Chapter Four: Divulgence
Hildegard woke up from her short slumber, feeling somewhat refreshed. She was surprised that she managed to get rest after all—her usual experience with the feverish, aura-fueled dreams normally canceled sleep for that night. The lucario stared up towards the stone ceiling, blinking several times before sitting up on her mattress. She stretched her body, raising her arms as high as she could while yawning, her jaw popping and tongue lolling out.
Slowly, the lucario got out of bed, scratching an itch that developed on her left hip. Despite having gotten some rest, Hilde felt dazed and light-headed, not quite knowing what her agenda was for the day. She shook her head and then grasped the two, small aura sensors on the back of her head, hidden within her shaggy scruff of hair. Strangely enough, she could not detect a single soul's aura nearby, regardless of her unquestionable skill in doing so.
The lucario left her room to emerge into the hallway. She then went down it, reluctant to pass the opening of Fleur's room. Approaching it, Hildegard slowed her pace further and concentrated her vision towards the interior as she got closer. Once she was in front of it, Hilde found that nobody was inside the room, not Fleur and not even her kids. She let a burst of air exit her nostrils as she looked around, slightly off put by the silence within the building.
Hildegard suddenly remembered what she had to do today—she needed to speak with the old fox, wherever he was. Without Fleur to guide her, the lucario had no idea how she would locate the delphox. The lucario proceeded to quickly exit the building, hearing the chirping of various bird pokémon filling the air. It was a sunny day, and the rays from above felt warm against her fur. Hilde took in a deep breath of air and then whirled around, trying to see if Fleur was anywhere near the building. She circled around the structure as well, but still could not find the lopunny mother.
"Hmph," Hilde grunted in impatience as she made her own way into the thicket, aimless.
The lucario felt like she had wandered around for several hours. There was plenty to see within this small community. There were so many different types of pokémon staying within the Sanctuary. Hildegard wondered how the social structure worked in here. Was Sagefox really okay with letting the pokémon do as they pleased? Sure, it would be tough to try to manage all the pokémon residing within the Sanctuary, even with its walk-in-free policy, but Hilde felt there had to be better order established. Her having been within the company of humans for most of her life made it clear to her what this place was missing. Even if she resided here now for the time being, Hildegard was still concerned about the Witch, and pondered on why she had not come here herself to wreak havoc. She could imagine it now, the female delphox draining her very soul away as she slept, downing it like a delicious, refreshing beverage. It caused a shudder to crawl down Hildegard's spine.
On the brink of giving up, Hildegard approached a clearing she realized she had not been to yet. She used the broken down structures around the haven to mark places she has visited already, and this particular spot had an arrangement foreign to her. Emerging through a particularly thick group of vegetation, she stared in awe at what was before her. In the middle of this clearing was a large temple, adorned with meticulous carvings along its edges and pillars, a large set of stone steps sitting against its front. Along the sides of the stairs were rows of eroded statues that resembled a couple of humans. The rest of the statues seemed to take the form of pokémon, but with how dilapidated they were, it was difficult to tell what they represented.
Hildegard approached the stone staircase of the temple, slowly directing her gaze from the bottom step to the magnificent bulk of the brilliant structure. She felt being so close to the building was humbling in a sense, and that taking a step on the stairs would disturb a legendary, slumbering beast. Slowly and silently, the lucario walked up the stairs, easing her breaths as much as she could. Once she reached the top, she continued onward, beholding the powerful stone pillars that she passed.
Entering the dark interior of the temple, Hildegard could scent a light, musty odor, the air becoming slightly warmer. She blinked several times, her eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness. Along the walls there were multiple square-shaped depressions that each held statues of their own, some of pokémon and some of humans, just like the display outside. Along the edges of the ceiling were ramps merging with the walls, these ramps embedded with complex carvings.
In the center of the room, Hildegard could see a raised platform and a familiar, furry figure seated on the middle of it. She stood still, holding her breath. Suddenly, the figure outstretched two arms, then brought its hands together, clapping them twice. It was almost deafening despite the claps being light. Hildegard looked up, noticing a single beam of light forming from the ceiling. A circular hole on the ceiling made itself known as a stone slab shifted seemingly on its own. Looking back down at the figure, the strong light revealed it to be Sagefox, who appeared to be in a deep, meditative state despite his movements. He hung his arms in the air for another several seconds before slowly letting them fall, his hands resting on his exceptionally furry lap.
