GoldenrodGOD
Unrivalled Confidence xo
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Some of you may know this is an RP that never managed to finish itself.
I see it as a story that has the need to be told.
You asked me what we did. Why did we disband?
The most civilised way to put it is that we had 'different beliefs'.
This story will be told by a timeline of events, before, during and after the reign of the original Team Pride with Elemental Admins.
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PART I: BEFORE THE ELEMENTAL ADMINS JOIN TEAM PRIDE
33 years before...
Malisse, leader and creator of Team Pride, is born in Lavender Town, Kanto.
Michelle Ferguson, the Ice Admin, is born in Lavaridge Town, Hoenn.
30 years before...
Skye Alura, Malisse’s rival, is born in Goldenrod City, Johto.
26 years before...
Zaar, the Dark Admin, is born in Ecruteak City, Johto.
21 years before...
Buddy Lambert, Malisse’s Personal Grunt and nephew, is born in Rustboro City, Hoenn.
20 years before...
A.D, the Electric Admin, is born in Pallet Town, Kanto.
18 years before...
Violet is adopted by Malisse from an orphanage in Violet City, Johto. Violet is one year old.
17 years before...
Di Somago, the Water Admin, is born in Blackthorn City, Johto.
Florian Celyn Gardens, the Grass Admin, is born in Goldenrod City, Johto.
Gold Silverston, the Dragon Admin, is born in Lavender Town, Kanto.
16 years before...
Joe and Josh ‘The Clones’ Antonimous, the Psychic Admins, are born in Snowpoint City, Sinnoh.
13 years before...
“NO!”
A crumpled ball of paper whizzed past a tall, skinny, twig-like man’s head.
“B-but Melissa-“ Twig-man stuttered before he was cut off.
“It’s Malisse, you fucking idiot! If you can’t even get my fucking name right, what makes you think you have what it takes to name my fucking company?!” Malisse stopped staring out of the window to give everybody the evil eye.
A small, timid-looking Japanese woman suddenly spoke up. “Miss Malisse, I think what Mr Dale is trying to say is that we need to expand our options and-“
“I don’t need to fucking expand my options! It’s good enough already!” Malisse hissed. Surprisingly, the Japanese woman remained unmoved and composed.
“You may want to reconsider that.” The woman informed Malisse calmly.
“What-ever. I need a fucking light. Somebody give me a light.” Malisse wrestled a box of cigarettes out of her handbag and by the time she got a single cigarette out, the timid-looking Japanese woman was the only who had a lighter ready. Probably the only one in the meeting who had a lighter on her.
“Who are you?” Malisse asked the woman after she’d had a long drag on her cigarette.
“I am Tamao Sumomo. I was sent here by the Johto Underground Market for help in the black market rate.” Tamao raised an eyebrow at Malisse daringly. All the other business people in the room smirked. Yeah, right. Like Malisse, the great Malisse, would create a company in underground deals.
“I think we might be able to strike up a beautiful friendship, Miss Tamao.” Malisse finally replied. She then turned to everybody else in the meeting room. “You are all dismissed. Please leave.” Shocked, everybody left the room. Tamao then turned to Malisse and began to work the charm.
“Malisse, if you please, I have a plan that you might just like. It’s called Team Pride, involving dealing Pokémon and other various valuable items on the black market...”
12 years before...
It's a crisp, autumn late afternoon. The burning sun is setting, copper-coloured leaves are rustling on the breeze as the wind whistles through the sky. Somewhere in Rustboro City, Hoenn, a middle-aged couple dressed in hiking attire are standing outside a house. The woman is kneeling and talking to a young golden-haired boy petting a Poochyena.
"We won't be long, Buddy, I promise. We're just quickly heading to Mt. Pyre to look at something about orbs, honest. And you've got Taz your new Poochyena and Nona to keep you company, don't you?" Mrs Lambert smiles cajolingly at her son. The boy lowers his azure-blue eyes and nods stubbornly.
"That’s my boy!” Mr Lambert steps forward and claps his son on the back, grinning proudly. The boy's eyes light up at the thought of making his father proud.
"We'll see you later, Buddy!" The woman steps forward and plants a kiss on her son's face, who proceeds to pull a disgusted face and rubs at his face vigorously. The woman smiles. She knows that deep down, her son loves them very much. This is the last thought that will be echoing in her head tonight, seconds before she is killed.
The couple wave at their son before they hop into a helicopter and fly off into the sunset. The boy retreats into the house and runs upstairs before his Grandmother screeches at him to help her with the cooking. He runs around the house as his Grandmother chases after him and his Poochyena with a frying pan and a crippled foot whilst cussing in Italian. Meanwhile, his parents are approaching the summit of Mt. Pyre just as the sun is setting.
“Hello? We’re here! It’s Ivy and Derek Lambert!” Mrs Lambert called out into the fog, her husband somewhere behind her. Just as she took a deep breath to raise her voice once again, a noise cut her breath short.
A man. Screaming in pain. Coming from behind her.
“Derek? Derek?! Where are you?!” Mrs Lambert’s voice rises an octave as she spins around frantically, searching for her husband in the deep fog. However, the fog is silent and gives no sign of anything, let alone hope. As an automatic reflex, Mrs Lambert gets down on her hands and knees and crawls along the ground. She finally finds something, something solid. She feels the solid object, realising it is Derek’s hand, before feeling something wet and thick. She lifts her hand to her face and screams in recognition. Blood, sweet, thick, red blood, dripping down her hand and onto her wrist. But, before she can scream for help or even take another breath, her own death is met. A dagger is plunged into her side. At least we died knowing Buddy will be okay, safe at home, Mrs Lambert thinks, before her eyes close one last time. She is gone, and so is Derek.
