Episode 14: The Hybrid Killer Charle! The Mission to Rescue Leos
Why am I still alive? Leos asked himself.
He breathed heavily through his mouth and was so dazed he might as well be hallucinating. His body felt like it was on fire with the untreated wound in his side, and his head felt weirdly clouded and empty at the same time. He was aware he was being carried through a mystery dungeon, but he was too groggy and weak to do anything about it. He hung limply in a Primarina's arms the whole way through. Being this helpless felt pathetic.
"This is a suitable spot," Charle's voice came through from somewhere. "Set him down there and tie his arms tight. He cannot even be allowed to move his paw digits. And be careful with that wound, too. I don't want him to bleed out just yet."
Bleed out? Leos trembled. He grunted weakly as he felt the cold touch of the ground, but all he could do is hiss and curl up. He was soon bound to this stone-cold spot. It was more agonising not being able to move than it was resisting the constant burn from his wound. I'm literally dying… all it took was one bad move, and now I'm dying.
Some muffled conversation he couldn't make out was exchanged. His eyelids grew heavy enough that it took everything he had to not close them. Griselle… this is all my fault. I'm so sorry… I wish I could tell you how sorry I am.
"She will come, and she will come soon. She is foolish enough to challenge us without waiting for royal assistance. I left the ransom note for a reason," Charle explained. "Then you can kill this sorry excuse for a prince. We will do the same to his wife as we do to him in order to attract the original hybrid. Follow my orders, and all will go perfectly."
Leos trembled and stretched, but gave in. His eyes shut as his body hurt too much. Griselle…
Footsteps kept him conscious however, followed by a sharp jolt of pain. He wrenched and grunted, and then opened his eyes to a blurry view of Charle. "What of this thing? What does it do? Why were you so adamant on protecting it?"
It took a lengthy moment for Leos to realise he was talking about Lollipop. Not because he was playing dumb, but because he simply couldn't make out the Cosmog. Once his eyesight settled, Charle kicked him in the stomach again, and he coughed and recoiled.
"Don't try and play coy. I am not above torture. In fact, I believe I might enjoy it, preying on you," Charle warned. "You and I, we go back too far for me not to. All the pain and suffering I've endured waiting for this day, it would be all the more worth it if you felt it as well. But if you tell me what this creature is and why it's so important to you, I might consider going easy. Only a little easier, mind you. In your position, you don't have much else to bargain."
Leos shuddered. I'm so weak. I'm so pathetic and useless. The one time I needed to protect Pokémon and I couldn't. Of course this would happen, I'm the freaking king now. Everyone wants us dead!
He opened his eyes slowly and focused as hard as he could. I deserve to die for what I put Griselle through, for how much trouble I've caused… for not taking this role as seriously as I needed to. But this isn't about me anymore… before that happens, I need to do everything I can!
"Don't test me, freak," Charle threatened. He erected a nail which crackled with dark energy.
"Lollipop!" Leos shouted. Cosmog didn't react. "Lollipop, wake up!"
Charle glanced at Cosmog, who weakly opened their eyes.
"I know you can understand me. We have that kind of bond at least," Leos cried desperately.
"Gu?" Lollipop quietly responded. Leos could have smiled.
"You've got to tell Mum where we are, and tell her not to be hasty. Go! Lollipop, use Teleport!" Leos ordered.
"Pew pew, pew pew pew!" the Cosmog cheered with a triumphant smirk. In a flash, the Pokémon vanished from Charle's grip. He looked at his empty paw with comically wide eyes, and then snarled at Leos.
"What was that? Where did you send it?" Charle snapped at him.
"If you were so smart and had this planned, you would know," Leos hung his head.
"You sly bastard. I can kill you right now, and then all of your efforts will amount to nothing. Explain yourself this instant!" Charle shouted and pointed at him.
Leos stalled a reply to catch his breath. "You should have just done your research, if you wanted to do this."
…
Okay, the house looks untouched, Griselle huffed. She sprinted as fast as she could with her arms hung loosely behind her. The garden was exactly as she left it this morning, packed and full of healthy plants and half-grown berries. When those grew, they would have themselves an oran berry feast. That was her hope.
"Wow, you got to work fast. I don't remember the last time I saw this garden so colourful," Alpha praised. He slowed down to admire it but Griselle ran right inside.
"Gack!" the hybrid coughed as she tripped on entry. This time she caught and balanced herself before she face-planted. She glanced back at the book she tripped on, and growled. "Are you serious? Really?"
"What's with the impa—" Alpha soon joined her. "Whoa."
It didn't take long for Griselle's mood to change. The broken bookshelf, scattered books, small trail of blood, and cracks on the wall gave away everything. She trembled as she advanced, being careful not to touch anything.
"No… it can't be. Who and why?" she whispered. There was a note pinned to the wall by a Pokémon's nail, so she tore it off and read.
Lucky you, not being at home right now. You get to live for little while longer. But if you want your husband alive, come to the Gravel Labyrinth alone, you disgusting freak of nature. You just might see your husband once more. Charle.
"No… no, no, no, this can't be happening. Leos! Leos, Lollipop?" Griselle called out. "Please, anyone!"
"The other villagers surely must have seen something, but no one was nearby. Or perhaps they hid," Alpha said. Griselle shuddered and sounded like she was going to cry.
"I should've stayed. I shouldn't have gotten upset over stupid stuff. I know Leos can't fight yet still I, I, stupid, stupid, stupid!" Griselle cursed herself and started hitting the wall. Alpha yanked her arm when the wall cracked further, and she had to stop herself from punching him. With a huff and a shudder, she curled up and faced the wall. "If only I'd been here, I could've protected him. But I messed up. I left him and Lollipop alone."
