Chapter 632: Green's Bet
~Third POV~
[Unova Region, Nighttime, Nacrene City – Museum]
The Nacrene City Museum at night was a cathedral of quiet shadows. Bathed in the pale, ethereal glow of moonlight filtering through grand, arched skylights, the towering exhibits took on a solemn, almost mythical life. The rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock in the main hall echoed softly against polished hardwood floors, punctuated only by the low, ambient hum of security wards.
Standing beneath the colossal, arched ribcage of the Nacrene Museum's centerpiece—the legendary Dragon fossil—were three figures clad in stark, pale gray and white uniforms. Team Plasma Grunts.
The very same trio who had attempted to enforce their twisted dogma at the Dreamyard, only to be unceremoniously hurled into the custody of local law enforcement by Azure and his terrifyingly playful Gengar.
Thanks to a few well-placed bribes, administrative oversights, and the covert influence of institutional spies, they were back on the streets and back on the clock. Yet, standing before the ancient, fossilized remains of a creature that once ruled the skies, they felt remarkably small.
Whispered Grunt One, his breath fogging slightly in the chilled night air of the gallery, "Look at the size of that skull…"
He tilted his head back so far his cap nearly tumbled off, muttered, "Can you imagine the sheer kinetic force of this thing? The legends say it flew across the heavens before the world was shaped."
Grunt Two muttered, crossing his arms and shaking his head mournfully, "A tragic end, really. Some say it suffered a catastrophic mid-air collision during a primordial storm and plummeted into the earth, getting trapped in sediment for millennia. What a waste of evolutionary magnificence."
Grunt Three agreed, her eyes gleaming with fanaticism as she traced a gloved finger along the smooth, calcified curve of a massive tail vertebra. She said firmly, "A damn shame. To let a magnificent testament to draconic supremacy sit here as a glorified paperweight for ordinary tourists? Unacceptable. This skeleton belongs in the exalted company of His Majesty. Only under Team Plasma's enlightened guidance could its true spiritual resonance be honored."
*Bzzzt*
The sudden, sharp vibration of a smartphone slicing through the silence made all three jump. Grunt One cursed under his breath, sliding his device from his pocket. He muttered in an annoyed tone, eyeing his phone, "Who's messaging this late? Patrol rotation isn't for another—"
He stopped. His eyes widened, reflecting the bright, crisp light of the screen. A new push notification had just arrived from the official, heavily encrypted PokeTube channel used by Team Plasma's regional leadership.
The title of the video uploaded just moments ago read: [TEAM PLASMA SAGE GORM AND CO. GETS ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED BY ROTTEN TOMATOES AND STUNKY GAS (PRANK GONE WRONG??)]
Grunt One muttered, tapping the video out of sheer morbid curiosity, "What in the name of the—"
*BEEP*
The screen flickered to life, illuminating their pale, slack-jawed faces with the harsh blue light of a digital broadcast. The footage showed Sage Gorm—one of the high-ranking pillars of their entire movement, a man usually draped in dignified, flowing robes and lofty speeches about the liberation of Pokémon—standing before a podium in a public plaza somewhere in Nimbasa City.
He was mid-monologue, arms raised in a grand, theatrical gesture. Then, from the absolute void of empty air behind him, a barrage of violently squishy, heavily fermented red projectiles materialized.
*SPLAT—SPLAT—SQUISH*
Rotten tomatoes—each one bursting with the rancid, offensive odor of days-old garbage and fungal rot—caught Sage Gorm squarely in the back of the head, his immaculate hood, and across his noble shoulders. The camera angle shifted slightly, revealing a pair of glowing, mischievous purple eyes floating lazily in the Sage's own shadow, before winking out of existence.
*CLANG*
Before Gorm could even splutter a cry of outrage, a heavy, metallic canister came bouncing across the stage from the wings. It hit the podium with a sharp CLANG, and with a violent hiss of compressed green vapor, a thick, suffocating cloud of Stunky gas erupted across the stage.