“You idiot! What were you thinking?! These two aren’t from Team Magma or Aqua! Now what are we going to do?!” Two figures are standing above the bodies, one shaking his head with disgust, the other sulking.
“Who cares ‘bout dat? We came’ere for da orbs, and we couldn’t let anybody get in aw way! What were we gonna do? Dance over’em wit rainbows and flippin’ Beautiflys?!”
“Never mind that you fool, look! Blast! That Team Aqua and Team Magma must have got here first! Look what you did, see? You wasted our precious time before we could get our hands on either of the orbs! We are going to have to return to headquarters empty handed! What do you think Malisse is going to have to say about that?”
“I dunno. You’s the admin, not me!”
“And I plan to remain one. Come on, let us get out of here.”
The figures turn around and descend down the mountain, leaving the bodies for the old couple who guard the Mt. Pyre Orbs to find when they return from their brief visit back home.
One day later...
“WHAT?!”
Nona’s screeching voice woke nine year old Buddy Lambert with a start. He yawned as he rubbed the sleep from his clear blue eyes before rolling out of bed, Taz his Poochyena right by his side. What had happened now? Maybe there was some sort of wild Pokémon downstairs, like a Zigzagoon or something. Or maybe Nona had had a heart attack! Maybe then she’d stop yapping at Buddy to go comb his hair and eat her terrible cooking.
Buddy stomped down the stairs to find the front door wide open and Officer Jenny on his doorstep talking to Nona.
“What’s going on?” Buddy groaned as he shielded his eyes from the bright morning sunlight. Nona and Officer Jenny turned to him, Jenny with a sympathetic look on her pretty face, Nona with an indescribable look on her face. It was a mix of heartbreak and loss with a touch of regret.
“Thank you, Officer Jenny.” Nona closed the front door without another word as Jenny nodded with respect before taking off back to the police station.
“What-what’s happened, Nona?” Buddy asked, scratching his head.
Nona looked as if she were about to say something, but then stopped. “Sit down at the table” She said gently. Buddy went into the kitchen and did as he was told whilst Nona poured two cups of strong black coffee. She sat opposite Buddy and pushed a mug of coffee towards him, but he shook his head. Coffee tasted bitter and evil, nothing like the sweet Oran Berry Juice he usually drank. Nona took a deep breath before speaking
“Buddy-“ Nona paused, thinking about how to tell her young, innocent grandson. “I-I-“ Nona stopped again, for salty tears had gathered in the corners of her old, wrinkled eyes. She looked down, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. “Your parents are dead!” Nona gasped, a fresh wave of tears flowing from her eyes.
Buddy couldn’t speak. He was in shock. And like his late mother, he too had automatic reflexes. Staring straight ahead, he reached for the coffee and took a huge gulp of the bitter, piping hot concoction, scalding his tongue. Still, he took another gulp, and another, until it was gone in three gulps. He couldn’t even taste the coffee or the pain of the burn. Nothing could compare to what had just come out of Nona’s mouth. He felt like he was going to throw up. Taz whined and fell into a slumped mess on the floor.
“Tell me this is a nightmare, Nona.” Buddy said calmly, still staring straight ahead, his eyes unblinking, his hands shaking slightly.
Nona shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid it’s not.” Nona whispered.
“How did they die?” Buddy asked, his voice emotionless.
“The old couple who guard Mt Pyre found them dead at the summit of the mountain. They’d been stabbed to death. Nobody knows who did it.” Nona answered quietly. Buddy didn’t reply. “I-I’ve got your parents’ will here.” Nona held a piece of paper in her hand. “You’re going to live with your mother’s sister in a region named Sinnoh.”
“Why can’t I live with you?” Buddy asked angrily, banging his fist on the table, causing Nona’s coffee to sway like leaves in the wind. “Then I would stay in Hoenn!”
“Your parents want you to live with your aunt. It’ll be good for you to get some clean, fresh air up North in Sinnoh.” Nona explained gently.
“Well, what if I want to stay down here in Hoenn, where it’s sunny and warm?” Buddy protested.
“Buddy, I want you to stay too. But believe me, if you lived with me, you’d probably have to look after me instead of the other way round!” Nona chuckled but then stopped and looked down.
“When am I leaving?” Buddy asked sadly, his face crumpled up like an old, used tissue.
“Next week. You better start packing.” Nona watched her grandson slowly make his way upstairs with his Poochyena behind him, tail through legs, before shedding her last few tears until the funeral two weeks later. Hopefully Buddy would not realise. But he knew all too well. It was a good thing he could not go to Mt Pyre because of anger and hatred for the murderers who killed his parents at the very place, or nothing would stop him from attending the funeral.
A week later...
It has been a week since Buddy came up North from sunny Hoenn to frosty Sinnoh. His new life is completely different to the humble life he knew before. Now he lives in an old, sprawling mansion in Floaroma instead of the simple two bedroom house in Rustboro he lived in before. He no longer goes to school as he has a private tutor. He no longer has one Pokémon, Malisse grants him any Pokémon he wishes. He is no longer the only child in the family, his Aunt Malisse has a daughter named Violet who is two years younger than himself.
Aunt Malisse.
The woman who was actually his late mother’s sister. The day Malisse personally came and collected Buddy from the Canalave City Port was the first day he had ever met her. With purple hair and violet eyes, he could see no resemblance to his own mother, who had blonde hair and blue eyes.
“G’day, Buddy!” Buddy’s aunt had grinned at him. She seemed nice, so why did everyone but Violet cower at her voice, or whenever she walked past? Everybody seemed to obey her without question. It was strange and puzzling, but it didn’t mean much to a nine year old boy, after all.
