A/N:

Now it's time to start the real story. Hope y'all enjoy! If you do, please consider leaving a review.

Special thanks to both Orthros and Fawkes Kleiffen for the proof-reading services.

"…" - Spoken dialogue

Italics - Character thoughts

'Italics' - Telepathic dialogue

/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene

Chapter 26

— — — — —

Liam

— — — — —

The prisoners had long since been gone when he and Eleanor arrived. Officers from surrounding settlements swarmed the area, trying to make sense of what had happened. Both he and the cresselia tried not to panic, but in spite of everything, Liam found it impossible not to do so. All that work, and they still hadn't changed anything. The monster was unleashed, and now he was somewhere out there.

Before they had even arrived at the scene, several search parties had been dispatched to look for the escaped criminals, which totaled thirteen in number. It seemed as though the blaziken had realized that he would need as much help as he could in breaking out and had decided to free the entire prison population. Not a single guard had been left alive.

"We failed," Liam said in disbelief. "He's out there, and there's nothing we can do about it…"

"This isn't good," Eleanor stated in disbelief. "We have to do something - we must find him. We cannot allow that future to come true…"

"What the hell are we gonna do?" he asked. "We already tried to interfere, and it didn't work! What if… what if this was just meant to happen? What if it was inevitable?" The very thought scared him beyond comprehension, but now he was wondering if this was simply the way things were meant to be - if everything they had fought to protect was destined to be destroyed.

"The future is a mystery to us all," the cresselia stated. "But as long as Retribution is around, we will do what we have always done. A threat is among us, Liam, and we must apprehend him. You know how much I dislike the idea of ending a life, but I fear I will have to put that resolve aside for the sake of Valmor. I cannot allow it to fall victim to this spawn of hell itself." It was the only time he had heard her talk that way about someone aside from Darkrai. But this blaziken was proving to be one of Retribution's largest threats, and until Liam saw his head roll, he wouldn't feel at peace.

The two of them wished that they could stick around and help, but unless they found the fire-type soon, there would be many more bodies to bury. Liam hated the idea of this vision coming true, and though he and the rest of the team would do everything in their power to apprehend the blaziken, he couldn't help but feel that they had already failed.

— — — — —

Aidan

— — — — —

Where is he? the typhlosion kept asking. Tristan was almost never this late, the time of day nearing afternoon. The typhlosion had done what he could, but without Tristan's approval, many of his tasks had reached a stand-still. Of course, he could just sign for the luxray, but he didn't want to do anything that would upset the Advisor - especially when he had been given one of the most important positions in the nation. Even all of the elders were up and about at this point. Seriously, what could be taking him so long? Ever since he'd started the position, Tristan had always been one of the first ones present. Perhaps all the exhaustion had finally caught up with the overworked luxray.

It was about an hour later when the leader had arrived. Aidan set aside the paper, looking towards Tristan curiously as he walked towards the tent. "You're a bit later than usual. Did you sleep in for once?" The luxray said nothing, and a sharp glare was his only response. Aidan couldn't help but feel nervous looking at him. "I…is something the matter?" For a second, Tristan didn't react, but his features softened a little.

"It's nothing that concerns you," he said. "I am sorry. I did not intend to be short with you."

"It's okay. You know, though, you can tell me if something is bothering you." Tristan walked out of the tent, looking around and making sure that nobody around them was listening in on their conversation. He trotted back towards the typhlosion, a scowl on his face.

"Not a word of this is to leave this tent. Is that understood?" Aidan was unsure of what was going on, and for the Advisor to say something like that was concerning to say the least. But he wouldn't ever betray Tristan's trust.

"O-okay. You have my word that it won't…"

"There has been word of a prison break at Mount Horn. All of the guards are dead, and the criminals now roam free." The fire-type looked at his friend in horror.

"W…what?"

"Bale was among them. He was a blaziken that I put away with the help of… Liam… A murderer, thief, and a rapist. He's now the most dangerous criminal in the continent, and apparently he may have a chance of striking out against Valmor."

