Begonias

A Pokemon Fanfiction

Chapter VII

Proposition of a Pixie

UPON STEPPING through the doorway, Harry found himself surprised to learn he preferred the outside of Azazel's home to the interior.

The house seemed small and quaint compared to the grand outside. The group found themselves inside a small living room barely suitable for three pokemon, let alone a giant dirt lizard, a dragon, and a gang of cautious thieves. A white, fuzzy loveseat stood in the middle of the room. In front of the loveseat, a polished slab of wood sat on the floor (Harry guessed that to be the coffee table) holding a vase surrounded by wilted petals.

Hallways branched out from the room, one of which Azazel strode through. Most of the group, having been left in the living room, scattered themselves around the room. Randal squatted down next to the Granbull who made herself comfortable (or as comfortable as she could) on the edge of the loveseat, as close to the door as possible. Pat took to the middle of the loveseat and allowed Arianna to take the far left. Harry stood opposite to Randal, leaving the front of the room for Azazel to sit.

"Does anyone care for some tea?" Azazel asked, appearing in the hallway with a tray filled with glasses and a single tea pot.

Arianna's hand shot up from the other edge of the seat but Harry, standing next to her with a huff, pushed her hand down in denial. He wanted Arianna to understand they were not guests but business partners, while not giving Azazel the chance of poisoning their group.

"We're fine," Harry stated. "Why don't we get down to business instead?"

"Suit yourselves," Azazel stated, pouring herself a cup before taking a seat across from the group. She set the tea and cups on the table, just in reach of the group as she took a sip of the steaming tea. "But you really should take a glass and make yourselves comfortable. On a night like tonight, a cup of tea calms the nerves."

"We'll pass," Harry said, though he seemed to speak only for himself as Joy took up one of the glasses and poured herself a cup.

"Why did you call us here?" Joy asked sternly before taking a sip. "For the leader of the Fairy District to invite thieves into her home is unheard of. Clearly you're planning something."

"Are you looking for a fight?" Randal asked with a sneer, craning his neck forward eagerly.

"No no no," Azazel laughed. "Although my… fellow councilpersons would rather I fight you, I don't wish for a fight. I only want to recruit the services of such notorious thieves such as yourselves."

"Your letter said as much," Pat stated with a twitch of her ears.

"But why?" Arianna began.

"Kid," Harry warned. "Remember our rule?"

"It's fine," Azazel stated calmly, raising a ribbon for Harry to stop. A smile spread across her face. "What's your name, girl?"

"Arianna," the steenee answered.

Harry scowled at Arianna's answer. Not three minutes in and she already broke a rule. What was she doing?

"You're a steenee, yes?" Azazel asked. "Does that mean you were at one point a slave? Tell me: how does a I'm curious how a slave makes her way into a group of thieves."

Arianna's hands tightened as she planted them on her thighs. "Well…" she began. "I'm more curious why someone like you wants to hire us. You're one of the masters running the city, right? Why hire thieves if you can get whatever you wanted on your own?"

Azazel chuckled at the question, leaning back onto her haunches as she took another sip of tea. "I guess that would seem confusing."

Harry was losing his patience with this back-and-forth nonsense. Why was she being so chatty with them? Was she stalling them? Before Harry could interject, Joy beat him to it.

"We're not here to talk over tea," she stated blandly. "We're here for a job. Either hire us or we'll leave."

Azazel took another sip of her tea, yet she wore a distasteful grimace, almost as if in seconds the tea turned sour. "You used to be a Fairy-type, yes?" Azazel asked. "Surely you can appreciate a simple moment such as this before spoiling it with chatter of work."

"Talk," Harry demanded.

Azazel stared into her tea with disgust before setting the cup down. "Fine," she stated. "If you want to talk of work, we'll talk.

"Clearly I'm in need of a group of thieves to steal something for me."

"What kind of something?" Arianna asked. "Jewels? Treasure?"

"It's not nearly that simple, and I can't risk explaining just yet."

"Try," Joy ordered.

"A group of thieves doesn't need to know what it is they're taking, only that they were tasked with doing so. On top of that, I'm unsure your group is up to the challenge."

