Story Notes:
Disclaimer: Pokemon and all licensed Pokemon merchandise, including characters, are strictly property of Nintendo. In short; I own nothing but ideas. Any names and/or likeness pertaining to real people or characters is strictly coincidental (unless it's an allegory). All rights reserved.Warning: This will, in later chapters, contain sex, including normal intercourse, oral, some violence borderline to rape. It will also include violence (not in sex). The story will be updated to include those warnings upon the posting of the first chapter to include that subject. All chapters with sex are marked with XXX at the beginning of their description.Author Notes: (Updated 06/07/10)I don't have any decent excuse, I don't. Other than my life falling apart. I've been up for two days straight and I'm going to sleep now, but that may explain any serious errors in my writing and how poor it is in general. I'll come back to fix it when I'm more awake.=================================================
Dead End Blues
Chapter 6
Dead End Blues
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"I'm either going to pass out or die," mumbled Evelyn, "and I'm not sure which I'd prefer..."
Draco snorted from his basket at the front of the bike. The sun was almost all the way up and they'd been riding all night. Well...by they he meant Evelyn. He had pulled out his sign language book and read it as they rode along. By this point, Evelyn truly did seem somewhere between consciousness and dreamland; lack of sleep never did suit her well. As he recalled, she had a hell of a temper if he didn't let her sleep in. At the moment, they were just riding into Slateport, the humming of the wheels changing as they met the road of the city. Evelyn was muttering things viciously under her breath.
"Stupid son of a- I finally have more family members...turn out to be psychopaths. One's a blond, emotionless robot and the other's a...well he's a jerk!" she grumbled as they peddled on and on. Finally, under the dull glow of the streetlights, made useless as the sky began to lighten, they pulled in front of the red-roofed Pokemon Center. Evelyn parked the bike near some bike rails and chained it to them before they went in, Draco now sitting and reading on her messenger bag.
"Good morning. My, you're out early!" cooed the Nurse Joy behind the counter. Evelyn shivered a little; no matter how many times she reminded herself that there were numerous Nurse Joys in the world, seeing one in every city gave her the creeps. Like she was being follow by a gang of overly-hygienic gangsters in pink.
"Yes, Ma'am. Where are your phones?" asked Evelyn. Nurse Joy pointed to the waiting area where one section was dedicated to the small, secluded, and desk-like machines that looked like red television sets with corded phones attached to them. Evelyn made her way over. One stand was smashed up, like someone had taken a chair to it in anger, so it was roped off. Evelyn went to one of the good ones and sat down. As she put Draco's book away, he hopped onto the desk, lifted the phone, and dialed the number. When Evelyn sat up again she took the phone Draco handed to her before he jumped down to sit and snuggle into her lap. She listened as the phone rang before it was answered.
"Oh, thank goodness, it's you Eve- Woah!" gasped Maria on the other line when she came into view. "You look terrible!"
Draco looked up. She was right; Evelyn could only manage to hold her eyes halfway open at best and they were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. Her skin, to him, felt rather clammy, and she slurred a bit in her speech, but she would straighten herself up every-so-often. Almost a full twenty four hours without sleep didn't agree with her in the least. She simply wasn't trained for it; some people could go ages without sleep. Evelyn was one of those people Draco would prescribe afternoon naps for.
"Yeah, I'm a bit tired...but I've got things to do, you know? So a nap is out of the question. I'm just calling to let you know I'm okay. Where's Lisa?" asked Evelyn.
"I have her doing the morning rounds outside. She'll be in soon. That's the benefit to having an apprentice, isn't it?"
"What is?"
"The fact that I can make her do my work..." said Maria, smiling. Evelyn shook her head and Draco practically applauded her. Maria smiled and the sound of a door closing echoed on her side of the line before Lisa came into view, wearing a similarly pink apron as Maria's. She was holding something large and oblong that was colored white and pink.
"What's that?" asked Maria. Lisa handed it to her and sat down in a chair next to Maria in front of the webcam.
"An egg. A customer came by to pick up their Pokemon and it had this egg. They said they didn't want it!" said Lisa.
"Didn't want it?!" gasped Maria.
"Does that happen often?" asked Evelyn. Draco was grumbling in her lap, arms crossed and quite displeased.
"No, it doesn't. It does happen; Pokemon having eggs, I mean. But...the trainers usually want the egg. How odd," said Maria, handing the egg back to Lisa, who took it and cradled it gently.
"What'll you do with it?" asked Evelyn.
"Well, our oath as caretakers says we have to keep it, hatch it, and care for it until we find a suitable trainer," said Maria before she turned to Lisa. "I'll leave this one to you. I've had my share egg-sitting and baby Pokemon. They're a hell of a handful."
