Episode 7: Leos' Decision!
Leos stood stiff as a statue, grumbling to himself. He was in the worst position right now - stood as straight and tall as possible while Gabite and Fraxure worked on him. They dressed him in a fur-tight shirt, smoothed his head fur, gave him a neck bow, and treated him to all other sorts of excessive pampering. When Fraxure lifted one of his bangs to trim it with its nail, he groaned and slapped them away.
"No. The fur stays," he ordered.
"Aww, c'mon kid, this is primo treatment. The best in Eris," Father bragged as he walked around him. The Dewott knelt to Leos' height and lowered his voice. "Gotta look the best for your special someone, eh?"
Leos leaned away. "Cut it out."
"This is our kingdom's newest tradition, so it's only right you look the most honourable you possibly can. Don't you think you look good?" Father stepped back to admire him. "That getup's pretty snappy."
For someone whose head fur always looks like a hurricane on fire, you're one to talk. Leos turned to the oversized mirror beside him. That snow white shirt felt stuffier than it actually was, and the black bow on his collar was a nice little charm. His tail was free too, but with his scalchop attached, his shirt buttons were pulled thin. Actually, on closer inspection, it was his belly causing the stretch, which made him blush a bit.
"These clothes aren't made for a Pokémon like me," Leos complained, trying to burn the image out of his mind.
"Actually, we had them tailored to you," Father replied, tilting his head. "Maybe you put on weight the past few days, and I'm pretty sure you're still growing, too. Still, I think you look cool, though."
"Whatever, let's just get this over with," Leos groaned.
"Uh uh uh, you've got to be patient. Wait until the town bell rings," Father lectured, paws on his hips.
"Then you'll escort me to the Town Hall or something, right?" Leos rolled his eyes.
"What? Haha, nope!" Father laughed, surprising him. "We're all going to leave you alone in a bit, but you're locked here until the bell rings. When you hear it, you head to one of three locations in town. That determines who you'll meet and who you've chosen."
"Wait, I have to walk around town in this?" Leos asked. Father directed him to a poster of a town map that had pictures of his three potential partners on it.
"Everyone's been made to wait at home for now, preparing for the proper wedding tomorrow. The only Pokémon you'll see are your partner and those who helped dress them. They're all in super special clothing right now, just like you! So you don't get to see until you've decided," Father said, wagging a finger. He tapped the map. "Prem is at the town hall. Griselle is at her house. And Kristen is at the temple. After you choose where to go, you'll both take a peaceful walk to Castle Eris, where you'll get to confess while stood before me, your mother, and my father, too. Then that's it! Tonight'll be a party, just for you and your special someone."
"Wait, I thought you said the marriage was tomorrow?" Leos shifted back.
"It is. Tomorrow will have the traditional procedures. Tonight is the party I mentioned earlier. I do admit, all of this is stuff we've never done before, so ready yourself for some margin of mistakes," Father warned as he scratched his back. "Also, once you've met with your partner, if you visit anyone else, you'll be cursed."
"Are you serious?" He cried and staggered back.
Father leaned in close again. "Don't sweat it, kid. That bit's just for the tourists, but you're really not supposed to see the others in their special clothes."
"Fine, I get it. Stop whispering in my ear already." Leos leaned away again.
"And don't feel bad about who you didn't choose, either. Their families have come by, so they'll be kept company for the night. Tonight, you're allowed to be the world's most selfish Pokémon and feel good about it," Father added.
Griselle's parents are the only ones I know, though. Vincent and Nier… I've not seen them in years, Leos thought to himself. Looking into the mirror again, he so badly wanted to undo those shirt buttons. I've never even asked about Prem or Kristen's parents. Maybe he just means Prem's team. But if they really are here, I'm curious enough to want to meet them.
"Right, I'll leave you to it, big guy. Don't go messing your appearance up. I'll see you at the castle in about an hour or two," Father waved as he left with the other dragons.
Did he even say how long I was supposed to wait? It could be hours, He thought. A few minutes after they left, he walked over to the banister to observe the rest of the building. The place was quiet, a little dull coloured, but at least it was warm and cosy. They didn't even leave any snacks.
At least he had a bed. He knew not to lie down to keep his head fur tidy, but he laid on his front anyway. Tonight was going to be long and tiring.
