PLEBs, cats and uniforms

[Tatile]

UAPCP — United Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Pokémon
An international charity, funded by no government but from the proceeds of any citizen, no matter what background, which protects and cares for Pokémon that are found to be injured or neglected, whether they be wild or not.

PLEB - Pokémon Liberation Enforcement Body
An international group, which much like UAPCP, accepts charitable donations. This group, as their name implies, liberates Pokémon, not just from abusive trainers or owners, but from anyone they deem to be ‘unfit'. In these criminal acts, they run an intimidation and harassment campaign against a Pokémon's owner before ‘liberating' any or all Pokémon that person may have. It has been known for Pokémon liberated by PLEB to end up in environments wholly unsuitable for them and to meet fates far more unsavoury than those they ever could have encountered in ‘captivity'.

(Do Note: PLEB is a caricature of extremist groups, designed so that they seem less ‘real', but still have a reasonable chance of being ‘real'. Their methods are illegal and their logic flimsy at best. True, this is based on my own prejudices, which is why I included the UAPCP, a society based on the RSPCA. They are the reasonable law-abiders, who believe in working with people to improve relations and only use ‘re-homing' as a last resort (a last resort which, sadly, is used all too often in this harsh world (of mine)). I mean no offense by these illustrations of the prose and I dearly hope you take none. Now, to our story...)


Kari sighed. Crowds were good for business, but did there really have to be so many people? It was the first day of the school holidays, well, the spring term ones at least. Kari had thought, hoped, that today's parents would be imaginative enough to find something other to do with their children than two weeks of shopping. Alas, no. Another mother yelled at another annoying young boy, who was dancing in front of the tills and generally getting in everyone's way. Kari's mood was helped by the number of tourists there were that completely ignored shopping etiquette and were now trying to barge their way to the tills.

He'd only come in for a pair of socks. After five minutes of jostling, he'd gotten them, and some more besides. Unlike the woman behind him, who had also come in for some socks; she now had forty socks, and sunglasses, shoes and a menagerie of other bits and bobs.

"...Oh, but it's all those cheap," She was heavy set, sweating lightly and breathing on him. Kari could handle people being fat, no begrudging against that he felt. Sweating he didn't really like, but he could deal with that, he sweated often enough. Breathing on him though, that was where he drew the line. There was such a thing as personal space and Kari liked his to encompass the same area as a Steelix. The woman had been blithering at him for the past ten minutes, the same amount of time they'd been stuck in the queue. "I know I shouldn't come in here like this, but I just can't help myself!" The middle-aged woman squealed and, surprisingly, Kari matched her delight. However, he was happy for an entirely different reason.

A bored teenage girl flailed from behind an impenetrable fortress of chipboard and plastic. Between them lay an obstacle course of people and luggage. Eventually, Kari pulled himself past the last push-chair with moaning six year-old strapped in and got to the till. The girl smiled at him, it was a fake smile of course, almost creepy in how her lips stretched but her cheeks hardly moved. With barely a word exchanged he got his socks and left. No bag, they were the new ‘ultra-enemy', right behind people in suits and sugar.


The sky was a clear blue and still, despite in the wonderful weather, people were milling around, consuming. Not that Kari had anything against the consumerist society, it was quite good for business, but today it just seemed like a waste. A waste to spend such a glorious day, the first true ‘summer' day that had been seen in months, inside, buying worthless nothings. His home was nearby, just a few minute's walk from the centre. Musing on what to do what he got in, Kari almost missed the man standing in front of him.

With a clipboard,

Dressed in a bright jacket,

A giant smile on his face.

Kari cringed inwardly. As if his day hadn't been bad enough, now he was getting ‘chugged'. The name was almost as bad as the action: charity mugging. Charities themselves weren't bad; they did good, for the most part at least. It was the fanatics who ‘worked' for them that annoyed Kari.

"Hi!" The young man beamed at him, his blond stubble stretching across his face like so much sand. "I'm working with PLEB and I'd like just a minute of your time..." Kari walked on, briskly now, trying to avoid eye contact. He'd had dealings was PLEBeians before, none of them pleasant. In the charity world, PLEB was about as charitable as Team Rocket, only they had the audacity to assume a moral high ground on everything. "What if I guess your favourite colour?" The man skipped sideways to keep up with the feline, waving his clipboard all the while.
Well, Kari thought, at least this guy was imaginative.

"Sorry, but I just don't have the time." Not even bothering to explain further, he ducked behind a large decorative plant display. Thankfully a group of tourists got themselves between him and the PLEB.

With a heavy sigh Kari fumbled with the Pokéballs at his belt. His fingers brushed over a slightly raised edge, which was cool to the touch, unlike the rest of the ball. With a smile he pulled the sphere free and tossed it lightly into the air. There was a flash of light and before him stood a great orange beast, the end of its tail aflame.

Mephisto bellowed, giving his wings a stretch. The Charizard knew why his master had called him out. It was time for a quick and easy way home. In a moment, Kari was on the creature's back and they were in the air. No one gave them a second glance.

Patrick had been watching the young man all along. Inside the PLEBeian was furious. Such an atrocity would not stand. Shaking his fist at the empty air, he formulated a plan.

***

Author's Note: Naturally, if you do find anything wrong or... 'bad' with this story, feel free to let me know. Of course I would appreciate it if you were reasonable and pointed out the problems rather than just attacking everything.

 

[Secad MS]

This concept sounds really interesting. I hope to see what the PLEBian will think of...

 

[Stark]

Interesting opening, and the open-ended ending has hooked me to see what the plan is in future

*Shot for too many opens and ends*

 

[Tatile]

"...these ‘trainers'- as they call themselves - abuse, use and torture fellow sentient beings; for little more than amusement and money! Just this morning I witnessed one of these people treat a magnificent Charizard like a personal aeroplane. This beautiful creature had been cowed by this malicious patron; its majestic orange hide was riddled with horrific scars, obviously caused by the ‘training' it had been subjected to," Patrick stood before his fellow PLEBeians, his arms outstretched, a small blob of fruit smoothie on his chin. The crowd sat cross-legged before him consisted of many different people, but most had lips piercings, sandals and worn out t-shirts. In this disused warehouse, right at the fringe of Saffron City, PLEB fought for the rights of Pokémon. From the driest desert to the coldest mountain, scores of volunteers worked tirelessly to free these defenceless creatures from their cruel masters. But still, even in their home and founding city, crimes against Pokémon were still being committed. "Friends, we must liberate these gifted children of the earth, we must cut the chains that bind them. Starting tomorrow we find this young, dirty-haired tyrant and make an example of him!"

