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

  1. #111
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    Once Yulia made her amusement in regards to Clive's new acquisition of Rotom blatantly clear, Clive rolled his eyes. "It's not like I'm completely ignorant to these new phones, y'know," he said as he stood up and crossed his arms. "Besides, what's so-..." His eyes squinted in response to a sudden flash of light coming from Rotom, and he shook his head in confusion.

    "Oh, sorry. You weren't posing for a picture?" Rotom's eyes widened in its own way to convey shock.

    Clive sighed, uncrossed his arms, and slid his hands into his pockets instead. "Whatever." the detective stewed for a moment while Yulia gathered her notes, only looking up upon being showed a copy of the map. Funnily enough, both Clive and Rotom eyed the map carefully before Yulia withdrew it to add her supplementary notes. The phone hovered close to Clive's side as he moved, even following him as he made his way to the door. "Coffee sounds good," he said.

    "Here's a list of places serving coffee!" Rotom cheered, hurrying to shove its search results into Clive's face. In response, Clive grabbed the phone and stowed it back in his pocket, Rotom's muffled protests audible all the while.

    "It's not that funny," Clive sighed to Yulia, noticing her renewed amusement.

    The walk from the hotel to the nearest coffee shop did not take long, but there was a long enough line of patrons ahead of the pair of detectives that they would have to wait a short while to place their orders. "This festival must be amazing for the businesses here," Clive observed aloud. "Just from the way people are dressed and the Pokemon they have with them, you can tell they're here from all over Kanto." He sighed as Rotom freed itself from his pocket, automatically scanning the nearby Pokemon for the built-in Pokedex. "And of course mine sticks out like a sore thumb," Clive grunted, snatching Rotom out of the air again.

    Yulia and Clive chatted idly as they waited their turn, but eventually things grew quiet. During that time, Clive's thoughts began to wander. He wondered about Yulia's future as a detective. Despite her fiery zeal to bring Avarice down, she would need other ambitions to continue on. How did she envision it? Or was she so fresh to the game, so shortsighted that she had not thought about it at all? Clive remembered being that way, and he still was sometimes, committing everything he had to solving the current case at hand before thinking about what came after.

    Still, remembering Yulia's words from the previous night, he wondered if his partner only imagined a future with their partnership still intact. She seemed to ache at the thought of it not being that way... but that could have been merely the alcohol. For Clive, anything seemed possible in regards to the future. The idea of ridding himself of the extra baggage was beginning to grow hazy, contaminated with the idea that Yulia would remain his partner for years to come, like Nat and Jean. Even so... there were mysteries beyond what their jobs obligated them to solve. To drag someone into things such as those... it would not be likely.

  2. #112
    The Ashen One
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    During their walk to the coffee shop—a place Rotom would have suggested, had the poor thing not been shoved away into a pocket again—Yulia made a conscious effort to keep the laughter from her voice. Clive’s expression was funniest, the irritation at his new device, at the amusement it brought her, mixed with indignation that he was not as hopeless as they both knew him to be. She tried not to think about it too much, but she had to hide another giggle behind her hand. Going forward, regardless of what happened, she knew their time together had just gotten more entertaining, and absently, she wondered if it would ever get old.

    At the coffee shop, Yulia and Clive swapped observations and speculations about the festivalgoers. Kantoians bumbled around them, wide smiles plastered on their faces. Some were sporting the latest model of a Poke Finder, posing for photos with their Pokemon. Yulia wondered if she had looked so like a tourist, once, during her first time outside of her native region. She told Clive about Kalos, about the sights and Pokemon she had left behind, and surprisingly, she found herself laughing for new reasons. Through all the chaos of their current mission, she’d forgotten how much she enjoyed spending time with her partner, and she hoped, after this was over, they could continue to grow past the bumps and get closer.

    Eventually, they reached the front of the line, and Yulia only glanced briefly at the onscreen menu behind the counter before ordering a cappuccino for herself. Without thinking, she ordered a hot chocolate for Clive. It was only after she’d paid for both drinks that she turned to him, and, as if for the first since speaking with the barista, seemed to consider he was there. Cheeks reddening, she shifted awkwardly. It hadn’t occurred to her to check with him if that was indeed what he’d wanted, even if she’d watched him order hot chocolates over coffees before, even if she’d paid attention to plenty of his food preferences. “Is that… okay?” she asked suddenly. “I can ask them to change the order, or I can order something else entirely. Sorry, I forgot…” The rest of her sentence dissolved somewhere on her tongue. She shifted awkwardly, scolding herself for her oversight.

