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Str8aura — Getting Back In The Saddle
Published: 2016-07-17 13:00:06 +0000 UTC; Views: 1727; Favourites: 1; Downloads: 0
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    The inside of the house was similar to the inside of Ted's manor in many respects when it came to the structure of the house.  The first floor of the house was comprised of a vast network of rooms that were connected to each other and sporting semi-luxurious furnishings and accommodations.  Upon entering, Ted and Lucario were led down a hallway that was to the left of the front door and into a living room that boasted a large table that had several stacks of organized documents spread over the surface.  Felix set about picking them up and organizing them so as to clear the table off while he placed his foot under the table to trip a switch that would lower it down to an acceptable height for serving as a coffee table.  Sonya set about moving the leather couches that were arranged around a large TV set over to the newly converted coffee table so as to create a meeting space.
    "Bryce, could you bring the guest tray out from the kitchen?"  Sonya asked after seeing Bryce standing idly by.
    "Of course."  Bryce said, turning to head down a hallway that was at the opposite side of the living room from where Lucario and Ted had entered.  Bryce approached the door way to head through it, but was stopped as a large yellow blur fired out from within it, tackling Bryce to the ground.  The suddenness of this act caused Bryce to yip in surprise and for Lucario and Ted to step back in uneasiness.  These initial shocks passed quickly as the yellow blur was revealed to be a very large Pikachu.
    "Verone,"  Sonya stated, gaining the Pikachu's attention before he could become too heavily invested in licking Bryce.  "Could you please grab the guest tray from the kitchen and bring it out here?"
    "What?  I thought that you gave that job to Bryce?"  The Pikachu protested.
    "Bryce was stopped in the task, and you don't have anything else to do.  Please hurry though, I'd like you to join our guests."  Sonya said.
    Verone's ears swept back momentarily in annoyance from having been roped into this task, but he carried the task out with an artificial cheerfulness so as to avoid any fury from Sonya about an attitude problem.  Bryce got back up to help Sonya with the couches.
    When the moving projects had finished, Felix directed Ted and Lucario to take their seats on one of the couches with a motion of his paw, wanting to seat himself when they were settled in.  Sonya and Felix seated themselves on a couch that was on the opposite side of the table from where Ted and Lucario while Lee and Bryce took their seats on a couch between the two groups.
    "Yesterday, I was informed by Lee that you have a notable martial aptitude for hand to hand combat and aura manipulation.  To my knowledge on the subject, that is a very rare skill set, particularly among humans in this day and age."  Felix started
    While Felix was talking Verone returned with a tray that was fulling stocked with tea. "Please, help yourselves."  Verone said, placing the tray in front of Ted and Lucario.  Both of them helped themselves while listening to Felix.
    "I'm not so much intrigued by what you know though as to who trained you in these kinds of skills."  Felix asked.
    "It was my Uncle, Logan Morris."  Ted responded.
    Felix nodded at this.  "Teaching was always a strong suit of his, and his work reflects fairly well if Lee's observations are to be believed."
    "I don't understand.  I got my knocked out during the training session."  Ted stated in confusion.
    "You took your sweet time getting that way.  That is something that only a few humans do.  It seems to me like you're out of practice more than anything else."  Lee responded.
    "Regardless, just from what we've seen while walking through your village, there just isn't enough man power to actually contest with the Overseer if you all decide to go to war with him."  Ted responded.
    "This village isn't the only commitment that I have that will help out in this."  Verone stated.  "Have you ever heard of Vanguard?"
    "I thought those folks were anti-authoritarian terrorists?  What would they want with this kind of a dispute?"  Ted asked.
    A discontented growl came up from Bryce, but was quickly stifled by one of Lee's paws pressing against the Riochu's snout.  "Thats what the United Region's government would like you to believe.  But as you probably would've guessed if your on the bad side of an information broker, you can't believe everything you see on TV.  In truth, Vanguard is simply an independent military force that goes out to handle the kinds of missions that governments can't or won't handle for one reason or another."  Lee explained.
    "I suppose that wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong about a group, though we'll need to see this with our own eyes first."  Lucario stated.
    This remark caused Bryce to calm down, but not before casting an indignant glance toward Lee.
    "If you must have visual proof that we are capable and willing to do what we have promised, my sons will be more than happy to show you around.  First, take a tour through our medical facility.  Its one of the best.  Find Monty there and let him show you what he is capable of, within reason of course.  Next, seek out Dante.  He is a skilled programmer and cryptologist.  Let him show you some of his abilities and see if we still can't help you."  Felix advised.
    "We'd be glad to, and thank you very much for this."  Lucario said before Ted had a chance to speak any further.
    Ted and Lucario finished off their tea before being led out of the house again by Bryce and his brothers.  The crowd that had gathered to witness Ted's arrival in the village was still partly assembled, and idling about and waiting for Ted to come out again.  Ted became tense again, but Lee placed a paw on his shoulder.  A mix of awe was still on some of their faces from having seen Sonya vouch for them, while others maintained their skepticism about the current state of affairs.
    "Don't worry,"  Lee's voice said, ringing through Ted's mind.  "Verone has a way of deal with people who don't know any better."
    The group cleared the gates of Bryce's house to begin head toward the square again.  They didn't get too far before they were accosted by a Scyther, different from the one who had been warned off by Sonya earlier.  
    "You abandon reason in every sense of the word to parade this parasite around this village.  Every second he is here is an invitation for disaster."  The Scyther heckled.
    Verone stopped the group before walking up to the heckling Pokémon.  A quick pivot of his body, turned him into a spinning yellow blur that ended with a cracking sound like that of a whip.  The Scyther clutched his face while stumbling backward a bit, ending up on the ground.
    "Show some respect Arlen.  This is the son of William Morris, and he is going to walk around in this village unchallenged because you welcomed him here or because I beat you to a pulp.  Make your decision or stay out of his way."  Verone chastised before waving the group onward.  Ted never had another problem with any Pokémon doubting or questioning the pretense of his presence in the village again.
    The group passed through the square and turned off onto another arterial street that led to the largest structure in the village.  A large red cross was stationed over the entrance of the building to leave no doubt that this was the medical facility of the village.  Bryce now took the lead in the group and waved the clinical security down as he passed through the main lobby toward the primary care wards.  Pokémon of various kinds were being treated for various injuries and illnesses that afflicted them.  Some cases were more serious than others, but no Pokémon was begin kept in the hospital for more than a few hours at the most.
    Bryce eventually stopped in front of a room where a Charmander was working through a large stack of paper.
    "Hey Monty,"  Bryce called out.
    The Charmander raised his head to look at Bryce and smiled.
    "Hey Bryce.  You look a little well to be calling for me.  What brings you here?"  Monty asked.
    "I'd like you to introduce you to a pair of guests who are visiting here."  Bryce said before motioning Ted and Lucario to step forward.
    Monty stepped away from the stack of paper and came out of his office to face Ted and Lucario.
    "Its a pleasure to meet you both.  Are you liking it so far?"  Monty asked, respectfully.
    "Its been a little rough with some individuals, but I think the worst is behind us."  Lucario responded.
    "Eh, that happens whenever there is a human out here.  And it doesn't happen that often either."  Monty replied.

