Pokémon: Out of the Woods | A Galar, Unova & Sinnoh Fanfiction

Chapter 61: The Headline

The younger Grunt grabbed her binoculars, but she didn't need them. Pluto was indeed walking to Bede's cottage, hand-in-hand with a Gym Challenger on their blacklist. The Grunts exchanged bewildered, slightly concerned glances.

'We're... not supposed to report him, right?' the older one asked, 'He's the king... he can do what he wants...'

'But... he's really young... Jahzeel's his advisor... he should probably know...'

'No. You're wrong. He's the king! He doesn't need advice!'

'But he's–'

'You're insulting him! How dare you?!'

An argument ensued. Pluto couldn't hear them, of course, but he still felt like he was being watched. He felt a Pokémon somewhere sighing. The younger Grunt yanked the curtains shut only a moment before both Pluto and Heather turned.

It was a lucky escape. Heather would have recognised her. Khalid and the International Police were certain that the true reason for the disbandment of My Fiery Wrath was that Poppy now worked full-time for Team Plasma.

Poppy tried to report the emergency to Caroline. The argument turned into a fistfight. She snagged her colleague's Liepard and released it into the street. Then she knocked her out with a mug to the forehead.

'Hmph. No member of Team Plasma should be keeping Pokémon as slaves, anyway.'

It was entirely unnecessary. Jahzeel already knew where Pluto was. He was still listening through the chips in the balls that Heather received from the Ball Guy.

Now Poppy really didn't want to face that colleague when she woke up. On her way back to the castle, she led Liepard away with the temptation of Poké Puffs until it was too lost to return to its original Trainer.

'Be safe out there, dear.'

Liepard looked unhappy. Poppy didn't notice. She was too busy rushing to meet the man who recruited her. They switched places. He would do anything for her, or so she thought. He had his own reasons – far from Team Plasma's supposedly benevolent cause that Poppy genuinely believed in – for spying on Pluto and Heather. They were roadblocks in the way of what he wanted.

Jahzeel grimaced when Heather's bag hit the floor. The loud thud hurt his ears. Jamie led Pluto away from the bag and into the garden, shutting the doors behind him. He spoke Kantonian. As he expected, Pluto understood perfectly. His reply was more fluent than anything Jamie said.

'They're spying on Heather...?'

'They're spying on a lot of people. Including you. Probably. I know it might seem weird, but could I search you?'

'Um... yes... I suppose...'

Jamie found the chip in Pluto's cap as Jahzeel switched to that channel. It was destroyed before the audio could load. He couldn't even access what it already recorded. Not that he would have understood. He heard a few words between Jamie and Tansy earlier, but the only other language he spoke was Kalosian. His Kantonian translators, Victor's killer and Volo, weren't there. Their radios were still switched off. Jahzeel frantically reconnected to the chip in Heather's Friend Ball, but he only heard silence. It was already smashed.

'Gah! The moment anything is left to Gideon, one of our most valuable tools is discovered!'

Caroline tutted. 'You can blame Volo for that. Leaving it to Gideon, that is.'

'Stupid man! He may take credit for that idea, but we cannot return as Ball Guys now! Where is Gideon? If he is caught, he will expose us to save himself!'