Pokemon: Resurgence Chapter 42

Hi all, 

Here’s the second of five chapters this week. The first Artisan chapter will be out Thursday evening (NZST).

I have fixed a small plot hole in chapter 16 where Lucas was supposed to get the Vulpix egg for free after finding the stolen eggs. I have changed it to Gloria owing him a favour, as it’s the easiest way to fix it without making a lot more changes. Thanks to everyone who pointed it out to me.

Chapter 42

The six Eevee's awakened from their sleep, alerted to their presence because Lucas and Amelia had been talking. They rushed over to Amelia and surrounded her, and she bent down to pet them. They glanced at Lucas curiously but didn't approach him.

Lucas smiled at them and stretched out his hand. One of the more intrepid Eevee's came forward and sniffed his hand, then nuzzled it affectionately. He activated Pokemon Friendship, which would let him bond with the Pokemon more easily.

He examined the Eevee again with his Insight skill. It just so happened that this one piqued his curiosity the most, and he wanted to examine its parameters in greater detail. 

=========

Species: Eevee; Evolution Pokemon

Gender: Male

Status: Owned

Favourability: --

Favourite Food: Twilight Silkweed

Condition: Perfect

Level: 20

Next: [45%]

Exp Cache: [0]

Stats obtained from EV’s [36/100]

Current Level Potential Met? Yes

Special Ability: Adaptability

=========

Attack: 69 

Special Attack: 64 

Defence: 61 

Special Defence: 62 

Speed: 77

Luck: 38

=========

Moves:

Covet

Baby Doll Eyes

Tackle

Quick Attack

Sand Attack

Swift

Bite

Copycat

=========

Description: Eevee is a Pokemon with a lot of untapped potential, but it may take some effort to realise it. Its genetic code is unstable, which allows it to evolve into a total of eight evolutions, but the conditions required may vary from individual to individual. It’s so popular that it was nearly hunted to extinction, despite being very common at one point. Despite concerted efforts to bring it back to its previous population numbers, it remains a rare Pokemon due to the difficulty of breeding it in captivity.  

==========

Hidden Stats

Intelligence: 8

Endurance: 9

Energy: 6

Aptitude: 8

Affinities

Normal: 65%

Fairy: 37%

Dark: 34%

Ground: 29%

Move Proficiency

Covet: 71%

Baby Doll Eyes: 77%

Tackle: 100%

Quick Attack: 100%

Sand Attack: 82%

Swift: 95%

Bite: 75%

Copycat: 45%

=========

Traits

Inherent (can be passed onto offspring)

Normal-type Aptitude (Expert) - Increases normal-affinity training by thirty percent.

Attack Boost (Intermediate) - Moderately increases speed stat potency.

Speed Aptitude (Expert) - Sharply increases speed stat training efficiency.

Speed Boost (Intermediate) - Moderately increases speed stat potency.

Barren - 80% failure rate to produce an egg in captivity.   

Affinity Master - able to increase affinities twenty percent faster than usual.  

Embrace the Darkness - Has a preference for the Umbreon evolution.

Learned/Acquired/Unique

Acrobatics - has been trained to move its body more effectively.

==========

Evolution Conditions

Flareon

Condition: Perfect

Fire Stone

Fire-type Affinity: 50%

Temperature in immediate surroundings: Above 35 (℃) 95 (℉)

Has consumed Fire Grass

Jolteon

Condition: Perfect

Thunder Stone

Electric-type Affinity: 55%

It has experienced a lightning strike.

Defeated a rock-type Pokemon.

Vaporeon

Condition: Perfect

Water Stone

Water-type Affinity: 50%

Special Attack: >100

Stayed underwater for an entire hour without surfacing. (Final condition: evolves in water.)

Espeon

Condition: Perfect

Has consumed a Psychic Stone (Crushed up and mixed with food.)

Psychic-type Affinity: 70%

Future Sight has been learned.

