Chapter 8 A Deal and the City of Summer Bliss

No one spoke for a long time in the car. Faust sat there silently thinking of the Charizard while Professor Ross couldn't help but observe Faust intently. 

Charlotte Ross had always considered herself a meticulous observer and prided herself in the ability to accurately get a read on people. Of course, it wasn't a superpower and she couldn't be accurate all the time. Nonetheless, understanding people's basic nature was like child's play for her.

The eyes gave away a lot. What you were thinking, what you were feeling, where your attention was and much more. Indeed they were windows into the soul. But looking at Faust's eyes she didn't understand why they were curious? It was as if they were filled with curiosity threatening to spill out. This was the kind of curiosity you would find in a child. It was almost as if everything in the world was new to Faust, ready for him to explore.

If Faust knew what Professor Ross was thinking he would probably shudder at the woman's intuition. They had barely met and she had already uncovered critical information about him. 

"The paper was very interesting. The instability factor...how sure are you about the cause?", asked Professor Foss breaking the silence.

Faust looked into her eyes and paused before answering, "90 per cent. A 10 per cent margin for unexpected developments. Under normal conditions, it can be proved every single time."

"You speak with certainty. What's the source of your confidence because as far as I know, you haven't conducted any experiments", Professor Ross said asking the main question that had been bothering her.

"I am sorry. I cannot tell you that. What I can assure you is that we can prove it", Faust replied almost instantaneously. He would never speak of the system but that didn't mean he could not have another mysterious source.

"Mister Faust, yesterday you agreed on providing your 100 per cent to the project. Are you not being insincere by not disclosing your means of obtaining such confidence in results without even experimenting?", Professor Ross said with a bit of a frown forming on her face.

Faust simply smiled and spoke, " Professor Ross, first I haven't agreed to anything yet, I am making this trip to see what I will be agreeing to and if I want to agree on it. Second, full disclosure of this matter will not make any difference to the project. Third, I do realise my position but do not think you are doing me a favor by recruiting me. I know full well just how desperate you are to complete the project. While I do not believe you will not succeed without me, what I can say is that without me you will miss important pieces and your pace will be as slow as a snail's."

Professor Ross was stunned. She had not just acted on impulse. Everything that had happened had a reason. The research paper was one thing, but this was not what fascinated Professor Ross. She had acted because she understood the value of what had not been written. 

So she had come up with lavishly enticing employment benefits that were unprecedented. She had personally made the trip in order to create a sense of indebtedness in the heart of the author of the paper, making him feel that he was valued. 

She believed that creating a feeling of indebtedness would force the other person to cooperate and divulge critical information easily to lessen the 'debt' he had created with Ross Labs. So effectively all the goodwill, all the enthusiasm and respect were investments. Perhaps the only thing unexpected was the interest Professor Ross had developed in Faust as a person.

Professor Ross sighed heavily and looked into Faust's eyes. Seeing this Faust smiled and said, "It's good to just get to the point with no-nonsense. Saves time for everyone. Now, Professor Ross, you are not an ally but our goals have no conflict and we have the means to help each other. You have resources I would not be able to access my entire life and I have knowledge that I can assure you no one on this planet does, well at least for now. I have no interest in why the research means so much to you. I will help you complete it and even shock the world while at it. In fact, Eeveelutions are just the tip of the iceberg."

Seeing Professor Ross' eyes widen, he nodded inwardly satisfied.

"Indeed I have more things I could collaborate on with RL in the future. But for this to happen out positions of must be equal. You must realise that what I bring to the table is not any less in value than what you are offering me. I agree with all your arrangements but I have four conditions of my own. First, no surveillance. Believe me, my secrets are best kept undisclosed. If possible I would like to stay away from crowded residences and dormitories. Second, I don't want to be tied to RL and I only work for you till I decide I don't anymore. Third, you made quite a stir with the media in your attempt to tie me down with RL...please remedy that situation. Finally, don't try to do what you just did ever again. Trust is a two-way street and it has a lot more potential than making a person feel indebted to you does", Faust finished and looked into Charlotte Ross' eyes. He couldn't make out what she was thinking exactly but he could tell that she was seriously considering his proposal.

Thinking for a bit, Charlotte looked at Faust and smiled.

"I agree. I look forward to working with you Mister Faust. But I do hope you will not try to profit off us unfairly. I wouldn't recommend making enemies out of RL."

"Professor Ross, I wouldn't even dream of it."

Grabbing her outstretched hand, Faust shook it while smiling back at her.

In a dimly lit room, a man wearing a fashionable dinner suit sat looking through a file. A Kadabra stood behind him with its eyes closed as if meditating. Looking through the file that was only a dozen pages long he put it aside and looked at the woman in front of him, who spoke up.

"Explorer parents. An orphan. Nothing out of the ordinary. Recently received his Pokemon egg. He has never been inside a rift. Moreover, the known rifts around Applegrove are not inhabited by Eevee. The variable doesn't seem like trouble at all. Even if he knows or guesses something, it won't make a difference. Besides the Moss Rock rift is controlled by us now."

The man didn't say anything immediately. He thought for a while and finally said, "The question is why Charlotte Ross has taken a huge interest in him. We do not know what the boy has to do with Eevee, or if he has anything to do at all. But we need to know. Inform our contact in RL. Surveillance only and soft trap the target if possible. That's all for now."

The woman nodded and got up. The Kadabra disappeared from his position and appeared next to the woman. The next moment it disappeared and reappeared again a few seconds later without the woman. The man nodded at the Kadabra and stared at the picture in the file.

'What role do you have kid? What is your purpose?'

