Chapter 442: A Bevy of Bidoof

~Third POV~

[Sinnoh Region, Nighttime, Jubilife City – Jubilife Grand Hotel]

The golden hour of Jubilife City cast long, amber shadows across the bustling streets, but inside the Presidential Suite of the Jubilife Grand Hotel, the atmosphere was a bizarre mixture of high-tension investigation and utter domestic lethargy.

*Click-clack*

Downstairs in the communal lounge of the suite, the New Generation was having a bit of a crisis. Pearl paced the length of the expensive rug, his boots clicking rhythmically against the floor, "It's not right, Dia! It's just not right! Who is this guy? He wins a bet against the Lady—a Berlitz, mind you—and then just hands us the most advanced tech in the world? Rotom Phones? Pokedexes? Rare Pokémon? People work their whole lives for one of these things, and he hands them out like candy at a festival!"

Diamond, or 'Dia' to his friends, didn't look up from the massive wide-screen television. On the screen, a spiky-haired boy named Ash was shouting commands to a Pikachu. The television blared, followed by the crackling K-TKOOOM! of animated electricity, "Thunderbolt, now!"

*Munch-munch*

Dia said dismissively, his voice muffled by the large, cream-filled bun he was currently devouring, "I don't know, Pearl. He seems nice. And Tru likes him. Don't you, Tru?"

Beside him, a Turtwig with a particularly sturdy-looking shell let out a slow, contented, "Twaaaa-wig."

Pearl grabbed his hair in frustration as he overreacted, "Of course, the Turtwig likes him! Everyone likes him! That's the problem! We bombed the Comedy Grand Prix, Dia. We were losers on a street corner! And then this 'Azure Sky' sweeps in, claims he's a bodyguard for the Berlitz heir, and recruits us as... what? Junior bodyguards? It's a scam. It has to be a scam."

Pearl looked toward the ceiling, his eyes narrowing as he yelled, "Chatler! Come here!"

*Fwp*

A Chatot fluttered down from the ornate chandelier, its colorful feathers ruffling. It echoed in Pearl's own voice, "Sqwawk! Scam! Scam!"

Pearl hissed, pointing a finger as he commanded his Chatot, "Go upstairs. Spy on him. Find the dirt. See if he's calling some secret villain lair or... I don't know, planning to sell us to a circus. Go!"

Chatler took off with a sharp flap-flap-flap, disappearing into the ventilation duct that connected the floors. Pearl waited, tapping his foot.

Ten minutes passed…

Then fifteen….

*Fwp*

Finally, the sound of flapping returned. Chatler descended, but he didn't look like a spy who had uncovered a conspiracy.

He looked... bloated. And very happy.

The bird landed on Pearl's shoulder and dropped a small, neatly folded piece of paper. Pearl snatched it and read aloud, "What's this? A secret code?"

"Sorry, Pearl. But I bribed your bird with Grade-S Spicy Poke Blocks. He has a very discerning palate. No worries, we'll have plenty of time to ask questions tomorrow. Get some sleep. — Azure Sky."

Pearl's face turned a shade of crimson that rivaled a Magmortar's hide. He argued over reactively, "He's a mind reader! He's definitely a mind reader! Only a mind reader would know I'd send Chatler!"

*Crinkle-crunch*

Dia suggested, finally finishing his bun and reaching for a bag of potato chips, "Or he just heard you shouting from the balcony. He's got good ears, Pearl."

/////

[Sinnoh Region, Meanwhile, Jubilife City – Jubilife Grand Hotel]

Upstairs, the atmosphere was significantly more refined, if no less chaotic in its own way. Platinum Berlitz, the sole heir of the prestigious Berlitz clan, stood by the window with a silver Rotom Phone pressed to her ear.

She was the picture of aristocratic grace, even in her traveling clothes, but her brow was furrowed in distress. Platinum said, her voice strained. "Yes, Sebastian... I understand. No, I am perfectly safe."