Sagefox creaked open his eyes, which gazed softly at the lucario standing before him. A small smile spread on his face in wordless welcoming of Hildegard as he adjusted his specs with an aged claw. Despite his calm and kind demeanor, Hilde could not ease her tensed muscles, as she knew what the delphox was capable of. Then again, a good deal of the horrific power turned out to be a nightmare, but the lucario still felt that the old fox's potential was nothing to scoff at; she mocked him before, but now she could clearly sense his bright, warm aura, traits which were hard to come by from a pokémon of this age. Hilde also detected from this aura that the fox had overcome his sickness, a healthy immune system also supporting her idea that he carried impressive resiliency despite his ancient body.
Hildegard raised a foot only for the delphox to outstretch one of his lanky arms.
"That's far enough, Miss," the old fox said, his voice soothing and quiet, but loudened by the spacious environment. Hilde retreated her foot and huffed in annoyance. "I was told you were wanting to see me. Did Fleur take care of you?"
"Yeah, sure," Hilde muttered. Realistically, she did not care whether or not she had a room to stay in, and she did not appreciate Sagefox making it sound as if she needed the lopunny's care.
The delphox nodded and tenderly said, "I'm happy you came to visit me again. I assume you have already spoken to her?" The lucario knew who he was talking about and reached into her jacket's inner pocket to pull out the cobalt necklace, the beautiful gems glistening from the reflection of the light pillar. Sagefox squinted his eyes and scoffed. "She didn't accept it?"
"She nearly killed me," Hildegard stated firmly, feeling a dryness in her throat. The delphox's face turned grim. "Once she saw this, she was consumed with rage." Sagefox bowed his head, appearing disheartened.
He closed his eyes and said, "I'm very sorry, Hildegard." The lucario did not respond to this. "If I knew she would have reacted in such a way, I would not have even given you the necklace."
"You seriously didn't think she would do that?" Hilde asked. "She is evil, and surely you know about the horrible things she does."
"Yes, yes, that is true," the delphox said sadly. "What I did to that poor girl transformed her into a monster, but I have held faith for so long that perhaps there is something still shining from within her corrupt soul." Sagefox got back onto his feet with hardly a struggle, rising with only the support of his back and legs. "Now after what you have told me, I fear there is nothing but darkness left." He sighed and looked upward in thought. He then looked back at Hilde with a renewed smile. "I figured that you could keep that necklace."
"What? Why?" Hildegard questioned.
The delphox rubbed his fuzzy chin and continued, "Well, I thought that it could bring you comfort. It belonged to her trainer—perhaps it could remind you of your own."
"All it's going to do is remind me of a person that you murdered," Hilde said coldly, gazing at the jewel-laced accessory with contempt.
"You're right, Hildegard," Sagefox uttered. "I apologize for thinking that. I will hold onto it then. It would be more appropriate." Hildegard prepared to take a step forward but once again, Sagefox outstretched his arm. "No need. I will come to you." She cringed at how much he seemed to patronize her, constantly looking out for her well-being. Sagefox ambled towards her, his heavy fur coat dragging along the ground. Gently, he took the necklace from Hilde's grasp, cradling it delicately within his claws. He smiled at the lucario. "Funny. One would think I keep the thing as a trophy." The delphox carefully put the necklace into a pocket on his fur robes. "Years ago that might've been the case. All it will serve as now is a reminder." The lucario was about to make a snarky comment about how he already mentioned this, but decided against it; she could resonate with his aura, which held a chilling density that communicated his sadness. There was also the fact that he was old and likely to forget these things.
The delphox went back to his spot on the platform, soaking in the sun's light, which shone brilliantly off his fur.
"Thank you for being patient with me. Did you have questions you wanted to ask?" he inquired as he slowly turned to face the lucario.
Instead of confirming it, Hildegard asked straight away, "Mega evolution. Do you know about it?" Sagefox was taken aback by this and appeared confused. Again scratching his chin fluff, he looked as if he were trying hard to remember something.
"Mega evolution. It has been many years since I saw anything like that," he said, adjusting his specs. "I am technically wild after all, and have been my entire life."