The group whispered among themselves, wondering what the problem was with having dirty hair. Many of them found dreadlocks quite fetching. Eventually the murmuring quietened down and a single voice piped out:

"Why can't we go after all the trainers in Saffron City? Surely, with the local tournament coming up, we have amble chances to uncover mistreatment," The ginger dreadlocked girl pointed to an overly pierced, bald man sitting next to her. "Jeff and I have found that one of the ‘training parlours' that people have been sending their Pokémon to, in order to get ready for this tournament, is using illegal and immoral practices to ‘train' the poor things."

"Really," Jeff butted in, his voice coarse and raspy. "Why this particular guy anyway? As Nut said, we can really do a lot more by bringing down this parlour. With the help of the UAPCP..."

"The UAPCP!?" Patrick blurted out, his voice full of scorn and contempt. The people nearest him jumped and shivered at the violent reaction, not to mention the shower of spittle that fell upon their heads. Exasperation and anger was carved into every facet of the leader's face. "Those soft, pink bellied suits are little better than these monstrous trainers and owners we fight everyday! We cannot and will not compromise our integrity by working with those blind fools who accept any lie as truth!" His short blond hair caught the sun filtering in through a dirty window above and almost like a halo, it shone on his head. Sweeping an arm out across the crowd gathered at his feet, the activist gathered every more verbal momentum. "We are PLEB! We enforce the liberation of Pokémon everywhere! We will attack the parlours and the tournament, but first, we deal with this foul man I met today. In time for the tournament we will make an example of him and all he represents. Pokémon shall be made free from the tyranny of humanity by our hand and our alone! But first, more fruit smoothie!"

People cheered and clapped. Not only would they be getting delicious fruit smoothie, but also the chance to strike back at oppression. Unbeknownst to many though, there were two dissidents in their midst. Standing just apart, eagerly awaiting their free drinks was a woman in her young twenties and a man, almost thirty. Nut twirled a single rust-coloured dread between her fingers. Jeff stared at the ground beneath his sandaled feet. Both were deep in thought. They'd been with PLEB for many years now and in that time all the Pokémon they had ‘liberated' had either perished in the wild or had just been recaptured. In fact, they had done very little in the way of changing people's attitudes to Pokémon. In one newspaper, their movement had been likened to an arrogant, pseudo-ethical version of Team Rocket, ‘as much hoi polloi as their name implies', as the columnist had put it. After a while, Nut stopped playing with her hair.

"Jeff," She was quiet, almost sounding broken underneath the din of happy-smoothie-time. Her hazel-green eyes pleaded with him, her freckles echoed despair. She lowered her voice even more when she spoke next, leaning in to her companion. "I think Patrick may be... wrong."

Jeff looked around wildly, his piercings flashing in the light. To say that Patrick Smith might be wrong was akin to denouncing the glory of the smoothie, or even saying that the constraints of society were good for the individual. After a making sure that no one was watching them, Jeff slowly nodded.

"I've been... considering that same thought," Taking a long slurp of the yellow and pink mixture he was holding, Jeff became very serious. "I think, Nut, that it has become time. After happy-smoothie-time, when most of the other members go home, so too shall we leave."

Nut nodded. She looked a little sad, but also, just a tiny bit happy.

***
Author's Note: Well, these sections seem to be a bit short. Hopefully it won't stay this way for long, but I really didn't feel like pushing this to be longer. I had that problem with Styx and Stones, and look at how that ended up! (Stuck on a hard rive I can't access, in case you wanted to know.)

 

[Stark]

I'm taking it that these PLEBs are to be taken as nitpickers who wanna find every excuse possible to take pokemon away from people, correct?

Just didn't wanna get the idea the wrong way here

 

[Secad MS]

Heh, smoothies are worshipped here? That's just sweet on it's own. I love smoothies.

I wonder what Nut and Jeff will do...Will they be punished?

 

[Psycho Monkey]

Interesting concept you came up with here Tatile. I was already laughing at how ridiculous these fools were, but when 'happy-smoothie-time came... XD.

How can anyone take people like this seriously?

 

[Chibi]

*grabs smoothie* Wow, I just busted up at his...speech. Right after I thought of pushing Patrick in front of a bus. You know, I wonder, what would happen if the pokemon don't want to go? They like, come back to their trainer or something.

And I still cannot get over how Nut has such striking resemblence to me. Female, red hair, green eyes, freckles. Cool and freaky at the same time.

 

[Tatile]

Kari purred contentedly. The roof beneath him had been warmed by the sun, making it perfect for sleeping on. Beside him Mephisto was having a nap. The flame-tailed beast had indulged in several medium rare steaks, his usual lunch. Dotted about were the other Pokémon, enjoying the sun and peace. Empress lay curled beneath one of Mephisto's wings, happily resting in the shade it granted.

The day had passed quickly. Little training had been done with his team, but Kari didn't care. He wasn't entering into the local tournament; the prize just didn't seem worth the effort. With all the trainers of Saffron City entering, it would be too much effort for such a puny pot. Besides, it would be much easier, and more cost effective, to work the crowd. For the most part Kari and his Pokémon preferred not to battle, unless there was something really quite interesting involved. Usually there wasn't.

Anyway, being fifteen floors up made it far too windy to have a training session. The last time they'd tried that it had been learned very quickly that Ampharos cannot fly. Flump had not been impressed, to say the least.

Seemingly from nowhere, an odd, tinny music started to play. It took Kari a while to realise it was his phone.

"Hello?" Lazily he rubbed his eyes, trying to fully wake himself. In retrospect, he should have checked just who was calling. From the other end a voiced mumbled something about payment and jewellery. Suddenly, the feline-esque trainer sat bolt upright, very much awake. "Give me ten minutes, I'll be right over."

Across the street, watching from a nearby office block was a strange figure. It wasn't everyday you saw a suit with sandals. Oblivious to the fact that he was being watched Kari happily left his sleeping Pokémon on the roof while he dealt with some business. To him this was fine, the door was open and flat beneath was his; no one else had access to the roof. To his mysterious observer, this was just one more example of cruelty and neglect. This was just another damning mark against a doomed individual.