From the other end of the line, even Azure could hear the frantic wailing of the Berlitz family butler, "My Lady! To think you are in the wild with commoners! My heart! It beats for your safety alone! I shall fly there at once with a squadron of Staraptor!"

Azure, who had been lazily tossing a Pokéball between his hands, stood up. He walked over and gently took the phone from Platinum's hand.

She looked startled for a second but subsided, leaning back against the windowsill. Azure said into the receiver, "Hey, Sebastian. Chill out."

Sebastion hering his voice go into a tangent as he argued in a furious voice, "You! You are the one charged with her protection! Why have I heard reports of two... two 'comedians' joining the party?"

Azure said dismissively, his voice turning cool and professional, "Because I recruited them. They're good kids. They have instincts you can't teach. Tell Professor Rowan that I've officially handed over the remaining two Sinnoh Pokedexes and the Rotom Phones to Diamond and Pearl. They're under my wing now."

Sebastion argued, "You can't just—"

Azure interrupted with a playful smirk as he stated, "I just did. And tell him if he wants them back, he has to come and win a battle against my Pikachu. Actually, tell him I said hi. Goodbye, Sebastian."

*Click*

Azure clicked the 'end call' button before the butler could burst a blood vessel. He handed the phone back to Platinum.

She asked, tilting her head. Her long, blue hair shifted over her shoulder, "Was that... entirely necessary? To provoke him so?"

Azure chuckled, sitting back down. His Pikachu hopped into his lap, demanding ear scratches as he explained, "Part of the job, Platinum. Keeping the employer informed is necessary, but giving them a little stress keeps them from micromanaging. Besides, between Professor Oak back in Kanto and me, it's become a bit of an ongoing game whether he can actually get a Pokedex into my hands or if I'll just keep distributing them to worthy people I find on the road."

Platinum blinked, her expression one of genuine confusion as she asked, "You treat the world's most prestigious research equipment like... a game?"

Azure said casually, his eyes flashing with a bit of that 'other world' knowledge, "The world is a game, Platinum. You just must know which stats to prioritize. Now, you should get some rest. We move out for Oreburgh City tomorrow."

//////

[Sinnoh Region, Nighttime, Jubilife City – Jubilife Grand Hotel]

Deep in the night, the silence of the Jubilife Grand Hotel was broken not by a scream, but by a rhythmic, grinding sound.

*Skritch*

Downstairs, Pearl and Diamond were practicing their comedy routine in the darkened lounge. They were using their new Pokémon as a test audience.

Pearl shouted, posing dramatically, "And then, I said to the Geodude: 'Why the long face?' And he said, 'I'm a rock, Pearl! I don't have a face!'"

The Chimchar, nicknamed Chimlar, let out a series of rapid-fire chirps, clapping its hands. It was a nimble little thing, practically vibrating with energy. Turtwig, or 'Tru,' simply blinked slowly, leaning its heavy head against Dia's leg.

Pearl noted, wiping sweat from his brow, "Chimlar likes it! He's fast, just like me. But Tru... Dia, your Pokémon is as slow as you are."

Dia said nonchalantly, patting Tru's head, "Slow is good. He's sturdy. Like a good loaf of sourdough."

Suddenly, the skritch-skritch sound turned into a loud CR-ACK!

*CRACK*

From the floor above, a high-pitched scream pierced the air, "AHHH!!! UNHAND ME THIS INSTANCE!!!"

Pearl yelled, "The Lady!"

Dia yelled, though he followed Pearl immediately, "The snacks!"

They scrambled up the stairs, bursting into Platinum's room. They expected ninjas, or perhaps a rival clan. What they found was far more bizarre.

A swarm of Bidoof—at least a dozen of them—were inside the room. But these weren't normal Bidoof. They were frantic, their eyes bloodshot, and their front incisors were unnaturally long, glowing with a dull, stressed yellowish hue.

They were gnawing on everything. The mahogany bedframe was half-gone. The silk curtains were shredded.

Pearl cried, pulling out a Pokedex, "Get back!"