I should at least give all this some actual thought. It's a pretty nifty new tradition, I'll give them that. Were I invested, getting to walk through the town at night to a pre-wedding party just for us… yeah, that would be pretty good. Either way, a party's not really our thing, is it? He looked up and out the window. Etheria's two moons were large and bright in the sky, like luminous orbs amongst a sea of stars. Griselle would love a party, I know she does. Prem might say he doesn't, but I know he adores that stuff, too. Finally Kristen… she'd probably enjoy setting up the party itself.
He sank into the pillow. Geez, I'm the stick in the mud here, aren't I? I can't force myself to like what I don't like. Parties are just loud, stuffy, and embarrassing, especially when Mother and Father are around.
He habitually rolled onto his back, slipped his paws behind his head, and then immediately withdrew them. He'd never get used to not being able to touch his head fur due to having gel in it.
And then there's the fact that this is all for the Cosmog… why does it have to be a royal couple that wakes it up? There just has to be some other way to wake that Pokémon. Requiring two royal rulers of the world is such a strange, specific condition. Thinking back, Mother and Father didn't give me the chance to actually try anything when I saw it before. What if it was as simple as using aura powers to awaken it?
That thought made him grumble. I'm slipping – I should've tried that in the first place. I could've saved us so much time and rubbish.
He sat up and slowly looked down at his paws, noticing the cute black armbands he'd been given. Was it really rubbish, though? I got to talk to Prem again, and sort things out, kind of. Griselle brought up how unfairly treated hybrids are, and the mission with her was really fun, too. And if Kristen's serious about opening up, she might be fun to have around from now on as well.
He slowly looked up. Yeah, this whole thing hasn't been a total mess. The good might outweigh the bad, although I'm still exactly where I was when I started. I don't want any of them to feel like they don't belong. I want all of them here.
He went back to staring out the window. Maybe I should list pros and cons? But they're Pokémon, I can't decide all superficially like that! Ugh, get it together, Leos! No time to sleep on it. The POINT of the dates was to decide, and you didn't think about it at all. You fool, you absolute buffoon!
He froze again, and sighed. "What the heck am I talking about?" he cried with increasing volume.
I already said I wasn't going to choose anyone. I already decided that from the start. It's time to announce it! To actually do that, and tell them I'm not choosing anyone, he closed his paws into fists and sat on the bed again. It doesn't matter if my hair gets messy or I ruffle up my clothes. When that bell rings, I'm going to march straight to the castle and make it clear I decided on nobody.
With that, he threw himself back into bed and tucked his arms behind his head. It was a bit uncomfortable with the fancy dress, but he could relax like this. A long silence followed, and his eyelids half closed as he stared at the ceiling. Kristen would be having a real go if she could see me right now. Prem and Griselle wouldn't say anything, though.
He imagined his friends stood around him, and they appeared as faded figures. Kristen had her hands on her hips and looked like she was rambling at him, making him turn his back on her. Griselle giggled and made a funny face to mock the Clefairy, while Prem copied Leos' pose, lying down carefree and lazily. The four of them together made him smile.
Griselle walked over and nuzzled him, making him blush and shuffle back. "That's right! Don't hog all the space, you meanie!"
He was surprised to feel and hear her, but then he realised their colours were vibrant and realistic, not dull and transparent like he originally thought. He made an embarrassed sound as he shifted to the other side of the bed, so she jumped and slammed on instead of climbing in. The two of them wound up rolling off the bed from the impact, and he fell beneath her. They froze like that for a moment, blankly lying on top of each other.
"Oops," she let out.
"Griselle!" Leos whined, hugging her from behind.
"I didn't think it'd be that springy!" she giggled. She sunk into his arms as if she was comfortable.
"You two are so silly," Prem laughed. "Just get it on already. You know you want to."
"Wha-what? Ah!" Leos gasped and released her from his hug, but she didn't move. "Prem! Why would you say something like that?"
Griselle twisted and smiled at him. "It's fine, he's just teasing. You know that, right?"
"Oh. Y-yeah, right." Leos scratched the back of his head.
"Is he really? You sneak all kinds of naughty touches and quirks, My Lord." Kristen commented.
"Oh really? You're going to lecture me, too?" He rolled his eyes.
"— And yet you ignore all of my advances. You don't care that she's a weird hybrid at all. You just think she's cute, don't you?" Kristen raised her voice.
"Huh? Wait a minute—" Leos whispered.
"It's Leos, he's always been like that. He likes Pokémon that're round, soft, and silly," Prem said with a giggle.
