Looker's Mental Health
Looker's determined to get back in the game after failing a phsycological debrief after dealing with Team Plasma. Desperate to prove to his superiors that he is still capable, Looker is set a rather low-level mission, one which he should be able to pass complete with ease. Unforunately, one Rotom is about to make that very difficult for him.
Chapter 1
“So the shipment comes in at eleven o’clock tonight?”
”Yes, and don’t be late, or I’ll have your balls on a platter.”
These were the only lines that Looker had managed to distinguish through his bug, planted underneath the payphone that was in use by the thug. He observed the man leaving the alleyway from his hired apartment in the filthy, run down back alley of Eterna City, complete with rotting floors and peeling wallpaper.
It wasn’t that Looker minded the less-than-pleasant surroundings, he’d been stationed in far worse places, its just that after twelve years of service in the International Police, he thought that he’d be sent on the more important missions, especially after he infiltrated and took down both Team Galactic and Team Plasma. But no, his superiors seemed to think that the scale of the events that took place in those regions may have had an effect on Looker’s mental health, so after the Medals of Honour and the Commendations, he had been given nothing but back-alley assignments and low-risk missions ever since.
Then again, he supposed most people wouldn’t consider attempting to take down a local coke-dealing ring a low-risk operation, but Looker wasn’t like most people. Looker watched the thug carefully until he was sure he had left the area, before exiting the rotted apartment, heading downstairs and retrieving the bug from the underside of the payphone.
“11pm, Sunyshore City.” He thought to himself as he made his way out of the alley, flinching slightly as the unexpected brightness caught him off guard after the darkness of the alley. Looking down to check his watch, he saw the little silver hand just about to touch the top of the number four. Knowing he’d need some time to set up an observation post in Sunyshore City, he decided that he would need to be there by eight o’clock at the latest.
“Great, that gives me four hours to get there.” He whispered under his breath in irritation, his right hand reaching up to rub his temple as he contemplated on just how he was going to cross an entire region in such a short amount of time. Pokemon were certainly not an option, Looker had never taken a liking to Pokemon, mainly because their abilities seemed to make his own dull in comparison when in the field. In fact, were it not for a Pokemon’s lack of intuition, field agents such as Looker would almost certainly be made redundant, a thought which caused him to harbour an even deeper resentment towards the creatures.
Fortunately, Looker noticed out of the corner of his eye, the telltale spire of a Police Station, it’s gleaming white colour contrasting with the brown and grey of the surrounding area. Hugging his trench coat tightly around his chest to protect himself from the sudden bitter wind that had picked up, he made his way through the empty, run down streets of Eterna City. The area was completely silent as Looker walked past the various vandalised buildings, aside from a flock of Starly that passed overhead, he was completely alone.
The clean, whitewashed walls of the Police Station’s entrance looked horribly out of place in the dull, worn down surroundings of Eterna City’s ghetto, Looker couldn’t help but feel disgusted at the apparent ignorance that the place showed. They cared more about keeping their station clean then actually fighting crime. Pushing the cold steel handle of the spotless glass doors, Looker couldn’t help but relish in the sudden warmth that washed over him as he entered the station, the heated air inside far more pleasant than the bitter chill he had just left. Simple arrangements of a table, surrounded by rather comfy looking sofas, along with a reception desk to it’s right, were all the furnishings that the station contained. A Growlithe sat proudly on top of the reception, and barked happily at the station’s visitor, prompting a female police officer, with cyan hair and dressed in blue overalls, to enter through a door located behind the desk.
“Hello sir.” She said, in that carefully measured, false-polite tone that all Officer Jennies spoke in. “What seems to be the problem?”
Looker reached into his trench coat abruptly, causing the Officer to stiffen in surprise, evidently under the impression that he was reaching for a weapon of some sort. Instead, Looker pulled out a folded piece of leather, and held it out in front of her face where is unfolded, revealing a perfectly polished Law Enforcement badge which gleamed in the station’s lighting. The Jenny’s disposition changed from one of fear to that of respect, though she did not relax. Evidently she was aware of the area’s state of disrepair, and was most likely worried that Looker was here to reprimand her.
“Officer Jenny reporting for duty sir!” She said almost too quickly, snapping into a crisp salute. “What do you require?”
Ordinarily Looker would have berated her for not doing her job properly, but he was in a hurry, and this was not the time for lectures.
“Agent Looker.” He stated simply. “I require transport.”
“Of course sir!” Jenny replied hastily. “We have many Pokemon avail-”
“No Pokemon.” Looker interrupted, frowning at the thought. “I need your bike.”
Jenny looked somewhat taken aback at this statement. “M-my bike sir?”
“Are you simple? Yes your damn bike.” Looker replied, his anger at the officer’s incompetence beginning to seep into his words. “Or will I have to put down in my report that you were unwilling to co-operate with a superior?”
At this, Jenny’s face fell, and she reluctantly reached underneath the desk and grabbed a small set of keys. There were two keys on the ring; evidently one was a spare, accompanied by a small Pikachu figurine that dangled from a chain, which Looker observed in distaste.
“Be careful wi-” was all Jenny managed before Looker had cut her off by abruptly snatching the keys from her hands and turning around, kicking the front door open as he went. Walking round the building, her entered the storage area. A plain, dark grey stretch of tarmac roughly 18ft long, and occupied by a single, white, powerful-looking motorcycle.
