Mott will admit, travelling without Hilda is different. He'd kinda gotten used to their strange triad dynamic. But now, with just him and Lenny, he bears the brunt of all of Lenny's teasing.
"You're so teeny tiny!" Lenny coos, patting his head.
Mott swats him away and snaps, "Just wait until I evolve, we'll see who's tiny."
"It's you! You're tiny!"
Mott sighs.
The journey to Sapphire City has been a long one, even without the Moressley Town stop. Travelling by foot is both tiring and something Mott is not accustomed to, especially now that he has to try and keep up with Lenny's monstrously long legs. Sometimes Lenny gets too excited about the journey and races off in a flash. Then, he has to race right back to avoid losing Mott.
It's clearly exhausting Lenny to keep running back and forth, but he doesn't stop doing it. He can't stop prattling on and on about how excited he is to get to Sapphire City, because he's never been to a city that big before, Mott, and oh do you think they'll have parades, and Mott, have you ever been to Sapphire City?
Mott actually has been to Sapphire City quite a few times, to visit a nobleman who was a potential suitor. Ingram Aldrich was his name, an affluent businessman who founded Sapphire City as a business venture of sorts. The area is rich with natural beauty and resources, making it ideal for both tourism and industry. Therefore, Aldrich poured money into the area and created a city of innumerable attractions and endless thrill, and people from all over the world flocked there to either live and benefit from the richness of the area or to spend a weekend and forget about their troubles. And if Sapphire City is good for anything, it's good for forgetting troubles.
The city is a sprawling, glimmering array of pristine buildings and glowing streets. Lights flash and spark in every window, colors dance in the air, and music rivets through the walls. The entire city has a pulse of its own, pounding to the heartbeats of every wild dreamer that steps foot across its pearly gates.
In every door, there's someone handing you a glass of champagne. Around every corner, there's a band in full swing. Festivals and parades and parties are commonplace, but they never grow boring. There's always some sort of twist or pop that catches you off guard and makes you crave more.
Excitement becomes a drug, there. Thrill is injected straight into the veins. Mott thought at first that a place like that would be perfect for him, and that if he had to marry some boring rich guy twenty years older than him to do it—well, hey, other kids had married into worse. But then, he realized what a trap that place could become. When you're addicted to thrill, and the only place to find such a buzz is in Sapphire City, where else can you go?
You can't leave, then. A lot of people started realizing that very thing when they got bored of the thrills in Sapphire City and craved more—but the city didn't have more to offer. People went crazy. They tried to find a high in any and every dark corner of the world that they could. Drugs, alcohol, gambling, pokémon trafficking… Sapphire City is known for these things, too.
Mott brought it up to Aldrich, once, while the man and his father were discussing the possibility of an arrangement between them. Mott suggested Aldrich do something about the rampant corruption in his city; he even drafted up a plan to help. All that got him was a broken marriage contract and a verbal beating from his father that night.
The city is an enigma. It brings out the best and the worst in people. That's why Mott is more than a little nervous about bringing Lenny there.
Sure, Lenny has proved time and time again that he is capable and resourceful. But he's still just a sheltered country boy. He's never been to a city like this before. Introducing him to the great parts in the city is bound to be a wonderful experience, but what if he meets the horrid parts of it first?
Worst of all, what if he meets it without Mott being there to watch his back?
A lot of things could happen to a naive country boy in a big, bustling place like Sapphire City. Mott will have to keep an eye on him, make sure that no trouble comes his way, and—
Lenny gasps, horrified. "Oh god."
Mott's head snaps up, alert. What did he miss? How could Lenny already have gotten himself in trouble?! But when he focuses, his face goes slack.
Sapphire City lies before them. But the buildings don't stand.
Hunks of metal, slabs of concrete, and stone mix in a disastrous pile of rubble. Sparse fires rage in contained corners of the city, the unburning potions already blackened by their own dead fires. Smoke rises from the city. It's the only thing that seems to move in all the land.
"The… the people," Lenny utters, staring at the wreckage in terror, "where are all the people?"
The amount of smoke is too much for the few fires burning now. The other fires must've died out recently, but since there's no one putting them out, they must've burned on their own. Whatever happened here, happened not long before he and Lenny arrived. If there were any people alive, they'd be evacuating or fighting the fires right now.
Mott deliberately ignores the sickening burning smell in the air, the one that most definitely doesn't smell like smoldering rubble.
He swallows. "They're not here. We were too late."
Lenny looks at him, mortified. "You reckon Zekrom did this?"
"Who else?" He asks, struggling to keep his voice steady as he approaches the city. "Come on. Let's see if there's any straggling survivors."
