The Platinum Syndicate: Team Stardust Goes for the Gold!

A Swift Recovery

It had been a few weeks since that brewer took me in. I knew there was a gang she was working with, but I didn't get to know them that well since I was focused on recovering. Thankfully, I was healed enough to the point where I was able to function now. It was almost time to take my cast off, but I was told to wait a few more days.

I think that alcohol Thicket gave to me had something to do with my extraordinarily swift recovery. I always had a small glass of it before each meal, and I did feel better after consuming it. I'd have to ask her about it later, but for now, I was focused on learning more about my surroundings.

I exited my room and made my way to one of the main halls, where I saw a Clobbopus and an Elgyem playing some sort of card game. A Solosis was watching, looking a bit bored. I saw how much money was on the table, and the latter of the two card players was clearly winning.

"Aw, c'mon!" The Clobbopus exclaimed. "I know you're cheating! You psychics are all the same! You're readin' my mind just to get ahead!"

The Elgyem turned to the Solosis and flashed the lights on their arms in a pattern. Then, they returned their focus to the game.

"Fornix says he doesn't have to read your mind to beat you," the Solosis complained. "You always say people are cheating when you're losing, and I swear half of your money goes to gambling! I thought you'd stay away from this stuff considering how cautious you are, Cobalt."

"You just don't get the appeal," Cobalt responded. "I like taking risks sometimes. I just don't like gambling on things that'll get my face beaten in!"

I walked up to the three of them. "In my experience, betting is about having as many advantages on you as possible," I chimed in. "Although, I do like playing poker, mainly due to the fact that there's some strategy to it. It's as much a game of psychology as it is a game of chance."

The Solosis looked at me, her beady eyes squinting. "Oh, so you're the one Thicket brought in," she said. "I was wondering when you'd finally wake up. You've been the talk of this place ever since you arrived."

"When are you gonna leave?" Cobalt butted in. "You're a bad omen. You came in here half-dead, and we don't know what kind of trouble you brought with us!" He glared at the Solosis. "Dria, why're you acting so chummy with this walking catastrophe? I told Nickel again and again to boot him out, but he's not listening! He's all like "You gotta know when to go all-in, scaredy-cat-"

"I'm just trying to be nice," Dria said scoldingly. "You need to quit listening to Makau. He's paranoid. I swear, he thinks the sky's falling every other day. Now, uh... Tallarin, right? Do you wanna take Cobalt's place? Fornix and I are getting bored of him."

Fornix nodded along to that idea. It was hard to tell what was going on in his head, considering he seemed to be mute, but I could tell he was receptive to the idea.

"As much as I'd love to partake in old vices again, I don't have a whole lot right now," I stated earnestly. "Can I learn a bit about yourselves, and how things work around here? I haven't had much of a chance to socialize."

Cobalt looked like he was about to leave, but when the two Psychics stared at him, he reluctantly stayed in place. "Ugh, fine," he muttered. "I used to live in the sea, but I had to run to the surface I had to rob people to get by, then one day, this asshole drops in on me and starts giving me battle advice. He stuck around, and soon enough, a whole gang formed around him. Nickel's a reckless idiot when it comes to acquiring money, but he's bailed us out multiple times. There, are you happy now?"

"Yep!" Dria exclaimed. "My buddy Fornix and I have been inseperable since we were kids, and this place has brought us the best luck we've had in ages! Although, I do think Nickel's considering recruiting you. He kept going on about how you could be the greatest investment he's encountered so far. I think you should go to his office."

"I'm not sure if I should join, but I will go see him," I replied. "It's the least I can do after he let me stay. I'll find my way to him myself, since I want to familiarize myself with this place."

Fornix flashed his lights at Dria again. "Oh, and another thing!" The latter shouted. "If you see a Slowbro with a shell on his arm, don't get him mad. Shanks is..." She paused for a few moments, looking uncomfortable with herself.

"He's a psycho," Cobalt said, finishing Dria's statement for her. "I've seen some bad customers in my time, but that man is a freak. He almost sent me to the hospital once, just 'cause I woke him up from a nap."

I nodded. "Noted," I responded. "Thank you for the information. I'm going to go speak with your leader now."

"Have a good day," Dria stated. "If I had hands, I'd be waving you goodbye, but... I don't!" She looked at her partner, Fornix. "Hey, buddy, can you wave goodbye for me?"

