Howdy. I finally get to talk about a character whose intro has been long overdue. Oh, and to any eagle-eyed viewers, yes. The thumbnail has been changed so Infernostar is visible. Aside from that, enjoy.

Chapter 35:

Lucy staggered backwards, still slack jawed. Oh my Arceus…It's him She thought, as she stared at Infernostar.

He was just as Jude described, a Typhlosion, with red eyes akin to Jude's. Though something that was off to her, was that he didn't seem to be that large of a Pokémon. Wait, did he not take the growth pills?

Another thing that immediately caught her attention, was Infernostars choice of clothing. Or, more accurately, lack thereof. He stood there, completely naked, arms folded, with the flames around his neck ignited. Ordinarily she'd be appalled, but given his rather intimidating presence, that wasn't something she was focused on. She was more scared of how his red eyes stared her down, practically glowing with power.

"Again, my apologies for acting rude earlier, but I needed to be able to speak with you privately" Infernostar said, taking a moment to look around. "Sorry if I came…underdressed I guess you could say. But I know that you have Jude in this house."

Ok, so he doesn't want to kill me Lucy breathed a sigh of relief at that revelation. But how did he find out that Jude lives here?

"In case you're wondering, I did some research on Jude that eventually lead me here." Infernostar said, answering Lucy's thought. "I've been doing a lot of work to track down my partner, alongside the rest of my…well, former team."

Lucy took a second to try and think about Judes old team. Lets see…He had Infernostar, alongside a Scizor, Lanturn, Skarmory, Umbreon, and Crobat. She recalled bumping into a Crobat briefly, and could swear she'd seen a Skarmory around town, but other than that no one else came to mind.

"W-What do you want?" Lucy stammered, trying to look away from Infernostars gaze.

"…I want to see my partner. Honestly I figured that would-be kind of obvious." Infernostar responded plainly, unfolding his arms. Despite his eyes, his body language told Lucy she had nothing to be afraid of. He wasn't here to do anything wrong, he just wanted to talk.

"Ok. And what do you plan to do from there?" She said. She could take a guess that Infernostar wasn't just here for a visit, something else had to be up.

"Well, that comes down to what results from seeing him." He said it so simply, as if that was clear to everyone.

"…Alright. But if there is a next time, please put some clothes on" Lucy responded, as she turned back to the door.

"My apologies. Personally, I do not see the need for clothing, but if you request me to, then I shall."

Ok, he is a lot stranger than I thought he'd be Lucy thought, as she opened the door. "Jude? There is someone that wants to see you."

"Excuse me?" Jude said, standing up off the couch. Who the hell knows me that would want to visit?

"It's someone you know." Lucy said, making her way inside. She stepped out of the way of the doorway, allowing Infernostar to enter.

"What are you talking abo-" Jude cut himself short once he saw Infernostar. At that point, he walked over to Infernostar, completely silent. Lucy was about to say something, when the two of them suddenly embraced.

"…It's been a long time, brother." Infernostar said, rubbing his paw on Jude's head.

"…What took you so long?" Jude replied, looking up at him with a grin. The two broke the hug as Jude looked over at Lucy.

Lucy was about to say something, when she looked into Jude's eyes. Where the red in them normally showed cockiness and confidence, they now shined with happiness. I shouldn't interrupt their reunion she thought to herself, letting the two continue.

Both Jude and Infernostar made their way over to the couch, with Jude motioning for Lucy to come join them. She didn't think she was needed for this, but he insisted, so she made her way over as well.

"How did you find me?" Jude asked, as he turned his head back at Infernostar.

"The others helped me track you down. Do you recall running into Artemis at the grocery store some time ago?"

"That was her?! I hardly recognized Arty!"

"I can imagine. They all look quite a bit different with clothes on, I must admit."

"Speaking of, how'd you get here without getting arrested for Public Indecency?" Lucy chimed in. Jude snickered at that comment as Infernostar turned his attention to her, pointing at his eyes.

"These babies do the talking for me. No one messes with the Typhlosion with Red Eyes. Plus, I just don't find it comfortable. To me, it's much more liberating being able to walk around with just my fur as my clothing."

"To be fair, that's how you always were when we traveled" Jude said. "You wouldn't even look at other Pokémon if they wore clothing. Heck, I recall at least a few times where you battled with your eyes closed because they had accessories on."

"That was half the clothing, half because I like a challenge."

"Oh, yeah right." Jude responded, causing the two of them to start laughing.

Wow, I am starting to see how their relationship works Lucy thought as she listened. Never once did Jude and Infernostar refer to each other like one was the master. They talked like old friends, not afraid to tease one another, but clearly caring significantly about one another.

"So wait, the others are here too?"

"Course. After the dust settled, the 6 of us room together. Baron, Current, Artemis, Cordelia, even Alucard said they either saw one of you two around town, or attempted to meet you guys here. Though I suppose you were out when Baron and Current tried."

"Possibly. Either that or I just didn't answer. I haven't exactly been…social in this place."

"Typical"

"Hey!"

Infernostar laughed as Jude playfully slugged him in the arm. Lucy smiled at the display. No wonder Jude and Infernostar were as close as brothers. Its easy to see why.

The 2 continued to talk for a good while. Both of them exchanged stories of their experiences in the city, with Jude explaining his relationship with Lucy, and Infernostar detailing how he and the others worked. "Essentially, the others work more office like jobs, while yours truly stays at base and keeps things in check. So yes, I slack off. But only because the others know I'd burn down anywhere I would work at if someone ticked me off."

Eventually Infernostar noticed the time, and realized he needed to leave.

"My apologies for intruding for so long." He said to Lucy. "But I need to get back. The others are going to want to hear the good news."

"Oh, so you are just going to leave me without letting the others see me?" Jude said sarcastically.

"You know me better than that. I'll be back some other time. I have some…things that require my attention back with the others. But don't worry, I'll definitely be back."

"You better come back. Otherwise I'll track you down myself" Jude responded, causing Lucy to start laughing.

"I know you will. Well, till next time partner." Infernostar said, making is way to the door. "Oh, and Officer Sparks…"

"Please, call me Lucy"

"…Lucy. Thank you for keeping him safe. You have no idea how much it means to me." With that Infernostar opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him.

"Wow. So that was Infernostar…" Lucy was shocked. When she first saw him, he shook her very core with his presence, just emanating power from his body. His red eyes showed her that he was not someone to be messed with, and he looked like he could decimate an army without trying. But, much to her relief, his personality did not reflect that.

"Yeah. My closest friend. People said we were a lot alike on our travels. You probably saw why." Jude responded. I hope she didn't think badly of him he thought. Sure, he basically strolled in naked, but he didn't mean anything by it.

"He's very similar to you. I can see why people said that." Lucy said. "While I don't exactly agree with his thoughts on…nudity, I could understand where his mindset came from. I look forward to having a more formal meeting with the other members of your team."

"Me too. For now though, I'm beat. Is it alright if I turn in early for the night?" Jude said, stopping for a moment to yawn.

"Of course it is. Goodnight Jude." Lucy said, as he stood up and made his way to his room.

"Night Mom." Jude responded, closing the door behind him.

Lucy stood there for a moment after that. …That was the first time he referred to me as Mom since Infernostar arrived she thought. I guess he wasn't ready to tell Infernostar about it…

She decided not to ponder that thought any longer, instead opting to head to bed herself. It was a long day, and she was feeling rather drained from all the paperwork.

I wonder when he will tell Infernostar…

…

A lone figure stood outside the window of their home. It was impossible to see their physical appearance in the darkness, but if someone were to listen closely, they could hear them saying something.

"…Soooooooooooooon."