Halwood walks over to Eddie, glancing down at this extended hand before dumping his package into it. "What's even in these things? Security fought like crazy to keep hold of them." He considers his words for a moment before shaking his head. "Scratch that - I don't want to know. Better have been worth it though. I'm not putting Noel in danger so your boss can have a new toy."

He turns away, flopping down onto a settee and letting out a long sigh. For a moment he contemplates grabbing the first aid kit and seeing if he could do anything about his arm but decides instead to just tough it out. At least while Noel was around. No need making him worry after all. Though speaking off... "Don't touch anything that looks too fragile okay? Last thing we need is to be running missions to pay of damages as well as everything else." He throws his head back, closing his eyes and resting while he can. "...and good work up there. You did a great job."

Eddie takes the package, carefully examining its size, weight distribution, and how it's sealed. He tries to guess roughly what might be inside of it as if it were an unopened Christmas present.

"Can't say I know. Rocket isn't exactly the most transparent organization."

"Thanks. I'm always happy to be your baggage boy." Hal always praised him on the most minor of things, but he figured that was just part of being family. In the end, any praise he got from his brother made him happy. "You too. Need some help with your arm? It doesn't look normal, and not even you can soak a hit from that scrap heap, I don't think." If it was any other person, Noel might not have noticed. However, while Hal's thoughts might be beyond Noel's understanding, he had watched his brother long enough to know that something was off physically. Torn on where to look, Noel keeps shifting his eyes between Eddie and his bother, too excited about what is inside the mysterious package to pay full attention to Hal.

"Hey I'll have you know that your brother's the toughest guy in Kanto. Take more then a overgrown grasshopper to keep me down." Hal gives a smile and flexes the arm a bit to prove his point, almost immediately regretting it. "Tell you what - give it a couple hours rest. If it isn't back to normal by then I'll go something about it. An' you'll get to tell me you told me so."

Having reassured his brother he turns his attentions to Eddie, watching him toss the parcel around. "You know if you're just going to paw it like that you might as well just get it over with and open it." The fact that the Eddie didn't know what was in the package either didn't exactly surprise him, but it also didn't do much to ease his mind.

"Just Kanto? You're so modest." Noel returns the smile tenfold, before crouching down next to the crate.

The packages feel heavy in Eddie's hands. Beneath the layers of cloth and shockproof wrapping, you find that each package is a sturdy metal box that's silvery and cold to the touch. They look rather like toolboxes or trunks of some kind. The boxes are unmarked except for a strange logo - two halves of a circle bridged by a smaller circle in between - and a blue Indigo League crest stencilled on the lid.

Hal and Noel, you patch up your injuries. You'll be able to explain them away as work accidents. Perhaps you were carrying some bundles of newspapers and fell, or you wandered into the path of a carriage and got your arm twisted.

Eddie, you find a latch to open the case, but it's sealed with a combination lock. You pause for a moment, trying to imagine what number could possibly serve as the key --

And the elevator doors open with a ding, revealing a grim-faced man in an overcoat flanked by Pokémon trainers in dark suits. He approaches deliberately, frowning at you, Eddie, as you try to act inconspicuous.

"Evening, kids. I trust I'm not interrupting anything?"

Rocket Lieutenant Becker. The right-hand enforcer of General Houtarou; the thug who oversees Viridian City operations with a cruel iron fist. They say he catches nesting Pidgeys and eats them alive for breakfast.

Becker nods at one of his grunts, who puts one giant gloved hand on Eddie's and ever-so-subtly brushes him away from the package.

"Eddie. Hal. Noel." He glances at each of you in turn, wrinkling his nose. "So you retrieved the packages, hmm? You... rather exceeded my expectations. To think the Indigo League can't stand up to a bunch of children like you? What a joke. At least they had the sense to put... proper security on their strongboxes."

As Becker's grunts pack up the mysterious boxes and carry them to the elevator, the lieutenant looks meaningfully at Eddie.

