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((I stopped waiting ninja ))

'Ha! I ********' knew it!' Zack jabbed a finger at the Detective. He'd spent enough time around Gremlin to know that a pokémon with that many human mannerisms had a lingual trick up its sleeve. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Helena rejoining her group of friends, then replied to Looker in a calmer tone.

'Riiight, that's convenient,' Zack said. So the one big conspiracy they knew for sure was happening in Kalos, which just so happened to be the one they were fighting back against, also just so happened to be the one this random Interpol agent was investigating? Yeah. Okay. 'Look, er, whatever you said your name was, everyone here's heard the rumours, and maybe I know something more than that. But why don't you extend the olive branch and tell me something I don't know?'

Arrange a meet, get some backup from the crew, record everything. Kick this guy's teeth in if he turned out to be a double agent.

'If you want my information, it's on my terms.'

((Zack's team changes over the Caesura are as follows))

Malis
Level 41 --> 42
New Moves --> Dragon Dance | Thunder Punch | Toxic | Sunny Day

Hazard
Level 46 --> 50
New Moves --> Reflect Type

Serene
Level 35 --> 40

Hazard
Level 44 --> 47
New Moves --> Dark Pulse | Endure

Seelie
Sort of on Zack's team --> Returned to Gurkinn

Fatass
Filling up a pokéball --> Donated

Antiq
Recovering from the battle with Ratio --> Out of retirement

"Cut the crap, kid." Detective folded his arms and puffed up his chest. It was adorable. "Y'know how easy it'd be to grab a warrant? You wanna get deported? You don't challenge the house when they've got a full hand, or ya get flushed like-"

"Detective, easy now." Looker held up a hand for the mouse to stop. "Yes, Looker is my name. A trade, perhaps we can make one. Like a trainer would, yes? I can tell you about declassified findings."
"But Looker," Detective announced, exasperated. "My metaphor-"
"There is nothing to be meta for, Detective. I believe this young man can point us in the right direction."

He gestured to a nearby garden table under a picnic umbrella, surrounded by chairs. "Would you have a seat with me, Mr. Redgrave?"

Couriway Town

As expected at 11 AM during league week, the patio of Aly’s café of choice wasn’t crowded. It overlooked the western riverbank of Couriway, a clear view of crystal waters. Couriway didn’t have a Gym. Its main business was tourism and hiking, which attracted a quieter variety of people. This made Aly and Juliet, who were laughing with Bloody Mary’s and coffee, the loudest ones there.

“Her last bar was ‘Oh, you’re sappy, son? You’s a Nosepass backwards,’ and everybody lost their s**t.” Aly sighed heavily, belly full of laughter. “And that was the best cypher in Kanto for sure.”
“You know I don’t really get all this rap stuff, right?”
Aly held up her forefingers and thumbs, connecting them to form a box. “Square.”

Her eyes wandered across the patio. Underneath a straw canopy was a tiny stage with a mic, amp, and screen. “Wanna go for it?” She nodded to the karaoke machine.
Juliet eyed it warily. “It’s 11 AM.”
“It’s 11 PM som-“
“Somewhere, I know.”
“Doesn’t matter. Singing is for anytime.” Aly pouted and leaned forward. “Serenade us all with that beautiful voice of yours.”
“I’ll pass. Hard pass.” Juliet took a sip of her coffee, frowned, and pulled out her flask. As she tipped in some whiskey, Aly raised an eyebrow.
“Goin’ a little hard this morning, huh?”
Juliet paused and looked up, incredulous. “You’re the one who wanted to get drinks.”
“A drink. Not three. Save it for later, we’ve got a party to go to.”

The flask was capped and stuffed back into Juliet’s coat. The noblewoman fidgeted and looked away sheepishly. Before she could even say a word, Aly gasped. “You have to come!”
“It’s not my scene. I don’t really belong there…”

Last week, Juliet had decided to hang out at Gotengo after some detective work. Despite her caution, Mia was a gracious guest. The younger kids were confused at first, but accepting. It wasn’t glamorous, it was dirty and full of litter. But it had almost been a pleasant time, until Salieri showed up and kicked her out. The experience was brief, but stuck with her.

“Don’t be stupid, stupid. Of course you do!”
“People don’t really…like…me…”

Kallikrates, curled up in a ball at Juliet’s feet and soaking in the sun’s rays, opened an eye. She shifted over and rested her violet tails on Juliet’s boots. Juliet slumped in her seat, looking at herself in her mug of coffee.