"We're up to anything!" Randal protested.

"You know who we are, right?" Pat questioned, gesturing to the other members around the room. "Didn't you come to us in the first place?"

"Just because I sought your help doesn't mean I think you're up to the job," Azazel said. "And after that mediocre performance on my front porch I have my reasons to be suspicious."

"You have your reasons?" Harry asked with a sharp laugh. His scales ruffle themselves in protest. "You're one to talk, Pixie. After what your council pulled back in my district, you're lucky we're even talking."

At those words, only the trees rustling in the wind made a sound. Most of the eyes in the room shifted uncomfortably as Harry stood there, visibly irate yet stiff as a statue. Azazel's face drained of emotion as she stared blankly towards the table.

"That was a mistake," Azazel stated softly.

"Do you honestly believe that?" Harry asked. "Or are those just words?"

"This is beside the point," Joy told Harry, not moving to face him in the slightest.

"I think it's dead-on. She talks about trust when her council kills out of fear."

Joy shot a glare towards Harry as she urged, "There's a better time for this! For now, focus on the mission."

Harry continued to stare sharply at Azazel. She deserved more than a few words. She deserved so much more. But in the end, he decided Joy was right on this one. There would be a time for Azazel, but not now. With a brush of his cloak, Harry leaned backwards against the wall and huffed a good deal of his frustration away.

"So, you don't trust us," Harry said with a scowl. "Then why are we here?"

Azazel blinked twice before downing her tea and standing. "I… have a plan," she said, trying to regain her calmness with another cup of tea. "For the job I want to hire you for, there can be no mistakes. And to prove you can retrieve the item, there's something else I want you to get first."

Azazel stood from the coffee table and made her way to a small desk along the wall. Opening the desk, among the multitude of papers which were quickly crumpled and stuffed inside, she procured a hand-sketched drawing of what appeared to be an orb.

"What's that?" Pat asked.

"A Wonder Orb," Arianna stated.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the girl. The name made the object sound like a child's toy, yet Azazel wanted one meaning it held some importance. Did the kid actually know something useful?

"A what?" Randal questioned.

"It's an orb that makes the sky change," Arianna explained. "Using it makes the sun come out or the clouds rainy."

"That's… one explanation, I guess," Azazel said. "Back before we had a working network of pipes, pokemon would use these orbs. They'd summon massive clouds to water crops or strong gusts of wind to clear the skies. These orbs were an essential part of living in the city. But eventually they became outdated. With every district having specific jobs suited to their abilities, it created an efficiency that Wonder Orbs couldn't provide. They became outdated and rare commodities of the past."

"That's all fine and dandy," Harry began, "but what does that matter to us? You want one. Sure. Where do we find it?"

"The one in particular I want you to get is one called a Rainy Orb."

"Original," Randal added.

"If you want one, you'll need to take it from the Water District."

Wide eyes washed over the group as Harry crossed his arms. "The Water District?" he asked. "What Water District?"

"There's no such thing," Joy stated firmly.

"Of course, there is," Azazel said. She gestured a feeler to the tea saying, "You're drinking water from the district. They're in charge of pumping water throughout the entire city."

"Come on!" Harry insisted. "There's no way that the Water District exists. We would have heard rumors or stories or something."

"They didn't exist to begin with. Before the Grass and Bug Districts were turned into farmers, the Water-types were forced underground to create a simple solution to plumbing."

"Let's say the Water District really does exist," Joy said. "Where is it?"

Azazel took another sip of tea before saying, "It's underneath the Fire District."

"That's unbelievable," Pat interjected. A scowl plastered itself to her face as she continued. "As nervous as Fire District pokemon are about their own type disadvantages, why would they stay above the Water District? That'd seem like suicide to them."

"That's not your concern," Azazel stated. "All you need to know is that there is a district underneath the Fire where you can find this Wonder Orb."

"Where do we find the Wonder Orb?" Joy asked.

"Last I heard, the water-types safeguard it as a treasure. The current leader of their district should have it. From what I've heard, his name is Indigo Dreg: a pokemon with a sharp and sturdy bite. He's as hard to bargain with as an angry tauros, so I suggest you take it without him knowing."