Looker chuckled as he made his way over the bike; the two-wheeled beast seemed far more accommodating than the flaming rear of a Rapidash or the, quite frankly, uncomfortable shell of a Blastoise. He grinned as he straddled the bike, relishing in the comfort of the soft leather seat and the solid feel of the handlebars as he rested his palms on them, the trust he held in an unthinking machine, as opposed to an emotionally sensitive Pokemon. Looking around the front area of the bike, he noticed a small silver plate with a slit down the centre, which he took to be the ignition.
He was right.
The monster roared into life as Looker twisted the metal key inside the slot, the vibrations from the engine rippling through his body in a rather unnaturally pleasant sensation. Leaning forward and grasping the handlebars, he twisted his right hand slightly, with the bike revving loudly in response, before kicking away the side stand and rocketing forward out of the storage area, turning left at the exit and speeding away down the street.
The occasional startled head of a traveller enjoying the relatively peaceful routes of Sinnoh regularly swivelled round as Looker shot past in abandon, the routes up to Mt. Coronet were relatively smooth, so Looker had no need to slow down until he reached the mountain’s base. The traffic here seemed to get very heavy, as Looker now had to weave between various trucks and cars that were almost at a standstill, the cause of which became apparent much later.
“I’m sorry!” Shouted a familiar voice from up ahead. “But I’m afraid this tunnel is off limits!”
Sure enough, as he approached the tunnel’s mouth, he was met by another blue-clad police officer; identical to the one he had taken the very bike he was riding from. She looked rather taken aback when she caught site of Looker atop the police-issue motorcycle, and looked like she was about to accuse him of theft, before Looker silenced her with a flick of his badge.
“What’s wrong with the tunnels?” Looker questioned, his eyes boring into hers.
“There’s a been a cave in sir.” The officer replied nonchalantly, her attention taken by an unruly driver who seemed drunk and disorderly. Looker sighed to himself; he had enough problems right now without some drunk-driving knobjockey causing a disturbance in the middle of his questioning. Switching off the bike and taking the keys from the ignition, Looker climbed off the bike and made his way over the driver’s side of the car.
“MOVEEE YYOOOU BLUUE HAAIRREED BITTCCHSSSSSSSSS” The man screamed, evidently intoxicated. “I NEEDSSSSSS TO GO HOOOMMMESS” he continued shouting, only falling silent momentarily when he was surprised by a knock on his window. Looker motioned to the man to roll down his window, which was met with nothing more than a middle finger in return. Closing his eyes in disgust for a moment, Looker decided to give the guy one more chance, he knocked on the window again and flashed his badge against it. This time, the guy stared blankly at it for a few moments, before reluctantly winding his window down with an electronic hum.
“Been drinking have we?” Looker questioned casually, noting the dilated pupils and the way the man’s eyes flicked around uncertainly. Whatever it was, this guy had certainly had more than just alcohol.
The guy grinned in response, “Course not siirrr, just a little bit dizzy in here, you know this mountain air does that to you eh?”
“Nevertheless, you are evidently in no position to be operating an automobile under these conditions.” Looker replied sternly, leaning down so he was face to face with the man, who reeked of tobacco and alcohol. “I’d like you to exit the vehicle.”
Were it not for the sunlight glinting momentarily off of it, Looker would never have noticed the thin blade of steel that the man had produced from his pocket, before thrusting it in violently in Looker’s direction. However, the man was so intoxicated, that Looker had time to roll his eyes in disappointment before he even began to move, swaying to the right as the knife sailed harmlessly past his head, before gripping the man’s wrist in his left hand and his shoulder in the right. With a heave, Looker lifted the assailant straight out of his own window, and brought him over his head, where he landed headfirst on the pavement with a sickening crack.
There were shrieks of surprise and shock at the events from the surrounding spectators, and it was only then that Looker realised that the incessant beeping of horns had fallen silent. Crouching down to look his victim in the face, he saw that, whilst the man had suffered severe cranial trauma, he would live, and recover. Most likely. Lifting the man onto his feet by the hem of his jacket, and throwing him roughly against the side of his car, Looker began to pat the beaten man up and down, feeling for any suspicious lumps that could either be another weapon or contraband item.
“I bet you like this don’t you fucking fagg-” was all the man managed, before Looker silenced him by slamming his already damaged head against the roof of his own car. A few more seconds of searching revealed a small bag of blue tablets in the suspects back pocket, each tablet engraved with a small ‘L’, which Looker recognised as LSD.
“Wow, even I don’t drive when I’m tripping.” Looker chuckled from behind him, which caused the man to realise that he’d been caught out, not that he could do much about it as Looker forced him to step forward with a vicious wrench of his arm.
“Book him and cuff him.” Looker said calmly, throwing the junkie to the floor in front of the officer, who immediately set about wrenching the guy’s arms behind his back and fixing them with cold steel.
“Anyway, why is this tunnel off-limits, we get cave-ins here all the time and it’s never caused this place to close.”
Officer Jenny hesitated for a moment, before standing up and facing the Inspector, one of her legs keeping the junkie pinned to the ground. Looker couldn’t help noticing her long, tanned and toned legs, his eyes flicking up and down between the silken skin and the cotton police skirt, which covered so little that he was sure it was in violation of the dress code. “We’ve had reports of Rock-type Pokemon deliberately causing cave-ins in this area.” She said, snapping Looker out of his reverie, which she had noticed. “You know, I could report you for sexual harassment if you keep on looking at me like that.” She chided, resulting in Looker raising an eyebrow. “I won’t though.” She chuckled. “I don’t think you’re too bad yourself.”