Aly slammed her hand on the table, startling Juliet out of her withdrawn stupor. “Quit it! I’m so sick of hearing about Salieri Soledad!”
“I didn’t say-“
“It’s in your voice. It’s in your eyes.”

Juliet met Aly’s gaze. The blonde’s eyes were a piercing blue, twinkling like jagged ice. It was something dangerous, and it was always like this when Aly got mad.

“Stop thinking about this girl, it’s a waste of your time!”
“It’s not her,” Juliet told her, and that was half true. It was Salieri, but it was others too. Salieri’s friends. Matheson’s friends. Maybe even Matheson. Her father. Juliet could count the number of people she thought liked her on one hand.

It hadn’t always been like this. In the past week, she dwelled on it more and more. Every league season, she thought about it, and it got worse. And she knew it was because of who she was, and the choices she had made to get there.

Aly folded her arms, leaned back in her chair, and scowled. “You’re gonna sit there and tell me, honestly, that people don’t like you? I love you! Plenty of people love you! You’re worth more than you think you are so get over it!”

She angrily sipped her Bloody Mary through a straw, which was something Juliet didn’t think could be done angrily but it could. “I just don’t know if I’m up for a party, Aly. Lay off it.”
Aly breathed deep through her nose. “…I’m gonna get you to come.”
“Stoooop.”
“I’m gonna get you to want to come. Somehow.” Aly grinned, seeming to cheer herself up with some plan Juliet wasn’t privy to. “You’ll see.”
“I don’t doubt it. Hey, check the time.”

Aly did a double take at the clock on the wall. “Merrrrde merde merde.” She took the dtraw out of her drink and started slurping. “Gonna be late.”
“Which Gym are you taking on?”
“Coumarine, babyyyy. Gotta get that green.” Aly burped. “Ugh. Whatchu gonna do?”
“I need to stop at the Lumiose station. They want help on the Procession case.”
Aly’s eyes grew wide. They twinkled that icy shine again. “Tell me morrre?”
“I mean…” Juliet got up from the table, sifting through her wallet for the tip. “It’s nothing they shouldn’t already know.”

Lumiose City – Police Station

Juliet windmilled the report onto the desk. “It’s two different people. How could you not know?”

Captain Marcel snatched the papers away, scanning them all too quickly. The ever present din of cops and perps played out in the background behind them. Lumiose PD had arrested some belligerent protesters earlier in the morning. After Alexa’s news story about Jullien Nostrad’s hidden oil field had come to light, there had been a steady build of protests throughout the caesura. Kalos was getting restless. Too many dangerous, unpredictable events were happening one after the other, and the nobility wasn’t trusted. It was a time bomb that needed to be diffused.

Juliet wasn’t here to play bomb squad. She was here for one specific case, and evidently, they needed her help more than she had thought. A few lingering officers looked over the Captain’s shoulders at Juliet’s report, until he swatted them back. “Give me the abridged version, Miss Nostrad.”

“Multiple members of the terrorist’s team have been identified. Arcanine, Aegislash, an unidentified Pokémon we assume is a Rock or Ground type, and a Ditto.”
“Where’d you get Ditto from?” one of the cops snapped, annoyed by Juliet’s tone.
“That blob you had in evidence. I looked at it an hour ago. Suspicions confirmed.”
“Look, I’ve run tests with my guys over the whole caesura on that thing,” the cop retorted, indignant. “There were multiple matches for the DNA. How’d you get that conclusion an hour ago?”
“Because I’m better at it,” Juliet snapped back. “You don’t read history like I do…besides, if the DNA sequence is unstable, that narrows it down. Given the M.O., a Ditto is a solid working theory.”

“Alright, alright, settle down,” said the Captain, directing it to both the cop and Juliet. “So let’s say it is. Why does that make it two people?”
“Even if it was a different Pokémon, none of the terrorist’s team matches the Pokémon witnessed during the attack at the RIchissime days prior. Their methods, their builds, different. I’d chalk it up to a copycat, but the Chateau was broken into during the procession. Certainly not by Ratio.”

She gestured to the reports once more. “There’s two of them. The terrorist isn’t acting alone.”

The present officers murmured to each other, quickly spitballing theories and Grumpiggybacking on Juliet’s theory. “And what would the terrorists want with the Chateau?”
Juliet breathed deep, trying not to give away that she didn't want to talk about her family. “That’s a question better reserved for my father.”
The Captain sighed. “Miss Nostrad, we appreciate the help you’ve given us throughout the years. And this theory is strong. I think with that base, we can handle the case from here.”