Buddy’s life was without a doubt, much better and more privileged than his old life.
But was he any happier?
No.
Too bad. His life was about to get a lot tougher...
10 years before...
Skye Alura paced back and forth her Marie-Antoinette style bedroom as her best friend and colleague, Don John watched in confusion.
“But what about Team Prada? I think it would really work, honey. Prada is sooo in right now. And Prada toe-dally wouldn’t mind you borrowing their name.” Don John explained as he filed his manicured nails with a sparkly pink Prada nail file.
“No! It sounds too much like-like-Malisse’s business!” Skye screamed in frustration as she hurled a plotted plant at the pristine white wall, now covered in soil and dirt.
“Malisse-who? Honey, she will be soooo over once Team Prada is born.” Don John wrinkled his cosmetic-surgery perfected nose before continuing filing.
“It’s not that! I just don’t want anything to do with her! She’s just so-urgh!” Skye whined before slumping against the wall. Don John looked up in disgust.
“Ew. Honey, like, don’t do that. Posture, remember? Anyways, forget about her. She’s like, a Nokia to an iPhone. The iPhone being us, of course. Gap to Gucci. Beta to Alpha. Brooklyn to Manhat-“
“EhmaGawd! That’s it! Alphas! That’s what we’ll call my business!” Skye gasped. “I am such a genius!”
6 years before...
Left, right, left, right. In, out, in, out. Three seconds at a time. Good, relax.
Buddy Lambert shoved his hands in his pockets as he made his way through his aunt’s magnificent and gigantic mansion. He’d walked this route thousands of times. So why did he feel sick with nerves and fear?
Because he was going to ask Aunt Malisse the one thing that could go all so wrong. What would her reaction be? Would she laugh in his face? Or disown him for trying to get a job just because of her?
He’d just have to find out for himself. He was outside Malisse’s home-office now. Buddy took a deep, cleansing breath before knocking on the door.
“Come in.”
Buddy pushed the gold handle down and slowly opened the door. He peered nervously around the corner of the door.
“Oh, Buddy, dear, hello! Come on in!” Malisse looked up and smiled at Buddy as he nervously walked over to his aunt’s desk and sat on a plush, velvet chair opposite Malisse.
“What’s wrong, dear?” Malisse asked, whilst reading some paperwork.
This was it. This was it. Now or never. Just do it! Go!
Buddy cleared his throat before speaking. “Malisse, I would like to thank you for taking me into your home in my time of need and caring for me, so I would like to-“
“Oh, it’s nothing, dear!” Malisse cut Buddy off whilst reading sheet of paper in one hand, the other hand batting the air to emphasise her point.
“Um, okay, thank you.” Buddy continued uncomfortably. “But, um, I would like to repay you for all your kindness by working for you in Team Pride-“
“WHAT?!” Malisse screeched, throwing down her paperwork to stare at Buddy as he clamped his ears. He suddenly got a flashback from six years before, the day his parents were killed, when Nona had woken Buddy up by screeching; “WHAT?!”. He could definitely see the resemblance between Nona and Malisse.
Buddy shook his head, as if trying to wake himself up. That was all in the past. The present was now. And right now, he had to convince Malisse to give him a job or he’d never get to see the real world.
“Malisse,” Buddy began calmly once again. “I would like to work for you in Team Pride. I don’t care what as, I would just like a job. I’d just like a chance to experience the real world.”
Malisse continued staring at him, until she suddenly burst out laughing.
“Oh, Buddy.” Malisse said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes when she finally finished laughing. “I don’t think you understand. People with high intelligence and skills in various things such as Pokémon may only join Team Pride. And I can’t let you have a job just because you’re related to me. That would be unfair on others.” Malisse raised her eyebrows, as if to say, ‘Get my drift?’
Buddy could feel himself boiling with rage. Malisse thought he was just some dumb klutz? Who had programmed Violet’s nail polish to change colour depending on her mood? Buddy. Who had released all of the poor, tortured Pokémon Malisse had granted him and instead caught his own Pokémon using simple, basic Pokeballs to then train to become incredibly strong creatures? Buddy. Who had tinkered with the water filter one day for fun so the swimming pool water had turned banana yellow and the grass royal purple? Buddy. The list was endless, yet Malisse still hadn’t noticed.
“How about you put me through the Team Pride Training Unit Facility?” Buddy suddenly challenged Malisse, raising an eyebrow daringly. “Y’know, just to see how I fare. If I fail, I admit defeat and go back home. But if I succeed.” An unfamiliar, menacing glint suddenly flashed in Buddy’s blue eyes. “I work for Team Pride.”
Malisse scratched her chin, her eyes narrowed at Buddy, a tiny smirk pulling at the corner of her plum-coloured lips. Finally, the deep purple lips parted, like the gates to heaven.
“Alright. You’ve got yourself a deal.” Malisse finally answered. Just as Buddy grinned triumphantly and was about to get up to leave, Malisse asked the question that pulled at his heartstrings and made it hard to breathe.
“Why do you want to join, anyways?” Malisse asked, as she flicked some invisible lint off her cashmere sweater.
Buddy stopped breathing all together and the things that were pulling at his heartstrings had stopped, but were now jumping all over his heart like a trampoline, causing it to thump and beat at the speed of light.
“I-I-“ Buddy stopped short. Who had he been trying to kid? He couldn’t fool anyone, not even himself. He wasn’t joining Team Pride to ‘see the real world’. Hell, no. When Malisse had been travelling all over the Sinnoh region, he’d seen the real world alright. The real world starving. Begging. And yet, Buddy hadn’t had a single chance to help any of those poor people out there because apparently Malisse’s rich and snobby ‘friends’ were much too important for Buddy to stop and help somebody so that they wouldn’t die from hunger that day. If anything, Team Pride was the last place in the whole universe to try and help the real world.