"Okay..." agreed Lisa, though she sounded nervous and unsure. Maria looked back to Evelyn.
"I advise you stay low for a while; they might come looking for you," said Maria.
"I don't see why they would," said Evelyn, "They didn't know I was on my way here. Besides, I have to find someone, and fast."
"Are you really in that big of a hurry?"
"Well...no. Not really. I just want to learn more about my mother while I have the chance, and I just feel like I'm so close to a breakthrough! I don't even remember much, but the guy I'm supposed to meet is going to take me somewhere that my mother had some deep connection with...or something along those lines..."
"You're really walking blind, aren't you?" asked Maria bluntly.
"Yeah, people I've spoken to like to leave me in the dark..." said Evelyn. Draco snorted.
(Yeah, they're as useful as a damp match in a dark cave at this point,) he thought.
"Well, time's flying, Eve," said Lisa. "Where are you looking, again?"
"The market place for some guy called Sly Scyther," replied Evelyn.
"The market opens pretty early and gets crowded fast, if I recall correctly," said Maria, "I used to get supplies from there before my business really got off the ground. What time is it?"
Evelyn looked to her Pokegear.
"About six in the morning," said Evelyn.
"You'd better get going. Have some breakfast first, okay?" reasoned Maria. Evelyn nodded.
"Good luck," said Lisa.
"Thank you. I'll call later, okay?" said Evelyn. Both Maria and Lisa nodded, and Evelyn hung up her end. The screen went black.
"Alright...we better get started," sighed Evelyn, picking up her bag strap from the back of the chair and throwing it over her shoulder. Draco leapt off from the chair to the bag before Evelyn made her way out the door.
It was early morning now, the sun up just over the horizon, painting the sky in a clean blue. When Evleyn and Draco stepped outside, however, the sky was the last thing on their minds. The streets were crawling already! The port was busy with towering ships and moving cargo. Workers were shouting to one another, auctioneers were hollering over crowds of buyers over the merchandise. All in all, it was a chaotic atmosphere for sure. The concrete pier that ran along the beachfront was covered in people. Wingulls and a few Pelippers flew around, looking for scraps, the briny smell of the oceanfront was wafting on the wind they flew upon.
Evelyn and Draco made their way through the crowds down the pier. Moving in this crowd was difficult at best. She found herself stepping over piles of large ropes and avoiding the slippery areas of the pier. Evelyn held her arms close, Draco closer, as people bumped into her shoulders roughly, not caring if it hurt. She'd never been to a big city before, and it felt like she was invisible. Like she might as well be one of the stone poles the ships were tied to with the way people just walked around her. She was standing on her tiptoes now and again, trying to look over the heads of the taller folk. Still, she was thirteen, and no matter how she tried, she remained lost in the crowd.
Two hours of this was too much for Evelyn and she forced her way out of the masses and onto a cement slab that was elevated by about two feet. She hopped on and leaned against the wall behind it, panting. The shade of the building's eves was welcomed. Draco looked to her. She looked unfocused, more tired than ever before, and lost in her own body. He heard her stomach growl next to him, and he frowned before tugging roughly on her shirt.
Evelyn wasn't paying attention. Sleep was so badly needed. Everything, every sound, and everyone seemed to be swaying a little, going into doubles and singles, loud and muffled, over and over again. She closed her eyes and groaned, rubbing them with her hands to rid herself of the stinging in them. Draco tugged harder on her shirt and she gasped and jumped a little, as if jolted from sleep itself. She looked down to him and frowned.
"What?! I'm doing my best! I don't see how we can find him here; it's a mess!" she snapped. He retracted a little at her temper but when her stomach growled again, he took a step forward on her messenger bag and jabbed her in the stomach roughly.
"Ouch!" she gasped, holding the spot he'd practically stabbed with his little hand. "Oh...oh, I see. I'm sorry, Drake. I'm just tired."
He put his hands on his hips and gave her a skeptical look.
"-and hungry, and hungry!" she added hurriedly. "I've got bad news on that, though...we don't have enough for both of us. We'll probably have to split something if we can't find a cheap enough place."
Draco shrugged. He'd never tell her, but if they had to share something, he'd only pick at it and let her eat more of it. He'd hate himself for stealing nutrition from her when she probably needed it more. Evelyn smiled and pulled him close to her side with one hand. Both were unaware that they were thinking of doing the same thing, food wise.