"One last thing about this totally real district," Pat began with a smug smile. "If it's actually underneath the Fire District, would they be the only ones who can access it or is there some secret passageway underneath the Center?"

Azazel's lip twitched in irritation as she sat upright, exuding a powerful aura about her. Pat's sneer turned into a pensive stare. Clearly, Azazel's look made Pat think twice about mocking the councilmember.

"Any pollution the city creates is filtered into the Poison District. They clean the water before pumping it back into the Water District. As such, service tunnel exists in case the piping bursts. I suggest you use that as your access point into the Water District."

"Anything else we should know?" Harry asked.

Azazel took one last sip of her tea before saying, "Poison District pokemon hate outsiders. You should know that if they find you inside their district, they will try to arrest you – might even attempt to kill you."

"Your concern is heartwarming," Pat said with a long stretch. "But we can handle them."

"You can until you can't," Azazel scowled. "Don't take this job lightly. If you fail, you lose credibility with me. You also lose whatever reward that brought you here in the first place."

"On that note," Harry began, stepping closer towards Azazel. "What's in it for us?"

"That depends on what it is you want. As your steenee member pointed out, I can retrieve most things within the City."

"Can you get us through the Wall?" Pat asked.

Her question met silence from the sylveon. As the group all stared onwards to Azazel, she merely stared back with a blank expression.

Azazel's gaze drifted as she rubbed her chin. "Is that why you took those documents…?" she said beneath her breath.

The sylveon's ears drooped downwards as her face stiffened. She became lost in her own thoughts. Harry could only guess what swirled behind that contemplative gaze, not that he cared to.

Pat stretched a paw out and tapped Azazel on the shoulder. "Well?" she urged.

"It's an… odd request," Azazel said. "To go beyond the walls is… considered suicide by most."

"We know all about the stories," Randal yawned, leaning on the back of Joy's seat with droopy eyes. "'Murderous ferals wandering the world, forcing the last of civilization to live behind walls of stone'. 'A desolate world filled with charred roads and blackened trees, uninhabitable by all'. 'Certain death for all that leave the safety of the City'. Yadda yadda."

"We wouldn't be here if we believed the lies your newspapers tell," Joy stated.

"So just tell us if there's a way out of the city," Randal insisted with a scowl.

"And if you can get us out," Pat added.

Azazel pursed her lips. "It's an odd request…" she repeated. "Well, there is a way out of the city. No wall is built without its back door… As for whether I can get you out, I believe we can make that arrangement."

"You don't sound convinced," Harry noted.

Out of everything this lady told them – from the unknown Water District to these fantastical 'Wonder Orbs' – giving them a way out seemed the most unlikely. And Azazel's lack of certainty dampened Harry's hopes.

"On another note, I'd like to go back to Arianna's point," Joy stated. She leaned back into the chair, rapping her claws on her arm with interest, yet never removing her bitter gaze from Azazel. "Why are you hiring us in the first place? You're a member of the council. You can step over anyone and everyone to get what you want. So, why hire thieves?"

"She's right," Pat nodded. "What can we get you that you can't get yourself? Seems pretty suspicious if you ask me."

Randal perked up his head, the line of questioning finally lifting his interest. "Are you setting up a trap?" he asked.

Azazel stared across the faces of the members with an unamused frown. "This is highly unprofessional," she stated, setting her cup onto the table. "Surely you don't interrogate everyone who requests your services."

"We're not normally face-to-face with clients," Harry justified. "And we've never had to deal with a pokemon as skilled at lying as you before."

"My business is my own. I have nothing more to tell you. You can either take the job and reap the rewards or leave this home having wasted an opportunity to leave the city. Your choice."

The group all looked to each other for an answer. If it were up to Harry, things would end swiftly. Being a councilmember, Azazel was a known liar and cheat. On top of that, death stained her reputation. There would be no deal – no mission at all. Just justice. On the other hand, Harry had to remember why he came to Azazel in the first place. Should he squander this chance merely to satiate his own personal vendetta?

"Alright," Harry answered, extending a hand to Azazel. "You have a deal."