The audio captured a chorus of absolute agony. Gorm and his personal guard coughed, gagged, wept openly, and dropped to their knees, pawing at their eyes as the unholy, stomach-churning stench of concentrated skunk musk filled the plaza…
*BEEP*
The video cut abruptly to a flashing, poorly edited, pixelated image of a laughing Gengar giving a thumbs-up. In the Nacrene Museum, the three grunts stood frozen, their phones clutched in white-knuckled grips.
A profound, suffocating silence settled over the fossil exhibit.
Grunt Two whispered, his voice cracking into a high-pitched squeak, "Is... Is that... Sage Gorm?"
Grunt Three breathed, her soul practically leaving her body, and muttered, "He's crying. He's crying like a kicked Poochyena into a bucket of rotten onions."
Grunt One said, his face draining of what little color it had left, "If we go back there, and he isn't already dead from asphyxiation by gas secretions... he is going to flay us alive and feed us to our own Purrloin."
Grunt Three hissed, dropping her hands away from the fossil, "Move! Move, move, move! We must bring him a bucket of water and a gas mask before he demotes us to scrubbing the floorboards of the Cold Storage!"
With synchronized panic, the three grunts bolted from the museum, their footsteps echoing desperately against the marble as they fled into the cool Unova night, leaving the ancient dragon skeleton to gaze down in silent, eternal judgment.
/////
[Unova Region, Meanwhile, Castelia City – Interpol Hideout]
While panic gripped the museum district of Nacrene, the glittering, neon-drenched metropolis of Castelia City hummed with its usual nocturnal electricity. Towering skyscrapers pierced the cloudless sky, their digital billboards casting long, colorful streaks across the wide, bustling avenues.
Deep within a heavily fortified, unmarked Interpol safehouse tucked away in the commercial district, the atmosphere was considerably more relaxed.
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HEE-HEE-HEE!"
A shrill, echoing cackle bounced off the concrete walls of the briefing room. Floating mid-air via her Levitate ability, Leaf's Gengar clutched her rounded belly, rocking back and forth as she pointed a spectral, translucent finger at a tablet resting on the steel table.
Sitting across from the screen, Leaf Green—the legendary Kanto Dex Holder titled the 'Evolver' and the fiercely devoted girlfriend of Azure Sky—was wiping a tear of pure mirth from her eye.
Leaf giggled, her shoulders shaking as she replayed the moment Sage Gorm took a heavily bruised beefsteak tomato to the occipital lobe, "Oh, that is an absolute masterpiece! Azure's Gengar really outdid herself this time. Look at the way Gorm tries to maintain his dignified posture while weeping from his nose!"
Leaf's Gengar spoke up, her voice a raspy echo in the room, having been taught how to speak by Azure's Gengar: "Pfft! He smelled like a dumpster behind a Trubbish processing plant! My master taught that girl well! A little psychological warfare never hurt anyone... except for their dignity!"
From the corner of the room, standing beside a heavily encrypted tactical map display, Looker let out a long, long-suffering sigh. The international police detective pinched the bridge of his nose, the skin around his eyes tight with exhaustion.
Looker groaned, his voice dripping with paternal exasperation says tiredly, "Green… I am begging you, as a representative of global law enforcement and a man who values his remaining strands of hair... You cannot keep doing this."
Leaf asked innocently, leaning back in her chair and propping her boots up on the steel table, "Doing what?"
Looker threw his hands up in despair, exclaiming aloud her actions, "Stealing a starter Pokémon from the high-security incubation vaults at Interpol Headquarters! An Oshawott! You liberated a prime-grade, government-vetted water-type two days ago during a routine briefing on your break, just because you wanted to hand-deliver it to Azure as a belated birthday gift!"
Leaf didn't even blink. She offered a bright, unapologetic grin as she said shamelessly, "First, Looker, it wasn't stealing; it was reallocating resources to a more efficient operator. Second, have you seen Azure lately? The boy has the emotional expressiveness of a block of petrified wood combined with the tactical instincts of a seasoned Kanto Gym Leader. That Oshawott has a serious, warrior-esque mentality. It fits right in with his absurdly overpowered lineup!"