"Patrick, the cretin has left his enslaved Pokémon. They are on the roof of a residential building, just at the edge of Saffron's secondary business sector," The solar-powered phone crackled lightly in the PLEBeian's hand. His tie-dyed hair had gone beyond striking, transcending into an entirely new plateau of colour. The few workers still left in the office edged ever further away. The activist ignored them, all his attention focused on his mission. After a time, he got the response he had been waiting for. "Yes, I understand; I shall do so right away."

No one blocked the hippie's exit. They wanted as little to do with the man as they could. Eric ran down the stairs as fast as his sandals would allow. For a full sixteen stories his feet carried him through the building. Waiting outside would be his partner in activism: Lotus. She was a tiny teenager, a run away from one of the more exotic regions. Naturally, given her new life, she had chosen a new name. Many of the PLEB members did this, especially the women. Eric partially understood, but he had kept his name to show his family that they were wrong for breeding Pokémon for battling.

Almost out of breath, Eric jumped out of the building's service door, landing in a littered and smelly alley. Crouched against the opposite wall, her hair braided through with coloured ribbons, Lotus was flicking through a short pamphlet. They nodded at each other in recognition. Often times they did not speak with each other while on missions. There was no real reason, but it was a rather useful skill.

Eric jabbed his thumb at the air, pointing over his shoulder at a tall light-stoned building. Lotus looked up, nodding again. This mission should not prove too difficult; they had done similar things in the past. Casually, the pair strolled across the busy road. Next to Kari's block of flats was another, the same height and design. The architects in the area had been lazy. Their laziness was PLEB's blessing though, it always made liberation easier.

Meanwhile, just a block away...

"Old man Willikers, are you in here?" Kari stepped into the musty shop, the bell above the door chiming quietly. The floor and walls were covered in piles of books and general bric-a-brac. In a sense, this mess covered what the shop was really used for. Most people thought pawn brokers dealt in stolen goods, but that would be just stupid. Sometimes the obvious cover wasn't the best. Run down stores got little trade, which made doing business in was much easier. A small voice came from the back of the store. Kari recognised it as the old man. Dodging past a particularly unstable looking pile, he walked further into the store.

***
Author's Note: The action is moving forward! First, we discover what Kari does for a living... partly. Huzzah!

 

[Secad MS]

Woo! We see where the 'cat' in the title comes in now. I cannot wait to see if the Pokemon fight back or not.

 

[Chibi]

Hah, it would be so funny if Hippie and Lotus get their asses kicked off the roof by the Pokemon. I'll be srsly mad if they are "liberated" though. I have a feeling though that what Kari does is probably illegal, but fun.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

I'm with Chibi, tormenting these clowns would be hilarious! If they somehow succeed in their scheme them revenge would be the next best thing. I also have a feeling I'm gonna like Kari's career choice.

 

[Jenova]

Oh wow this is awesome xD
During the second chapter/post/whatever-you-prefer-to-call-it, I honestly felt an instant dislike towards Patrick and the PLEBians, but I HAD to laugh at the smoothie part.

And I agree with Psycho Monkey and Chibi. Kari's Pokemon should beat up Lotus and Hippie.

 

[Tatile]

"Why, hello there my dear boy," Mr. Willikers was as cheerful as ever, his wrinkled face creased ever more as he smiled. The image was slightly unnerving, as the old man was almost completely bald and despite the size of his grin, his scalp remained unmoved. Kari gave him a small smile in return. "Has it been a good day for you, as for me it certainly has; that sweet, pretty young thing from across the road brought me tea and crumpets! You know, the lovely blonde girl, she's still single." The old man winked and tottered forward on his gnarled walking stick. Before Kari could move out of the way, his hair was being ruffled.

Mr. Willikers inspected his hand.

"You know, I really don't think you hair should be the colour. Do you wash it enough?" Unsteadily, the aged shop keeper went back to his seat and almost fell onto it. Kari sighed for the umpteenth time that day and ran a hand through his hair, trying to get back into shape. After a while he just gave up, the strands of grey and blond automatically falling into strange, cat ear-like shapes at the side of his head.

"Yes Mr. Willikers, I wash my hair enough, it's just that my hair is naturally this colour." Getting a little tetchy now, Kari wondered if the man had forgotten why he had been called here.

"Is it always that greasy?"

Unconsciously Kari growled and clenched his fists. In the half light of the store's back room his pupils were dangerously wide, starting to reflect what little light there was. The grey old man merely smiled again and started to rummage through a pile of randomly assorted papers. This could take a while.

Elsewhere...

On the thirteenth floor, hiding in the landlord's service stairwell, Eric and Lotus decided that it would be a good idea to ascertain exactly how they would bridge the ten foot gap between the two buildings. Lotus insisted, as usual, that the universe ‘shall always provide'; Eric was understandable sceptical of this.

"I know someone who used to live in this building, Lotus. On the next floor is a very large storage cupboard; there should be some rope and maybe a ladder in as well there if we're lucky." He stared the girl hard in the face, but in all honesty he did not expect much response. She had a fierce will and a fiery temper to match. It was of no surprise that she routinely meditated, sometimes for several hours.

Lotus took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She held the air for a moment, before letting in out, slow and measured. Smiling sweetly, she nodded at her partner in activism. She didn't often smile, so to Eric seeing such an expression on the teenager's chocolate skin was far more worrying than their current situation.

Silently, the female yoga artist slipped up the next flight of stairs, to floor fourteen. Hesitantly, Eric followed. He just hoped he had some Weepinbell leaves left; he would definitely need them after this mission.

On the opposite side of the stair's exit door, a door too painted and rusted in places to work properly, was the storage cupboard; the very locked storage cupboard. Still, Lotus tried to open it. The wooden slab jiggled a bit, but that was all.

"So much for the universe providing, eh?" Eric chuckled at their misfortune. His mirth was swiftly cut short, though, as his partner shot him a withering look.

With a weary sigh, Lotus stalked back into the stairwell. Now even more nervous than before, the tie-dyed hippie went after her.

Their footfalls echoed in the empty stairwell, bouncing off the almost-grey white walls. The trek to the roof lasted only a few minutes, but the uneasy silence between the two liberators made it feel like hours.