"So do you not know anything about it?"
"Hardly," Sagefox stated, shaking his head. "But if there was one thing I understood about it, it is that Mega evolution is the result of a strong bond between pokémon and trainer." Hildegard exhaled long and hard, disappointed that this old fox did not know anything more. What he said was stuff that she already knew. "I can tell you aren't satisfied with my answer. Of course, being a pokémon who once had a trainer, you would probably know more about Mega evolution than I do."
"I never Mega evolved while I was with my master," Hildegard explained. "I know that a stone is required, and each one is unique to a pokémon."
"Indeed, and not all pokémon have access to such a power as this," the delphox said. Hildegard remained suspicious, wondering how much he actually knew. "Just as you can detect mine, I can sense your powerful aura. It may be the most powerful I have ever encountered."
The lucario glared at him and revealed, "I Mega evolved while I confronted the Witch." Sagefox's face lifted up in surprise. "And I did not have the stone."
"Huh," the delphox breathed out in interest. "That is very intriguing. I did not know it was possible for that to happen without one, but then again my knowledge is limited." He twisted his body and gazed off dreamily, once again in deep thought. "Something has come to mind though. While your aura is powerful, I've detected that it might not be fully connected to your being."
"What are you talking about?" Hildegard asked in a slightly condescending tone. Did this old fox really understand the properties of aura? How can he say that a lucario's aura is not 'fully connected?' What a bunch of nonsense.
"I mean your attunement with it is not perfect. You have so much of it that it sort of trails behind. It's a bit hard to explain." Hildegard scowled in response. "I'm sorry if my criticism offends you, but on a brighter note, this Mega evolution could mean you are becoming more harmonious with your aura." The lucario's eyes fell to the floor as she pondered on this. If there was any truth to what this old fox was saying about her attunement, then what he just revealed might make some sense; however, it does not explain how she could Mega evolve without a proper stone. Was a stone really required for this type of evolution? Was her trainer really—
She cast aside her thoughts for now, not wanting to stay in the temple for much longer. She went onto her next question. "Alright then. Maybe you know more about the Witch."
Sagefox gave an expression of dismay. "What about her?"
"Her powers—the magic she deals with—I want to know if you know anything about it." Hildegard was truthfully still upset at Sagefox for his heinous act of murder in the past, but at the same time she could not stay by Witchfox's side.
"Day by day I remember vividly the horrible act I've committed," Sagefox muttered as if reading her mind. "The Witch—no—Ingrid was a vain one, indeed. Her human pampered her non-stop, yet I was still hopelessly attracted to that beautiful braixen." He let out a long sigh, shaking his head with a smile. "I hated humans back then. It was a passionate sort of hate. I had little trouble incinerating that girl into dust. It was so easy." Hildegard clenched her fist with a building anger, feeling her claws dig into her flesh. "But as my life progressed after we separated, something was festering inside me. I've come to the realization that I was truly a remorseless monster. I had to atone."
"What have you done to make up for something like that?" Hildegard blurted out, unable to contain her rage. Sagefox closed his eyes in sadness.
"I fear I will never know what must be done. I tried to find absolute solace in attempting to reach out to Ingrid multiple times. I think that may be the only way for my soul to be put to rest is to put hers at rest as well," he explained, crossing his arms. "Before I founded this place, I went to a fire dojo to atone and to find my inner peace. Those were long, difficult years, but it transformed me." Hildegard started tapping her foot, showing her impatience and lack of desire to listen to the delphox's life story. He noticed and chuckled. "Impatient as always, my dear lucario. Very well. I do not know much of the Witch's magic. I try to stay far away from the alchemy and dark wizardry she indulges in. It, simply put, rots one's core. Perhaps that's why she is far from saving now."
"So what she does is not universal amongst delphox?" Hildegard asked, having the mindset that they all practiced the same sort of arcane methods.
"No. What Ingrid does is well beyond what a pokémon should ever wallow in. It is pure evil, but she has grown incredibly strong thanks to it." Sagefox sighed again, turning to face the lucario. "Look, Hildegard, I know you wish to bring back your trainer." Hilde was reminded of when Sage swallowed her dreams, making her memories a part of himself. It made her sick to know he had these when she never intended to spill out her motives or desires. Still, she remained speechless. "Is that why you want to know more about this?"