Looker smiled the smile that made all women weak at the knees, causing the Officer to blush heavily as he turned away. “Perhaps another time.” He called as he straddled his more-or-less stolen motorcycle once again. He could see her face fall in visible disappointment as he revved up the bike once again, which only served to fuel his ego further. So the tunnel was off limits eh? In all honesty, Looker didn’t feel like taking on a bunch of angry rock Pokemon right then. Besides, he was in a hurry, the tunnel could wait.
Pointing the nose of the bike towards the edge of the road, Looker twisted the handle and the bike roared once again, catapulting itself off the side of he road and onto the rocky terrain of the mountain. There weren’t many vehicles that could cover such rough terrain such as this, which any arrogant Pokemon trainer would never be able to resist pointing out. Fortunately, the immensely powerful bike was one of these vehicles, and so, half an hour later, Looker was already halfway across the mountain range, leaving behind a trail of burnt rubber and startled Geodudes.
Looker was confident that he would make it to Sunyshore City with time to spare, and so he slowed his pace a little, and let his guard down. Big mistake. The moment he relaxed, Looker suddenly felt the ground beneath him move, as if the very mountain was coming to life. Fighting to control the bike as it swayed and bounced among the rocks, he eventually relinquished the vehicle, jumping off and rolling repeatedly on the hard, stony ground as he watched the bike lose balance and clatter into a cliff face.
“The fuck?” He began, only to be interrupted by a gravely roar.
“RHY-PERIOR” He heard from beneath him, diving out of the way just in time as a wild Rhyperior erupted from the ground, coating him in a fine layer of gravel and dust. The Pokemon looked around momentarily, searching for Looker amongst the rubble it had created, before spotting the telltale signs of life as Looker brushed himself off.
The wild beast charged headfirst towards Looker, eyes narrowed, horn spinning. Looker could see the anger in its eyes, as far as it was concerned, this was its territory, and Looker was intruding. Waiting until the last moment, Looker jumped against the cliff that he had been cornered against, took a quick step directly up it, and launched himself into the air, soaring up and over the Pokemon as it’s head met the unforgiving stone of the cliff face where Looker had been only moments ago, before landing smoothly and rolling into a standing position. There was a loud ‘crack’ as the cliff face gave way to the Rhyperior’s drill, the rock no match for the cold metal of its horn. Even so, the Pokemon was obviously dazed as it charged Looker again, this time it moved slower and looked clumsy. Looker took this opportunity to put it out of commission, reaching into the confines of his jacket and producing a Beretta 92F. Looker knew that he only had one chance at this, as raised the weapon quickly, aiming down the sights at the charging beast. He also knew that there wasn’t a hope in hell of the bullet penetrating the Rhyperior’s thick hide, he also knew that if he pulled this off, he’d consider praying to Arceus for watching over him. Staring down the iron sites as the monster stormed towards him, he waited for the exposed eye of the beast to become large enough to be a possible target, before he pulled the trigger. The flash from the muzzle and bang that accompanied it may have been enough to make the creature hesitate, but that wasn’t what he was counting on. The small piece of metal rocketed from the barrel, cut through the air and buried itself inside the Rhyperior’s eye, causing it to launch itself backwards, claws scrabbling at its damage head in pain. Looker used this distraction to put it down for good, sprinting over to the cliff face where the bike lay, scratched and slightly dented, but in pristine condition nonetheless. He spun the bike around until it was aiming straight at the wounded Pokemon, before revving the engine and straddling it as it shot off in the Rhyperior’s direction.
Looker had to time this perfectly, or he’d most likely end up a mangled corpse, as he leant back, the bike responding in kind by causing it’s front wheel to leave the ground, both Looker and the bike now being supported by a single tire as it rocketed towards the injured beast. Looker kicked the back of the motorcycle down as the back wheel met an unusually jagged rock, launching the bike into the air, and directly onto the upper torso of Rhyperior, knocking it off balance as it continued to writhe in pain. Kicking up the revs once again, Looker burnt rubber on the chest of the Pokemon as it crashed onto it’s back, it’s arms scrambling to grab the machine that was responsible for it’s downfall, but by then, Looker had already driven straight over the Pokemon, being careful to avoid it’s horn as he rode over the head, and was already at least halfway down the mountain by the time it came to its senses.
The roar of the bike was now punctuated by a slight cough as the damage that the Rhyperior had caused became evident. Every now and then the bike would splutter momentarily, before resuming it’s more familiar rumble as whatever had come loose fell back into place. Looker knew that if he didn’t stop to check what was wrong, the bike would most likely die long before he reached his destination, so against his better judgement, he pulled up at the muddy side of the road, the bike sinking slightly in the moist dirt, before turning off the engine and kicked down the side stand. Stepping off the side of the bike, Looker reached into his jacket, feeling inside for the comforting cold steel of his gun. However, it was not the gun he needed right now, it was one of the attachments, the torch, to be precise. Flicking it on as he pulled the pistol from beneath the jacket’s folds, Looker turned it towards the bike’s undercarriage, the chrome of the engine reflecting the light off into the trees, illuminating them. A groan escaped from Looker’s lips as he saw the damage. The entire engine, whilst still intact, had been dislodged, and now hung dangerously close to road, scratches on the bottom of it revealing where it had already begun to sink too low. Placing his pistol on the ground, making sure to keep the torch’s light on the bike, Looker bent down and took a hold of the engine, only to yelp as he realised just how hot it was from the abuse he had put the machine through. Sighing to himself, he took off his trench coat, immediately regretting it as the cold air bit into his exposed forearms, and wrapped it round his hands.