Azazel smiled at Harry. "Splendid," she said, slipping her feeler into Harry's hand for a shake. "In that case-"

Her voice cut as she recoiled from the tyranitar. In a split second, Harry whipped his rapier from its sheath, leveling it with her eyes. The tyranitar stamped across the table, shattering the glass beneath his feet and splashing tea across the room.

Arianna jumped back into her chair in shock. Everyone else simply sat there – Joy's expression unchanged, Randal with a wide grin, and Pat sighing aloud – not bothering to stop the tyranitar.

Azazel crept backwards, away from the tip of Harry's blade, though he continued moving closer until her back pressed against the wall.

"You made yourself clear, Pixie. So, allow me the same courtesy," Harry stated with a flash of menace. "I know your Council inside and out. You would murder entire districts simply to better your own sad, little lives. You'd do anything to preserve yourselves. So, I'll tell you something you'll be sure to understand:

"If you try screwing us over in any way – if we wander into a trap that stinks of you or your tea – you better make sure it kills us. If not, we'll be back. Understand?"

Harry tapped the blade to the bottom of Azazel's chin, forcing her to look upwards and into his eyes. Yet despite her backing against the wall, sweat beading her forehead, she kept a calmed face. "You don't scare me, tyranitar. Although, after the execution of your entire district, I can understand why you're trying to intimidate me."

Harry's face devolved into a dark snarl as gruesome images shot through his mind. He brought the blade closer to Azazel's neck, eliciting a yelp from the sylveon.

"Harry!" Joy demanded, shooting to his side. She grabbed his wrist and ripped his rusted sword away. "Don't."

Harry kept his eyes fixed on Azazel's body. "She's fine," Harry assured with a scowl. He wrung his wrist from Joy's grip, sheathing his sword in a single motion. "I didn't even nick her, though she deserves more than that."

"It's fine," Azazel assured. She rubbed her neck, regaining her composure. "I understand the frustration. I would hate anyone involved in the execution of my district, as well."

Joy scowled towards the sylveon, her jaw clearly tightening from those words. She wanted Azazel to know, just like Harry did, that this partnership did not make them friends. They were two separate parties assisting each other in furthering their own agendas. Nothing more.

As Joy and Harry stepped off the table, retaking their spots, Harry shot one last warning glare. Azazel ignored the gaze entirely while she cleared her throat.

"Now, then," she began. "As I was saying, if your group manages to prove your worth by retrieving the wonder orb from the Water District, I'll hire you all for the real job. On completion of that job, I will give to you the means to escape the city for good. You'll be free to do whatever you want on the outside."

"Good," Harry said, setting his hand on the end of his sword hilt. "As long as you hold up your end of the bargain, we'll hold up ours."

"Then come back here when you have the Wonder Orb. I shall be awaiting your success."

"Then we're done here," Harry announced.

The tyranitar stepped away from the group, not bothering to wait. He walked with a stiff posture towards the door, briskly exiting the home into the frosty night. One by one, everyone got up and followed the tyranitar out of the house, leaving Azazel alone at the table.

The moment the door shut, Azazel released her breath, heaving on the floor in a shaking mess.

"Keep it together," she whispered to herself. "You're fine. He didn't kill you, so pick yourself up."

She sat there for a bit, heavily breathing and whispering assurances to herself, before standing up. She hobbled over to the window, pulling away the curtains to watch the thieves walk away in the mushroom light. Having confirmed they had indeed left her, Azazel hobbled off down the hallway and up a flight of stairs.

Stopping in front of a door, she removed a key from her robes, unlocking the door to enter a disheveled room.

Documents and unsent letters littered the wooden floorboards. A blanket sat on top of a cushion at the back of the room, situated in front of a small table like the one in the living room. On the table, a still puddle of drool sat, drenching another letter Azazel previously worked upon.

Azazel stopped in front of a set of drawers situated on the side of the door. Gripping the center compartment, she opened it to reveal even more papers, shuffling through them until she reached a document hidden at the very bottom.

She removed the paper and fell to her rear with a thud. She stared at the page for what felt like ages. The page held words written with a poor penmanship, and the document burst with what read like gibberish to most. Yet she knew what looked like nonsense was actually a secret code: code she could read.

