𝒯 𝒽 𝑒 𝒲 𝒶 𝓎 𝒲 𝑒 𝒲 𝒾 𝓁 𝓁 𝐵 𝑒

Chapter 21: Crouching Poacher, Hidden Love

Enjoy the chapter!

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"This place hasn't changed one bit."

Parker peered at the Laurier Maison with a nonchalance that almost bordered lifelessness. The drawn hood of his sweater obscured the better part of his facial features from public view, and his calculating eyes were concealed behind a pair of dark sunglasses. People walked past him as they traveled to and from the Laurier Maison; every pedestrian was engaged in excitement about what the Exhibition Showcase had to offer next. In their enthusiasm, no one paid the motionless and uninterested Parker any mind.

"Hey, hey, Parker!" a voice called. "Yo, man, check this out!"

Behind his sunglasses, Parker rolled his eyes in irritation as he shot a side-glance to his right. Running up to his position, like toddlers who had just bought ice cream, were Nick, Floyd, and Lloyd, all of whom were wearing giddy looks on their faces; the latter was holding an extra-large plastic cup in his hand and sipping out of a large, red plastic straw. Then, the Pokémon poacher's eyebrows shot upward.

"What...are those?" he asked.

"Oh, these?" Nick replied, gesturing to his, Floyd's, and Lloyd's poorly-made mime costumes. "They were on sale! Floyd bought 'em!"

"Yeah!" Floyd added. "It was a good sale too!"

"Okay," Parker said, slightly taken aback. "So, tell me...why?"

"Why, you ask?" Floyd puffed out his chest with pride. "Well we figured we'd need disguises for when we nab that Celebi! That way, those kids that have been giving you trouble, they can't and won't see us coming!"

"What's the point of that? They know who I am, but not who you are. Your only purpose in the plan is to funnel Celebi to me. You're not gonna do anything else!"

"Really?" Lloyd replied with disappointment. "Aw, come on, man! We want in on the action too!"

"And risk jeopardizing the entire operation?" Parker glanced at the Laurier Maison again. "I don't think so."

"Come on, Parker, my man!" exclaimed Nick. "We can be tough and villainous when the situation calls for it!"

"Heh, heh, Nick, a tough and villainous guy," another voice drawled. "When that happens, I'll throw myself off the Prism Tower."

The quartet looked behind them and saw Sid and Cecile approaching their position. Unlike the others, they were wearing more casual civilian clothing.

"Hey, you guys don't have any disguises!" Floyd exclaimed with disbelief.

"Yeah," Cecile replied. "Like we'd be willing to spend an unnecessary amount of money on disguises that'll make us look like silly clowns more than anything else." Then, she eyed the large plastic cup in Lloyd's hand. "Or a soft drink that I'm gonna assume you bought with a special coupon?"

"Not a special coupon," corrected Lloyd. "The special coupon." He procured a slip of paper with his free hand. "Whenever I show this to any of the vendors around this place, they'll give me an extra-large cup of Pokémon Showcase Committee-sponsored sodas and soft drinks!"

"Wow. How invigorating."

However, Sid had his eyes on a wagon that Floyd had been wheeling behind him. "Uhhhhh...what...is that?"