"And am I not that? That's the literal definition of a Clefairy!" Kristen cried.
"Wa-wait a minute, guys don't I get a say in this?" Leos cried. He stopped when he noticed how embarrassed Griselle was. She twiddled her feet and paws with a blush so deep it was like her fur had been painted. Just like that, his heart began to race and he was lost for words.
"It's just too enticing and exciting, isn't it? Not only does he like the way she looks, but he wants to know everything about her. He's been googly-eyed like this from the moment they met, he's just too much of a nerd to notice," Prem snickered and folded his arms.
"Okay Prem, where the heck is this coming from? You're actually being a bit rude right now," Leos snapped.
"You're not denying it?" Griselle squeaked.
"Scandalous. You're just a pervert in disguise, aren't you? Typical of someone raised by the dragons of Eris," Kristen accused. "You just think you're smarter than you are because the sophisticated fairies of Faernia raised you, too. You know how to play with hearts."
"You're reading too much into it. I didn't mean it that way!" Leos cried.
"What way did you mean it? All those hugs and training, our missions together, did all of that mean nothing?" Griselle cried.
"Not you, too!" He grabbed his head.
"He'll talk about wanting us all around and then proceed to ignore us all, doing whatever he wants. No wonder he doesn't have any real friends," Prem added.
"Keep that up and you'll never have any real lovers," Kristen stated.
"— Growing into one of those hated kings, believing others only do things for him because he's a king," Prem commented.
"No responsibility, no love or relationships, just apprehension that doesn't exist," Kristen raised her voice.
"There's more to life than status and duty, you know!" Griselle stated.
"Yeah, I thought you wanted to defy fate? Do what your father failed at with you?" Prem shouted above them.
All three of them spoke at once, loud and in perfect sync. "You're trying to do everything yourself, keeping secrets and the trouble all to yourself. Just be honest for gods' sake, you're becoming the very person you despised!"
Leos was reduced to a gasping wreck. Pitch black darkness, storming grey winds, and a chilling cold surrounded his shuddering form. He couldn't even hear himself whimper, even though he knew that he was. The statements and voices of his friends echoed on repeat, and just when things couldn't get any worse, a Poipole swooped right in front of him. Its face was so close he thought it might bite him.
It opened its mouth, but instead of a squeaky voice like he expected, out came the deafening ring of a giant church bell.
…
He couldn't breathe - something restrained his body and forced him to keep his eyes shut. He could feel that hold struggling however, so with a wild grunt and all of his effort, he forced his eyes open and sat up.
Everything was blurry, noisy, and not how he expected. Instead of the quiet room Father had left him in, he was in a crowded room filled with excited voices and sinister laughter. He had to blink several times to focus his eyesight.
"Daddy's friend!" Laurent squealed continuously. The little Poipole was stuck in the corner thanks to two Ghastly and a Misdreavus. Meanwhile, a third Ghastly closer to him huffed in exhaustion.
"Dang, I didn't think he'd break free of Nightmare so fast," the Ghastly growled. They locked eyes for a moment, and then Leos sprang into action.
Before Ghastly could react, Leos slammed a Water Pulse into them, sending them flying. Their body phased through the wall and didn't return after a moment, implying their defeat. The other ghosts gasped and swooped towards him, but Leos leapt out of bed, pulling his scalchop off to form Razor Shell. Three slashes dealt with them the same way as the Ghastly.
"Any left?" Leos whispered as he glanced back and forth. There were still a few giggles, but they seemed to come from outside. "I must've fallen asleep."
"Daddy's friend, Daddy's friend!" Laurent squealed as they popped in front of him, flailing their arms. "Please, you have to help!"
"Okay okay, calm down a second," Leos gasped.
"I cannot be the calm, now is not the time to be the calm!" Laurent cried. They started doing flips and spins while screaming all sorts of. Leos couldn't understand a word thanks to the squeakiness, and stood back in case Laurent flew into him. Laurent managed to fly face-first into the ceiling before that, though.
"C-careful," mumbled Leos as the Poipole slowly floated down. He caught them in his arms. "Laurent, was it?"
"Uwa… I am the okay," they responded dozily.
"What happened? What're you doing here? And where did those ghosts come from?" Leos asked.
"Ah! It was, it was, I- er- Daddy's in trouble and the town—" Laurent stammered, stilling flailing their body.
"You're going to need to calm down. I can't understand you if you don't quieten down and tell me what's wrong," Leos suggested. "Take a deep breath, Laurent. Breathe in."