Now with his fleshed covered by the tough nylon of his jacket, Looker once again reached underneath the bike, gripping it firmly, before wrenching it upwards until he heard a satisfying click as the engine returned to it’s bed of metal. Turning around to retrieve his gun, Looker smiled in satisfaction at his handiwork. To him, it was further proof that the use of Pokemon was unnecessary; any living creature would surely have abandoned him had he put it through the punishment that the bike had been through that afternoon.
His grin was wiped from his face however, when he attempted to start the bike once again. The only response he received was the bike’s chugging refusal to start, no matter how hard he twisted the key inside the ignition. Bringing his fist down on the bodywork in frustration, Looker groaned as his only means of transportation was refusing to co-operate. Was everything so sensitive that even inanimate objects would start to hate you if you treated it roughly? Eventually, Looker’s patience ran out, and he reached for his pistol, intending to smash a couple of glass dials until his pent up anger had started to flow out. But a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye stole his attention, causing him to fire off two shots in its direction to relieve his tension. When nothing responded, he dropped his arm, leaning back on the bike as his body relaxed. Perhaps his superiors were right, maybe his past adventures had taken a toll on is psyche, he thought, his body collapsing as he let the bike take his weight.
“Argh, calm down, focus. You’ve got an hour before you need to be anywhere. Relax and think this through.”
What could he do? He supposed to he could call for an extraction, but that would only show his superiors that he wasn’t capable of undertaking missions just yet. He could commandeer a civilian vehicle? Yeah right, barely anyone drove these days; they all used Pokemon for transport.
Almost a minute had passed with Looker staring into the distance, his thoughts focused on possible ways of reaching his destination. In fact, he was so entranced, that he initially failed to notice that the machine that was taking his weight had suddenly began to rumble, bursting into life with what seemed like a will of it’s own. Looker jumped off the machine in surprise, his hand springing automatically to his pistol holster, but as he surveyed the scene, he couldn’t make out anything else among the trees. Looker sighed; maybe the bike had been working? Maybe he had been imagining the breakdown as an excuse to unload a clip into something? Either way, Looker didn’t have any patience left to think about it, he leaped aboard the motor without a second thought, and twisted the handle.
Immediately, Looker could tell something was wrong, the bike revved violently, before shooting off into the darkness faster than Looker had moved all day. He wasn’t in control, Looker could only hold on for dear life as the machine tore through the countryside, the engine screaming in protest at the punishment it was being put through. Almost thirty seconds of this intense speed were punctuated by the sudden braking, which had had no effect when Looker attempted to pull them, flung the bike up onto it’s front wheel and continued on, the bike apparently defying physics as it continued at a speed exceeding 100mph, balanced precariously on a single tyre. Another few seconds of this followed, ended abruptly as the bike crashing back down onto two wheels and skidded to a halt, tyres screeching in protest as the rubber burned from the friction.
Looker collapsed onto the fuel tank, his energy drained from the effort to hold on, his thighs were on fire from how tightly he’d been gripping the seat, and blisters were already beginning to form on his palms from the handlebars. A jolt of electricity, however, brought him out of his stupor. Opening his eyes wide in surprise, Looker’s vision was dominated by the bike’s dials, which were now flashing a brilliant blue, a small orb of orange sitting in the centre, with an arm extending out pointing to the zero, noting that they had come to a stop. He sat back, exhaustion beginning to sink in, his mind buzzing as he attempted to come up with an explanation for the bike’s apparent possession.
“Damnit, you’re a machine, stop acting up.” Looker growled under his breath, unwilling to make it too obvious that he was talking to a motorbike, just in case anyone was watching. To his surprise however, the bike responded, two quick revs punctuating the slow, rhythmic rumble that the stationary bike had taken, the frame vibrating in chorus with the sound.
Looker looked down in shock, transfixed by the sudden sentience that his machine had gained, before the frustration of the night set in.
“Whatever you are, get the fuck out of my bike!” Looker roared in anger, raising his arm up before hurling it back down onto the fuel tank. Before he made contact however, he was forced to grab onto the handlebars with his other hand as the bike revved and shot off once again, this time, straight into the mouth of the forest. Looker kept his head down, attempting to shield himself from the assault of twigs and branches as they tore through him, his unprotected hands being whipped raw by the contact. His side of his face smacked roughly against the fuel tank as the bike his a bump, hurling the rest of his body off it temporarily, before crashing roughly against the seat once again.
This continued for what seemed like a lifetime, Looker was hurled from side to side, his body taking a beating from the combination of trees and the metal fuel tank of the bike as they battered him back and forth. He could feel consciousness slipping away, the blows became duller and less painful, his thought process began to slow as it was replaced with thoughts of sleep and rest. It wasn’t until the side of bike collided with something harder than either the trees or the motorbike itself, a mammoth collision that seemed to rock the foundations of the surrounding foliage and echo through the forest, sent Looker soaring off over the handlebars, his limp, unconscious form flipped untidily through the air, before crashing back down to earth with a sickening thump, as the roar of the motorbike was also silenced, only the small, almost silent ticking of the engine remaining as evidence that it was still kicking.