"But how?" Aidan asked in disbelief. "That would be suicide! There's no way he would be able to pull something like that off!" Tristan shook his head, but his tone was grim and absolute.

"Not on his own, no…"

"What do you mean?" Aidan inquired.

"He couldn't take over Valmor on his own. But if he had help, and if they came in the night, then perhaps they could take out the right people to accomplish such a feat."

"But your people are loyal to you. There's no way they'd follow someone so despicable and evil…"

"Fear does unthinkable things to people. When I defeated Farmond in battle, his entire pack looked at me in nothing short of sheer terror. There was no sense of certainty within the situation, and yet they were obligated by tradition to do whatever I said."

"But this is completely different. Nobody here would ever follow Bale."

"No," Tristan agreed, "they wouldn't. But they would listen to Liam, wouldn't they?" The typhlosion couldn't understand. Just what did that have to do with anything?

"Are you… implying that Liam might be…?"

"I don't know. Not yet. But I find it awfully convenient how he arrives and then Bale somehow manages to escape. There are no witnesses that can communicate what happened in that prison. And then there's the matter of those rumors." He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Liam of all people? But why?

"What would Liam have to gain from this that he wouldn't have been able to get prior?" Aidan asked.

"I'm not sure I follow…"

"I mean, had Liam wanted control, he could have won the role of Advisor on his own accord. And something like this seems completely out of character. Are you sure that your source of information is reliable?"

"I'm not too sure about anything. Not anymore. But I cannot ignore the possibility. It's been found that he was the one to initiate the communications with Chapim town regarding the annexation, so that shows that he was acting behind my back." Immediately Aidan's thoughts drifted to his own role in manipulating the election debates. His hesitation had not gone unnoticed by the luxray, who stepped forward, maintaining eye contact as Aidan tried to look away.

"You… you have knowledge of him working behind my back?"

"I-I…"

"Do not fear me, my friend. I have no ill-will towards you. But I need to know what I am dealing with so that I can stop this issue before it gets out of hand. Nobody needs to be harmed for a resolution to be made." He thought about it for a second, not wanting to release the information. But it was clear that there was no way out of this, and that Tristan would always be questioning of him if he did not come forward. Oh well… here goes nothing…

"…It was during the second debate. Liam… he paid me to ask the question I did. I needed the money, okay? I'm sorry…" Tristan nodded, then released a heavy sigh.

"I appreciate your honesty, Aidan. I am not disappointed in you, as I for one can understand what it is like to be in dire need. I already had my suspicions about him interfering with the election."

"You did?"

"Word travels fast," Tristan said.

"But why would Liam help you win the election if he wanted power? That's what I don't get," Aidan said.

"I am similarly confused. My only guess is that he might not have realized how large my influence would become, and now is having second thoughts about being in charge of the position. But everything is only a guess for now. I will need to keep an eye on him. But if I am right in my suspicions, then there may be cause for concern for the rest of Team Retribution, too. I have no idea who among them have tolerated this sort of behavior, or perhaps even helped Liam in these actions." Tristan looked over the papers spread out on the table, though he didn't seem terribly focused on what he was reading.

"Well… what do you propose we do?"

"I'm not sure," Tristan replied, "other than wait and figure out what's going on before doing anything too rash. But if he's found to be plotting against me, then I will do what it takes to protect Valmor… whatever it may be…"

— — — — —

Clement

— — — — —

The journey had been a rough one for the three of them. After the prison break, the outlaws had all gone their separate ways, mostly doing so to avoid drawing the attention that they would inevitably gain if they were to travel in such large numbers. That didn't exactly remove all causes for concern, though: the nidoking was more than a bit worried about this whole Valmor situation. The trio had passed through the Forgotten Woods in an effort to avoid a small village directly outside of the forested area. Bale had planned on scoping the place out, potentially considering a home break-in at night, but they decided against it upon seeing the large flags outside of the gate. They had already seen patrolling manectrics throughout these parts, so the last thing they needed was to have a run-in with the law.

He could hardly believe how quickly everything had changed. They had been incarcerated for about half a year, but even in that short of a time, the world seemed like a completely different place. And under different circumstances, that wouldn't be so bad - at least in the nidoking's opinion. But as things currently stood, the changes made their lives a whole lot more difficult.