They seemed hesitant, but then obeyed with a very exaggerated inhale.
"And slowly exhale," he instructed. They kept holding their breath. "That means breathe out, slowly."
Laurent leaned forward as they exhaled, and he took note of how their tail wagged, too.
"Okay. Now tell me what happened."
"We were in the really big building in the town, but then these big meanies came! There was lots of the fighting and Daddy had a bazillion of them the fighting him. He asked me to look for help in the building with the shiny, erm, thingy on it. But then you were bullied by the meanies, too," Laurent explained. "Please help Daddy, please, please, please!"
"That goes without question," Leos mumbled with a scratch of his chin. If what I'm parsing is correct, the Ghost Gang have Prem surrounded, so he sent Laurent to look for help. But why the Ghost Gang AGAIN?
He shook his head. It doesn't matter. Prem's in real trouble if he sent Laurent after me. It's time to fight!
"I wouldn't go anywhere if I were you," an unfamiliar voice stopped him. A group of Ghastly, Drifloon and Yamask surrounded them. The Ghastly came through the wall while the others came through the open window.
Laurent squealed and hid behind Leos, who readied his Razor Shell. "What in the world do you want?"
"We've been given the go ahead to knock you around a few, and we happen to think that's fun. Maybe I'll see how high I can carry you," Drifloon snickered.
"Blindfold him with my mask! We can have lots of fun that way," Yamask suggested.
"So the Ghost Gang wants to be taken seriously, but you'll attack a lone Pokémon in their sleep for a petty reason like that? You're even more of a joke than I thought!" Leos retorted.
"You aren't the only one. In fact, you're the lucky one, getting only us to deal with," Drifloon giggled.
"Yeah. The bosses went for your wives or something. They get to have fun with the pretties," Ghastly laughed. Leos' face sunk. "Girls always scream the loudest when they're scared. It's so fun!"
"Tonight is our town takeover. By tomorrow morning, Halcandra will belong entirely to the Ghost Gang. That means driving out fancy aristocrats like you!" Yamask announced.
"You are all meanies! Daddy's friend, please stop them. I saw them everywhere! They are being mean to everyone," Laurent pouted.
"They're all over town?" Leos muttered. The situation clicked, and his heart sunk. "Wives, town takeover – oh my gods, Griselle!"
"Uh uh uh, we're gonna have fun with you, first." Ghastly got in his way. Leos didn't give him a chance to say much more, he just thrust his Razor Shell at them. He caught Ghastly off-guard, knocking them away so he could run.
"Mister Daddy's friend, wait!" Laurent flailed after him.
Outside was worse than he imagined. The Ghost Gang were serious about taking over the town, contrary to the goons he had left behind. It was late enough that only nocturnal Pokémon should have been awake, but any peace was disturbed by the constant echo of eerie laughter and giggles. In just a moment of surveying, he spotted all kinds of ghost type Pokémon as they flew through walls to get in and out of habitats, followed by the cries and shouts of the general populace. It was like the entire town had fallen to some chaotic Halloween prank.
"I can take you to Daddy!" Laurent squeaked as they flew off.
"Wait, stay with me," Leos hissed and caught them by the tail. "I promise you we'll save Prem. But those guys said they sent their bosses after my friends."
Laurent put a hand to their lip and tilted their head.
"One of my friends can't hit ghost Pokémon at all. We need to save her first. Prem can handle one of those bosses, I'm sure of it. Kristen, too," Leos explained.
"But… but—" Laurent moaned quietly.
"I know you're worried, but you know how strong Prem- er, daddy is, right? You have to trust him. We'll go to him as soon as we've got my friend, I promise," Leos assured. Laurent moaned as they hung their head, and their tail drooped with it. "Have faith. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can help him."
"Do you promise?" Laurent looked up.
"I wouldn't be a prince if I couldn't keep a promise like that. Now stay by me." he nodded.
"You are a prince?" Laurent asked as Leos took off. They stayed right behind him as he ran to the edge of the road to hide in a corner by a signpost. From here, the duo could see the enemy ghosts darting in and out of view. "What is a prince?"
The question took Leos off-guard, and he flinched. "You don't know?"
"There is lots I do not know that I want to know. I ask Daddy, and he tells me, but I think I annoy him," Laurent said. Again, Leos was taken off-guard, and twisted to see Laurent's sad face.