As expected, it was blustery being up so high, the wind not having calmed down yet. Up here, unlike on the building next to them, the roof was bare. Eric walked around the edges; buildings always seemed so much smaller on the outside.

Lotus crouched down, peering over the side nearest to their target building. She was surprised; someone had modified both the fire escapes. The top parts almost connected and there was easy access to both roofs. The universe had certainly provided.

Eric looked over just in time to see the girl disappear over the edge.

"Lotus!" Yelling at the top of his lung, he ran to where his partner had been standing just moments before. Sure they had their differences, but he and Lotus had been working together for two years and despite everything, he considered them friends.

"What is wrong with you, do you really think I'd jump down onto nothing? I'm not an idiot Eric." The exotic girl scowled at him. Her tone was practically dripping with poison. Often time, she didn't mean to be patronising, at least, that was what Eric hoped.

Swiftly, he joined her on the slightly unstable metal frame.

"How come I didn't see this from the other building?" He was muttering to himself, a trait he had picked up when he was younger. Instinctively, he turned to look at where he had been standing little over an hour ago. He could hardly see it, let alone the window he had been observing from. The escape was almost entirely hidden and the modifications were so slight that they wouldn't be noticed. "Ingenious, I wonder who built this..."

"Does it matter? We have a job to do." With great agility, Lotus clambered to the other fire escape, barely making a noise. Eric gave her a boost so that she could get to the roof, following shortly after.

Forks of light blue energy sliced through the air toward them, dispersing on the tarmac. Standing just a few feet away was a small Ampharos, small sparks of electricity dancing across its dusky yellow skin. The bipedal sheep growled and started to charge another attack. Lotus swore and pulled something from her pocket. Throwing the cylindrical object at the disarmingly cute creature, she gave her partner just enough notice that things might get hairy. The pair jumped back off the building, landing hard on the metal platform and causing it to shake alarmingly.

As the grenade object struck Flumps hide it detonated, throwing out a huge cloud of gas. The thick mist spread quickly, covering the roof in a matter of seconds. A small bird caught the very edge of the cloud and immediately plummeted from the sky.

In moments, the cloud was gone, leaving behind three unconscious Pokémon and one injured sparrow.

"I thought you said there were four." Lotus picked up four Pokéballs, but could see only three of the creatures they belonged to. With great sorrow, she returned the slumbering Charizard, Persian and Ampharos to the balls.

"There were, I think the Blaziken might have gone inside," Briefly, Eric went inside. He came out almost as quickly, followed by a disturbing high pitched beep. "This place is alarmed! Damn it all, we have to leave!"

Back in the shop...

"Only five thousand; my arse I'm flogging that for only five thousand, that trinket's worth triple that! Which pratt proposed that?" Disgusted, Kari threw the auction proposal folder down on the desk. The necklace in question was a classical style setting of emeralds and diamonds; so classical in fact that the cuts used for the stones had not been used in nearly a century. In a huff, the feline thief slumped into a nearby leather and wood chair. Willikers ignored the young lad's rant, he heard them often enough. He was right though; the necklace was worth much more than the offer.

"I shall tell them that the offer was... unsatisfactory."

A disturbing beep emanated from Kari's wrist. A pained expression came over the young man's face.

"No..." He whispered.

***
Author's Note: Well, personally, I'm really starting to wonder when the UAPCP will show up, not sure about you guys.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

He just hoped he had some Weepinbell leaves left; he would definitely need them after this mission.

Hypocrite! Hypocrite! Using parts of Pokemon to ease your headaches is just as bad as keeping them for companionship.

Overall, very nice Tatile. Now that you bring it up, I too wonder about the UAPCP. I guess we'll know soon enough.

 

[Secad MS]

No! They must have been prepared for the Pokemon fighting back. At least there's a possibility that Blaziken could still kick their butts.

Heh, so now we know where drugs come from in the Pokemon world. Poor Weepinbell…

I wonder what they do with the Pokemon after they ‘liberate' them from their trainers.

 

[Jenova]

No! They must have been prepared for the Pokemon fighting back. At least there's a possibility that Blaziken could still kick their butts.

Heh, so now we know where drugs come from in the Pokemon world. Poor Weepinbell…

I wonder what they do with the Pokemon after they ‘liberate' them from their trainers.

Although this is just a guess, I bet they probably send them off to

a) their "natural" habitats, aka an island with 24-hour surveillance where the pokemon spend the rest of their days "happy", aka confused as heck.

or

b) another "pokemon-friendly" organization that unbeknownst to them is a organization where pokemon are actually tortured.

 

[Tatile]

Kari peered in through the car's window, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. It wasn't really that easy when there was an old, lecherous man standing behind him, sucking at what few teeth he had left. The vehicle they were inspecting was a hybrid, a mixture of electric motors and petrol engines. It was not often that Kari drove and he doubted that he could hotwire this latest creation of the suits.

They did not have much time however; they could not afford to be picky. Of course the irony of the situation was not lost; a thief's house just should not be robbed, that was just unpleasant.

Digging into his pocket, Kari pulled out a small rectangle of felt. Crouching, he unfurled the grey material on his knee, picking out a long, thin piece of metal as he did so.

"Beggars can't be choosers." He muttered as he started to work on the car's lock.

In front of Mr. Willikers shop a young ginger-haired woman waited patiently. Her friend had ventured inside, in some idle hope of finding a rather old book. From the alley running beside the shop she heard what could have been muffled cursing, before the sound of a car door opening, then slamming shut.

An old man shuffled out from the alley, leaning heavily on his cane. When he noticed Nut standing there, small patches of pale, freckled skin exposed between her khaki tank-top and check pattern unbuttoned shirt, he smiled. It was a slightly disturbing smile. The geriatric walker seemed to be too pleased to see Nut; there was a definite twinkle of mischief about him.

"Well, hello there my fine eco-warrior!" Briefly the old man lifted his stick into the air, waving it at her. Nut waved back out of politeness more than anything. She had never really met the man before, but he seemed to somehow know her. "I see your nice friend is inside; it seems I have business to attend to." He disappeared inside, the little bell gently tinkling.

A few moments later, Jeff appeared book in hand. It was very thin, the edges having become tattered with age. He smiled to her; the leaf shaped stud in his lip flashed a pale green.

