[M] Pokemon: Avarice Versus Justice! (Ashen and Headwrapper)

[Headwrapper]

Clive continued to stare at his page of captioned photographs, even as Jean and Natasha eventually exited the office. His eyes did not leave the colorful page even as Yulia spoke, but long exhale out of his nose was enough of a hint that he could hear her questions. Only once he was completely satisfied with his review of the notes would he finally look back towards his partner. He noticed some reluctance coming from her, but could not infer where it was coming from. "You're sure you and your Pokemon are okay with challenging the Gym?"

He lowered the single page he had been holding all of this time onto his desk and zipped up his hoodie. "The first person on that list, with the red hair. She is a trainer under Whitney in the Goldenrod City Gym. My goal is to find out more about her. The thing about Pokemon trainers is that you can learn a lot about them just by watching them battle, and how they handle their Pokemon. It's a gamble, but I'm hoping that when you challenge the gym that she is one of the trainers you face before reaching Whitney herself."

After tightening his worn gloves over his palms, Clive quickly zipped up his hoodie. Truly, he knew little more about the particular suspect other than her resemblance to one of the masked Avarice members caught on film. From the way she wore her hair, as well as other similarities to the Goldenrod City Gym leader, the girl seemed to aspire to be more like Whitney. A common enough trait seen in Gym trainers, perhaps. Her story would lay completely bare before him once he saw her battle, though. How she commanded her Pokemon, how they responded, even her choice of Pokemon in her party would paint the picture of who this girl was, and if she was worthy of being a suspect.

[Ashen]

It took Yulia a few moments, but she was sure Clive had not caught the reason for her discomfort. She could relax at that. She saluted in response to his question, confident that she would have no difficulties challenging a gym. In fact, she was looking forward to it.

Clive moved back to the paper. Yulia looked down again, trying to remain composed. She hadn't known the things he had said about the redhead, and listened carefully in case she would need such information later. The more her partner talked, the more Yulia thought the girl from the photo and the woman she knew were not the same person. She kept quiet just in case. If Clive caught on, she wouldn't know how to explain away how she knew as much as she did.

After Clive explained his reason for wanting to take her to the gym. "I absolutely agree," she said. "Watching how someone treats their Pokemon, especially in the heart of a heated fight, tells a great deal about their character. Observing how they witness their Pokemon's failures is as important as watching how they celebrate their victories. I'd be glad to go against the suspect. We'd have more of an idea for who she really is, I'm sure, and you would also get to learn more about me. I'm sure that was part of your original plan, wasn't it?"

By then, she was itching to go to Goldenrod Gym, or at least get out of the police department. There was a nagging in her mind to tell more about that woman, to get a closer look. She didn't want to be in this building anymore, needed some fresh air. Yulia started for the entrance, hoping Clive was following her. Before leaving, she hesitated, then turned to face him. Slow down. "If we confirm that she is working under Avarice, should we bring her in for questioning? Will I get to question someone on my first day?" Normally Yulia would be beyond excited, but with this person? She hoped for the best.

[Headwrapper]

Clive's dark eyebrows furrowed at the idea that he would learn more about Yulia during her battles at the Goldenrod Gym. It was only natural that he would learn more about her eventually, since she was forced upon him as a partner and all. He certainly did not arrange for this little exercise with the intention of learning more about her. If he had confidence in his own battle experience, he would have challenged the Gym himself.

He chose to simply not respond. Better to just let the girl think that for whatever reason he would have an interest in learning more about her. Her past, her ambitions, her Pokemon, none of those really mattered to him if they did not directly lead to him cracking his case. There was no need to deliberately delve into all of those things when there were more fruitful leads to pursue.

With a swift motion, he patted his pant legs and the pockets of his jacket, ensuring that he had not forgotten any items of importance. Another swift flick and he had opened his Pokegear, double checking the time, before stepping towards the exit of the office. He slowed to a stop when Yulia had suddenly turned around to ask another question. "Questioning? No. If my suspicions are confirmed, we will have to place surveillance on her. For all we know, she could be a grunt. Avarice would drop her from their ranks the moment we lay hands on her, and she will be of no use to us then."

Without hesitating for another moment, Clive quickly brushed passed Yulia, through the exit of the office. The desks nearby were full of people, the office now in full operation now that the day has started. Phones ringing, papers shuffling, radios blaring, all were familiar noises to Clive. His eyes did not meet any other pair as he made his way to the front doors, which he lazily pushed open with his hips. The instant that the warmth of the morning sun touched his skin, he raised the hood of his jacket.

