"Well well." A voice chimes in behind the group.
They turn to see Jordan standing with a swimsuit on and a surfboard under his arm.
"You look like you are ready for the beach!" Kyla says, putting her hand on her hip.
"Actually, I just surfed over from Cainwood City." Jordan responds.
Lugia leans over Jordan's shoulder. "If you had needed it, I could have picked you up."
"Thank you, but I enjoyed the exercise." Jordan answers and then approaches Ho-Oh with a bow. "My name is Jordan, acting President of the Pokemon League. I am happy to report that your tower's reconstruction is complete. We have also taken extra precautions to ensure it does not burn down again."
Ho-Oh smiles. "Thank you, Jordan. It is an honor to meet you."
"Oh, the honor is absolutely mine!" Jordan says, glancing at Entei and Absol. "Was.. I interrupting something?"
Blare laughs. "Just a battle and a love confession."
Jordan smiles. "Congratulations to the couple and the father then!"
Entei bows his head slightly. "Thank you, honored friend."
"Thank you, Jordan!" Absol chimes.
Ho-Oh looks at David. "I thought.. you said you were the Pokemon League President, isn't that correct?"
David nods. "I am, but often times I take trips for business or pleasure, so I let my brother take the seat while I am gone."
"Speaking of which, when is this little trip over?" Jordan ask.
"After the tournament." David responds.
Jordan waves his finger. "Wrong! You have an assignment now."
David rolls his eyes, with a groan.
Jordan moves closer. "Don't give me that. I have been taking care of your paperwork for a whole year now! We have been having increasing incidents of gang activity, in this region, from the minute you and your group stepped foot on land."
Ho-Oh and Lugia lean in closer, interested by the conversation.
"All the gyms that were vandalized were just the beginning. Countless trainers have been attacked, their items stolen, and their Pokemon beat to the point of long term hospitalization." Jordan continues. "A couple of the gym leaders tried to start a patrol but ended up becoming victims, themselves."
"Sounds like a large group." Blare says.
Jordan turns to her. "Or just one trainer."
"How?! One person would have a lot of work on their shoulders to pull all of that off." Blare responds.
"I know, and yet security cameras show a single individual entering the gyms. He or she called out their Pokemon and set to work quickly. Furthermore, the victims reported a single robed trainer." Jordan rebuts.
Lugia and Ho-Oh look at each other in acknowledgment.
"Perhaps we can help." Lugia responds.
Ho-Oh nods. "It is the least I can do to show my appreciation for my new home."
Jordan and David look at each other then at the two towering Pokemon.
"It would be greatly appreciated, any help we could get." David says, bowing to the two Pokemon.
Ho-Oh smiles gently. "You three continue to take good care of my children and we will call it even."
"Besides, this is our home." Lugia says, standing straight. "No one messes with our home."
"I would hate to be that trainer if they meet you two." Jordan responds.
Entei steps forward. "Would you like my help, father?"
Ho-Oh shakes his head. "You are just as likely to run into this trainer, traveling with our friends, as following me. Continue to serve your trainer well, and keep your honor above all things."
Entei nods. "Yes, father."
David turns back to Jordan. "What about Hermit?"
Jordan pulls out a hand radio. "He and his team are already on patrol, and have already detained multiple suspects related to both Team Tsunami and Team Rocket."
Blare crosses her arms. "A partnership?"
"Quite possibly. All suspects were detained while in the act of stealing Pokemon. However, none were positively identified as our prime suspect." Jordan sticks his surf board in the sand, he then paces. "And I know the next thing you would say is, 'how can you make a possitive match without a face?' Right?"
Kyla sighs. "Yes.."
"We actually recovered fingerprints and hair at the scene of the gym crimes. They are being tested now to try to narrow down at least the gender of our suspect. Afterwhich, it will be cross-referenced against all known criminals, in our database." Jordan sighs. "BUT, if they were smart..."
"They would retain someone not already in the database." Kyla finishes Jordan's sentance.
Blare shakes her head. "From everything you have told us, this is no normal trainer. They are use to stealth, but they are not familiar with the gyms to avoid the camera system. Whoever this is, must have made some kind of name for themselves. Especially considering he or she beat so many trainers and gym leaders."
David looks towards Blare. "What if he or she purposely allowed the cameras to see him or her to throw us off the trail."
"You're purposing that they may have challanged the gyms in the past?" Jordan asks.
Blare nods. "That would explain how they overpowered the few gym leaders that went looking for them."
"It is also likely they did their research on the region, meaning..." David turns to Ho-Oh and Lugia. "It is also very likely they are expecting you two."
Ho-Oh and Lugia both groan.
Entei quickly glances at David and back to Ho-Oh. "Father, if this trainer is well educated and prepared, it is possibly you and Uncle Lugia might be in great danger!"
"None sense, we are literally the most powerful Pokemon in this region." Ho-Oh rebuts.
Lugia, however, scans everyones' mind before narrowing in on Jordan. His eyes sharpen at the thoughts running through Jordan's mind. "You.. have so many plans and counter plans, but whatever for?"
Jordan looks up at Lugia. "Imagine if this trainer managed to overpower you and Ho-Oh, captured you, and then used you against us. It would be a massive blood bath between your respective children and yourselves. The resulting carnage, of said battle, could harm a lot of innocent lives, Pokemon and trainers alike. I would, very much, like to avoid that scenario."