Defeated a ghost-type and dark-type Pokemon.

Umbreon

Condition: Perfect

Dark Stone

Dark-type Affinity: 40%

Has consumed a mouthful of human blood.

Leafeon

Condition: Perfect

Has slept in a nest of five leaf stones (or mossy rock) for ten consecutive days.

Grass-type Affinity: 55%

Poison Affinity: 25%

Defeated thirty wild Pokemon

Glaceon

Condition: Perfect

Ice Stone

Ice-type Affinity: 70%

Temperatures in immediate surroundings: Below 5 (℃) 41 (℉)

Blizzard learned.

Sylveon

Condition: Perfect

Fairy Stone

Fairy-type Affinity: 60%

Luck: >40

Has defeated a dragon-type Pokemon.

Bond with its trainer have reached revered status.

Evolution Bonuses

Max Experience in Cache = 60000: + 15 to all Stats

Dark type affinity = 65%: Dark Attack Boost (Expert) learned.

Evolved into Umbreon: Dark Pulse learned.

Evolved into Umbreon: Inner Focus special ability acquired.

Evolved into Umbreon: Vengeance Counter learned.

Five Affinities above 50% = Energy + 1

==========

Eevee: Breeding Type: C

Breeding Conditions

Same Species: +25%

Egg Group: Same -25%

Egg Group: Other: -50%

Same Level: +10%

Base Compatibility:

Type A: 90%

Type B: 45%

Type C: 13%

Type D: 24%

Type E: 2%

==========

The male Eevee in front of him possessed the most impressive hidden stats out of the bunch. He was half tempted to add him to the team because it had so much potential, but he had to restrain himself. He had decided to strengthen his current Pokemon before considering adding another member to the team.

Although the Eevee's had the ability to evolve into any one of eight possible evolutions, each one had a preferred form. If you followed the Eevee's preference, the conditions for evolution would be slightly easier to meet and would provide some additional benefits after it had evolved. 

One way to determine their preference was to consider their favourite food. In this case, the Eevee preferred Twilight Silkweed, which was easily identified as a food with dark connotations. The remaining Eevee's preferred Jolteons, Flareons, and Leafeons as their final form. As far as he could tell, their preference was completely random and not something he could control.

Of course, the traits listed revealed their preferences, but it was still an interesting observation. He wondered if anyone else had discovered that Eevee's had different food tastes based on their preferred evolution. 

The Eevee's were all level twenty, with similar traits, affinities, and moves. Only the stats differed somewhat because their hidden stats were different.

It suggested that Amelia had several breeding Eevee's with similar pedigrees, and that her training methods were applied to all of their offspring collectively rather than individually. He calculated their stats and determined that they had to be close to fulfilling their full potential after every level up. Amelia obviously knew what she was doing.

There were four males and two females, which was not the best combination if he wanted to breed them all at once. But he quickly came up with a game plan based on the information on hand. He was going to breed five of them, one of which would be with Datto, and he would evolve the last one into one of the rarer evolutions. He would eventually reveal the method to the world and boost his reputation. Since the Eevee in front of him had a preference for evolving into Umbreon, he was going to use him.

He wanted to see how many of Datto's traits could be passed on to the Eevee offspring. It had a lot of status resistances, which were quite useful for any Pokemon. Datto's Auto-Revival trait, however, was the real treasure. He wasn't sure if the trait was unique to the Ditto species, but he'd never heard of it before, so it had to be incredibly rare at least.

What made him happy was that the two females had already paired up with two males who were compatible with one another. This meant they could begin producing eggs sooner and in greater quantities. The Eevee’s had a negative trait that affected their egg production speed, which cleared up the mystery about their ability to produce eggs in captivity, but that was something easily solved with a trait shedding potion.   

