Himeno placed a hand delicately on his forearm. "Sofia. Sofia Yamamoto." (A carefully crafted alias.) "I represent a private buyer from the Middle East. They told me to find the best in Pokémon bio-engineering," she purred. "Your name was top of the list."
Schneider's eyes gleamed with greed. He ushered her to a quieter corner, practically tripping over himself to pull out a chair for her. Power casually shifted position to keep them in view, one hand resting inside her clutch where a concealed recording device was monitoring everything.
Within minutes, Himeno had Schneider wrapped around her finger. With a deft mixture of flirtation and business, she enticed him into bragging about his work. A fresh bottle of champagne arrived (courtesy of Power, posing as a hotel staffer briefly to ensure it made its way over). As Schneider refilled Himeno's glass, she laughed and touched his knee lightly under the table. "Our principals are interested in...shall we say, unregulated Pokémon enhancements. Combat applications." She let her voice dip suggestively. "Money, of course, is no object. But they require proof that your technology delivers."
Schneider smirked, adjusting his glasses. "My dear, I can do more than proof. I can demonstrate. The Shijō Conglomerate's fools never understood – but my research is beyond cutting edge." He checked that no one was eavesdropping (they weren't; the nearest guests were conveniently drawn away by a small illusion Daisy projected of a spilled drink). Schneider leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I have in my possession a prototype gene-splicer that can imbue ordinary soldiers with Pokémon abilities. It works – I tested it myself on volunteers."
Himeno feigned astonishment, eyes wide. "Incredible. And you could deliver such a device to my buyers?"
He tapped the briefcase by her chair. "If the price is right. I suspect what you have in there will suffice?" His gaze burned with avarice.
Himeno gave a coy smile, popping open the case just enough for him to glimpse stacks of cash and a glint of data drives. In reality, the money was real but seeded with a dye pack and a tracker, and the drives contained convincingly doctored "crypto-currency tokens" – all part of the sting. "Five million USD equivalent, as a down payment," she whispered. "The rest after delivery."
Schneider's breath hitched. He reached for his wine, hand trembling with excitement. "Agreed," he rasped, not even haggling. "We can arrange the exchange privately. Here—" He pulled a card and scribbled an address. "Tomorrow night, midnight. A lab in Yokohama. I'll have the device, and other… inventory you may find interesting. We'll do a full showcase."
Himeno took the card, her mission complete. She downed the last of her champagne and stood. "Marvelous. I shall report your terms. Oh, and doctor—" She leaned in to brush a phantom speck off his tie, locking eyes with a sultry smile. "I look forward to doing great business together."
As Himeno sauntered off, Schneider remained seated, dazzled and unaware he had just incriminated himself six ways to Sunday on tape. Power slipped out a minute later, having recorded every word and even snagged a photo of Schneider ogling the briefcase – evidence of intent to sell illegal biotech. The honeytrap had been executed flawlessly. By midnight, Power and Himeno regrouped at a surveillance van, where Madoka gleefully began backing up the footage. "He spilled everything," Power cackled, kicking her feet up on the console. "Himeno had him drooling like a Mankey on a banana."
Himeno smirked as she peeled off her fake pearl necklace (which was actually a string of tiny cameras). "Men like that always do. Egos and libido – simple switches to flip." She paused, a flicker of distaste crossing her face now that Schneider was out of sight. "Ugh. I need a shower though. Playing nice with that creep made my skin crawl."
"You earned it," Madoka said, already sending the recorded files to the safehouse server. "This is the nail in Shijō's coffin – proof their contracted scientist is trafficking tech and Pokémon bioweapons. The prosecutors will have a field day."