A Shadow from the Past - Part 2

Flashback #3: Along the Way

The door to Sabrina's room swung open and there, standing under the sill, stood none other than Azure, sporting a sickening grin from ear to ear. The girl looked up from her book –a leather volume so old it was practically disintegrating– and her eyes narrowed with pure spite.

"Well?" Azure asked excitedly. "How'd it go, how'd it go?"

It'd been almost a week since that first day, that first battle. Multiple band-aids peppered the girl's face, a splint covered her left arm and –as Azure noticed when she rose to her feet– she had a limp as well.

"How the fuck do you think it went!?" she bellowed, clutching at the collar of his suit. "Of course I lost! What did you want me to do with a Pokemon that can't even attack? There were easier ways to kill me if that's what you wanted you cretin!"

Azure stood silent for a few instants.

"…But you didn't die," he whispered with an enigmatic smile.

"What?"

"That doesn't matter right now," Azure ignored her. "Anyway, looks like you finally made this place your own."

In truth, the place looked just as dingy and dilapidated as before. Clearly, Sabrina had only cleaned up as necessary and hadn't touched anything otherwise, with the exception of the small mountain of books around the couch and the many vinyl records scattered everywhere.

"Right, right, there's some… business I need to take care of, so I probably won't be back for a few weeks," said the man. "But before that… here."

Sabrina let go of his collar and instinctively opened her palm as the man deposited something on it, small and metallic. The Marsh badge. It was almost identical to the one belonging to the original Sabrina, only the golden circle was inserted into a black triangle.

"I'd say you've earned it, wouldn't you?" smiled Azure. "And now… I must bid you adieu."

"W-wait!"

But by the time Sabrina came back to herself, it was too late. Azure had walked out, closing the door behind him. She could do little but stand there, staring gormlessly, baffled.

"What… what the hell!?"

Had he really sent her to die with a smile on his face, or would he have stopped her opponent before it came to that? It was impossible to tell. She couldn't read him at all, which meant for now she couldn't trust him as far as she could throw him.

Azure… just what–?

But before she could finish the thought, the door opened once again. This time, it was that white-haired man that came through; one of the Gym's caretakers, she'd figured.

"Ah… there you are," he grumbled. "Master Azure said–"

"I know," Sabrina cut him off. "He'll be away for a while."

"Not that. He forgot to give this to you."

"Wh–?"

The man placed a folded-up piece of paper in her hand and left without saying anything else. Sabrina opened and blinked down at the fancy writing. Azure's, no doubt.

'Dear Sabrina,

How are you? Have you been sleeping well? I sure hope so 3

Like I said, I'll be absent for a while, so I wanted to inform you of a few things, just to avoid confusion.

First of all, the maintenance crew–'

Sabrina scoffed; as if there were such a thing in this shithole.

'–accidentally took away all the Pokeball boxes with the exception of the red one, so you'll have to make do with wild-level Pokemon until my return. How careless of them! I can't imagine who would've given such an order. Oh, by the way, there's a good possibility the police will pass by for a routine raid today or tomorrow, or at least that's what the rumors in the streets say. Still, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it without trouble.

Love: Azure 3'

By the time she made it to the end, she'd practically crushed the note between her fingers, face red and shoulders shaking with fury.

"That… that son of a bitch…!"

For an instant, she felt the desire to punch the nearest wall, but after a few long, slow-breathing seconds, she seemed to calm down. A sudden determination washed over her.

"…Alright," she muttered. "It's alright. So that's how you wanna play, eh? That's fine by me. You can take away my Pokemon, throw me at all the police and smelly punks in the city… it doesn't matter. I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing me fall. No matter how dirty you play, I'll play ten times as dirty! This is my Gym now, so give me your best shot you bastard!"

And that's how the weeks passed. The girl not only wore the title of Gym leader like a glove; she made a profession out of surviving, and an art out of playing dirty.

Little by little as the victories piled up, the rumors spread and both the girl's infamy and her number of challengers grew, bringing with them more and more spectators. The lowest and the highest in Saffron. All of them vile and corrupt, all of them coming to her Gym with the hope of seeing a violent, bloody spectacle.

And that is exactly what they were given, time and time again.

Without even realizing it, without it even bothering her, the girl's day to day became an endless succession of battles to the death.

Siegfried truly thought they might enjoy a single day of peaceful training before their mission resumed, but that was before he heard the buzz, and turned around to see a small swarm of murderous Beedril flying straight at them.

"HOLY–!"

"M-merde! What is this!?"

Despite the calmness that had permeated the outside of the city only minutes before, Siegfried had never lowered his guard and was ready to dodge and jump back as the Pokemon lunged. Ñako and Mycroft, however, weren't. It was only due to the former's quick reflexes and the latter's Riolu jumping in to shield him that they weren't pierced through the chest.

He gave the order without thinking, and Elliot spat forward a volley of flames but the Beedril had long retreated by then. They buzzed back and started flying feverishly around the one who had summoned them; a young man clad almost entirely in a stark white cloak, face hidden by the shadows cast by his hood.

"…I see," muttered Siegfried, a sour look on his face.

"Quick and vigilant, just as I was told," the man said, moving a Pokeball between his fingers. "But I'm afraid this is the end of the line, Siegfried."

Siegfried's eyes narrowed. "Interesting… so they've told you my name. How did they know I would be here?" he asked calmly. "Was it Genesis who sent you?"

He only got a wide, greedy smile as a response. Beside him, Ñako and Mycroft exchanged a quick look, checking that they were both exactly as confused as the other.

"Ah… I have a feeling this guy ain't here to make friends," said Ñako. "I knew I should've gone off to burn the city with Silver."

"W-what's the meaning of this?" Mycroft followed. "Who is this man, Siegfried?"

Siegfried's lips pursed at the question. He figured he'd have to explain his background to the group sooner or later, but this was a little too on the 'soon' side for his liking.

"I…"

"Afraid that others might judge you if they learn the truth? How faithless." The man spat those words, disgusted. "You're really naïve if you think there aren't more of us around here. We've been told to search all over Kanto for you. To think I'd be the one to find you…"

Siegfried didn't fail to pick up on the clear greed behind the man's voice, as well as in the glint on his eyes. The exact opposite of what the Green Children should represent. He laughed bitterly to himself. Right, as though that ideal hadn't been corrupted to the core from the very start.