"Well, I have everything now. We can..." A blue car lurched round out of alley, before trundling slowly into the traffic stream. The driver's window came down, getting stuck half way; profuse swearing emanated from inside. "Well, that is a little odd."

Presently, Mr. Willikers appeared from his shop. He carried with him a giant padlock, almost comical in size. With great flourish he slammed the lock down on the door. It clanged against the frame as the he shakily walked to the car. The passenger door flew open violently, obviously pushed by the irritated driver, but the old man merely chuckled.

Inside the car, Kari sat, glaring at his passenger.

"Why didn't you tell me you had the keys?" He hissed through gritted teeth. Mr. Willikers shrugged, still smiling despite the blatant tension in the vehicle. The younger man sighed, a habit he should really give up and rested his forehead on the steering wheel. "Let's just go; hopefully Empress will know what's going on."

A short while later, with Mr. Willikers waiting in the car; Kari was nimbly climbing the side of his building. Using the fire escape was proving to be faster than taking either the stairs or lift, and he did not want to have any awkward questions from nosy neighbours.

Just below his flat he paused, there was a definite commotion coming from inside. One voice he recognised: the building's owner, a slightly plump, balding man with a thick accent. The words were mumbled, but the gist was easily gotten. From the sounds of it, something had happened on the roof, but no one could get up there, nor could they shut off the alarms.

More careful now, he continued to the roof, barely making a sound. The air was making Kai woozy for some odd reason. Looking around hazily he noticed a newly dead sparrow lying splayed out on the roof, surrounded by small metal shards. He could see none of his Pokémon about. That made no sense to him; his flat was still full to bursting with expensive and exquisite items of every sort, any thief would surely have gone for them. However, given that the building manager was in his flat, no doubt with the police now, his Pokémon surely weren't in there. So where were they?

Kari tried to muse on this, but was soon interrupted. A red feather drifted toward him coming to rest on his boot. On the looking up, the sight he saw was both comforting and distressing. Kadin had dragged himself from behind the stairwell's exit, a large cement block with one window stuck on the side and a door at the front. The door had been open when Kari had left.

The Blaziken seemed to be worse affected by the strange atmosphere, being barely able to stand. With a few quick steps, Kari was at the fighting cock's side, ready to support him should he falter. Kadin, however, had too much pride to take help from someone who he was supposed to protect and follow (not to mention the logistics of being held by someone a full foot shorter than he). Instead, he leaned heavily on the wall, gulping down huge breaths of air.

"Did you close the door Kadin?" Though he was sure of the answer, Kari asked anyway, his voice soft and calm. Despite the fear, worry and anger raging inside, he needed to stay in control.

Kadin nodded weakly in response. His eyes had lost their usual glint, having now become dull. Listlessly he waved a claw at the wall's far corner. Lying there was a slightly marred Premier Ball. It was obvious what Kadin wanted.

In flash of white light the Blaziken was gone, leaving Kari alone on the roof, feeling light-headed and confused. It was only when he was putting the now off-white ball into his pocket that he noticed an ugly yellow flag snagged at the edge of the roof. Hoping it would be a clue as to what happened he picked at it.

Immediately he was fuming. Written in equally ugly green letters was a single word to anger almost anyone.

PLEB.

***
Author's Note: Ta daa! Done this bit, now back to the brainless, bleeting mass and, hopefully, the UAPCP will be making a small appearace. And yes, I've now decieded on PLEB's colour scheme: an ugly yellow equal to that of an aged, wrinkly lemon and almost-neon green. It goes well with their innate lack of taste. Apparently they nothing of fabulous activism.

 

[Secad MS]

Leaf-shaped lip stud, eh? Sounds interesting.

Sorry, the most random things got stuck in my head from this latest chappie.

I'm quite unhappy that Blaziken didn't just woop their rears, but the plot has to go somewhere, right?

Is Kadin now going to go out to find his stolen Pokemon?

Ugly yellow and neon green are great (as in bad) color choices for PLEB. I can imagine the uniforms...*shudder*

What Not To Wear would rip them apart.

 

[Tatile]

Is Kadin now going to go out to find his stolen Pokemon?

XD That's what I get for using two names beginning with 'k', unless you missed out 'fellow'. Kadin's the Blaziken, Kari's the very small trainer (Blaziken average out at being over six foot tall, whereas Kari comes in at around five).

Also, who's to say there won't be any wooping to come? Empress quite enjoys her comfy life of satin cushions and cashmere throws, no hippie's about to take that from her.

 

[Chibi]

Also, who's to say there won't be any wooping to come? Empress quite enjoys her comfy life of satin cushions and cashmere throws, no hippie's about to take that from her.

Lolz. Although it was rather disappointing to see no cans of whoop-ass opened, the fact that Kadin managed to escape capture did cushion the blow. I would wonder why PLEB wants Kari to know they took his pokemon. It seems a rather stupid move on their part, but then again they worship smoothies. That or they're just taunting Kari further.

And just imagining their flag's colors makes my eyes hurt.

 

[Tatile]

Patrick smiled as two of his best activists returned to PLEB's headquarters. Eric and Lotus might have their differences at times but for the most part they got things done. Now, arriving with three liberated Pokémon, they had completed yet another mission successfully. At least, that was what Patrick thought.

An air of crackling hate surrounded Lotus. She did not walk toward her most honourable leader, but rather she stalked. Everything about her said that something had gone horribly wrong. Before Patrick could speak, the young woman had slammed three Pokéballs down on a nearby desk. Their clang echoed throughout the warehouse. She was not the least bit calm.

Eric, on the other hand, was surprisingly subdued.

"It did not go as planned," The tie-dyed man admitted at length. His partner shot him a withering look; apparently he had understated quite a bit. Eric returned the glare with his own sideways glace before continuing. "One of the Pokémon, a Blaziken, evaded us. Before we could get to it, an alarm system the cretin has was set off. We had to leave quite quickly." The man's tone was scathing and dripping with venom, but to who this was directed to, no one was sure.

With a great, heaving sigh, Patrick accepted this news. Surely, he thought, surely his greatest liberators could not have been bested by a vile trainer? He looked to Lotus, who was now merely simmering with rage. Squaring her shoulders, she took a step toward him. Her eyes held defiance, expecting the man to contradict her.