After seeing their companion interact with them, the other Eevee's came forward to meet him. Amelia kept a close eye on Lucas as he played with the Eevee's. She wanted to see for herself if he was the type of person she wanted to sell her Eevee's to, and she wasn't concerned about losing a prospective purchase. Her Eevee's were in such high demand that she would never run out of buyers.

“How long do you keep them for after they hatch from their eggs?” Lucas asked.

"Usually, it's around six months," Amelia said. "That allows me time to train them to a certain standard. My customers appreciate the time and effort I put into them; therefore, I can charge a higher price for them. To be honest, I could probably charge two hundred thousand pokedollars for each one and still sell them."

Lucas laughed as one of the Eevee's bumped his hand with its head, asking to be stroked again. "Are they mature enough to reproduce at six months? I'm not really familiar with the species."

"Then I suggest you get up to speed on them," Amelia ordered.

Lucas saluted. “Yes, ma'am.”

Amelia softened her tone. "I give my customers a booklet with essential information about the species. To answer your question, Eevee's can typically breed when they are three months old, depending on their level. But I think it's best to wait six months, which is one of the reasons why I hold them for so long before selling them."

Lucas nodded. There was no specific age requirement for breeding Pokemon, however, it was recommended that you wait until they were at least a few months old. Some Pokemon took considerably more time to be ready; therefore, it had to be assessed on an individual basis. 

It was more beneficial to produce eggs at higher levels anyway, as there were issues with breeding them at lower levels, even though it was more efficient. Since Pokemon sacrificed levels to produce an egg, technically it was more efficient to do so at lower levels. But that defeated the purpose of creating strong eggs, as you could miss out on some of the bonuses transferred from the parents to the offspring. Furthermore, every Pokemon had a limit to how many eggs they could produce in their lifetime, and the limit was adversely affected at the lower levels. 

“Are there many of your customers that purchase Eevees to figure out their evolutionary conditions?” Lucas asked.  

"Of course," Amelia snorted. 'That's part of their appeal. Flareon, Jolteon, and Vapereon are easier to grasp because the key components needed to evolve them are their respective evolution stones. But each Eevee is unique, so determining the remaining requirements takes some work."

“Have you tried finding the conditions for the other variants yourself?” Lucas asked.

Ameila shook her head. "I run a business, so I don't have time to play around. Besides, I already have a Flareon, a Jolteon, and a Vaperon. That's enough for me."

Lucas returned to Celadon City with Amelia to complete the transaction. He stopped at the bank to put the pokedollars into Amelia's account, and she handed him the Eevee's. He had no problems capturing them with pokeballs, which completed the final step towards gaining ownership of them. Each of them had a Pseudo Bond. He wasn't sure if he could turn that into a real bond later, in case he decided to add Umbreon to his team.

Amelia said her goodbyes, and Lucas headed to the Celadon Department Store. It looked even more incredible up close. Unlike the games, it had approximately twenty floors. He wasn't sure if all the floors were used to sell merchandise, but it was impressive regardless. When he tried to enter, a security guard stopped him and told him that Pokemon weren't allowed inside.

Meowth made a rude gesture at the man. Lucas, embarrassed, apologised and returned Meowth to his pokeball. He entered the building, where the service counter was located, along with several cafeterias and food stalls, and a directory outlining the store layout. He perused it briefly before proceeding to the elevator.

The Trainer's Market was located on the second floor and sold everything a trainer could possibly need, including pokeballs and recovery items. Behind the counter, there were a wide range of technical machines. Because they were so valuable and easy to steal due to their size, they weren't kept on the shelves.

Lucas walked through the store, looking at the many items on display. When he paused to check out some trainer accessories, he heard a loud, booming voice in the adjacent aisle.

“Where have I heard that voice before?” Lucas mused.

He headed for the next aisle and spotted a familiar figure standing in front of a mirror, trying on a black cape.

"Lucas!" Lance spotted him and rushed to his side. "Fancy meeting you here. It must be a fateful encounter."

