Chapter 43: Treacherous Sneak
After being defeated by Colonel Hummus, Morgan and her accomplices were placed in Block X. Her skills were on an entirely different level as she was able to defeat Morgan. Not long after, Manfred and his accomplices would suffer the same fate, as both Crusta and the Linoone would be knocked out, forcing them to surrender. As for Happy and friends, they managed to locate their friends thanks to the Porygon trio, but time can only tell when the boss would be back…
Back in Block X's holding cell, there were more Pokemon than ever. Composed mostly of the Pokken Arts competitors, this was no surprise. To Zamenza, there were Pokemon he was familiar with, especially the Druddigon and Linoone that were placed in the room. The Druddigon appeared to be comforting the Linoone, who was waking out of her unconscious state.
Zamenza: (...Those two…I remember hearing their names on the roster…I think their names were…Drake and Lane…)
The Linoone looked around, surprised to see Pokemon in the room which were of familiar faces.
Linoone: …Wher' am I? What' are thos' Pokemon doing her'?
Druddigon: We're in some sort of room. I asked that Alakazam over there about it, and he said it's some "execution room" or something.
The Linoone reacted with shock, trying to figure out if he was serious or not, but with his neutral face, it was.
Linoone: This...This cannot' be! Dammit'! That' Pokemon we faught' is strong as hell! I was knocked aut' and now we're being executed?!
Morgan, who was unconscious earlier, overheard their conversation and sat up, facing them.
Morgan: …What Pokemon did you guys fight?
Manfred, who was sitting on all fours and had larger chains than the rest of them, raised his input on the situation.
Manfred: Ve fought against tiny lizarrrd Pokemon. Indeed, she strrrong forrr such little Pokemon...
Morgan: Was she green?
Crusta, who was also unconscious earlier, quickly joined in with his input.
Crusta: Green ahs a lime! I wahnt to throw punches aht hair ze next time I see hair!
Morgan then recognized Crusta based on his attitude, which was not too long ago.
Morgan: I remember you. You're that feisty crab from before.
Zamenza: (...They were beaten by a tiny lizard Pokemon…Seems like whoever it was must be stronger than she looks…)
Morgan: Heh. Looks like you got your just desserts with that attitude.
Crusta was irked by her remark, raising some ire in his voice as he said...
Crusta: *frustration mark* W-Whaht?!
Dylan, who was listening to the conversation the entire time, rolled his eyes. He had something to say to Morgan regarding her comment.
Dylan: …Oh, really? Coming from the cocky gremlin who thought she was going to "prove us wrong". Look how that turned out.
Crusta: Hah!
Morgan: *frustration mark* What did you just say?!
Dylan: "We can't just take them on so haphazardly." How hypocritical.
Morgan: Hey! At least I went in swinging!
Dylan: Pfft! As if!
Morgan: You wanna start something, you rusty ant?!
Dylan: *frustration mark* "Rusty"?! At least my brain's working unlike yours!
Morgan: Oh, yeah?! Well, you're the one who followed me!
Dylan: Correction: You picked me to follow you! And you dragged poor Emma along too!
The tension in the room was suddenly fierce, drawing everyone's attention to Dylan and Morgan's heated argument. They began getting in each other's face, eyes locked down with anger between them.
Morgan: I thought she was useful!
Dylan: You know what's "useful" about you?! You're only useful when we know how strong the enemy is! Next time an enemy is too powerful, you'll be useful for that gauge!
Morgan: D-Did you just…insult me?!
Emma: P-Please, everyone…
Wire: Mood, tensions fleeing, scare development…
Tanner: *sweat drop* Please stop talking.
Moody: …I didn't expect an argument to break out here.
Dylan, in a sarcastic tone, said…
Dylan: No, I was just being sarcastic. Of course I'm insulting you! It's what you are! You don't give a damn about anybody else except yourself!
Morgan: Guess what?! Life's like that! Everybody uses everybody for their own purposes! How am I any different?!
Dylan: You like to force Pokemon into situations that can get them killed! It's called being "reckless"! If being a fighter of the Pokken Arts Tournament means stepping over others for your gain, then you're a sad excuse of a fighter!
The whole room went silent, wide eyes everywhere including Morgan's. Well, everyone except the black Ursaring, who seemed annoyed by the entire argument. The only one who broke the silence was Morgan herself, recollecting the harsh words brought upon her. In a low, gloomy voice, she said…
Morgan: …That hurt, you know. I mean, I was…being a jerk. But take this in mind. I'm not fighting for just the sake of winning. I do it to make myself better. To take home to my family what I can become. To show them that I can be strong too. Isn't that what everyone here wants to do?
Dylan: *sighs* …No, you're not. I'm also looking to be strong as well. I want to prove to those back at my home that I'm not a weakling.
Morgan: …To be honest, I don't really care about the money. I already have what I need, which is a supporting family and a home to come back to.