Knowing what she possessed comforted her, sending waves of warmth throughout her body. All those months spent huddled over a desk – all those years of being stepped on and treated as less – none of it would go to waste. Soon, very soon, she would have retribution.

Thank you, tyranitar, she thought, staring through the page. Just a few more days, and it'll be finished. The Prime Districts still don't realize it. Just a few more days and none of my citizens will ever have to worry again. Just a few more days…

A sort of loud silence hung in the air as the group walked through the Fairy District's iron-vined gates. Everyone wanted to talk about Azazel and the plan moving forward, yet no one wanted to be the one to speak first. Harry wondered whether he was at-fault. After all, his hardened scowl stood out like a flame in the dark, and he never took his hand from the hilt of his sword – not until their hunched forms found themselves passing underneath the rocky archway of the Rock District.

As their bodies left the lantern-light of the Center's streets, walking on the moonlit fields of stone and clay, Pat spoke first with, "So we're going through with this, right?"

"Depends on whether we can trust her," Joy said. "She's still a member of the Council, after all."

"I say we do it," Randal said. "We can take on a bunch of Sludgies even if it is a trap."

"Poison-types aren't the concern," Harry reminded. "We're talking about being ambushed by Steel Enforcers the second we step into whatever passageway Azazel told us about."

Randal shrugged. "Well, we can take them as well. What's a few Steel Enforcers compared to us?"

"Besides," Pat started. "None of the Steel Enforcers like the Poison District enough to wait for us. I don't think we'll have to worry about them. It'll be smooth sailing the second we get into the district: a textbook smash and grab."

"We're going through with this," Harry said with a stern look in his eyes. "Azazel knows where we live – she's been in our burrows. Not trusting her means leaving the district."

"Can't we just move to a different hole?" Pat asked. "We've got hundreds across the district, right?"

"No," Joy stated with a furrowed brow. "This isn't like going against the Dusk. They have limited supplies and better things to do than finding one group of thieves. The Council, on the other hand, has unlimited time and resources at their disposal. For them to know we're in the Rock District – all they'd need is to start a manhunt and we'd be found within days."

Pat's ears dropped as she placed a paw to her chin. "You're right. So, we trust her, or we pack up."

"Not, 'or'," Harry began. "Like I said, we're trusting her. No discussion."

"Do we even know what we're looking for?" Randal asked. "Like, what does a, 'Wonder Orb' even look like?"

Most of the group looked about each other for a response but found only dumbfounded faces.

"It's an orb, right?" Harry asked, unsure of even that much. "I mean, that's its namesake."

"Ahem," Arianna called from Harry's side, marching in front of her confused members with a straightened posture. She looked like a miniature sergeant, stepping in front of her battalion to give an order. "If I may," she said in an almost proud voice. "A Rainy Orb is a blue orb about as big as Harry's hand. You can tell it's a Rainy Orb by the water spinning around in the middle of it."

Randal's tail wagged with delight at Arianna's words. "Well, that's cool," he said.

"Focus," Joy scolded with a whip of her fingers to Randal's arm. He recoiled an inch from the granbull, rubbing his arm with a small, "Damn…"

"Well, at least we know what we're looking for," Pat said.

"There's nothing more to discuss," Joy stated. "Me and Harry will stay up tonight thinking of where to look for this tunnel. Tomorrow, we leave for the Poison District for some reconnaissance."

Pat outstretched her arms and gave a long yawn. "I can get on board with that," she stated.

After a moment, Randal gave a yawn as well. "Damn it, Pat," he said mid-yawn with a smirk. "Now you've got me all tired."

"And that's such a big issue?" Pat laughed. "Honestly, don't dragons sleep for days on their piles of gold? Why does a yawn suddenly get you riled up?"

"That's a myth, and you know it!"

As the two bickered and began walking once more, Harry tapped Arianna's shoulder. She spun to her heels to meet his face, smiling, and generally enjoying herself. Yet Harry's stern look sucked the joy from her face.