"Don't think this will improve your standing in this organization. I still don't see what the boss sees in the lot of you -- or why he assigned you to my territory. This is war, kiddo. So what if you can play hide and seek?" He shakes his head. "But you're my grunts now, understand? You answer to me. And in return... I take care of you."

He pulls a wad of bills out of his coat and drops it on the table. It's almost a hundred thousand yen.

"Your payment," he says with a tone of disinterest. "Spend it or burn it, I don't care. Split it however you want. And..."

He turns away.

"...Job well done, Rockets."

He vanishes back into the elevator with his grunts in tow before you can respond. You're left in stunned silence. The preposterous wad of money lies on the table, fluttering slightly in the wind.

What do you do?

When Becker makes his entrance Hal pushes himself to his feet, his eyes immediately darting between the Lieutenant and his brother. While he doesn't make a move he is ready to put himself between the two at a moments notice. He remains silent until Becker and his thugs leave, though the frown he wears advertise to all his opinion - he despised the man. When the three once again find themselves alone in the shrine he visibly relaxes, sighing before making his way over to the table, snatching up their payment and begins counting through the notes. It quick order he's separated it into three piles; 10,000, 20,000 and 70,000 respectively. Opening his bag he shovels the 70,000 into it, zipping it up and throwing it over his shoulder. He then scoops up the 10,000 pile and moves over the Noel, handing it to him with a smile. "Spend it on whatever you want - games, sweets, whatever. I'll keep hold of the rest of your share until you need it okay?"

After the Lieutenant leaves the room, Eddie lets a few beats pass before pulling out a pad of paper and quickly sketching the symbol from the box.

"Becker must be in a good mood today. Maybe he likes you two."

Flo approaches the remaining wad of bills and takes the money in her beak before returning to Eddie and dropping it in his hand. He pockets roughly half the cash before continuing.

"Ten percent's more than enough for the two of us. Get your Pokémon something nice with the rest."

Eddie extends the handful of money in Hal's direction.

Hal stands silent for a moment, his gaze moving back and forth from the offered money and Eddie's face, trying to work out what the deception was. He has expected at the very least a complaint and had been prepared for an argument, even a fight, but this he had not seen coming. Who turns down money? Who actually argues they are worth less then offered? Tentatively he reaches forward, still expecting the bundle to be snatched back or a blow to come while he was distracted. Even when he takes the money he still can't quite accept something isn't going to happen. "What's the catch? You expect a favour later for this?"

Sensing some unease in the air, Noel tries to break the ice his usual way; being both seen and heard. "All of that money? Are you sure I can have all of those? I bet I could buy everything in Slurpuff's Sweets with this! Or maybe one of those Machamps those rich people have, then I could laze around all day. Oh, there are too many things, I can't decide. Maybe I could buy them all. Hey, Eddie, what will you use your money on?!" He pushed his face slightly too close for comfort as he looked up at him.

Noel knew that it probably wouldn't be nearly enough to buy everything he wanted, and he didn't plan to use it irresponsibly, but it still put him in high spirits.

If it was Noel's intention to break the unease he certainly succeeded. Hal shakes his head, realizing how stupid he must look right now if his brother had to try and step in (admittedly in his own unique way). He reaches out and takes the offered money, stuffing it into a jacket pocket and nodding towards Eddie. "...thanks."

Eddie's face doesn't seem to be masking any ulterior motive. He flashes Noel a slight smile.

"Nothing special, food mostly—maybe something nice for Flo here."

Eddie takes a bag of Pokémon snacks from his pocket and flicks one into the air with his thumb. Flo jumps up to catch the treat.

"As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I've got some business to deal with. You two take care of yourselves, I'm sure we'll see ya around."

Eddie holds up his hand as a half-hearted substitute for a proper wave as he walks away. His Farfetch'd follows him a few feet behind, awkwardly alternating between a slow waddle and rapid flight.