"Alright...hold your breath, we're jumping back in again," grumbled Evelyn. She stepped forward and hopped down back onto the concrete of the harbor's pier and swam as best she could with the crowd. Draco was helping her by looking for a restaurant among the buildings that ran along the harbor. It wasn't hard to spot one; it was a good spot for food business when the shipmen wanted a meal. He tugged on her shirt and pointed to a restaurant they were closing in on. One had to be ready to jump out of the crowd successfully. Evelyn hurried to "merge" over to the far right and to the outer band of the crowd before breaking off and through the double, western-style doors of the chosen building. She hadn't even paid any attention to the restaurant's name, "The Drunken Mankey."
The moment they stepped in, however, it was rather obvious what kind of establishment it was. There were round wooden tables and chairs scattered around the room and a dimly lit bar was stretched on the far side. The atmosphere was thick with smoke, alcohol, and testosterone. Sailors and cargo workers were hunched over their tables, smoking and drinking or playing cards. Some looked up, however, when the darkness of the pub was interrupted by the white-blue light of a tail flame of a little black Charmander, standing on a bag at the side of a thirteen year old girl. Some looked up, acknowledge, and went back to brooding or playing. Some glared openly for some girl who dared break the sacrilege of their sanctuary. Some, who would forever remain on Draco's personal "Must Kill" list, had the balls to wolf-call at her and recommend places she should stay that night. Evelyn blushed and immediately mumbled an apology before turning to leave.
"Well 'and me a mushroom and call me a Paras, iz Evel...evely...Fuck it, is Eve!" shouted a voice from the bar. Evelyn felt a shiver run up her spine while Draco felt a "disturbance in the force". It was both a familiar and an unfamiliar voice at the same time. They turned to see a young man in a filthy trench coat. His hands were holding drinks and were rather bloodied up. His hair was messy and unkempt. There he was; Blake sitting at the bar, waving at them with far more enthusiasm than necessary. The real question was...why was he being so...jubilant?
"Well don't jus' stand thar, come 'ave a drink!" he shouted. Evelyn and Draco looked at one another with a look of sudden understanding.
"Um...I don't think so, I really-" started Evelyn, turning toward the door again. She heard the sound of footsteps on a wooden floor shortly before she found herself being steered toward the bar, Blake's right arm over her shoulders and Draco annoyed snarl at her right side.
"Oh, don't be such a prude. 'Ave a bit ta eat, at least. On me!" he slurred. Draco rolled his eyes.
(Is this what he's like drunk?) thought Draco (He should stay like this. They've nicotine patches, but have they made a Vodka one yet?)
"W-well alright..." stuttered Evelyn, sitting down at the bar table. Blake waved down the barkeep and told him to yell at the back for a breakfast plate. He then turned back to Evelyn, sipping on a drink of some sort as he did.
"You know, Blake, not that I don't appreciate this and all but...why are you being so nice?" asked Evelyn, refusing the strong smelling drink when he offered it.
"Well naw tha's na cool, man...er, girl; wha'ever. Can't I- hik- can't I get a friend a drink-"
"-food-"
"Right...food. C'mon, I've 'ad a rough nigh' and I want a friend to talk ta...zat so wrong?"
"I'm a friend now?" asked Evelyn skeptically as her food arrived. Draco sat down on the bar table, glaring at Blake through his scared eye.
"Ya always were," said Blake.
"Then why are you such an asshole?" asked Evelyn bluntly. Draco snorted through his scrambled eggs, quite proud of his friend.
"I unno...Jus-things...things are rough, ya know? Pop wasn't 'appy tha' I wadn't the first ta 'ave a Pokemon, not 'appy that I los' so many battles. Shit like tha'..."
Evelyn had a small moment of sympathy. There were moments when she completely forgot that Blake's father was the infamous Giovanni. Incidentally, the imprisonment of his father made very little difference in how he influenced Blake's life. His mother was dead, so that was one thing she had in common with him, but his father had hired nannies and caretakers for him, who gave Giovanni little "report cards" of sorts on how his son was doing. Blake was often times dragged off to go talk with his father, and he always returned behind on his school work but full-up on bad attitude. Hell, everyone else lived in normal tree homes. Blake lived in a tropical mansion near the Weather Institute, funded by Giovanni, no doubt as a "community service" effort to appeal to the court.
"Yeah, but is that any excuse to treat everyone like shit...including your Pokemon?" asked Evelyn, taking a sip of some water as she and Draco ate. Blake, eyes unfocused and lost, lost a good deal of his luster.
"C'mon naw...I didn't treat everybody like shit. Wha' 'bout Lisa?" he reasoned. Evelyn frowned.
"That's right...you were always oddly nice to her...why is that, exactly?" she asked. Blake gained some color to his face.
"Dunno...always thought she was kinda cute..." he confessed. Draco snorted.
(Too nice for you, dickwad.) thought Draco. Evelyn only shrugged it off; Lisa was cute. Facts were facts, but she wasn't about to tell a drunk guy he was shit out of luck with a girl that was too sweet for him.