    But before either of them could do anything about the drinks, their drinks were being set on the counter, quick only now that she didn’t want them. She offered Clive his hot chocolate, hoping it wasn’t too much of an issue, and waited for him to take a sip before she even touched her cappuccino. A part of her also worried about what Clive would think about her knowing his order, if he’d think it weird. Would he know hers? She shook her head. Maybe she was making too big a deal of things, as always. She chuckled softly, dismissing her anxiety. “You work with someone long enough, you get to know their preferences,” she said with a wave of a hand by way of explanation. Seeing everything was okay with his drink, she started for the door, ready to head to the fairgrounds. Perhaps some girlish part of her was looking forward to this too much, but she shrugged. Where was the harm?
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  3. #113
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    Clive's thoughts were interrupted once had and Yulia finally reached the front of the line, greeted by a friendly barista ready to take their order. He looked over the menu while Yulia placed her order to ready himself for placing his own. Every coffee place seemed to want to name their sizes differently, as if just using small, medium, and large was not good enough for some reason. Also, what the hell was a frozen hot chocolate? Would that not just be chocolate ice cream or like a milkshake?

    "Hmm?" He looked away from the menu after hearing Yulia place her order, annexing Clive's usual with her own. He pretended to pay no notice, shifting slightly as he glanced about, until Yulia had turned and apologized for potentially being presumptuous. "No, uh, it's fine. Just didn't think you remembered my order." The drinks were prepared promptly, leaving little room for much more discussion before they were ready to get to their task for the evening. Have they really been working together for that long now? How had the months gone by so quickly?

    The pair made their way to the festival grounds. It was a skeleton of what it was going to be once the festival actually starts, but it was enough to get an idea for the layout. Many stalls were set up or still in the process, barren of any valuables that could get tampered with before the next morning. Barricades to stop vehicular traffic and guide foot traffic were already put in place, and some security detail was already put in place to oversee the area.

    The pair of detectives walked along the orange-yellow brick roads, taking in the sights. Clive even let Rotom float around a bit, on the premise that the wandering device would be taking pictures of any areas of interest. "Can't wait to see how it all looks tomorrow," Clive mused aloud.

  4. #114
    The Ashen One
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    Already, the fairgrounds were coming alive. Yulia paused to take in the numerous stalls and attractions being set up, only a shell of what they would become, yet still adorned in fantastic colors and patterns. Even if they instilled a sense of excitement in the grown woman, they also brought about a sense of dread. Yulia had been here before. Not here, exactly, but in a similar place, in a different region, with stalls like these, and festival games and cheery music and delicious food. She tried to shake the memories away. Eighteen years had passed since that last festival, and this time, she would be much wiser, much more able to protect herself. She had other people to protect, too, the festivalgoers just trying to enjoy their holiday. It was her duty to be the savior to them that she had never had.

    A wave of nausea struck her, and she swallowed, hard, willing the thoughts away. Now was not the time. Trying to focus, she pulled out the map she had marked up and took a few moments to figure out where they were. From the corner of her vision, she saw Rotom pop out from its hiding place, and a smile spread across her lips. That Pokemon would no doubt help in their investigation, in the photos it took and the insight it provided, and in the amusing frustration it caused its master.

    They then got to work scouting the fairgrounds. Yulia juggled her cup of coffee, her map, and a notepad as they walked down rows and alleys, mindlessly rambling about potential hiding places. As they walk, she glanced at some of the signs beside certain stalls. They contained menus for the food that would be available tomorrow, and Yulia’s mouth watered at some of the pictures. She turned to Clive, reminiscing about deep-fried foods she had dared to try before. As they worked, they filled the moments of silence with chatter relating to the festival. By the time it was dark enough to return to their hotel, Yulia was confident in their investigation, and she was surprised at how much she had enjoyed just walking around with her partner. Tomorrow would be the real test of their abilities, and a huge step closer to their goals.