"Sure, let's go with that," Lucas said, rolling his eyes. “Are you buying some new clothes?”

"I just bought myself a new cape to update my style," Lance explained, twirling around to show it off. "What do you think? Does it suit me?"

“It looks exactly like the old cape you wore.”

"Nonsense," Lance exclaimed. "This one has a scarlet inner lining that matches well with the black on the outside. There's a huge difference. I look even more handsome now."

"My mistake," Lucas murmured. “Is there any particular reason why you are choosing now to update your style?”

"I am on the hunt for Team Rocket, and you need to look your best when going into battle. I have received information that they have a hideout somewhere in the city. They will not be able to escape from me."

Lucas was taken aback. He hadn't anticipated that Team Rocket’s hideout would be discovered so quickly. Was this a result of the cruise ship investigation and Shinchiro's desire to eliminate Team Rocket from the region? To be fair, he couldn't recall how the hideout was discovered in the anime, so he could be wrong about the timeline.

How much did Shichuro know about the organisation? Did he know Giovanni was the leader of Team Rocket? Shichiro had hinted that he had reservations about the man, but that didn’t mean he was aware of his true identity.

"Maybe you should be less conspicuous," Lucas advised, gesturing to his flamboyant outfit that stood out a little too much. Aside from that, Lance was so well known among the public that he would be recognised wherever he went, and he clearly made no attempt to hide his face.

"I'm actually here on other business as a decoy," Lance told him. "If I try to hide myself now, it will only make me look more suspicious."

Lucas nodded. “May I ask where you got the intel from?”

Lance glanced around before leaning in and whispering. "I obtained this information from a man named Looker. He is an agent for the International Police. He leads a task force dedicated to taking down Team Rocket. One of his subordinates came across information about a potential hideout in the city, but doesn’t know the exact location. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's genuine.”

Lucas was surprised that Lance was so open about revealing sensitive information. He assumed that the only reason he was telling him was because of his relationship with Sabrina.

The International Police was a global law enforcement agency entrusted with eliminating major threats that could affect the stability of a region, or worse. They were a neutral organisation with no affiliation with any region. They recruited agents from all around the world, who were well trained and had powerful Pokemon teams to help them carry out their duties. Essentially, they were the experts that took care of problems that the local police, rangers, or gym leaders couldn’t handle themselves. 

“Is the International Police working with Shichiro to bring Team Rocket down?” Lucas asked.

“That’s right,” Lance said. “I uncovered some disturbing information about Team Rocket that has caught their attention.”

“Does this have to do with the cruise ship incident?”

“I can’t say,” Lance said, before glancing at his watch. “I need to get going. It was good seeing you, Lucas.”

“Wait,” Lucas said, stopping Lance from leaving. “I have an idea of where their hideout is.”

Lance’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know?”

Lucas silently apologised to Amelia, as he was going to use her as an excuse. “I came to the city to purchase some Eevee’s for my breeding business. The seller told me that she got a visit from some individuals from the Game Corner, who were interested in purchasing them to use as prizes. She hinted that the individuals weren’t law-abiding citizens, and I assumed she was talking about Team Rocket.”

Lance looked contemplative. “Using a casino as a front for their hideout. It’s something I could see Team Rocket doing. I need to check it out.”

Lance walked away. Lucas hesitated briefly, as he had an idea to help Lance, but didn’t know if he should reveal one of his cards. Ultimately, he decided to help him. He pulled out a face-changing potion and ran to catch up with him.

“What is this?” Lance asked, examining the vial he had been handed.

Lucas told him what it could do, and Lance’s eyebrows rose in astonishment. “It won’t change your hair, so you will have to conceal it with a wig or some other method.”

“Do you know how dangerous this could be in the wrong hands?” Lance asked.

Lucas shrugged. “So, don’t tell anyone else about it. I only created the potion because some bothersome people with bad intentions were trying to find me.”