"Yeah, and are you still a jerk to your Pokemon?" she asked.
"No..." he mumbled. "I told all'a 'em I'm sorry...Elizabeth, Kain, Zizzi, ya should meet 'er by the way! Shiny, like Draco!"
Evelyn and Draco, both with forks in their mouths, glanced at one another in confusion over these names, but stayed quiet as he continued.
"Then I 'pologized to Tidus, Ripper, and Widow. Oh, and then-"
"Who the fuck are these people?!" shouted Evelyn, making Blake jump out of his drunken stupor for a little while. Draco smiled.
(Food or no food, she'll still a firecracker without sleep.) He thought to himself before taking a spoon full of scrambled eggs and pushed in front of Evelyn's face. She lost focus and ate it, letting Draco save Blake from her wrath, if only for the moment.
"W-well they're ma Pokemon!" said Blake.
"Yu 'amed 'em," asked Evelyn with a mouth full of eggs. Until that moment, she had been the only one in her class that named Pokemon.
"Ya. Um...Elizabeth my Nidoran, Kain the Ekans, Zizzi the Zubat, err..." said Blake, trying not to lose his train of thought, "Tidus the Tentacool, Ripper the Stunky, and Widow the Spinarak."
"Wait...that's six! You have a full party already?!" gasped Evelyn, nearly choking.
"Ya, so? Don't you?"
"...no..."
"Ha!" he laughed without tact.
(Aaaand there's the asshole again.) thought Draco. (Knew he'd show up eventually...)
"Guess it's a good thing you got that Shroomish, huh? Fuck, I'm getting sober- BARKEEP!" shouted Blake. The barkeep showed up and made him whatever drink he had been working on. Something on the rocks, that's all Evelyn knew. She wasn't exactly liquor savvy.
"By the by," said Evelyn, letting Draco eat the rest of the plate after some silent argument between them while the barkeep made Blake's drink. "I have a few questions for you."
"Shoot," said Blake.
(Gladly.) thought Draco.
"Well...One, why are you drinking when you're underage? Two, why are you drunk at all? Three...why are you drunk at...what is it now, nine in the morning?"
"Oh, that..."
"Yeah, that."
"Well..." sighed Blake. "I guess this goes back to the whole 'I have six Pokemon' thing. Dad wanted me to make some milestone before the rest of my class, so I got a full team before anyone else."
"And how did that work out for you?"
"I'm at a bar, aren't I?"
"Elaborate."
"Well...He yelled at me for wasting time in getting a badge and getting a team that wasn't full of ground type Pokemon..."
"Oh...so that's why you're here?"
"Pretty much. I've been here since...I think ten last night? Ya, tha' sounds right..."
"...and I suppose it doesn't bother you that drinking at any age under the adult age is illegal?"
"Pfffft!" Blake scoffed. Draco and Evelyn whipped spit off their faces, considering it was a rather messy raspberry/scoff.
"I take that as a 'no'..." mumbled Evelyn. Blake nodded.
"S'long as I say in 'ere, it's all good," he said as he paid the barkeep for the meal. Evelyn looked at her Pokegear for the time.
"Woah! It's almost noon!" she gasped, throwing her messenger bag back on and grabbing Draco. Blake frowned at her with hazy eyes.
"You in a 'urry like?" he asked.
"Yeah, kinda. Looking for someone in the market and it's crowded as hell out there on the pier."
"The pier? Tha's not the market! Go to the south west of Slateport. Tha's the market!"
"Oh? Well...damn. I've been looking in the wrong place this whole time..." grumbled Evelyn. Then she paused, standing next to Blake as he sat on the bar stool, and seemed to struggle with something mentally. Then she reached forward and pulled Blake into a hug. He froze, stiff and shocked, and gently patted her one the back before she pulled away.
"Be good, Blake," said Evelyn before turning and heading out the door and into the bight sunlight. Draco had closed his eyes for a moment and allowed himself to adjust, as did Evelyn, before they merged into the crowd and walked with them. When she finally reached the market area, the air was abuzz with shouting and arguments and general gossip and chit-chat. There were colorful stalls of fruit and other merchandise, all shaded by cloth canopies. Evelyn tried to make her way through the scattered and huddle groups of buyers, shaking off any merchants when they tried to reel her in like a Magikarp as she asked people if they knew a "Sly Scyther".
"Care for some Oran berries my dear?"
"No thank you."
"Would you like a nice Pokedoll, young lady?"
"No...thank you."
"Can I interest you in an herbal remedy for your Pokemon's condition?"
"What condition!? Wha-no! Get away from me!"
"How would you like-"
"GRAA!"