    Back at the hotel, Yulia excused herself for a shower, and she emerged from the bathroom with her hair dripping onto the towel around her neck. She sat on her bed and attempted to soothe out the tangles in her hair. “I was thinking about ordering room service,” she said. “Would you like anything?” She set the comb down to grab the menu from the drawer of her end table, and she tossed it to Clive’s bed. While he was looking it over, she let out a long sigh. “It’s hard to believe we’ve been on this mission for as long as we have. Sometimes it’s easy to think we haven’t made any real progress, like we’ve stagnated, but this… Tomorrow… This feels like real progress. Like we’re doing good for the world, and at the end of the day, maybe we’ll even be heroes. Not that that’s the goal, of course; they emphasized at the Academy that this was often thankless work after all. But it really feels like, after all this time and trying, we’ll have made a difference.”

    She looked up at him and chuckled. “Not to mention how much closer we’ll be to shutting down the whole organization! All the arrests we’ll make, the affiliates we’ll get to interrogate, all the evidence we’ll be able to secure…” She sighed. “I’m just a bit excited, is all. And I’m… happy. I’m happy I’ve gotten to go on this trip with you.” She took the comb back to her hair and turned away. “After this, I bet returning to Goldenrod will feel anticlimactic,” she noted with a laugh.
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  5. #115
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    Once the evening drew to a close, it was time for the pair to return to the hotel. Clive felt that the preparations that he and his partner had diligently worked on all day were sufficient. On one hand, he hoped that nothing would happen and that no person or Pokemon's safety would be at risk. On the other, if things go the way the were expecting, they may nab some suspects and might finally make the breakthrough they needed. There was no sense on dwelling on the potential outcomes now, however. The best thing he and his partner could do is rest and be ready. The light stroll through the park put them in a eupeptic state, making the journey back to the hotel a swift and easygoing one.

    While Yulia preoccupied herself with taking a shower, Clive asked Rotom to scroll through some of the photos and footage that he had acquired while in the fairgrounds. After a short while, Clive cleared his throat and waved the device away before kicking off his shoes and tossing his coat of to the side. He mentally chided himself for already forgetting that there was no sense dwelling on things now; Yulia and Clive were as prepared as they were going to be for what was to come the following day. Clive quickly changed into his more comfortable nightwear- he decided that he would be better of showering in the morning- and grabbed the TV remote. He settled on his bed after turning the TV on, and began clicking through the channels.

    After a few minutes, Clive glanced over to the corner of his bed, where his new phone had lay. On the screen, it looked like Rotom's eyes were closed. Clive was surprised that the thing would feel the need to sleep, but it seemed like a small tradeoff for a device that almost never needed charged. The detective reached over and gently moved his new gadget to a darker corner of his nightstand.

    Once Yulia returned, Clive silently listened to her words while looking over the room service menu. The rookie was letting her mind wander, filling itself with high expectations and ambitious tales, it seemed. There was only a chance that the kidnappers they planned on busting would lead them to anything substantial, and if they did it might help them slow down a specific Avarice initiative at best. It was a gamble if they would even be able to put a dent in their operation with anything they would learn. All of that besides, depending on how many arrests they made, it could take a long time to interrogate everyone they needed to, which would put a delay in their field work for a while.

    He chuckled at Yulia's final words, setting the menu down. "It may, but honestly, I miss my bed. Then again, I was finally getting used to having to share a room. Going to have to get used to an empty apartment all over again." He looked back up at the television screen, intrigued by the sudden outburst as a master chef berated one of the trainees on his reality show. Clive laughed, amused by the chef's choice of colorful language and his distinct accent. "Sometimes I wish I watched more TV for things like that," he sighed after catching his breath.

  6. #116
    The Ashen One
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    The television filled the silences between their conversation, and when Yulia took a moment to look at it, she was surprised at what she saw on the screen. Her partner didn't seem like the type for reality TV, but then again, she figured there wasn't much else on. His homesickness brought memories of her home, of her much comfier bed, and her fussy Glameow. Absently, she wondered what Clive's place was like, if he had any pets, if he would ever live with someone else. She doubted it; the man was much too stubborn to share his space, she thought. Though, she had been pleasantly surprised after sharing this room with him, and she knew she, too, would miss this closeness.

    As another chef was berated by the most colorful language Yulia had ever heard, the detective hid a giggle behind her hand. "Sometimes, mindless entertainment is important," she commented. "You can't be caught up in work mode all the time. Besides, the TV makes for good company. Though..." She turned her attention to him, and a playful smirk crossed her lips. "If you've been lonely, Clive, I could pass the word on to Natasha. I'm sure she'd be halfway through planning a party before I even finish speaking." She laughed. "Could you imagine? She'd get the whole office at your place." Yulia could hardly picture all their coworkers crammed into Clive's home, touching his furniture, eating his food, filling the place with their loud voices. The thought amused her, even if she knew her partner would loathe it. "Maybe don't tell Natasha," she murmured, laughter still bubbling from her. "I don't think we'd hear the end of that."