"It's not over yet, Your Highness. Or at the very least, we do not know if it is over yet. What exactly does the note say?" Alpha asked.
"It's a ransom note, Alpha! From Charle. He kidnapped Leos and Lollipop. He kidnapped the Cosmog!" Griselle cried.
"If you're certain, then they're not dead. We can still go and rescue them. We need to investigate thoroughly and then work on a plan of action," the Indeedee stated with a firm fist. Griselle loosened up.
"What's up with you? Why do you want to help me?" she challenged him. "We didn't bring any money or valuables with us, you know. I can't reward you!"
"That matters not. When you mess with Vanil Village, you mess with the whole village! Which I suppose is not a lot of us, but it is the same as messing with a whole family. Nobody here will stand for it," Alpha replied. Her heart sped up at how serious he sounded. "I'll go and get Gretel and the others. You investigate here, and catch us up to speed.
"Wa-wait, stop!" Griselle gasped. "You don't know what you're getting into. Don't do that."
"Do you know the enemy?" he wondered. Griselle breathed sharply and stared at him, but he didn't budge an inch.
I could tell him, but involving civilians in this is the absolute worst thing I could do. And this guy has a daughter, too, she slowly shook her head. "I don't want to do this, but by order as Queen, I reserve my right to withhold information. I don't want you or the other villagers getting involved in this."
He seemed surprised, and his hands dropped to his sides. "Your Highness- Griselle, are you serious?"
Then again, this guy used to be in the Faernian army. If he's being serious, then he's dealt with this kind of thing before. Gretel was a bandit, too. She's probably been the villain in this exact scenario, she continued to think. She turned to the side and put a paw to her mouth. If I just go alone, I'm running straight into Charle's trap. I could call Mama on the Connection Orb too, but they wouldn't be able to get here fast enough.
"Please allow me to help, Your Highness. I do not know what ails you and your trust in me, but I want to assure you, I only mean well. To me, you are a woman whose husband and child have been kidnapped. To walk away from this would pain me as much as it pains you," Alpha reasoned with a hand on his chest.
"You have your own family. Why would you say something like that?" Griselle shifted a foot toward him. He finally showed hesitation, but he stared with that same determination as earlier.
"You know? You are right. At a time like this, I should protect my own Melba," he replied. He clenched his hands into fists again. "As a medic and therapist, all I ever saw and heard was the extreme pain and suffering soldiers felt as they fought battles. Whether we won or lost, all I ever saw were Pokémon who lost something. Unlike most Pokémon in the profession, I never grew numb to it. Every story, even yours, hurts me tremendously."
Griselle leaned back as his eyes started to water a bit. "Alpha…"
"The war is over. Things like this should not be happening anymore. If I can do anything to prevent another situation, to stop even one more story like the ones I've heard, I want to do everything in my power. So call it selfish, but I'm going to follow you anyway," Alpha stated.
It's probably something to do with his wife, when I think about it. He hasn't mentioned her at all. If he really is this dedicated to helping me… darn it, I don't have time to make sure he doesn't follow, either, Griselle trembled. She snuck a glance at her weapon which was hung on the opposite wall. No. Knocking him out wouldn't help me in the long run. I don't even know where this Gravel Labyrinth is or how to investigate… that was usually Leos' thing.
Griselle sighed deeply. "The Pokémon who kidnapped Leos is an exceedingly powerful dark type, and wouldn't be afraid to kill you at a moment's notice. I also meant it when I said I couldn't pay you or do anything to make it up to you. You're doing this totally out of your own kindness, and not patriotism. Even with all that stuff, do you want to help?"
"You're the Queen. I couldn't ask for anything to begin with. Let's just get this a happy ending, please," Alpha replied, and bowed to her. Griselle couldn't help but squeak and lean back a bit, surprising him.
"I just… did all that, didn't I? S-sorry, I'm not used to other Pokémon looking up to me and stuff, especially not Pokémon taller than me," she commented.
"You did speak rather formally for someone who didn't want me calling you Her Highness. Which would you prefer?" he cocked his head.
"Call me Griselle, and don't be all formal and stuff. I don't actually like it, but if I have to do it, I know how to do it," she admitted, and bowed to him. "Don't involve the other villagers, seriously. They're just civilians, and the guy we're dealin' with is no stranger to mindless violence."
"Charle, was it? Who is he?" Alpha asked, and folded his arms.
"He's a Meowth who used to be part of the Faernian Army, like you. Only this guy was the head of his own unit called the Cat's Brigade," Griselle began.
"I've heard of them. They were imperial mercenaries who were usually near the front lines, yes? All the very important battles were led by them, if memory serves," Alpha explained.
"That's them. Charle was their leader. Er, this is gonna sound super weird, but he was super into my Mama," Griselle continued. Alpha didn't reply, but raised an eyebrow. "I know, it sounds stupid, but I mean like, super obsessed with my Mama. He'd do everything in her name and fight anyone who so much as looked at her funky. Despite that, she married my Papa, a hybrid Pokémon."
"And so you stand," Alpha commented.
"Uh huh. Since then, he's been dedicated to trying to kill hybrid Pokémon so he can get with her. He's hated me and Leos since he found out about us. I haven't seen him since the war, though. He must've been spying on us and waiting for a chance this whole time," Griselle explained.