"What's it to you?" the lucario snapped.
"I cannot advise that you even think about reveling in dark magic. It will make your life so much worse."
"I didn't ask any of this!" Hildegard shouted, her voice ringing across the chamber. "If you don't know anything, then I'm just going to leave." The lucario turned her tail and started to walk away.
Sagefox called to her, "Hildegard, listen to me." To his surprise, Hilde did stop in her tracks, but kept her back facing him. "There is no discernable way to bring back the dead. Don't do anything that you will regret." His bluntness only fueled her anger, causing a subtle, blue vignette to surround her body as her aura intensified.
She whirled at him, shouting, "You are a damn liar and a murderer! I have no reason to believe you!" With that, she turned again and exited the temple speedily, tears welling up in her eyes.
Malgam was successful in increasing the size of his army over the next couple weeks thanks to the help of his first few recruits—at least twenty more joined his ranks. Of course, each and every one of the newcomers were welcomed into the facility, by him at least. Most of the pokémon who had joined Mal 'N Mal Corporation clearly sought shelter and a home from the cruelty of the wilderness. Malgam feared that a lot of them would care little about his actual motives; it was already obvious a lot of them did not take the eevee seriously. Chaos was increasing within the small army day by day, and Malgam admitted to himself through this that his leadership skills were lacking severely.
Malice was growing more uncomfortable the larger the population became, but Malgam continued to try his best to keep the pokémon away from her. They all could figure out that she was something different and very dangerous. They quickly got the hint even without Malgam intervening. Malgam appreciated Malice's acknowledgement at first, but now he feared it, seeing the frustration in her sharp, piercing eyes.
Malgam assigned his first recruits as his 'right-right-hands,' as he lovingly called them. They were not quite the tier that Malice was at, but they were right beneath her: Bernard the lycanroc, Xerxes the zoroark, and Plume the quilava. Malgam thought that it was probably not wise to assign them the way he did, especially with Plume being the way she was. He was glad that she had the enthusiasm his team desperately needed—he could not be the only one trying to brighten everyone's moods. Regardless, she was definitely not leader material considering her ditziness, but at least she was raring to go whenever the opportunity arose.
Today, the eevee lord figured it would be a good time to sit back, relax, and admire how much his army had grown. He was very satisfied with himself and did not expect to have so many pokémon under his belt at this point in time—then again, who could really resist his dashing looks, let alone his masterpiece of a recruitment poster?
Things seem to have calmed down in the facility. Once again, he had his right-right-hands to thank for aiding him in keeping everything in order. As carefree as he normally was, however, he could not help but think about what each of them wanted in exchange. It seemed as long as he had a place for them to stay, he would be in a good spot. There was one pokémon, though, that kept going through his mind, and that was the zoroark, Xerxes. He certainly wanted something a little more, and Malgam still had no idea how it would be possible. The zoroark wanted to court with Malice, that much was sure, but Malice did not like anybody really. How could the zoroark believe that the mewtwo would fall for him in any way? He had to give Xerxes credit for being so ballsy, but the eevee knew that love had a way of clouding one's judgment.
The eevee lord sat up on the couch that was positioned behind his prestigious box fort and gazed around the room in thought. His eyes shifted over to the rock pillar created by Bernard, still standing tall next to the wall. The broken water pipes beneath the floor were melted shut from Plume's flames. The draining process afterwards was not so pleasant.
Malgam somewhat missed the days back then when there was no one around but him and Malice. Now things have gotten so complicated it made his head throb. He floated over his fort and exited the room, aiming to reunite with his favorite psychic type. As he hovered down the hallway, he narrowly escaped a duo of pokémon chasing each other down the corridor—a luxio and a crobat. The speedy creatures nearly knocked him straight out of the air and paid him no mind as they kept dashing down the hallway. Malgam breathed out in relief, pausing for a few seconds before continuing on his way.
Malice glared with disdain at the masked zoroark standing several paces from her side. The dark type pokémon did an elegant bow, his thick, ruffled hair swaying in unison with his motion. The mewtwo sat in near perfect stillness as she watched the zoroark's display with sheer indifference. This did not demotivate Xerxes, however, as he proceeded to perform a stylish dance, his body twirling and twisting with refined mastery that gave the impression of years of tireless practice.
