Hustle

The only sound for miles, other than Oran's huffs of boredom, were the tumbleweeds rolling through the sandy pastures of Orre's desert region. Shacked up against the window in a booth at the Outskirt Stand, the eighteen-year-old continued her sighs of woe as she kept her eyes peeled on the yellow slopes. Not a single traveler or Pokémon Trainer to be seen since she'd gotten there earlier that morning. Typically, at least one or two travelers would roll through that she could swindle some money from, but every restaurant has its slow days. This just happened to be one of them.

Though she had been asked to watch the restaurant by her friend's dad, she really just gazed out into the desert with impatience for the past three hours. Meanwhile, she could smell the aroma of the mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, and whatever else they were cooking. Her mouth was watering, and she was sure her friend Macsen was back there gorging himself back there. Lucky, she groaned in thought as she put her head down on the table.

I can't believe it's such a slow day. And my last day here, too. I was hoping to make a little more spending money before I left tomorrow, but it doesn't look like I'll be doing that today. Not unless I go to Duel Square…

Pyrite Town was always an option in the back of her mind. Though she only ever went to the town to take part in its tournaments, there was an area of the little mining community known as "Duel Square". More of a circle, Trainers, or thugs who call themselves Trainers, would huddle around and place bets on battles they would have. She could make a little over seven thousand Poké Dollars in the Pyrite Colosseum, and somewhere around nine thousand and two hundred Poké Dollars from winning the Realgam Colosseum, but if she did a few battles in Duel Square? She could make up to fifty thousand Poké Dollars.

The only issue was that this was very illegal under Pyrite Town's laws. There always seemed to be some story floating around about groups of Pokémon Trainers getting caught for having battles that people would gamble exorbitant amounts of money on. Another issue was how rough these "Pokémon Trainers" were. Anyone can say they're a Pokémon trainer, but to become an official Pokémon Trainer requires a Pokémon League issued license, something hardly any of these street thugs had.

Still, it was an option. Not an option she was truly considering at the moment. If I do something like that and get caught, I can kiss my admittance into Cerulean University good-bye.

Her bright, blue eyes continued to focus blankly on the landscape. Still, nothing happened outside. But inside, the sound of a door opening brought her attention to her Macsen. His face was red from the heat of standing over the grill and fryer for the past hour, and he couldn't wait to rush behind the counter to get a drink of water. He gulped down a few glasses before sighing, "Thank goodness that's over."

"Dang, Macs, you guys were back there for a while. Everything turn out okay?" While she was concerned, she couldn't help but focus on his beet red face. She didn't want to laugh, knowing how red his face got was out of his control, but couldn't help it. She burst out before he could even respond.

He just narrowed his eyes at her, knowing full and well what she was laughing at. "You know, you're one to talk. Keep laughing and I'll make you turn redder than a Magikarp."

"Fine, fine," she said, bringing her chortling down to a snicker. "Anyway, so? Everything good in there?"

Macs nodded and took a seat on the opposite side of her in the booth. "Oh yeah, just a lot of food. Once Dad leaves to go drop it off in Phenac, we're gonna close up for the day."

"Really?" she asked as she checked the time on her phone. "It's not even noon and you guys are already pulling the plug?"

"Honestly, Dad and I are tired after last night. We got a late rush so we're just gonna take today off."

Oran smirked. "Lucky you! Got any plans?"

He shook his head and smirked back at her. "No, but what are you thinking?"

She let out an uneasy sigh, already anticipating his reaction on bringing this up. But as she sat there and stared out at the empty dust bowl, what was once not being considered an option now seemed like her only viable choice. "Well, I was thinking… what if we go to Duel Square?"

His eyes widened at her suggestion. "Really? You wanna go there?"

"Well, it's not so much that I want to. I need to," she expressed. "There aren't anymore tournaments in the Realgam or Pyrite Colosseums before I leave for Pokétopia tomorrow. The Duel Square is my only way to make money at this point."

"Or," Macs cut in, sliding his server book across the table to her. There were a few Poké Dollar bills sticking out the top, and a sly smirk on his face. "You could just let me give you some money instead of risking jail time over a few extra dollars."

"No way," she refused, sliding the book back to him. "You know how I feel about taking money."

"Then consider it a loan with twenty percent interest."