"You… know my name, yet I am unaware of who you are. Would you be kind enough to illuminate me?" he asked with a smile. "Even if we are to fight to the death, there's no reason to be uncivilized, is there?"

"Ha… fine, I guess I can comply," said the man. "Junichi! That is the last name you will ever hear. That is the name of the Green Child who will finally bring the great Siegfried back to Viridian Forest!"

And with that he produced two long, ornate looking silver blades and threw himself at them, followed closely by his swarm of Beedril.

"For the Green Father!" yelled Junoichi, eyes wide and glossy with madness. "May Viridian grant me strength!"

The Pewter museum went up in flames in no time, bathing the trainers' back in a powerful light as they headed back to town. Silver walked in the front, scythe over his shoulder and a huge smile on his face. Sabrina dragged along on the back of the group, limping and wincing in pain through every step she took.

It was only a few minutes of walking before they saw a familiar face, and a familiar vehicle. Levan shot them an annoyed glare from the side of the road, clothes and face covered in oil, a wrench in hand.

"Yo', Levan!" Silver waved enthusiastically. "Came all the way here to see me, eh?"

Levan started rolling her eyes almost before he'd started speaking. Behind him, Sabrina sighed in relief.

"We can probably get her to drive us back to the lodge," she said.

"Y-yeah, we could use a little less walking," nodded Rhin.

Sabrina really should've known not to hope for such easy comforts. She began to sense danger as soon as Silver reached Levan's side.

"Was just testing the engine. I figured it'd be best to do it outside of town," Levan excused herself. "Like I said, you ain't exactly catching my eye, boy.

"That, on the other hand…"

The beat of wings was heard, followed by a powerful wind as Silver's Fearow landed next to the vehicle, staring all around frantically, as though looking for a fight.

"…Seems at least that you've got good taste in Pokemon," said Levan, a tiny smile on her face. "Always liked Fearow. They're strong and are never afraid of fighting a little dirty."

Silver's face lit up at that. He was probably counting his lucky stars in his mind.

"Heh. Like Pokemon, like trainer," he said. "Pogo ain't just good at fighting, he can fly pretty well too. Wanna check? I could convince him to carry you around?"

Despite trying to hide it, the sudden glint in Levan's eyes and the way she started unconsciously tapping her foot against the ground indicated how much she liked the idea.

"Hm. I suppose I could give it a try. Been a while since I was up in the air…"

Not waiting a second, Silver ran straight for Pogo and got up on his tiptoes to whisper something to his ear.

"…then you drop her on my arms. Got it?"

Only Rhin and Sabrina were close enough to hear that. Identical looks of panic crossed their faces.

"Uh…"

"Silver?" asked Rhin, concerned. "I don't know if that's a good–"

"Alright, let's go Pogo!" Silver yelled, not listening to a single word. "Take her up!"

Levan got on top of the beast's back with only a bit of hesitation, and with a powerful beat of his wings they rose to the sky. Even carrying the weight of an adult, Pogo flew like a bullet. It wasn't exactly graceful, less like a feather falling and more like an arrow cutting through the air. Even so, it was pretty impressive to look at. And judging by the 'Woohoo!' and 'Yeah!' coming from Levan, the girl must've been enjoying it too.

"Now for the finish! Let's show her how smooth we are, Pogo!"

Letting out an affirmative caw, the Fearow dropped straight down at great speeds and, only moments from reaching the ground, did a quick barrel roll and threw the girl off his back. Silver, smiling, closed his eyes and extended his arms, waiting for Levan to fall into them.

A moment passed, and he felt nothing. Then he heard a noise, dull and wet, like someone slapping a soaked piece of clothing against the wall. Nervous, Silver opened his eyes and saw Levan half-submerged in the pool of muddy water right in front of him.

"Ah… shit."

Slowly, like that creepy movie girl coming out of the well, Levan placed her hands against the mud and pushed herself up, half of her clothes and the entirety of her face covered in dirt and filth. Behind her, the side of the pickup truck –which seemed to have been washed not long ago– looked about the same.

Wordless, Levan rose to her feet and took a single, firm step toward Silver, loudly cracking her knuckles.

And it was at that moment that Sabrina decided that walking didn't sound so bad, all things considered.

Siegfried jumped forward to intercept Junichi's attack as the three Beedril flew past him, heading straight for his companions.

"Elliot, everyone, take them out!" he yelled. "I'll take care of him."

He dropped instinctually into a stance he hadn't used in a long time, yet one that had been drilled so thoroughly into him he could've done it in his sleep. Knees slightly bent, head slightly forward, a small knife slipping into his hand. Junichi saw this and scoffed. Once they were a stone-throw away from each other, he slid his right foot forward and used his momentum to spin on the ball of it, two swift silver streaks cutting through the air in an X, aiming at Siegfried's face.

For a single moment, those long-buried instincts came back. 'Slice his neck' they seemed to whisper. 'His stance is wide open, you can kill him now'. He quickly pushed them down, and instead jumped out of his hunched posture, slipping under the two blades and driving his shoulder up onto Junichi's chest.

"Ghk!"

He was sent stumbling a few feet, breathless and out of balance, yet Siegfried did not capitalize on the moment of weakness. He simply stood there, expectant.

"Hgh… take this!"

Half of Siegfried focused on dodging and parrying the boy's strikes, while the other half paid attention to the battle behind him, just in case one of the Beedril decided to aid their trainer all of a sudden. From what he could hear, Mycroft and Ñako seemed to be holding their own. Quick, dull impacts reverberated through the air with each of Ludovic's punches, and he saw a glimmer on the edge of his vision every time Paja teleported Ñako in and out of an attack.

"Tsk. Where are you looking at!?" Junichi complained, throwing his hands to the side. "Take this fight more seriously!"

Siegfried raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused. "I believe I am taking it as seriously as I can. One should always be aware of their surroundings."

"Shut up!" the boy snapped back. "I've… heard so much about you. The deadly, infamous Siegfried. You don't look so dangerous from where I'm standing! You haven't even attacked me yet; is this really all you can do?"

Again, Siegfried countered the comment with a polite smile and a nod. It was a disarming gesture, one that usually worked with those deep in the throes of anger.

"That is because I am not attempting to kill you, Junichi. All I'm doing is buying time for my companions," he said. "If you haven't realized that yet, then you surely must be a fresh recruit."

Junichi's eyes widened and he opened his mouth like he'd been slapped across the cheek.

"Y-you…!"