Once Xerxes finished, he slowed his movements and once again did a graceful bow, closing his eyes. He creaked open an eyelid to see that Malice was still not impressed, a little crease forming on the bridge of her snout. She craned her head away and back towards the vault door. It was now that the zoroark started to feel irritated. What he just performed was an ancient dance passed down upon many generations of zoroark—a special, ritualistic jig that traditionally existed as a courting rite. He could forgive Malice for not knowing this down to the wire, but was upset to see she still did not understand the basic meaning; he would not dance in front of her for no reason.
"Very well," he thought to himself. "A conversation then." Xerxes sat down, keeping his eyes on the psychic pokémon as she continued to face away from him. He took a deep, quiet breath and said with sincerity, "My lady, what lies beyond this door that interests you so?"
"Do not speak to me," Malice snapped without moving a single muscle aside from her jaw.
"I only wish to understand you more," Xerxes stated, attempting to sound trustworthy. "You are an amazing pokémon. I can feel your energy from where I sit, dormant but warm." Malice's eyes slowly rotated towards the zoroark, and the dark type felt his heart flutter. "I am very glad to have met a wonderous lady like yourself. I am not aware if Malgam has told you, but I am Xerxes." Malice just huffed, expressing her disinterest. "I've been appointed as a higher rank within Malgam's army."
"His army?" the mewtwo scoffed. "You mean his echo chamber? Not a single one of you imbeciles have done anything worthy of my attention." Xerxes was taken aback by her hard words. With how accepting and easily approachable Malgam was, he did not expect to be treated so poorly by someone the eevee called his 'right-hand.'
"Malgam has not given us any tasks as of yet," Xerxes retorted softly, trying not to upset the mewtwo further. "But when that day comes, I will show you how powerful I truly am."
"Perhaps you could start by keeping these irritants prowling the halls away from my presence, including yourself," the mewtwo hissed. While most pokémon would be easily deterred from Malice's hostility, the zoroark found himself slightly attracted to it. He was not ready to give up on the mewtwo just yet.
Xerxes stood up slowly, Malice's eyes glued onto him in expectation of his leave, but the dark type did not leave. Instead, Xerxes crossed his arms over his chest, a dark smog beginning to form around his feet. The smoke began to rise and circle the zoroark's figure, clinging onto his body as it continued to thicken and expand. A small tornado of smog enveloped Xerxes entirely, completely obscuring him and growing frighteningly larger. A strong wind formed around him, but Malice was immovable.
The smoke, once it had grown to twice its original size, gradually began to calm and dissipate into the air, revealing that the zoroark had taken up a completely different form: He became the legendary pokémon Lugia. Massive arms still wrapped around his upper body, he swung them apart, stretching them out and revealing a splendorous figure that could only be owned by a legendary. His sheen was a majestic silver, his limbs muscley and powerful. His head took the shape of a sharp arrowhead, his neck long and slender and ending at a set of sinewy shoulders. His torso was large and bulky, a healthy shade of blue lining his belly. Lastly, there was the long, robust tail, lined with several sets of impressive blue fins.
Despite the zoroark having transformed himself into this tenacious beast, Malice sighed in annoyance and looked away. Xerxes' face drooped with chagrin, astounded that this was her reaction. Immediately after, he thought of something: Perhaps a form more familiar would suit her fancy. Causing the dark smog to rise once again, the zoroark-now-lugia engulfed himself, preparing to transform.
Once the smoke cleared a second time, Xerxes' figure became a lot smaller to be half of Malice's own height. The dark type had now transformed into Malgam himself. He carried an impressively exact form to that of the original eevee lord, getting every detail correct down to the silly purple cape and the smug grin. Xerxes crossed his arms and puffed out his chest, catching Malice's attention. It was disconcerting how well he imitated Malgam's mannerisms and movement.
Thinking that perhaps this act would have finally impressed the apathetic mewtwo, Malice sneered a bit and said, "Of all things you decide to do a mock-up of that whelp? How charming." Her sarcastic tone crushed the zoroark. He ground his teeth in frustration and then smiled, having one last plan in mind. The swirl of smoke emanating once again, Xerxes began his transformation into something larger, about the same height as Malice this time.
