Chapter 34: Where a long day comes to an end.
It still took an awfully long time until the teams of the guild finally assembled.
By this time the fire that damaged the HQ had been extinguished, the members of the Force's of Evil that did not escaped through the tunnel were arrested, and the wounded of this battle were treated. Half of the building's roof was gone, as well as Team Green's team room, almost everything that was inside the library and partly the dining room. Luckily, for Mo, both their team room, including their belongings, and the bath were unharmed.
Amy's mother and Ziggy were the only two members of the guild that were badly harmed. While Amy's mother broke her arm trying to protect Steve from the Flygon, Ziggy suffered from several deep wounds, including the ones he got from Mo, a broken leg, fractures in his back and tail and a light concussion. Not to mention his eye. The towns medic made sure it was treated and would not hurt him so bad anymore, she also told Heidi to keep an eye on how things were going with him. The wounds began to heal, but it's up to Ziggy's body how long it would take to heal completely and how got it would heal. Leaving scars were quiet possible.
Team Red, Blue and Purple, as well as the Klefki testified again the Force's of Evil, were their base is, or rather was, and their involvement in other illegal activities. A team was to be sent to he Force's hideout to investigate, mostly around the southern part of the Water Continent. It did not take long for the police to make another major arrest. Some of the now arrested Forces members snitched and confirmed something both Mo and the Air Continent police suspected for some time. One of the officers worked for the Forces in secret and helped inmates escape to join the Forces' ranks. This Magneton was suspended by Officer Magnezone on the spot.
"Before we begin!", Hilarius began. "I would like to say I'm happy seeing all of our members reunited and ... alive. We've been through a lot the past days, but in the end, it was worth!
Silence from everyone.
"Thanks to the effort of both Team Red and Team Purple, we finally managed to receive the key we've been told about!", Hilarius said and stepped aside. "Mr. Dietrich, would you please show us this key and tell us what you know about it?"
The Klefki floated forward to where Hilarius made place for him and presented the one special, shimmering key he was still carrying with his other keys.
"I saw many keys in my life and managed to open many locks, but I never saw any key like this before.", the Klefki began to tell. "It's seemingly made out of a special kind of rock, which kind I can't tell, but what I can tell is that this rock was not carved like this, but naturally formed. As you may now, this key supposes to lead to the location of the legendary Origin Stone. I can tell this key is not directly showing the way to it. But there is a, may I say, 'riddle', hidden inside the key."
Dietrich looked to Gangolf.
"You there, the Golem, please come to me."
Gangolf walked over to him and was shown the key.
"Do you see anything when you look at it?", Dietrich asked.
"It's a fascinating looking key, but except this, I cannot see anything particular on it.", Gangolf answered.
The Klefki nodded.
"I have seen this kind of trick a few times already. Axel, please come to us. You already know what to do."
Axel went on all fourth surrounded by everyone and flames bursted out of his back. Dietrich gave the key to Gangolf and told him to hold it near the fire. The Golem did what he was told and from inside of the key glow up letters.
"There is something written inside of the key!", Golem announced.
"And what does it say?", Hilarius calmly asked.
"Made in Sahra Town.", Mo quietly and jokingly answered.
"It says: Ye who seek awakening.", Gangolf read out loud.
"Ye who seek awakening, what?", Ziggy asked.
"There is nothing more!", Gangolf exclaimed. He turned the key, held it closer and farer from Axel's fire, but nothing changed.
"Yee?", Mo asked himself loudly.
Axel extinguished his fire and stood up.
"And now we wonder what it's supposed to mean.", he said.
All the guild members began to wonder what this could possibly meant.
"I can swear I heard this phrase somewhere before.", Paul exclaimed and looked over to Phil. "Back then on the Grass Continent."
Slowly getting an idea what it could mean, Mo looked over to Charlotte and wondered if she would even seek this. She seemed happy this way.
"Luminous Cave!", Gangolf suddenly shouted, almost screamed in the room which instantly got quiet. Everyone looked at the Golem. "There is a cave by the lake at the old Pokémon Square! It was opened after the meteor was destroyed years ago! Pokémon from far end wide entered this cave with a magical crystal inside it to evolve! Around the time the rescue teams became less and less and Pokémon Square was finally abandoned, the cave was forgotten, but it's still there!"