"Patrick," Lotus's voice was firm. She may have been talking to her boss, as it were, but she would brook no argument. "I left a message with that beast of a human being. I am going to make him pay for what he has done. I will not share and I will be victorious."

Patrick nodded. He had expected that Lotus would want to deal with the Pokémon's ‘owner'; she often did, but the ‘owners' usually never came. He very much anticipated this to be a repeat of those times.

The few other members who had remained after happy-smoothie-time had become somewhat anxious. On the few occasions where a trainer or owner had been foolish enough to take Lotus up on her ‘offer' the police had become involved. Eric joined these careful observers, moving silently away from his activist partner. He did not want to join Lotus in her bid for revenge nor come near the possible fight. He was, in fact, now more interested in Nut's aims for the local tournament.

Looking around, he could not see either Nut or Jeff. Turning to a fellow PLEBeian, he enquired about the pair. The blonde merely shrugged and adjusted the daisy-chain set on her head.

"They left after happy-smoothie-time. I wasn't really paying attention to where they went... Patrick was speaking." She gazed dreamily in the man's direction, a soft sigh leaving her lips. Eric raised an eyebrow.

All of a sudden they could hear a multitude of angry, cursing voices. A yowl followed and it became somewhat obvious what had happened. Rushing back to his partner and leader, chased by the blonde flower girl, Eric saw the source of the commotion.

Patrick and Lotus stood opposite each other, glaring at the creature between them. A Persian was there, her coat a silken cream showing good care. Her hackles stood on end, looking like pearlescent needles running the length of her spine. She was already crouching in an attack position. Sharp canines glistened from beneath bright pink gums.

Patrick shifted back a pace and the Persian matched him, padding forward across the greasy cement. He was uneasy, apprehension written all over his face. True enough, some of the rescued Pokémon were so used to their previous internment that they did not appreciate their new found liberation, but only a very few had ever been so violent. Lotus stepped in as well, coming up behind the graceful cat. Ears twitching, she registered this approach, a glint in her red eyes showing she was recalculating the situation.

The daisy-girl gasped. "Patrick!"

For the briefest moment, she distracted their great and honourable leader. This was all it took for the Persian to unleash a devastating attack on the man. Streams of black energy trailed behind the cat's right paw as she leapt forth. Contact was almost instantaneous. Patrick screamed like a banshee and fell, blood pouring from his face. Screaming, the blonde hippie rushed to his side, the flower crown falling from her head.

Lotus saw her chance.

***

"Old man, I need you help just a little while longer," Kari slammed the car door shut and tossed his Blaziken's ball at the passenger. Before the shop keeper could respond, the car was already careening around the corner on to Fin Street, home of the main stock exchanges. Feeling the enquiring gaze, Kari slowed down for the amber light, something he usually would have rushed through. Despite angry honks from behind him, he stopped the car just as the light flicked to red. Rummaging in one of the larger trouser pockets on his leg, he produced a couple of basic Poké-medicines. "Here, use these on that battered ball. I trust you know how?"

Mr. Willikers cracked the ball open slightly and sprayed the contents of one potion inside. The Premier Ball was slightly old but there was brief flash of green light from the opening-button. He took this to be a good sign and put the ball on the dashboard. Worryingly, the ball rolled around on the dash as the car took off once more, but did not fall.

Kari shot the older gentleman a sideways glance, at once keeping his eyes on the road, but also keeping an eye on his passenger. He owed much to the old man, but still, those in the criminal business never really trusted each other.

The drive across the city was surprisingly uneventful; there were few police patrols around, so there was no real need to take side routes. The town car's wheels crunched over the mess of gravel and weeds outside the rows of warehouses. From atop one flew the hideous yellow and green flag of PLEB.

Confidence and anger brimming inside him, Kari strode toward the metal building, once again leaving the ex-thief in the car.

"Don't worry lad, I still remember how to drive!" The old man shouted from the car, just as Kari reached the doors. A sinking feeling told him that not everything was going to go as planned.

Something screamed.

He pulled the heavy door open as far as could, moving put half a foot, and squeezed inside. Heart racing, he recognised the angry yowls of Empress. Snarling, he covered the distance between the entrance and commotion in a few bounds, leaping over a writhing man covered in blood. Acting purely on instinct, he brought fist into the stomach of the young woman attacking his Pokémon.

***
Author's Note: It's later than I'd hoped and it sucks a tad. Ah well, can't be helped really, I've not had the inspiration lately. Well hey, at least I get to write a fight scene soon and Empress knows Night Slash! (Which isn't the silly white-and-blue thing shown in the anime, it's hardcore black death.)

 

[Psycho Monkey]

Go Empress! Go Kari! Tear those humans apart!

Nice one Tatile! Those PLEBeian fools are getting what they deserve! I hope Patrick is scarred for life in more ways than one.

 

[Chibi]

Night Slash is white and blue? Oh ew. Night does not equal WHITE! *shoots*

Man, I hope Empress tears their skin off. ^^

 

[Secad MS]

Ah, black death, I do like it, lol.

I love this scene! Empress should shred them, then kick dust over them just as she was finishing her 'business.'

 

[Tatile]

The fierce contact knocked the wind from Lotus and she curled over in pain. A sharp shove on her shoulder sent her backwards, crashing to the dirt and grime covered cement. Blinking back tears of pain, she saw a small young man standing over her, his face twisted in rage. Immediately she knew he was the bastard cretin which had tortured the poor creatures she and Eric had saved. The man's teeth were bared, showing the pronounced canines he had. He looked practically feral, almost as much so as his Persian.

In response to this man's aggression, Lotus growled and pushed herself from the floor. Taking such a hit hurt her pride more than her body. She was the enforcer and none could take that role from her. She watched with pleasure as the new comer took a wary step back. To add to the intimidation, she spat of gobbet of blood just in front his feet and licked her lips. Her amber eyes glinted devilishly; no one was taking any action against the intruder - and with good reason.

Kari blinked. He'd acted entirely on impulse and now found himself trapped in a ring of people, with one deadly looking woman standing before him. At least, he hoped it was a woman; he'd hate to be beaten up someone who hadn't even finished puberty yet. He'd gotten into a scrap or two with Drag Queens however, so he knew how to fight dirty.

His opponent lunged forward, aiming a fist right at his chin. Gracefully, he side-stepped the attack and grabbed at her arm; missing it by mere millimetres. Still, it gave him the perfect opportunity to get a punch in her gut. He connected once again, hitting just an inch or so from where his original landed.