Walking through the city is an out of body experience. He understands what he's doing. He comprehends that his feet are moving, one in front of the other, and that they're taking him somewhere. But he doesn't process it. His brain knows that this is the lively city, the city that never sleeps, the glamourous Sapphire City. For some reason, every fiber of his being fights to accept that.
Between Moressley Town and Sapphire City, two places he's visited in his past, both have been horribly reduced from their former glory due to Zekrom. Whether indirectly, with Moressley Town, or… like this. Seeing this destruction up close, he can't help but face what he's up against all over again.
Zekrom. He's supposed to beat Zekrom. The creature that demolished this entire city within an astonishingly short period of time, if his accounts are to be believed. When he left Moressley City, Sapphire City was still standing. That was only a day and a half ago. For a massive city like this to be leveled so thoroughly in such a short time—the kind of power required for that is unthinkable.
That kind of power could kill him in an instant.
The air around them is thick with electricity and smoke. Remnants of Zekrom's vicious attacks still course through the fallen beams of the buildings, shooting sparks at anything that stands too close. Lenny jumps when one of the sparks gets too close for comfort and nearly burns his skin.
A nervous laugh escapes him. "I guess I, um, never realized how dangerous Zekrom could be, you know?"
Mott nods, silent. He understands the feeling. With so many weeks spent away from Zekrom after their first encounter, he had allowed himself to grow complacent. Aware only of the existence of his goal, like it was some faraway, abstract concept. Standing here, in the middle of this burnt and ravaged city, Mott can't help but feel the full weight of his mission all over again.
This is impossible. He's going to die.
Before his mind can stray too far with that thought, he hears a commotion echo through the dead streets. It sets all his fur on end. Who could possibly be here? Why would they be here?
Both he and Lenny stop at the same time, holding their breath. They look into each other's eyes as the sound grows and disturbs the unsettling peace. Mott's ears twitch toward the sound to get a better grasp on the situation.
At first, the sounds are too far to make heads or tails of, and they meld into the creaks and groans of the dilapidated city. But soon enough, he hears the desperate plea of a woman, begging for help.
He takes off, racing toward the noise. "This way, Lenny!"
Lenny hurries after him, quickly catching up and overtaking him. He slows down again to follow Mott. Frowning, Mott picks up the pace.
After a few twists and turns, they stumble upon an alleyway filled with rubble. In the narrow passage-way, an audino woman backs against the wall while two bandits close in around her: a pansear and a panpour. Immediate recognition flares through him.
The bandits who robbed him all those weeks ago!
"Hey!" He snaps, storming into the alley. They're startled at first, but when they see him, they relax considerably. One of them even sneers. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Nothing that concerns you," the pansear jeers, turning her nose up at him. "Why don't you get lost before we kick the shit out of you again?"
"Where's your other friend?" Mott demands, gesturing for the audino to get behind him. She hurries over. His eyes flick to and from his surroundings; he doesn't see anyone hiding, or even a place to hide. "The pansage, your little ringleader. Where are they?"
The pansear's sneer turns into a scowl. "None of your business."
"Yeah!" The panpour laughs, high and shrill. His teeth flash in a sharp grin. "Mind your own business, before we come over there and teach you a—"
A flurry of leaves rush at the water-type before he can even finish his sentence.
With shocking speed, Lenny lunges at the pansear, closing the considerable distance between them in a mere second. Before she can even recoil, he strikes, slashing her to the ground. Leaping back, Lenny puts distance between himself and the bandits once more, standing poised in front of Mott and the audino.
Stunned and trembling, the bandits stare at Lenny with slack expressions. Then, they scramble to their feet and take off with their tails between their legs, shouting, "We'll be back! And we'll beat up your scary bug friend, too!"
"Scary...?" Lenny repeats to himself, tilting his head to the side. "I ain't scary."
Mott is still staring at the scene that Lenny caused, dealt with, and finished all in the span of a few moments. Lenny has always been capable, but with his evolution came an insurmountable speed that could scare the living daylights out of any opponent. There in one moment, gone in a flash.
He decides he doesn't want to imagine what fighting Lenny for real would look like.
Instead, he turns to the audino, who has been quivering behind him for some time, now. He catches a hint of moisture in her eyes and guesses that fright isn't the only reason she's shaking.
"I'm Mott. This is Lenny," he introduces, gesturing when Lenny waves. "Are you okay?"
She takes a deep, shaky breath. "I… I'm Ada. Thank you. For helping me."
"What are you doing here?" Lenny wonders, tapping his hands together worriedly. "This place isn't really fit for, well. Anybody."