Fornix waved both of his arms at me. I walked off, and began to wander around. I could see black Rattata scurrying from room to room, always on their way to do something. I don't know if they were Makau's brothers, cousins, relatives, or just of the same sub-species he was. As I got close to Nickel's office, however, I bumped into something.

I looked up and saw a pudgy Slowbro with a purple marking on his head. I looked down, and saw the shell on his arm. I guess lady luck wasn't done screwing me over. I took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to approach this.

In our few seconds of silence, I saw the look in Shanks' eyes. It's very rare that I saw eyes like his, but they were always a red flag. They tended to belong to those who couldn't give a damn about anyone around them but themselves. In the best-case scenario, they were selfish and uncaring, lacking any sort of empathy. If you were unlucky, though, you'd wind up with someone who enjoyed hurting others.

"I remember you," Shanks said, breaking the silence. "I saw you sleeping. Near-dead. Badly injured. Few supplies. You are very determined."

"What do you want with me?" I asked.

"You could be the one," he continued to ramble. "You could be who I am looking for. Why were you travelling?"

"I fence stolen goods," I replied, stating a half-truth. It was true that said activity was something I did in the past, but I didn't do it in the present. "I ran afoul of some rough characters, and was nearly killed."

"You are lying," Shanks stated plainly. I couldn't tell whether he was mad or amused due to how flat his voice was, and his face remained neutral. He was very hard to read. "You came here from far away. Your bag was almost empty. You were weary. There were only two reasons for you to keep walking."

The Slowbro smiled. The way he did so was eerie, as if his mouth was trying to stretch further than it could. "You either wanted something or you hated someone," he finished. "Which is it?"

I felt a lot of pressure in this moment. What would happen if I lied again? Would he assault me? Would he back off? It was hard to figure out what to do, but I figured that I should be a bit truthful just to minimize the chances of getting hurt.

"It's the latter," I admitted.

Shanks slowly nodded. "Fight me when you are healed," he ordered. "I must see if you qualify."

I didn't understand what he wanted. He said he was looking for someone, but didn't know who. Then, he started talking about qualifications? I couldn't understand him, but thankfully, he began to walk off. I continued on my way to Nickel's office, and conveniently enough, the door was labelled. I opened it and walked in, hoping my fortunes would improve.

Meeting with the Boss

What I saw was almost as bizarre as the meeting I had just had. There was a large desk and chair, and sitting on top of that was a Gimmighoul in a chair that was fitting for his actual size. There was a half-eaten gummi on the table, and there were a few sheets of paper scattered around.

As soon as I walked in, his eyes were on me. "Well, it's about time you shown up!" He exclaimed. "I've been waiting for you to exit that room of yours! The name's Nickel, if nobody's clued you in on it yet. You're..."

He paused, clearly unable to remember my name.

"I'm Tallarin," I responded.

Nickel nodded to himself. "Yeah, yeah, Tellerane, whatever," he muttered. "When I first saw you, I saw opportunity. You're clearly one tough customer, and that's exactly the type of Pokemon I need right now. Are you interested in joining us?"

"Tell me more about your group," I replied. "I want to know what I'm getting into before I make a decision."

"Well, we've got a pretty sweet setup," Nickel began to explain. "We're the Platinum Syndicate. We do all sorts of things. Robberies, mercenary work, and more. By joining up, you'll get a piece of the pie, and furthermore, my business partner supplies us with some of the best goods there are. She's got bombs you can throw and all sorts of miracle brews, but I'm sure you already know about that. I heard Thicket's been feeding you the best stuff she's got, just so you'll recover faster. However, there's one formality we need to address before I give you the chance to join."

"Tell me about yourself," the Gimmighoul said. He adjusted his glasses, waiting for me to tell him what he needed to know.

"Well, I was born in a port town on the Mist Continent," I began. "I won't tell you exactly which one for privacy reasons. Mom was a Whimsicott who was born in the place, dad was a Ludicolo who moved from the countryside. I was the youngest out of seven sons, and the only one who was born a Lotad." I squinted for a few moments. Something about Nickel's name and appearance seemed familiar to me.

It was then that I remembered who he exactly was. He was a criminal from the Sand Continent. A northerner, to be precise. The only thing of note about him was that he used to coach some criminals that were rising stars. Every time one got caught, he'd abandon one and move on to the next. It'd be best if I didn't mention my time on the Sand Continent, or he might recognize me.