"That's even worse," she laughed. "Really though, I'm not gonna make any money like this. If I can just have a few battles and get out before the police get there, I'll be set."

"So you've got it all figured out?" he asked in a rather sarcastic tone. "What if you get caught? What if we get caught? There goes your spot and mine in Cerulean University. At least, that's what I assume. I'm pretty sure they don't like the idea of young adult felons attending their school."

"So, we don't get caught!" Oran suggested. "Simple as that."

"Well that solves everything," Macs applauded.

Oran scoffed and slumped back in the booth. "I don't see you coming up with any ideas."

He flashed his book in her face again. "Need I remind you of my brilliant, jail-free, crime-free plan of giving you money because I love you and care about your safety?"

"I love you and care about your safety as well, which is why I'm going to forbid you from going with me to Duel Square."

Macs glared at her, as if she had completely lost her mind. "So now you're gonna go without back-up? I know you're tough and all, but Pyrite's a shady place. It's not safe to go alone."

"I go there alone all the time for the colosseum. The only person that bothers me is that weird guy named Cail who stands by the gates. He tries to hustle me every now and then but I always put him in his place. Hey, maybe I can get even more money if I beat him, too! May have to spend a little bit to heal my team up in that stupid hotel, but it'd be worth it. Or I could just hustle from him and call it a day. I'm sure he's got some money in those deep pockets of his."

"You're crazy," he smirked, a bit dumbfounded at the evolving situation. "I'm definitely coming with you. I can be your lookout for the police."

Before she responded, she could see him drifting off a bit in his seat. His eyes wouldn't completely shut, but they would narrow. The red had flushed out of his face, and now his complexion had gone pale, despite him being quite tanned.

She smiled, but shook her head. "Absolutely not. You're gonna stay here and rest. Besides, if I get caught and lose my spot at the university, at least you'll still be there."

"That doesn't make any sense," he complained. "Besides, I haven't heard back from them yet."

"Well, they'd be dumb not to accept you," she assured him, seeing the worry in his eyes. "Try not to fret too much. There's still like, two whole months before they close the submission period for applications. I'm sure you'll hear back soon."

"Thanks," he smiled, albeit a little weakly. "So, wanna hang out after you're done being a criminal?"

"Sure!" she chirped. "I'll hit you up once I'm done. You'd better take a nap, okay?"

"I could use one," he agreed, yawn piercing so loud that it sounded like a scream. "Please be careful, okay?"

Oran found herself blushing, her face flushed with an overcoming wave of warmth that suddenly rushed over her. She couldn't explain it, but a smile stretched across her face as she met his eyes. "Oh, uh… Y- Yeah, sure. I promise I will."

He stood up and hugged her. "Who knows? Maybe this will be a better subject for your summer project than the festival."

"Yeah," she snickered. "I'll title it 'How I Made Stacks In Pyrite Town'." Her voice was almost a little shaky as she felt his arms embrace her.

"I expect a rough draft on my desk tomorrow morning before you leave," he joked while he pulled away.

"You got it," she beamed as she grabbed her backpack and headed outside. The hot, dry heat hit her so hard, she swore she could hear her lungs beg for her to go back in. But with dollar signs in her eyes, she changed into her hover skates, put on her goggles, and set off through the dust bowl.

. . .

By law, motorized vehicles and other similar devices were prohibited from usage in towns and cities in the region of Orre. Originally, such vehicles were allowed, until the cars and hover devices kicked up so much dust and dirt that citizens from all settlements jointly petitioned for their forbiddance. Not to mention, having such powerful vehicles in the small, tight-knit, somewhat confined streets made it more difficult for pedestrians to walk. Ordinarily, Oran wouldn't have a problem with this. Except for when she went to Pyrite Town.

As she skated through the deserts of Orre, the Pyrite Colosseum began to rise over the horizon. It was always the first thing anyone saw when coming to the town no matter what angle they ventured upon the mining town nestled in the canyon. The next thing travelers would most likely come across was Pyrite's self-appointed gatekeeper, Cail.