It was a noncommittal way of saying ‘You’re off the case’. It didn’t have to be explicit for it to be true. Juliet knew that the Nostrad name was currently in the mud. She didn’t think that it would extend to her detective work. “I’m trying to help you.”
“And you have. Again, we appreciate all you’ve done. We’ll call you when we need you, Miss Nostrad.”

He nodded at her, because as a noble, he could not simply dismiss her like he would other outsourced consultants. The message was still clear. “Thank you, Captain,” Juliet mumbled, spinning on her heel and marching with her fists bunched together and her head down.

Her cheeks felt hot as she emerged onto the street. She wanted to be away. Far away, from any of this. That wish was impossible for her. All her recent work had been put towards righting Kalos where it had been led astray. Yet constantly, she found that Kalos didn’t want that from her.

Once again, she remained unsatisfied.

Shalour City Pokémon Center

"You think you're better than me cause you've got thumbs, kid?" The Detective scoffed, clearly hiding his hurt. "Tough talk comin' from a hairless Primeape."

Looker sat down opposite Zack, and the Detective sat between them. “The missing people, I'm sure you've heard the rumors? Well, rumors they are not! Those trainers have yet to show up, even after the leagues they've competed in."

Looker reached into his coat and pulled out a series of photos. He set them down, one by one, in front of Zack. Each of them was of a trainer who had both competed in the Kalos league and was considered a missing person. Among the photos Looker put down were at least three names Zack would recognize: Mozart, Allard, and Grant.

"All of these trainers had earned four or more badges early into the league. Every non native Kalos trainer has either dropped at a certain stage of the League, or has gone missing. Upstart Kalosian trainers, missing. None of the missing trainers have been nobility. Very few have been sponsored."
"The pattern is too repetitive to ignore," the Detective mused, rubbing his chin in his hand. He hopped onto the table and poked at the photos. "We're operatin' under the assumption that these are not accidents. Someone wants these trainers out of the competition."
"Revenue, tourism, a boost in economy. This is what the league does for Kalos. A lot of money, that's what this league generates, and when there is this much money at stake-"
"Then foul play becomes an avenue that people take. The road for crooks."

The Detective shared a glance with Looker. It was the unsaid agreement, spoken between partners, that dictated their job was to stop this from going on no matter the cost.

"The local authorities, we've asked for their take. They're inoculated to these occurrences, too much to see the pattern. So we asked the nobility. Tight lipped or ignorant of the issue, that is what we found out they were." Looker sighed, and pushed the photos towards Zack slowly. "So now we come to you. Your sister could become a target, according to the pattern. I'm afraid I can't say much more to a normal civilian. But if we were to work together, permission to divulge is something I could work to obtain. What is your take on this matter, Mr. Redgrave?"

Couramine City Gym - Changing Room

"Congratulations!" Henrietta said, hugging Helena as her voice broke down into laughter. It enchanted her next words, interwoven between the syllables "I'm so proud of you."

Helena's face was beat red as she hugged the pink teen back. "You too!" In the changing room already was the stylist that Azucena had mentioned.

"You will want to be ready before the match." He said, thick Kalosian accent difficult to translate immediately but Helena managed to understand him after a few seconds of rolling the words around in her head.

"Yeah. Hey," she turned to Azucena. "Can you bring me Loki? Before you go cheer Bridgette on."

Azucena smiled as she pulled Henrietta away from the Redgrave sister. "Can do and, uh, Hel?"

"Azzy?"

"You're blushing a lot."

Helena felt her face redden further, feeling her heartbeat hammer in her cheeks from embarrassment. "H-hurry up!"

***

By the time the two got to the arena it would be the near end of the match.

"Victreebel 'as broken anoter Substitute! The Power Whip connects! Drifblim 'as not attacked at all and now it looks as if e' will not get 'te 'ance!"

Drifblim reeled from the blow before twisting his body to dodge what would be the final blow. In passing came the triple calm mind boosted Shadow Ball slamming right into the opponent.

"My Arceus! 'e won!" the announcer shouted as the crowd exploded into cheering.

"Go Bridgette!" Azucena shouted as Henrietta clung to her arm, timid now that she was surrounded by so many people.

***

"Ey're just counting down until your battle. Be ready to go up." The stylist said now that Helena was properly clothed for the occasion.

