The Zoroark is strange one.
He isn't at all like what the wild ones had been - those were sadistic tricksters with a mean streak as large as their egos. I'd heard stories of my fellow Combee being led off into dangerous parts of the forest with the temptation of favoured berry bushes, only for the illusions to fade and the Combee to be left lost in an unfamiliar place without any idea of how to get back to the hive.
I hadn't fallen victim to such a ploy myself, but for just that reason alone they weren't well liked by the hive. We didn't directly attack each other, but we weren't friendly by any stretch of the imagination.
Right now, he's sitting beside Taylor, watching the battle between the two trainers intently.
I don't understand him. What did he say he wants from Taylor, again? A strong trainer? I do not dispute his choice, but I don't understand why he left his old trainer. That sort of disloyalty speaks poorly of his character - and all over what, a period of inactivity? His tendency for the abandonment of his duty might strike again - it will be unforgivable if I allow him to hurt Taylor in that way.
What if he comes across an even stronger trainer? Will he simply betray us and defect to them?
I need to know more - ascertain whether he is a threat to the stability of the team. A rogue element will do more harm than good: if Zoroark's loyalties belong to anything but the good of the team, Taylor needs to know.
The battle comes to a close, and Zoroark stands to leave, moving towards me. Taylor remains, watching the humans speak. I do not understand why she is interested in them, but she is undoubtedly planning for something and will enlighten us when the time comes.
"Zoroark. We will speak. Follow me."
He looks confused, but doesn't object. I lead him further into the forest. Our discussion may become energetic, and I would rather we didn't disturb Taylor.
"What's up, Vespiquen?"
I turn to him, floating slightly off the ground. Looking down at him, I ask "What are you loyal to?"
A direct approach will be most suitable. His answer will give me insight into his thoughts. I may not be able to tell whether he is deceiving me, but any lie he tries to spin will work against him in the long run.
He sits down, leaning back against a tree. "I dunno. Haven't given it any thought, you know? Just sort of been going with the flow."
A deception? If it is, it's a poor one. Infuriating - does he truly lack self awareness in such a way?
"You are saying that you are not truly loyal to Taylor?"
He shrugs, "I suppose - I haven't really gotten the chance to get to know her. Loyalty is earnt, you know? I don't know what she did to earn yours, but she hasn't really done a whole lot to earn mine yet. Now - don't get me wrong, I like her a lot - I think she's really cool, actually. But I'm going to hold off on 'true loyalty' for a while."
I sit down on a rock. This is worse than I thought - he's openly flouting his duplicity! Despite myself, my inner swarm begins to reflect my agitation. "You dare! A hive cannot function if its members are not devoted to the greater cause! Each member is a piece of the greater system, and the system will not function if its members do not obey the direction of the Queen! Your very presence compromises the integrity of this hive!"
His jaw drops, eyes wide in surprise. Good - perhaps I have managed to shout some sense into him.
He snaps out of his shock. "Whoa there, Queenie - I don't know what it's like out there in the wild, but things are a bit different when you're on a trainer's team. There is no 'hive' and Taylor is not a 'Queen' - whatever ideas you've got about how this works are wrong."
I suppress a huff - as if this fool knows anything about leadership. "Fine then, if you are such a font of wisdom on the topic, why don't you inform me about 'how this works'?"
Taylor stands from her spot, moving towards the fence.
He smiles at me - the nerve! "Sure thing - I've seen quite a few successful teams in my time. It's simple, really - in every team I've ever seen, the trainer is always the brains - the direction. They help the rest of the team reach their full potential as best they can. The Pokemon trusts the trainer to steer them right, and put their all into becoming the best that they can be. What happens to the team is up to the trainer, but the trainer should know what their team wants - they were the one to build it, after all."
Taylor climbs over the fence, moving onto the road. He stops, considering his words. "My trainer failed that - he thought I would be content to forsake training and battling for a life of luxury, so I left to find someone that could give me what I want."
A single word sticks out at me, digging into my mind like a claw.
Failed. His trainer failed him, so he left.
Just like the Combee left me because I failed them.
Am I truly one to be questioning his ideas of leadership? I've already proven myself unsuited for the job, after all. My anger bleeds out of me, a dull melancholy taking its place. No… My ideas are worse than worthless - by imposing them on the team, I could be actively sabotaging Taylor.
"I… apologise for raising my voice, Zoroark. I misunderstood your situation. I should… You're right. I should trust Taylor to handle the leadership of the team."
I should just give up. Do as Zoroark suggests - let Taylor lead the way, and just work on being the best Pokemon I can be for her. She deserves better than a failed queen.
He leans forward, shaking his head. "Hey now - it's okay. Wild Pokemon always have a little trouble adjusting to the culture of a team. Look - it's pretty obvious to me that you've got a lot on your mind. Talk to someone about it - please. A team can't have their first running themselves into the ground."
Taylor is making her way back towards us. I don't say anything, considering his words.