There wasn't any option to avoid him. Propped at Pyrite's entrance, the tall, spindly Cail would make it an effort to hail down anyone trying to enter the city and jam them up for an "entry fee". No exceptions. Avoiding him was impossible, as Pyrite only had one exit and entrance. Besides, once his dark, beady eyes caught you in his crosshairs, you weren't going to get in unless you paid his obscenely high toll of five thousand Poké Dollars. At only seventeen years old, he'd already managed to rack up more than seven hundred thousand bucks with his little gig. Cummitively, of course. He usually spent the money faster than he could get it.

Maybe I can hustle Cail so bad that I won't even have to go to Duel Square! Oran thought to herself. But that means having to deal with his mouth… she also thought, accompanying her confliction with a groan. It's probably safer to just battle him than get into hot water in town, though.

Oran neared the gates and stopped a few yards to change into her sneakers. Already she could feel his greedy eyes staring her down. She didn't look, but she knew there was a smile on his face. The man always smiled when she came to town, but never a friendly smile. The only smile that existed in Pyrite Town is an opportunistic smile.

Normally, she would keep her head down, but as she approached Cail, she found herself with an opportunistic smile of her own. Formed by a mixture of excitement and anticipation, she drew two Poké Balls from her pocket in preparation. But she had to calm herself. If she waltzed up to him with a smile instead of her usual expression of dismay, he would undoubtedly know something was up. If there was one thing she learned from not just battling but walking the streets of Pyrite, it was that you don't expose your plan or your emotions by getting all giddy. She had to play it cool. Had she walked in with that smile, she might as well have just made herself a target for someone else to come by and try to swindle her.

"Well, well, well, look what the Meowth dragged in," said the phony gatekeeper with a voice so filled with greed and assurance that it nearly made her break already. His smirk was enough to make her reconsider her plan, his yellow teeth filling his mouth.

Oran played off an annoyed huff and refused to look at him to further add to her guise. "Yeah, and look what the Persian spit up," she quipped back.

Cail winced, clutching the heart he would have, but probably sold for a quick buck. "You're hurtin' me here, Oran. Is that any way to treat an old friend?"

"Sure isn't, that's why you're not my friend," she stated. "I see you're still out here hustling weak travelers."

The man shrugged dismissively. "Man's gotta eat. C'mon, you know what I'm all about by now. So what's it gonna be today, Oran? You gonna pay the toll or am I gonna have to get rough?"

"Please," she scoffed, almost bursting out into laughter. "You can't get rough with me even if you tried. Or do I need to remind you of all the times I've beaten you?"

His opportunistic smile faltered just a bit, the corner of his lips sagging down into the beginnings of an annoyed sneer. "So, there's no tournament today. What brings you to this wrong side of town?"

"I'm not even in town yet."

"Still on the wrong side of it," he restated, a bit more firm this time. "You don't come here unless there's a tournament, so what's up? Don't even think about lying and saying you're here to shop. I know you go to Phenac and Realgam Tower for the bougie stuff."

She conceded a bit with a smirk. "Wow, I'd be impressed if it weren't for the implication that you're stalking me," she said rather loudly.

His face suddenly twisted, beady eyes darting back and forth for anyone near them. "Hey, quit sayin' shit like that so loud. People are gonna get the wrong idea."

"Like they don't have the wrong idea already?" she snickered.

Cail's steadied glare did nothing to faze the girl, as it normally never did to begin with. "Listen, the streets talk, okay? I just happen to keep my ear close to the ground. For instance, I heard you got accepted into some fancy school. Wanna tell me about that?"

"Not really."

"Too bad. Start talking. If you do, maybe I'll reduce your toll as a one-time courtesy," he winked.

She chuckled at his offer and shook her head to refuse. "If the streets talk so much, then how come you don't know the name of the school already?"

Cail tsked at the question and could only grin. "Oran, I don't ask questions I don't already know the answer to. I was just hoping we could have a nice conversation before I shake you down. Y'know, small talk and all of that."

"Small talk is for small people like you," she fired back.

His eyes widened, almost a little offended by her brash comment. "Man, you're on fire today. What's got you so worked up? Pissed that you can't bulldoze your way through a tournament today?"

"The only thing that has me worked up is you," she replied.

Cail inched toward her, eyes narrowed to look her up and down. "You know, I also heard you're leaving for some place called 'Pokétopia' tomorrow to compete in some festival."