So what was he joining for?
Revenge.
Sweet, sweet revenge, best served cold apparently. Or so Buddy had heard. Of course, he’d never known, what with being sweet, innocent Buddy the klutz, Malisse’s late sister’s son. Not necessarily wanted, but not unwanted either. Well, now he’d be able to find out what revenge felt like. Buddy was joining Team Pride to search for the murderer(s) who had killed his parents. Team Pride was secretly an underground black market, dealing Pokémon, precious stones and various other valuables. They also specialised in assassins and bodyguards, so that couldn’t hurt to help with the search either. Once he’d found the murderer(s), he’d make them so hurt so badly that they’d wish they were dead, for what they had done to his parents.
But of course, Malisse could never find this out. She’d scream at Buddy for trying to use Team Pride for ulterior motives other than making money and would immediately deny him a job.
And that was not an option.
So for now, the reason was; “I want to see the real world.” Buddy smiled angelically at Malisse. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Why would the kid want to see the real world? Why wouldn’t he? Malisse sighed. She was too busy and important for this.
“Alright. The training for new grunts starts in a week.” Malisse sighed, before returning to her paperwork.
“Okay! Thank you, Aunt Malisse! Goodbye!” Buddy grinned before sprinting out of the office, slamming the door shut. Once outside, he closed his eyes and pumped his fist in the air.
He was moving at a slow pace towards his goal, but it was a steady pace. And that was what counted.
So far, anyway.
1 year before...
“I gave you eleven years.”
Malisse paced back and forth slowly in front of all ten of her admins, her high-heeled boots making a clacking noise every time they hit the ground, making each admin jump each time, their hearts beating like there was no tomorrow, sweat dripping from their foreheads like a torrential downpour.
“Eleven whole years to catch three Pokémon.” Malisse pronounced each syllable in each word slowly, as if talking to a foreigner who didn’t speak English. “Not one hundred. Not even a thousand. Three.” Malisse stopped walking.
“WHAT HAPPENED?!” Malisse suddenly exploded, causing every admin to physically jump, four to squeak in fright and one to actually scream.
“You.” Everybody followed Malisse’s pointed finger to stare at a tall, lanky guy wearing milk-bottle glasses who didn’t look like he could get in a PG rated movie by himself.
“Um, well, see, er, boss, it took six years to track down the orbs and steal them off Team Magma and Team Aqua,” The guy began, wiping the sweat off his forehead and cleaning his glasses with his argyle sweater before putting them back on. “But then, er, some kid stopped them from destroying the world, so, er, we didn’t actually need to do anything, so then, er, we had to, er, re-steal them from Mt. Pyre, but then, er, they got so, er, safety-cautious that, er, they re-located back to Sinnoh and spread them, er-“
“STOP SAYING ‘ER’!!!” Malisse screeched. She then stopped to see several people had clamped their hands over their ears, and then smiled innocently.
“What’s your name?” Malisse asked, still smiling.
“Brad, er-“ The guy began nervously, before he was cut off once again.
“BRAD ER, YOU ARE F-I-R-E-D FIRED!!!!” Malisse boomed. The guy squeaked, before scuttling off. All the admins stared at Malisse in shock.
“You.” Malisse stared at a perky-looking blonde with a huge chest.
“Yes, Malisse, sir, miss?” The blonde smiled a toothy grin, trying to impress the boss by showing she wasn’t intimidated. Well, trying to pretend she wasn’t intimidated.
“Do you have a problem?” Malisse raised an eyebrow at Perky.
“Um, no?” The girl answered, her flawless forehead crinkled in confusion.
“Well, you do now. ‘Cause you’re fired.” Malisse shrugged. The girl gasped, before running out, sobbing.
“You, you, you aaaaand. You.” Malisse jabbed a royal purple manicured fingernail at four admins. “Fired.”
The former admins hung their heads in shame as they left the building, knowing better than to cause a scene.
“You three. Step-“ Malisse began, before she was cut off by one the admins mumbling.
“We already know. We’re fired.” The bulky redhead muttered.
“Excuse me? What did you just say?” Malisse fired her signature killer glare at the almost ex-admin.
“Um-um, n-nothing, Malisse, m-ma’am.” He stuttered. Although they no more officially worked for her, everybody was still terrified of The Great Malisse.
All the admins were now gone, except for one. A tall, handsome man, with dark hair and light eyes.
“Jon.” Malisse sighed. Jon stepped forward, his flawless face emotionless. Malisse began pacing around him in a circle, like a predator circling their prey. “You were always my favourite. Always my number one admin.” Malisse drawled in her infamous Australian accent. The man remained composed, staring straight ahead.
“But you failed me. Miserably. Get out.” Malisse suddenly snarled. Amazingly, Jon did not move. Instead, his mouth stretched into a lazy smile.
“You think you can always get what you want.” He replied quietly. Malisse’s eyes narrowed even further. Was this guy a joke? She’d told him to get out. To leave. Nobody, repeat, nobody, disobeyed The Great Malisse.
“Someday, this place is going to end up in ruins. And we will not be responsible. You will be, Malisse.” Jon stated hollowly.
“Get out.” Malisse repeated one last time. This time, Jon did as he was told and left. But just as he was about to exit through the door, he managed to get in one last thing.
“Do not forget what I said, Malisse. You’ll be thinking back to this day when your world has been burnt down.” Jon’s last few words had echoed in Malisse’s head, before she’d stalked off to do more important things.