    As their conversations died down, Yulia finished with her hair, leaving it loose while it dried. She got ready for bed, and she wished Clive a good night, dreaming of all the progress they would make tomorrow.

    But her dreams instead were filled with distant memories, vivid and haunting. Yulia woke with a start in the middle of the night, hellish faces and golden fur still blurring at the corners of her vision. She rubbed her eyes and got up, not wanting to go back to sleep and risk the continuation of her nightmare. She threw on a sweater and went to the roof, where she balanced a cigarette between her lips. This would be different, she kept reminding herself. Her demons were taken care of. She had someone to protect her now.

    She returned to the hotel room wordless, exhausted and not at all relaxed. She woke again hours later, groggy. Dread crept through her consciousness, and to shake it, she tried desperately to distract herself. She busied herself with evidence from the case for the zillionth time until Clive awoke.
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  7. #117
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    Once the night drew to a close, Clive cleaned up his items that he ordered from the room service, and quickly fell asleep afterward. His rest was rather sound and dreamless, and he awoke the next morning with plenty of energy. He reached for Rotom to check the time, then sat up on the edge of his bed. Across from him, Yulia was already awake, reading through her own notes. Clive looked over his partner, quickly observing that she looked rather tired. She may not have slept well, or maybe she had only just woken up and had yet to shake off sleep's grasp.

    "Good morning," Clive said, carefully observing his partner's reaction. "Today's the day," he announced, quickly standing up and hurrying to the bathroom to get ready. He made quick work of his morning routine, even adding a few additional steps to the process. Soon he reemerged, completely ready and almost a new man. The short beard that had begun to grow on his face was buzzed down to less than stubble length, and Clive's neck was completely smooth, devoid of any stray hairs. The hair atop of his head, still slightly damp, was combed back and away from his face, making his dark eyes more visible. He was dressed rather simply, with just dark blue jeans and a black tee gently covering his figure, but all of that was going to eventually be covered by his coat anyway.

    "Looking good sir!" Rotom explained, zipping across the room to stop in front of Clive. "You slept for six point seven nine hours! You should try to average about eight hours of sleep eight night to promote good health!"

    "Thanks," Clive sighed as he marched right passed the floating device. He dropped down onto his usual spot on the side of his bed to start putting on a pair of long, black socks. He glanced briefly towards Yulia while he did so. "We should reconcile with the Saffron PD again, but then after that it's probably best that we are nonchalant with how we inject ourselves into the festival. We'll enter in the same way as any normal civilian would, before we establish our positions. As of now, Sabrina's ESP is the best information we can go off of in regards to where exactly we will see Avarice appear, but we should be prepared for anything. Still, between your Pokemons' strength and my team's tricks, I don't think they can escape with anything. The tricky part is making sure no people or Pokemon get hurt."

    Once they were both prepared, Clive threw on his coat and they left the hotel room. Clive immediately halted when he opened the door. "Hey... This was not here before, right?" he asked, his voice somber. On the wall in front of him was a large drawing of a feather, plastered on the wall using a dark black pigment. Dark lines were used to outline the shape, taking up nearly the entire height of the wall, and a dusting of black was used to shade in the edges of the feather. Upon closer inspection, the black pigment was in fact a powder. He touched it, rubbed his fingers together, and caught a whiff of the smoky smell "Charcoal?" He took a few steps down the hall, searching for other drawings that may have popped up in the hallway, but his search was fruitless.

    "Remember where we last spotted a feather?" He asked Yulia, glancing at her before returning his attention to the drawing. "We need to see the security cameras," he then said. He waved at Rotom, who promptly took a picture of the vandalized wall. Clive then quickly made his way down to the front desk, where he was quickly able to introduce him and Yulia as detectives and share the oddity they had discovered. The hotel's manager was quick to oblige allowing them access to the small room where the cameras could be monitored, and had a security guard aid them as they searched through the footage.

