever. Beaming at him, she practically ran to him and wrapped her arms around his back as high as she could as he enveloped her into a hug and kissed the top of her head warmly. "I was told you were wandering the corridors like you own the place. You look...just the same as when I last saw you actually," he conceded with a laugh, stepping back and holding his Daughter at arm's length. Brogan rolled her eyes and swatted his hands off her, her actions betrayed by the pure happiness on her face at being back in her own homeland with the Father she loves beyond words.
"Daaaad, stop it. You've got a job to do, remember? Although I don't know why you're bothering...it isn't like these people are going to appreciate nearly half of what we show them," she drawled with an irritated huff to her voice, linking her arm back through her Dad's as they wandered down the corridor towards the lift that would take them to the Grand Foyer where Mr Houghton-Taylor would meet the Academy students. Inwardly, she smirked mischievously – sewing the seeds before he even saw the misfits would ensure that, ultimately, when she did decide to ask him to release her from this sentence he would surely agree.
"Inspiring young minds to take up the entrepreneurial mantle of the older generation is what we do here at HoTa," smirked Mr Houghton-Taylor, jabbing the down button at the lift as Brogan shot him a sideways glare. He sounded sincere despite his smirk...well, he had never seen lesser mortals as an underclass as Brogan had, if anything he had tried his darn best to drum it into Brogan and Jenna's minds that he had come from the same underclass himself. The mere mortals of the working class, for whom money was a dream and not a lifestyle.
"If you say so, but these kids don't have an entrepreneurial bone in their collective body I fear," sighed Brogan wistfully, rolling her eyes as the elevator doors pinged open. Brogan stepped into the lift, looking round the large airy chamber, big enough to fit 30 people comfortably and still have breathing room left for much-needed ventilation, Vivaldi streaming calmingly out of the speakers above their heads.
"Some would have said the same about me when I was your age Brogan, and now look at me. I chose Vivaldi to play in this lift. Because I own this lift, as I own the entire building. Don't write people off so soon," he said breezily in a tone of voice that indicated very well that he wasn't about to take Brogan on with this topic. Perhaps now, given that he was preparing to address these people, wasn't the best time to float their inferiority to her Father.
"Of course you do Father, but you are Superman and everyone knows that," said Brogan with a smile, closing off the discussion with a brief raise of the eyebrows from her Father as the Elevator reached its' destination – Ground Floor: The Grand Foyer.
"Showtime," grinned Mr Houghton-Taylor, straightening the Windsor Knot of his deep purple tie in the elevator mirror before the doors slid open, revealing a large glass foyer, with purple draped hangings around the glass walls, the HoTa emblem emblazoned in stained glass across the back wall facing the entrance. Stepping out into the foyer, the hall fell silent, so Brogan's hells clicked along the polished marble floor beside her Father's silent, leather-soled steps. Some employees actively bowed to Mr Houghton-Taylor, these lesser staff who saw their Director once every 6 or so years, to whom his legend preceeded him and his presence drew unequivocal awe and respect from.
Walking over to a cluster of older men, Mr Houghton-Taylor beamed from ear to ear and did his 'business handshake' as Brogan dubbed it – the one where he reached his hand out firmly whilst he was still around two or three meters from the person and, on hand-to-hand contact he reached out with his other hand and grasped one firmly in both of his. It seemed to work – that handshake had secured Mr Houghton-Taylor many a client in the past. The group laughed jovially, and Brogan recognised them as the 'inner sanctum' – not exactly a part of the Executive Committee but valued advisors whose presence and opinions were of immeasurable importance to Brogan's Father.
Suddenly, the doors to the main entrance flew open and in strode the Vice-President at the head of an exodus of bodies. Gerald, the VP, nodded once to Mr Houghton-Taylor, who had made his way to the raised podium before the Executive Committee had even finished filing through the doors, in place ready for when the students had packed out the foyer. Brogan stood by the side of the room level with her Father, not anywhere near his spotlight of course, but distancing herself quite symbolically from the rest of the students. Showtime.