She opens her mouth to answer. But all that comes out are tears.
Mott flounders, awkwardly. Luckily, Lenny swoops in to save the day, patting her shoulder and offering her comforts. It takes a few minutes of consoling and patience before her tears dry, and another few minutes before she musters up the strength to speak.
"I'm sorry. It's just… my son. He's all I have left, but he was in the city when Zekrom—well, when Zekrom…"
Mott nods. She doesn't have to finish her sentence for him to get the drift. Zekrom killed her son, just like he killed everyone here. Somehow, seeing firsthand the pain Zekrom inflicts in other people is a wake-up call of its own.
It's not just about him, anymore. What will happen to Lenny on this trip?
"His body is here, somewhere," Ada states, before he can go too far down that mental rabbit hole, "I just can't find it. I want to find him, to give him a proper burial before the nobles finalize their bids on the land and demolish what's left."
"Wait," Mott blurts, stunned, "nobles are already bidding on the land? Already?"
She nods. "It was announced a few hours ago."
Mott and Lenny share a revolted and mortified glance. Rich nobles bidding on favorable land that has fallen into disrepair aren't exactly rare. But to place bids so soon after such a great tragedy is sort of—sort of—gross.
Really, really gross.
"Please," she begs, gripping Mott's hands. "I've been searching everywhere, I can't find him. I don't have much money, but I can compensate you with what I have. Just please, please help me!"
Mott removes his hands from hers to make a placating gesture.
"We're not gonna take your money. Do you know what district of the city he was around when the attack happened? Was it here?" He asks. She nods. "Okay, then, we'll search this area first. Come with us, okay? That way you can tell us where you've already looked and we can keep those bandits away from you."
It isn't until she agrees and they start searching that Mott notices Lenny looking at him strangely. It's not a bad sort of strange, just unfamiliar. The way he's smiling suggests happiness, but happiness with what?
He can only take the confusion for an hour before he asks Lenny about it.
"I'm proud of you," Lenny says, beaming.
Mott immediately gets back to work and hopes the flush on his face isn't obvious.
Searching for a corpse in a ruined city, as it turns out, is exhausting work. Not very rewarding, either, because the end result will always be the same: a dead kid. Or even worse, no dead kid and no closure. This task feels an awful lot like a quest designed to fail, or a story without a happy ending.
Ada never slows down, though. Even as the sun creeps higher in the sky and the smoldering city roasts the air around them, she doesn't relent. Mott has had to pull her away from her work several times just to make sure she's staying hydrated.
Lenny, for all his speed, doesn't have a ton of stamina. His twiggy body can't support extended periods of strenuous activity, and lifting heavy debris certainly falls into that category. He often has to take breaks to sit down and catch his breath. Mott can't imagine the sweltering heat is all too helpful for a bug and grass type, either.
The work is arduous. Slow. Unfulfilling. With the sun beating relentlessly down on their backs and the smoke choking their lungs, the last thing Mott needs right now is another problem to lump on to this disaster.
Cue his problem.
From above them, the sound of high-pitched laughter breaks the grave silence. Ada jumps with a start, and Lenny whips around in a flash. When Mott looks up, he's irritated but not surprised to see the pansear and the panpour have returned.
"Told you we'd be back," the fire-type taunts, swinging down from a fallen building to land in the street. The panpour follows her, landing on the opposite side of them and closing them in. Rubbing her hands together eagerly, the pansear says, "And this time, we brought company."
At the top of the fallen building, the pansage emerges. Slowly, they meander their way down to the ground like they have all the time in the world.
"A spry thing, aren't you?" Mott drawls sarcastically. The pansage snarls. "I was wondering where you were. It was almost lonely, beating your buddies up without you there."
"I heard ya got a tough bug friend to fight your battles for ya," the pansage rasps, a dark expression on their face. "So fair's fair, and my fellas here called me out to play."
Mott arches a brow. "Really? Three against two is fair?" Then, he shrugs. "Well, I guess I'll allow it, since we're obviously much stronger than you."
The pansage growls. "Enough talk. Give up the lady or regret it."
Mott unsheathes his scalchops. "Nah, let's just fight."
With a furious roar, the pansage leaps at him.
The brawl erupts into chaos immediately, with the other two bandits rushing Lenny and Ada. Mott's heart leaps into his throat at the thought of Lenny facing two enemies at once, but there isn't much he can do about now. His own foe is relentless in their attacks, punching and scratching with fury. Mott ducks and dodges with ease, wondering how he managed to get beaten so terribly by these three before. Obviously, he was in a terrible mental state to even let them get the jump on him, much less take him down.
