Walking away from the shore and the customs building, a wide, wide boulevard, split down the middle with pocket parks and winding rivers and decorated with ponds, opened up to the pokemon from Sunset Valley. And by comparison Azure City was lively, and to Rio that felt like putting it lightly. The boulevard was full of pokemon, lined with stores and carts, cinemas and bars, salesmon trying to sell and buyers debating on buying. Even if Rio was "adjusted to Azure's aura" or whatever, there was still buzzing in his head from all the noise. Kids laughed through the streets, people had conversations in groups everywhere, the heavy thuds and pitter patter of footsteps from below and the flap of wings from above, and the periodic hum of some form of technology activating and deactivating, on and off, on and off…
Alright, that last one was Mew messing with her Azure Eye when she and Z weren't darting from vendor to store to see what was on sale, but still. There was no end to the chatter coming from what was literally hundreds of people. Rio wasn't the only one having issues with the noise either. Everyone else was quiet and huddled close together, giving quiet complaints about the noise with under-the-breath swears, anxious whimpers, or just silently being overwhelmed. Well, everyone except Z or Mew.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd assume some of you haven't seen a city in your entire lives. Which isn't an insult, I should say," Reme said, her voice lacking the sarcasm her words portrayed. She didn't turn to address anyone, but everyone knew who she was talking about. Instead her gaze was focused and the city-goers around them "But I'm sure you'll find it rather mundane eventually."
"Eventually?" Minerva spat, looking over the crowds from atop Kora's head with an annoyed snarl. "I shoulda been used to it already! It's only been, like, five years since I left this place? I know it wasn't this damn loud! Or crowded! Or big!"
Reme frowned slightly. "Five years is a long time. You might as well treat it as a new city," she said coldly, then sighed and shifted slightly. "Azure has always been a city of progress and growth, of granted desires, of fulfilled dreams… And Pokemon from all over the world want to experience it. Which requires more space, so the city grows, and as the city grows, more Pokemon flock to it."
"No kiddin'," Minerva scoffed, then snickered as a devilish grin crawled on her face. "Well I'm due some fulfilled dreams and granted desires, I'd say! Barely got any cash to my name! Me an' Kora together can probably only afford a bag of lint! But not for long, right twerp?" Minerva laughed, patting the side of Kora's head.
Kora, who had been anxiously following behind Reme, let out a surprised yip at the pat, then tittered and nodded. "Y-Yeah, uh, sure thing. We'll be rich!" he said, putting on a shaky smile.
"Man," Rio muttered, putting a paw on Kora's shoulder to comfort him. "You're really out of it, Kora. You feeling alright?"
"I'd say no," Eva said with a shake of her head. "He's never been off Sunset, and now he's in the heart of a big ol' city. At least Minerva and I have experience, and… well you seem fine." The Zangoose then looked at Mew, who was still messing with her AE, and chuckled. "And Mew couldn't be bothered if we tried."
"R-Right?" Kora chuckled, putting a paw on Rio's and giving the Lucario a small smile. "And, uh, I'll… I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."
Mew floated onto Rio's shoulder, her AE now a constantly spinning headband. "That's exactly what you say to make someone worry about you more. That's what Rachi always says," she chirped, blinking for a second, then shrugging and going on without a care.
"I'm just excited we're finally here!" Z giggled, putting an arm around Kora's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be fine bro!"
"Bro?" Kora repeated, raising a brow. He stared at Z for a moment, then hummed.
"What? Can I… not call you bro?" Z asked, tittering. "A-Ah, uh, my bad."
"No it's… fine," Kora said. "Just… Kinda reminds me of Kai. Can't believe he's supposed to be with the guild."
Reme turned around, now walking backwards. "You all have so much to say for a group of fish out of water stereotypes," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "You truly will fit into Azure with ease. I wish I could give some advice for that, but I've always been a citizen, I'm afraid. Your situation is vastly new to me, although not unheard of, but I can't give any proper help on the matter." She turned back around, took a few steps, then raised a hand. "...Actually, I do have a suggestion."
"R-Really?" Kora spoke up first.
"What is it?" Rio added.
"If it ain't help on gettin' a classy high-rise with a penthouse suite and a view, I ain't interested," Minerva scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Technically, it's exactly that," Reme chuckled. "Find some work. There's no better way to get accustomed to a city than forcing yourself to live and converse among the citizens on a near daily or weekly basis."