"So we're going to fight a very experienced warrior, here. Of all the motives to have however, and to commit treason over such a thing… live long enough, and you will see anything and everything," Alpha sighed and shook his head. "Do you have any kind of plan?"
"No. I don't really know where to start, either. Leos normally did all the strategy and stuff. I was the brawns, he was the brains," she replied.
"Hmm. Good thing for you is we can start learning from here. It's actually fairly simple," Alpha let his arms hang loose again. "We take note of everything we can learn at this scene, and everything we know now. It's good to run over those things."
"Everything we know, huh? That would be… the enemy is Charle. Despite being a Faernian mercenary, he's really good with a sword rather than a lance," Griselle put a paw to her chin. "Stuff like that?"
"That's it, that's important. We also know that they await us at Gravel Labyrinth. I know about it. It's a mystery dungeon that's well hidden from the outside world. If we had a map, I could guide us there," he replied and pointed at her. "This region is unmapped, however."
"A map… a map? Where did I- wait, Leos was working on a map this morning," she gasped. She scrambled through the mess on the floor, and then tripped into their bedroom. "Here! He left the toolbox he'd been working on, too. There's wands and orbs and stuff in here. We can use these."
"How fruit-tuitous. Now then, I know you mentioned him being powerful, but I doubt Leos was defeated without putting up a fight. Otherwise, he wouldn't have tried to use a Z-move, nor would the house be damaged," Alpha continued. "I assume he was defeated by multiple enemies. Is there anyone else we can call for help? Any Pokémon at all."
Griselle gave it a round of thought. "There is. But they'd take a while to get here."
"Can they get here in a day at least?" Alpha asked.
"If they were desperate enough to get an airship, probably," she mumbled.
"Call them. The king is kidnapped, they will want to be that desperate," he nodded.
"Gu gu?"
The sudden cry made Griselle's heart skip a beat. She held her breath as she crept over to Lollipop's bedroom, where she found the Cosmog in its cot. They looked like they were about to cry until she gasped, and they noticed her.
"Pew pew! Pew pew!" Lollipop waved their appendages at her.
"Lollipop!" Griselle screamed and dove for them. She cradled and nuzzled them tightly, but then just as suddenly, found herself hugging nothing. "H-huh? What just…?"
"Wah!" Alpha yelped. Griselle spun around at his cry. He was stumbling and juggling Lollipop like he was going to drop them, and did. They bounced on the floor harmlessly however, and stared up blankly.
"How did you get- wait, how are you here?" Griselle whispered and pointed.
"Pew pew?" Lollipop replied. Griselle watched them for a minute. In a flash of pink light, Lollipop vanished and popped up in front of her, making her scramble to catch them.
"Wh-whoa! You can use Teleport after all. Leos said you could, but I'd never seen it," she said in disbelief. "Lollipop… oh Lollipop, I'm so sorry I left you alone."
"Gu… pew pew, pew pew pew pew! Pew, pew!" Lollipop squealed and waved its appendages aggressively.
"That's Lollipop?" Alpha gasped.
"Shh! They're trying to tell me something," Griselle hissed.
Lollipop's noises continued for a while, but it only made Alpha tilt his head and fold his arms. "Any idea at all?"
"They're definitely talking about Charle. Sounds like he still uses Primarina soldiers, for some reason. They're in an area with lots of rocks and bright red flowers," Griselle translated.
"Wait a gosh darn sec- you can actually understand them?" Alpha leaned away.
"Wait, can't you?" Griselle was surprised.
"No! That's typical feral baby talk. I always amounted it to incoherent speech. That is a baby, isn't it?" he replied.
"Er, technically?" Griselle shrugged. "I come from the Second Country, mind you. I guess I've just been around ferals long enough to understand the speech."
"Huh. You are an amazing queen, you know," he commented blankly.
"Anyway, does the location ring any bells? Gravel Labyrinth, bright red flowers," Griselle asked.
"I am even more certain, now. All we need now is a direct plan of action," Alpha said. Griselle glanced at Lollipop, then Alpha, then the toolbox, and then out the window.
"I just might have one," she said. She grabbed her Connection Orb and got to work on calling old friends.
Before long, the duo were ready to set off. Vincent and Nier had been called, who in turn called Prem and Team Shooting Star. The rest of the royal forces fell in like dominos. Alpha had been given Leos' map and asked to lead the way, yet Griselle went off toward the river.
"Um, Griselle?" Alpha held a hand out. She ignored him. With her paws stuffed in her mouth, she breathed in deeply and then made the motion to whistle as loud as she could, but no sound seemed to come out. "Umm…"
"Just watch and wait," she said. Paws went on hips and feet were tapped after a minute. "Darn it, I know you heard it. Hurry up you watery noodle!"
As she said that, the ground began to rumble and the water got rougher. Alpha edged back, but Griselle was undeterred. A moment later, a Gyarados emerged with a great splash and soaked the trio. Lollipop seemed happy about it, bouncing and giggling.
"I thought I heard you. Next time, do your whistle underwater! I can hear it clearer there," Gyarados suggested. His voice was monstrous and every word sounded like he was shouting. "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"
"Hyde, remember I want you to call me Griselle, not 'your highness'," Griselle replied. "And we need you for land travel. It's an emergency."
"Let us not waste time. Climb aboard," Hyde twisted to give them easy access to his tail.
"Wa-wait a minute, aren't you the Gyarados who rampaged the other day?" Alpha gasped.
"Correct! I am Hyde, the weakest Koi of the lake and now Griselle's faithful servant. Until I grow strong enough to leap the waterfall, I train under her fin," Hyde replied and glanced back at him. "Now hurry! Your emergency awaits."
