[attr="class","mittag"]

Alphonse Gambino

[attr="class","mitmain"]

The huge man in his floral, button-down shirt and fisherman's pants nodded - he looked down at the girl from his position behind her and off to one side. Even in profile he had to admit that she looked like Dix, but he couldn't be sure yet. Alphonse had heard his Minutemen swear up and down that they had found his former associate. And two of the men who had reported seeing her had been her Minutemen in the first place - direct reports to, possibly, the woman who sat before him. And the words of Cillian Quinn echoed in his mind:[break][break]

"Only a fool relies solely upon the words of others who might be susceptible to outside influence."[break][break]

Truer words had seldom been spoken - and such wisdom was one reason Al respected the underboss more than some of his own men.[break][break]

Al only saw Yuina's face when she turned it up towards him to answer. And though his expression remained bored and dry - he recognized her. It had only been a few months since he had seen her in person. But to see her just sitting here after going missing, failing to report in - it was unlike her. None of Alphonse's officers were foolish enough to betray him - and in turns they usually feared or respected him enough not to even cross him by failing to turn in progress reports or paychecks. But the woman who sat before him showed no fear nor deference as she answered - and that fit with the little bit Alphonse had managed to piece together. You could learn a lot about someone by interviewing the people they had met and done business with - and this girl, who now went by Yuina - well, she hadn't been hard to track once the first tips had rolled in.[break][break]

"Well," Alphonse began, and he looked down to regard Kyoko for a moment. He wondered if any of her Pokémon were still the same - if any of them might remember him or maybe some of her former subordinates. He didn't micromanage his officers enough to know their Pokémon teams by heart. But it was an avenue he could pursue if she really didn't recall him. And her face if nothing else showed no recognition of the man. [break][break]

"Fishing's been bad here lately."[break][break]

There was a thoughtful pause in which Al looked along the shore and towards the woods far, far off in the distance.[break][break]

"Course, could be somethin' to do with all the crap that new plant up in Rustboro's dumpin' in the water."

[attr="class","mitpoke"]

[attr="class","mittag"]

Alphonse Gambino

[attr="class","mitmain"]

Alphonse Gambino was not someone many people associated with rural settings.[break][break]

He wore expensive suits that cost more than some cheaper vehicles, rings and jewelry were as common to find on him as high-class cigars and bespoke clothes. But for once Alphonse was not dressed so formally - he wore clothes appropriate to the seashore just outside of Petalburg City. He wasn't so tacky as to wear swim-trunks and a t-shirt. But he still wore a relaxed, floral number one might expect a resident of Alola to wear. Bright blues and yellows on a red background made him seem like an old boater rather than a crime boss disguised as a legitimate businessman. He had on long fisherman's khakis and sandals that let him walk freely in the sand and grassy dunes.[break][break]

He was in relaxed, casual attire suited to an older man by the beach. But he couldn't change his enormous stature - and he did not trouble to try and wear a mask. His eyes reflected the same lidded, bored expression they always did. And as he moved across the wooden boardwalk people moved aside for the Urasing of a man. It wasn't that there wasn't enough room for Alphonse and a couple others to walk abreast. He wasn't that big, or at least not wide. But others made way all the same - and Alphonse finally saw who he was looking for. He had heard she might be in the area - and Minuit had ordered his Minutemen to stay well back and out of sight, to flank the entrance of the long boardwalk but not to draw attention to themselves.[break][break]

This wasn't a snatch-and-grab. It was surveillance - reconnaissance, really - a follow-up on a hot tip.[break][break]

And as the man reached the lone figure with her line cast into the water - he stood behind her, but far enough away to not draw her attention straight off - not close enough to put her on edge.[break][break]

She might still be dangerous - especially if the rumors were true.[break][break]

"How's the catch, today? Fish bitin'?" He grumbled in that smoker's gravely voice of his - deep and powerful, suited to a man his size.

[attr="class","mitpoke"]

[attr="class","mittag"]

Alphonse Gambino

[attr="class","mitmain"]

Many who knew him regarded Alphonse Gambino as a gentleman.[break][break]

Most considered him to be a perfectly legitimate business man. A venture capitalist from Kalos who had made his money in construction and land development. Over time he had also focused on acquiring other businesses ranging from freight and shipping to pharmaceuticals and entertainment. He was a Kalosian success story - one that frequently shook hands with even more famous celebrities who sought him out. Indeed - the majority of Kalos considered Al to be a great guy, a man who had made his fortune and proven that anyone could get anywhere - even if they were from the Roughs outside of Camphrier Town.[break][break]

Only a few select people knew better. Alphonse was - in their eyes, a monster. He was nigh untouchable by law enforcement and beyond reproach of legislation. However - there were certain facts that a few stubborn police officers couldn't ignore. The man had never been arrested (as an adult) much less in any real legal trouble. But there had been trouble in paradise over the years; people who tried to blow the whistle and point fingers. Rumors sprouted up like Foongus - and were just as quickly smothered. People who swore they had evidence of criminal activity often changed their minds about testifying - while others simply decided to take long vacations or else disappeared entirely. [break][break]