"I'm an experienced businessman," I continued. "I used to sell stolen goods, and I'm very good at sniffing out counterfeits." I didn't tell him that the reason I can spot a fake from a mile away was because I used to make them. I wanted him to trust me. "I'm also good at ranged combat. I'm still working on figuring out how to fight up close."

"I honestly don't know if it's a good idea for me to join you," I finished. "I think I'll be making a lot of enemies, and your folks have treated me kindly enough. I can visit from time to time, but I don't want to get you all harmed because of your association with me."

"That's no problem," Nickel said, shrugging me off. "Just wear a mask or somethin'. Come up with an alias, if you want. We can always use more business savvy, so as far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to join."

Should I really risk putting them all in danger? If I take his advice and cover up my arms, it should be hard for people to pick up on who I really am, but at the same time, I didn't want to put someone like Thicket into jeopardy. She saved my life, and she didn't seem like the type that was able to defend herself.

However, at the same time, I needed connections and supplies if I was to survive on the Grass Continent. I could only go solo for so long, and in my opinion, I was not cut out for it. Only the most fearsome criminals don't have any companions. I'm just a sidekick who outlived his boss.

I stood there for a couple of minutes, thinking it over. Just as I was about to answer Nickel, however, I could hear some noises. A Ratatta came rushing into the room, wide-eyed and clearly in a state of panic.

"We're under attack!" The Rattata yelled. "It's two Pokemon; a Clefable and a Venonat! Nickel, get out there and-"

"Shut up!" The Gimmighoul snapped back. "I'm hurryin'! Tallarin, if you want to help us, you better get your ass out there!" He charged out of the room, and I followed. I split off from Nickel, aiming to search for help.

The Old Man and the Vaquero

As soon as Leo and I made my presence known, everyone started scurrying away! "Wow, that's quite a welcome we got!" I exclaimed. "Everyone's running for the hills!" Granted, they were all Rattata, but still, this was looking promising!

"Cassie, those aren't the Pokemon you should be worried about," Leo responded. "There's seven of them, last I counted. If you see that Slowbro or the Honedge, you should run."

"Run?" I asked. "I doubt they can measure up to us. The last guy had to pull out some form of freaky superpower to win, and I doubt these shmucks have anything like that on 'em!"

It was then that my challengers arrived. I saw four of them. A Solosis and Elgeym were side by side, flanked by a Clobbopus and a Wattrel.

"Wow, I can't believe we're under siege! This is so exciting!" The Wattrel yelled.

"Of course you'd think that, Ampere," the Clobbopus complained. He looked towards the two of us, a weary look in his eyes. "Can you two just leave?" He asked. "I'm not in the mood."

I grinned from ear to ear. "Sorry, but we're getting all the gold you've got!" I responded. "You all robbed a bank, so there's bound to be plenty to share, right?" I charged at the Clobbopus, grabbed him, and flipped him over in the span of seconds. His friends scarcely had any time to react!

Leo, knowing what this meant, fired some Psybeams from his eyes at the crowd! I began to beat upon my target while Leo fought at range with the two psychics.

As I was flinging my enemy around, though, I felt something electrifying crash into me! That Wattrel had charged into me head-first, but that was the biggest mistake she'd ever make! I grabbed her as she impacted me and threw her straight into the Clobbopus, knocking the two of them unconscious.

"Fornix, scramble their brains!" The Solosis commanded. "I'll hold these two off!" Leo and I were slammed into the ground by telekinetic force and kept there, all the while I began to have a migraine. I began to feel dizzy, too. It was as if someone was beating my brains with a whisk.

Leo managed to look upwards long enough to fire a Psybeam at the Solosis, disrupting her attempt to hold us back. Since I was no longer pinned, I hopped up and tackled the Elgyem to the ground. I began to bash their head into the cavern floor, laughing at the misfortune of my foes.

"Is that all you jobbers have?" I questioned. "This is pathetic! You're already close to being halfway beat!"

The Solosis began to glow with a pink aura, clearly attempting to do something. However, her concentration was disrupted by footsteps. More opponents had arrived.

A Honedge was in front, with a Drilbur trailing behind him. Inside the latter's bag, I could see a Gimmighoul's head popping out. Leo said that's their leader when he was briefing me earlier! We were close to victory!