When the pansage throws a particularly off-centered punch, Mott grips their wrist and throws them over his shoulder. He steals the spare moment to rake his eyes over Lenny and take in his injuries. His body is littered with minor scrapes and burns. He's panting heavily, the exhausting day taking a toll on his low stamina. If they're going to win this battle without significant downsides, they need to end it quickly.
The panpour, Lenny has already dealt with. But the pansear is giving him more trouble, keeping him at bay with fire. Lenny tries to dash and close in, but the embers burst into flames and nearly light him ablaze. Lenny staggers back just in time, but it doesn't keep Mott from shouting, "Lenny, switch!"
With a mighty heave, he throws the pansage—who feels far too light to be alive—toward Lenny. Lenny bounds away from the fire-type, rushing the pansage. Before the pansear can retaliate, Mott swoops in and crashes into her with a wall of water. The pansage tries to outmaneuver Lenny, but Lenny is far too quick. He slashes with a powerful move, striking the pansage into a wall.
Horrified, the other two bandits gasp. Rather than start up another vicious attack, they jump to their feet and race to their fallen comrade. The panpour tries to help them up, but the pansage stubbornly bats them away. Only to fall to a knee right after.
The pansear glares at them like they committed some horrific atrocity. "We'll be back!"
"Don't," Mott deadpans, sheathing his scalchops.
They ignore him, clambering up the crumbling walls to escape for a second time. Mott watches them go, displeased. Lenny watches them go, too. But his expression is less irritable and more thoughtful.
By the time the day has nearly come and gone, they're still no closer to finding Ada's child. In slight desperation and maybe delirium, Ada wonders if their fruitless endeavors could mean that her child is still alive, somewhere. Mott doesn't want her to get her hopes up, but he doesn't want to crush her, either. So he just silently nods and utters a quiet, "Maybe."
He's not going to tell a grieving mother that her child probably burned to death. Or was buried under all the falling rubble. Or was electrocuted into ash by a legendary dragon. None of those options seem like a great way to boost morale.
As the sun begins to dip beneath the horizon, the city smoke becomes all the more pronounced. The glaring red sunset strikes the smoldering remains of the city like it's bathing it in blood. Shadows, lanky and dark and jagged, cut through the streets. The heat hardly lets up as the sun lowers.
It gets so bad that Lenny begins to wobble. Mott pauses in lifting a plank of wood to watch him. Lenny stands still, staring at nothing, wide-eyed. Then, eyes drooping and stumbling back, Lenny faints.
Mott drops the plank and catches him before he hits the ground. An exclamation of surprise escapes Ada, and she scolds herself for not being more attentive.
"I'm a doctor," she explains, as she sets Lenny down and checks him over. "I should've noticed he was dehydrated, but I haven't exactly been the most focused, today."
Mott nods in understanding. He tries to imagine what it must be like to lose a child. He doesn't have any kids of his own, obviously, but he has parents. He imagines, if they lost him, that they'd put a sizable reward up for anyone who could find his body. But he can't imagine his regal father digging around in the soot for even a second.
By the time Lenny wakes up and they've gotten some water and berries into him, he's still a little groggy. His head rests on Mott's lap as Ada checks over him again. He stares up at the smoky sky.
"Do you ever wonder," he begins, only to trail off. Eventually, he starts again. "Do you ever wonder why someone would do something like this?"
"All the time," Ada sighs, too quietly for Lenny to hear.
"I mean, why is Zekrom doing this?" Lenny babbles. Mott tries to get him to drink more water; he's clearly not thinking straight. But Lenny brushes him aside. "What does it stand to gain from all this chaos? What's motivating it?"
"Nothing is motivating it," he states, urging Lenny to take another sip. Grudgingly, he does. Even that small sip makes him perk up like a houseplant. "It's just attacking because it can and no one can stop it."
"But why?" Lenny presses, more alert now. "Why does it want to attack?"
His questions are weird, even for the strange realm of the latest Zekrom gossip. Mott has never heard anyone question the beast's motives, of all things.
"There's nothing to it. It's not that deep," he argues.
Lenny meets his gaze with equal stubbornness. "Only if you ignore the root of the problem."
They stare each other down, silent and uncompromising.
Ada claps her hands together. "All right, the heat is really getting to everyone, it seems. Let's stop for tonight. Okay?"
Reluctantly, they nod in agreement.
The moon rises, grinning down at them through the remaining layers of smoke. Most of the heavy smog has drifted away, now, but some still lingers. It blots out the stars and makes Mott cough every now and then. Other than that the howling of the wind through the broken buildings, there is no sound. Mott tries to ignore the unsettling realization that the loudest city in the world became the quietest in mere days.