Lotus shook violently; she could feel the bruises spreading. Deterred, though, she wasn't. Slamming her arm around the short man's waist, she pulled him into a perverse embrace. She smiled; he was mesmerised by her eyes, she could tell. Using her feminine wiles she lulled him into a false sense of security, before smashing her forehead into his nose. This attack backfired a bit though, as now she was covered in blood.

Being so close made fighting more difficult. Well, conventional fighting at least. Recovering from the shock of his near-broken nose, Kari went on the offensive. His knee connected with the inside of the exotic woman's thigh, causing her to let go of his waist. Quickly he pushed away from Lotus, hoping to gain some sort of advantage. She too stepped back, eyeing up her foe.

All this happened in moments. The gathered crowd had given up trying to follow each individual move and instead watched the fight as a whole. Eric wanted to stop the fight, but really he knew it would be suicidal. Lotus was very possessive; the last thing she was going to do was let this guy go, especially after he had bled all over her shirt.

Lotus was now growling almost as much as the Persian.

"You're out of your depth here, kid." She dropped into a slight crouch; her right foot slid behind her, the left poised beneath. Her opponent was unsteady on his feet, no doubt from his bloodied nose. He stumbled back a step. Lotus took the advantage and lunged. She certainly did not expect what happened next. Every PLEB in the building was watching and not interfering, but the Persian was not a PLEB.

Empress's fangs dug deep into Lotus's left thigh. The cat's weight pulled the young woman done, but, to the dismay of just about everyone around, not fast enough. Chunks of flesh came away when Empress let go, falling into a spreading pool of blood. Lotus screamed, more from rage than pain.

Kari tried to talk, mostly to yell at Empress for savaging a pretty girl's leg (ignoring - of course - that said pretty girl had been savaging him), but his mouth filled with blood and he almost choked. This only served to get the feline more frustrated and she bit at Lotus again, this time going after the left shoulder. The activist dodged away this time, only getting grazed. The attack could have been far worse and, reluctantly, she started to crawl backwards.

Patrick was now on his feet, supported by his adoring flower-girl. He was still bleeding quite heavily from the severe cut above and across his right eye. Empress looked at him with the smug satisfaction that only a cat could ever achieve. Patrick silently fumed at the scene, it would not do for him to lose his head now and he surely did not have the energy for it.

Just outside the warehouse, everything was peaceful, a total contradiction to the tension inside. At least, for a short while it was. Mr Willikers got out of the car and gave his legs a little stretch. Sometimes he missed his old life, of the adventures he had and life-or-death situations he had been in. He was getting to old for that now though and his shop was doing such good business that he could not just up and leave it. As he tottered around the car's bonnet to the driver's side, he wondered if Kari would ever think leaving his two jobs and becoming a shop keep, like him. Then he wouldn't have to worry about what would become of his shop, as it would be in the hands of that nice young man, and perhaps even the sweet little waitress, with her tea and crumpets. He slipped into the driver's seat, a surprising feat for someone of his age, as the usually fell into any sort of down position.

He twirled his fingers around for some time, just thinking on how nice it would be to go back to his adventures and how nice it would be for Kari to take over his shop. Thus lost in his thoughts, the old man completely missed the van and two cars that pulled into the wasteland. If he had seen them, he could not have done much anyway.

Quietly, Officer Jenny stepped out of her police vehicle. She did not like being quiet, but sometimes the element of surprise was needed. Swiftly she was joined by another officer, but they were not of the police. Adjusting his hat, Officer Tristan, of the United Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Pokémon, surveyed the scene. He was an experienced member of the UAPCP and had had quite a few dealings with PLEB in the past.

"Officer Jenny," The man started in a rather curt fashion, "what is the meaning of this anyway?" He was not talking about why they were at PLEB's headquarters; the UAPCP had more than enough reason to harass the group. He was, in fact, referring to the two people standing rather awkwardly behind him. They were certainly at odds with the various officers gathered here; the three UAPCP in their dark grey trousers and navy blue jumpers and the four Police, wearing the standard light blues and teals. One of the pair was wearing a check-pattern shirt over a khaki tank top and combat trousers; while the other was wearing sandals, battered jeans and an old t-shirt of no discernable colour. Tristan snorted at their attire, awaiting an answer.

"Well, Officer Tristan," Officer Jenny replied in an equally curt tone. She had never been overly impressed with this man as an individual, but his track record concerning PLEB and other affairs of the UAPCP was second to none. "They are ex-members of PLEB and probably know more about this place than you. Besides, I promised them that if they helped us bring in Patrick, I could get their sentences reduced in the no-doubt ensuing trial." She folded her arms proudly across her chest, but Tristan's attention seemed to be elsewhere.

"Are there any defences around this place...uh...Nut?" For a moment, he had completely forgotten the woman's name. Not that it mattered. Nut shook her head, which was quite a surprise. The surrounding officers gave an inquiring look.

"We didn't want to set anything up; in case people came here we Pokémon and we hurt them." It was a pathetic defence, but so were much of PLEB's reasons. The man standing next to her, covered in more metal than a steel factory, coughed.

"That and we have no money." Jeff's answer was much more reasonable.

Old man Willikers came out of his reverie and glanced over at the odd group. They weren't paying much attention to him or the car he was in. The group had, quite smartly, parked a ways off from the site's entrance, allowing for support to come in should they need it. This did mean, however, that people could just as easily get out. He was content to just watch and wait, knowing that escape would not prove that difficult.

Just like Kari before him, Officer Tristan strode toward the warehouse, outlandish confidence and righteous indignation mingling inside him. The other members of the UAPCP joined, quickly followed by Officer Jenny and her fellow police-persons. Nut and Jeff just hovered next to the van.

***
Author's Note: I suck at fight scenes D: Also, yay UAPCP! Officer Tristan has more than just a professional history with PLEB, don't you know? Why is old man Willikers sitting in the driver's seat? Well..!

 

[Secad MS]

Yay! Headbutts!

Yay, blood!

Yay, fight scenes!

Tatile, it wasn't that bad. It could have had a little more suspenseful description of the fight, but the description of what the characters were thinking was good.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

I don't know what fight scene you were looking at Tatile, but the one between Kari and Lotus was pretty good and very descriptive. Esspecially the damage inflicted by Empress.