"Find work? Huh… But wouldn't us being part of a guild get in the way of that? I mean… when we join a guild?" Eva asked.
"Depending on the job, very little to not at all. Some jobs work hand in hand with guild expectations, and others would be honored to have someone from a guild working with them. If anything, there's only benefits to working while being in a guild," Reme explained. "But I suppose getting a job is easier said than done. I can tell you all need some… work in functioning in a city setting."
"The hell does that mean?!" Minerva barked, crackling with electricity. "Ya wanna say that to my face?"
Reme shook her head, not needing to turn to show her disappointment. "Point proven, in your own case, Meowth," she said. "But I'm sure you'll find a use for that temper, or some way to alleviate it. An outlet of sorts. There are plenty if you know where to look. As for the rest of you, it is a matter of time and dedication."
Minerva scoffed and crossed her arms with a pout. "I ain't got no damn temper. I'm perfectly tempered. Ain't my fault everyone else turns they annoyin' up to eleven."
"Sure," Reme said flatly. "I know the rest of you wouldn't know where to start on your job hunt, but we at the Azure Guild would still be willing to assist. We know the city better than anyone, and with a brief interview we could–" A sudden flash appeared from Reme's dress collar. She pulled out a necklace with a shimmering, flashing blue stone. She pressed it with a light click, then a rectangular device materialized out of pixels and sparks. "...Hold that thought," she said, looking at the screen of the device and grimacing. "I need you all to follow me, something came up, but I don't have anyone who can guide you through Azure in my place."
Rio's ear flicked and he tilted his head, equally curious about the sparks and pixels, and concerned. "Why? What happened?"
Reme looked back at Rio for a moment, then turned straight ahead, her pace quickening. "A robbery at an aurmetal store. When we get there, stay put and do not interfere. I don't need any of you getting hurt on my watch."
"Damn, ten minutes in an' we already get to see a robbery? Ain't the city life somethin'?" Minerva snorted, oozing sarcasm. "I wasn't plannin' on helpin' anyway miss top o' her class."
Kora frowned, speeding up with everyone else. "What's a robbery again?"
"It means someone's trying to steal stuff," Rio explained. "Really bad thing."
"Oh," Kora blinked, frowning more. "...That's just mean."
"That's why Reme's gotta stop it," Eva said. "Speaking of, we should hurry up. She is really fast."
"Woooo! Action!" Mew cheered on Rio's shoulder. "And here I thought we were gonna do nothing but talk all the way home, hehe!"
Rio sighed, wanting to tell Mew she shouldn't be so excited about this, but didn't have the heart to do it. That and he had to focus to catch up with Reme.
Reme weaved between people with grace and ease, like a breeze rustling leaves without knocking any off. Even when they drew near to the crime scene and more and more pokemon were standing around, Reme didn't slow down. It made it almost impossible for the others to keep up, who were either short with stubby legs and lacked speed, tall and incapable of moving past anyone without bumping them with their mane, or was Rio and had Mew pulling his ears to try and steer him poorly through the crowd.
Before anyone could wonder if they were gonna reach the robbery, a loud crash filled the air. Rio and the others pushed to the front of the crowd to see a building made of entirely metal and glass, sporting almost futuristic signs advertising the same Azure Eyes Rio and the others were gifted. The windows were shattered by a rocky, stout pokemon that had jumped through it. A Golem, if Rio recalled, and following them was a gang of nefarious looking pokemon. Torracat, Stonjourner, and the biggest, meanest one of them all, a beefy Obstagoon. Each carried a bag that shook with a metallic rattle. Still inside the building, covered in burns and dents, was an Aggron.
"HA! Talk about a haul!" Obstagoon laughed. "Nice work lads!"
"Yeah boss!" the others cheered, already starting to run through the crowd. Golem took the lead, looking ready to barrel through the crowd when something cracked against his skull with a metallic whack. Golem reeled back, wincing and growling in pain, as Reme stepped forward with a metal staff in hand.
"You'll be hauling what you stole back to where it belongs," Reme said, her voice frigid and demanding. The crowd cheered behind her, and some of them started pushing and shoving Rio and the others to get a better view.
"Wh-What the heck? Shouldn't they be running away? A fight's about to break!" Eva growled, pushing somebody back.