"You can go back. Tell them you didn't find anything," said Siegfried. "Once I make my triumphant return to the forest and kill the Green Father, you and all the other children will be spared. I'll make you all realize the lies you've been living in for so long."

Junichi spat to the side. "Keep talking… I won't listen to words from a traitor!"

And he threw himself forward again, full of determination. Siegfried took a step back and prepared to dodge, but–

"I will be the one to bring you in, to throw you back in the crystal cages!" the boy declared. "Soon, you'll be the Green Father's tool again!"

Something in Siegfried faltered at those words. He froze, and was just slow enough to react as Junichi spun on the ball of his feet again, making two wide arcs toward him. Siegfried jumped back, but a sharp pain cut into his arm and left side as lines of red began to bleed through his clothes.

"A-agh!"

Behind him, he heard Elliot turn around and cry in worry.

"Vuii!"

Siegfried stumbled back, hand pressed against the wound, and looked over his shoulder with a pained, yet reassuring smile. His eyes met with those of his Pokemon, and the Quilava seemed to understand. Trust. Doubting for only a moment, he gave a small nod with his head and turned toward the Beedril facing him once more.

Thank you, my friend.

Despite the smile he'd just forced onto his lips, he could feel the cold and fear start to grip at his chest, and Junichi noticed. He wasted no time, raising his blades in front of him and swiftly approaching, looking for another opening. In that moment, though Siegfried moved quickly to counter, an unwanted, fearful thought crossed his mind.

Dresden… I need you.

He escaped unscathed from the flurry of slashes, but only barely. He could feel himself getting weaker, which only made Junichi more confident, more frenetic. In a moment of desperation, Siegfried raised his leg and kicked at the boy's chest with more strength than he'd intended, sending him flying back just as he was about to slice at his neck.

"Ah-ghk!"

Siegfried froze, and was about to apologize when he realized how insane that would've looked to the others. Even so, his swift strike didn't go unnoticed.

"S-Siegfried?" Mycroft asked from not too far away, glancing away from his fight for a moment. "What… just who are you?"

"I… promise I will explain it all as soon as we're done here," he said, tone nervous. "For now, all you need to know is that he belongs to a certain group of assassins… one which I used to be a part of."

There was a moment of silence. Siegfried didn't need to turn around to guess what his companion's faces looked like.

"Ah… I was expecting a story with more complicated words, my good Siegfried," said Ñako.

"An… a-an assassin? But…"

There was shock, and perhaps a little fear and judgment in Mycroft's voice, but the man quickly caught himself and said nothing more, possibly aware of his own involvement in the past battles they'd fought together, as well as their result.

"That was not truly me," said Siegfried. "My mind had been twisted, changed by the man I used to call Father. But one day I remembered the reason I'd visited the forest in the first place, and for the first time in ages I became aware of its beauty… and the horror and ugliness of my own actions."

"Not to complain," said Ñako. "But when I said the thing about more complicated words, I imagined it some other time with less murderous bugs."

Mycroft finally broke his silence, voice wavering if but for a moment. "Bah, I'm no one to judge, je suppose. Perhaps some other time I'd like to listen to the tale, but right now we should focus on surviving, d'accord?"

A genuine smile fell on Siegfried's lips. A few feet from him, as Junichi heard their conversation, a sour look of confusion crossed his face. He'd probably expected the truth to have turned Ñako and Mycroft against him.

"As you can see, Junichi, I have people I can rely on now, and I am afraid I'm not looking forward to parting with them," he said. "Now, what do you say we finish this?"

Sabrina sighed as she headed back toward Pewter. She wanted to get all this blood off her clothes as soon as possible; they were brand new, for fuck's sake. A shower and some food sounded good too. That was, of course, if they weren't to set out for Tohjo Falls as soon as possible

While she walked, her mind shifted to her conversation with Brock.

Koga and Blaine… what if this job took her to one of their cities? Koga was good, but not invincible; back when she was a Gym leader, he'd score higher than her one month, only for her to surpass him the next, and so on. Blaine, on the other hand… no, there wasn't the slightest chance of beating him. Maybe with subterfuge, a surprise attack, but even then there were no guarantees.

In any case, how likely was it they'd have to visit Fuchsia or Cinnabar? And even if they did, she'd have to have truly rotten luck to run into them again.

Rotten luck…

Brock's words echoed in her head again.

'Even if you kill me, you'll never escape! Kanto, Johto, no matter where you go, they'll chase you to your death!'

Shit…

SHIT!

What the hell was she supposed to do? Hide in the bowels of Mt. Silver again, hoping and praying not to be found? No, that wasn't what he… that wasn't the life he would've wanted for her. He'd said…

She opened a door, and in that moment came back to herself only to realize she was back inside the lodge. After a moment of blinking, confused, she looked around. Mullac's self-proclaimed son and tattoo guy were sitting on opposite sides of the breakfast table, playing checkers with clear looks of boredom on their faces and sipping from a vodka bottle every now and then.

They looked up as she entered the room, eyes widening. The blood was a striking detail, she assumed. Before they could say anything, she approached and grabbed the bottle from the table and took a long swig. The pain all throughout her body was replaced with fire in her throat and stomach.

"Don't ask," she warned. "There were some… complications, but that's not important. Anyway, do any of you have potions or knowledge on how to tend to Pokemon wounds? My team was hurt and you two seem like people of means," she said tiredly, not even bothering to lie right. "It's for the good of your father's ideals, blue hair."

Tattoo guy raised an eyebrow. "Not a dull day, eh?"

Sabrina shrugged, and after a moment of consideration the other boy stood up from the table and looked toward his backpack, resting on a nearby sofa.

"Potions… I might be able to help with that. Scottie and I are the only two with Pokemon here," he said.

"Do you have to call me Scottie?" the other complained.

"Yes."

After a moment of searching, the boy grabbed a couple Superpotions and threw them to Sabrina, who caught them with some difficulty.

"There, that should help somewhat," he said. "Though if you want to get things sorted out, I'd suggest you hurry. We need to meet with the others and head out soon."

A buzz echoed as one of the Beedril cut through the air with one of its lance-like hands, aiming straight at Ñako's stomach. The ninja yelled something, and immediately the Abra hanging from his back shimmered with psychic energy, teleporting them a few feet to the left and avoiding the blow by instants.

"You dumb fucking bee, you think that's a knife?" asked Ñako, pointing at its pincers. "This is a knife!"