"What is it?" Arianna asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry waited a second for the rest of the group to be out of earshot (other than Randal whose definition of "earshot" meant more or less than a mile) before speaking: "Alright, kid," he said. "You broke our rule."

Arianna stood next to Harry, glancing up at him with a questioning look. "Is that why you're mad?"

Harry crossed his arms and stared down at the girl with irritation in his eyes. "You broke our rule," he repeated. "No talking. Remember?"

"Of course, I do. No wandering, no talking, and no questioning," Arianna said, tapping her wrist once for every rule. "That's basically what you told me, and I remembered."

"And you talked to Azazel after I told you not to."

"And?" Arianna asked, unfazed by Harry's question.

Harry stood there in stunned shock. Wasn't this the same girl who pleaded with the tyranitar to let her join – the same girl who begged him to stay silent after she stole his knife? Why was it that she acted rebellious now?

"What kind of game are you playing?" Harry questioned.

Arianna smiled up at Harry. "If you don't know then you aren't part of it," she said. "That's what Momma used to tell me whenever she'd play games with her friends."

"I'm not playing any game," Harry said.

"Sure, you are," Arianna insisted. "When you told me to be quiet, you were telling me the rules of the game. But those weren't the rules."

Harry sighed at the girl. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Arianna giggled. "It's simple: the rules you told me were no wandering, talking, or questioning you. You let me believe those were the rules of the game, but everyone else are playing by different rules. They never wandered off, but they talked a lot and sometimes questioned you."

"You think this is a game?" Harry asked, not out of malice or frustration, but genuinely trying to understand.

"Momma told me everything is: especially surviving. There are rules to it that you have to follow in order to win. And when I win this game, it means I get to stay with you guys."

"But if this is a game, you aren't winning," Harry insisted.

"Sure, I am," Arianna smiled. "I broke your rules, but I played with the group's rules, meaning I could talk as long as I was being helpful. Pat and Joy both liked my question, so I played right."

"And you think that'll keep you with the group?" Harry asked.

"Yup," Arianna smiled. "After all, you can't kick me out if the others see I'm helping."

Harry stood there in disbelief. In her own backwards way, Arianna was right. She seemed so feeble when the tyranitar first met her. But now? Harry realized had smarts.

"You figured all this out by yourself, huh?" Harry asked.

"Momma used to give me good advice," Arianna beamed.

As the steenee bowed to the tyranitar, playfully taunting him, Harry found himself torn. The idea of having a little girl as a member drove him towards pacing frustration. A child would just get in everyone's way. They had no place amongst thieves.

But now, as he tried to understand what it was Arianna spoke about, Harry realized she had smarts hiding behind the eyes of a kid. He underestimated her, and he found himself surprised as a result.

"You know that I still don't think you belong on the team, right?" Harry asked.

"I know," Arianna said. "That's why I'm playing against you."

"Against me?" Harry asked, not noticing the smirk that played across his lips.

"You're my opponent," Arianna said. "You want me gone, so you're my…" Arianna's voice trailed off. Her gaze met with the floor as she began sounding out: "a… av… aversy..."

"Adversary," Harry finished for her.

The tyranitar thought for a second. Him competing with a child? He supposed weirder things had happened in his life, though none as silly as this. Regardless, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright," Harry said. "If this is a game, I'll give you a challenge."

Arianna's ears perked up as she side-eyed harry with a smile. "What kind of challenge?"

"During our mission to get the Wonder Orb, I want you to convince Joy you're worth keeping around. You can do whatever it is you want: talk, act, dance, chase– whatever. If, by the end of the day, Joy admits you're a valuable member of the group, I'll accept you as a member. Deal?"

"What if I fail?" Arianna asked.

"You leave," Harry said. "I still think you don't belong in a group of thieves, but, if we put it to a vote, I'm outnumbered. So, if Joy thinks you'd work as a member, I'll treat you like one. If she's still indifferent, you're off."

Harry extended his hand out for Arianna's. "Do we have a deal, kid?"

The steenee's hand hung suspended at her side. Harry watched the contemplative gaze as Arianna stared back at the group who, by now, looked to be distant figures. The girl took a deep breath as she firmly planted her hand into Harry's.

"Deal."