EPISODE 30: Pilfering Duos!

After a long saunter, we finally arrive at Norva City! The city of waves. It rests in the shores of Norva bay, a bay that leads to the west of the Sinnoh region. Norva City, a city with tall towers and wide buildings, the city where land and water collide! The water in the bay is so clear that you could see the Corsolas and the Toxapexes playing around the coral reefs. Like I said, this city is home to the great Norva Museum! A museum full of priceless artifacts found deep in the sea. The city had a huge Harbor with large yachts and cruise ships. The people in the market mostly sell plates of seafood since they're near the bay. There was even a legend that long ago, the Norva bay was a trade route between this and the Sinnoh region. But I came here for one reason, to obtain my first badge.

"Finally! Norva gym here we come!" I beamed with excitement.

The gym wasn't on any building nor a penthouse. it rests inside the great S.S. PUMS! The ship that Admiral Brooke worked on when he was merely twenty years old. I walked to the cruise found in the harbor only to be met by the referee.

"So your looking for Admiral Brooke aren't yeah?" the referee queried.

"Yup! I'm here to win my first gym badge." I explained.

"Sorry to break it down to you kid, but Admiral Brooke is in the Norva Museum, for now, the gym remains close.

"Close? but what's admiral Brooke doing there?" Camellia wondered.

"Admiral Brooke told me that he had to deal with some business in the museum." the referee explained.

"Then, why don't we meet admiral Brooke in the museum then?" Glade suggested.

"Yeah Kalem, then you can talk with him about your gym battle." Zhery agreed.

"Then what are you waiting for! Let's go!" I burst with excitement as I rushed to the museum.

"Wait Kalem! You don't have to run!" Camellia said as she tried to catch up with me.

"And there goes Kalem rushing like a little kid." Zhery teased.

I rushed to the Norva City's museum and there I saw admiral Brooke talking to one of the officers. Admiral Brooke had a brown beard with a cigarette pipe on his mouth, he wore a brown admiral suit and his eyes were blue.

"The CCTV footage was clear to me, th-"

"Admiral Brooke! Admiral, I'm Kalem, and this is Riolu and I want to challenge your gym!" I beamed with excitement as I interrupted Admiral Brooke's talk with the police.

"Not now Kid, I have business to take care of!" Admiral Brooke said strictly as he continued his conversation with the officer.

"That's what you get for interrupting someone's conversation!" Zhery teased.

"Awww, and there I was... Eager to challenge the Norva city gym." I said with an intone voice.

"That's ok Kalem, you can challenge Admiral Brooke later once they're done talking." Camellia comforted.

"I guess your right..." I said solemnly as I agreed with Camellia.

We waited until the afternoon in a small cafe just around the corner. Afterward, we went back to the cruise ship and looked for Admiral Brooke. I knocked on the Cruise ship's door only to be met with no other than Admiral Brooke!

"Didn't I tell you that I'll challenge you later kid?" Admiral Brooke said strictly.

"But sir, you said that I can challenge you after lunch," I complained.

"I said after I take care of my business" Admiral Brooke enunciated.

"Then can we help you with your business?" Glade offered.

"Yeah Admiral! The faster you're done with your business, the faster you can challenge Kalem!" Zhery agreed.

"Nah! I don't need help! Now scram!" Admiral Brooke said strictly as he was about to close the cruise ship's door.

"But wait, admiral! We want to help! Please let us help... Please" I begged.

Admiral Brooke was about to close the door but opened it again. "Fine! You can help with my business. But I promise you that it'll be hard.."

"No matter what it is, we can help and finish it for sure!" Camellia reassured.

"Alright... Come on in the shop and I'll explain!" Admiral Brooke said strictly.

The five of us sat on a chair around a circular table. Admiral Brooke was there sipping his coffee.

"I need you four to find the robbers of the Norva City museum." Admiral Brooke explained.

"Robbers? what do you mean Admiral Brooke?" Glade wondered.

"You see last night, someone broke into the Norva museum. They stole the priceless blue orb-"

"The blue orb? The orb that gives life to Kyogre?" Camellia interrupted.

"Your right kid, the blue orb has the power to give life to Kyogre. The beast of the raging sea." Admiral Brooke agreed.

"Wait, but what's a Kyogre?" I asked in confusion.

"Guess that's my cue!

[Kyogre! The sea basin Pokemon! A water type. Kyogre is said to be the personification of the sea itself. Legends tell of its many clashes against Groudon, as each sought to gain the power of nature.]