Several people, including the random merchant, jumped back at the raspy roar from the little black Charmander. Evelyn gave him a surprised but impressed look and patted him on the head to calm him down. She was tired and grouchy but he was plain grouchy no matter how much sleep he got. She continued around, ignoring merchants now. There was no need to be polite and reply to them; they had to be used to being ignored often. Instead, she focused on her mission and asked anyone she could about the mysterious man she searched for.
"Excuse me, but do you know a man named 'Sly Scyther'?"
"Sly-wha? Think your being funny?"
"Pardon me, but do you know a man by the name of 'Sly Scyther'?"
"I hope that's a nickname. All the same, no; I don't."
"Do you know anyone named 'Sly Scyther'?"
"That depends, are you eighteen?"
The man winked at her and Evelyn immediately turned around and headed in the opposite direction, skin crawling with creeps. A short distance away, however, a man in a lab coat blocked her path.
"Excuse me," she said, trying to get by, but he blocked her with an arm. She glared at him, but the man was smiling at her.
"Did you say Sly Scyther?" he asked.
"Yes...why?"
"He's not here today, but I think I have someone you can talk to instead, if you'll just follow me."
Evelyn and Draco swapped glances but obeyed and followed the man through the market and up the streets of Slateport. They came toward a very tall, large business looking building with revolving doors. Above it was a sign that read "Devon Corp.". They walked through and into a large lobby, footsteps echoing against the dark tiles. A woman behind the counter said a polite "Good morning, Mr. Barker" which the man in the lab coat returned with a smile and a nod. He led her to an elevator door and held it back for her, gesturing for her to get in. Evelyn had played along this whole time, but the look of the small elevator space had a sobering finality to it, and suspicion seeped in.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, sir, or why you're helping me for that matter," she said with narrowed eyes. He only smiled behind his spectacles. He was a young man, which was probably why she was so suspicious of his intents with a thirteen year old girl. That or the awkward comments from the sailors and Draco's stiff and growling body made her paranoid. Either way, she wasn't climbing in an elevator with someone she didn't really know.
"My name is Gregory Barker, Miss. If I'm not mistaken, you are Evelyn Yew, yes?" he asked. Evelyn sub sequentially felt herself relax.
"Yes...I am, but how did you know that, Mr. Barker?" she asked. He waved to the elevator again, making it obvious her cooperation was necessary for an answer, but she crossed her arms and didn't move. He sighed.
"I'm on your side, young lady," he insisted.
"And which side would that be, exactly?"
"LORAO, naturally."
Evelyn felt her arms loosen and drop as she stared at him. He smiled and made a gesture to continue again, and she stepped forward into the elevator. He followed, allowing the door to close behind him. He reached forward toward the controls but veered off suddenly and peeled back some of the fabric that lined the interior of the elevator to reveal a small, golden button. He looked to her as he pushed it and the elevator began its assent.
"The golden button; it's hidden and it's the only way to the Boss's room. You should remember it," he said. They stood in silence for a while until the elevator came to a glass tunnel that overlooked the entire city.
"Woah..." she gasped. Draco made a similar, but far raspier sound and peeked his way out from under her arm and stepped forward on her bag. Mr. Barker gave the little black and red Charmander a curious look, raised eyebrow and all.
"Oh, and who is this hiding under there?" He asked. Evelyn looked down.
"This is my best friend, Draco. We go everywhere together." She clarified, now having her attention divided away from the view of the city as they shot higher and higher up the building. Eventually they disappeared from the glass and into a metal part of the elevator shortly before it stopped. The doors opened with a 'ping' sound and they were met with an elegant board room. In the center was a long, oak table, shiny and well polished. Leather chairs lined the sides and one large chair sat at the front.
An elderly man, well into his fifties or sixties, sat at the head, doing paperwork. He was sipping on what was obviously tea, judging by the steaming pot on the tray next to it. He looked up when they walked in and the door closed behind them. There was no other way into or out of the room; no obvious stairs or any other manner of entrance or exit. The man smiled. He wore a grey business suit and black tie, so very different from Mr. Barker's white lab coat ensemble. He had a few good wrinkles on his skin and thick, but not largely shaped square glasses along with thick eyebrows, a little moustache and beard, all well trimmed. He smiled widely at them and began to stand up as they came toward his end of the table, aided by a wooden cane in his right hand. The room was well lit; cast a shadow as they moved by the light that spilled in through the windows that aligned both the western and eastern walls on either side of them, each window the height of floor to ceiling.
"Oh my, dear...It's so good to finally see you again!" he cooed, first offering his hand to hers. She held hers out and he took it with both of his in a loving hold, patting the top of her hand. His skin was rough and warm with time and experience. Just as she was getting a good look at his eyes, squinting and beadle-like, and oddly shiny, he pulled her into a sudden hug, and she had no choice but to allow him to hold her and pat her back.