"I don't know what you two freaks want, but I've got one thing to say," the Gimmighoul began.

"Get the hell out of my base!" He shouted. "I don't even know how you two found it! It's supposed to be a secret!"

"Secret?" Leo replied. "None of your men could spot me. It sounds like to me you need a sentry or three."

"Screw you!" The Gimmighoul spat. "Dewalt, Caerwyn, keep your guard up! If these two're able to wipe so many out so quickly, we need to play it cautious!"

"Cautious? How boring!" I said mockingly. "You better be ready to hand over my gold, shrimp!"

I charged forward, attempting to catch the Drilbur, who was apparently named Dewalt, in a lariat. Once I got close enough, though, something changed.

"Attack now!" The gang leader shouted.

Dewalt clawed at my chest in a swift motion, leaving a series of gashes on me. I backed up a little bit, smirking. "It's gonna take more than that to beat me," I bragged. "Leo, would you be so kind as to show them your ultimate attack?"

Leo nodded. He oriented himself so that he was facing Dewalt, and then fired a large mass of psychic energy out of his eyes. It was as large as the Drilbur was, and when it landed, it knocked him right on his ass! How hysterical!

The Honedge looked at his companion's downed form, and then at his leader. "Nickel, do you wish for me to act?" He asked.

"Cut them down already, Caerwyn!" Nickel demanded. "Use that fancy glowy bullshit you've been trying to teach to me!"

"I refuse to do that, but I think my current talents should suffice," Caerwyn replied. The Honedge focused on Leo, and then, one of the shadows cast within the cavern corridors began to rise. It moved with a life of its own, forming a claw that slashed Leo!

He was sent flying by the attack, only for a second mass on the other side of the room to rise up and slam him into the ground! He was groaning in pain, and as much as I wanted to help him, I didn't know what to do!

When Leo got up, it was time for a change in plans! "Cover me for a bit!" I yelled. "I'm gonna set something up!" My partner began firing Psybeams at the Honedge, trying to occupy his time. I channeled my energy for a few precious moments, and then, mist enveloped the whole area.

It was hard to see now, but on the bright side, my Moonblasts were far stronger in this terrain. Leo hid behind me, knowing what I was going to do, and then, I began to fire towards our foe. I could barely see him, but all of a sudden, he vanished! Where the hell did he go?

"Leo, keep your guard up!" I shouted. "I don't know what he's doing!" Leo's compound eyes scanned the room for any trace of the attacker, but it was no use.

Caerwyn emerged from a shadow cast over the ceiling, and sliced downwards. My partner was hit, and was promptly put out of commission.

He wasn't dead, but the thought that I failed him was enraging. He always encouraged me, and I pledged to protect him. However, there was no way to save him from that bastard. I leapt back and began to produce even more mist. If he couldn't see me, he couldn't hit me! Then, I could rain as many attacks as I wanted at him, and I was bound to hit him eventually!

When the battlefield was sufficiently obscured, I began to fire Moonblasts in every direction, hoping to hit him. No matter how many times I tried to hit him, I heard nothing. No sounds of him getting hit; no groaning or yelling... Was he hiding in the shadows and making me waste my energy?

What was I even supposed to do about that? That was unfair! Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on my side. Something had raked it. I turned in the direction I was hit, and saw another freaking Shadow Claw lowering itself back into the ground. How could he find me in all of this mist? This was bullshit!

I fired a spray of mist; a Dazzling Gleam, into the area around me. I hoped that the radius of the attack would yield better results, and sure enough, I heard that old man groaning! I finally hit him for the first time, but I knew I had to do better than that in order to get the gold I wanted.

"Hah! You're at a loss for words, aren't you, you stupid bitch?" Nickel taunted, his small body impossible to find in the thick mist. "Caerwyn's my best man, and he's also my mentor! There's no way you can beat him!"

As the mist around us began to clear, I could see just how lop-sided this whole affair was. Caerwyn only had minor injuries, while he's got some good hits in, but I had an idea. Gravity was one of my favorite moves. My fine manipulation over it was how I was able to fly, and maybe, I could use it to propel myself straight to that old fart!

I levitated up and flung myself forward, fire burning around my fist. When I got close enough, I tried to hit him with a Fire Punch, but he blocked me with his sheath! His singular eye widened as the force of my impact disarmed him of it, though, and I used that to hit him again with another flaming fist! He yelled out in agony and retreated to the shadows, re-emerging near his sheath and re-arming himself with it again.