"Speakin' of, can she actually handle four at once? Heh, maybe if she gets her ass handed to her she'll fall down off her high ass horse," Minerva hummed with a devious grin from atop Kora's head. "Hey Blue? You willin' to bet on Reme eatin' dirt this fight?"
Rio probably would've answered if he wasn't being consumed by the crowd. Along with Z. Minerva snorted, then turned back to the fight, unbothered. Kora also watched, antsy and anxious. Luckily, anyone trying to push him failed.
Obstagoon picked Golem up and gave Reme a sinister grin. "If it ain't the lady o' high horses. Comin' t' serve some justice ay?" He laughed again, cracking his neck and tossing his bag aside.
"If that's what you wish," Reme said flatly, spinning her staff before aiming it at Obstagoon.
"Tsk, what a stiff," Obstagoon spat, then threw a first forward. "BEAT 'ER ASS!"
The rest of Obstagoon's gang answered with a resounding, "Yes boss!" before charging Reme down. Torracat was the fastest, leaping over Reme with her fangs set ablaze. Reme swiftly swung her staff up to strike the feline in the jaw, shutting her mouth and sending her off course. Then came Golem again, aiming to tackle Reme with his entire body. Reme slammed her staff down hard on Golem's head, using enough force to break away stone and to flip over him entirely. Stonjourner, the slowest, barely had time to react before Reme cracked down with her staff on his head.
A loud, deafening roar of applause and blinding flash of camera lens erupted from the crowd at Reme's display. People cheered her name, others whooped and hollered, only drawing more pokemon near to do the same. Surprisingly, some even cheered for Obstagoon's gang.
Minerva barely kept up with how fast Reme was and had a look of dumbfounded awe on her face. "Shit, good thing I ain't bet," she chuckled with a relieved sigh.
Two little critters then popped out of Kora's mane. A Zorua and an Eevee, both sharing the crowd's hype. "WOOHOOOO!" the Zorua, Kai, obviously, cheered. "Go guild lady! Go!"
"SHIT!" Minerva yelped, almost jumping off of Kora's head. "Wh-What the–?! Why're you two here?!"
Kai looked at Mia, then back at Minerva. "...We aren't?" Minerva glared at the kits, then slowly looked back at the fight.
Kora didn't seem to care about his brother's sudden appearance. He watched Reme's every move, enthralled by the battle. As the fight between Reme and Obstagoon's goons continued, he started cheering as well.
Rio was still swallowed up by the crowd, trying to see the fight for himself, but couldn't see over the constantly moving bodies or the people that were just tall. He tried to be polite, but he didn't think anyone even heard him. Eventually he was shoved into Z, who was also cheering with the crowd.
"Oh, hey Rio!" Z chirped, putting an arm over Rio's shoulder to not lose him in the crowd. "Whaddya doin' over here? Did you miss me?"
"Actually I was shoved here," Rio grimaced and pouted. "I can't even see what's going on!"
"Oh, that's a bummer," Z clicked his tongue, then pointed to Mew on the top of Rio's head. "Did you ask her to fly you up? Maybe a bird's eye view would be better!"
Rio stared at Z, then frowned deeply. "I have not, thank you," the lucario grumbled, then looked up at Mew, who was also cheering with the crowd. "Hey, could you lend a hand? I dunno if you noticed but I'm getting tossed around like a ball."
"Huh?" Mew blinked, then beamed and nodded. "Sure!" She then put her paw on Rio's face.
"...Not what I meant," Rio deadpanned. "I mean, could you float me up so I can see the fight."
"Ooooooooh," Mew hummed. "Oki doki!" A pink aura suddenly wrapped around Rio, briefly sending a piercing headache through his skull, and he started to float upwards. Some of the crowd took notice, gawking at him and Mew, but were quickly focused back on the fight.
Even with three pokemon charging her, Reme held her own and barely looked like she was trying. Her movements were fluid and elegant, and hit hard. Chunks of stone were missing from Stonjourner and Golem, and Torracat already had a limp. Yet all of them still fought… while Obstagoon watched from the sidelines, grinning evilly.
"Ya ain't holdin' back? Not ev'n a smidge?" Obstagoon scoffed, watching Torracat get caught in mid air and thrown into Golem's side. "We're down a man an' ya can't even pity us? I'm hurt, girly."