"Oh, when I last saw you, you were just a baby..." he sighed, "And you look so much like your mother."
"So I'm told...," she mumbled absentmindedly, "increasingly, as of late."
"Ah..." said the old man as he backed up a bit, hands still on Evelyn's shoulders. "I imagine you want to talk a bit. Please, sit down, sit down. Mr. Baker, you should stay as well, in case you have anything to say. I shall also need you to show her to her room when we are done, she seems quite tired."
"My room?" asked Evelyn, quite confused as she sat down to the sit just right of the old man's. "But...I was told to meet a Mr. Sly Scyther and that he would take me...somewhere special to my mother!"
"Oh yes, my dear, but I'm afraid that cannot happen yet," said the old man as he and Mr. Barker sat down, the ladder of the two across the table from Evelyn.
"W-what? Why not?" she asked devastated at the snag in the plans.
"Sly Scyther, a member of LORAO that works for me, is on a mission at the moment and won't be back for...well, an untold amount of time, but not soon," said the old man. "Oh, but I imagine you'd like to know what LORAO is, wouldn't you?"
"Please. Um...but- and I don't mean to be rude! But, who might you be, sir?" asked Evelyn tentatively.
"Oh-ho!" he laughed. "I'm so terribly sorry, child! I've lost my manners in my studies! I apologize, but I cannot give you my real name. I can, however, give you my alias. They call me, quite simply, 'Boss', as should you too, my dear."
"Yes sir. I suppose you know me."
"Yes, but not your charming friend here," said Boss, gesturing toward Draco, who had invited himself onto the table-top and sat lazily, leaning back on one hand and scratching his belly idly with the other, looking quite uninterested.
"Oh, this is Draco, sir. My best friend," said Evelyn, not bothering to correct Draco. It was simply his way, and this disinterest was better than his over-reactions to strangers.
"Ah, nice to meet you, Draco," said Boss, reaching forward with a hand. Draco jumped lightly, stopping in mid scratch to stare at the human man's hand. He looked uncertainly to Evelyn, the only human he knew to act this civilly toward him. She looked just as flabbergasted but looked pointedly between him and the hand. Draco took the hint and reached forward and shook it. Now the old man had his attention.
"Now...let's simply have you ask some questions, Miss Yew, and we'll fill anything in we think you should know," said Boss.
"And leave anything out you think I shouldn't, right?" asked Evelyn skeptically. Both men chuckled.
"She's catching on," said Mr. Barker to Boss, who nodded in agreement.
"Well now, missy; what would you like to know?"
"First of all, what is LORAO?"
"Good starter," said Mr. Barker. "LORAO is the organization started by the scattered and still loyal members of the Towers of Knowledge after several towers were conquered by the Onyx Tower; specifically the Opal and Granite Towers. It stands for League of Resistance Against Onyx."
"Isn't it traditional to not honor words like "of" in an acronym?" asked Evelyn.
"Yes," said Boss with a smile, "But that wouldn't work with the acronym, would it? Besides, a giant, underground organization against an evil corporation bent on taking over the world isn't particularly 'traditional' as far as the world outside of fairytales is concerned."
"Touché," said Evelyn. "So what does Sly Scyther have to do with all this; or my mother, for that matter?"
"Sly is one of our agents. His business is our business, and that's all I can say on that," said Boss. "And your mother...she was a great researcher, full of spunk. She dabbled in something dangerous, though..."
"Such as?"
"She researched what the true differences were between humans and Pokemon. She sought to prove what she believed, which was that the only difference between humans and Pokemon were their physical forms."
"So what did she find?"
"Trouble. Answers I don't have for you. She worked for us when the towers fell, and helped our team until she was captured by her own brother. Oh, I should have told you that. The leader of the Onyx Tower is-"
"A psychopath named Rexus who happens to be my long-lost uncle that my grandfather failed to mention. He has, might I add, a daughter who seems to be my cousin," filled in Evelyn, eyelids beginning to feel rather heavy and guts clenching with anxiety.
"Ah...I see you've met them. No doubt dealing in foul business, I imagine," mumbled Boss. At that moment, a loud 'ping' echoed in the room and the elevator door opened. Inside where several police officers, easily distinguished by their blue, white, and black uniforms. Two held the doors open while two more held a struggling boy in a dirty trench coat...
"Get yer hands offa me!" he shouted, struggling against their hold. His face was bruised and bloody, one eye almost swollen shut.
"Blake!" shouted Evelyn before she could stop herself, standing up swiftly. Boss placed a hand on her arm and she looked to him before slowly sitting down. Boss nodded his head toward the one officer merely standing there. The officer bowed politely.