Ñako threw his hand to the side and the long shuriken unfolded itself, its four blades blurring into each other as he began spinning the weapon until it was nothing but a whirling circle of black.

"Hm, no. I don't think that one-liner works unless they actually have knives," the ninja muttered to himself. "Oh well. HYAH!"

He jumped at the Beedril and slashed at the air with the spinning shuriken, but the foe buzzed his wings even more powerfully and flied back and out of the way of the strike. Ñako yelled an order, and Paja began to glow again. They blinked in and out of existence, materializing above the fleeing Beedril.

"Take th–!"

Quicker than he would've thought possible from a mere bug Pokemon, the Beedril used the power of his wings to spin in place and raise both pincers in front of his face in an X, blocking the saw-like barrage of the shuriken and completely killing its spinning momentum. As Ñako began to fall, he noticed he'd barely made a scratch on the marble white of the pincers. And now he was out of speed and momentum in the middle of the air.

"Bzzzza!"

From behind the blocking Beedril another appeared to take his place, buzzing toward Ñako in a flash and stabbing at him.

"Paja!"

He saw the light and felt the vacuum-like dizziness of teleportation, but this time a stab of pain joined as he rematerialized down on the ground, under the two bug Pokemon. Ñako groaned and pressed a hand against his right side, and felt something wet and warm. Yep, the fucker had gotten a few inches in. It wasn't a deep wound, but it stung like hell.

"Ah… these are clearly not like the Beedril that smelly thief had back in Cerulean," he said, glaring up at them. "Makes sense. If you're gonna go to all the trouble of making a murder cult, you might as well train your lackeys well."

The Beedril didn't pay much mind to his rambling, buzzing around him and slowly descending as they looked for the best angle of attack. They seemed to be trying to get into his blind spot.

Yeah, about that…

"Alright… let's try this one out then," said Ñako. "Like we practiced, Paja."

The Abra simply rested his head on Ñako's shoulder and began snoring. Good enough.

The ninja took a deep breath, then with a quick, forceful exhale he opened his eyes wide and made a cross-like sign with both of his hands, index and middle fingers extended, thumbs pressed against the other two. There was a sharp, reverberating sound like the air vibrating, and then a cloud of smoke exploded from his body.

When it dissipated, three Ñakos stood where only once had before. In sync, they all looked up at the Beedril and spoke with the same intonation.

"Guess which."

They took the bait immediately. Buzzing violently, they rose a few inches and then shot down like bullets, targeting the Ñako in the middle; the only one with an Abra on his back. Their pincers dug onto his back and spine, coming out the other side as though the man were made of butter.

Or smoke, more accurately. The pierced Ñako smiled up at his attackers, and then exploded into a black cloud, blinding and stunning them. As the clone disappeared, the real Abra fell to the ground and sat there, snoring, while the real Ñako on the left turned around with shuriken in hand.

"Wrong!"

Black cut through black, and though one of the Beedril was quick enough to fly away, the other didn't even hear the whistle of the weapon cutting through the air until it was too late. There was a burst of yellow blood and the bug Pokemon fell to the ground, his head separated from the rest of his body.

Ñako swiped at the air to clean the blood off the weapon, then smiled up at the other Beedril. A second later, his remaining clone did the same. The Pokemon felt both pair of eyes on him and hesitated, glancing between him and his other companion, the one still fighting Mycroft and his Riolu.

"Well?" asked Ñako, impatient.

The Beedril made its choice. Buzzing its wings, it shot left and flew straight for Mycroft and his Pokemon, probably trying to take them out with a surprise attack.

"Ah, not so fast! Paja!"

Away from them, Mycroft simply heard a scream, but had no time to look away from the frenetic fight taking place in front of him. He pursed his lips, eyes set on his opponent. The Beedril kept trying to fly past Ludovic and attack him, which left his companion open every time he tried to protect him. At this pace…

"L-Ludovic, would it not be more prudent to have Helga fight this–?"

The Riolu shook his head quickly, before he'd even finished the sentence. Even though he was breathing harshly and covered in cuts and little stabs, he stared down the enormous Beedril with pride gleaming in his eyes, falling into a defensive stance, ready to intercept him.

"Ludo–"

Mycroft heard a buzz. Weak at first, then alarmingly loud only an instant later. Gasping, he took a step back and turned his head to the horrifying sight of another Beedril heading straight for him, pincer raised.

"M-Merde!"

"Roou!"

Ludovic turned around and jumped quickly, but he wasn't close enough, he wouldn't be able to–

SCHWOOP

With a vacuum of sound and light, a most unusual sight materialized before Mycroft. Ñako, holding another Ñako in front of him with one hand, and holding his sleepy Abra with the other.

"Wh–?"

The Beedril stabbed the first Ñako, which burst into a cloud of smoke, swallowing and blinding the Pokemon. Not wasting a second, the real Ñako threw himself forward with his other hand wound back, a wild smile on his face.

"Take this!"

Using all his strength, he slammed the poor Abra onto the Beedril's head, bonking him hard enough to throw him straight to the ground. It didn't keep him down for long. As a matter of fact, it seemed to hurt the Abra much more than it hurt the Beedril, which Mycroft would've considered counter-productive were it not for the fact that this was Ñako and not… well, a sane and reasonable human being.

"Wh-huh?" Ñako looked down at the now very much awake Abra, staring up at him with angry eyes. "Ah… right, I had the weapon on the other hand. Sorry, Paja."

He let the Abra fall and took a step back, unfolding his shuriken again. Both trainers and their Pokemon stood side to side now, staring straight at the very much angry Beedril buzzing around themselves. They studied them with cold, cautious eyes, looking for an opening.

"Not that this isn't fun," said Ñako, "but should we…?"

"I can't think of a less entertaining way to pass the time," Mycroft scoffed. "Ludovic, let's finish this."

"On his back, Paja!"

Neither of the Pokemon moved. They stood there, immobile with their backs to their trainers.

"Uh…"

"Ludo–?"

Wasting no time, the Beedril shot forward with their pincers ready, eyes gleaming with hostility. There was no time to react. Ñako took a step forward and Mycroft yelled something, a warning, but they were both cut off as a massive burst of light exploded from the Pokemon's bodies, blinding all around them.

"L-Ludovic!?"

Mycroft stumbled back, forced to cover his face, but Ñako just stared forward, eyes wide with surprise.

"…Paja?"