Zamenza: (...It seems like she only participated to make herself better…Not a bad thing in my eyes…)
Morgan: …But in a sense, you're right. Looking back at it now, I…didn't really consider what everyone else thinks. I think this is what my brother talked to me about…It depends on how you view other Pokemon…
She then looked at Emma, who seemed more worried for her.
Morgan: …E-Emma, wasn't it? I'm uh…s…s…s-
Dylan: "Sorry"?
Morgan: Y-Yeah…That…I know that me being somewhat of a jerk isn't acceptable in your eyes. I should've known you weren't interested in fighting through difficult situations. You know when to be cautious.
Emma: …T-Thank you, but-
Morgan: And I also apologize, Dylan. I should watch my words, huh?
Dylan: …You're not the only one. It…kind of reminds me of when the other Durant I battled taught me a lesson. I lost my antennae and got battle scarred over my stupidity. I'll never forget the words he bestowed upon me when he defeated me four years ago: "Watch your words, for they become actions of your own folly…"
The tension in the air then dwindled, bringing a sense of ease to the room.
Moody: (...Amazing…Most fighters here have their own ambitions…I'm glad that they could come to a conclusion for common ground…)
Morgan then glanced at Moody, who seemed like the strangest Pokemon in the room as he was an unrecognizable face.
Morgan: …Hey, you…Who are you and why are you in here?
Moody: Me? I'm Moody and uh…Well, let's just say that I uh…defeated one of their guys, and now I'm in here.
Zamenza: Same here.
Morgan: You guys must be made out of some tough stuff!
Zamenza: Oh, we're not as "worn down" as we let on.
The Druddigon took a look at Moody, who seemed familiar to him. It was as if he knew him before from somewhere…
Druddigon: …Excuse me. "Moody"?
Moody: That's me. Don't wear it out like a glove.
The Druddigon reacted with shock, realizing why he was familiar. Everyone else was confused by his reaction, wondering why he would act this way.
Druddigon: N-No…way…!
Morgan: …What's with you? Is he some sort of "big deal"?
Druddigon: "B-Big deal"?! Are you kidding me?! He's a huge deal! He was the winner of the Pokken Arts Tournament 20 years ago! And looking at the Alakazam with the orange star on his head just now, he was his opponent in the finals! You're "Zamenza the Zen", aren't you?!
The whole room was left in shock, save for a few who didn't know what he was talking about.
Dylan: W-What?!
Morgan: You've gotta be kidding me! These two?!
Unhaus: Z-Zamenza! Mr. Moody! Is this true?! I had no idea you both were legends!
Mr. P: If I remember correctly, that match was one to talk about for quite a while!
Manfred: It vas battle betveen vits and pover at time. Never zought zey'd be herrre out of all places!
Morgan: Hey, if the tournament continues, can I get a signature from you two? My father is a fan of you both! He'd squeal like a girl if he found out that I was talking to his idols!
Zamenza: *laughs* Sure. How about you, Moody?
Moody: *sweat drop* I wouldn't mind. (...Suddenly we're like celebrities to them…It's actually embarrassing…)
...
In Block R, Colonel Hummus was down the hall when she noticed a green Dirty Delinquent cloak and saddle gun lying on the floor. It intrigued her, knowing who it belonged to. She then pressed the emblem on her cloak to call Chan Way, who was surprised to hear from her.
Hummus: Brigadier, this is Colonel Hummus. I've found Major Cinnamon's cloak and her saddle gun, as it appears that she had discarded them for some reason.
Chan Way: What?! Is she an idiot?! What is she even doing?!
Hummus: I don't know. That's what I'm trying to figure out. I'll report back. Hummus out.
She pressed the emblem to hang up, continuing her search. She headed to Block S, which was a hall of its own and only had one large double door. The cloaked Pokemon that guarded the door were recently knocked out by some sort of "force". Hummus investigated their bodies, showing very little signs of a pulse before looking to the door, wondering what lay behind it. She then flashed the emblem to the scanner on the right, which opened the door.
Inside the golden room, there was a large black square vault that seemed to hold something important inside. The Pokemon standing in front of it was very familiar, being a cream colored Persian with its back turned to her, looking at the vault with interest as the tail flailed just about in a gleeful manner. Hummus was in disbelief but kept her composure as she addressed the Pokemon in a rather serious tone shouting...
Hummus: Major Cinnamon!
Cinnamon turned around in shock, being on her hind legs as she sported a nervous expression, but kept a grin despite her looking as if she was trying to hide something.
Cinnamon: *sweat drop* C-C-Colonel Hummus! What a surprise! I didn't expect to see you here! *laughs nervously*
Hummus's eyes narrowed slightly, becoming suspicious of her.
Hummus: …Why are you here?
Cinnamon: U-Uh, w-w-why? Well, I uh…Um…I wanted to uh…check the safe to see if one of those rebellious Pokemon stole the money!