“So the shipment comes in at eleven o’clock tonight?”
”Yes, and don’t be late, or I’ll have your balls on a platter.”
These were the only lines that Looker had managed to distinguish through his bug, planted underneath the payphone that was in use by the thug. He observed the man leaving the alleyway from his hired apartment in the filthy, run down back alley of Eterna City, complete with rotting floors and peeling wallpaper.
It wasn’t that Looker minded the less-than-pleasant surroundings, he’d been stationed in far worse places, its just that after twelve years of service in the International Police, he thought that he’d be sent on the more important missions, especially after he infiltrated and took down both Team Galactic and Team Plasma. But no, his superiors seemed to think that the scale of the events that took place in those regions may have had an effect on Looker’s mental health, so after the Medals of Honour and the Commendations, he had been given nothing but back-alley assignments and low-risk missions ever since.
Then again, he supposed most people wouldn’t consider attempting to take down a local coke-dealing ring a low-risk operation, but Looker wasn’t like most people. Looker watched the thug carefully until he was sure he had left the area, before exiting the rotted apartment, heading downstairs and retrieving the bug from the underside of the payphone.
“11pm, Sunyshore City.” He thought to himself as he made his way out of the alley, flinching slightly as the unexpected brightness caught him off guard after the darkness of the alley. Looking down to check his watch, he saw the little silver hand just about to touch the top of the number four. Knowing he’d need some time to set up an observation post in Sunyshore City, he decided that he would need to be there by eight o’clock at the latest.
“Great, that gives me four hours to get there.” He whispered under his breath in irritation, his right hand reaching up to rub his temple as he contemplated on just how he was going to cross an entire region in such a short amount of time. Pokemon were certainly not an option, Looker had never taken a liking to Pokemon, mainly because their abilities seemed to make his own dull in comparison when in the field. In fact, were it not for a Pokemon’s lack of intuition, field agents such as Looker would almost certainly be made redundant, a thought which caused him to harbour an even deeper resentment towards the creatures.
Fortunately, Looker noticed out of the corner of his eye, the telltale spire of a Police Station, it’s gleaming white colour contrasting with the brown and grey of the surrounding area. Hugging his trench coat tightly around his chest to protect himself from the sudden bitter wind that had picked up, he made his way through the empty, run down streets of Eterna City. The area was completely silent as Looker walked past the various vandalised buildings, aside from a flock of Starly that passed overhead, he was completely alone.
The clean, whitewashed walls of the Police Station’s entrance looked horribly out of place in the dull, worn down surroundings of Eterna City’s ghetto, Looker couldn’t help but feel disgusted at the apparent ignorance that the place showed. They cared more about keeping their station clean then actually fighting crime. Pushing the cold steel handle of the spotless glass doors, Looker couldn’t help but relish in the sudden warmth that washed over him as he entered the station, the heated air inside far more pleasant than the bitter chill he had just left. Simple arrangements of a table, surrounded by rather comfy looking sofas, along with a reception desk to it’s right, were all the furnishings that the station contained. A Growlithe sat proudly on top of the reception, and barked happily at the station’s visitor, prompting a female police officer, with cyan hair and dressed in blue overalls, to enter through a door located behind the desk.
“Hello sir.” She said, in that carefully measured, false-polite tone that all Officer Jennies spoke in. “What seems to be the problem?”
Looker reached into his trench coat abruptly, causing the Officer to stiffen in surprise, evidently under the impression that he was reaching for a weapon of some sort. Instead, Looker pulled out a folded piece of leather, and held it out in front of her face where is unfolded, revealing a perfectly polished Law Enforcement badge which gleamed in the station’s lighting. The Jenny’s disposition changed from one of fear to that of respect, though she did not relax. Evidently she was aware of the area’s state of disrepair, and was most likely worried that Looker was here to reprimand her.
“Officer Jenny reporting for duty sir!” She said almost too quickly, snapping into a crisp salute. “What do you require?”
Ordinarily Looker would have berated her for not doing her job properly, but he was in a hurry, and this was not the time for lectures.
“Agent Looker.” He stated simply. “I require transport.”
“Of course sir!” Jenny replied hastily. “We have many Pokemon avail-”
“No Pokemon.” Looker interrupted, frowning at the thought. “I need your bike.”
Jenny looked somewhat taken aback at this statement. “M-my bike sir?”
“Are you simple? Yes your damn bike.” Looker replied, his anger at the officer’s incompetence beginning to seep into his words. “Or will I have to put down in my report that you were unwilling to co-operate with a superior?”
At this, Jenny’s face fell, and she reluctantly reached underneath the desk and grabbed a small set of keys. There were two keys on the ring; evidently one was a spare, accompanied by a small Pikachu figurine that dangled from a chain, which Looker observed in distaste.
“Be careful wi-” was all Jenny managed before Looker had cut her off by abruptly snatching the keys from her hands and turning around, kicking the front door open as he went. Walking round the building, her entered the storage area. A plain, dark grey stretch of tarmac roughly 18ft long, and occupied by a single, white, powerful-looking motorcycle.