"Oh, the insolent brat thinks she has a chance against me, does she?" Caerwyn taunted, his singular eye burning with determination. "I was a warrior before your great-grandmother was even an egg! You're a fool to face me!" He advanced and slashed at me, but using my mastery over gravity, I was able to fling my body to the side and evade him.

I spat out flames at him, and he only barely managed to raise his sheath to block it. While he was rooted in place, I continued to breathe fire at him, his makeshift shield slowly melting. When it was damaged enough, he hopped back into the shadows, looking for another angle of attack.

He re-emerged by my side, swinging his sheath towards me like a bludgeon. I caught it in mid-air, yanked it out of his grip, and spat more flames at him, the Honedge writhing under my assault.

When it all cleared, he looked as though he was on his last legs. His singular eye stared into my soul, and a silvery energy began to gather around his blade.

"I shouldn't have been so reckless," Caerwyn admitted. "I should have battered you around with shadows and been done with it, but I wished to amuse myself and see your performance. I refuse to play games any longer! You and your toady shall be sent back to the depths of-"

I saw a shape pop out from nearby. In a split second, multiple projectiles flew at me. I could barely even react due to the speed, but they appeared to be bubbles. I was hit four times, each hit feeling like I was being hit with a sledgehammer. I only kept on standing due to my willpower, and it was then that the mystery assailant came into focus.

They were a Lombre with bandages wrapped around their left arm. Their right arm was in a cast, and there seemed to be some healing burns on them.

"I saw that you needed help," the Lombre said. "Nickel, are you and that man alright? Everyone looks like they've been through the wringer, and I couldn't find Shanks anywhere."

"Why in the world would you want his help?" Nickel barked at him. "Tallarin, there's a good reason why no one bothers talking with that asshole unless it's absolutely necessary! He ruins everything he puts his dirty mitts on!"

"I only know him, the twin psychics, and Cobalt. I couldn't find the latter three, so by process of elimination, I was stuck trying to find him. I figured that if Shanks was as strong as he looked, he'd be useful here," Tallarin replied. "It seems like we don't need him, though. I can already tell that the remaining intruder is struggling to stand."

"Your help is appreciated, young squire," Caerwyn chimed in. "If you weren't here, I would've had to resort to unacceptable measures to win."

This was bad. I couldn't fight the both of them at the same time! I had to cut my losses, and fast! I launched myself towards Leo, scooped him up, and then used my control over gravity to fling us through the hallways, back towards the entrance! It was risky, and if my reflexes were a split second too slow, we would've been squished! Thankfully, I was good enough at this to pull this stunt off, and as soon as we were back on the surface, I fled back towards our home base.

It looks like I won't be getting my belt any time soon.

A Decision Made

I was back in Nickel's office. He sat on his oversized desk, with that Honedge from earlier close behind. They had introduced themselves as Caerwyn, and apparently, they were quite old. He said that it was rare to find Pokemon with the kind of aim I had. He didn't even know that I had shot at that Clefable with my bad arm.

"Hey, I got a quick question before I resume my talks," Nickel said to the Honedge. "Do I still have to show up to practice tonight, even though we got attacked?"

"Yes!" Caerwyn replied. "Punctuality and consistency are two of the many keys to success you must gather!"

"Practice?" I asked.

"Nickel is my student, and I am bestowing my wisdom upon him," Caerwyn responded. "I am only teaching him, as he will be my successor."

"Right," I muttered dismissively. "If we're talking about me being recruited, I made up my mind."

"Did you make the right choice?" Nickel questioned, his words loaded with a singular implication: joining him was, in his mind, the right call.

"I'm joining your gang for a while," I confirmed. "I'll need to come up with a disguise, but I need the resources you all have."

"Nice!" Nickel shouted. He extended one of his nubby arms towards my general direction. "Wanna shake hands?"

"I'd rather not," I responded. "I don't know you well enough yet."

"Eh, suit yourself," Nickel grumbled. "Have the rest of the day off. You saved my ass, and I don't feel like doing anything else for today."

I nodded, and made my way out of the room. I was cautiously optimistic about my future here, but I knew it'd all be temporary. I just needed to get strong enough to kill Asana, and then, I'd be back on the road again.