The smoke faded away to reveal a similar shape to the mewtwo; in fact, Xerxes had become a mewtwo! He took on a more masculine form, with a wider and more powerful chest, his body moderately muscular and brawny. He was floating and arched backwards, showing off his figure at its most slender and whole with his limbs facing outwards. Xerxes relaxed himself, hovering slowly to the ground. Once his feet landed, he struck a gallant pose, twisting his body and flexing an arm. The zoroark was clearly desperate for the psychic pokémon's love.
Malice appeared transfixed, a hint of curiosity on her normally scowling demeanor. Could that have done it? Did the zoroark finally get to the mewtwo? He felt his chest swell with excitement, waiting for Malice to approach him with lustful intentions. There was no way she could resist his grandiose figure, so well-crafted by his many years of illusionary experience.
The fires of exuberance started to wane, however, as Xerxes gazed at Malice who yet did not move from her spot. The look of slight awe on her face also molded back into her usual poutiness. The thought of her having been disappointed by something he unknowingly messed up sent a cold chill down his spine.
The mewtwo scoffed and looked away, completely trampling the inspiration the zoroark once had. "To think you tried attracting me like I'm some wild creature...it's sickening. Leave me at once." Xerxes' internal fire billowed with rage as he stamped a foot in a childish tantrum.
Fuming, he shouted, "What will it take to impress you!? I have many skills! I am a powerful and admirable creature who will stop at nothing to get what he wants!"
"That much is clear. Leave me. I will not ask you again," Malice said firmly. Before the zoroark could act in anger, the eevee lord entered the large room.
"Hey, Malice, I was thinking about our food preserves and I—" Malgam stopped, hovering in place with a grimace upon seeing a duo of mewtwos in the same area. There was a long awkward silence before the eevee continued. "Wow, Malice, I'm err—I'm happy for you and all, but aren't you supposed to be...uh, unique?" As if on cue, the black smoke formed around Xerxes, transforming him back to his original size as well as his original form. The smog cleared to reveal a zoroark that had lost his composure; he clearly looked upset.
He spat and said, "Is it possible to faze this female?" Malice's temperament appeared to turn even more exasperated, if that were possible in her current state.
Malgam shrugged and replied, "Well, I did warn you, buddy." Xerxes growled at the eevee.
"If you cannot accomplish your side of the exchange, then I will have nothing to do with your group!" the zoroark said loudly, wanting Malice to hear every bit of what he said.
In response, the psychic pokémon ordered to Malgam, "Get this fool away before he gets hurt." Xerxes whirled on her, looking bewildered.
"Are you jesting? You do realize I have the type advantage? What would you even do against me?" the zoroark snarled.
"Yeah, I think you'd be better off fighting me," Malgam said as he approached the scene, crossing his arms. "It's time for you to take your punishment!" Xerxes turned back to the eevee, the look of angry confusion still painted on his face.
"What is the meaning of this? I have done nothing wrong!" the dark type exclaimed, readying himself.
"I told you not to speak to her yet. If you're so impulsive, how can I trust you to back me up out there?" Malgam explained in a tone that would be used to chastise a child. Xerxes had nothing to say in response to this, spreading out his arms and legs slightly in anticipation of the fight. Malgam quickly brainstormed and realized that he had nothing to properly combat a dark type. He cursed internally, wishing more than ever that he had the sylveon form he so deserved! He knew that zoroarks were very speedy creatures, so he went ahead and chose the form that would give him a step up over his agility.
In a flash, Malgam evolved into a jolteon, parts of the fur on his scalp, neck, and rear jutting out in intimidating spike shapes. Electricity coursed across these spikes, with sparks connecting between some of the protrusions. He grinned down at the zoroark, who did not appear daunted in the slightest.
The dark type launched forward, his speed just as impressive as Malgam expected. The jolteon, however, was like a bullet, almost disappearing in thin air as he charged forward and then swerved off to the zoroark's side. He whirled around as Xerxes attempted to regain his footing, his reaction not quick enough to notice where the jolteon went. The electricity dancing on Malgam's fur intensified as he readied a wild charge.
Before Xerxes could even react, Malgam vaulted forward with blinding speed that turned his image into a lightning bolt. He phased right through the unaware zoroark, a deafening TTZZAPPP reverberating across the room as he made a direct hit. Xerxes screamed in pain, sparks surrounding him as he fell onto his knees. He recovered quickly, however, noticing the jolteon floating in front of him.