“I sense a story there. Does this affect Sabrina?” Lance frowned, his brotherly instincts kicking in.

“No. It has nothing to do with her.”

“Well, that’s good. I will take your word for it that you won’t use it to commit any crimes,” Lance said, pocketing the vial. “Thank you for this. It will make my job easier to investigate the Game Corner covertly. If there is anything you need, let me know.”

“Actually, there is something,” Lucas said, getting an idea. “I need a dragon scale from a high level Pokemon. Do you know where I can get one?”

"I have some at home, as my Kingdra sheds them on occasion," Lance said. “Why do you need them?”

“It’s an experiment for a new potion I’m developing,” Lucas replied.

“I will send you some when I have time,” Lance promised, before leaving. 

Lucas grinned. He needed a level fifty dragon scale to fulfil one of Saphira’s evolutionary bonus requirements. Since Dragonite’s level was in the mid-eighties, it more than met the requirements.

He took the lift to explore the other floors, amazed at the variety of goods available and the low prices in comparison to other stores. He reminded himself to come here to do his shopping so he could save on expenses. With Dante, it was only a short trip away. Before leaving, he brought some Christmas presents for his girlfriend and friends. 

Sabrina would be coming to the Ketchum house for Christmas dinner. She could only stay the night before she had to return to Saffron City, but he was grateful that he was able to see her at all.  

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

After returning home, Lucas set up the Eevees and Datto in the building out back, which Henry had already completed with the help of the numerous workers he threw at the project. He called the building the Pokemon Den, the first iteration of his breeding faculty that he would expand upon in the future, when he found the right location.

They also completed the other renovations. There was now a tall concrete wall surrounding the property, making him feel much more secure. The workers had replaced many of the trees and plants they had cut down, restoring his privacy. Brock told him that similar renovations had been made to his home, as they could be targeted by individuals who wanted to use them to harm Lucas, or even the Kuroi family. There was also his father, who may decide to come for his kids.

Aside from that, there was a stronger security presence in the neighbourhood. They added more security guards who had powerful Pokemon companions to tackle any potential threats to the residents' safety.

He fed the five breeding Eevees’ trait shedding potions to get rid of the negative trait affecting their egg production. He encouraged them to start producing eggs, and now he only had to wait patiently and let nature take its course. He didn’t think Datto would have issues producing eggs, due to his special characteristics, but he wasn’t sure the same held true for his partner. 

Lucas had been perusing the pamphlet, and apparently the Eevees enjoyed a particular incense that helped them get in the mood. He made sure to buy some, along with an incense burner, which he placed in the room where they'd be sleeping.

Now that he had sorted out the new arrivals, Lucas spent the rest of the day shopping for more presents, and running some errands. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and he would spend some time with Brock and his family before he left for the Ketchums.  

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Lucas was setting the table in the dining room for Christmas lunch when he heard the doorbell ring.

“Can you get the door?” Delia called from the kitchen.

Lucas opened the front door and swept Sabrina up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked him on the lips. That wasn't enough for him, as his longing for her was overwhelming. He pushed her up against the wall and plundered her mouth, tangling his tongue with hers, and pressing his lower body against hers. There was no doubt how aroused he was; she could feel him pressing against her belly. She tilted her hips, so her softness was pressing up against him. Lucas groaned. He was on the verge of removing her clothing because he was so aroused, but he stopped when he heard a sound from behind him.

“Gross!” Ash wrinkled his nose, standing at the entrance to the living room.

Delia emerged from the kitchen, amused by their flushed cheeks. “I would prefer that you don’t give my son an anatomy lesson, please.”

Sabrina pushed him away, embarrassed. She stepped outside to retrieve the presents she had brought and to give herself some time to gather her composure.

Lucas cleared his throat. “I will finish setting the table.”

As he entered the dining room, Meowth passed by. “How embarrassing.”

“Shut it,” Lucas said, aiming a kick at his behind, but he dodged it easily.