"I remember a cave by the lake.", Hilarius commented. "But I was already evolved when I met the old Guild Master, so it had no use to me."
"And if you look closely ...", Gangolf presented the key. "The key looks and glows, just like the crystal."
"So this means, the Origin Stone is inside a cave, by a lake, in the northern part of Pokémon Square?", Mo asked.
"Are you telling us they stone was next door to us the whole time?!", Bao suddenly shouted, it was not like him to react this way and everyone was surprised by it.
"I guess so?", Amy answered him unsure.
Silence.
"So, will we leave now?", Hilarius II. asked in the round. "We have the key, we know where we find what we want, and it's not so far away either."
Hilarius began to think, then looked over to Amy.
"Amy, what do the Force's of Evil know about the key?"
"Nothing.", Amy answered him. "According to Dietrich, he never told the ones that captured him what he knew and non of them figured it out. They can't find it out as long as they don't have the key, and even if they knew, they need the key to get the stone.", Amy began to smile. "We basically already won!"
Hilarius looked pleased.
"In this case, and because we're all tired, I decide we wait until sunrise and finish this chapter of the Adventurer Guild!"
While some member were exited about the news, some, like Alfons, Bao and Mo had mixed feelings about it. Hilarius ordered Gangolf and the twins to guard the still damaged entrance to make sure no Pokémon would enter or leave the HQ, and ordered the rest of the teams to go back to their rooms to prepare for the final mission, with Dietrich and Amy's mother joining Team Orange's room and Axel being given the key. All, except Mo, who was told go follow him to his room.
There Mo was told by the Guild Master that he was told what had happened between him and Charlotte, with Mo's defence, "Alfons told us to.", completely undermined by the Bisharp, who only got louder after this comment. He also told Mo that he found out other scenarios, mostly involving Ziggy, and this kind of behavior could not be tolerated. Not inside this guild or outside of it.
Furthermore, Mo was told by Hilarius that some arrested Forces members said they managed to infiltrate the guild, that they had at least one member working for the Force's in secret. Under the current circumstances Mo was the most likely to work for the other side. Mo denied this suspicion, but was again silenced by Hilarius. Mo will be allowed to join the rest of the guild to their mission tomorrow, but will be under constant surveillance by Bao.
At the end, Mo was warned to behave from now on, or Hilarius would be forced to discharge him from the guild and their activities, forever. Depressed, Mo went straight to bed.
Back in their room, he did not spoke a word what happened in the Guild Master's room, he laid on the hay and began to think. He still planed to leave after this mission was over, it would be for the better. But he was definitely not the one working for the Force's of Evil. But it was true that there was an agent, then who?
Late in the night Mo was woken by a constant poking and someone whispering his name to him over and over again. Terribly tired from the day and still half asleep he found Yinping standing over him.
"Mo, I need to talk with you, outside.", she told him in a serious tone.
Mo was bothered, remembering what happened last time and knowing what he did back then and what he had done yesterday and expecting the same conversation again. Right now he wanted to sleep on. Also knowing there was no way of telling her to let him be, he followed her out of the room.
A little bit down the hall, Yinping stopped with her back turned to Mo.
"Something wrong?", Mo asked her.
Yinping slowly turned around. She was smiling in a pleasant way, like she was satisfied and proud of achieving something. She kneeled down in front of Mo.
"Yinping?", Mo asked again, not sure what was going through her mind, and without warning she hugged him tightly, what Mo once again found uncomfortable.
"Good job, Mo!", she proudly said.
"You ... need to be more specific.", Mo pointed out. "Me fighting baddies, helping saving the guild members or not letting the guild get burned down?"
"Neither!", Yinping answered and let Mo go. "I'm not sure what exactly happened while you were gone, but there is a change in you soul."
"The only thing that happened was, I decided NOT to murder Ziggy when I had the chance. But prior to that, I beat a bunch of bats, birds and weeds to a pulp.", Mo told.
"Well ...", Yinping wanted to say and just realised what Mo just said and looked at him strange for a moment. "... you also went easy on this Gourgeist that was seeking revenge and not accepting that Pyroar's offer."
"I felt it unnecessary to do more to him anymore, and the king was more a jerk than a ruler to me now.", Mo told her further.