That was one thing which made Alphonse Gambino a different type of criminal than some Rocket Thug. He was organized and never revealed himself to be a criminal to anyone who might survive to tell. The types who knew what he really was like would never talk - because they had all done just as bad or worse. Alphonse was thus a monster to a very select few - a monster in man-skin, who would do anything for power. But all of these things were incidental - Alphonse himself considered them titles.[break][break]

Gentleman. Business mogul. Monster.[break][break]

Before all of these he was a man, a human being. And although he rarely expressed them any longer - he did have feelings. He normally buried them within his glacial heart. But this time even he could not hide what he felt. His cheeks were dry - for now. But his chest felt tight as the sedan drew up to the sidewalk which led in to the clinic. His driver began to get out and open the door for Alphonse - but Al bolted the woman with silvery hair to the driver's seat with a single syllable of command. [break][break]

"No."[break][break]

And Al opened his own door - and stepped out of the car. He let the door swing shut behind him - and listened as @katrina drove off to find a parking spot nearby.[break][break]

Al did not wait on his driver. He was not in the custom of waiting on others - and today's business was private. The one who had been allowed to drive him here was his most trusted ally. The only person in the world he cared for beyond his daughter who was back in Kalos. Yet Al was not a man who often showed others his feelings - and he decided to take the short walk into the clinic himself. But as Katrina drove off to find parking - Alphonse found for once it was he who wore shoes made of cement. He couldn't walk a single step - all his strength, all his power... and he stood there in the cold, midday rain staring at the clinic and its many signs in the sliding, glass doors.[break][break]

And it would be that unusual sight which would likely catch the eye of a staff doctor: the hulking man in an immaculate suit, standing in the rain as if he were squaring off with the building itself. Just... standing there, and allowing the rain to wash over him - his suit no doubt ruined. Though for all that the man didn't seem to care nor able to move under his own power. He just stood - a lonely figure before the sterile, healing environment of the clinic.

[attr="class","mitpoke"]

[attr="class","mittag"]

Alphonse Gambino

[attr="class","mitmain"]

"The target," Came the rumbling basso of Alphonse's voice, tinged with a smoker's gravel. "Is an ex-associate of Silas Blackwell. Apparently she was fairly high-up in the power structure. He trusted her to run a lot of fronts that seemed perfectly legitimate to authorities."[break][break]

Half-lidded eyes belied Al's boredom as he looked from the report over to the man across from him. The black sedan glided smoothly along the roads that made up the industrial area of a shipping yard. Alphonse was seated in the back - and Ryker was of course free to sit beside the big man - or else in the passenger seat in front. It didn't really matter to Alphonse - but he handed over the manilla folder which contained details of their target. It had been Al's "Minutemen" who had tracked this old Team Rocket member down. Al was a man of few words - but he did speak when he felt there was something to say.[break][break]

"Her name is Jezebel Crane. She had the chance to get out of town when Blackwell got eighty-sixed. And she could have reported to The Boss - but she's continued to run her business fronts on the side. And she's used Team Rocket's name to instill cooperation among her rivals and business partners alike. Amateur."[break][break]

There was distaste in Alphonse's voice - he was a mob boss in his own right, back in Kalos. And he couldn't stand when someone was like Miss Crane. He never was surprised that criminal types were ambitious and selfish - but he hated when they were sloppy. And this lovely lady had gone around bragging about her connections to Team Rocket even after refusing to swear loyalty to the new boss. Al understood why he had these assassination orders - they hadn't taken long to arrive once Al had turned in his intelligence on the woman. And now - as the sedan weaved calmly this way and that though the dark, drizzling night - Al fell silent.[break][break]

He assumed the assassin would have his own input - maybe even his own plan.[break][break]

Soon the car would reach its destination - a small warehouse not a block away from where Miss Crane had set up her most recent shop in Pokémon smuggling.

[attr="class","mitpoke"]

[attr="class","mittag"]

Alphonse Gambino

[attr="class","mitmain"]

Alphonse - for one, singular time in his life - did not wear a formal outfit. There was no point in wearing a fancy suit that cost more than some people's entire wardrobe when it was just going to get befouled by ash and dust. He wore a white tank top that showed off rippling muscle and a solid frame beneath. He had barely an ounce of spare fat upon him even at over eight feet tall. There was some, of course - he was no bodybuilder. But not enough to be called a "gut". He also wore loose fitting athletic shorts that were anything but short as they reached just to his knees. The man was a veritable Urasing given his stature - and this time he was not alone. Two Minutemen in chauffer's outfits stood behind him as he ventured into the grass.[break][break]

He had no Pokémon out - but he did keep both hands concealed within the gently billowing folds of his jacket, worn - as ever - like a cape. No doubt one hand rested atop a Pokéball. But he kept his lidded eyes peeled for any signs of movement or life from the tall grasses and the piles of nearby ash.