"So Kyogre is a legendary Pokemon!" Zhery noticed.

"But Kyogre is found in the Hoenn region. What is it the orb doing here?" Zhery queried.

"They shipped the blue orb from Hoenn to this region to avoid the rise of the Aqua regime." Admiral Brooke explained.

"Aqua regime? But weren't they defeated already alongside team Magma?" Camellia wondered.

"Team Magma officially gave up, but team Aqua rose again with their new leader in crime, because of this, the blue orb was shipped here for protection but it was stolen." Admiral Brooke explained.

"I bet this is the work of team Chaos!" Camellia hunched.

"Nah! I don't think so kid, team Chaos isn't chasing legendaries!" Admiral Brooke objected.

"You don't know the wrath and ambitions of team Chaos! Team Chaos are in for the hunt for legendary Pokemons!" Camellia objected.

"And how do you know your correct, Ms. Camellia? Your hiding something aren't you? Who in the world would go to the Hoenn region to activate Kyogre when their plans are too cause annihilations here in this region? They can't capture Kyogre... Team Chaos is chasing gods!" Admiral Brooke said with his detective voice, while Camellia got frustrated.

"But who would steal the blue orb then? If it's not team Chaos? Then who?" Camellia badgered.

"Heh? Who else would? The pilfering duos did it for sure." Admiral Brooke explained.

"Pilfering duos? Impossible! They stopped stealing ten years ago." Camellia objected.

"Cctv cameras don't lie!" Admiral Brooke said as he showed the footage.

"But what's the pilfering duos?" I queried.

"The pilfering duos belong to a measly gang called the Masked Revelations!" Camellia explained.

"Oh, I've heard of the Mask Revelations before in the news, but I know they disbanded right?" Zhery asked.

"Yup! But it's a possibility that they're back again. Mask Revelations don't chase for Pokemon, they live to steal." Admiral Brooke explained.

"If they don't want to activate Kyogre? Then why would they steal the blue orb in the first place?" Zhery wondered.

"For the Mask Revelations, riches is life! What's one way of getting rich? Stealing the blue orb and selling them to team Aqua!" Admiral Brooke explained.

I stood up with determination and said. "Then we have to find these pilfering duos before they leave Norva City and set sail to the Hoenn region!"

"Kalem's right! We must find the pilfering duos right now before they leave the region!" Camellia agreed.

"But where can we find these so-called Pilfering Duos?" Glade wondered?

"I don't know, now think of away! You're the ones who volunteered right?"Admiral Brooke teased.

"But when-?" Zhery was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

"Admiral Brooke! The pilfering duos are trying to steal a yacht! We need your help now!" a sea ferryman said.

All of us were in shock as we rushed outside the S.S. PUMS. We saw a large explosion on one of the sections in the harbor!

"Alright, I want the four of you to go inside the yacht and capture the pilfering duos." Admiral Brooke explained.

"And where do you think your going Admiral Crook?" Zhery teased.

"Its Brooke! Not Crook! I'm going to sleep! You were the ones who volunteered anyway! Now get going, when I wake up the job should be done." Admiral Crook, I mean Admiral Brooke badgered.

The admiral went inside his cruise ship and fell asleep, with a glass of orange juice in his hand!

"Wow! That gym leader's bossy!" Glade teased.

"I heard that!" Admiral Brooke shouted from his cruise.

"Let's just do the task! We are the ones who volunteered anyways!" I explained.

All of us went inside the yacht to find the Pilfering duos!

"Show yourself, thieves!" Glade shouted.

Suddenly the doors closed and we were trapped inside the yacht, the small screen suddenly opened. It started with the MR or Mask Revelation logo, then two masked persons showed up on the screen with their shadows.

"We are the Pilfering duos! My oh my, what do we have here? A bunch of kids I presume? The name's Rivert!"

"And my name's Trivor!" the pilfering duos introduced.

"Show yourselves! I know your here somewhere in the ship!" Glade shouted.

"Not so fast, We know what you want! You want to get the blue orb back don't you?" Trivor asked.

"He he! No can do! This blue orb is for team Aqua, if you want it then come and get it!" Rivert added.

"If you want the orb back, you have to solve three puzzles to reach the room where we are!" Trivor added.

"But wait! There's a timer of course! You have ten minutes to play our game! If you lose, the ship will automatically leave with you as prisoners!" Rivert added.