"We found him, this time, fighting in the market place." He said.
"Blake, my boy...first we catch you breaking a phone in the Pokemon Center, and now this?" said Boss to Blake who panted through clenched teeth. He then looked to the officer. "Who was he fighting?"
"An officer-"
"Oh, now that won't do-"
"-we believe to be in the Onyx Tower."
"I beg your pardon? Really now?" asked Mr. Barker now. He looked to Blake. "Lad, why would you fight an officer?"
Blake was still seething, but spoke up, "I was lookin' fer Eve. Wondered if she found tha' guy she wanted. I asked a buncha people, but no one knew where she was, so I asked an officer. When I did..."
"Go on..."
"He 'n 'is partner asked me wha' I knew 'bout Eve. I said we were friends and they asked me to come with 'em. I didn't wanna, so I tried to leave, and they set thar Pokemon on me!"
"Ah- I see where the suspicion arises then. No officer of the law uses their Pokemon against a human, only other Pokemon. What then?"
"I set mine out. Then I attacked the officers, and then we jus'...fought, I 'spose," finished Blake. Mr. Barker looked to the officer in charge.
"And you? What happened when you showed up?"
"I heard a ruckus when I was patrolling with my squad. Stalls were being overturned, people pushed aside; a little difficult not to notice, you understand, sir," said the officer. "We went over and asked the two officers what happened. They claimed the boy stole and they were taking him down to the office. The boy said otherwise. We'd already had suspicions on several officers with shady performances, so I offered to take him myself. They tried to refuse, but I pulled rank on them. They seemed genuinely upset and headed off..."
"I see. It wouldn't be the first time someone 'disappeared' on these streets, had they made off with him. That's how these things stay quiet. Boss?" said Mr. Barker. "Shall I escort our young lad to the basement for a chat?"
"No, no...Blake, my boy!" shouted the Boss. "You were brought to us just yesterday, and I offered you a job here. You refused. Now you've heard all this talk of Onyx and suspicious guards, correct?"
Blake looked shifty at first, glancing around at all the faces, and then nodded.
"Then I'm no longer asking you, boy. I'm telling you. You've gotten into a world of trouble, young man, and not the same as your father," said Boss. Blake visibly stiffened. "Calm yourself, boy. We are an organization opposed to your father's sort of work, but on a grander scale. I want you to stay here, safe from the streets for the night. I'll speak with you later about a new offer I have for you. Sending you out would be a mistake; those officers you met were not officers of the law, as I'm sure you learned, and they're most likely still looking for you. Go now, stay safe, and I'll speak with you soon."
Blake stared at Boss for a moment, breath calming but hair still mussed up, clothes dirty, and face like bloody steak from a bad butcher. He nodded curtly, and Boss nodded to the head officer. The two holding the door released it and it began to close. Before it sealed shut, Blake's voice barely came through.
"...thank you..."
Evelyn watched as the door closed, then looked to Draco. He looked just as shocked as she felt, sitting on the oak table in the now dimming sunlight as the evening crawled on. She looked to Boss, who sighed and glanced to her.
"I knew Blake's father. Many in the business world did, whether they liked it or not. No matter..." he sighed.
"Sir...what are you going to do with Blake?" asked Evelyn.
"Offer him the chance to work as an agent for LORAO. He can refuse, but we might be forced to take drastic measures to ensure his silence, and I'll be sure to mention that. Perhaps the knowledge will...influence his decision."
(Scare the piss out him and make him join...) thought Draco (I like this fellow!)
"Well what...what do I do?" asked Evelyn now. Her eyes were burning, tingling from the need for sleep, and her eyelids were growing rebellious. "I have to wait for Sly Scyther, don't I?"
"I'm afraid so. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay here with us. I have a gift for you in the morning. Your mother's account still works here, and all her money is locked away in it. I just have to reactivate the card and you'll never have to worry about expenses ever again."
On any other day, that would have lifted Evelyn's spirits a great deal, but not this day. Maybe it was the light bodied feel sleep deprivation, or perhaps the nagging voice in the back of her head that would rather have her mother than her mother's money, but Evelyn wasn't very pleased at all. After a moment's thought, she knew why. Something was unsure. Something was amiss, in such a way that she knew something was worse than it seemed. Maybe it was the anti-climax of the evening, as opposed to the finality she expected when she thought of meeting Sly Scyther and being on her way to opening the damn chest in her bag.
"That's all well and good, sir, but...when might I expect Sly Scyther back?" asked Evelyn. Boss and Mr. Barker lost their smiles instantaneously.
"About that..." whispered Boss, but Mr. Barker waved a hand absently to him.