"Has he ever said that you're annoying?" Leos asked. Laurent made a sad noise. "Daddy. Has daddy every told you that you're annoying?"
"N… no," Laurent squeaked, prodding their stubby hands together.
"Then you're not annoying," Leos smiled and turned back to the road. He spotted an opening and dashed off. They made it down the road before he pulled Laurent behind another signpost. "Hide here. If Prem found you annoying, he's the type to say something."
"Oh. Are you sure? Daddy does sound annoyed when I ask a lot of stuff," Laurent added.
"Are you sure?" Leos smirked. Laurent's head cocked. "I know Prem very well. Maybe keep this a secret between us, but he only stays around other Pokémon when he likes them."
"When he likes them? You mean Daddy likes me?" they beamed up.
"Definitely. Otherwise he would've said so and left you with somebody else," Leos assured with a nod.
"Yay, Daddy likes—"
"Shh, down!" he hissed and grabbed Laurent. The little Poipole slapped their hands over their mouth, but they couldn't hide a dimply smile. He snuck a glance outside, and thankfully no ghosts seemed to have heard them. "Let's save the cheers until we help everyone first, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy's friend." Laurent nodded.
"Oh and er, you can call me Leos. That must be easier to say," he suggested.
"Lee-oss," Laurent pronounced slowly, and then looked up with a giggle. "Will you be my friend, Leos?"
"Huh? I thought we already were. Any friend of Prem's is a friend of mine, especially when they're a good Pokémon like you," Leos stated, a paw on a hip. Laurent moved to cheer, but snapped their hands over their mouth again, making him giggle. "C'mon. You can ask me all about stuff when we've helped everyone. For now, help me out if we get into a fight, okay?"
"Oh. But I am not very good at the fight. I cannot beat up another Pokémon. I get the scared," Laurent whined.
"Hmm, you don't have to beat Pokémon up to help out in a fight. If I remember rightly, you can spit that coloured stuff out of the stinger on your head, right?" Leos asked. Laurent moved to touch their stinger, wound up flipping backwards, and then nodded happily.
"Everyone got the mad when I did that," they recalled. "And Daddy said that I should not do that to other Pokémon."
"It can be helpful if you do it to the bad guys. Like," Leos mumbled, and crouched to look around the signpost. The road they needed to go down was blocked by a line of Sinistea. Unlike the other ghosts scouting and playing around the area, these three remained in place. "If you got your stuff in those Pokémon's faces, we could get past without having to fight. Then you don't have to be scared at all."
Laurent made a curious noise, and their tail wagged again.
"Can you do that for me?" Leos asked. "Spray ink all over their faces."
The little creature nervously prodded their hands together while making different little whines.
"If you only spray ink when I tell you to, and on who I tell you to, I promise no one will get mad at you," Leos proposed. Laurent hung their head even further. "It's to save daddy. Just this once."
"To save Daddy?" Laurent brightened as they pondered it once more, and then looked up with a prideful smirk. "Okay!"
They really are like a child. I shouldn't take advantage of them too often, though, Leos thought as he stood up and walked out into the open. I don't want to do this either, but with Griselle and the others at stake, I have to take risks. Hopefully that green stuff really is ink. I'll study it later. If it's not ink, then… urgh, don't think about that one, Leos.
"Ohoho, look at this small one approach us!" A Sinistea chuckled.
"Does he think he can beat us?" another said with a giggle.
"Either he's blind, or a fool!" the third laughed.
"I can see you three just fine, actually," Leos said aloud as he kept walking and folded his arms. "I'm going past, and you're stopping this silly town party you've got going on."
"Aww, he thinks he can order us around. We're not the lowest of the Ghost Gang, you know," the first Sinistea teased.
"We're actually pretty high up the ladder. One below the commanders, in fact," the second added.
"We're the Sinistea of the Sinister Three!" the third announced. The trio gathered together to tap their cups together and pose, and Leos' eyes widened with his chance.
"Now, Laurent!" he thrust an arm.
Laurent reacted immediately. With a squeak and cry, they sprayed green fluid from their stinger all over the surprised Sinistea's faces. The ghosts coughed and spat out whatever Laurent had sprayed on them, not caring about spilling their tea all over the road. Leos promptly grabbed Laurent to stop the spray and bolted past the ghosts while they were busy.
"That sly, nasty little basta- after him!" he heard from a distance.