“Pokemon cruelty!” Meowth protested, running away.

They ate a sumptuous lunch that Delia had cooked, which included ham, roast chicken, roast potatoes, vegetables, and several desserts. By the time he finished, he was stuffed, and the table still had plenty of food. However, the Pokemon were there to clean up the leftovers, which they seemed to enjoy a lot.

After lunch, they handed out the presents. Delia and Ash had gotten him a new backpack, which had a lot more space, and was both more durable and waterproof. Delia gave Sabrina some romance literature, and she browsed through one of them out of curiosity. She quickly slammed the book shut, saying that she would read it later.

Lucas smirked, seeing her flushed cheeks. She was adorable.

He gave Delia a voucher for a spa treatment so she could pamper herself for the day. Ash got a whole load of trainer supplies, including some pokeballs, recovery items, and some basic survival gear. He brought the same supplies for Misty and sent them to her home in Cerulean City. 

Sabrina gave Delia a beautiful flower vase that looked expensive, but Delia accepted it graciously. She gave Ash a mountain bike to help him on his journey, which he greatly appreciated.

He didn't neglect his team. Lucas had given them all vouchers to spend on anything they liked. He assumed they would mostly spend it on food. Meowth gathered the team around to discuss what they would spend their vouchers on.

Lucas took Sabrina outside, and they sat down on the bench to exchange their presents in private.

“Here’s my first present,” Lucas said, handing her a jewellery box. 

Sabrina opened it to find a silver necklace with a purple circular pendant, which had an image of a Banette etched into it. “It’s beautiful. Will you put it on me?”

She turned around, gathered her hair, and pulled it aside to give him access. He placed the necklace around her neck and fastened it. He finished by pressing a kiss against her nape, causing her to shiver.

“I have another present for you,” Lucas said, reaching down and presenting her with the wrapped portrait. “I think it’s pretty obvious what the present is.”

Sabrina tore the wrapping paper off and gasped when she saw the portrait. “Lucas!”

Lucas had drawn an intimate portrait of her. She was naked and reclining on a bed; her hair spread out behind her, and she had a seductive look on her face. She crossed her legs to conceal her most private area, and slung an arm across her breasts to cover her nipples while still revealing plenty of flesh. The water colours gave the whole portrait a mystical quality, as if she were some goddess who had descended to the mortal realm to grace him with her favour.

He had spent a lot of time on the portrait, so he was slightly nervous about her reaction. When he saw that she was silently crying, he panicked, thinking he had upset her. 

“I can paint another one if you don’t—”

Sabrina placed a finger over his lips. “These are happy tears. I love the portrait.”

Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Although, I’m not going to let anyone else see it,” Sabrina said, covering the portrait back up with wrapping paper. “I will hang it up in our bedroom once I move into our place.”

“I can’t wait,” Lucas replied. “Wait, our place? I thought it belonged to your uncle.”

Sabrina shook her head. “I paid for the property myself.”

Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but she held up her hand to stop him. 

“We are going to share everything in the future, so you shouldn’t be so worried about one house,” Sabrina said. “I know you have the means to pay for your half of the property, but it's not necessary. Besides, we don’t know how long we are going to be living here in the long run.”

“Okay.”

“I have an unreasonable request, though,” Sabrina said, biting her lip. “Although I will keep my apartment in Saffron City, I want to move Bree here. I don’t want to leave her alone.”

“Of course. I assumed that would be the case. She may be terrifying, but we get along well enough.”

Sabrina looked relieved. She reached down and grabbed the bag that held his present. “I don’t think I can match what you brought me, but here it is.”

Lucas waggled his eyebrows. "The only gift I need from you is to have you tied to my bed for an entire week, at my mercy."

“Scoundrel.”

He took the present from her and opened it to reveal a small square box. A thick metal bracelet with a single button at the top was nestled inside. It was accompanied by a small orange gem the size of a marble.