"I'll tell her, Boss," he said. "Evelyn...it could take a few days or maybe a few months-"
Evelyn's heart lifted and she suddenly felt very silly for thinking something dreadful was to come of this evening.
"-but I'll be honest with you. It will most likely take a year or two..."
Her stomach dropped, along with any other internal organ inside her that wasn't tied down, and several that were. Draco felt it to, that rush of fear. Years...they'd have to wait years after this sudden gush of information? They came all this way, promised a journey to set them on the track to learn of a mother Evelyn never knew, and now they had years to wait?
"I...but I..." muttered Evelyn, not even looking at the two men anymore. Her eyes darted here and there, looking for answers or condolences that didn't exist in that room or on that table. Boss glanced to Mr. Barker with a frown, and then looked back to Evelyn.
"Listen now; it's not all that bad! I promise!" he whispered, getting up now and grabbing his cane. He patted her on the back. "You have the freedom you disserve now. No running errands or any of that. Until the time is right, you can travel like every other child your age, without the burdens of what is to come. Please...please go and enjoy this time, because you may never get it again. Trust me; you'll never be this young again. I will call you when it is time and you can return then. Until then...travel with your Pokemon, be like any other trainer. You won't be someone searching for your mother's secrets, or the secrets of an organization you never asked to be part of...Be a normal trainer for a while. It seems disappointing now, but...
"Go out. Earn badges like the others, train your Pokemon like the others, and be free while you can. When this does start, there will be no turning back. This is a blessing, I promise you. I will call you when it is time, lass," said Boss, now hooking a wrinkled hand around her upper arm and lifting her feebly. Mr. Barker rushed around the table and took her from there. Evelyn felt oddly empty, like waking up from anesthesia. She was registering all the words and nodding in agreement, but they would toss there for a while before processing. Mr. Barker led her to the elevator door and down a few flights and into a hallway. He led her to a room. "B-47" she heard him say and hand her a card. She took it and swiped it on the doors handled. It beeped and clicked and Mr. Barker pushed it open. It was like any nice hotel room; standard but nice all the same.
"There's a menu on the table. Devon Corp. often has business here so long that people just live here, so feel free to order some food when you're ready..."
"Thank you," she said to him, and shut the door. Draco climbed up to her shoulder, trying to read her face, but it was far too blank to do so. She put her bag down near a chair and moved toward the bed, feet shuffling slightly. She plopped herself down near the bedside table and looked up at the little sliding window in front of her in time to see the last rays of sunshine before everything kicked in. Draco jumped down from her shoulder and next to her, one hand on her arm, the other in her lap as he looked to her, but she looked to the window.
Her teeth suddenly clenched and she grimaced and shook her head, eyes burning now with frustration. Years? Now she had years when just that morning she was so sure she had hours? What if there never was a call? What if she lugged around that damn chest and never found the ways to opening it? It was like being promised a million dollars you needed to fix your heart, but then told a while later you'd have to wait. She gasped and closed her eyes as a burning feeling clenched her chest. Draco got a brief glimpse of tears rolling down her cheeks before she hid her face in her hands, sobs muffled. She leaned back and rolled into a fetal position, Draco crawling over like a cat as she did. He slid down her side when she was settled on the bed and forced his way between her elbows and up her chest, resting his hands and head on her neck and collarbone. She shook with anger and disappointment no language could justify as she brought one hand to his back and the other to his head. They head one another as the room went dark.
Come morning, they'd eat. They'd stay for over a week before moving on and realizing that staying there wouldn't make time fly faster. It was true; this gave them a freedom they hadn't had before like other kids of their age. They would travel the region, earn badges, battle new opponents and make a few friends. It would be challenging, it would be fearful at times, but it made time fly faster than ever. Some Pokemon would evolve and odd tidbits about one another would be learned. Draco would discover his extreme dislike for human males as Evelyn grew, and Evelyn would discover her extreme dislike for...Grimers.
All in all, it would be a total of two years and eleven and a half months until the call came; the call that would pull them back to Slateport and back to reality from their trainer vacation. A call that would reach them...in the desert.
Wee! I have my car back! I'm so happy. Being graduated isn't grand, either. It feels the same as being in school, but with less to do...Anywho, I have the money to get a scanner, I just have to get up and go do it. All in all, a good week, I suppose. Work's okay; as I suspected, we sold more for "Night at the Museum" than for "Terminator". If you read, please review!
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Next Chapter: The Call
Word finally comes in almost three years later, but Evelyn and Draco are a bit lost. A run-in with an old flame happens upon them to lead them back to catch up with yet another old friend with some new responsibilities. All Evelyn wants, however, is get to Slateport and to Sly Scyther.