Like finding new admins.
END OF PART I. PART II COMING SOON.
I see it as a story that has the need to be told.
You asked me what we did. Why did we disband?
The most civilised way to put it is that we had 'different beliefs'.
This story will be told by a timeline of events, before, during and after the reign of the original Team Pride with Elemental Admins.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PART I: BEFORE THE ELEMENTAL ADMINS JOIN TEAM PRIDE
33 years before...
Malisse, leader and creator of Team Pride, is born in Lavender Town, Kanto.
Michelle Ferguson, the Ice Admin, is born in Lavaridge Town, Hoenn.
30 years before...
Skye Alura, Malisse’s rival, is born in Goldenrod City, Johto.
26 years before...
Zaar, the Dark Admin, is born in Ecruteak City, Johto.
21 years before...
Buddy Lambert, Malisse’s Personal Grunt and nephew, is born in Rustboro City, Hoenn.
20 years before...
A.D, the Electric Admin, is born in Pallet Town, Kanto.
18 years before...
Violet is adopted by Malisse from an orphanage in Violet City, Johto. Violet is one year old.
17 years before...
Di Somago, the Water Admin, is born in Blackthorn City, Johto.
Florian Celyn Gardens, the Grass Admin, is born in Goldenrod City, Johto.
Gold Silverston, the Dragon Admin, is born in Lavender Town, Kanto.
16 years before...
Joe and Josh ‘The Clones’ Antonimous, the Psychic Admins, are born in Snowpoint City, Sinnoh.
13 years before...
“NO!”
A crumpled ball of paper whizzed past a tall, skinny, twig-like man’s head.
“B-but Melissa-“ Twig-man stuttered before he was cut off.
“It’s Malisse, you fucking idiot! If you can’t even get my fucking name right, what makes you think you have what it takes to name my fucking company?!” Malisse stopped staring out of the window to give everybody the evil eye.
A small, timid-looking Japanese woman suddenly spoke up. “Miss Malisse, I think what Mr Dale is trying to say is that we need to expand our options and-“
“I don’t need to fucking expand my options! It’s good enough already!” Malisse hissed. Surprisingly, the Japanese woman remained unmoved and composed.
“You may want to reconsider that.” The woman informed Malisse calmly.
“What-ever. I need a fucking light. Somebody give me a light.” Malisse wrestled a box of cigarettes out of her handbag and by the time she got a single cigarette out, the timid-looking Japanese woman was the only who had a lighter ready. Probably the only one in the meeting who had a lighter on her.
“Who are you?” Malisse asked the woman after she’d had a long drag on her cigarette.
“I am Tamao Sumomo. I was sent here by the Johto Underground Market for help in the black market rate.” Tamao raised an eyebrow at Malisse daringly. All the other business people in the room smirked. Yeah, right. Like Malisse, the great Malisse, would create a company in underground deals.
“I think we might be able to strike up a beautiful friendship, Miss Tamao.” Malisse finally replied. She then turned to everybody else in the meeting room. “You are all dismissed. Please leave.” Shocked, everybody left the room. Tamao then turned to Malisse and began to work the charm.
“Malisse, if you please, I have a plan that you might just like. It’s called Team Pride, involving dealing Pokémon and other various valuable items on the black market...”
12 years before...
It's a crisp, autumn late afternoon. The burning sun is setting, copper-coloured leaves are rustling on the breeze as the wind whistles through the sky. Somewhere in Rustboro City, Hoenn, a middle-aged couple dressed in hiking attire are standing outside a house. The woman is kneeling and talking to a young golden-haired boy petting a Poochyena.
"We won't be long, Buddy, I promise. We're just quickly heading to Mt. Pyre to look at something about orbs, honest. And you've got Taz your new Poochyena and Nona to keep you company, don't you?" Mrs Lambert smiles cajolingly at her son. The boy lowers his azure-blue eyes and nods stubbornly.
"That’s my boy!” Mr Lambert steps forward and claps his son on the back, grinning proudly. The boy's eyes light up at the thought of making his father proud.
"We'll see you later, Buddy!" The woman steps forward and plants a kiss on her son's face, who proceeds to pull a disgusted face and rubs at his face vigorously. The woman smiles. She knows that deep down, her son loves them very much. This is the last thought that will be echoing in her head tonight, seconds before she is killed.
The couple wave at their son before they hop into a helicopter and fly off into the sunset. The boy retreats into the house and runs upstairs before his Grandmother screeches at him to help her with the cooking. He runs around the house as his Grandmother chases after him and his Poochyena with a frying pan and a crippled foot whilst cussing in Italian. Meanwhile, his parents are approaching the summit of Mt. Pyre just as the sun is setting.
“Hello? We’re here! It’s Ivy and Derek Lambert!” Mrs Lambert called out into the fog, her husband somewhere behind her. Just as she took a deep breath to raise her voice once again, a noise cut her breath short.
A man. Screaming in pain. Coming from behind her.
“Derek? Derek?! Where are you?!” Mrs Lambert’s voice rises an octave as she spins around frantically, searching for her husband in the deep fog. However, the fog is silent and gives no sign of anything, let alone hope. As an automatic reflex, Mrs Lambert gets down on her hands and knees and crawls along the ground. She finally finds something, something solid. She feels the solid object, realising it is Derek’s hand, before feeling something wet and thick. She lifts her hand to her face and screams in recognition. Blood, sweet, thick, red blood, dripping down her hand and onto her wrist. But, before she can scream for help or even take another breath, her own death is met. A dagger is plunged into her side. At least we died knowing Buddy will be okay, safe at home, Mrs Lambert thinks, before her eyes close one last time. She is gone, and so is Derek.