"Are you sure he won't rampage again?" Alpha whispered.
"If he does, I'll just knock him out. And he knows that," Griselle answered. She didn't hesitate to jump up Hyde's back and positioned herself by his crest, much to the Indeedee's concern. Lollipop nestled between her legs comfortably.
"This map isn't waterproof you know, so no tricks," Alpha warned as he nervously followed.
With a Gyarados as their mount, the trip to the mystery dungeon went by faster than Griselle expected it to. She went quiet to focus and run through some thoughts, fearful thoughts of what might happen or whether Leos was okay. Not long later, they were in the mountainous region Alpha described.
The windy plains of Vanil Village's region were replaced by dry, dusty spikes and rocky hills. Greens and blues turned to oranges and peaches, obscured by a sooty mist in the air. Despite the higher heat, Griselle couldn't taste anything volcanic in the air, only an illusive mix of stagnant, chilly air. Staying here would make her thirstier than a Cacnea.
"This place looks like it'll hurt. If you want to call it here, I don't mind. We can take it from here," Griselle proposed, worried about the jagged ground.
"Nonsense, Your Highness," Hyde replied.
"Griselle," she corrected him.
"Consider it part of my training. No terrain shall ever prove to be a problem for me," Hyde bragged.
He was right, too. He snaked his way over the bumps and spikes like they weren't there. His giant form crushed the rock, but not without uncomfortable vibrations that rippled through his body. Griselle took his word for it and focused on the surroundings.
The further they went, the lower their altitude. More mountain surrounded them too, barely decorated by gushes of mist and trails of dust and smoke. The smoke was unnatural, but quickly identified as Geodude and Graveler rolling down the mountains at high speed.
"We are here. This is the mystery dungeon," Alpha announced as he folded away the map. Hyde came to a stop, too. "From here on out, it is our intuition that guides us, as is the rule of mystery dungeons."
It's like we stepped into a whole different world, Griselle remarked, jaw-dropped. Earlier they could at least see the sky or hints of surrounding regions. Here, they were neck deep in a dark, dusty valley. No matter where she looked, mountains pierced the clouds, soot rained over them, and Graveler rolled down hills. Said rock types were close enough to create a constant rumble and crumble in the air.
It took a minute for her to realise that the noise was getting closer, and she gasped. "Hyde, behind us!"
The entrance to the area had disappeared in place of another jagged hill, and a trio of Graveler were rolling right toward them. Hyde grunted as he slammed his tail on the ground with enough force to kick up a cloud of dust. His attack knocked the rock types into the air, where he could easily bat them away with another swing of his tail.
"Your Highness!" Alpha shoved her.
Griselle faced forward again. A Geodude was seconds away from punching her in the face, fist drawn back and all. She managed to react in time, catching his fist and drawing back her own. Geodude was surprised, and was punched away.
"It's Griselle!" she complained at Alpha.
"Apologies, it slipped out," Alpha shook himself. Growls and grumbles filled the air as Pokémon surrounded the trio, from more Geodude to Woobat and even some Durant. "We must keep moving. I have no doubt that the ferals are agitated by Charle's intrusion."
"Either Charle or us," Griselle agreed.
"Pew…" Lollipop whimpered and shrivelled up.
"Don't worry Lollipop, we're gonna be okay," Griselle assured them with a pat. They replied with a peppy squeak. "Hyde, let's go straight ahead!"
"Aye aye captain!" Hyde replied. He roared triumphantly, and then charged forward. The feral Pokémon were brushed aside like they weren't even there, but that didn't stop them from coming. Not long after they moved, Rock Slide appeared above them.
"I've got your back," Alpha shouted. He thrust a palm forward, and a large, bright, rainbow-coloured wall of light formed in front of the group. The rocks crumbled against it, but each hit made the Indeedee grunt. "Ha. I've still got it."
"Are you trying to show me up?" Griselle teased. A couple of Golbat popped up in front of her, but a couple swings of her lance swatted them down. Hyde shot ahead after that.
All sorts of similarly short conflicts slowed the group down. Alpha helped to defend the group with Light Screen and Reflect, while keeping Hyde energized with Heal Pulse. Said Gyarados shoved most enemy Pokémon over, while Griselle knocked down anyone who got close enough to threaten them. Despite this, they never stopped getting attacked until they were a good way deep into the dungeon, descending slope after slope to get further in.
Eventually, Hyde felt the need to slow down. They had descended so far that the rain of soot fully covered the clouds above and rendered the area in dark tones. They could see without Flash or a Luminous Orb, but progressing quickly would be reckless. It was hard to breathe, however. Every breath had a hint of dust that irritably tickled the throat.
Griselle did not want to spend long here. The heat made her sweat while the soot made her fur itch. She could only imagine what Lollipop felt, but the baby didn't react to anything. Worst of all was the fear that any enemy could leap out of the darkness a few metres ahead, and she might not be able to react in time.
She gasped as something did move not far from them. Hyde froze as well, but it turned out to be a flower entering bloom. The petals opened out and fluttered to dust away soot, while the middle glowed in the dark like a bright candle. That light spread to the petals harmlessly, making it look like a flame inside of a glass ball. It gave the flower a gorgeous, magical red glow.
"It looks like we're here," Alpha announced quietly. More of the flowers began to bloom around them, brightening the area drastically. Somehow, these fiery flowers grew on just as rugged rocks as the mountains from earlier.
"Wow. They're gorgeous," Griselle whispered in disbelief.