Looker chuckled as he made his way over the bike; the two-wheeled beast seemed far more accommodating than the flaming rear of a Rapidash or the, quite frankly, uncomfortable shell of a Blastoise. He grinned as he straddled the bike, relishing in the comfort of the soft leather seat and the solid feel of the handlebars as he rested his palms on them, the trust he held in an unthinking machine, as opposed to an emotionally sensitive Pokemon. Looking around the front area of the bike, he noticed a small silver plate with a slit down the centre, which he took to be the ignition.
He was right.
The monster roared into life as Looker twisted the metal key inside the slot, the vibrations from the engine rippling through his body in a rather unnaturally pleasant sensation. Leaning forward and grasping the handlebars, he twisted his right hand slightly, with the bike revving loudly in response, before kicking away the side stand and rocketing forward out of the storage area, turning left at the exit and speeding away down the street.
The occasional startled head of a traveller enjoying the relatively peaceful routes of Sinnoh regularly swivelled round as Looker shot past in abandon, the routes up to Mt. Coronet were relatively smooth, so Looker had no need to slow down until he reached the mountain’s base. The traffic here seemed to get very heavy, as Looker now had to weave between various trucks and cars that were almost at a standstill, the cause of which became apparent much later.
“I’m sorry!” Shouted a familiar voice from up ahead. “But I’m afraid this tunnel is off limits!”
Sure enough, as he approached the tunnel’s mouth, he was met by another blue-clad police officer; identical to the one he had taken the very bike he was riding from. She looked rather taken aback when she caught site of Looker atop the police-issue motorcycle, and looked like she was about to accuse him of theft, before Looker silenced her with a flick of his badge.
“What’s wrong with the tunnels?” Looker questioned, his eyes boring into hers.
“There’s a been a cave in sir.” The officer replied nonchalantly, her attention taken by an unruly driver who seemed drunk and disorderly. Looker sighed to himself; he had enough problems right now without some drunk-driving knobjockey causing a disturbance in the middle of his questioning. Switching off the bike and taking the keys from the ignition, Looker climbed off the bike and made his way over the driver’s side of the car.
“MOVEEE YYOOOU BLUUE HAAIRREED BITTCCHSSSSSSSSS” The man screamed, evidently intoxicated. “I NEEDSSSSSS TO GO HOOOMMMESS” he continued shouting, only falling silent momentarily when he was surprised by a knock on his window. Looker motioned to the man to roll down his window, which was met with nothing more than a middle finger in return. Closing his eyes in disgust for a moment, Looker decided to give the guy one more chance, he knocked on the window again and flashed his badge against it. This time, the guy stared blankly at it for a few moments, before reluctantly winding his window down with an electronic hum.
“Been drinking have we?” Looker questioned casually, noting the dilated pupils and the way the man’s eyes flicked around uncertainly. Whatever it was, this guy had certainly had more than just alcohol.
The guy grinned in response, “Course not siirrr, just a little bit dizzy in here, you know this mountain air does that to you eh?”
“Nevertheless, you are evidently in no position to be operating an automobile under these conditions.” Looker replied sternly, leaning down so he was face to face with the man, who reeked of tobacco and alcohol. “I’d like you to exit the vehicle.”
Were it not for the sunlight glinting momentarily off of it, Looker would never have noticed the thin blade of steel that the man had produced from his pocket, before thrusting it in violently in Looker’s direction. However, the man was so intoxicated, that Looker had time to roll his eyes in disappointment before he even began to move, swaying to the right as the knife sailed harmlessly past his head, before gripping the man’s wrist in his left hand and his shoulder in the right. With a heave, Looker lifted the assailant straight out of his own window, and brought him over his head, where he landed headfirst on the pavement with a sickening crack.
There were shrieks of surprise and shock at the events from the surrounding spectators, and it was only then that Looker realised that the incessant beeping of horns had fallen silent. Crouching down to look his victim in the face, he saw that, whilst the man had suffered severe cranial trauma, he would live, and recover. Most likely. Lifting the man onto his feet by the hem of his jacket, and throwing him roughly against the side of his car, Looker began to pat the beaten man up and down, feeling for any suspicious lumps that could either be another weapon or contraband item.
“I bet you like this don’t you fucking fagg-” was all the man managed, before Looker silenced him by slamming his already damaged head against the roof of his own car. A few more seconds of searching revealed a small bag of blue tablets in the suspects back pocket, each tablet engraved with a small ‘L’, which Looker recognised as LSD.
“Wow, even I don’t drive when I’m tripping.” Looker chuckled from behind him, which caused the man to realise that he’d been caught out, not that he could do much about it as Looker forced him to step forward with a vicious wrench of his arm.
“Book him and cuff him.” Looker said calmly, throwing the junkie to the floor in front of the officer, who immediately set about wrenching the guy’s arms behind his back and fixing them with cold steel.
“Anyway, why is this tunnel off-limits, we get cave-ins here all the time and it’s never caused this place to close.”
Officer Jenny hesitated for a moment, before standing up and facing the Inspector, one of her legs keeping the junkie pinned to the ground. Looker couldn’t help noticing her long, tanned and toned legs, his eyes flicking up and down between the silken skin and the cotton police skirt, which covered so little that he was sure it was in violation of the dress code. “We’ve had reports of Rock-type Pokemon deliberately causing cave-ins in this area.” She said, snapping Looker out of his reverie, which she had noticed. “You know, I could report you for sexual harassment if you keep on looking at me like that.” She chided, resulting in Looker raising an eyebrow. “I won’t though.” She chuckled. “I don’t think you’re too bad yourself.”