Their plan was to head south towards the peninsula and potentially pay for passage into another continent. Things were far too risky around here, especially given the prospects of a national military and police force. Once they relocated somewhere else, Clement had no idea what the plan would be. If they ended up in some other land that lacked the unification that the Grass Continent had, then there was always the possibility of engaging in their past activities. But he wasn't so sure if he wanted to continue down this path any longer. Of course, for the time being, he was willing to do what needed to be done to secure his freedom. But the risks were becoming far too much for his comfort, and he was hoping for a change. Given, thieving had been the majority of what he'd done ever since he'd been with Bale, but he could probably make a living out of providing protection if he wanted. Or perhaps he'd just live in the wild like the majority of people did. Life as an uncivilized might even be the most fitting for him considering what all he had done.

Whatever he decided upon, though, one thing was for certain: Bale wasn't in the picture. He'd about had it with the crazed blaziken, and while part of him was grateful that the fire-type had helped him escape from a certain death sentence, Clement couldn't just overlook all the past wrongs. Granted the nidoking had participated in all of those criminal acts as well, but Bale always took things too far. Like… like he enjoys it all. For both Clement and Murtagh, it was nothing more than a way to meet their own financial needs. The blaziken, on the other hand, took far too many liberties, even for a hardened criminal. Obviously Clement kept these thoughts to himself, but he knew that Murtagh held the same idea.

Bale would have gotten what he deserved had their sentences been carried out. Maybe all of them would have. But now that he had a fighting chance, Clement intended on taking advantage of the fact.

He trudged through the woods, sighing as he struggled to fit his broad form through the thick foliage. The humidity was getting more than annoying, as evident by the sweat that was condensing along his skin. Murtagh was panting heavily in an effort to keep cool as well. And the mosquitoes were among the most irritating things he'd ever experienced. He hated that they'd had to come through such a wretched place, but it seemed like the best option in terms of avoiding the patrols. That is, when Bale wasn't burning any shrubbery in his way…

There were dozens of different species that he had noticed here, though Clement couldn't really see what would be so appealing in such a dense, miserable area. But he supposed that they were acclimated to such conditions.

As they pressed forward and the night drew near, the surroundings became darker and darker. Trees still towered around as far as the eye could see, and now they were blocking out the last remaining rays of light from the forest floor below. Bale snatched a limb off of a wooded plant, then wrapped it in some dried moss, intending to make a torch out of it. "I dunno if that's such a good idea…" Clement stated. "If we're being followed, then they might see the light…" Bale said nothing, but looked at the stick before tossing it to the side.

"Are we gonna call it a night or what?" Murtagh asked.

"Don't be a pussy," Bale replied. "And if we bed down for the night, we might wake up surrounded. We can't take that risk…"

"Yeah, but we can't keep this up forever, either. We've been walking for two days straight…" the mightyena said.

"Well it's better than being cooped up in a cell and waiting for death. We have our freedom once again, and I don't intend on losing that." The blaziken had a point, though Clement couldn't deny the fact that all three of them were exhausted. They would need to rest if they had any hopes of continuing this journey. That, and they needed to find food of some sort. "You two ladies see if you can keep up for another two hours or so. At that point, I doubt we'd be risking much by taking a quick rest. We'll need to rotate as lookouts, though." The nidoking nodded, glad to hear that. His own legs were killing him, and the idea of sleep was a very welcome one indeed. But as Bale had said, it was better to be exhausted and on the run than well-rested and awaiting death.

"What are we gonna do after all this is said and done?" Murtagh asked. "We goin' back to robbing again?"

"Perhaps," replied Bale. "Or maybe I might attempt to get involved in the ministry again."

"Wha— really?" asked the mightyena.