A muscle in her jaw twitched. This wasn't just some festival she was competing in, as Cail put it. The Battle Festival, held annually in Pokétopia, was a large, month-long event where Pokémon Trainers from around the world gather and compete in different styles of battles. At first glance, many would compare it to Pokétopia's regular tournament circuit, or even the Battle Frontier, but it was far from either one of those things. The unique battles held in each colosseum of Pokétopia were designed to not only test a Trainer's skill and competence, but were also designed with the intent of being fun and enjoyable with conditions such as randomly changing weather or terrains.

To call it some festival was almost an insult to Oran, but she let him prattle on.

His thin eyebrow rose with interest. "So, you're not here for a tournament, and it's a day before your big trip… You wouldn't happen to be going to Duel Square, would you?"

Shock made her face contort, albeit feigned. She wanted him to figure out what she was really doing there, and now all she had to do was coax him into a battle. But she had to make it seem like his idea or else he would catch on.

"How did you know that?" she questioned.

Cail smirked, a bit proud of himself for catching her off guard. "Like I said, these streets talk. And there's been a lot of talk about your little gig at the Outskirt Stand."

"Oh?" she inquired with genuine interest. "And just what have you heard about my little gig?"

"That you pounce on unsuspecting Trainers and hustle them for some quick cash."

Her face lit up just a bit, a small grin stretching across her face. "Well, guess my reputation precedes me."

"Ordinarly, I would say this makes us a lot alike, but you know what?" As he paused, his tone suddenly shifted. "I don't think we're anything alike. In fact, we couldn't be more opposite."

She shuddered a bit. This was the first time she'd seen his face stiffen and get serious. The look in his dark eyes almost seemed as if they beamed hatred now, or at least a high dislike. "How's that?"

His hand disappeared into his pocket rather quickly, which startled her. It resurfaced with two Poké Balls, maximized and ready to be thrown. "Because at least I don't get accepted into some prestigious school and then think I can just waltz into this town and swindle people."

Shock, genuine awe overtook the expression on her face. She'd never heard such anger in his voice, except for when he was losing. But the battle hadn't even started yet. What's more, her eyebrows were perched at his accusations. "Hey, I never said-"

He cut her off. "Don't even start. You always walk around like you're so high and mighty, but really, you're just a little girl who just bit off more than she could chew."

"And you're a lowlife that wastes his time standing around, waiting for some weak Trainer to roll by," she fired back.

"Yeah, you're right," he chuckled. "And I see a weak Trainer right in front of me."

Oran enlarged the two Poké Balls she held in her hand. They both rumbled with the excitement of her Pokémon nearly bursting through the capsules. "How do you wanna lose this time? One on one? Two on two?"

"Two on two," he answered immediately.

"You gonna make things interesting or are we just battling for shits and giggles?"

Cail chuckled through his anger. "Oh, we'll make it interesting alright- it'll be the most interesting battle we've ever had, because if you lose, I'm taking that plane ticket of yours."

He called out his Pokémon, a Machamp and a Shiftry. They both materialized out of their capsules and glared at her with a sharp determination.

"And if I win?" she asked a bit hesitantly. "There's gotta be something in it for me."

"Is thirty thousand enough spending money for you?"

She smirked, feeling a surge of adrenaline shoot through her. She'd never even come close to losing to Cail before, so why not up the ante? "Make it fifty and you've got yourself a deal."

Cail felt his wallet lurch in his pocket, but he stayed steady with his firm expression and confidence. "Sure, but you'll regret doing that once I'm on that nice, cushy flight to Pokétopia for a vacation. And you'll be stuck on the tarmac, waving at me as I depart into the skies."

"You talk too much," chided Oran. Though his voice annoyed her, she couldn't help but smile at the prospect of winning fifty thousand Poké Dollars. Truthfully, she didn't know why she didn't think of it sooner. Cail always had money- in just the short year he spent as Pyrite Town's gatekeeper, he'd already managed to rack up more than seven hundred thousand bucks. Cummitively, of course. There was no way he could save any of that money. He usually spent it before he could even get it, and she wouldn't put it past him to try and sell her plane ticket if he won it. But he wouldn't be winning that or anything from her today.

Or at least that was what she thought.

AN: Thank you so much for checking out my story! If you want to submit an OC, you can find all the information you need on my profile.