Chapter 71

The very next day after Jord evolved his Graveler into a Golem, they finally covered the last stretch of their journey and arrived in Vermillion City.

The first order of business, at least for Hilda, was booking a room at the local Pokemon Centre and promptly using the laundrette area that trainers got access to.

While she could use a laundromat easily enough instead of doing it herself, she actually quite liked doing her own laundry, something she picked up from her mother growing up.

Thankfully, her pokemon didn't need to spend long at all with Nurse Joy, other than a brief check up. Unlike Jord's pokemon who trained into the ground relentlessly multiple times a day and needed to actually get some extra rest.

Annoyingly for Jord apparently. He seemed quite antsy about heading straight for Surge and beating him. She didn't know what riled him up about it, and she'd almost be insulted since they would be parting ways after he got his third badge, if she didn't already know that it definitely wasn't her.

Couldn't be with how blatant he was in his appreciation of her.

Shaking her head, Hilda looked up at the clock over the door frame from where she was sitting in the laundrette.

It was just coming up for noon, they'd arrived early this morning, "I guess we'll head for the gym in like two hours or so." Hilda mused. Like Jord, she would also be challenging Surge, she needed the thunder badge herself.

After Jord dumped her ass to go do whatever secretive stuff he was so tight lipped about needing to do alone, she would probably double back and head for Saffron.

If Jord's new buddy Gary Oak was anything to go by, the fighting type gym in Saffron City wasn't up to the same level as the Cerulean or Vermillion Gyms, so she could score an easy win there.

Just then, her phone began vibrating in her pocket. Reaching into her shorts pocket, Hilda pulled it out and was surprised to see the one calling her was her younger cousin Rosa.

"Hey cuz, what's up?" Hilda answered the phone and greeted with a smile.

"Hey Hil," contrary to Rosa's usual upbeat and cheerful voice, right now her cousins voice was dull and almost monotone, "Where are you right now?"

Hilda's eyebrows rose at the reply. It was so odd hearing Rosa like this, "I just got to Vermillion City a few hours ago," she replied, "What about you, what's up with you? Did you lose a battle or something?" it was the only thing that really came to mind that would put her cousin in this kind of state, getting crushed in a battle.

At least with how competitive she could get.

Rosa snorted, "I wish," she replied, "I'm back in Unova right now."

Hilda cocked her head, confused, "…What are you doing in Unova?" she asked. They'd both more or less come over to Kanto together.

"Hugh's little sisters birthday was coming up, he asked me to come to her party, so I came back for a brief visit," her cousin explained, "…But…"

Hilda's brows furrowed and she was starting to get a little worried, "What happened Rosie?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I….I caught a really rare pokemon in Kanto while there, an Eevee," Rosa began explaining, "And I was bragging about it to Hugh on the phone on my way over right?"

"…Right…" Hilda nodded absently.

"I should have kept my mouth shut," Rosa suddenly spat, "Some weirdo's overheard me talking about it, calling themselves Team Plasma."

Team Plasma? What kind of stupid kind of name was that. But then again, there was Team Rocket over here in Kanto.

"They popped up while we were in Kanto, some pokemon rights activists weirdo's claiming we shouldn't be keeping pokemon in pokeballs and forcing people to release their pokemon," Rosa continued, the dullness leaving her voice and being replaced by rage, "They jumped me on my way to meet Hugh and stole Eevee's pokeball from me, would have got all of my pokemon if your buddy Cheren wasn't passing by and helped me out!"

Hilda's eyes widened in shock, "They stole your pokemon!?" she gasped. First Jord with Team Rocket and now her own cousin with this Team Plasma!?

"Yeah, so I'm just callin' to let you know I won't be coming back to Kanto for the next lil while so we won't be able to meet up," her younger cousin explained, "I'm gonna find these bastards and get Eevee back! Just wanted to let you know."

Before Hilda could even wrap her head around the situation fully and think of anything to say, her younger cousin bid her goodbye and hung up.

Hilda sat there in a daze for a moment, just utterly stunned.

A criminal organization had popped up in her home region. Not only that, but they had stolen her little cousins pokemon and now said little cousin was going after them?

She must have sat there in a daze, her thoughts swirling as she tried to think of what to do for a good half an hour at least, more even.

She was only broken from her thoughts by the sound of the washing machine beeping signifying the end of its cycle and her clothes having finished washing.

As she got up and began transferring her clothing from the washing machine to one of the tumble dryers, Hilda nodded to herself coming to a decision, "…I'll need to head back myself." she mused quietly.

She couldn't let her little cousin go off and pick a fight with a criminal organization alone. She had to go and convince her to give up that crazy scheme, or at least be there to lend a helping hand.

And she was going to be going her separate ways from Jord soon anyway, so it was as good a time as any.

Hilda paused at the thought of her travelling companion, 'Should….should I ask him to come?' she wondered to herself.

Say what you will about his age, but his pokemon were definitely powerful, and he had tons of them and he wasn't any slouch himself. He was a little shit, but he was a tough little shit. It would be reassuring to have him backing her up.