Looker argued, his trench coat swishing as he paced the length of the room. He exclaimed, "That is not the point! The point is protocol! The paperwork alone took me 48 hours to forge so Internal Affairs wouldn't pin it on a rogue Zorua!"
A smooth, calm voice drifted from the shadows near the window. The voice said, "Oh, relax, old man. If that Oshawott's in his hands, then it's in good care. Shame it isn't a Dragon-type; otherwise I would've loved to train the little guy myself."
Leaning casually against the reinforced glass, arms crossed lazily over his chest, was Lance. The former Dragon Master of the Kanto Elite Four—now fully reformed and lending his considerable combat expertise to Interpol after his grand, youthful miscalculation involving a legendary bird and an attempt to reset human civilization—wore a knowing, half-amused smirk.
Lance chuckled, his gaze shifting to Leaf with a look of respectful amusement as he said knowingly, "It's completely pointless to lecture her, Looker. You should know by now that trying to change a Dex Holder's mind is harder than calming a rampaging Groudon with a gentle headpat. Besides, the Oshawott looks happy. I saw it sparring with her Eevee 2 days ago in the morning; it tried to slice a training dummy in half with a makeshift shell-blade. Very promising form."
Looker slumped into a chair, looking thoroughly defeated. He groaned in a defeated tone, "I am surrounded by maniacs. Absolute maniacs."
Ignoring the detective's existential crisis, Leaf turned her attention back to business, her posture straightening. Her expression turned serious as she tapped the surface of the tactical table, bringing up a series of fragmented data files.
Leaf said, her tone dropping its playful edge, "Speaking of operations, Looker, Lance... we have a bigger problem. Azure mentioned something interesting. When he captured those three Team Plasma grunts at the Dreamyard and handed them over to the local precinct, I checked the central database later out of curiosity. Guess what? Their names weren't logged anywhere."
Looker's playful exhaustion vanished in an instant, replaced by the sharp, calculating glare of an elite operative. He straightened up immediately as he said seriously, "Not logged? That's impossible. Every detainee brought in by a licensed trainer must be processed within two hours under regional law."
Leaf nodded, understanding Looker's concern. She said in a serious tone, "Precisely. When I ran a secondary sweep using my own clearance codes, I found the data records, but they had been scrubbed down to a basic, slap-on-the-wrist citation. No formal criminal record. No trail."
Lance stepped away from the window, his brow furrowing deeply. He chimed in, "Team Plasma's influence is spreading faster and deeper than we anticipated. The public reports only mentioned four grunts trying to shake down a civilian girl for her Pokémon before running into Azure. But according to the field whispers, that encounter was brutal. Two grunts walked away with severely injured legs; one suffered cranial trauma that he'll thankfully survive, and another is currently curled up in a corner from pure, unadulterated psychological fear trauma. Two of their Pokémon were even confiscated for mandated behavioral rehabilitation."
Leaf raised a single eyebrow, a dangerous glint in her eye. She said sternly, "And yet… the local police tried to bury the whole thing."
Looker corrected, a grim, humorless chuckle escaping his lips, and explained, "They tried. Because Azure was physically present at the precinct when the report was filed, his Porygon-Z—that digital menace he keeps inside his Phone—intercepted the internal intranet routing. It flagged the data tampering, cross-referenced the IP addresses, and discovered that several high-ranking officers within the Nacrene and Striaton precincts are actively on Team Plasma's payroll. The entire digital package was automatically zipped, encrypted, and forwarded directly to Officer Jenny's internal anti-corruption division and the Striaton Gym Leaders."
Lance let out a low whistle. He nodded, approving Azure's actions, stating, "A preemptive digital strike. Typical Azure. Never let an enemy establish a beachhead if you can level the entire coastline first."
Leaf said solemnly, hugging her arms as a chill ran down her spine, "It highlights a terrifying vulnerability. If they have corrupted the police force, who else have they compromised? Ace trainers? Local magistrates? Officials in the higher echelons of the Pokémon League committee? The only ones we know we can completely trust right now are the Officer Jenny network and a very select few independent operators."