"Now go to your room. You'll get your side of the exchange when you actually do something," Malgam ordered. Xerxes was not finished. The zoroark pushed forward with his powerful legs and launched himself at the jolteon recklessly. The sudden move caught Malgam off guard and he attempted to hover to the side. The zoroark's reflexes were quick this time as he stretched out a claw to grab Malgam by the head. With a mighty swing, Xerxes tossed Malgam against the wall, the jolteon bouncing off hard with all the air in his lungs forced out. Xerxes followed up with a dark pulse, an undulation of black and purple energy rippling out of his body and colliding with Malgam, enveloping him in a dark aura. Several small explosions of the energy sent the jolteon flying into the wall again, knocking him out momentarily. Hitting the floor, Malgam stirred and attempted to recollect himself, lifting his upper body to see Xerxes stomping towards him, his rage still present.
Suddenly, a bright, purple blur crashed into the zoroark's skull from his left, sending him careening in the air at least several feet and crumpling into a heap on the floor. Malgam looked back over to the source of the blow and, to his utter surprise, saw Malice standing before him, her fist outstretched.
"Mega punch?" Malgam slurred, still dizzy from the blow dealt to him.
"Drain," Malice corrected him without acknowledging his presence. The jolteon just noticed the beads of light dancing around the fist she punched the zoroark with, which eventually sunk into her flesh. She turned, nonchalantly ambling back to her spot. Malgam just stared at her in complete awe, then back at the zoroark who was still as a rock.
"Did you just...save me?" the jolteon said, baffled.
"No, you runt. I've been meaning to do that," she replied as she sat back down, her drop slowed and graceful with the support of her psychic energy. Malgam just laughed as he devolved back into his regular eevee form. He continued chuckling as he hovered back into the air, reflecting on what just happened. That just had to be it—Malice really did like him! Well, maybe just a little bit. If she hated him so much, she would have just let the zoroark finish his work. Still, he felt ashamed that Xerxes took him out like that.
His laughter ending with a sudden scowl, Malgam floated over to the downed zoroark, who was conscious again and stirring. He grabbed the creature's chest scruff and lifted him up, shaking him.
He shouted, "Have you learned your lesson now!? Don't mess with us!" He threw Xerxes down onto his rump, the dark type grunting in pain. With his paws on his hips in a condescending display, Malgam stated menacingly, "And if you dare leave Mal 'N Mal after what you just did, we will hunt you down. Got it?" Xerxes did not reply, his pride clearly shattered. He struggled to get up, his legs trembling. Xerxes then limped off, grumbling angrily.
Once the zoroark left the scene, Malgam slowly gazed over his shoulder to find Malice staring at the vault door like usual. The eevee sighed and hovered over to her.
"Sorry about that," he said quietly, cringing in his apology. "I did tell him not to talk to you."
"Then there's nothing to be concerned about," she replied. Malgam breathed out in relief, expecting a barrage of insults from the mewtwo. The eevee lord did not know much else to say in this moment and instead tried to remember what he was originally going to speak to the mewtwo about. He clapped his paws together upon regaining his train of thought.
"Ah, yes! I have an idea of who to go to next," he said excitedly. Malice gazed over at him with her familiar glowering facet. "I got a hunch from a group of my minions that there's this witch pokémon that lives in a cave someplace in this forest. Can you believe that? A witch!" he laughed at his own remark, realizing how dumb it sounded when he said it himself.
"A witch?" Malice asked, accenting the word as if never having heard of it.
"A delphox more specifically. Supposed to be very dangerous. Could be an asset to the team!" he exclaimed with a grin. Malice scoffed, heckling the ambitious eevee.
"After that pathetic display with that irritant, you think you can take it on?" Malgam grasped his chest as if she pounded it herself, the air knocked out of him by her insult.
"Well, I just let my guard down a little," he replied in a higher pitch. Malgam then shrugged and floated off. "I'm gonna have a nap, then I'll give her a visit." When he was close to exiting the room entirely, he called out, "Thanks for helping me, by the way!"
Malice whirled towards his direction, suddenly heated. Before she could do anything, the eevee lord was already gone.
