Schemes

Kai and Meg booked a room in a nearby hotel named The Slowpoke.

There was no Pokemon Center near the Azalea Town's Port, and Kai had already let Meg know he had some business to take care of in the town. Meg wasn't happy about it. Though she didn't dare to object to Kai anymore.

"I don't understand," she finally said, sitting on a chair across from Kai. "The System has given us a Time Limit of 2 months. That means whatever your Mission is, it needs at least that much time of preparation. I agree you should go to Professor Elm to at least try to get your first Pokemon. But spending 3 to 5 days in Azalea Town makes little sense to me."

Kai looked at her. 'This is the problem with old people,' he thought. 'They lack the thrill of an adventure. She'd rather spend her time walking around Alto Mare's laneways for weeks than using the opportunity to explore the world.'

"Not to mention," Meg continued, unaware of Kai's thoughts, "we will have to face a team from the Order, too. Unlike us, they might spend their time reinforcing the defenses, if they have also got to see that movie, don't you think? I don't believe we will return to Alto Mare in time for the Water Chariot Race, either."

Now Kai doubted Meg wanted to take part in the race genuinely. But he had already made plans to return to Water City using Seaplane. Though, it would need a lot of Pokemon Dollars. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and took out the list of tasks he had prepared Meg to do. The moment he threw the list toward Meg, she got a notification of a Side Mission.

Meg raised her eyebrows. "How would I ever steal this much money?" she asked.

Kai didn't answer.

Leaving her in the room, Kai walked out of the hotel and took a deep breath. The port was busy on this sunny morning, with people running about, doing their work. A part of the crowd belonged to the traveling Pokemon Trainers. He adjusted his blue cap and headed for the local bus stop.

'Azalea Town is a major setting in the Pokemon World,' Kai recalled. 'Not only does it have a Gym to which Pokemon Trainer must go to get the Hive Badge, but it is also the hometown of a major main-storyline character, Kurt. No wonder the 4th-floor Order's Contestants didn't go for him and rather kidnapped his granddaughter instead.'

Kurt lived in the northwest portion of the town, which was accessible by buses. He studied Pokeball mechanics and was known far and wide as the Pokeball expert. Kurt specialized in making custom Pokeballs specifically designed to work more effectively against specific types of Pokemon.

"Slowpoke Well…"

"Apricorn Forest…"

"East edge of the Ilex Forest…"

Kai heard the shout of the bus conductors and went for the last one.

Everyone knew Kurt in the town. Kai had already used Petyr's help to find the exact location where he would need to go even before stepping off the ferry, Seagull. He had found out that many Pokemon Trainers visited the old man, requesting him to make custom Pokeballs using different apricorns. Kai didn't have the luxury to search for the apricorns and then request something like that.

But he did want the famous custom-made Pokeball.

'There are other ways to get them,' Kai thought, almost grinning. 'One way is to kidnap his granddaughter, forcing the old man. Another way is to save his granddaughter, making him owe the savior.'

Kai took a ticket to the east edge of the Ilex Forest and sat down in a window seat.

The bust was full of travelers, Pokemon Trainers, and locals. Kai looked at them and couldn't help but recall the thing that he had found quite odd.

'I didn't get any Title unlocking notification after killing the first Pokemon Trainer,' he thought. 'I wonder if there are some strict conditions to unlock Titles related to the killing. If I had enough Mission Credits, I could have asked Chaos about it. Tch!'

The only reason Kai could think of the unavailability of this Title was that it was too easy to kill Pokemon Trainers in this world, making it highly unnecessary with no benefit. Meg had told him the consequence of killing too many people and Pokemon. Kai wasn't sure that he wanted to attract the wrath of a mythical Pokemon.

Kai enjoyed the odd moment of peace, looking at the hustle and bustle outside as the bus made its way out of the port. There was a smile on his face as if he was just going out to enjoy the town's scenery, like any youth of his age.

Though the moment the bus crossed a boundary of some 1 km from the hotel-room Kai and Meg had rented, that smile vanished.

Kai's face became hard, a bloody murderous expression replacing the calm in his eyes.

"… STOP!" He shouted, controlling his voice as hard as he could.

The bus conductor squinted his eyes at him. "Next stop is still some distance away," he explained. "The Bus doesn't stop in between the bus stops."

Kai gritted his teeth, trying hard to not hiss. "I… forgot…" he began, uttering one word after another. "… my… Poke… mon… belt."

The bus conductor gaped at Kai's stuttering admission. Even the other passengers turned their heads to check out Kai's waist. And, yes. There wasn't a belt holding Pokeballs, or any bag there, confirming Kai's words.

"You will have to go back on foot, young man," the bus conductor said, pulling a chain. The bus stopped, and the conductor looked at Kai with pity as he stepped out.

Kai turned around to look at the crowded buildings of the port, starting some hundred meters away. He looked around, and making sure that no one was watching him, he called out. "Petyr…"

Petyr walked out of him, wearing a black shirt and black jeans.

"Are you sure?" Kai asked, still looking at the Port, almost in the hotel's direction, The Slowpoke.

Petyr smiled slyly. "Almost," he said. "We will know soon, anyway. I know women like Meg, my lord. They can hardly wait long when the time is ripe. But she is no Cersei Lannister, much less Petyr Baelish."

The merest sight of a black tattered cloak of Dementor flickered around Kai, showing his bloodthirst.

Something was going on behind the scenes. Something sinister.

And all schemes were about to come out in the open.