“You idiot! What were you thinking?! These two aren’t from Team Magma or Aqua! Now what are we going to do?!” Two figures are standing above the bodies, one shaking his head with disgust, the other sulking.
“Who cares ‘bout dat? We came’ere for da orbs, and we couldn’t let anybody get in aw way! What were we gonna do? Dance over’em wit rainbows and flippin’ Beautiflys?!”
“Never mind that you fool, look! Blast! That Team Aqua and Team Magma must have got here first! Look what you did, see? You wasted our precious time before we could get our hands on either of the orbs! We are going to have to return to headquarters empty handed! What do you think Malisse is going to have to say about that?”
“I dunno. You’s the admin, not me!”
“And I plan to remain one. Come on, let us get out of here.”
The figures turn around and descend down the mountain, leaving the bodies for the old couple who guard the Mt. Pyre Orbs to find when they return from their brief visit back home.
One day later...
“WHAT?!”
Nona’s screeching voice woke nine year old Buddy Lambert with a start. He yawned as he rubbed the sleep from his clear blue eyes before rolling out of bed, Taz his Poochyena right by his side. What had happened now? Maybe there was some sort of wild Pokémon downstairs, like a Zigzagoon or something. Or maybe Nona had had a heart attack! Maybe then she’d stop yapping at Buddy to go comb his hair and eat her terrible cooking.
Buddy stomped down the stairs to find the front door wide open and Officer Jenny on his doorstep talking to Nona.
“What’s going on?” Buddy groaned as he shielded his eyes from the bright morning sunlight. Nona and Officer Jenny turned to him, Jenny with a sympathetic look on her pretty face, Nona with an indescribable look on her face. It was a mix of heartbreak and loss with a touch of regret.
“Thank you, Officer Jenny.” Nona closed the front door without another word as Jenny nodded with respect before taking off back to the police station.
“What-what’s happened, Nona?” Buddy asked, scratching his head.
Nona looked as if she were about to say something, but then stopped. “Sit down at the table” She said gently. Buddy went into the kitchen and did as he was told whilst Nona poured two cups of strong black coffee. She sat opposite Buddy and pushed a mug of coffee towards him, but he shook his head. Coffee tasted bitter and evil, nothing like the sweet Oran Berry Juice he usually drank. Nona took a deep breath before speaking
“Buddy-“ Nona paused, thinking about how to tell her young, innocent grandson. “I-I-“ Nona stopped again, for salty tears had gathered in the corners of her old, wrinkled eyes. She looked down, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. “Your parents are dead!” Nona gasped, a fresh wave of tears flowing from her eyes.
Buddy couldn’t speak. He was in shock. And like his late mother, he too had automatic reflexes. Staring straight ahead, he reached for the coffee and took a huge gulp of the bitter, piping hot concoction, scalding his tongue. Still, he took another gulp, and another, until it was gone in three gulps. He couldn’t even taste the coffee or the pain of the burn. Nothing could compare to what had just come out of Nona’s mouth. He felt like he was going to throw up. Taz whined and fell into a slumped mess on the floor.
“Tell me this is a nightmare, Nona.” Buddy said calmly, still staring straight ahead, his eyes unblinking, his hands shaking slightly.
Nona shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid it’s not.” Nona whispered.
“How did they die?” Buddy asked, his voice emotionless.
“The old couple who guard Mt Pyre found them dead at the summit of the mountain. They’d been stabbed to death. Nobody knows who did it.” Nona answered quietly. Buddy didn’t reply. “I-I’ve got your parents’ will here.” Nona held a piece of paper in her hand. “You’re going to live with your mother’s sister in a region named Sinnoh.”
“Why can’t I live with you?” Buddy asked angrily, banging his fist on the table, causing Nona’s coffee to sway like leaves in the wind. “Then I would stay in Hoenn!”
“Your parents want you to live with your aunt. It’ll be good for you to get some clean, fresh air up North in Sinnoh.” Nona explained gently.
“Well, what if I want to stay down here in Hoenn, where it’s sunny and warm?” Buddy protested.
“Buddy, I want you to stay too. But believe me, if you lived with me, you’d probably have to look after me instead of the other way round!” Nona chuckled but then stopped and looked down.
“When am I leaving?” Buddy asked sadly, his face crumpled up like an old, used tissue.
“Next week. You better start packing.” Nona watched her grandson slowly make his way upstairs with his Poochyena behind him, tail through legs, before shedding her last few tears until the funeral two weeks later. Hopefully Buddy would not realise. But he knew all too well. It was a good thing he could not go to Mt Pyre because of anger and hatred for the murderers who killed his parents at the very place, or nothing would stop him from attending the funeral.
A week later...
It has been a week since Buddy came up North from sunny Hoenn to frosty Sinnoh. His new life is completely different to the humble life he knew before. Now he lives in an old, sprawling mansion in Floaroma instead of the simple two bedroom house in Rustboro he lived in before. He no longer goes to school as he has a private tutor. He no longer has one Pokémon, Malisse grants him any Pokémon he wishes. He is no longer the only child in the family, his Aunt Malisse has a daughter named Violet who is two years younger than himself.
Aunt Malisse.
The woman who was actually his late mother’s sister. The day Malisse personally came and collected Buddy from the Canalave City Port was the first day he had ever met her. With purple hair and violet eyes, he could see no resemblance to his own mother, who had blonde hair and blue eyes.
“G’day, Buddy!” Buddy’s aunt had grinned at him. She seemed nice, so why did everyone but Violet cower at her voice, or whenever she walked past? Everybody seemed to obey her without question. It was strange and puzzling, but it didn’t mean much to a nine year old boy, after all.