The arena was the top of the tree, and with Loki at her side she could make the jump in a single bound.

"Ready?"

"Zam."

The Balibar Theme began to play. Loki teleported both of them to the top of the tree and then she stepped out toward the arena.

The lights, the cheering, it had all gone away. Spotlights fells upon her and her opponent. The shimmers of her dress sparkling brightly in the spotlight.

"We have a special presentation for you all!" sounded the voice of a new announcer. This time the Unovan was perfect. Kalosian subtitles fell upon the large monitors.

Helena's curled hair felt in the way but she didn't move it, didn't attempt to tuck any of it back.

"A trainer endorsed by Lord Balibar himself! Helena Redgrave of Unovan decent! For the first time in history see what she brings to the table!"

Loki had a choker with the mega stone in it. At first Helena had intended to use her other Pokemon but now showing off a second Mega felt like the best option. Her aura had recovered enough that she wouldn't be straining herself to perform the bond.

She took her spot in the trainer box as Loki took his place in the center of the arena, teleporting as the lights went up and the announcer quieted, handing the stage over formally to the gym leader.

Anistar City Hotel - Suite 19D

Benedict had had a hell of an 18th birthday party. Well, a hell of a day after his 18th birthday party. His head was foggy mostly from fatigue, nobody here had had anything like alcohol. That was on purpose, of course. Ben didn't want to take advantage of people, he just wanted to have fun. The four people left in the bed after he'd gotten up had repositioned themselves for comfort by the time he was getting ready for the day.

Hotel's kitchen was shite, so he'd have to figure out food from delivery probably. For the five of them. The knock on the door wasn't expected, he hadn't called anyone or gotten anyone else's orders, but he answered it anyway. Caution was all well and good, but one shriek would have witnesses to whatever happened.

The two fancy-fellows were a surprise to see at his door. At least, openly. So not one of those horses. "Hey," Ben yawned, "you didn't happen to bring brunch for five, or well seven, did you?"

((Half the Nurse Joy's and Officer Jenny's are up there))

"Rigged, that is something we cannot say for sure that the league is-"

"Looks rigged to me," the Detective said candidly, much to Looker's professional chagrin. The Pikachu watched Zack's eyes wander, making a mental note of which pictures they lingered on. "Status quo, kid. If someone is on top for a long time, they forget what it's like to fall. So they don't wanna leave. Simple as that."

"If we were to assume this, it is a dangerous theory." Looker ran a hand through his hair, then rubbed his brow. Recently he had gained some wrinkles on his face, and they showed more when he was at work. "It would be safe to assume that whoever or whatever is causing these disappearances and dropouts does not work alone. Too large, that is what this scope is for just one person."

"Our jurisdiction is international. But if we poke around too much, we get tangled in red tape. Maybe even forced to drop the case. That's why we wish to be discreet." The Detective reached behind his shoulder and pulled out a cigar alongside an old fashioned lighter. "Looker has experience with international mysteries, and I was chosen for my discretion." He puffed a smoke ring out of the cigar. "People don't expect a Pokémon to work directly for Interpol ghaaaaaACK!"

"We can't bring backup on this case without stronger evidence. One hand tied behind our backs. That is how we're forced to work here," Looker explained as the Detective wheezed.

The two of them shared a glance, then the Detective gave Looker a slight sideways nod in Zack's direction. "Mr. Redgrave, the reason we're asking you about this is because your sister may become a target...and because our sources say you've become involved with Kalosian individuals who may be affected by this as well. We want to emphasize, you are not in trouble-"
"YET"
"-and we want to make sure that if you do consult with us, you receive protections if possible. Limited, that is what our resources are. We would not ask you for help otherwise."

He pushed the photos slightly closer to Zack. "Is there anything you can tell us that may be of help? Even if it doesn't seem important, it may be...do you recognize anyone in these photos?"

"Esme Moreau," Looker repeated, jotting down the name and place in his notepad. He stood up after Zack while the Detective gathered the photos. "She knows one or more of these people, yes? I hope she'll be as cooperative as you have been."

"Preferably more," the Detective grunted.

"I'll do my best to remain discreet. Rest assured, your current level of cooperation will remain anonymous. I shall not let it get back to Esme Moreau or your modeling career."

Looker handed Zack a business card. "My contact information. For if you find more information. We may be in touch. Thank you, Mr. Redgrave."

The Detective hopped onto Looker's shoulder. "Pleasure doin' business, kid. Make sure to watch your 6."