For Pokémon without hands, he wasn't expecting the Sinistea to recover from the spray so quickly. But here he was, being chased by the trio. "Grab hold of me and don't let go," Leos ordered as they approached the south end of the town.
"Uh, yes Mister Daddy's Friend Leos!" Laurent cried, and latched to the back of Leos' shirt.
The extra weight barely slowed him, so he smiled cockily. Shadow Ball was fired at him, but thanks to Clefairy ears enhancing his hearing, he could tell where every attack was going to hit based on sound alone. The shouts of onlookers and surprised ghost types threw him off a bit, but he was able to avoid the attacks regardless.
He made for one of the spaces between a row of houses so that was running through backyards. There were a lot of small ponds, crafted back gardens, and most importantly, collections of trash. He made a Razor Shell as he approached a heap of trash bags lined up against a wall, and then leapt up the bags as fast as he could.
"You're dead now, Oshawott!" One Sinistea shouted. The trio charged Shadow Ball in sync, and were aimed perfectly at him.
"Sure. Just not today," he huffed as he reached the top. He stabbed his blade into the bag to tear it open, and then kicked off of it to unbalance the whole pile, landing on top of the wall behind in the process. He glanced back to see the results of his work, but all he got to was the comical cries of the ghosts and a loud tumbling as heaps of smelly debris buried them. "Remind me to come back here to clean up."
"I will, I will! But Mister Daddy's Friend Leos, you are super cool!" Laurent cheered, squeezing their face. The Oshawott couldn't help but blush a bit and scratch his head.
"Not something you should try," Leos snickered, and jumped down the wall. He attempted to continue running, but his chest felt like it dried up all of a sudden, making him fall on all fours.
"Mister Daddy's Friend Leos?" Laurent came to his side.
"Just… say Leos," he panted. Even that hurt to say. His breath became hoarse and beads of sweat dripped from his face. Damn it. Even after all this time, I still can't run? Why at a time like this?
"Are you okay?" Laurent worried with a hand by his lip.
With a growl and a ton of effort, Leos forced himself to his feet and wiped his forehead. His body already ached all over, but not enough to stop him from walking. "I can't stop here, not when Griselle needs help."
…
By the time he reached Griselle's house, Leos felt a bit better. He was able to breathe quietly, though his body still hurt with each step. Laurent kept smile on their face and was quiet the whole time too, likely oblivious to what they were getting into.
When he heard that the Ghost Gang bosses were after his partners, he didn't want to see a house like Griselle's look as calm as it did. That meant he was too slow and they had already taken her… or they somehow hadn't reached her, yet.
Praying for the latter, he gazed over her hut as he approached. Her trampled garden didn't look any messier than it usually was, but the graffiti on the walls was fresh. 'Weirdo's hut', it read, and other such comments. He warily approached the front door and leaned on it to listen in. Girly shouts and attacks going off made him flinch.
"Whoa!" he choked, leaning to the side to just about avoid an attack as it burst through the door. A beam of water almost as large as the doorway blasted a group of Pokémon into the distance. "Griselle?"
Inside was the battlefield he was expecting. On one side, Hundred the Decidueye flailed his wings about in a tantrum, supported by a few Dreepy who copied him. On the other side, Griselle was unharmed with her feet planted and lance at the ready. The Everything in the room was soaked, evidencing her reliance on Hydro Pump.
Her parents were there, too. Griselle took after each of them in her own way – her mother was a pudgy Meowstic with bright gold fur where a normal Meowstic's would be blue. She wielded a rapier with a large orb on the end by the handle.
Griselle's father was the hybrid side, resembling a Meowstic in stature. He had the eyes, nose, whiskers, claws, and feet of a Dewott, while the rest of his features belonged to a Meowstic. His tail was exceptionally long too, and he held a naginata as a weapon.
"Will you shut up?" a low, calm, foreign voice took Leos' attention.
Off to the side of the conflict was a Pokémon he hadn't seen before. A dragon type for sure, but it had a very flat head shape and tiny limbs tipped with short black claws. Two Dreepy sat in hollow spots on its head, which it raised to look at Leos. "So you came here, huh?"
Leos didn't reply. He wanted to be aggressive, but he needed to save his breath. The dragon stared at him, and its eyes narrowed.