Buddy’s life was without a doubt, much better and more privileged than his old life.
But was he any happier?
No.
Too bad. His life was about to get a lot tougher...
10 years before...
Skye Alura paced back and forth her Marie-Antoinette style bedroom as her best friend and colleague, Don John watched in confusion.
“But what about Team Prada? I think it would really work, honey. Prada is sooo in right now. And Prada toe-dally wouldn’t mind you borrowing their name.” Don John explained as he filed his manicured nails with a sparkly pink Prada nail file.
“No! It sounds too much like-like-Malisse’s business!” Skye screamed in frustration as she hurled a plotted plant at the pristine white wall, now covered in soil and dirt.
“Malisse-who? Honey, she will be soooo over once Team Prada is born.” Don John wrinkled his cosmetic-surgery perfected nose before continuing filing.
“It’s not that! I just don’t want anything to do with her! She’s just so-urgh!” Skye whined before slumping against the wall. Don John looked up in disgust.
“Ew. Honey, like, don’t do that. Posture, remember? Anyways, forget about her. She’s like, a Nokia to an iPhone. The iPhone being us, of course. Gap to Gucci. Beta to Alpha. Brooklyn to Manhat-“
“EhmaGawd! That’s it! Alphas! That’s what we’ll call my business!” Skye gasped. “I am such a genius!”
6 years before...
Left, right, left, right. In, out, in, out. Three seconds at a time. Good, relax.
Buddy Lambert shoved his hands in his pockets as he made his way through his aunt’s magnificent and gigantic mansion. He’d walked this route thousands of times. So why did he feel sick with nerves and fear?
Because he was going to ask Aunt Malisse the one thing that could go all so wrong. What would her reaction be? Would she laugh in his face? Or disown him for trying to get a job just because of her?
He’d just have to find out for himself. He was outside Malisse’s home-office now. Buddy took a deep, cleansing breath before knocking on the door.
“Come in.”
Buddy pushed the gold handle down and slowly opened the door. He peered nervously around the corner of the door.
“Oh, Buddy, dear, hello! Come on in!” Malisse looked up and smiled at Buddy as he nervously walked over to his aunt’s desk and sat on a plush, velvet chair opposite Malisse.
“What’s wrong, dear?” Malisse asked, whilst reading some paperwork.
This was it. This was it. Now or never. Just do it! Go!
Buddy cleared his throat before speaking. “Malisse, I would like to thank you for taking me into your home in my time of need and caring for me, so I would like to-“
“Oh, it’s nothing, dear!” Malisse cut Buddy off whilst reading sheet of paper in one hand, the other hand batting the air to emphasise her point.
“Um, okay, thank you.” Buddy continued uncomfortably. “But, um, I would like to repay you for all your kindness by working for you in Team Pride-“
“WHAT?!” Malisse screeched, throwing down her paperwork to stare at Buddy as he clamped his ears. He suddenly got a flashback from six years before, the day his parents were killed, when Nona had woken Buddy up by screeching; “WHAT?!”. He could definitely see the resemblance between Nona and Malisse.
Buddy shook his head, as if trying to wake himself up. That was all in the past. The present was now. And right now, he had to convince Malisse to give him a job or he’d never get to see the real world.
“Malisse,” Buddy began calmly once again. “I would like to work for you in Team Pride. I don’t care what as, I would just like a job. I’d just like a chance to experience the real world.”
Malisse continued staring at him, until she suddenly burst out laughing.
“Oh, Buddy.” Malisse said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes when she finally finished laughing. “I don’t think you understand. People with high intelligence and skills in various things such as Pokémon may only join Team Pride. And I can’t let you have a job just because you’re related to me. That would be unfair on others.” Malisse raised her eyebrows, as if to say, ‘Get my drift?’
Buddy could feel himself boiling with rage. Malisse thought he was just some dumb klutz? Who had programmed Violet’s nail polish to change colour depending on her mood? Buddy. Who had released all of the poor, tortured Pokémon Malisse had granted him and instead caught his own Pokémon using simple, basic Pokeballs to then train to become incredibly strong creatures? Buddy. Who had tinkered with the water filter one day for fun so the swimming pool water had turned banana yellow and the grass royal purple? Buddy. The list was endless, yet Malisse still hadn’t noticed.
“How about you put me through the Team Pride Training Unit Facility?” Buddy suddenly challenged Malisse, raising an eyebrow daringly. “Y’know, just to see how I fare. If I fail, I admit defeat and go back home. But if I succeed.” An unfamiliar, menacing glint suddenly flashed in Buddy’s blue eyes. “I work for Team Pride.”
Malisse scratched her chin, her eyes narrowed at Buddy, a tiny smirk pulling at the corner of her plum-coloured lips. Finally, the deep purple lips parted, like the gates to heaven.
“Alright. You’ve got yourself a deal.” Malisse finally answered. Just as Buddy grinned triumphantly and was about to get up to leave, Malisse asked the question that pulled at his heartstrings and made it hard to breathe.
“Why do you want to join, anyways?” Malisse asked, as she flicked some invisible lint off her cashmere sweater.
Buddy stopped breathing all together and the things that were pulling at his heartstrings had stopped, but were now jumping all over his heart like a trampoline, causing it to thump and beat at the speed of light.
“I-I-“ Buddy stopped short. Who had he been trying to kid? He couldn’t fool anyone, not even himself. He wasn’t joining Team Pride to ‘see the real world’. Hell, no. When Malisse had been travelling all over the Sinnoh region, he’d seen the real world alright. The real world starving. Begging. And yet, Buddy hadn’t had a single chance to help any of those poor people out there because apparently Malisse’s rich and snobby ‘friends’ were much too important for Buddy to stop and help somebody so that they wouldn’t die from hunger that day. If anything, Team Pride was the last place in the whole universe to try and help the real world.