Looker smiled the smile that made all women weak at the knees, causing the Officer to blush heavily as he turned away. “Perhaps another time.” He called as he straddled his more-or-less stolen motorcycle once again. He could see her face fall in visible disappointment as he revved up the bike once again, which only served to fuel his ego further. So the tunnel was off limits eh? In all honesty, Looker didn’t feel like taking on a bunch of angry rock Pokemon right then. Besides, he was in a hurry, the tunnel could wait.
Pointing the nose of the bike towards the edge of the road, Looker twisted the handle and the bike roared once again, catapulting itself off the side of he road and onto the rocky terrain of the mountain. There weren’t many vehicles that could cover such rough terrain such as this, which any arrogant Pokemon trainer would never be able to resist pointing out. Fortunately, the immensely powerful bike was one of these vehicles, and so, half an hour later, Looker was already halfway across the mountain range, leaving behind a trail of burnt rubber and startled Geodudes.
Looker was confident that he would make it to Sunyshore City with time to spare, and so he slowed his pace a little, and let his guard down. Big mistake. The moment he relaxed, Looker suddenly felt the ground beneath him move, as if the very mountain was coming to life. Fighting to control the bike as it swayed and bounced among the rocks, he eventually relinquished the vehicle, jumping off and rolling repeatedly on the hard, stony ground as he watched the bike lose balance and clatter into a cliff face.
“The fuck?” He began, only to be interrupted by a gravely roar.
“RHY-PERIOR” He heard from beneath him, diving out of the way just in time as a wild Rhyperior erupted from the ground, coating him in a fine layer of gravel and dust. The Pokemon looked around momentarily, searching for Looker amongst the rubble it had created, before spotting the telltale signs of life as Looker brushed himself off.
The wild beast charged headfirst towards Looker, eyes narrowed, horn spinning. Looker could see the anger in its eyes, as far as it was concerned, this was its territory, and Looker was intruding. Waiting until the last moment, Looker jumped against the cliff that he had been cornered against, took a quick step directly up it, and launched himself into the air, soaring up and over the Pokemon as it’s head met the unforgiving stone of the cliff face where Looker had been only moments ago, before landing smoothly and rolling into a standing position. There was a loud ‘crack’ as the cliff face gave way to the Rhyperior’s drill, the rock no match for the cold metal of its horn. Even so, the Pokemon was obviously dazed as it charged Looker again, this time it moved slower and looked clumsy. Looker took this opportunity to put it out of commission, reaching into the confines of his jacket and producing a Beretta 92F. Looker knew that he only had one chance at this, as raised the weapon quickly, aiming down the sights at the charging beast. He also knew that there wasn’t a hope in hell of the bullet penetrating the Rhyperior’s thick hide, he also knew that if he pulled this off, he’d consider praying to Arceus for watching over him. Staring down the iron sites as the monster stormed towards him, he waited for the exposed eye of the beast to become large enough to be a possible target, before he pulled the trigger. The flash from the muzzle and bang that accompanied it may have been enough to make the creature hesitate, but that wasn’t what he was counting on. The small piece of metal rocketed from the barrel, cut through the air and buried itself inside the Rhyperior’s eye, causing it to launch itself backwards, claws scrabbling at its damage head in pain. Looker used this distraction to put it down for good, sprinting over to the cliff face where the bike lay, scratched and slightly dented, but in pristine condition nonetheless. He spun the bike around until it was aiming straight at the wounded Pokemon, before revving the engine and straddling it as it shot off in the Rhyperior’s direction.
Looker had to time this perfectly, or he’d most likely end up a mangled corpse, as he leant back, the bike responding in kind by causing it’s front wheel to leave the ground, both Looker and the bike now being supported by a single tire as it rocketed towards the injured beast. Looker kicked the back of the motorcycle down as the back wheel met an unusually jagged rock, launching the bike into the air, and directly onto the upper torso of Rhyperior, knocking it off balance as it continued to writhe in pain. Kicking up the revs once again, Looker burnt rubber on the chest of the Pokemon as it crashed onto it’s back, it’s arms scrambling to grab the machine that was responsible for it’s downfall, but by then, Looker had already driven straight over the Pokemon, being careful to avoid it’s horn as he rode over the head, and was already at least halfway down the mountain by the time it came to its senses.
The roar of the bike was now punctuated by a slight cough as the damage that the Rhyperior had caused became evident. Every now and then the bike would splutter momentarily, before resuming it’s more familiar rumble as whatever had come loose fell back into place. Looker knew that if he didn’t stop to check what was wrong, the bike would most likely die long before he reached his destination, so against his better judgement, he pulled up at the muddy side of the road, the bike sinking slightly in the moist dirt, before turning off the engine and kicked down the side stand. Stepping off the side of the bike, Looker reached into his jacket, feeling inside for the comforting cold steel of his gun. However, it was not the gun he needed right now, it was one of the attachments, the torch, to be precise. Flicking it on as he pulled the pistol from beneath the jacket’s folds, Looker turned it towards the bike’s undercarriage, the chrome of the engine reflecting the light off into the trees, illuminating them. A groan escaped from Looker’s lips as he saw the damage. The entire engine, whilst still intact, had been dislodged, and now hung dangerously close to road, scratches on the bottom of it revealing where it had already begun to sink too low. Placing his pistol on the ground, making sure to keep the torch’s light on the bike, Looker bent down and took a hold of the engine, only to yelp as he realised just how hot it was from the abuse he had put the machine through. Sighing to himself, he took off his trench coat, immediately regretting it as the cold air bit into his exposed forearms, and wrapped it round his hands.