Selene
"This place is incredible," spoke Selene near breathlessly, looking up at the building as far as she could, her neck stretched right back. It was only after a few moments that she realised she couldn't see the top – from below, it simply looked like a never-ending tower of glass, the kind of structure that you read about in books and saw featured in documentaries on the television but you never saw in real-life. Returning her head to its' normal position, Selene stretched out the slight crick in her neck that had developed from craning up to look at the building for so long, and glanced from side to side. Huh. The heavy Police presence was both comforting and foreboding...was this normal procedure or were they expecting some kind of attack? Her Island hadn't a police force as such...perhaps this was just how they did it in the mainland cities...
"It's very...big though..." trailed off Sel with an anxious tug on her bottom lip as she realised just how sheltered her life on Four Island was now that she had been implanted into one of the largest cities in Kanto. This made the whole thing more serious, more real. It seemed, now, as though the Academy wasn't the end goal that Selene had to strive for, the Academy was only a stepping stone towards this bigger world that demanded so much more from Selene than her Island community had. And she had no idea what end she was working towards if not excelling at the Academy and graduating with flying colours...maybe this was part of growing up, part of learning about yourself and your future...this thought wasn't particularly comforting, though.
Distracted from her thoughts, Selene looked up as a red-headed man on a Pidgeot zoomed over towards the gathered crowd...who was this person? Something to do with the Academy? Glancing at Vince, it seemed from his expression that he knew who this was...so why did Selene not have a clue?
Ah. Because he was from the Unova league, of course. He didn't seem like a regular Champion...whatever one of those was...he seemed a lot more left of centre than Selene had expected. Although Champions were ultimately just people too she guessed, the title of Champion seemed to indicate someone much older and more mature than this guy was acting. Cameron Odell...oh! Must be Skye's brother, Selene realised after a moment of musing over the name Odell, confirmed as Cameron dragged Skye from the crowd and hugged the younger boy.
"Thank you Mr Odell," said an older-looking man with grey hair, stepping forward with something approaching disdain on his face, watching as Cameron dragged Skye off, he didn't seem too approving of the Unova Champion's performance. Maybe the whole vibe that Selene had picked up on wasn't really the look that HoTa management were aiming for... "And to all of you, welcome to HoTa Corporation's annual Expo. I am Vice President Reynolds, and the Executive Committee and myself will shortly lead you into the Expo, where you shall be greeted by our esteemed Director Mr Houghton-Taylor, founder of HoTa Corporation. Please ensure that you remain together within the group until otherwise instructed lest our Security service take action on anybody they perceive as a threat. If you will follow us, we shall lead you to the Grand Foyer and Mr Houghton-Taylor." Mr Reynolds concluded his speech after a brief word in his ear from an aide to his side and inclined his head toward the crowd, turning and making his way through the parted committee group into the imposing HoTa building. As the Committee disappeared through the doors, almost like they were swallowed into it by a vacuum, the students followed.
"Yes, we mustn't be left behind," she quipped to Vince with a smile as they walked/were pushed forward by the moving crowd. Stepping into the HoTa building, Selene let out an audible gasp...the outside was just like the inside, all glass, with a no apparent ceiling as the building seemed to have taken the form of a great, hollowed out square. Judging by the size of the Grand Foyer, the building was even bigger than it had appeared on the outside...not really understanding how that was possible, Selene settled for just gaping around the building and wondering how one man could build this huge empire from dust. Inspirational wasn't even the word for it...
Looking forward to a raised platform toward the back of the room, Selene noticed that their esteemed Principal, Gary Oak, was in deep discussion with a man who quite easily could have passed for a middle-aged-but-not-nearly-past-his-prime-movie star. Mr Houghton-Taylor no doubt...the man was gorgeous, and Selene could easily see how Brogan had taken after him in the looks department.
As Professor Oak walked away from Mr Houghton-Taylor to join the other Teachers by the HoTa Executive Committee near the front of the room, Mr Houghton-Taylor looked out over the sea of students. He cleared his throat, but not for signalling quiet was necessary Selene suspected, the group of students had fallen quiet from the moment he had turned and laid his eyes on them. A moment of silence extra than was necessary passed, Selene suspected that it was designed to give Mr Houghton-Taylor the rapt audience that he often commanded, before he smiled disarmingly and opened his mouth.