So what was he joining for?
Revenge.
Sweet, sweet revenge, best served cold apparently. Or so Buddy had heard. Of course, he’d never known, what with being sweet, innocent Buddy the klutz, Malisse’s late sister’s son. Not necessarily wanted, but not unwanted either. Well, now he’d be able to find out what revenge felt like. Buddy was joining Team Pride to search for the murderer(s) who had killed his parents. Team Pride was secretly an underground black market, dealing Pokémon, precious stones and various other valuables. They also specialised in assassins and bodyguards, so that couldn’t hurt to help with the search either. Once he’d found the murderer(s), he’d make them so hurt so badly that they’d wish they were dead, for what they had done to his parents.
But of course, Malisse could never find this out. She’d scream at Buddy for trying to use Team Pride for ulterior motives other than making money and would immediately deny him a job.
And that was not an option.
So for now, the reason was; “I want to see the real world.” Buddy smiled angelically at Malisse. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Why would the kid want to see the real world? Why wouldn’t he? Malisse sighed. She was too busy and important for this.
“Alright. The training for new grunts starts in a week.” Malisse sighed, before returning to her paperwork.
“Okay! Thank you, Aunt Malisse! Goodbye!” Buddy grinned before sprinting out of the office, slamming the door shut. Once outside, he closed his eyes and pumped his fist in the air.
He was moving at a slow pace towards his goal, but it was a steady pace. And that was what counted.
So far, anyway.
1 year before...
“I gave you eleven years.”
Malisse paced back and forth slowly in front of all ten of her admins, her high-heeled boots making a clacking noise every time they hit the ground, making each admin jump each time, their hearts beating like there was no tomorrow, sweat dripping from their foreheads like a torrential downpour.
“Eleven whole years to catch three Pokémon.” Malisse pronounced each syllable in each word slowly, as if talking to a foreigner who didn’t speak English. “Not one hundred. Not even a thousand. Three.” Malisse stopped walking.
“WHAT HAPPENED?!” Malisse suddenly exploded, causing every admin to physically jump, four to squeak in fright and one to actually scream.
“You.” Everybody followed Malisse’s pointed finger to stare at a tall, lanky guy wearing milk-bottle glasses who didn’t look like he could get in a PG rated movie by himself.
“Um, well, see, er, boss, it took six years to track down the orbs and steal them off Team Magma and Team Aqua,” The guy began, wiping the sweat off his forehead and cleaning his glasses with his argyle sweater before putting them back on. “But then, er, some kid stopped them from destroying the world, so, er, we didn’t actually need to do anything, so then, er, we had to, er, re-steal them from Mt. Pyre, but then, er, they got so, er, safety-cautious that, er, they re-located back to Sinnoh and spread them, er-“
“STOP SAYING ‘ER’!!!” Malisse screeched. She then stopped to see several people had clamped their hands over their ears, and then smiled innocently.
“What’s your name?” Malisse asked, still smiling.
“Brad, er-“ The guy began nervously, before he was cut off once again.
“BRAD ER, YOU ARE F-I-R-E-D FIRED!!!!” Malisse boomed. The guy squeaked, before scuttling off. All the admins stared at Malisse in shock.
“You.” Malisse stared at a perky-looking blonde with a huge chest.
“Yes, Malisse, sir, miss?” The blonde smiled a toothy grin, trying to impress the boss by showing she wasn’t intimidated. Well, trying to pretend she wasn’t intimidated.
“Do you have a problem?” Malisse raised an eyebrow at Perky.
“Um, no?” The girl answered, her flawless forehead crinkled in confusion.
“Well, you do now. ‘Cause you’re fired.” Malisse shrugged. The girl gasped, before running out, sobbing.
“You, you, you aaaaand. You.” Malisse jabbed a royal purple manicured fingernail at four admins. “Fired.”
The former admins hung their heads in shame as they left the building, knowing better than to cause a scene.
“You three. Step-“ Malisse began, before she was cut off by one the admins mumbling.
“We already know. We’re fired.” The bulky redhead muttered.
“Excuse me? What did you just say?” Malisse fired her signature killer glare at the almost ex-admin.
“Um-um, n-nothing, Malisse, m-ma’am.” He stuttered. Although they no more officially worked for her, everybody was still terrified of The Great Malisse.
All the admins were now gone, except for one. A tall, handsome man, with dark hair and light eyes.
“Jon.” Malisse sighed. Jon stepped forward, his flawless face emotionless. Malisse began pacing around him in a circle, like a predator circling their prey. “You were always my favourite. Always my number one admin.” Malisse drawled in her infamous Australian accent. The man remained composed, staring straight ahead.
“But you failed me. Miserably. Get out.” Malisse suddenly snarled. Amazingly, Jon did not move. Instead, his mouth stretched into a lazy smile.
“You think you can always get what you want.” He replied quietly. Malisse’s eyes narrowed even further. Was this guy a joke? She’d told him to get out. To leave. Nobody, repeat, nobody, disobeyed The Great Malisse.
“Someday, this place is going to end up in ruins. And we will not be responsible. You will be, Malisse.” Jon stated hollowly.
“Get out.” Malisse repeated one last time. This time, Jon did as he was told and left. But just as he was about to exit through the door, he managed to get in one last thing.
“Do not forget what I said, Malisse. You’ll be thinking back to this day when your world has been burnt down.” Jon’s last few words had echoed in Malisse’s head, before she’d stalked off to do more important things.
Like finding new admins.
END OF PART I. PART II COMING SOON.