Looker and Lance exchanged heavy, solemn glances. They nodded slowly in agreement, the gravity of the situation settling over the safehouse like a lead blanket. Looker murmured, staring into his cold cup of instant coffee, "We are fighting a ghost, in a way. They aren't just fighting with fists or Pokémon; they are waging a war of ideology. They use sweet words to sway the masses, and deep pockets to buy the shield meant to protect them."
Lance suddenly barked out a sharp, unexpected laugh, shaking his head. He said warily, "You know... it makes you wonder. If we had tried to dismantle a network like this legally, purely through bureaucratic channels and standard judicial oversight..."
He paused, offering a wry grin that ended in a tired tone, shaking his head, and said, "How many years would it take? We'd all be old men in rocking chairs before a single subpoena was even signed."
Leaf rolled her eyes, a teasing smile playing on her lips. She said jokingly, "Oh, look who's talking! Didn't you try to bypass the legal system entirely back in the day? What was your grand slogan again? 'Only the worthy, strong trainers should rule the world alongside the true kings of nature'—was it something like that before you tried to summon Lugia and got your entire operation dismantled by a teenager?"
Lance immediately coughed into his fist, his cheeks flushing a faint, embarrassed pink as he glared at her. He said, embarrassingly looking away, "That—that was a completely different era of my life, Green! I was young, idealistic, and profoundly misguided by a dramatic sense of aesthetic grandiosity!"
Leaf giggled unabashedly at Lance's life choices. She said teasingly, "And now you're an Interpol pencil-pusher doing community service."
Lance corrected huffily, though the corners of his mouth twitched upward, "I am an investigator of the highest caliber!"
After his crushing defeat by Azure years ago, the former Dragon Master had undergone a profound period of self-reflection, choosing to channel his immense power and tactical brilliance into redeeming himself rather than conquering.
He looked at Leaf, his expression softening into genuine warmth as he said, "Though... I suppose I should be thankful he knocked some sense into me. Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here trying to save a region from repeating my mistakes."
Leaf smiled softly, resting her chin on her hand. She said in a knowing tone with a sly smile, "Well… don't worry too much about Team Plasma. They're biting off way more than they can chew."
Looker looked up, raising an eyebrow. He asked warily, "And why is that?"
Leaf said with absolute, unshakable confidence, "Because sooner or later, my boyfriend is going to officially cross paths with their top brass. And when he does... well, let's look at his track record, shall we?"
She began ticking fingers off on her hand, stating, "Team Rocket? Dismantled. Team Aqua and Team Magma? Crushed. Team Galactic? Tossed into the slammer and forced to rethink their life choices."
Looker let out a long, heavy sigh, massaging his temples. He muttered in a tired tone, rubbing his temples, "Yes, I am well aware of his resume, Green. That is precisely what keeps me up at night. The boy has a gravitational pull toward cosmic-level catastrophes that defy all laws of probability."
Lance pointed out, folding his arms and shrugging his shoulders, "We can't rely on him to solve every single regional crisis, though… Interpol has to show competence, or the public will lose faith entirely."
Leaf conceded, but then showed her Rotom Phone with a pleased expression and said in a happy tone, "True… but look at the bright side! Thanks to Azure's Gengar uploading that prank video, public opinion is already starting to fracture. People are laughing at Gorm. Once a cult leader becomes a meme, their aura of absolute authority and fear shatters. If the public starts mocking Team Plasma instead of fearing them, gathering intel becomes ten times easier."
Looker offered a tired, genuine smile at that. He nodded his head, agreeing aloud, "A fair point. A very fair point indeed."
Before the meeting could adjourn into further debate, Leaf leaned forward, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She said knowingly, "Alright, gentlemen. Time for a wager. How much do you want to bet that Team Plasma's grand finale involves summoning another ancient, world-breaking Legendary Pokémon, only for Azure to show up, break their plot over his knee, and walk away as if nothing happened?"
*THUD*
Looker let out a groan so deep and resonant it sounded like a dying Wailord. He dropped his head straight onto the steel table with a dull thud. Looker pleaded, "Please. I am begging you. Do not even speak it into existence. I need to retire."