"Wait a minute, it's you! Million, he's the one! That smart-ass is the one who tore my bow up!" Hundred shouted and pointed vigorously at Leos. "You little Trubbish, you're in for it now. Coming here was your biggest—"
"What did I just say?" the dragon snapped. Hundred choked to total silence, and stood back. The dragon lazily swerved their head, and then floated off the ground. Leos was immediately drawn to their unusual tail, which seemed to vanish toward the tip like a ghostly wisp. "Well, you heard this loud-mouthed idiot."
"Wait, don't hurt him!" Griselle cried. The dragon ignored her and floated before Leos and Laurent.
"My name is Million. I'm one of the Ghost Gang higher ups. Second place in calling the shots of the whole gang, to be exact," the dragon introduced. That made Laurent hide behind Leos, while the others tensed up. "But this scenario isn't ideal, and you caught me at a lazy time."
Figures a big boss would show up after giving everyone trouble, Leos slowly reached for his scalchop. The moment he touched it, he felt like he might throw up. But what's with this? Something's not right about this guy.
"Don't bother. We're leaving after this. Too much noise and too little room in here for what it's worth," Million said with a sigh, and turned away.
"Wait a minute, what? But you need to teach him a le—" Hundred shouted.
"Hundred," Million said. He spoke just as calmly and monotone as every other word, yet it brought the Decidueye to complete silence. "I was interested in you after I heard you roughed up the other three, but then you come here as worn out as that. Do you really expect to be able to protect anybody when you're that tired?"
He could tell I- Leos leaned back.
"Hmpf. Well, whatever. Don't think of this as getting off easy. The next time we meet, you're going to pay for it in blood," Million warned. His tone and body didn't change at all, making those words drill right into him. "Well, Hundred? Hurry the hell up."
"A-ah, yes boss!" Hundred replied. He stumbled over the messy room and scrambled into his belongings to reveal a connection orb. With a sequence of impatient taps on its surface, a Dhelmise appeared inside. Once there, Hundred knelt down and held the orb up to Million's face.
"Century. Things smooth on your end?" Million began.
"Finished an age ago. Prem didn't have his team with him, so it didn't take much to make him surrender," Dhelmise replied. "Just got a report from Jean, too. He knocked out the Clefairy, so that's done. They both in our custody."
Leos fell limp. His eyes wavered, his heart sped up, and chest twisted into a painful knot. His thoughts scattered into a dozen comments at once, all muffled and inconsistent.
"Did they just say Daddy's name?" Laurent came out of hiding.
"Good enough. It's a bit of a shitshow over here, so I'm retreating. The kid came for the hybrid, and their family's pretty damn noisy. So I'm leaving the rest to you boys," Million reported. "When everything's in place, light up the castle. And don't mess around. He's on his way to you now."
"What the heck is your game?" Griselle's mother stood forward, but he ignored her and cut off the call. Hundred pushed past Leos to leave, and Million slowly floated after him.
"St-stop!" Leos stood in the way, but his breath was shaky and he couldn't help from showing nervous gestures. "You tell them to call off this attack right now, or so help me I'll—"
"You'll do what?" Million muttered. Leos shook with frustration. He couldn't let anything happen to Prem, no matter what.
So he ignored his tired state and formed a Razor Shell. Just doing that felt like his arm was going to fall off, but it didn't matter. He needed to defeat these ghosts - that was all that was on his mind. What the heck is up with this guy? Just standing here, it's like his mere presence weakens me!
"Pull yourself together. Didn't you understand a word I just said to you?" Million continued, finally changing tone a bit. "I'm not going to waste my time fighting you in that sorry state, and you aren't going to save anyone while you're like that, either."
Wait, what? Is he toying with me? Leos breathed aloud. Why does he care?
"Times like this, I expect Pokémon like you to be overconfident because they know exactly what to do. In fact, I still think you know what to do. But if you're not going to listen to me now, then I guess the public have every right to be worried that you're leading them," Million ranted. "Your friends are at the castle. We'll begin our takeover from there. Halcandra will belong to us, and with those Pokémon on our side, we can begin our conquering of Eris."
"You're a fool if you think you'll get away with something like that," Leos growled. There was a pause. It almost looked like the dragon smirked, though that was only evident by his narrowed eyes.
"To tell the truth, I can't believe it was this easy," Million mumbled. "An immature child like you will never be able to stop us, let alone rescue his friends."
Million leaned forward and stretched his tail straight back, making Leos stand guard. He had no idea what to expect from this Pokémon other than the common ghost or dragon type attack, and even then, that was an assumption based on their appearance.
"Watch out! Move!" Griselle's father shouted and stuck an arm out.