He scanned the nearest one as he commented, eyes widened in disbelief, "Wait... the teeth! The Pokedex says Bidoof's teeth grow constantly, but these are triple the standard length! They're in pain!"

One particularly large Bidoof lunged at Platinum, who was backed into a corner. Before it could reach her, a blur of red and white intercepted it.

Platinum commanded, her voice shaking but firm, "Piplup! Pound!"

*Smack*

Her Piplup slapped the Bidoof back, but the wild Pokémon was undeterred. The swarm began to converge, their sheer numbers overwhelming the young girl.

In the chaos, the Bidoof didn't bite—they just moved like a brown tide, pushing and shoving. They swept Platinum off her feet, literally carting her out of the room in a frenzied stampede. Pearl screamed, "They're kidnapping her! Chimlar, use Ember!"

Azure's voice rang out from the hallway, "Wait! Don't!"

He was leaning against the doorframe, still in his undershirt, his Pikachu sparking on his shoulder, and added, "If you fire off an Ember in a hotel with this much wood and carpet, you'll burn the whole block down. Follow them!"

The Bidoof tide surged toward the elevators, but seeing the doors closed, they turned toward the service stairs leading to the roof. Pearl shouted as they gave chase, "Dia! Do something!"

Diamond was lagging, watching Tru struggle to keep up. He looked at the Bidoof, then at a tray of cookies left in the hallway.

He saw Tru try to bite a particularly hard ginger snap and fail, the Pokémon looking frustrated. Dia muttered, "I think... I have an idea."

He grabbed a handful of the cookies and whistled to them, "Hey! Over here! You want something better to bite?"

The Bidoof ignored him, dragging a protesting Platinum onto the roof. When Pearl finally burst onto the rooftop garden, he was ready for a fight as he yelled, "Give her back, you buck-toothed—!"

He stopped.

The roof of the Jubilife Grand Hotel was famous for its centerpiece: a ten-foot-tall, solid gold statue of a Staraptor, the symbol of the Berlitz corporation's reach. The Bidoof had dropped Platinum.

They were currently lined up around the base of the golden statue, gnawing on the precious metal with a collective, rhythmic SCRAPE-SCRAPE-SCRAPE.

Azure was already there, sitting on the edge of the roof's decorative wall, watching with an amused expression. His Pichu (Mew) was peeking out of his pocket, looking at the Bidoof with wide, curious eyes.

Pearl panted, clutching his chest, "What... what is happening?"

Pearl looked confused as Azure chuckled. Azure said calmly, nodding toward Diamond, who was calmly handing out pieces of the hard ginger snaps to the Bidoof who couldn't find a spot on the statue yet, "Dia figured it out."

Diamond explained, his voice unusually serious, "They're stressed. Bidoof usually gnaw on trees in the wild to keep their teeth down. But Jubilife is all concrete and glass. There are no trees for miles that aren't decorative and thin. Their teeth grew too long, hitting their lower jaws. It hurts. They weren't trying to hurt the Lady; they were looking for the hardest thing they could find to wear their teeth down."

Platinum stood up, dusting off her skirt. She looked at the Bidoof, then at the massive gold statue being slowly defaced as she asked, "So... they chose my family's heirloom because it was the most durable material available?"

Azure corrected, "Gold is actually soft for a metal, but compared to a pillow or a wooden chair, it's a dream for a Bidoof. Look at them. They're finally calming down."

As if to prove his point, the largest Bidoof let out a long sigh, its teeth now a manageable length. It looked at Diamond, nuzzled his hand, and sat down to groom its fur.

Diamond looked at Pearl as he cracked a joke, "Hey Pearl, I guess you could say... they had a gold standard for dental care!"

The silence that followed was deafening. Then, a small, crystalline sound broke the air, "Pfft... hahahaha!"

Platinum was clutching her stomach, a genuine, unbridled laugh escaping her lips. It was a beautiful sound, devoid of the 'Ojou-sama' mask she usually wore.