    "What do you do here?"  Ted asked.
    "I'm an associate doctor in ICU around here.  We don't get many cases that come through, but the ones that do come through have a habit of coming out ready to go back to work."  Monty responded.
    "Sounds like quite day job."  Lucario commented.
    "It keeps me busy, but I always enjoy helping people out how I know be-"  Monty started.

    "Code blue!  Code blue in in room 356!  Code blue!"  Came a frantic voice over the loud speaker in the hospital.

    "Duty calls.  I'll catch up with you guys later."  Monty said before running off.

    "And off he goes."  Verone commented as he watched Monty leave.

    "Come on, Ted has yet to meet Dante."  Bryce said, motioning the group to follow him toward the exit of the hospital.

    Bryce led the group along the street for a while until coming to a more crudely built tower that stood just over three stories tall and was located closer to the edge of the village.  Bryce waved himself and the group past the guards at the front entrance and went inside.  The inside of the building was less welcoming in appearance due to the lack of aesthetic decorations that were there.  The group went over to a large sturdy elevator that seemed to be a retrofitted from a freight elevator.  Upon stepping inside, the door closed behind them and the elevator dropped down several levels into the ground before coming to a stop and opening up.  The floor that the group had gotten to was a collection of large computer rooms with several Pokémon working at the computers on 'Arceus only knew what'.  Their demeanor was completely uniform as the Pokémon were completely transfixed on the tasks ahead of them.  Bryce led the group past many of them, coming to a private chamber where a Typhlosion that was wearing a green bandana was situated.  Unlike the other computer set ups, the set up that the Typhlosion was using consisted of several fold more computers that were linked to each other to enhance the processing power, while also hosting eight additional monitors that had several windows open upon them.  Streams of ones and zeros flew across the screen in a mad frenzy, yet the Typhlosion seemed to view it all with a perfect and calm understanding.
    "Hey Dante,"  Bryce called out.
    The Typhlosion didn't stir from his position.
    "Umm, Dante?  We'd like to speak with you."  Lee stated a little more forcefully.
    The Typhlosion still didn't stir.
    "Dante!"  Bryce barked, a little more forcefully.
    "Yes dear?"  The Typhlosion said in a voice that ran thick with mischievousness.  Upon turning around, the Typhlosion revealed a mechanical eye that was seated over his face.  
    "We have someone for you to meet."  Bryce said motioning to Ted and Lucario.
    "Hmm,"  Dante mused a moment before turning around to face his computer again.  Lee stepped forward however and pulled him around before he could get too far into working on the computer.
    "Its rude to not say hello to someone that is trying to become acquainted with you."  Lee chastised.
    "Hey, I was trying to look up their information!"  Dante protested.
    "You could do it like everyone else does and speak to them yourself."  Verone suggested.
    "Right... names Dante.  And you are..."  Dante said, pointing to Ted.
    "Ted Morris.  This is my partner, Lucario."  Ted responded.
    "Morris... thats a name that carries weight.  A pleasure to meet you both."  Dante said with a nod.
    "So I understand that you're a cryptologist."  Ted said.
    "Thats putting it lightly.  I kind of speak binary as a second language."  Dante said, rolling his neck around and letting it pop a few times.
    "Felix seems to think you have an aptitude for this kind of work."  Lucario said.
    "He thinks I'm good, and I disagree.  If I'm not one of the best, its because I'm the best in this line of work."  Dante said with a cocky smile.
    "Dante."  Verone said frown a bit.
    "What?"  The Typhlosion said in protest.  "Its not like I'm overselling myself.  I was six years old when I cracked the Heptagon's firewall on a dare from Bryce.  Thats not quite as easy as stealing someone's identity."
    "Anyway,"  Bryce quickly interjected.  "Ted, where are you now on your decision?"    
    Ted took a look around him a moment before speaking.  "I suppose its worth a shot.  You've shown yourselves to have the bite that you all promised, and I'm done running from the Overseer."
    "Excellent."  Lee said with a nod.  "There are a few other places I'd like to show you around here.  We'll head to your place tomorrow and begin your official training there."

    "Who will be teaching me?"  Ted asked.
    "All of us will."  Verone stated.  "Lucario as well."





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