"No, you stupid fuck." Clement just rolled his eyes at the exchange. Though if he was being honest, trying to convert people to some strange set of codes did sound like a more enticing option than running for their lives, or attacking innocent people for that matter. Still though, it was a laughable idea at best. No, we have lost any chance of redemption long ago, he thought. He wasn't sure what would happen when he eventually kicked the bucket, though he tried not to dwell on thoughts of the sort. "All that matters now is getting outta here in one piece. I'm sure after the breakout, everyone in that prison now has a 'kill on sight' bounty on their heads." The thought was unsettling to say the least, but Bale was right. Any encounter that they had with the law would result in a potentially fatal fight, and in the state they were in right now, that was the last thing they needed.

Clement looked up at the moon through the forest's canopy. A slim crescent and the stars were all the light that they had to go off of, though their eyes had long since adjusted to the darkness. He supposed that they would only need to flee for a few more weeks or so, and then they could figure out how to escape the continent. The nidoking had to admit that he was looking forward to leaving this all behind. Sometimes the past kept him up at night, though he wouldn't admit that to anyone. But that didn't mean that he was willing to hand over what was probably the one life he would ever have as a result of his crimes. Though there were many regrets with how he had lived, it was far more preferable than death.

It felt like it had taken them forever, but eventually they reached a small clearing. The distinct lights had already started, with both volbeats and illumises participating in their evening ritual. In any other circumstance, Clement would've found the sight enjoyable.

"You've got first shift, Murtagh," Bale said before lying down on the grass.

"Wh-what? But why?" the dark-type asked.

"It's fine," Clement stated. "I'll take first round." The mightyena looked at him appreciatively, then finally plopped down onto the ground with a heavy sigh. Clement walked over towards the base of the large tree nearest to them and sat against it, happy to be off of his feet for a change. His eyes felt heavy and threatened to shut, but he directed all of his focus to the surroundings and wasn't about to allow himself to fall asleep. There was simply too much at stake this time, and any slight mistake on their part could result in their deaths.

And part of him felt like that might just be well earned. Of course, he would fight with every fiber of his being for the chance to live, but if that just wasn't enough, then maybe things would be as they should. There would be no more fleeing - no more violence - and the deep slumber would embrace the wretched nidoking. That, or an eternity of suffering and misery for his crimes… Shit, I hope none of that stuff is real…

But those were questions best left unasked. As long as they had a chance, Clement and the other two would fight.

— — — — —

Lapras

— — — — —

The water-type lazily drifted a few miles off of the coast, watching as the new representatives of Gyarados Ridge made their way towards the town. It was interesting that a settlement that was completely underwater was now a part of Valmor, and yet it was a perfect fit if anything. Though the inhabitants of Gyarados Ridge lacked any real goods of interest - aside from just about every form of seafood out there - they did have plenty of species that could serve as transporters of goods along the borders of the continent.

"What is that?" Marvin asked, looking towards the sleek serpentine figure at the shoreline. She was accompanied by other water-types. They seemed to be discussing something related to the recent inclusion of Gyarados ridge into Valmor, suggested by the few representatives from Treasure City that he could make out from the distance.

"That's a milotic. You don't see a whole lot of them around here. And she's quite a stunning member of her species, too," Lapras answered.

"How can you tell it's a girl?" the manaphy asked.

"Well, can you see the pink fins? The ones that somewhat look like hair?" Marvin nodded. "Well, the females' are longer than the males. So it's not hard to tell when you know what you're looking for."

"Oh wow," Marvin replied. "Are there any other species like that?"

"Many, actually - even if you ignore the typical differences. Female bug-types tend to be larger than the males, but for most species with fur it's the other way around. But I know off the top of my head that buizels and floatzels have different markings depending on their gender, and any female species that has tusks has smaller ones than a male." The manaphy floated up and landed softly on Lapras' head, making the large water-type roll his eyes.

"But why though? What's the purpose of this stuff?"

"I… I do not know. Perhaps it's that Arceus simply decided to create them that way. I'm sure there's a reason."

"But it doesn't seem necessary…" Marvin stated, clearly confused by it all. "I mean, I can tell that Mom is a girl, even though she doesn't have any special characteristics. Everyone can. And what about people that live in really dark areas? Why would they need special—."