》A young man walked carelessly through the empty fields of Route 11. His hair was charcoal black and his clothes were a mess of colors and designs, unusually flashy for the times. He had no backpack, no Pokeballs, nothing that indicated he was travelling, although he must have because there were no towns or settlements nearby. Fuchsia lay a few days behind him and Vermillion shimmered in the horizon, mere hours away.

"Damn hicks, running me off town…" he muttered angrily to himself.

A noise caught his attention from not too far away. Voices. Almost unconsciously, he fell to his knees and advanced through the tall grass, approaching the noise slowly.

"Not yet! He can't escape so practice a little more!"

A trainer gave orders to his Pokemon, a large pink creature with non-functional wings on its back and large, pointy ears. Its opponent was hidden from view, so it couldn't be too big. Behind the Clefable and his trainer, a tent and a makeshift bonfire could be seen, as well as a small iron pot bubbling above the fire, the contents of which smelled amazing. There was also a stray backpack next to the entrance of the tent.

The hidden boy began to salivate. He hadn't eaten ever since leaving Fuchsia and the prize before him was too tempting to ignore. While the trainer was too busy giving exact instructions on how to properly slaughter the poor creature before them, he sneaked through the grass and decided to have a little taste. And steal as much as he could, of course.

Without even checking its insides, he grabbed the stray backpack and hoisted it over his shoulder. However, when he was about to grab the pot full of food, he couldn't help but glance to the side, toward the fight.

The Pokemon being brutally beaten by the Clefable was a small Abra. He could neither defend himself nor escape due to how wounded he was.

Where could he have come from? thought the boy, well aware of the species' habitat and how rare it was for them to appear around these parts.

"That's enough!" the trainer bellowed. "Finish him off!"

His Pokemon obeyed, slamming his fist with much greater strength than before. The small Abra flew and crashed against the ground, but refused to be knocked out. Rising to his knees again, he raised his arm and pointed at the Clefable with a furious look on his face, sharp teeth gnashing.

"Heh, pretty cocky for a wild pest," said the trainer. "It's not very smart to act like that when your life is on the line."

"Ah, but style before everything else, right?" said the young boy, rising to his feet right behind the trainer.

"What the–!?" the trainer yelled as he turned around. "GHK!"

He screamed in pain before finishing the sentence, as he was struck by a sharp metallic object first on the back of his arm, and then on his leg. All balance gone from him, he slipped and fell to the ground. The Clefable sharply turned around, eyes wide in anger, but the attacker quickly jumped to grab the Pokeball from the trainer's pocket, pressing the button and returning him back to it. Filled with panic, the trainer tried to grab another ball from his belt, but the boy quickly kicked him in the face, sending him into unconsciousness.

"…You still there?" asked the young man, kneeling next to him. "Good, then I don't have to kill you. I'll take your stuff but I'll leave your Pokemon. So… be grateful, I guess."

He stood up and walked toward the small psychic Pokemon, who could barely keep himself on his feet. At first the Abra treated him the same as the Clefable, pointing angrily at him, but then his arm lost strength and he fell to his knees, panting.

"Hm. He always used to tell me; Pokemon aren't all about brute strength," the young man muttered. "I'm heading to the nearest train station. Wanna… come over and see if that's true?"

The Pokemon made no movement indicating he'd heard him. At first the young man thought he was meditating, deliberating over his options, but soon he realized the Abra had actually fallen asleep.

"Ah… well, whatever."

He searched the backpack for an unused Pokeball and, once he found it, let it fall on top of the Abra. He was swallowed by the red light and, after three shakes, was captured.

"I thought of a lot of interesting names, but you'll definitely be… Paja. Yeah."

The young man saved the ball and his weapon and kept on travelling east, toward Vermillion. 《

Paja and Ludovic glowed with more intensity each second, until the light finally burst like the surface of a bubble, and the creatures that emerged from within stood taller and much more imposing, each about as big as their trainers now. In unison, the Kadabra and Lucario threw their paws forward, and within them materialized weapons of light that couldn't have been more different. One was a long, glowing staff in the shape of a bone. The other was a small, unassuming spoon crackling with unbridled psychic energy.

"W-wow," muttered Ñako, eyes wide. "That's nuts. You definitely deserve some good food for once after evolving, Paja."

Mycroft swallowed, and when he spoke his voice was full of emotion. "Ludovic… I'm so glad…"

Both Pokemon looked slightly over their shoulders, shining their trainers a tiny smile. Then they turned toward their opponents, who all of a sudden looked a lot less eager to throw themselves forward.

Lucario and Kadabra, however, had no such reservations.

"Confusion!" Ñako yelled.

"Bone Rush!" Mycroft followed.

Hard impacts reverberated through the empty route, and the sounds of bodies hitting the floor soon followed.

Junichi stumbled back, both in fear and out of breath, the hands holding his blades shaking as realization dawned on him. All of his Pokemon had fallen. Not only that, but outside of that one lucky attack, he hadn't been able to make Siegfried bleed again.

"T-this is…" He gulped, eyes widening. "Impossible…"

Ñako and Mycroft headed for them alongside their Pokemon, and a few feet in front of them Siegfried casually saved his knife in his pocket and dusted himself off, not a hint of tiredness or effort on his face.

"How can you be…?"

"Junichi," Siegfried cut him off. "This is your last opportunity to run away, should you want to leave with your life."

Fear, clear as day, crossed the boy's expression. His resolve faltering.

"Y-you said…"

"I will not kill you," Siegfried said grimly. "But I am not responsible for my friends' actions."

Junichi looked from him to Ñako, who suddenly broke into a sprint, weapon in hand. He swallowed and took a single step back.

Then he stopped. A sudden, powerful determination seemed to cross his face, and he slid his foot back forward, hands gripping the blades tighter.

"No… I will not betray Viridian!" he exclaimed. "I will stay faithful to the Green Father until the day I d–!"

He had no time to finish the sentence. Ñako pressed his hands together, forming that strange sign again, and a cloud of smoke burst from his previous location. Two clones jumped out from within, fists raised over their heads. Startled, Junichi acted on instinct and spun on his feet, slashing at the air in front of him. One of the clones jumped to intercept the attack. He exploded into smoke as soon as he was cut, but that gave the other a chance to slip past the slash and grab Junichi by the arm, slamming against him with his shoulder.

"Ghk!"