    After deciding that the vandalism most likely took place during a certain period during night, knowing Clive and Yulia had turned in for the night at a certain time and that Yulia had even left the room briefly, the security guard was able to quickly find the video of the perpetrators at work. "Wait, what?" he exclaimed, rewinding the video and watching it through again. Clive watched from over the man's shoulder intently, his eyes never moving away from the screen. On the flickering monitor, he could see the hallway in front of the hotel room. With a small shimmer, a figure, hooded with a cloak that draped down to their knees, suddenly appeared in the shot. The figure observed the door for a moment, idly smoothing their hand over the face of a wooden box that they held. They then turned, opened the box to reveal the drawing implements inside, and began their work. Once complete, the light flickered again, and they vanished.

    "That's strange, I've never seen the cameras mess up like that. Why go through all of the trouble to hack the cameras just for some graffiti?"

    "They didn't hack the cameras," Clive said. "They were teleporting." He glanced over at Rotom. "Crap, we need to go, we're running out of time." He looked over to Yulia and gave her a nod. "If possible, we would like to get a copy of this any other video evidence you find," he then told the security guard, before then turning to leave and lead the way to the Saffron PD. Thoughts swirled around his head, a storm of newly discovered facts, as he marched. The world around him seemed to fade into shadow as he walked silently, trying to compartmentalize his thoughts after a seed of chaos suddenly sent them into disarray. What was their visitor's purpose? Was the message on the wall intended to be a threat? Some kind of warning that Phoenix was aware that he had become a suspect during the investigations back in Goldenrod? Was the artist actually a part of Avarice, and if so, how did they know the detectives' whereabouts?

  8. #118
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    Yulia’s attempts to wake herself up were less than successful, and when she finally felt herself dozing off among studying her notes again, she sighed in relief. She prepared to set her work aside to get a few more winks of sleep, but then she noticed the clock on her laptop, noticed it was far too late for a nap, and she quietly groaned. Today would be a day for coffee, then, and lots of it.

    She showered, hoping that would wake her up, and even took the time to apply makeup, though she took care to keep her look simple and natural. By the time she finished getting ready, she didn’t feel anymore awake, but she was glad to be feeling refreshed. Yulia wore her hair down, and she dressed in a simple dress and jean jacket, complimenting her look with her signature ascot. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she was sure she looked like any ordinary girl trying to enjoy a day out at the fair. Satisfied, she fell back onto her bed, careful not to wake her partner, and got back to work.

    It wasn’t long before Clive awoke, and she greeted him with a chipper hello, ignoring the grogginess at the edge of her voice. Today was the day, and despite the less-than-ideal start to it, Yulia was determined to make it a good day. How could it not be? There was so much to do, so many opportunities to collect information, to get closer to stopping Avarice, and to protect the people and Pokemon of the festival.

    While Clive got ready in the bathroom, Yulia set her laptop away and prepared the purse she would take with her. She looked at Clive when he was done, and Yulia couldn’t help but think he looked too normal, and too unlike his normal self, though she knew he would soon be swaddled by his signature coat. She nodded along with his suggestions. “I’ve contacted Saffron PD,” she told him. “They’ll be expecting us before the festival starts for a short briefing. Hopefully Sabrina will be there as well, if she isn’t busy with her gym.” She nodded to herself. “No one will be getting hurt today,” she announced, and the confidence in her voice made it clear she believed that, or she was trying hard to convince herself.

    Finally set to leave, they started out of their room only for Clive to pause at the threshold. Yulia tried to peek over his shoulder, and there, on the wall, she saw the curious drawing of a midnight black feather. She took to Clive’s side to examine it, even snapping a couple pictures up close. “Why would someone do this…?” she murmured to herself. A quick scan of the rest of the hallway revealed nothing else out of the ordinary. The last feather they’d found, the gold one in Sierra’s apartment, Clive had suggested it had been left behind by Avarice Ho-Oh enthusiast Phoenix. But this feather was different, was dark, lacked the gorgeous rainbow plume of the legendary bird. Were they related? But what would Phoenix be doing all the way out here, in a different city, a different region, in their hotel, and why? Was Avarice onto them? Yulia nodded grimly, following her partner downstairs and to the security cameras, hoping they would bring some clarity.

    But the security footage was less than helpful. The perpetrator had shielded themselves too well, and their escape was flawless. Clive almost seemed to panic after seeing it, and Yulia could only watch him, wondering what was going through his mind. She was thinking a million thoughts too, about their own safety, about the safety of their mission, of everyone at the festival. Fear forced its way up her throat, suffocating. Memories bombarded her, and she had to consciously push them away to be able to focus. Her day was looking worse and worse, and it was getting harder to stay positive.

