Chapter Pov Gabriel

From the day of my birth I have seen the horrors of being a poor member of society in a large city. People fight and kill for a piece of bread, else they won't survive. My mom was a little bit lucky, she had some decent looks. This was seen by a well off guy who offered my mom food for sex. She took the deal, he became a regular in her house but her house was always barren when others came over. 12 months after the first time she had me as a child. What the guy didn't know was that every time he visits, a few bills from his wallet vanish. A year later my father gave me several books to learn to read and write. My mom used the given tools to train my hands and fingers. At the age of 4 I could walk a street and pickpocket wallets without being caught in the act. When I became 5 years old, my mom had another child but she was unable to survive the labor. I gained a little sister and at the same time lost my mother. To provide food for my sister and I, I resorted to stealing. If I needed a blanket, I would steal it, I did steal only from people who could miss it though. In just a little while several other children who lost their parents join us in our small house. Now we are 5 years further, I am 10 and my sister is 5. Half our group trains in the same dexterity practices that my mom taught me. We are currently the most unknown pickpockets in the megatropolis. Simply because we don't steal the whole wallet, just a few banknotes. This confuses people but that's all, it also leaves richer market's for us to steal from.

The remaining half work for larger essentials such as wood, bread and mattresses to sleep on, blankets in the winter and so on and so forth. Our numbers have grown to 137 kids. This number however starts to attract the attention of large more volatile gangs, so far we are dodging most of it but it seems we have to relocate soon. This evening we are going to rob the funds to buy a small warehouse in a better part of the city. We patronize pups, I drew a short stick and am going into the slums. Once there I wear nothing but my underwear so I can also steal as many clothes, or rags, as I can. Just when I plan on starting with the register two well dressed guys walk inside this pup.

In the first few minutes the two new guys have been surrounded. This however does not faze them at all and they catch another kid that works for one gang near here in the act of pickpocketing. The kid gets an offer, a few dollars to bring him to the best pickpocket. The man around them starts laughing and at this time I empty the register of a few 1000 Poké. When the first guy swings his fist the whole group of men is sent flying, it looks like a magic show. A Medicham appears next to both well dressed guys. Once Medicham looks at me then back to it's trainer and he nods. I stripped the two best dressed patrons of their clothing and put them on my own body.

5 minutes later me, that pickpocket and the Medicham trainers are walking in the slums. He stops in the 'weapon market' and tells us to bring the best pickpockets to him in that square, as well as any family or loved ones. The time limit is 4 hours, they just sit on the ground fiddling with something square for a while. In 4 hours there are a total of 158 children in the square. A dozen or so very silent helicopters are above us unnoticed. 160 ropes are dropping from this helicopter along with 2 humans. They bow to Medichams trainers and ask for directions. He answers that he will be busy for at least a month so for this month the mercenaries are to provide the kids meals, proper clothes, hygiene, basic training and knowledge about all dog type Pokemon.

Any of us that want to leave are welcome to do just that. The mercenaries are given a warning that the kids are not to be hurt. After a few months the kids will get a new home from their new employer. My whole group follows because of the prospect of a better future. In the end 3 kids get held back because of a family member that is held captive. This is so that they are forced into cooperation by gangs. The mercenaries however wave a few times and another 20 ropes come down with guys. Each of those 3 kids are brought back home, by 7 mercenaries. A little later a lot of noise is suddenly heard. The silent night doesn't hide the sound of fired bullets at all. 15 minutes after the first shot 6 kids show up together with 21 mercenaries. Every kid gets secured into a rope and brought on board the helicopters. If their promise is true, a few months of good food, exercise, learning and hygiene is coming. If it isn't true we can just escape, if we can live in these slums we can live anywhere.