The strength of the impact sent Junichi to the ground, and immediately the real Ñako jumped out of the smoke and fell upon the boy, knees slamming against his stomach. All air left him, and his blades slipped from his fingers.

Ñako raised his unfolded shuriken, a conflicted look on his face.

"Hmm… killing a brainwashed kid belonging to a cult of assassins… is this really a step I'm willing to take?"

"Ñako, you already stuck the shuriken in," Siegfried pointed out.

The ninja looked down, noticing the blood-soaked weapon stabbed a few inches into the boy's now unmoving chest

"Ah," he said. "So I did."

It wasn't long after they finished the battle with the assassin in white –and Ñako proceeded to hide the body– that the trainers got a message from Matthew, indicating that all of them were to meet on the southern outskirts of the city, ready to depart.

Mycroft didn't make himself wait, heading there alongside Ñako and Siegfried with quick, hurried steps. Not only because he'd rather put that horrid sight of the corpse behind him, but also because of that letter he'd gotten from Mullac. If its contents were true, then… would he really be…?

He got his answer as soon as he saw the thin, dilapidated route not too far in the horizon. A tall, familiar silhouette waited for them. And accompanying them was a small sphere of a Pokemon, which let out an affectionate screech and jumped out of the man's shoulders, flying straight for Mycroft. He smiled unconsciously and caught the Hoothoot in his hands, hugging it tight for a moment before raising it high in the air.

"Archie! It really is you!" he exclaimed. "Then that means…"

Siegfried and Ñako exchanged a confused glance, which only exacerbated as the usually reserved Mycroft broke into a run toward the man in the distance. They followed, and soon saw as he only barely managed to stop from throwing himself and hugging him.

"Mercer!" yelled Mycroft, stopping in front of him, panting and with his hands resting on his knees. "I… didn't think they'd send you! C'est… c'est parf…!"

Luckily for his reputation, his incoherent mumbling was soon interrupted by the man before him. He was tall and lean, yet one would have to be a fool to call him brittle, despite the white of his hair and mustache and the many wrinkles covering his face. He wore a perfectly kept three-piece suit as well as a gold and silver monocle under one of his eyes.

"Ha, at ease, master Mycroft," he declared with an easy smile. "I see you are all tired from your day. Please, allow me."

To the surprise of the other two trainers, the man then proceeded to unfold and then place a small picnic blanket atop the grass and dirt. Then he sat down and opened a small box he'd been carrying with him. Inside was a beautifully ornate ceramic kettle as well as a number of identical teacups.

"You are just in time to enjoy your five o'clock tea, master Mycroft. I remember your usual tantrums regarding the punctuality of such back when you lived in the palace, so…"

The man cut himself off at the sight of a blush creeping up Mycroft's face.

"Ah, but in any case, please, sit down, all of you," he indicated. "It is great to see you again, master, and in such… interesting company, too. Would it be alright if you introduced me to your… picturesque friends?"

It was clear Mercer had other words in mind besides picturesque, but was too polite to air them out loud. At his behest, Mycroft walked up to the picnic blanket and sat down, and the other two trainers soon followed, still looking somewhat out of it.

"So… friend of yours?" asked Ñako.

Mycroft cleared his throat. "Ehem… y-yes, this is Mercer, the main caretaker of house Sproutsbury and one of the most loyal and trustworthy men in all of Johto," he declared with all the importance and pomp befitting the man. "And they are… bah, I figure they can introduce themselves just fine, n'est ce pas?"

Ñako simple raised two fingers in a peace sign and stuck out his tongue. "Ñako."

"My name is Siegfried," said the man next to him. "And I'm a trainer from Viridian. That is all I can say about me right now, but it's an honor to meet someone from Mycroft's life."

"Ah, the pleasure is all mine, young master," Mercer smiled, his mustache twitching up. "You both seem like good, decent people. Should I assume they're some of the companions the master of the house had mentioned were traveling by your side?"

Mycroft immediately turned to look at Mercer, a fearful glint in his eyes.

"No, no, you mustn't be alarmed. They are not spying on you or anything of the such, young master," Mercer hurried to explain. "The man who hired you… that Mullac, has been kind enough to inform us regarding the progress of your mission. And speaking of that…"

While he talked, the butler handed a cup of tea to each one of the trainers, the lightness and citric tinge of its smell enough to put them at easy instantly.

"You see, your lady mother… regarding the situation in Johto and Kanto and the possible war with Orre in the horizon, as well as the government's recent mandates and all that… she thought it best for the rest of the family to take refuge someplace far away for the moment. As such, the mansion in Violet is mostly empty now," Mercer explained. "Of course, myself and the other helpers were given the option to go to Hoenn alongside your lady mother and sister, but I fear I am too old for such brazen changes of climate."

Mycroft couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief. That was a clear lie; he doubted there was a man of Mercer's age more resilient in all of the Indigo peninsula.

"As such, I asked to stay here, accompanying a nearby family member," the man continued. "They kindly agreed, and that is the reason I am here today, master Mycroft. I will remain at your side for the time being, and I shall assist you in anything you or your dear companions desire. It is my wish to serve you all to the best of my abilities."

It was hard to understate the clear joy in Mycroft's face as he heard those words, and while Siegfried mostly kept his own expression as still as ever, Ñako looked to be just as glad. His reasons were different from the boy in the suit, of course, but who wouldn't crack a smile at the news that they'd be getting a personal butler?

"I… it brings me no end of joy to hear that, Mercer," said Mycroft. "I am glad to have you here."

Ñako nodded. "And if you cook as well as you prepare tea, then same here."

Mercer let out a polite chuckle. "It is good to hear that, master Mycroft, master Ñako. I also look forward to meeting the rest of your companions. Which, speaking of…"

The man glanced to the side, toward the shape of the city in the distance.

"…should be arriving soon enough for our departure, I believe."

It was around six in the afternoon when the dilapidated pickup truck left Pewter with all the trainers in tow, heading south through Route 2. Levan and Scott were on the front seats, while the rest of the group as well as Mercer sat in the now extremely crowded back, pressed so tightly they could barely move. Matthew, in the meantime, rode on his skateboard grabbing onto a rope tied to the back of the vehicle.

"So, uh…" Matthew spoke up from behind the vehicle. "Anyone wanna explain the new arrival?"

Muffin perked up at that. "Oh, you mean him? Here come on boy, introduce yourself!"