"What do you suggest?" Ho-Oh reluctantly asks, after looking into Entei's concerned eyes.
Jordan smiles. "Make a contract with me."
Ho-Oh rears back his head in displeasure and skepticism.
Jordan produces two Pokeballs, one gold on top and the other silver on top. Each ball is marked with their respective names. "If you allow me to temperarily relocated you..."
"Absolutly out of the question!!" Ho-Oh interrupts.
Entei stands. "Father, please be reasonable. Jordan's concerns are very much warranted. We do not know what this trainer is capable of, and I would not like having to fight you."
Absol looks over at David and Kyla, then back to Ho-Oh and Lugia. "You two trust David and Kyla, right?"
Ho-Oh and Lugia perk up and turn to her.
"Why not take Jordan up on the Pokeball offer, but stay in the region with David and Kyla. Of course, under the condition that once this mess is over you are both released again." Absol suggests.
Ho-Oh laughs, turning to Lugia. "My daughter-in-law has a very rational head on her shoulders."
Absol smiles proudly. "Would you expect anything less, father?"
Ho-Oh glimes with pride. "I accept these terms, so long as I travel under my representative's protection."
Lugia looks towards Kyla. "Then I shall accept those terms with the same conditions."
Jordan shrugs. "Regardless, it is an acceptable compromise."
Ho-Oh and Lugia reposition themselves in front of their chosen representatives and wait for Jordan. Jordan hands David the gold ball and Kyla the silver ball.
"Under absolutely no circumstance does anyone else get ahold of these two." Jordan urges.
Kyla nods. "Understood."
David smiles. "You don't have to tell me twice."
Jordan glares at David. "You are enjoying this, aren't you?" He asks with a groan.
"Oh, you know it!" David chuckles.
They both present the balls to Ho-Oh and Lugia. Ho-Oh pecks the button, on the gold ball, and goes inside. Lugia touches the silver one's button with his wing and goes inside. For a few minutes, the balls slightly fluctuate in size and shake wildly.
"What is going on with these Pokeballs?!" Kyla asks.
Jordan steps away slowly with a concerned expression. "Well, they are reinforced prototypes meant specifically for these two powerful Pokemon.. Maybe.. they are just getting confortable?"
David places the ball slowly on the ground and steps away. "I am just going to wait for this to settle down. I don't want this ball exploding in my hand."
Kyla does the same.
After a few more minutes of waiting, the balls stop moving. Kyla and David collect them, just before people begin returning to the beach, under the guidance of Officer Jenny.
Jenny approches the group. "Okay!! Break it up!"
Kyla recalls Absol and David recalls Entei, as Jordan turns to the Officer.
He flashes his Pokemon League I.D. "Good work on securing the civilians, Officer. Your hard work has been noticed by your superiors, and you should be expecting some form of commendation here soon."
Officer Jenny grabs the I.D. before Jordan can put it away and reads it carefully. She then looks up at Jordan with a smirk on her face. "All due respect, sir, I would rather have a vacation than a commendation." She says, handing the I.D. back to him.
Jordan smiles warmly, putting it away. "As you wish. I will see that it is done."
"Thank you, sir." Officer Jenny salutes and returns to her four-wheeler.
Jordan turns to the three. "Since that generous offer is out of the question... Any ideas what our suspect's motive might be?"
"Eliminate the competition." David replies.
"Infiltrate the tournament." Kyla replies.
"And dominate." Blare adds.
Jordan thinks. "So we need a funnel.. to make this trainer show up to our trap."
Kyla thinks for a moment. "Why not make it so they have to take part in the battle tower? Like the number of individual badges and level of Pokemon qualify them in a ranking system.
Blare groans. "But that would put us at the bottom!"
Kyla shakes her head. "No, that would put the students at the bottom, out of harm's way. We would be in the top spots just on the sure number and quality alone."
Jordan sighs. "You know I can't just stack the odds in anyone's favor."
Kyla smiles. "Then don't! Just put the ranking system in place, publicize it, and then let the event staff do the rest. We can certainly handle our battles on our own."
"Okay then.." Jordan looks at David. "Haven't you already been to this region?"
David shrugs in defeat. "I know, I know. I can't take part in the tournament under Pokemon League rules.."
Jordan leans forward slightly, with a wide smile. "But! I have a better idea!"
Kyla and Blare look at each other with questioning expressions.
The next day, the fliers go out. They all read as follows:
Fliers are dropped all over the Johto Region, via all manor of flying Pokemon. As a Pidgeot flies over the Route 43 area, it drops five fliers. Once one reaches the ground, it is picked up by a trainer in a hooded robe, his or her red and black hair peeks out from under the hood. The trainer quickly reads over the flier and smiles, putting his or her fingers to their mouth and letting out a loud whistle. Upon the sound, of the whistle, echoing over Lake Rage, a large red Gyarados emerges slowly from the lake.
"Vacation is over. It is time to go." The trainer says, throwing a Pokeball at the red Gyarados.
The Pokeball captures the Gyarados without a struggle.
The trainer picks up the ball and puts it away, patting it gently. "I knew I could count on you, old friend." The trainer then turns and disappears through a line of trees.