[attr="class","mitpoke"]

[attr="class","mittag"]



Alphonse Gambino

[attr="class","mitmain"]

"Don't mind him; Snacker, my Sharpedo, can be a handful."[break][break]

"Not at all, Mister Devlin. I am rather fond of Sharpedo myself." Alphonse added, truthfully.[break][break]

He left out the part where his primary love of the carnivorous Pokémon was feeding people to them in the waters off of Cyllage City. It wasn't uncommon for Revocs to dispose of human remains that way - it made forensics that much harder to run. There wasn't usually enough of a body left to identify in the first place. Alphonse felt the wind whipping at his large frame - and he had no visor. He could only turn his head slightly so as to not stare directly into the rushing gale. But he did privately allow himself to enjoy the sensation of speed and of raw power beneath him. He had never much cared for Growlithe - but an Arcanine in his possession would allow him to traverse the land more freely. [break][break]

Image was important - he would never completely be able to ignore the classics such as a chauffeured limousine. He was a mafia boss in private - and publicly he was supposed to be a venture capitalist. It simply would not do to ferry himself about on the backs of Pokémon on a regular basis. Even so he could see the appeal. And he did not argue with Josh Devlin by way of conceding that admiration for the experience. The huge man looked about from the back of Braver - eyeing the paths of the Spiral skeptically. He was quite sure that he preferred traditional Pokémon battles to tests like that - but speed was a form of 'Power' just like Strength and Toughness. Al decided he would need to prioritize evolving some of his Pokémon and training them for a while before he challenged Devlin.[break][break]

"Very well. Let us take off the kid gloves." He allowed, and gave Braver a gentle but firm application of his heels - his daughter had taught him the gentle, guiding mannerisms of a racer - though Al had been sure he'd never need them at forty-two years old.

[attr="class","mitpoke"]

[attr="class","mittag"]

Alphonse Gambino

[attr="class","mitmain"]

Alphonse watched the man soar upon the back of his Charizard. And it made Alphonse a little more capable of understanding the pastime shared with him by Josh Devlin . He had been impressed with his ride upon the back of Braver the Arcanine. Originally Alphonse had considered 'Riding Pokémon" an activity of children like his daughter or a colorful euphemism for some of the offerings by Edouard Dumont within the backrooms of his casinos and hotels. But now, Alphonse found he desired more than before to evolve some of his Pokémon that they might be able to support his weight. He knew that his Bagon would have no trouble once it was a Salamence - and Gyarados would be able to handle him as well.[break][break]

To see a man soar through the skies on the back of a dragon - well that was a symbol of power as old as time. And Alphonse could respect any man who controlled a dragon so completely. His bored expression changed slightly - a muted expression of curiosity as the Emboar was released. The stocky pig proved even more effective than Alphonse and his Beldum at doing damage - and though Minuit could not really find himself favoring the strange-looking Pokémon he did have to admit it was quite effective. Even without fire it seemed to command the battlefield - and much like Alphonse, it seemed Dorian had trained his Pokémon to act independently of his verbal commands. Alphonse had spent months doing the same - even before his Pokémon came to him these days, he would usually have them trained to understand certain short, non-verbal commands.[break][break]

But Al couldn't let Emboar have all the fun. And as the last of the pirates cowered away from the Emboar and turned to run - Alphonse brought his closed fist down into empty air from five yards away. The Beldum used tackle in perfect sync with Al's arm movements as if it were a telekinetic boxing glove. The pirate crumpled into a half-conscious heap before the Emboar - and Alphonse reached the pirate before the fire pig could. He picked this man up too - by his lapel this time, and stood him on his own two feet. He was the last pirate left alive on the Rocket Cargo ship - and though the pirates had their own vessel, Dorian was doing a bang-up job turning it into a tinderbox. Al looked over his shoulder to the pig - and spoke.[break][break]

"Well done. But I need one of them, at least, alive. I'm going to take this one below deck for some private conversation. If your master stops by please direct him below."[break][break]

And with that Al gave the man a hard shove between the shoulder blades that sent him stumbling towards the nearby staircase built into the ship.[break][break]

Al hadn't worked someone over for information in a long time - and he considered the burning pyre of the pirate ship a loss. He would have preferred to seize the ship himself and sell all of its assets. Pokémon and property could be repurposed - and people could be plunged for wealth and information. He wondered only for half-a-moment if Dorian would try to capture anyone on the ship alive. And then Al gave another shove that sent the terrified pirate tumbling down the stairs and into the darkness. He hesitated only for a half-step before issuing a command as one hand, unseen within the folds of his cape, fidgeted with something.[break][break]

"Beldum, return."[break][break]

And in a flash of light the hovering, steel Pokémon was recalled - and Al stepped down below decks.

[attr="class","mitpoke"]