With what little space she had, she grabbed the Pokemon that was sitting on her lap and raised him over her head with a big smile. The small feline creature looked all around with his tongue out, clearly confused. His fur was a pale yellow with a green gradient on the ears and tail, as well as a few tufts in the chest and legs.

"He's called Gin Tonic!" said Muffin, moving the Leafeon around. "My family sent him; isn't he adorable?"

Sabrina instantly rolled her eyes, but everyone else seemed quite taken by the odd Pokemon. Scott and Matthew especially.

"What the hell is that?" asked Matthew. "Looks like an Eeve that spent a bit too much rolling on grass."

"No idea," said Scott. "But I like his ears."

"Yeah, me too. But that's not the new arrival I meant," said Matthew. "I was talking about the old guy. Are you guys kidnapping people off the streets now?"

The old butler gave Matthew a polite nod. "Mercer. It is a pleasure, young man. I am here at master Mycroft's service, if you must now."

"Huh…" muttered Matthew. "Well… we're not paying you. And on that topic… Scott, didn't you have something you wanted to tell them."

"I do, yeah. Everyone, listen up!"

The young man looked over his shoulder at the group behind him, a sudden serious tint on his face.

"Like we said, your mission will take you to Tohjo Falls next. Once there, you won't have to look for secret tunnels or underground dungeons or anything like that. The geography itself guarantees that most people won't set foot near there, so the Elite Four safeguarding the feather doesn't have to go to the same lengths as the one in Pewter prison."

Similar bitter looks crossed the faces of all present at the memory of that place, with the exception of Vard who was too busy staring up at a cloud in the shape of an Oddish.

Levan spoke next. "We believe the next Elite lives inside some kind of fortified structure a bit north of the huge waterfall that separates the two regions."

"Great, so we have to climb it then," muttered Rhin, annoyed. "And without water Pokemon, too."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," said Matthew. "We can get you as far as Viridian, but from there you'll have to make your way to the designated spot alone. This time, though, you can have this."

Matthew grabbed something from the vehicle's glove box and handed it to Rhin specifically. It was an extensively detailed map of both regions.

"So that accidents like the one from before don't repeat," he said, a clear weight in his voice.

Rhin said nothing, simply saving the map inside his backpack, face going red.

"Right, and speaking of Viridian…" Ñako, who sat near the back of the vehicle, looked toward Siegfried. "Weren't you going to tell us a story, Sieg?"

All eyes fell on the quiet man, although only Mycroft looked as though he knew what the ninja was talking about. Siegfried sat still, silent, for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and gave a short nod.

"I… suppose I've owed you some explanations for some time now," he said. "First off, I should describe what happened today while we were separated."

He proceeded to tell of their encounter with Junichi, as well as the accusations he'd thrown against him. By the time he was done, Siegfried felt strangely out of breath. He could feel everyone's eyes still on him, more intense, or maybe that was just how he felt them.

"And now… well, this is a somewhat long story, but I ask for your patience. I promise it won't take long."

Siegfried grabbed his backpack, and while he told the story, he began searching through the insides for something.

"My parents were killed inside Viridian forest while I was still a baby. To this day I'm still not sure as to who did it or why. Regardless, I was lucky enough to have been rescued by a kind old man who lived on the outskirts of the forest itself. That man had two Pokemon, Daigo and Hanako, and they became my siblings while I lived in that house."

After a few seconds of searching, Siegfried finally found the photo and took it out of his backpack, showing it to everyone around him. It was wrinkly and faded, and seemed to be taken inside of a forest. A young Siegfried, probably no older than five, stood timidly with a smile directed at the camera, accompanied on his right and left by a Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, both of whom were patting the kid's head.

"That was me with my siblings. This picture was taken a day before what I'm about to tell."

Siegfried stopped for a moment. He needed some air. For the first time in his life, talking was difficult to him.

"The next day I was awoken by Kenji, the man who raised me. It was early in the morning, the sun was barely out. He told me this was a special day, one to be celebrated, and that Daigo and Hanako had a present ready for me which they'd show me later. I was surprised. I couldn't think of an occasion that would merit such a celebration.

"Regardless, I continued with my day, training, taking care of the plants, the usual. It was a normal day, with the exception of Daigo and Hanako's absence. I hadn't seen them all day. Still, I figured they were just busy with something else and continued along.

"It was… a few hours later when we heard the sound. A loud, deafening blast. Kenji appeared and ordered me to hide inside the house. He told me to not let anyone, no matter what, get to the room where my siblings slept. I obeyed without question, and soon after I heard familiar steps; Daigo and Hanako's. They stood next to Kenji, waiting for something, but I didn't dare to join them. I simply obeyed and hid as best I could."

Siegfried had to stop again. His voice was getting thinner, for once losing the perfect composure everyone around him was so accustomed to.

"After… after a few hours, the attackers finally made it inside, and found me almost immediately. I fought, but couldn't last long. All I managed was to keep them away from the room in the back, my siblings' room, by making them focus entirely on me.

"I was eventually knocked out, and when I woke up I was in a cold, dark room filled with people I would… soon consider my friends. Marion was… one of them." He swallowed, that name cutting through him like a shard of glass. "I will not speak of everything that happened during the following years, both to spare you the details and because it was a lot. Long story short, I was… trained to become one of their assassins, and to completely forget all about my previous life. Under the Green Father's command, I slaughtered more people than you would be able to count, all without mercy or guilt.

"It was there that I was gifted my first Pokemon, one who is still loyal to me to this day, one who suffered through countless horrible experiments. But that is… a story for another day." He looked down, bitterly. "Thanks to my abilities, I was able to rapidly climb up the ladder of the organization, becoming one of its most important members of the Sect of the Children of Viridian."

Ñako frowned. "And how do you eat that?"

"The Children of Viridian," Siegfried explained calmly, "are a sect that took control of Viridian Forest. They kill anyone who enters without permission, or those who refuse to join them. It is rumored that their leader, the Green Father, is over 150 years old, but that is neither here nor there. All you need to know about them is that it's thanks to them that I lost so many years of my life.

"It was a day like any other when everything changed. I was visiting a sector of the forest I hadn't been in for a long time, and that's… when it happened. The forest spoke to me. It told me about all the bad things that had happened in it, and cried mournfully for all the lives that had been lost. Its was a familiar voice. One I hadn't heard in years… perhaps I'd never heard it at all, yet it was as close to me as my own heart. It was the voice of Viridian itself. My own home…

"That's when I left the organization. I decided to end the sect, even if I had to kill all the children of the forest myself. I hoped that such violence would be a path toward a day… a day in which I wouldn't have to make use of it anymore. A day when the Green Father was no longer in control.