    As Clive ran off, Yulia knew she had to get going too. She quickly left a phone number and email address for the security guard before chasing after Clive. She struggled to keep up with him, but when she did catch up with him, she asked, “What are you thinking? They couldn’t have caught on to us, and even if they have, what purpose do they have of… that? The feather?” She had too many questions, and she doubted Clive had any definitive answers.

    Yulia thought back to her source, the one who had told her—or not her, exactly—about this whole leg of their mission. She trusted the source, knew they had been telling the truth, but was it possible someone had lied to them? The thought persisted, and for the first time since coming here, she started to doubt their mission. Feeling sick to her stomach, she only hoped their mission would be a success.
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  9. #119
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    "It's no mistake that we were the ones to receive the message," Clive said. "Somehow, they know that we're here. I don't know what they are trying to tell us, though." He pressed on, weaving his way through the pedestrians that lined the streets. Uncertainty threatened to encroach on the detective's thoughts, but he did his best to hold off his doubts. After all, what was the worst that would happen? The festival goes off without a hitch, and Avarice fails to show up? It would be disappointing to return to Goldenrod without the evidence he and Yulia were hoping to find during their travels, but they would be far from being empty handed.

    Still, it was unnerving to think that had Avarice wanted to be more bold, both he and Yulia could have been in much more danger. Delivering the message that the teleporting artist, or whoever they served, was trying to convey, must have been more important than simply incapacitating the detectives that were on their trail. Why would that be the case, and if it was, why be so cryptic? At present, the knowledge they had about Avarice was far from what they needed to dismantle the organization. Their plan for the day was to intercept a small heist on Pokemon being trained by kids. It was hard to believe that compromising such an operation would give any of the Avarice leaders heartburn.

    "We need to be more diligent than ever," Clive eventually said as they continued their trek. "Even if the feather is just some prank meant to scare us, we can't take any risks." His brow furrowed tightly, as it often did, causing his temples to swell. "That means we don't leave each other's sights for today. And more importantly, don't trust anybody, even Sabrina and the Saffron PD. They were the only ones who knew where we were staying." He thought back to when Zain had nonchalantly asked for the room number so that he could call the phone in the hotel room. Was that as innocent as it seemed?

    When they finally arrived at the Saffron PD headquarters, the pair of detectives were lead to the room where the day's briefing was taking place. Zain stood at the front of the room, leading the discussion, and in the corner behind him stood Sabrina- her eyes peering beyond what was in front of them, like they always seemed to do. "There you are," Zain said, addressing the new arrivals. "We were just discussing posts."

    "Sorry we're late, we had a bit of a disturbance this morning," Clive said as he approached. "Show him, Rotom." In seconds, the red phone zipped out of Clive's breast pocket and stopped in the air to give Zain a proper view of the screen as it scrolled through the various pictures of the charcoal feather that was printed on the hotel wall. "We don't know what it means, but it might be a message from one of the Avarice leaders. All we saw in the security cameras was a hooded figured doing the deed, then teleporting away like a scared Abra." Clive then motioned to Rotom to return to him as he stepped back. Seeing there were no empty seats left, he leaned against one wall in the briefing room. He then remained largely silent for the rest of the discussion- memorizing the map of the festival grounds that Zain presented on a large screen next to him. Light detail here, heavier detail there, the exists each person was responsible for covering in the event they need to lockdown and prevent anyone from exiting. All of the information came quickly and punctually, which was evidence of Zain's preparedness for the festival.

    The time had come. All of the assigned security detail was commanded to report to their posts. Shortly after they arrive, the festival gates would open to the public, and the festivities would begin. Sabrina would be tied up with making appearances throughout the festival, but the information she had provided was plenty contribution. Clive and Yulia were assigned to walk the grounds closest to where the junior competition would take place, where Avarice's appearance was predicted to take place. They were given radios so they could listen to the Saffron PD communications, yet Rotom protested and insisted that Clive leave his behind. After jumping from the smart phone to the radio and back, Rotom was able to tune into the Saffron PD's radio frequency and serve as a radio himself. Clive shrugged off his doubts about the legality of such a feat.