"I must be careful not to touch them?" Hyde asked
"Ah, these are probably really important to the Pokémon of the area. But we're here to fight, so they might get damaged anyway," Griselle replied. She went quiet and started playing with her paws. "I-I kinda wanna take one to see if I can grow some myself, too."
"They are called Emberflares. They generate a flammable oil that warms up when the flower blooms, causing it to glow like you see here. They're edible as well, and are often used to add spice to dishes," Alpha explained. "You could grow them easily, Griselle. These grow from Blast Seeds."
"Seriously? They're that common?" she gasped.
"Yes. Most Pokémon only take them for their explosive effects as a seed, of course. They lose a lot of that practicality when they flower," he explained. "If I recall correctly, Lollipop mentioned seeing these when they initially teleported to us. We're close, aren't we?"
"Close enough, more like," a woman's voice made them all face forward.
More flowers bloomed ahead, brightening everything enough that the full area could be made out. This spot was wide enough that it could be called an arena, with cliffs at the far edges. The flowers grew on the sides of this arena, but were separated from the group by the cliff. Everything had a red hue thanks to the flowers, and light mostly came from below.
From the corridor ahead emerged a Primarina clothed in thin armour and flowy threads. Griselle was confident until more flowers brightened up, revealing several more Primarina and cat Pokémon, mostly Espurr and Shinx. They were latched to the surrounding walls beyond the cliff, and jumped over to close in on the group.
"Stay on Hyde," Griselle ordered as she tensed up. She could feel the Gyarados tremble slightly, and gave his crest a pat. "It'll be okay. Believe in your strength. I won't let you get hurt."
"You were told to come alone," the lead Primarina said. She had unique armour compared to the others. "Do you not value your husband's life? Charle is not a patient Meowth, you know."
"If I believed in stuff like ransom notes, I'd be dead a long time ago. What need did you have to ambush us like this, huh?" Griselle replied.
"I am merely here to guide you to Master Charle. My comrades are here in case of this scenario, that we may stop your attempt to disrupt the negotiations," Primarina clarified.
"Negotiations? You kidnapped my husband and then threatened to kill him. Those aren't negotiations," Griselle raised her voice.
"For the new Queen of Etheria, your trust in us is sorrowful," Primarina started to sweat a bit.
"WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD TRUST- okay no, it's not worth getting worked up over this," Griselle stopped herself to sigh. "You're as much as a joke as I remember. Granted, I know it's Charle pullin' the strings and not you. I wonder if you realise what kind of life you could be living if you ditched his oh-so-honourable position."
"If you fail to comply, we will kill him, Your Highness. This is not a threat!" Primarina warned.
"And your first mistake is assuming I'd give you the chance to kill him," Griselle became cross. "You put in your note that it was lucky that I wasn't there. If only you knew."
"Are you delusional since becoming the Queen? You don't seem to understand the position you're in," Primarina replied mockingly. "We'll take pleasure in ensuring you're the only one left. I'm sure Master Charle will be pleased to have an excuse to unleash more of his power. Sadly, it will only take a fraction of it to wipe you all out."
"Do you even listen to yourself? Who's delusional here? The one who's kidnapping and making murder threats to force someone to marry, or the one who actually married the Hero of Etheria?" Griselle replied.
"This is about more than mere marriage quirks!" Charle's voice boomed.
"Master Charle!" Primarina gasped. The dark Meowth emerged from behind her with paws curled in crazed anger. Leos was tied to the wall behind him, but unconscious.
"This is about the liberation of Etheria. The cleansing of Pokémon society. The realisation that normal, gentlemanly, powerful and heroic Pokémon such as myself should be the ones rising the hierarchy, not mutated spawns of hell like you!" Charle ranted. He stomped his feet and bared his nails. "Fortunately, I am striking while the iron is hot. Your mother is on her way here to save your helpless, pathetic soul. I will kill Leos, and then you, and then your father, that wicked Vincent. And then Nier will realise my power and the deranged illusion she is currently living, and together we can reform Heroica's twisted disposition. The strong, the rich, and the smart shall rule the poor and the savage ferals, with me at its seat. It starts with you, Griselle! Destroying you will allow me to fix the world!"
"… So this is about marrying Nier," Griselle sighed.
"Did you not hear me? Take a look around. See all those normal Espurr?," Charle continued. The Espurr soldiers tightened their poses as Griselle glanced at them. "They're the ones who should be living the luxury. But you stole from them! By merely existing, you stole their and many other normal Pokémon's future!"
Griselle's eyes widened and her mouth gradually dropped until the last word. She took a deep breath, and then jumped off Hyde. "Griselle?" Alpha spoke up in concern, but she held a paw up to him.
"Change of plan. You guys will get to stand back and watch after all, while I 'negotiate'," Griselle said as she spun her lance around. She held it beside her with one paw, and put her other paw on her hip. It could just about be seen thanks to the darkness, but she put on a maniacal smirk. "You're right. I am pretty delusional. If you're not careful, I might just kill you all by accident."
"Griselle?" Alpha whispered with a hand by his mouth.
"And here are your true colours," Charle smirked as well. "You are not a Pokémon. You are a feral monster who has snuck their way into society and poisoned it from the inside. Charming ordinary, innocent Pokémon while you—"
"Shut. The hell. Up," Griselle demanded. "The war is over. But all I'm good for is fighting, and you're giving me an excuse to fight. You want me dead, so shut up and come try to kill me!"
Even Charle seemed surprised. His main Primarina edged back a bit, while the surrounding soldiers prepared themselves for battle. Espurr ears raised, Shinx fangs were bared, and lances were readied.