The Gym would be to the east. He immediately turned and started towards the correct direction, only taking a single moment to check if his partner had followed. While Yulia might have moved with earnest, an itch to display her talent, Clive simply moved with a purpose, a desire to complete a task. The walk to the Gym was not going to be very long, but that was no reason to take any longer than necessary to reach the destination.

[Ashen]

Yulia mentally slapped herself in the forehead. Of course it was too early to bring anyone in for questioning. If the girl really was a grunt, she'd be discharged immediately, perhaps even executed. Would the leader of Team Avarice really stoop to such a level? Yulia didn't want to find out. She thought, perhaps, she already knew the answer to that. She thought back to all the Pokemon she had seen, the ones that had made national headlines. Poor creatures tortured by the machines Team Avarice built, broken beyond repair in most cases. A shiver ran through the young woman's body. Those poor Pokemon. No, she would stop them, would stop this stupid organization dead in its tracks.

The rest of the building had started its daily routines already. Yulia remembered how excited she had been to first walk through here, during her years in the Academy. Everything had excited her, from the never-ending ringtone of the phones to the sounds of things being dropped to the smell of too-dark coffee. Now, it all seemed so much. The phone calls were beating at her already hurting head, and the smells of perfume and breakfasts were making her nauseous. She stepped right into line beside Clive, willing him to go faster.

The sun was hot and oppressive, and as Yulia stepped into it she found herself wishing to be back home among the snow. She shook the thought, shoving her complaints about the weather far to the back of her mind. Clive was wasting no time getting to the Goldenrod Gym, and he didn't bother to associate with her as she did. This would be a long process, she thought, getting him to open up to her. Yulia tried to remain peppy, but now too many things were going wrong. They all bit at her, annoying bugs, and she wished it could all just stop. How easy it would be to stop this, she thought, but she shut that idea down just as quickly as it had formed.

The gym was even bigger and more intimidating in person. Once outside its doors, Yulia looked it over with twinkling eyes. This was the gym of Whitney, and it was the gym that she and her Pokemon were going to fight in today. They walked inside, and Yulia looked over the onslaught of pink. She had known the younger gym leader had a thing for the color, but the walls and floors were both smothered in it. She stood out within it, with her blue hair and her black uniform. She took some comfort in knowing Clive stood out more: the brooding man in black, coming to the gym to observe.

Once she had gotten used to her surroundings, Yulia turned back to her partner. "Do you see her?" she said quietly. "I hypothesize she's farther inside, and that I would have to take on the trainer here before I can proceed." She turned her attention to a brown-haired lass winking at her. Yulia smiled in return. To Clive, she asked, "Will you just be watching on the sides?"

[Headwrapper]

Clive's eyes scanned the pink walls of the large battle arena, familiarizing himself with the building. The heavy scent of girlish perfume almost managed to snuff out the smells of battle. Underneath the floral scent he could smell singed hairs, raised dust, even diced leaves. Many battles took place within these walls, and it was not Clive's first visit. Enough traffic came through the city's gym that time and time again he found himself seeking clues here. Usually he could directly speak with Whitney or any of the friendly greeters that stood at the front entrance and be on his way. Because of this, none of the Gym trainers should recognize him or have reason to be alarmed by his presence, but of course this was a factor he would have to consider as he observed.

"She probably is further into the Gym," Clive agreed, lowering his hood off of his head. "I will have to follow you from the sidelines as a spectator, otherwise I might be mistaken for a challenger. Also, my Pokemon and I will be able to heal your Pokemon in between battles if they need it, so don't be afraid to let them go all out." His hand grazed lazily along his belt, reassuring himself that his Pokeballs were all in his possession. After a quick glance towards the young lass that stood before them, Clive offered Yulia a nod and began walking out of the battle area. After taking a few steps he would pause, turning his head to address his blue-haired partner once again. "Oh yeah, good luck." Without another word, he stepped back to where he would be able to watch the battle, just a few yards behind where Yulia would have to stand once she and the lass began battling, but well outside of the boundary of the arena.

Once Clive was well out of the way, the dark-haired girl would lock eyes with Yulia before approaching. "Welcome to the Goldenrod City Gym! We use only the cutest Pokemon here: Normal and Fairy types! Let's see what you got!" Without hesitation, the girl would retreat a fair distance before releasing tossing her Pokeball into the arena. With a flash of white light, a Snubull would appear, baring tiny fights and announcing its presence with a high pitched growl.

[Ashen]

Yulia was alone in the Goldenrod Gym. She watched Clive head off, leaving her to take on this lass alone. Yulia greeted the competitor with a cheery smile and a wave. The lass wasted little time, sending out a Snubbull straightaway. Yulia looked back to Clive for affirmation, then nodded. She could pull this off, she knew she could.