“What is this?” 

“This is a Mega Bracelet,” Sabrina explained. “It’s a device that allows certain Pokemon to temporarily transform into an additional form, so long as you have the right Mega Stone to go along with it. It’s called Mega Evolution, and it not only changes a Pokemon’s appearance but boosts all their parameters significantly.” 

Lucas' eyes widened. He hadn't anticipated encountering Mega Evolutions in this way. If he remembered correctly, Pokemon X and Y introduced the ability, allowing for some sick-looking transformations. Obviously, the timeline in which they appeared in this world was different from the games. 

“This is a Mega Stone?” Lucas inquired, grabbing the orange gem from the box and examining it more closely. He couldn’t hide his enthusiasm. “What Pokemon is it used for?”

Sabrina smiled. "A Pidgeotite enables a Pidgeot to attain Mega Evolution. Researchers discovered the Mega Stones in the Kalos region and spent years researching their potential uses. You'll hear about it in the news soon, as the government plans to make them public. Thanks to the Silph Company, I was able to get my hands on this one."

Lucas gave her a hug. “This is amazing. Thank you.”

“I thought you might like it.”

He was going to give the Mega Stone to Icarus as soon as he evolved into Pidgeot. Although Icaria could also use it, Icarus had to come first. He was Lucas’ first Pokemon, and so he held a special place in his heart. If he ever found another Pidgeotite, then he could give it to her. Imagine being able to summon two Mego Pidgeots at the same time. 

“How does it work?” Lucas asked.

“The Pokemon has to swallow the mega stone,” Sabrina said. "It will remain in their body indefinitely. It's not easy to retrieve, so make sure to choose your Pokemon wisely. To activate the stone, you push the button on the bracelet, which triggers the Pokemon's transformation. You can only use it once a day due to the significant physical strain it places on the Pokemon."

Lucas nodded. "I need to work hard to evolve Icarus into Pidgeot. I can’t wait to see what he looks like when he Mega Evolves.”

He took her on a tour of the Pokemon Den and introduced her to the Eevees, who were running around outside in the fenced-off area. She picked one up and cuddled with it as they caught up on recent events.

“Did Lance find Team Rocket’s hideout?” Lucas asked.

“Yes,” Sabrina said, sending him a bemused look. “I was shocked when Lance told me that you were the one that revealed its location. He has been singing your praises ever since.”

Lucas gave her an innocent expression. “I was in the right place at the right time. Maybe it was a fateful encounter.”

Sabrina snorted. “That’s what he said.”

“Has he raided the hideout yet?”

“No. My uncle doesn’t want to move too quickly without considering the ramifications. Once they destroy their hideout, he expects Team Rocket to retaliate. Lance will gather a team and probably storm the hideout sometime after the New Year.”

“That sounds reasonable. Will that be after you have moved here?”

“Most likely. My uncle is getting more antsy, but there's a task I need to do first before I move here.”

“May I ask what it is?”

Sabrina's face darkened. "I'm looking for a maid who used to serve our family when I was a little girl. My uncle and I believe she was the one responsible for helping the attackers get inside the mansion, but she disappeared after that night. I have been chasing a lead to her location, but I haven’t had any luck so far.”

“Is that the evidence you need to bring down Shichiro’s opponent?”

“It would certainly help. The main priority is to find evidence of his collaboration with Team Rocket. I’m looking for the maid for more personal reasons, though.”

Lucas pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. Sabrina’s eyes were dark with suppressed emotion. It was obvious that she felt betrayed by the maid and was searching for her to enact some personal revenge. He didn’t blame her for feeling that way, as long as it didn’t consume her.

“If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know,” Lucas said. 

Sabrina nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. 

Lucas gained a mischievous look. “So, how about we christen the new building with some hot, sweaty sex? I think that every room needs some of our attention.”

“Scoundrel.”

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas heads for Cinnabar Island.

Thanks for reading.