"Well then? This hybrid monster's been itching for a chance to unleash her power for the past two years. Anyone who wants some? Step the hell up!" Griselle ordered, baring her own fangs.
Primarina's eyes narrowed, and she gulped. "Kill her."
The Espurr and Shinx were first. The Espurr attempted to trap Griselle in a Psychic hold by all using the move at once, while the Shinx ran in one by one with Bite attacks. Griselle was lifted for a brief moment, but with a growl, a roar, and few twitches, she thrashed out of the psychic hold. She grunted as she thrust her paw straight into the mouth of the first Shinx, resisting the sharp stab of his Bite attack without so much as a flinch. She lifted him up by his mouth and spun him around, using his body as a weapon to knock away the other Shinx, and then kicked him into one of the Espurr.
The other Espurr soldiers were staggering back from their attack being resisted, and by the time they recovered, Griselle was within touching distance. One of them glanced up for just a second, meeting her furious glare as she drew back a fist. Griselle punched them so hard the shape of her fist came through the Espurr's back, and the soldier went flying into the cliff behind it.
Seeing that, the other soldiers stumbled back. Griselle didn't spare them, however. One by one, she defeated them in single, merciless strikes that crushed their armour or pierced their Pokémon attacks with ease. She hammered them so hard they fell into indents, kicked them through the surrounding cliffs, or punched their stomachs to knock them out cold. Mere minutes later, Griselle was surrounded by unconscious soldiers and shattered armour.
"She hasn't taken a scratch," the main Primarina whispered and shuddered. Griselle turned to her, and she flinched. "Wa-wait, please!"
The was no remorse. Griselle dashed toward Primarina, but they didn't attempt to defend themselves beyond pettily covering their face. That didn't stop the hybrid from grabbing them by their helmet, where she began to crush it with her paws. Primarina started screaming when she felt the metal of her helmet strain and crack, and she flailed in desperation.
"Somebody help, please!" Primarina screamed. She was seconds from having her head crushed into nothing. A blast of Dark Pulse streamed past and forced Griselle to jump away, letting Primarina flee behind her master.
"Ever the pathetic one, aren't you? But then again, I knew I'd have to do this myself," Charle said, and landed in front of her. "I did warn you never to show weakness in front of the enemy."
"Is this seriously the Queen's power?" Alpha whispered in disbelief. Hyde didn't have a comment either, but his face said it all, matching Alpha's horror.
Charle didn't waste any time showing he was serious. He drew his sword and shield, and then surrounded himself in a dark aura that crackled like black electricity. He smirked however, even though Griselle had a mad fury in her eyes.
"So how does it feel? To unleash your rage on the Pokémon you want to walk all over. I like that look. That mad look belonging to a crazed killer," Charle said with a snicker. Griselle's pose tightened. "You're weird. A freak of nature. You don't belong in this world. You should have stayed in the sticks of the Second Country like the third-world tramp you are. That a thing like you could reach where you have is a miracle of your corrosive plans."
Griselle shuddered and ground her fangs like a feral. Every word she had heard before, and they didn't just light fuses in her brain, they blew them up with bonfires. "It's you, isn't it? You're the reason Pokémon still don't treat me as a Pokémon."
"That's because you aren't! You're a freak that came to life due to a scientific mishap. You don't belong in this world or anywhere. I'm doing the world a favour in killing you!" Charle replied. "I'd say I'm sending you to Heaven, but after that display? We both know you're going to Hell!"
"I'm staring racism in the face. If killing you is worth sending me to Hell, then that's every bit worth the sacrifice!" Griselle shouted.
"Baby, no!" Leos cried at the top of his voice.
Griselle gasped, while Charle froze completely. The latter slowly turned around and was surprised to see the Oshawott awake. Charle's eye twitched and he growled.
"Don't do it. Don't give him what he wants. Once you cross over, there's no turning back," Leos warned. "Trust me, I know how you feel. It hurts so much. You know what you stand for, yet your body stops you from doing what you need to do. But fighting isn't all you're good at. You're good for so much more."
"But I… this is…" Griselle muttered.
"What good does killing this guy get you? A whole lot of nothing but a black heart!" Leos raised his voice. "That's not why you're Queen. You are Queen to teach the world what only you can teach them. You're Griselle!"
"Be literal, Leos! Have you heard this guy?" she cried and clenched her fists. "The Pokémon that follow him don't even think of me as a Pokémon. Until he's put in his place six feet under, they'll blindly follow him and never treat me like a Pokémon."
"And who is he?" Leos shouted, and she gasped. "He's just a washed-up joke of mercenary who's still bitter he couldn't get a girl he liked. But you? Who are you?"
All sorts of other images started to flash in Griselle's mind. Images of her playing with Lollipop, her wedding with Leos, the battles of old. But not just the battles, even the simple times. The times where they would just sit and talk, explore unmapped regions… and a very happy memory, where she jumped into Leos' arms. He couldn't carry her, so the two of them fell over and frolicked in the shallow lake they were in.
The wedding popped up again, and them sharing a meal. Then they were swimming together, and then learning Hydro Pump together, followed by their little squabble over keeping the house tidy. Leos asked questions about gardening, and even their uncertain first time sharing a bed together.
Finally, she came back to reality. She pursed her lips and loosened her pose a bit, which seemed to make Charle angrier. Certain she knew what he was talking about, she smiled lightly. "Not like you to let yourself get tied up, Soldier."
"I'm sorry," Leos replied.