    Clive once again lead the way, guiding Yulia to where would be their post. As they walked, he looked over to his partner. "Did you feel like Sabrina was... Watching you?"

  10. #120
    The Ashen One
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    As the detectives made their way to the Saffron PD, Yulia’s thoughts bordered on overwhelming. She was struggling to think of anyone who would know their location and leave such a taunt, or a warning, or whatever the charcoal feather was supposed to be. Of course, the people at the police departments knew where they were—both here in Saffron and back home in Goldenrod—but none of them had any motives. Had it been possible that someone might have followed her or Clive back to the hotel room at one point? Regardless, Clive was right: they needed to be extra cautious today. Hopefully this was just some false alarm or some mindless threat from people they were going to put a stop to today. Though, she couldn’t help but think the graffiti outside their room had been sent by someone with far more power than some grunts disrupting a Little Cup match.

    The briefing was quick and efficient, and while Clive told those present about the feather, Yulia kept an eye on the faces around them. Could one of these people have been responsible for the graffiti? None of them gave anything away with their expressions, not even when Clive showed them the photos Rotom had taken of their findings. As Yulia watched everyone, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Sabrina seemed to be looking through her, as if the psychic trainer could glimpse her secrets with looks alone. Yulia tried not to let it bother her, tried to pay attention to the maps and details laid out on the PowerPoint, but the unease settled in her chest. She had nothing to do with any of this; surely Sabrina wouldn’t think otherwise?

    Afterwards, Yulia was more than happy to get away from Sabrina and leave the SPD. Only blocks away, on the way to the festival, was she finally able to let out a breath. She had been so optimistic earlier, but now, doubts swelled in her mind. She hated not knowing who she could trust, but she hated even more the thought that Sabrina might not trust her. As they walked, she cast a glance towards her partner. Would Clive come to suspect her of helping their enemy? She couldn’t stand the idea, of her partner not trusting her, of him thinking she would stoop so low—but… She stopped walking, and she seemed to consider something for a moment. No. With a shake of her head, Yulia fell into step behind Clive again. Whatever was going on, she had faith that she and Clive would be able to handle it.

    The music could be heard from blocks away, loud instruments filling the entire city with a clash of cheerful thunder. The first echoing bang of a drum startled Yulia, but she pressed on, convincing herself this would be different. When the fairgrounds came into view, she was surprised at just how colorful everything was. The balloons, the stalls, the amusement park rides, even the people were dressed in vibrant shades and patterns. A person in a Smeargle costume stood at the entrance, and the paintbrush in their hand was a rainbow all its own. They wore a satin purple jacket with blinding gold stars on it. Even if the mascot was meant to be for kids, Yulia found its vacant gaze and its too-peppy movements creepy. She ignored it as they walked through the gate and started for their post.

    Now all that was left was to look normal and wait. Yulia scanned the crowds, already searching for anything out of the ordinary, but Clive’s question drew her attention to him. She hesitated. So he had noticed, too. “Yeah,” she replied sheepishly. “I must have one of those faces, you know?” But she knew she didn’t; even if her face had looked much plainer, her bright blue hair made her memorable to anyone, a fact she was not terribly fond of. She shrugged awkwardly. “I’d want to know what goes on in Sabrina’s head, but I think the only person capable of making any sense of that would be her.” Her fingers drummed against her purse, itching for a cigarette, but she couldn’t, not here, not without leaving Clive alone. She shook the thought and instead turned her attention to the Little Cup arena. Signups were still taking place, and children bumbled about with their parents and their Pokemon, eager to get a taste of a real battle. She couldn’t imagine anyone stooping low enough to steal the smiles off those children’s faces, and she found herself looking forward to crushing whatever plans Avarice had for them today.

    They passed the time chatting idly, though they both remained alert, ready to jump on whatever threat presented itself. Yulia promised she would miss no detail, so when she spotted someone adorned in a black and gold leather jacket, she motioned for Clive to follow her gaze. The young man was lingering around the arena, and after a minute, a woman joined him. Though she wore no jacket, her blouse was the same colors of the uniforms the Avarice grunts wore. She kept her hands in the pockets of her pants, but from the distance, Yulia couldn’t see what she was holding. They remained by the arena far longer than any other passersby, and they didn’t seem to be watching any of the competitors or cheering anyone on. “I don’t like them,” Yulia muttered through her teeth, quiet enough that only Clive would hear her.
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