Lance, however, smirked, stepping forward and placing a hand on the table. He locked eyes with Leaf, his competitive spirit flaring up.
Lance declared, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of a challenge, "I'll take that bet, Green! Considering Unova's deep history with the dragons of Truth and Ideals, if a legendary is involved, it won't just be an ordinary intervention. It'll end in an epic, sky-shattering Dragon battle of cosmic proportions."
Lance paused, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. Then says curiously, "Though... I honestly wonder which Dragon would ever willingly accept Team Plasma's ideology. Not when Azure is practically the walking incarnation of raw, unyielding truth himself."
Looker didn't lift his head from the table. He just let out another muffled, exhausted groan, waving a hand weakly in the air.
The detective muttered against the cold steel, his voice muffled, "Somebody... Somebody, please fetch me a fresh pot of black coffee... I am far too old, far too tired, and far too underpaid for this ridiculous generation of heroes."
Green and Lance chuckled at Looker's expression. They're both used to Azure's craziness, having experienced it firsthand.
/////
[Unova Region, Next Day, Nacrene City – Hotel]
The morning sun over Nacrene City rose like a molten coin, burning away the nocturnal fog and casting a warm, golden glow over the white stone facades of the historic library and museum.
Inside a comfortable, sunlit suite at the local Pokémon Hotel, Azure stirred from a deep, dreamless sleep. He rolled over on the king-sized mattress, stretching his arms toward the ceiling with a satisfying pop of his joints.
*Pop-pop-pop*
Perched immediately on his right shoulder, as it always was, was Pikachu, who was currently sleep-zapping a stray feather floating near his ear with a tiny, cute spark. Resting cozily right on top of Azure's messy hair was Eevee, curled up like a fluffy brown croissant and snoring softly against his scalp.
Tucked safely inside the inner pocket of his jacket draped over the nearby chair, a small, pink, peach-like Mew disguised as a Pichu shifted comfortably in its sleep, dreaming of berries. Azure blinked his eyes open, running a hand through his hair, carefully avoiding disturbing Eevee.
Azure murmured, scratching Pikachu behind the ears, "Ahh… Mornin', buddy."
The yellow mouse chirped happily, nuzzling against Azure's neck, "Pika… chaaa~ (Yup… good morning, partner~)."
From the shadows near the wardrobe, a flicker of purple light signaled the arrival of Azure's Gengar. With a playful grin, the ghostly Pokémon phased through the floorboards, materializing right beside the bed.
Floating in front of Azure's face, Gengar held out her Rotom Phone, hitting play on the exact video that had sent Sage Gorm into a spiral of existential dread the night before. Azure watched the footage of Gorm getting pelted with tomatoes from their shadows and gagging on Stunky gas.
A slow, amused smile spread across his face. Azure chuckled, his voice raspy from sleep, praising Gengar's work in a pleased tone, rubbing her head, "Nice aim. The tomato arc was a nice touch, but the Stunky gas really brings out the aesthetic of their whole 'pure ideals' movement."
Gengar cackled silently, rubbing her hands together with wicked delight before tossing a small, half-eaten Oran berry into her mouth. Azure sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as Pikachu scrambled down his arm to land neatly on the floorboards. Eevee let out a sleepy squeak of protest as her bed moved, before stretching her paws forward and yawning so wide her little pink tongue curled.
Azure said, standing up and stretching his broad shoulders, "Alright, crew… Black's probably already screaming about his chords of steel, and White's likely chewing out a local talent agent over the phone."
He reached down to pick up his belt, clicking three heavy Pokéballs into place alongside the sleek Arc Phone resting in his holster. Rotom's digital face popped up on the screen, blinking sleepily, and chimed in, "Good morning, user Azure! Current battery at one hundred percent! Local weather is sunny with a zero percent chance of Team Plasma dignity remaining!"
Azure laughed, shaking his head as he walked toward the bathroom to wash up. He said tiredly, "Let's keep it that way. Come on, guys—let's go see if Unova has anything else to throw at us today."
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A/N: Hope you like the chapter!