"Huh?" she said. "You idiot, don't go and say something heroic, just to apologize over something stupid like that."
"But… But I—"
"This is about the house, ain't it?" she smiled. He couldn't reply, so she tilted her head cutely. "Don't worry about it. We'll talk about it later."
"So what, do you think that this changes things? Whether you're calm or not, you're still a monster that just murdered a platoon of soldiers in a fit of rage," Charle stated, and pointed his sword at her. "We are both pioneers of Etheria, that's why I still have followers. It's not Pokémon that believe in me, it's Pokémon that believe in a stable world ruled by Pokémon, not unpredictable freaks like you! As long as me and my legacy exist, Pokémon will never treat you as a living being. You are below us! A lower life form! Your only way of changing that is to kill us all! Do you understand, Griselle?"
"I'll change it my way, not yours. If I didn't believe it, I'd never get along with Leos. I'm hoping that someday, you can come to understand the kind of peace we're working towards, too," Griselle replied. She sighed and returned her lance to her back, surprising the Meowth.
"What. Do you think. You're doing?" Charle snapped at her with his eye twitching and all.
"We're all going home. Fighting you is only going to end in someone getting hurt, or you getting arrested," Griselle replied. She turned around to walk away, but stopped to look over her shoulder. "You can try to kill me and my family as many times as the gods will allow it. You will never succeed."
"You… where do you think you're going? Your husband is still—" Charle shuddered, glancing back and forth. He grit his fangs and charged a Dark Pulse between his paws. "I mean it, you know! I want to kill you and your sorrowful excuse for a family. If you don't come back here and fight me, then I will!"
Griselle didn't turn around. She didn't even slow down.
"You wretched, big-headed, freak of- let's see your bravado now!" Charle snapped. He twisted around to throw his Dark Pulse at Leos, who cringed to prepare for the worst.
"Alpha, now!" Griselle ordered.
The Indeedee moved faster than ever. He thrust a wand forward and out came a gleaming ball of light. The light smothered Griselle, making her sparkle with purple glitter. This same glitter surrounded Hyde, Alpha, Lollipop, and Leos. In a flash, they all vanished from sight, and Leos just before he got hit. Charle's Dark Pulse broke away the rock where the Oshawott just was, and his mouth hit the floor.
"No… don't tell me," The Meowth shuddered as he slowly turned back to Griselle and the others. The team were in a perfect formation beside each other. Leos wasn't even tied up anymore. "Okay, time out. Time right the hell out! Explain. Now!"
"Surround Wand. It makes allies warp around the target it hits," Alpha explained. Charle's mouth hit the floor. "We planned to use this to send an army right down here, but it seems we didn't need to."
"You… you wretched, smart-mouthed, freak of—"
"Do you have any other insults, by the way? Because I'm getting pretty numb to 'freak', not gonna lie," Griselle joked.
Thunder boomed, and black lightning flashed in the area. "This isn't how this ends. You hybrids will die today one way or another, I will see to it!"
"Guys, get back," Griselle mumbled to them. They warily obeyed, and Hyde stood guard over them.
"I'll kill you. I don't need to lure out the other hybrids to kill them. I'll find them and I'll kill them all. I'll kill them all until they're so dead that the world will never remember they existed!" Charle ranted. He swiped his sword aside and then raised it high. Black lightning struck the blade, and Charle's dark aura returned.
"Leos, there was something I was wondering," Griselle said quietly. "The marriage bracelets have special effects, don't they? Beyond signifying that we're married."
"That's what the priests said, I'm sure," Leos replied nervously.
"This is quite a time to test, but there's something I wanna try. Let's end this in one shot, if you know what I mean," she glanced back at him.
"Will that work?" he questioned. She answered with a smile and a nod, to which he became firm and nodded, too.
The duo took position in a line, and then crossed their arms in perfect sync. The moment they did, golden light flashed around them, the same kind as Leos' Z-move. Seeing that, Charle began to snicker, however.
"A Z-move? In your condition? You'll kill yourself trying," Charle laughed.
The couple ignored him because they were set to immediately surprise him. Rather than Griselle being the catalyst for the Z-move, this time the energy was flying from Leos into her. They stretched their arms out in front, crouched, and then rose while leaning to the right on one foot. Their arms stretched up to their sides to emulate the Sagittarius star sign, which flashed before Griselle.
"So how's about that. Even though I'm a hybrid, I can use this power after all," Griselle said, smirking at Charle's nervousness.
As the Meowth stumbled back, the golden aura around her grew and grew, until it finally spiked into a fiery burst. Griselle felt like she could topple a mountain or leap across a continent in a single jump. Oddly, Leos had this boost as well, although his aura wasn't as explosive as hers. The duo continued to move in sync despite this, and shot forward faster than bullets.
It started with Griselle behind Charle. With a flick of her lance, she scooped him high up into the air, where Leos met him with a Tackle that sent him flying even higher. Griselle jumped after Charle and punched him back to Leos, who had flown to a different spot high up in the air, ready to attack Charle again.
The couple played a violent game of Tennis, using Charle as the ball while punches, kicks, Razor Shell or slashes from Griselle's lance replaced the racquets. After several strikes across the skies of the dungeon, Leos and Griselle came together with their weapons out directly above Charle. With fierce faces and full focus, they both smashed him straight down at the same time.
Charle screamed and coughed from each hit, and was silenced as the last hit turned him into a meteor that exploded on the ground. Leos and Griselle landed nearby, but the former fell on one paw as his strength immediately gave way. Alpha came to his aid without instruction. The group watched the smoke clear warily, and weren't surprised to see Charle stagger out of a huge ditch. He was covered from head to toe in damage, and couldn't even carry his sword or shield, both of which were lodged into the ground.