Hummus: …I'm not buying it. You being in here when there's two guards knocked out back there is enough for me to warrant suspicion on you. You're here to steal the money from the vault that our organization accumulated over the years, aren't you?
Cinnamon: W-W-What?! M-Me?! No, no no no no no! You've got it all wrong! I'm just here to uh…protect it!
Hummus's eyes narrowed some more, which added to her cold gaze. Cinnamon grew ever more so nervous by her glaring suspicion.
Cinnamon: …I-I'm a…financial analyst…?
Hummus's gaze didn't even change. At this point, Cinnamon knew that her scheme was up. She perched on all fours, now ready to attack. Her gem glowed blue, along with her eyes, but Hummus caught on quickly and moved out of the way, confusing Cinnamon for a moment until she was slapped on the right side of her face by Hummus's tail, causing her to lose her glow.
She shrugged off the hit, but she knew it hurt like hell. Hummus came in closer, swinging her knives at her face. Despite Cinnamon being weaker than her, she was somewhat faster, dodging every swing even though one of them managed to make a cut on her left side, tricking blood down her face. She managed to get a good swipe back, making a similar cut on Hummus's right face.
Cinnamon wiped the blood away from her face, but Hummus had disappeared once again. Before she could react, Hummus delivered a punch to her stomach, causing her to tremble with blank eyes before she fell to the floor unconscious on her side in front of her. She then pressed the emblem on her cloak to call Chan Way to report her activity.
Hummus: Brigadier, this is Colonel Hummus. I've found Major Cinnamon. She seemed to have discarded her cloak to avoid suspicion on the radar. We are in Block S. I need a squad down here to send her into Block X's holding facility.
Chan Way: …I don't believe it…She was trying to steal money from the vault?!
Hummus: It appeared so. I have no idea as to why she did it, but the obvious solution is that she was taking it for herself.
Chan Way: …I see. I'll send some nearby members to take her there.
Hummus: Colonel Hummus out.
...
Back to where Happy and the others were, they ran past many Blocks, with only Happy and Charles knocking out the cloaked guards. Honori served more likely as the distraction, drawing their fire towards him whilst giving Happy and Charles the chance to knock them out. They reached Block P, which was the area Baye wanted to be at. They stopped as she was wondering which door could be the one holding them.
Baye: …My parents are possibly behind one of these doors.
However, a memory struck Charles as he remembered that there was something he was supposed to do.
Charles: …It's not just your parents who need to be freed. There's…some others who I have to free as well.
Baye: Huh? Are your parents here too?
Charles: …I wish…But another Pokemon wanted us to free their parents. If this is where parent Pokemon are being held, then there's a chance that they are here as well.
Happy: Oh, that's right! And also that other Pokemon's father too…
Charles: I think her name is Polly.
Baye: I don't know them, but they sound interesting.
Charles: …We could choose to save them first, or our master and our friends…
Baye: Didn't that metal Pokemon say to free them first so we could have backup?
Happy: Then let's get going!
As they made their way through more Blocks, Sid Seudo was following behind them. As they reached Block X, they were greeted by cloaked soldiers with weapons drawn towards them. One of them shouted…
?: Stop! No trespassers allowed! Stay where you are and you'll walk away with your lives intact.
Charles: *growls* I'm getting tired of these guys!
They charged forward as the cloaked soldiers started firing, only to miss as they were too fast. In about a second, most of them fell to the ground in an unconscious state due to the duo's fighting skills, dropping weapons in the process. Honori flew in close to them, spotting something in their cloaks as he snagged some keys in his beak, confusing the trio as he dropped them in front of Baye and sat on her back, preening himself.
Happy: What's that?
Charles: Those look like keys.
Baye: We can use them to free our friends!
They then heard footsteps, prompting them to hide in another section of the hall. They noticed some cloaked Pokemon holding an unconscious Persian coming in from a different entrance before flashing a badge on the scanner, which opened the door and tossed it in before the doors closed back and they left.
Charles: …Who was that?
Happy: I don't know. But how are we going to get in?
Baye: I know how. We'll use that unconscious guard's cloak emblem and flash it on that scanner, opening the door for us.
Happy: We can rescue Grandpa, Master Zamenza and our friends!
As the trio cheered and bounced in place, Sid Seudo was on a call with Chan Way to report his findings.
Sid: Brigadier, this is Sergeant Olive. I have not disposed of those Pokemon back in Block M, but I now know their objective as I've been following them.
Chan Way: W-What?!
Sid: They are attempting to free the Pokemon being held in Block X. I need more units for backup in Block X.
Chan Way: Gotcha. Whilst you didn't do what you were supposed to, I now have a clear picture in mind. I'll send more squads your way. Don't fail me, Sergeant Olive.
Sid: Understood. Sergeant Olive out.
...
*Author's note - Still wanting to know if this is how you write an Author's notes...*