"He, of course, soon realized the change in me, realized that the forest had spoken to me, and decided that he had no further need of my services. He tried to take from me the only thing I still treasured. My mind… he tried to break it, to mold it to his desire, but the forest always protected me and in the end, I was able to escape. And my first stop was… of course, Kenji's house. The house I'd grown up in.

"I remembered then, for the first time in years, the old man's words. How he'd been so adamant to protect my siblings' room. I… finally went inside, and what I found there was…"

Siegfried looked down at his belt, at the one Pokeball that seemed older and rustier than the rest.

"There was a Pokemon egg inside. An egg that… as soon as it was touched by my hand, hatched into the companion I began this journey with. Itsuki, my Tyrogue.," he said with a warm smile. "He was born that day, and less than a week later I found myself in the train station where Ñako, Rhin and I met."

He stopped talking, and looked up at the people around him. Despite the clear looks of shock and discomfort all around, he shone them a smile from the depths of his heart.

"Thank you… for listening. I hope you understand now why I'm here, and what it is that I must do."

As soon as he said that, Siegfried's face returned to its usual peacefulness, though it felt more genuine this time. As though an enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

The rest of the group looked amongst themselves, with the exception of Sabrina who pointedly looked away, her face blank. After a few seconds, it was finally Vard who spoke.

"That is a very touching story, my good Siegfried, but I'm confused… so the cops knew that internal affairs were setting them up?"

Vard's inappropriate comment seemed to bring them all back to reality. A few shifted in place. Others shot Siegfried an understanding yet uncomfortable glance, clearly not having been ready for what they'd heard.

"That… to think you were there for years," muttered Mycroft. "J'en revien pas…"

"Sieg… I don't know what to say," Muffin frowned, a wetness in her eyes.

"Well I do."

Levan hadn't spoken for a while now, so it caught everyone's attention. They saw as the woman took in a deep breath, then swung the steering wheel with all her strength and stepped on the gas pedal.

"Fuck! That!"

Immediately, the vehicle jumped out of the main road and onto the wilderness around it.

"W-woah!"

"F-fucking… what the hell, Levan!?" Matthew yelled from behind, almost having fallen off his skateboard.

"We are absolutely not crossing through the forest if that's what's waiting for us," Levan said. "We're going around it. I'm not dying to a bunch of fucking kids."

And that's as far as the discussion went. No one wanted to argue against Levan, half because they were in agreement and half because they didn't want to get on her bad side.

"Yeah, I'm with her," said Ñako, frowning. "Honestly, I'm more concerned that most of our backgrounds involve cities where they'll gun us down in cold blood if we ever set foot in them. Is there even a town left where none of us are wanted criminals?"

Silver chuckled. "And where'd be the fun in that?"

The vehicle continued to shake and groan like a Pokemon's stomach as it traveled through uneven and rocky terrain, clouds of smoke occasionally being spat out by the engine. The trip was longer, of course. Not only did they have to go around the entirety of the forest, but without an actual road too. It was slow, painful progress and some of them thought the vehicle wouldn't make it all the way, but by some miracle –and Levan's driving skills– it did.

The sun had gone down by the time Levan drove back into the main road, and a few minutes later they were inside the city. Unlike the beautiful, vibrant green of the forest they'd left behind, the settlement itself was… droll, washed out. It certainly looked better than Saffron or Pewter; there weren't nearly as many abandoned buildings or shady people in the streets, but something about the heaviness of the silence all around them…

The first few houses they found were old an humble, painted in a white that'd washed out to yellow a long time ago, the green roof tiles now grey and mostly absent. Levan lowered the speed a little as a few of the lampposts lit up when they approached.

"…Alright."

Levan turned on the strong lights as the vehicle slowed to a crawl. They were almost at the end of a dark, narrow street, a closed neighborhood most likely. There was no one outside, but they could feel eyes on them from behind the dark windows. After a few seconds, the road ended in a big fence, past which the train tracks could be seen.

"Here we are."

The engine died down, and both Matthew and Levan jumped out of the vehicle, stretching their limbs and cracking their joints while the group of trainers got out of the back.

"Nice place," Ñako muttered sarcastically.

"Viridian's seen better days," said Siegfried. "Though it still had better luck than other settlements."

Once they were all out of the vehicle, Mullac's representatives stood together in a line and looked toward them, eager to talk.

"Listen up. That over there, past the fence, is Viridian's train station," said Levan. "Some of you might recognize it."

"We've got orders to drop the pickup truck here," Matthew clarified. "One of Mullac's men will come pick it up later. As for us, we've got a train to take around midnight. There's some… stuff we need to take care of elsewhere."

Scott gave him a light jab with his shoulder. "There's no need to be secretive." He turned to look at them. "We're going to Blackthorn. Official business from my father and all that. As for all of you…"

The blue-haired boy took a small, grey device from his pocket and handed it to the nearest person, who just happened to be Mycroft.

"You're giving them yours?" asked Matthew, surprised.

"No, I'm giving them yours," Scott replied calmly, watching his friend's face go pale. "A Pokegear," he explained. "It has our contact information."

"And my dentist's too!"

"…so once you make it to Tohjo Falls and complete the mission, make sure to call us."

Levan chuckled. "If you're still alive by then, of course."

Mycroft grabbed the Pokegear and gulped, then put it around his wrist. Once that was done, he gave the three of them a quick nod.

"We'll do our best," said Siegfried.

"Sure you will," said Scott, giving them an easy smile. "Oh, one more thing. There's something you might want to check here in the city before leaving."

From the pocket of his shirt, the boy pulled out a photo and showed it to Siegfried and the rest. It showed a tall, grumpy man in his forties, most of his scraggly hair already having gone white.

"That's Noodles. He might be able to help you get to Tohjo Falls easier," he explained. "Of course, this is a big and dangerous city, so you'll need to know where to look for him. He often frequents the city's biggest bar, 'Twisted Spoon'. A lot of people of… questionable character go there, but as long as you go straight to him and mention you're working with Mullac, and as long as you don't get in any kind of trouble…"

His eyes went from Ñako to Sabrina to Silver as he said that, and a defeated sigh left his lips.

"You should… most likely be alright," he finished, clearly not believing a word of it.