The newbie PI kept her attention on the battlefield. She entered battle mode, and she was ready to give it her all. She grabbed one of her three Poke Balls, and she held it lightly to her lips. This was her newest Pokemon, the one who did not quite trust her yet. Was it wise to start with such a Pokemon, especially when proving herself to her partner? Shaking all doubt, Yulia threw her ball into the air. "Ivy, let's see what you've got!"

As the ball soared to the air, a white light shot from it and onto the battlefield. Out came a Skorupi, who shuffled around the battlefield nervously. "Ivy!" Yulia cooed, knowing the Pokemon was normally jumpy. Hearing her name, Ivy began to focus. Her big eyes fell over the Snubbull, and her expression turned to one of determination. "Alright!" Yulia sang, "let's see a Cross Poison!" The scorpion shuffled around the battlefield, then centered on the Snubbull. She charged forward, landing a perfect hit on the fairy-type. The Snubbull took considerable damage, but remained standing.

The lass then called out to her Pokemon. She called for a Fire Fang, which Ivy took. The Skorupi let out a cry and used Pin Missle. Yulia shifted, then called out to Ivy. "You're okay! Let me see a Sludge Bomb instead." Yulia knew her Pokemon would be rattled, and that a ranged attack was probably better. Before the Skorupi could move again, the Snubbull landed another Fire Fang. Ivy sustained a burn. Yulia shifted again, knowing her poor Pokemon would be able to handle little else. She shook her head, and waited for her Skorupi to land her Sludge Bomb. With a critical hit, the Snubbull was successfully taken out of the game.

Yulia jumped up and cheered, then crouched and called Ivy closer to her. The Skorupi scuttled towards her, staying clear of her trainer. Yulia didn't force contact, but she complimented and congratulated her. She didn't even think to look to Clive until after thanking the lass for a great battle. Yulia recalled Ivy to her ball, and finally returned to her partner.

"So?" she asked, proud, when she got to him. "How was that? Ivy is the newest addition to my team, she was saved from Team Avarice. She's strong, and we're working on her nerves." She tucked her ball back into her bag. "Was that satisfactory? My other Pokemon are ready for the next battle if we're ready!"

[Headwrapper]

Once Clive reached what could serve as a suitable viewpoint, he stood and watched patiently as the trainers prepared for battle. Dark eyes studied Yulia briefly as she turned towards him before focusing on the battlefield. This battle, although it would most likely be a trivial one, would probably mean a lot to her. It was technically the first time she commanded her Pokemon for the sake of a case, after all. For Clive, this was only another obstacle that needed overcome or otherwise averted.

Clive crossed his arms once Yulia called for her Pokemon. The battle had officially started. "Hmm. Quite a nervous one," he said to himself, observing the Skorupi Yulia had lovingly called Ivy. The Pokemon seemed a lot more than bashful just by nature, but no one would be able to guess what caused such shyness from just looks alone. The nerves seem to take a backseat to the Skorupi's trainer's commands, fortunately.

With nothing left to hold them back, the two teams began the struggle to outduel one another. Clive remained stationed in his spot well behind Yulia, only occasionally shifting his eyes away from the battle to study other parts of the Gym he could see. There was no sign of the redhead they were looking for, and for the most part Clive's vision was obscured the pinkness of everything. Even the flowers lacked any variety really, as most of them were stained with the color.

Almost as promptly as it started, the battle was over. Before the two trainers were even finished with their farewells, Clive began moving towards the next part of the Gym. He threw the blue haired victor a side glance as she joined him. With a nod, he conveyed his understanding of the Pokemon's origins. "Ah, I see. I wondered why she seemed so shy." Before the pair reached the next part of the Gym, the detective stopped. "Saved how? Was Ivy a part of their experiments? Or simply a Pokemon they had harvested?" Already, plans began to formulate in his head as he considered the potential for another lead.

[Ashen]

Clive was suddenly very interested in Yulia's little Skourpi, and briefly the girl wondered whether or not she should have said so much. She didn't flinch, instead calmly answering his questions. "Ivy was a Pokemon born into Avarice," she explained. "Her mother was one of the Pokemon who got the brute of their experiments. Ivy was going to be trained under them, forced to evolve as soon as possible and then forced to give her all, all the time. It obviously had very averse effects on her. She's a mess with her nerves now, no matter how much I work with her I don't know that we'll ever get her to calm down. She's a lot better than she was, though. When she first came to me, she wouldn't listen to a word I said, and she remained very far from me at all times. I'm proud of her for getting this far."