He studies the sky, barely able to see the brightest of stars. On another day, he might point the constellations out to Lenny and tell him the stories. Things like that fascinate him and leave him pestering Mott for more. But tonight, he's far too wrapped up in his own thoughts to muster the focus for that.
What's Zekrom's motive? What kind of crazy question is that?
Everyone knows Zekrom is nothing more than a bloodthirsty beast. It attacks without rhyme or reason, striking the tallest fortresses to the lowest villages during day or night. No one can stop it, so it doesn't stop. It just ravages across the region, bringing storms and death along with it.
So why does Lenny's question keep bothering him?
His mind wears itself out thinking and then ignoring and then thinking in some kind of torturous loop that he nearly exhausts himself to sleep. But a scuffle snaps him out of his trance and jolts him upright. His brain processes it in fragments.
Ada, screaming—
Surrounding her, the bandits; they returned—
They've grabbed her arms and they're dragging her away—!
He staggers to his feet, still fighting the lingering clumsiness of sleep, and whips out a scalchop. Beside him, Lenny scrambles awake, eyes wide with fright. In the fray, Ada punches the panpour in the face. Clutching his nose, he slips and falls on his butt.
"Hey! Let her go!" Mott shouts, charging them. He slashes at the pansear with water pulsing through his weapon, and she falls in an instant. Turning on the pansage, he kicks them in the chest, slugs the panpour when he approaches, and clocks the pansage one last time. Grabbing Ada's hand and pulling her to him, he demands, "Just what the hell is your guys' problem?!"
They try to leap to their feet and escape, but Lenny shoots a barrage of String Shot at them and keeps them in place. They fight and struggle in vain, but Mott knows from personal experience that they're not going anywhere with that stuff around them.
"Why don't you go find someone else to bother? We've beat you three times now," he snaps, sheathing his shell. "What are you, dense?"
The pansage glowers and spits at them, refusing to say a word. It's the panpour who tearfully begs, "Please let us go!"
Mott scoffs. "Right, that's happening. No, I think we'll leave you here until that stuff melts off you."
"But that could take days!" The water-type protests. "Please, we just need a doctor!"
Furiously, the pansage kicks their partner. But that doesn't take back what was already said.
"A doctor?" Ada repeats. "What do you need a doctor for?"
The panpour squirms anxiously under the scrutinizing glare of the pansage, so the pansear pipes up, "Our boss is sick!"
Indignantly, the pansage barks, "I am not!"
"You are too!" The pansear bites back. "They're just getting worse and worse; they can't even travel far enough to leave the city. We didn't know what else to do."
Ada steps forward, inspecting the pansage. After a long moment of deliberation, she announces, "You're malnourished. Likely affected with jaundice. Do you eat, or do you just drink?"
The pansage flushes and looks at their feet from the evident scolding, grumbling something incoherent.
"Is that why you were trying to kidnap me, instead of just asking me to help like a normal person?" Ada inquires, arching a brow. The bandits all shrink in shame and mutter blame amongst themselves. "You know I would've helped if you'd just asked, right? No need for all this senseless violence."
They sulk like children being reprimanded. Which, they are small enough to be children. And light enough. And…
"How old are you three?" Mott demands.
Defiantly, the pansage doesn't answer. But with a cheery chirp, the panpour replies, "Fifteen!" before getting smacked by his friends.
Something inside of Ada suddenly bursts to life, like a dusty switch being turned back on. "Fifteen?! Why aren't you in school? And why are you drinking? Where are your parents? Are you orphans? You must be, with all this Zekrom nonsense going on…"
She unbinds the teenagers from Lenny's string, chastising them all the while like a worried mother. As much as the delinquents gripe and protest her scoldings, as soon as they're freed, they linger close to her despite all the space on the street. She looks over the pansage carefully, tutting over his condition and murmuring about the antidotes she'll have to buy.
"They were just scared," Lenny sighs to Mott, sympathetic. "They didn't know what else to do."
"Yeah," Mott agrees. Watching them unwind with Ada makes him feel better on that front, at least. "They'll be okay, now."
After a moment of watching the scene unfold, Lenny turns and fixes Mott with a sobering expression. "No one acts without a reason, Mott."
"...Yeah," he says after a while. "Yeah, you're right."
He doesn't like the ominous feeling that admission comes with. If no one acts without motives, then no result is brought about without desire. He looks around the once lively city that surely became the tomb for thousands.
If no result is brought about without desire, what kind of monster would desire this?
And why?