"If that's what you want! Then we'll play your game!" I shouted in front of the screen as the sirens turned on and the timer appears on the screen.

All of us went to the first room there, we were greeted by the Pilfering Duos in the screen.

"Welcome to the first game! In front of you are ten boxes. Only three out of ten of these boxes contains a key to the three doors you see in front of you. Meaning one of you will lose and be trapped here if all the three doors are taken! You have three minutes to find the Key! Goodluck you'll need it!" The screen closed as the timer started. The instructions were loud and clear! Its time to find at least one key.

"They're playing with us!" Camellia badgered.

"One of us must sacrifice instead of all us finding and rushing to find a key for the three doors," Glade suggest.

"Then whose willing to sacrifice?" I queried.

"You three go and find the keys, I'll stay here and wait!" Zhery sacrificed. The three of us, (ME, GLADE, and CAMELLIA) found a key in box four, box nine, and box two. Zhery sacrificed herself and stayed in the first game locked until we defeat the Pilfering Duos. In the second game, the three of us were separated into three rooms.

"So, you three passed the first game? The second game will be harder than the last one. For the second round, your goal is to decipher the code! The first two will proceed to the third and last round." The pilfering duos explained.

The three of us tried to decypher the jumbled paragraph.

{ETH MONEKOP FO EHT YKS DEDENCSED OT POTS ETH MONEKOP FO ETH THRAE DNA NEACO} The jumbled paragraph said.

I and Riolu thought hard and tough but we couldn't decipher the code. One of the doors opened, but I and Riolu didn't know who succeeded. Then a thought came rushing to me.

"Now I know!" I dictated on the mic in front of the door.

"The Pokemon of the sky descended to stop the Pokemon of the Earth and Ocean!" I dictated. The door opened up and saw Glade as well.

"Kalem! Camellia didn't succeed!"

"I guess it's up to the two of us now Glade!"

Two shadowed men came wearing a mask and a pair of sunglasses to hide their identity.

"For the last challenge, you have to battle us! The Pilfering Duos!"

"Come on out Golem!" River called.

"Arbok its showtime!" Trivor called.

"Riolu let's go!"

"Pansear its battling time!"

"Golem use roll out on Pansear!"

"Arbok use Hyper fang on Riolu!"

"Riolu protect Pansear by using force palm on Golem!"

"Pansear! Protect Riolu and use flame charge!'

*Golem blasted back*

*Arbok was damaged by flame charge*

"Golem use rock tomb!"

"Arbok hyper fang once more!"

"Riolu dodge it" "Pansear dodge it" The both of us said together.

"Pansear use ember on Arbok!"

"Riolu use force palm on Golem!"

*Both Pokemons of the pilfering duos has fainted!*

"You may have won now! But we'll come back for the orb!" The pilfering duos said as they threw the blue orb at us and left with their jet packs breaking the ceiling of the Yacht. They also let go of Zhery and Camellia and we all headed back to Admiral Brooke who was still sleeping in his ship.

"Hey Admiral! We got the blue orb back!" Glade beamed as he tried to wake up the Admiral.

The admiral took off his sunglasses and stared at us and asked; "Really? Show me the orb then."

Glade showed the orb to Admiral Brooke and was surprised.

"Oh, and what about the pilfering duos?" The admiral queried.

"They escaped and disappeared into thin air. But at least we got the orb back admiral!" I explained.

"Good work! Just leave the orb at the table and I'll battle you, tomorrow kid." Admiral Brooke said.

"What? But Admiral, you said if you're done with your business you can challenge me and Riolu?" I complained.

"Yeah... Yeah... I know what I said, but I'm too tired to battle. You should be lucky that I'm giving you an opportunity to train for my gym battle."

"Oh please, but admiral you've been sleeping all day! Why not accept Kalem's challenge?" Camellia complained.

"Sleeping is my business, and I'm not yet done sleeping so goodbye and return tomorrow morning if you want!" Admiral Brooke said strictly as he put back his shades.

We left the ship. Sadly I wasn't able to battle the gym leader, but at least he gave me time to train.

"That gym leader is weird, who where's sunglasses inside a building?" Zhery teased.

"This shows that there are a lot of gym leaders with different styles, you just have to accept them for who they are," Glade added.

"Well, to think on the brighter side, you have time to train stronger now!" Camellia added.

"Yeah! You guys are right! At least I get time to train!" I beamed with excitement because I couldn't wait for my first gym battle tomorrow as the journey continues.