The road back is uneventful. You take the last bus into Viridian City as night falls like a curtain, watching the lights of distant apartments pass you by. The trees disappear into the labyrinth of concrete. The rust and smoke of the city envelops and consumes you.

You're going home.

Eddie, this is big. Much bigger than you had imagined. You knew the Rockets were cooking up a big plan, but you never expected them to openly raid the Noah, or to be able to steal such restricted cargo. You're going to have to talk to your contacts and figure out just what kind of trouble is brewing. And those kids... they're way too young to be involved in this. What could possibly have driven them to join Team Rocket? Just who are Hal and Noel?

Hal and Noel, the money is a lifesaver. It'll buy you weeks of stability, of not having to worry about whether you'll have food on the table tomorrow. Even after you have the roof repaired, you could finally get a bicycle, or a radio like the Murasakis have. But that moment in the cargo bay still weighs on your mind. What's really at stake here? Where is your life heading?

And Rick... The plan is coming together. Maybe you'll be able to finish that project you started so long ago. Soon...

Garren, Mown, Rubik, please write your Bonds, as described in my previous post. I'd also appreciate feedback on the way the game is going so far. Thanks!

Hal: He seems pretty reliable and he's got a healthy level of skepticism for someone in this line of work. Can't imagine why he'd put himself and his brother in danger by joining Team Rocket, though.

Noel: Seems like a nice kid. Shame that he's gotten mixed up in this thing.

Team Rocket: These guys are crooks, no mistaking it. Lieutenant Becker in particular seems pretty nasty. Hopefully they don't catch on.

The Indigo League: The Indigo League's philosophy of treating Pokémon as equals really strikes a chord. Cautiously optimistic about them. At the very least, they seem a lot better than the Crystal Empire.

Noel is my brother. I'll do anything to keep him safe. Even if it means working with the Rockets.
Eddie seems nice enough, but I'm not sure I trust him. What's his end game?
Team Rocket are crooks posing as the good guys. They pay too well to ignore though - the lesser of two evils.
The Indigo League just replaced one overbearing empire with another. Best to just stay out of there way.

November 2, 1960
8:49 am
Higashi-ku, Viridian City

Where has the time gone?

Life happened. You thought the money would last you for months. It never worked out that way: good things rarely do. Day by day you watched your fortunes dwindle, pulled this way and that by the greedy clawing hands of poverty and industry, until there was nothing standing between you and them, and they dragged you down.

Down into the familiar blood and grime of the underworld.

The letter arrived discreetly, deposited at your front doorstep by a little girl who wouldn't leave until you tipped her a hundred yen. It was a disposable message, handwritten on cheap paper. It read:


And Hal and Noel, that's how you found yourself hitching a ride with your uncle to the other side of the city, and getting ready to deal with Team Rocket once more.

Uncle Kei hums along with the radio as he trundles along in the early morning cold, scratching his raw neck with one hand and gripping the steering wheel with the other. You're nestled up in the back seat of the car with all of Uncle's stuff from work, bouncing uncomfortably with every bump in the road. Outside, you see rows of shophouses and people blurring past, power lines rushing overhead, and the unfamiliar silhouettes of newly installed electrical lampposts dotting the streets.

As the old song on the radio ends, Uncle Kei pulls up at a junction where bullock carts are moving past. He glances back and smiles awkwardly at the two of you.

"Sorry about the ride," he says. "I, uh, it's not my car. The company lent this to me just a few days ago, so I'm still getting the hang of it. But what the heck, you're tough kids, right?" He laughs. "What's a bump or two, eh?"

He settles back in his seat, watching the cattle move slowly down the road.

"I uh... I'm sorry I can't spend more time with you two," he says. "I know it must be hard looking after yourself for the week. I wish I could do more, but there's just so much work these days." He sighs. "Just look at the cattle, eh? 1960 and we're still hauling things around in bullock carts."

He twists around in his seat to look at you.

"So uh... what kinda work are you two doing so far across the city?"