"Master Charle!" Primarina cried and stuck an arm out.
"It's over, Charle," Griselle announced, stood firm and tall.
Charle puffed and panted as he forced himself to reach for his weapons. Griselle didn't move from the spot, so he grabbed them with his paws and smirked at her, only to fall on one knee as he attempted to lift them. They wouldn't budge. "Hah… hah… you think this is… over?"
"You're not serious about still fighting, are you?" Griselle slumped and groaned.
"Please, just stop!" Primarina begged.
"Stop and accept defeat. You're coming with us," Leos ordered.
"Rrg, do you honestly think I would ever obey the likes of you?" Charle rambled. He gave up on his weapons as Griselle began to approach, and stumbled back. She grew anxious as he reached the edge of the cliff, but he stopped there. "No… I don't care. I don't care about anything. I would rather die than lose my honour serving the likes of you!"
He's not seriously going to jump, is he? Griselle shook her head slowly. She held out a paw and trembled, not taking her eyes off him. He wouldn't. He can't be serious. He's still just bluffing and bragging, please.
"Master!" Primarina cried.
Griselle didn't take her eyes off him. As if he was reading her mind, he went from fearful, to surprised, to snickering about something in the span of a moment. Those snickers turned to laughter as he stumbled back another two steps, and Griselle flew into action. Screams and gasps went off as she dove for him, and just about caught his paw over the edge.
"You idiot, you have Pokémon who care about you. Just swallow your pride already," Griselle growled. Charle dangled weakly, and but continued to laugh at her.
"Look at you. I want you dead, I want your kind dead, and I will never see us as equals. After everything I've done, you try to save my life?" Charle challenged. He made no effort to help her, so she struggled to balance herself, let alone pull him up.
"Charle! Just- damn it, pull yourself together!" Griselle growled. She froze at the sound of electricity, and gawked at him. His free claw had his aura around it.
"You don't get that satisfaction. You live with my hatred for the rest of your life!" Charle shouted. He slashed at Griselle, and she yelled in intense pain. The attack made her let go, and that was it.
Griselle gasped and helplessly stuck her arm out, ignoring the continued pain of his attack. The last she saw of Charle was his crazed smile and vile laughter as his figure disappeared into the darkness below.
"Master Charle!" Primarina cried at the top of her voice. She slithered after him, but Alpha was ahead of her.
"No you don't, we are not losing another Pokémon today!" Alpha hissed as he trapped her in Psychic. Primarina resisted, but Hyde was quick to help out and wrapped himself around her. "But, but Charle!"
"I dunno what you see in the guy, but trust me, you won't be achieving anything going after him. Yer coming with us," Hyde stated. Primarina gave up, but not without beginning to cry her eyes out.
Griselle stood back and struggled to look in her direction, or at anyone. I don't get it. He truly hates me and hybrid Pokémon so much that he would kill himself like that. He would rather be dead than serve jail time.
"Are you hurt?" Leos asked. She was surprised to find him right behind her. She rubbed her arm where Charle slashed her, and there was a little cut.
"U-uh, no actually. I'm… you! Are you hurt?" Griselle gasped.
"I was, but one of them healed me," Leos replied, bringing attention to the partially healed wound in his side. He had a large, bumpy mark like his skin and fur were patched over. "I'll get it looked at properly once we get to a doctor. What about Lollipop?"
"Right here," Hyde called.
"Gu gu! Gu gu!" Lollipop called out. It bounced over to the couple and jumped right into Griselle's arms, but waved at Leos happily.
"Wh-whoa, you've got energy all of a sudden," Griselle gasped. "There's no need to be scared anymore, I think."
"I'm so glad… I'm sorry, I'm so glad you're okay," Leos said. He was trembling, hard.
"Leos…" Griselle whispered.
"I just… th-this isn't about the messy house, it's just… when I was being carried here and I messed up, I didn't know what to do. For the first time I just—"
Griselle silenced him with a paw on his lip. "Just bring it in, soldier."
"Urgh, do you have to be carefree about it?" Leos wailed as he jumped into her. She retained her balance as she cuddled him back, and couldn't help but blush, too.
"You're kidding, right? I was scared outta my mind, too," she replied softly. "But it's over now, ain't it? We should get outta here."
Leos slowly broke away. She couldn't help but blush at his shocked, tear-covered face. Leos was as adorable as he was cool, and was exactly what she needed to see after Charle's face etched itself into her memory. "Don't worry, we'll talk about all this properly. But wouldn't you say this isn't the best place to talk? Especially about… personal stuff?"
"Personal stuff?" Leos replied slowly. He glanced around just as slowly, and then went bright red as he struggled to compose himself. "Ahem, ye-yes, you're right. This is a mystery dungeon, isn't it? If you have an Escape Orb, now is the time to use it, yes."
Griselle froze and her eyes widened. "Oh. Oh, crap."
"Oh?" Leos turned to her in fear.
"I just brought the toolbox. All that had was battle stuff in it, right? No Escape Orbs," she explained slowly.
"Gu, pew," Lollipop blew raspberries at her, and promptly jumped into Leos' arms.
"That makes me the favourite now, huh?" he muttered.
"Fortunately for you two, I came prepared. Gather round, now," Alpha instructed, revealing the orb they needed.
"Oh thank goodness, you're a lifesaver," Griselle sighed as they obeyed. "Seriously Alpha, you've done gods work today."