Meanwhile, Faust was looking at the steep mountains that separated Applegrove Town and the rest of the Southern Region. Applegrove was a climatic anomaly. It was the only town in the entire Southern Region with annual temperatures lower than 15 degrees Celsius. The mountain range prevented the sea breeze from coming in and warming up the little town. 

Faust saw that as soon as they crossed over the mountain, it became warm. Tropical plants and dense vegetation replaced the naked land. There were quite a few more Pokemon as well. He could see flocks of bird Pokemon and herds of Pokemon like Tauros, Rhydon and even Kangaskhan. 

Faust couldn't help but notice bald patches abruptly interrupting the vegetation and forming small clearings in the forest. In the middle of these clearings, there were large tear-shaped distortions in space that were bathed in a strange pink-purplish glow. 

'The rifts.'

Faust knew what they were. But he found it strange that so many rifts around the area were just unguarded and unclaimed.

"The Alliance can't be bothered with every single rift out there", Professor Ross said loudly over the sounds of the helicopter blades. Seeing Faust look at her she continued.

"Unless something interesting or concerning happens or an interesting opportunity to gain appears, the influential people who are capable of constructing perimeters around the rift don't act."

"If a rift break occurs. The Alliance intervenes and takes control but instances of rift break are rare. You know the first time rifts appeared on Aquamarine almost every single one of them broke and Pokemon flooded our world. But as Pokemon kept pouring out then the intensity of breaks reduced to almost negligible over the last hundred years. It was almost as if the rifts were pushing out Pokemon to get to the optimum number they were capable of holding." 

Faust listened intently. He was interested in the rifts. The conduit that connected his world to this world might have been similar to a rift. Although he didn't desire to go back to Earth, it would be good to know what exactly had happened to him and how he got here.

Magnificent and grand. These were the two words that came to Faust's mind as he laid his eyes on the skyline of the Grand Coast City. 

It was definitely big. Faust couldn't really see it's ends on either of the sides. Its buildings were tall enough to conceal the ocean that lay behind them. The city was similar to any other Metropolis back on Earth but its scale was much larger. 

The helicopter flew along the beach crowded with tourists and locals alike. A large dome-shaped structure constructed partly on the water came into view. Faust could make out the two initials RL clearly. Before he could ask, Professor Ross spoke up.

"Welcome to the RL Advanced Hydrological Base. This is one of our five laboratories spread throughout the Grand Coast City. We were initially planning to have you stay at our central district headquarters but your request to stay alone and away from prying eyes makes this a better option."

The helicopter landed in what looked like a mini airbase and Faust saw not only small aeroplanes and helicopters but also Braviary, Pidgeots, Corviknights and even a few Fearows. Professor Ross explained how flying Pokemon were a popular means of travel in and around the city. Moreover, it was easier getting a Pokemon Flying Permit than it was a pilot's license.

Faust was brought to his residence. It was an individual beach house with a Pokemon training area opening into the beach. Faust noticed a complete absence of security personnel in the area unlike the rest of the base he had walked through. Each separate section had at least four intermediate trainers patrolling. Faust opened the door and the first thing he saw was his laptop on the desk. He then saw his packed bags in the corner of the room and couldn't help but think of the peak elite Charizard carrying his luggage. 

Getting rid of the random thoughts, Faust walked around the house. He also let Wimpod out to explore the new place of stay for the next two months.

The house had only one floor. The walls were made of glass. The entrance directly opened into a large common area which was connected to all parts of the house such as the bedrooms and the kitchen. The master bedroom opened into the beachside and had an elevated deck leading right out to the shore which seemed perfect for fishing. The place was furnished with everything he could ask for including a coffee maker and even a home theatre system.

Stepping into the shower, Faust began planning for the next two months. The immediate need was to train Wimpod and possibly evolve it. He had spoken to Professor Ross about the average rate of levelling of Pokemon. She had said that if it wasn't the bottleneck level, the levelling was more or less rapid. Of course, that was when you were training or having your Pokemon fight tough battles letting it polish its skills and gain experience.

This RL base had the facility to keep Pokemon. Mostly tamed and caught Pokemon were raised on the base. Moreover, due to constant human interaction, the surrounding wild Pokemon around the base were not as unfriendly as wild Pokemon normally were. It was a safe environment to raise a newly born Pokemon and train it.

He only had one job the entire summer, discuss the Eevee project and provide inputs to Professor Faust. The logistical and grinding part was to be done by the lab assistants. But Faust knew that he would have to travel and possibly go into a rift. This was because of the Mossy Rock and Icy Rock. If he wanted to prove the existence of Leafeon and Glaceon, he would have to get his hands on these two items. Perhaps he could get them from his Daily Item List but then he would have to go to a rift to explain the source.

Faust also planned to catch a second Pokemon in the next two months. He was not sure about the species but he knew that it would have to be a flying type. Feeling a little dizzy due to the long time in the shower, he stepped out and put on a set of loose shorts and a tank top. 

Coming to his room he found the Wimpod shuffling around in his bag and noticed a set of items on the table that weren't there before. It was a handwritten note, a card that looked like a bank card and a set of car keys. Picking up the note, he read through it.

'Apologies for the intrusion. The bank card has two million Alliance Credits in it. The car has been parked out in the front. The license and other documents are in the glove compartment. We start work tomorrow, for now, I recommend researching why this city is called the 'City of Summer Bliss'.'

Faust wasn't really in the mood, a day of travelling had left him feeling tired.

Just as he was about to turn around he caught a glimpse of black and gold through the glass windows out in the front. A car that looked similar to a Buggati back on Earth stood there silently. 

'Well, it's not like I'm that tired. Besides a drive will probably clear my mind.'