Pearl froze. Pearl's head whipped around. He exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger, "Platinum! You… you laughed!"

Platinum, instantly reverting to her composed self, smoothed her dress again, a faint blush returning to her cheeks. Her voice was perfectly prim, but the residual spark in her eyes betrayed her, "I assure you, Mr. Pearl, that was merely a polite cough. The night air, you understand."

Azure walked over and gave the girl a quick, playful flick on the forehead.

*Thwack*

She pouted, rubbing her brow, "Ow! What was that for?"

Azure said cheekily with a grin, "Lying is a bad habit, Platinum. And you're a terrible liar. You liked the joke. Deal with it."

Pearl, however, was looking at the statue. He began to vibrate as he said worriedly, "Wait... the gold. The solid gold statue. It's... It's ruined. The teeth marks... the repairs... the cost... We're going to be in debt for ten lifetimes! We'll be paying off Bidoof dental bills until the next ice age!"

Platinum sighed, looking at the statue with a wave of her hand. She looked at Diamond as she said calmly, "Do not be absurd. I am a Berlitz. My family owns this hotel. I shall simply record it as 'unavoidable maintenance.' Though your observation was... adequate. Thank you."

Both Pearl and Diamond blinked. They exchanged glances, then a dawning realization spread across their faces.

The Berlitz family owned the Jubilife Grand Hotel. That detail, so obvious yet so completely forgotten in the chaos, hit them.

Pearl, recovering slightly, turned his wide, bewildered eyes to Azure and demanded, "But… but Mr. Sky! Why didn't you do anything? You were here the whole time! You could have stopped them easily!"

Azure merely shrugged, stretching his arms above his head with a wide yawn. Pikachu mimicked him, letting out a small, tired "Pikaaa… (I'm going to sleep.)"

Eevee yawned as well, curling up tighter on his head. He said lazily, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Hmm? Oh, I knew you two had it handled. Besides, it was a good test. And you both passed, in your own ways. Diamond, clever thinking under pressure. Pearl, good intentions, if a bit… ineffective against a Bidoof horde."

Then, his expression shifted subtly, taking on a more serious, though still relaxed, mien. He explained bluntly, "Look, all of you. Remember what I said back there."

He gestured vaguely downwards, towards the city lights, as he continued, "When we head to Oreburgh City, things will get more intense. I'll be putting all three of you through some serious training. And yes…"

He added, looking directly at Platinum, who stiffened slightly, "… that includes you, Platinum. There might be situations where we get separated, or things get worse. You need to be able to defend yourselves, your Pokémon, and each other. So, you'll be participating right alongside Diamond and Pearl. No exceptions."

With that pronouncement, Azure gave another tired yawn as he stated tiredly, "Right, I'm heading to my room. This whole Bidoof escapade has made me sleepy. You three… absorb my words."

He gave them a final, enigmatic smile, then turned and sauntered towards the rooftop access door, his partners still drowsily affixed to him. The three Sinnoh Dex Holders stood on the rooftop, the cool night wind swirling around them, the gigantic golden Staraptor statue shimmering in the moonlight, its gnawed base a testament to the night's bizarre events.

As Azure disappeared back into the hotel, the three Sinnoh Dex Holders stood on the roof, the cool night breeze blowing through their hair.

Dia whispered, reaching for one last cookie, "He's cool."

Pearl muttered, though his hand was shaking slightly with adrenaline, "He's arrogant."

Platinum looked at the damaged gold statue, then at the Pokéball on her belt. She whispered so softly the boys couldn't hear, "He's... right."

Azure's words hung in the air, heavy with a promise of challenges to come. Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum exchanged uneasy glances, the implications slowly settling in. Their journey, it seemed, was only just beginning, and their enigmatic bodyguard was clearly preparing them for far more than they could imagine.

/////

A/N: Hey guys I have a small announcement to declare today. I'm sorry to drop this on you but I'm taking a 2 or 3 weeks off writing. I need to take a small break to stockpile chapters and to rest up.

Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: A Bevy of Bidoof