Leos gasped and shifted aside just in time. Million shot forward like a bullet, passing him so fast that wind and force smacked him to the ground harder than a Mega Punch. Laurent squealed as they were blown to the other side of the room, while the others cried out and shielded themselves from the burst.
After a few moments, silence fell. The ghosts' presence couldn't be felt anymore. Leos struggled to his feet and crawled to the doorway, looking out over the garden at the town. "They got Prem and Griselle…"
"Daddy? You said that Daddy would be OK!" Laurent cried.
"I… I know, I – we have to go after them!" Leos stated.
"Wait just a second there. Are you for real?" Griselle's father called out. They both turned to him. "I understand how you feel, but that guy was right. You look like you're going to pass out."
They were right. That blast of wind had brought his aches right back. He couldn't help the beads of sweat that dripped from his forehead, or the heavy breaths that escaped his mouth. If he tried to run now, he'd surely collapse in the street.
"Oh Leos, you pushed yourself to run again," Griselle worried as she came over to him. "I don't know what's going on, but I hate to see you like this. Ah…"
"There's no time to rest, though. If we don't hurry, gods knows what they'll do to Prem and Kristen," Leos objected. "I heard they were after you as well, and I know you can't hurt ghosts, so I got here as fast as I could."
"Do you really think you'd have been able to help?" Griselle's father raised his voice. "You know about your condition. If that guy had fought you, he'd have taken you out in seconds."
"Whoa whoa hey now, let's not drill 'em too hard! He's only doin' what any hero would, right?" Griselle's mother came between them.
"Nier—" the father shouted.
"Uh uh. What's important is he came here to help protect her, and he was gonna put his all on the line. Reminds me of a certain somebody," she said, half-lidded and nudging him a bit. He groaned and looked away. "You've got yourself a real keeper, Griselle honey!"
"Mama, is now really the time?" Griselle groaned and slumped.
"Hey, it's when things are total doodoo that it's best to put on a smile and lighten up, huh?" Nier advised, and threw her arms up. "So while you recover, let's come up with a proper plan!"
"A plan? I can't believe you're suggesting that," Griselle's father sighed.
"Vincent, you and I were both her highness's retainers during the war. Y'know I'm just as capable as you are when it comes to planning stuff," she replied. "No need to act all cool, now."
Vincent scratched his head. "Yeah, I know I know. But which is it? Light-hearted, or serious?"
"Both. We're gonna beat those ghosts into next week, then have ourselves a porridge buffet!" Nier cheered.
"… Porridge?" Vincent cocked his head.
"Yeah. Been craving the stuff since we got here. Oats don't grow all that well back home for some reason," Nier put her paws on her hips.
"Excuse me, what is a porridge?" Laurent floated over, tail wagging in interest.
Nier gasped. "Whaaaat? You dunno what porridge is? You poor thing, you can't live in this fancy world and not try out porridge!"
"Is it food?" Laurent squeaked. Leos and Griselle exchanged glances, and then palmed their faces in sync.
"Mama, Papa, can we please focus?" Griselle groaned.
"We are focused. This poor soul has never experienced the world's greatest breakfast or supper. To not even know what it is, is a crime," Vincent stated.
"In case you forgot what's going on, my best friend is in serious danger right now, and I don't know what could happen to him!" Leos stood up. He immediately fell on one paw and had to catch his breath. Damn it, what the heck is wrong with me? Why can't my body just move?
"This isn't funny you guys. Even I can tell this is serious," Griselle added. She turned to Leos. "They said they took the others to the castle, right?"
"That's what they said. I'm guessing the other Ghost Gang bosses will be there," Leos shuddered hard.
Griselle nodded, and then reached for a bag. She quickly stuffed battle necessities in there, like oran berries or status seeds, and then tied it to her waist. Her lance was strapped to her back, and then she pulled Leos over. To his surprise, she hoisted him onto her back, and he didn't have the strength to object.
"Wa-wa-wait a second, Griselle?" he gasped.
"You take it easy there. Don't worry, you're light as a feather to me, I promise," Griselle assured. She looked so determined and cool that he couldn't help but blush and look away. "Mama, Papa, mister Laurent, we're going to the castle. Please help us."
"Guess we'll catch up on the way." Nier shrugged.
"Got a plan already?" Vincent asked.
"N-no… but we'll figure something out. Leos, what's actually going on?" Griselle asked. He sighed and took a deep breath. Where was he to even start?