"Child, you are an endless stream of questions, aren't you?" Though he knew exactly where that part had come from. Liam had acted very similarly when they were first headed to the Hidden Land, and despite the seriousness of what they were about to endure, he seemed to want to know everything there was to know about the mystical island. "But never lose that. It's good to have a love for learning."

"…But are you gonna answer?" the manaphy playfully asked.

"I do not know the answer to everything, particularly the biology of species that I have never seen before," Lapras answered.

"Well, what do you know?"

"A lot, actually - if you're wanting to know about the many creatures of the sea, or perhaps the Hidden Land." He looked up towards the manaphy, knowing full well that he had piqued the child's interests.

"Ohh, tell me about the Hidden Land! That's where Mom and Dad go every year, right?" Marvin inquired.

"That's right. And do you know who they go to see?"

"Dialga!"

"Exactly. Dialga lives there and maintains the fabric of time itself for the entire world," Lapras explained. "I have not traversed the area myself due to my body style, but I have seen some of the oddities within the floating island. The weather, for instance, is incredibly peculiar. Temperatures are pretty cold considering the Hidden Land's high elevation above the sea, but that doesn't stop the sandstorms, or harsh sunlight, or even the heavy winds and storms. I don't understand why things are the way they are over there, but I find it fascinating."

"Me too! Oh, and why can't I go over there? I wanna see it too!"

"Well, you see, the Hidden Land is a special place to your parents. It's—."

"I know that," Marvin interjected. "It's where Dad died for some time, too…" Lapras nodded, remembering the trip back all too well. Selina seemed to have lost a part of her very soul back then.

"Yes, it is. And that was a hard time for all of us. I barely knew Liam at the time, but I got to know him a little bit on the trip over there. I was upset to hear that he had vanished after the fight." Lapras looked towards the beach, where the conversation between the various different species was still ongoing, and likely would be for a considerable amount of time. But there was always that one spot that Selina held in high regard: the place where Liam had appeared not once, but twice.

"Mom doesn't like talking about it apparently…" Marvin stated.

"No," Lapras agreed, "she doesn't, and I would personally advise against bringing up the topic with her. But I'm sure you already knew that."

"Yeah. Aunt Flora told me the same thing, too. But all she really said was that Mom was really sad during that time."

"That figures," the large water-type said. "You are still very young, Marvin, and there are things that you don't quite understand yet. In time you will learn, but it is not my place to say certain things." After all, he wasn't about to be the one to break the news that Selina had contemplated taking her life. Had Liam not appeared again, perhaps she might have gone through with it. He pushed those types of thoughts out of his mind, returning his focus to the manaphy. "You are being raised in quite an unorthodox way. Though Liam and Selina are your adoptive parents, you have been raised by the team as a whole. We do not intend to keep certain things from you, but you are but a child. Treasure your innocence while it lasts, for there will come a day when you will be like us and know the extent of evilness and cruelty in this world." Marvin looked at him with great curiosity.

"But I know that - they taught us in school how Darkrai tried to take over the planet. And then there was that mean Kraven guy, too…"

"And yet there is much that you do not know about these situations. There are good people and bad people in the world, yes, but the full understanding of these terms is lost upon you until maturity. It is simply the way things are as a child, and it is best that it remains like that," Lapras said.

"Why though?"

"Because your innocence and freedom from worry is something that is worth protecting, which is why we've all worked so hard to do just that."

"But I can protect myself! Dad has trained me how to fight, and you've taught me plenty about my powers!"

"And yet while you are of legendary descent, you are still a child - Liam and Selina's child - and we want you to be raised as well as possible. That means shielding you from the dangers of the world until you are old enough to comprehend them."

"Oh, alright. I guess I'll drop it for now… " Lapras nodded, appreciating that he was letting go of the topic. He didn't like to tell the kid 'no,' but this was a position he was adamant in - perhaps due to the fact that he himself had not been afforded such a luxury when he was young.

"I appreciate that. Though you are young, you are remarkably intelligent and well-spoken for someone of your age. Perhaps that is a result from your non-conventional upbringing, or from your status as a legendary. I doubt it will take long. Treasure it while you have it, as you will come to learn that there are people out there who will do unspeakable things to others."