Yulia knew there was no point in evading the next unasked part of his question. He would ask how she got Ivy, and Yulia didn't know how to answer that. She hesitated only a moment, then went on. "I found one of Team Avarice abusing her, and I stepped in to help her. Poor Ivy was too weakened to even shy from me, and you realize that's saying something. I was able to rush her to a Pokemon Center, but I couldn't catch up with the grunt, unfortunately. I'm just happy Ivy is okay now."

It wasn't really a lie. Yulia kept a straight face, grateful for her calm composure. Her head was getting bad again, and she wished to get into another battle, to distract herself from this pain. She looked around the pink gym, in search of her next opponent. "Shall we move on?" she suggested. She spotted the next contestant, a beauty of a woman playing with her hair. Yulia looked back to Clive. "Do you see who we're looking for? If not, my other two Pokemon are ready for the excitement!"

[Headwrapper]

Clive remained silent as Yulia described her Skorupi's background. The exposed fingers of his gloved hand reached to scratch at the stubble that littered his neck and cheeks as he considered the story. If the girl had just happened upon a Team Avarice grunt abusing the Pokemon, how did she learn so much about it? A frown set upon his face as continued to consider the words his little rookie partner.

Now would not be the time to press into it. It would only their current task. The Avarice activities Yulia described were not exactly unique. Similar stories of other Pokemon in similar scenarios have been shared to the public already. Her tale did not prove that the blue-haired girl knew more than she let on, but still, Clive would have to keep the story of little Ivy's salvation in mind.

In response to Yulia's question, Clive would give the rosy gym a glance over. "I suppose she must be the next trainer, before your final battle with Whitney. Guess you should try to make this next battle a quick one."

As Clive retreated to his spectator spot, the beauty would approach Yulia, a large smirk across her glitter covered face. "I better be careful. I don't want to accidentally steal your boyfriend!" She let out a laugh as she stepped back to her post, and then tossed one of her two Pokeballs in the air to release a Meowth.

[Ashen]

Her story seemed to settle in her partner's mind, though there was something bothering him about it. Yulia searched his eyes, but she could conclude very little from Clive's expression. Like him, she let it go, wondering if he would bring it up later. Yulia looked down to the ball that housed her Skorupi, now on the top of the various other things in her bag. Ivy, she knew, was a threat to even have around, especially when Yulia would get to greater foes, and especially when she got to the heart of Team Avarice's workings. But all the memories she had of the little scorpion, all the pain and suffering she had endured; Yulia couldn't help but feel responsible, and she had vowed to help Ivy in whatever way she could.

She nodded in response to Clive, and approached the next opponent. Yulia greeted the beautiful woman. She laughed aloud at her joke, silently wondering what her ex-girlfriend would make of it. Glancing back at Clive, she thought of the possibility. Her, with a man, and not only that, but one as stolid as Clive... It truly was amusing. "I don't think you have to worry about that," Yulia replied to the beauty. "Now. Let's see what you've got!"

The beauty sent in a Meowth. Yulia threw a blue and yellow ball into the air. As it spun, a beam of light shot out from it, and a flying Braviary appeared in the air. He gave a low caw and assessed the situation. A Meowth, that was child's play. He looked back at his master, a smile instantly meeting his beak when he saw her.

"Valkyrie!" Yulia, too, looked happy to see her most trusted Pokemon. She noticed Valkyrie's eyes glance towards Clive and, remembering she hadn't had the opportunity yet to introduce her Pokemon to her partner, told the bird that she would do so later. Focus back on the battle, Yulia called for her Pokemon to use Bulk Up. A missed attack from the Meowth allowed for an encore of that move, and finally, with Valkyrie bulked and concentrated, he unleashed a super-effective Superpower, instantly taking the Meowth out of the battle.

The second Meowth did not prove to be much more challenging. Valkyrie sustained some hits, but was able to defeat his opponent before any serious damage could be done. Once the battle was over, Yulia thanked her opponent for the fight, and she braced herself as her Braviary flew up to her and enveloped her in his wings. She rustled the large bird's feathers, then started back towards Clive. "How was that?" she asked. "This is Valkyrie, and as you can see, we are very close. He was my partner all throughout my Academy years." Valkyrie smiled at Clive, but seeing the man's demeanor, he didn't press him for a response. He only looked between the two humans, wondering how well they would get along.

Yulia eventually recalled Valkyrie to his ball. She placed it back in her bag, then looked around again. "Now it's just Whitney left, isn't it?" she asked. "Even if we don't find the girl we're looking for, I'm having fun battling here." Her dark eyes met Clive's again. "Are you learning as much as you wanted to about me?"