"Impressive turnout, it's good to see that the Academy has such a wealth of talent to be training up to be the next generation of leaders, I'm sure that many of your future employers in this very building today will agree with me," he spoke in an almost calculated manner but Selene picked up the sense that he truly believed and felt every word he said from the heart, he seemed completely genuine. "I was once like all of you – young, idealistic, free. Never lose that, that is what will allow you to build your futures, to live your dreams...these qualities allowed me to build my empire today, to work with the institutions that I had dreamt of being even a small part of ever since being a young boy, even the institutions I wouldn't hear of for another decade or so, I work with today. And I love every minute of my job, it is potentially the most fulfilling use of my life that I could think of," he paused after this strong statement, and Selene found herself silently willing him on to speak more. He was a very engaging speaker, and his words seemed completely true, she could almost imagine the small brown haired boy sat in his room, watching footage from the Indigo League.
"The companies and institutions you will meet today are the best in their field – they are pioneers, and they are working to change the world, to make it a better place. To help portray their message, to be a part of that wider mission in the world is the most gratifying feeling, and I really hope that you are inspired the same way that I was all those years ago when you meet them all today. In the main Conference Centre you will find everything you will need to learn about these institutions – exhibits, stands, bodies with voices and opinions that you will want to hear once you get in there, and a number of battlefields for both watching showcases and showcasing your own styles. As you will know, your own Teachers include Gym Leaders, Champions, the experts within their chosen fields, and some will be participating within this Expo in a role independently of their Teaching roles, giving you a chance to see another side to the faces you see every day. We also have a number of...special guests...who will be making appearances and showcasing throughout the Expo...but I wouldn't want to spoil the surprises for you just yet. So please, follow my colleagues through to the Conference Centre and have the best day possible." He concluded with a bow, met by rapturous applause and cheering from the audience of students that he had kept riveted throughout his talk. Selene found herself slapping her hands together and cheering despite herself, catching herself after a moment and coughing somewhat sheepishly, grinning at Vince as the students began to move forward into the Conference Centre.
"He is...something special isn't he..." she said with admiration dripping from her voice, beaming widely as she twisted round as they passed by the platform to see Mr Houghton-Taylor hugging Brogan tightly, who ruffled his hair affectionately with a laugh. "Seems like a really nice man...despite his obvious power and wealth...there should be more people like him...ah sorry, I didn't mean to go off on a fangirl rant," she apologised to Vince with a small laugh as they made their way along with the crowd of students into the Conference Centre.
If the Foyer had been impressive, then the Expo set-up Conference Centre was beyond impressive.
The rectangular hall was beyond huge – 4 large battlefields set out in the middle of the hall with battles already raging between trainers, stands set out around the edge of the hall depicting the biggest names in the Pokemon World – Indigo, Orange, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova leagues, Silph, Devon, Magnet Rail, Stern Shipyards, Museums...basically, every company or institution of note seemed to be represented by HoTa, and HoTa had delivered on the unspoken promise of the largest PR firm in the world by the amount of room dedicated to each stand, allowing the students to all rush to one stand if they so wished and still have room to look at what they wanted to look at, ask questions to whom they wished to ask them to without feeling completely cramped and devoid of space. Smart-looking employees in purple suits milled around the crowds, handing out refreshments – drinks, poffins and pokeblocks for Pokemon and assorted sweet and savoury snacks for the students – and various flyers advertising HoTa clients and their services.
"It's...slick, isn't it..." said Selene with a cough, not able at all to disguise how impressed she was by the Expo. Turning to Vince, she felt a slight pang when she initially expected to see Valorie, ready to gush over all the exciting things she was so excited to go and see...but obviously, Valorie wasn't with them. Selene rearranged the wide grin that had slipped from her face momentarily and looked around, feeling like she was giving herself whiplash. "Where shall we go first?!"
((Guys! Feel free to begin the battles!))