"Because you had a change of heart, that also began to heal your soul.", Yinping explained. "There was a lot of evil in your heart just a few days ago. Now there is growing love inside of you."
Mo was confused of what he was told. He did not feel any difference. At least he did not noticed anything.
"So, you're telling me my evilness is gone and my traumas cured?"
Yinping crossed her arms and tilted her head.
"Weeeell, no! Love is growing and wounds are healing, but there will always be evil inside of every living being, and I'm afraid some wounds will never heal. You can ..., no, must learn to live with them and learn from them. BUT ... today you took the first step in the right direction!"
Yinping went down on her knees again and put one of her hands on Mo's fake head.
"I want you to go further to this direction. You are not alone."
Mo was unsure what to say, but proud of himself he made Yinping happy again.
"It may sound strange, but ... not only did you love grew, your strength also did. In fact, I would say you take your strength from you still present hate to protect the ones you care about. I never heard of something like this before, using evil for good."
"When I was in Ziggy's cell at the Force's base, there was this strange egg. When I approached it, I felt like this egg needed me, and I needed it as well. There was this 'click' that made me show mercy that moment."
"An egg?", Yinping asked.
"It was only in my mind, in the end.", Mo answered.
Behind Yinping the door to Team Blue's room opened. ZIggy still covered in bandages stepped out, looked around and spotted Mo. He 'psst' at Mo and waved at him, smiling over his big face.
Noticing Ziggy as well, Yinping stood up.
"Well, I go now, I guess.", she exclaimed. "I talk about the egg tomorrow!"
WIth that, she walked past by Ziggy, who was not noticing Yinping at all.
"Can't sleep or just snooping around?", Ziggy asked and walked towards him.
"I have trouble sleeping if something important will happen the next day.", Mo told him. "How do you feel?"
"Everything hurt, but not so bad anymore.", Ziggy answered and robbed the cheek Mo cut during their argument hours before.
Awkward silence.
"Look.", Ziggy said and he seemed to be bothered´. "Nya told me to thank you. You're not such a loser after all, I should say."
Mo looked at Ziggy and still did not quit trusted him.
"As long as you keep your mouth shut about what happened between you and me in that cell of yours, and as long as you don't call my by my 'other' name, we're good.", Mo told him. "I just want you to stay away from me, in the future."
Ziggy smiled.
"I was kind of thinking about starting over.", he suggested.
Mo tilted his fake head, wondering what Ziggy meant.
"I guess we started on the wrong foot, you and me, as we first met. We could still become friends.", Ziggy explained.
"... I don't think so.", Mo declined.
"And what about 'not-enemies'?", Ziggy suggested.
"It's kind of hard being 'not-enemies' when bad memories of past things still exist.", Mo told him, trying not to sound to rude.
"And that's why I want to start over!", Ziggy said and stood up. He was still clearly in pain as he did. "For- forgetting and forgiving!"
Silence.
"You know, Ziggy? I'm tired and also bothered now. If I accept, can I go then?", Mo asked.
Ziggy nodded. They both looked at each other awkwardly before Ziggy reached out his hand to Mo.
"Nice to meet you!", Ziggy began and waited for Mo to join in and shake hands with him.
Mo looked at this gesture of him and thought to himself, that he's not participating in this.
"My name is Mo, nice to meet you.", Mo said without even raising one of his claws.
Disappointed, Ziggy lowered his arm, but still smiled back at Mo.
"Pleasures, my name is Siegfried."
"What?", Mo exclaimed.
"My friends call my Ziggy for short, my actual name is Siegfried, Siegfried Cheek.", Ziggy explained.
Mo let go off his hand.
"In this case, you can call me Morice."
"Morice?", Ziggy said to himself and began to snicker meanly. "Can I call you Rice?"
"What?!"
"How about Mori?"
"No!"
"I got it: Mori-Shy!"
"No!"
"And Penny?"
"Good night, Stingy!", Mo wanted to finally end their conversation and was just about go back to his team room.
"Oh! One thing!", Ziggy noticed and quickly ran back to his own team room. After a minute or two later he returned, holding a yellow, CD shaped TM.
"I thought I should give you something for saving me. You know, because I own you know, as you said.", Ziggy answered and handed it to Mo. "I got it from a rescuing mission and had no need for it. I believe you have more use for it than I do."
"What's that?", Mo asked and after hesitating first, took it.