Now with his fleshed covered by the tough nylon of his jacket, Looker once again reached underneath the bike, gripping it firmly, before wrenching it upwards until he heard a satisfying click as the engine returned to it’s bed of metal. Turning around to retrieve his gun, Looker smiled in satisfaction at his handiwork. To him, it was further proof that the use of Pokemon was unnecessary; any living creature would surely have abandoned him had he put it through the punishment that the bike had been through that afternoon.
His grin was wiped from his face however, when he attempted to start the bike once again. The only response he received was the bike’s chugging refusal to start, no matter how hard he twisted the key inside the ignition. Bringing his fist down on the bodywork in frustration, Looker groaned as his only means of transportation was refusing to co-operate. Was everything so sensitive that even inanimate objects would start to hate you if you treated it roughly? Eventually, Looker’s patience ran out, and he reached for his pistol, intending to smash a couple of glass dials until his pent up anger had started to flow out. But a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye stole his attention, causing him to fire off two shots in its direction to relieve his tension. When nothing responded, he dropped his arm, leaning back on the bike as his body relaxed. Perhaps his superiors were right, maybe his past adventures had taken a toll on is psyche, he thought, his body collapsing as he let the bike take his weight.
“Argh, calm down, focus. You’ve got an hour before you need to be anywhere. Relax and think this through.”
What could he do? He supposed to he could call for an extraction, but that would only show his superiors that he wasn’t capable of undertaking missions just yet. He could commandeer a civilian vehicle? Yeah right, barely anyone drove these days; they all used Pokemon for transport.
Almost a minute had passed with Looker staring into the distance, his thoughts focused on possible ways of reaching his destination. In fact, he was so entranced, that he initially failed to notice that the machine that was taking his weight had suddenly began to rumble, bursting into life with what seemed like a will of it’s own. Looker jumped off the machine in surprise, his hand springing automatically to his pistol holster, but as he surveyed the scene, he couldn’t make out anything else among the trees. Looker sighed; maybe the bike had been working? Maybe he had been imagining the breakdown as an excuse to unload a clip into something? Either way, Looker didn’t have any patience left to think about it, he leaped aboard the motor without a second thought, and twisted the handle.
Immediately, Looker could tell something was wrong, the bike revved violently, before shooting off into the darkness faster than Looker had moved all day. He wasn’t in control, Looker could only hold on for dear life as the machine tore through the countryside, the engine screaming in protest at the punishment it was being put through. Almost thirty seconds of this intense speed were punctuated by the sudden braking, which had had no effect when Looker attempted to pull them, flung the bike up onto it’s front wheel and continued on, the bike apparently defying physics as it continued at a speed exceeding 100mph, balanced precariously on a single tyre. Another few seconds of this followed, ended abruptly as the bike crashing back down onto two wheels and skidded to a halt, tyres screeching in protest as the rubber burned from the friction.
Looker collapsed onto the fuel tank, his energy drained from the effort to hold on, his thighs were on fire from how tightly he’d been gripping the seat, and blisters were already beginning to form on his palms from the handlebars. A jolt of electricity, however, brought him out of his stupor. Opening his eyes wide in surprise, Looker’s vision was dominated by the bike’s dials, which were now flashing a brilliant blue, a small orb of orange sitting in the centre, with an arm extending out pointing to the zero, noting that they had come to a stop. He sat back, exhaustion beginning to sink in, his mind buzzing as he attempted to come up with an explanation for the bike’s apparent possession.
“Damnit, you’re a machine, stop acting up.” Looker growled under his breath, unwilling to make it too obvious that he was talking to a motorbike, just in case anyone was watching. To his surprise however, the bike responded, two quick revs punctuating the slow, rhythmic rumble that the stationary bike had taken, the frame vibrating in chorus with the sound.
Looker looked down in shock, transfixed by the sudden sentience that his machine had gained, before the frustration of the night set in.
“Whatever you are, get the fuck out of my bike!” Looker roared in anger, raising his arm up before hurling it back down onto the fuel tank. Before he made contact however, he was forced to grab onto the handlebars with his other hand as the bike revved and shot off once again, this time, straight into the mouth of the forest. Looker kept his head down, attempting to shield himself from the assault of twigs and branches as they tore through him, his unprotected hands being whipped raw by the contact. His side of his face smacked roughly against the fuel tank as the bike his a bump, hurling the rest of his body off it temporarily, before crashing roughly against the seat once again.
This continued for what seemed like a lifetime, Looker was hurled from side to side, his body taking a beating from the combination of trees and the metal fuel tank of the bike as they battered him back and forth. He could feel consciousness slipping away, the blows became duller and less painful, his thought process began to slow as it was replaced with thoughts of sleep and rest. It wasn’t until the side of bike collided with something harder than either the trees or the motorbike itself, a mammoth collision that seemed to rock the foundations of the surrounding foliage and echo through the forest, sent Looker soaring off over the handlebars, his limp, unconscious form flipped untidily through the air, before crashing back down to earth with a sickening thump, as the roar of the motorbike was also silenced, only the small, almost silent ticking of the engine remaining as evidence that it was still kicking.