Finally we get some UAPCP action! I laugh at Nut and Jeff getting captured. Serves them right. I'm thinking the battle is only going to get funner from here.

 

[Chibi]

LOLZ I was not expecting Empress to just come out of nowhere and take a chunk out of Lotus's leg. Serves her right too. Btw, yay UAPCP reinforcements!

I personally, think the fight wasn't that bad. If that helps any.

 

[Tatile]

"You...you..." Patrick was shaking and incoherent, but he tried to talk with every ounce of strength he still had. He failed miserably. The flower-girl bore more of the man's weight as he became weaker, all the while glaring daggers at Kari. The injured activist tried to complete his sentence, but only a faint hissing came out. He was slowly losing both his temper and consciousness. For a while no one spoke, even Empress quietened her growling. They weren't paying attention to Patrick though, but to the noises outside.

Beyond the metal walls there was a soft click, followed by a low buzzing noise.

"This is the Saffron City Police Department," A woman's voice, no doubt Officer Jenny's, echoed through the building. Everyone was startled by the announcement. During the pause that followed, muffled curses could be heard over the soft buzzing. Kari strained his ears to hear what was going on. He could not make out any words, but there seemed to be two differing opinions. He decided it wasn't best to hang around much longer in any case.

Lotus had staggered to her feet, defiant to the last. She noticed Kari moving toward the Pokéballs and made after him, dragging her bad leg. After a couple of steps she almost collapsed, but a firm hand grabbed her shoulder. Gently she was spun around and lifted into the air. Eric held her, trying not to aggravate her injured thigh. Lotus scowled at him and tried to get free.

"Lotus, we really don't have the time for this. We have to leave, now." He looked over his shoulder to the door, still ajar from Kari's entrance. The shadow of a police officer fell in through the crack. Patrick was being helped away by several PLEBeians, including the flower-girl.

Lotus did not say anything, she just watched as her opponent ran away. This was her first defeat as a member of PLEB, but only because of the cowardice of her partner.

"We have you surrounded; come out peacefully and with your hands up!" The disagreement seemed to have been sorted out, but it was easy to tell that Officer Jenny was lying. She could only have brought a small group with her; the upcoming tournament meant that the Police Department had to keep the bulk of its forces on the beat. Of course, Officer Jenny had waited just a little too long for to make her second announcement.

Kari grabbed the balls from the table they had been unceremoniously dumped on. Without a moment's hesitation he recalled Empress. It would be best to keep a low profile, if possible; a Persian covered in blood would attract too much attention. Thankfully, this being a rather unkempt warehouse — and PLEB being lazy in anything not Pokémon or smoothie related — there were a good many hiding places and broken windows. A series of large crates lined the walls, no doubt leftovers from the warehouse's previous owner.

"Broken windows and stacks of crates? Finally I've got some luck." Kari muttered under his breath and lightly tapped the table. It was not fully wood, but it would have to do. He had only ever been in one other warehouse in his life and that had been a far less pleasant experience. Trying not to dwell on his past and the losses which lived there, he ran to one of the crates. His footfalls were as silent as a hunting cat's and he reached his goal in seconds. Getting up to the cracked, almost brown window above would be harder. The boxes were about a foot taller than he was. He could jump quiet enough; it was the landing which always let him down.

He crouched, craning his neck to examine the boxes above. His heritage was really starting to show now; not that anyone was going to notice. He stretched out a sprung up, nearly six and half feet straight in the air. It was only as he came down that he realised he should have checked to see that the boxes were solid. He landed with a dull thud, but the crate held. The next obstacle was lying on its side, a six foot by three foot box marked ‘fragile'. Kari had to keep his curiosity in check at this; he dearly wanted a peek inside. The window was ten feet from the floor, meaning it was a ten foot drop on the other side. He thought about this for a moment and decided that lowering himself out of the window would be the best bet.

Here the ground was more dirt than gravel, causing his heavy boots and the ends of his jeans to turn dusty. The distance had been short, but it had not mattered really, Kari had fallen further and onto less desirable surfaces in the past. He needed to hasten his exit though; already he had wasted precious time getting out.
Officer Jenny had lied about the strength of her forces. That was obvious quite quickly. One van, two cars and two hippies; was that really all she had brought? Kari ignored the hippies; he was not interested in any of the inner politics of PLEB or its friends. The blue hybrid sat a little ways off from the police entourage. It seemed that Officer Jenny had completely missed it. She really was proving to be quite incompetent.

Old Mr. Willikers was sitting in the driver's seat. Kari didn't bother arguing, he only hoped that the shopkeeper knew how to drive.

"Why hello there! You seem a bit messy boy. Try not to get any of that on my nice seats," Willikers was as cheery as ever. This was not surprising, but still Kari was slightly worried by it all. The car started easily enough. Really Kari felt he shouldn't fret, this was the old man's car after all, he should know how to use it. They slowly moved off the lot, gravel crunching beneath the wheels and the entire vehicle swaying side-to-side. "He he, now we're out of the way of those uniforms, where do you want to go?"

Kari looked out of the passenger window. The road before them ran straight into the heart of the city on the one side and on the other continued out through the old industrial lots, before going further into the country. It twinned with Route Five, going up to Cerulean City and the more northern parts of Kanto. He took a moment to consider his options. No doubt he would be in mentioned by any PLEBeian that got arrested, so staying in Saffron would be a very bad idea. Going to another city in Kanto would not be good either, but he had little choice if he wanted to leave. Time was running out, he could feel it.

"Old man, we go north. You can drop me off a couple of miles out."

Mr. Willikers chuckled. The car lurched forward onto the tarmac. The wheels squealed to get a grip as they twisted to the right. The car almost tipped on its side. Surely it was built to go from nought to sixty so fast?

"Uh... old man... what's the speed limit here?" Kari asked nervously as he watched the speed dial climb ever higher.

"What's a speed limit boy?"

***
Author's Note: Hmm, I don't know whether I should leave it there. I might come back and go over what happens with the UAPCP and PLEB. Oh, and if you're wondering, Mr. Williker's used to be a thief in his younger days, drove get-away cars as well
He's not entirely crazy, really.

 

[Jenova]

xD
Awesome chapter, Tatile.
I love the fact that Mr. Williker used to drove get-away cars.