"Hilarious," Reme replied in a flat tone, sweeping Stonjourner with her staff and letting the rock 'mon crumble. "This isn't going to go any different than before, Obstagoon. Stand down."
Obstagoon's grin stretched further. He crossed his arms and leaned forward tauntingly. "I beg t' differ," he growled and scoffed, then pounded his fists. Ice shattered off and fluttered to the ground, and the gray of his fur turned a bright icy blue. "Livin' 'n Azure an' ya still doubtin' a human? Someone's gettin' COCKY!"
"He's human too?" Rio muttered from above. He was already invested in this fight, for some reason, but now he felt even more so. "N-No way…"
Obstagoon threw an ice punch at Reme, surprisingly fast for his size. Reme just barely blocked it with her staff. The crowd cheered, Obstagoon winced, some of that icy blue fading, and Reme remained unfazed.
"I'm not doubting humans, I'm doubting you," Reme said, pushing Obstagoon back. "Nothing has changed, I see."
"Let's see how much you can see in the hospital!" Obstagoon roared, pounding his fists again. This time they crackled with electricity, and his fur changed to a bright yellow. Still as fast as before he threw blow after blow at Reme, but instead of blocking any, she just weaved between his fists. The bulkier 'mon growled, furious. "Stop MOCKING ME!"
From above, Rio was just as enraptured in the fight as the crowd. Compared to the few fights he had been in, or rather the few he fumbled threw, this was somehow both tamer and more exhilarating. He'd pay to see something like this. He found himself constantly watching Reme though. Her elegance and skill… It all felt like the textbook definition of what a hero should be. Even if he had his weird absorption powers working properly, he doubted he'd do half as well as her. Hell, it looked like Obstagoon had a similar ability and he was being toyed with.
"Geez," Rio chuckled. "I wanna fight like that…"
"I know right? They're so cool!" Mew gushed, holding her cheeks and floating onto Rio's shoulder. "That Reme lady is the coolest!"
"Yeah," Rio nodded. "I bet she got this in the bag, even with those other three ganging up behind her."
"Hehe, yeah," Mew giggled. The two paused, then shook their heads and gasped. Torracat, Stonjourner, and Golem were each slowly walking up behind Reme, who was still focused on Obstagoon. "Th-Those cheaters!" Mew exclaimed, pouting and crossing her arms.
"W-We gotta do something!" Rio yelped. "But I dunno if I–"
"DOING SOMETHING!" Mew suddenly shouted, and the two of them started rocketing down towards the fight.
"W-WAIT MEW!" Rio called out, but it was too late.
Obstagoon was still throwing out punches, getting more and more furious, until he suddenly wasn't. The beefy 'mon let out a dark laugh as a punch was blocked by Reme's staff. "Ha! This'll show ya for doubtin' m–" he began, when he heard a loud, dull thud. "Wh-What the hell?!"
Reme took advantage of the distraction and whacked Obstagoon in the chin with her staff. His electric yellow faded and he stumbled back, taking another hit from Reme. Reme turned to face the rest of his group… and paused. Mew and Rio had crashed into Torracat, and the three of them rolled into a pile. Torracat was out cold. The crowd stopped cheering, mumbling and rumbling with confusion. Others laughed. "Others" being Minerva. Z still cheered though, and the camera flashes didn't stop either.
"Y-Ya cheatin'- Who the 'ell are these clowns?!" Obstagoon barked, already back to being furious.
Golem and Stonjourner were both just as lost as the crowd, but the former spoke up. "I ain't gotta clue boss," Golem muttered. "They just kinda… fell from the sky."
Reme frowned, but quickly turned to face Obstagoon again with her staff aimed at him. She backed slowly to Rio and Mew. "I told you not to interfere," she scolded both of them.
"I-I didn't want to!" Rio groaned as he got up, but went into a fighting stance. "Well, not like this. They were ganging up behind you, I couldn't just stand there and watch!"
Reme paused for a second, then exhaled sharply. "Then you can handle Stonjourner and Golem. As a Lucario and an Outlander, you should do fine."
"R-Right!" Rio said, feeling like he was forgetting something. "This should be easy!"
Mew floated up to Rio's shoulder, grinning proudly. "We'll show 'em what happens to cheaters!" she declared, drawing more confusion and camera flashes from the crowd.
"That enthusiasm…" Reme muttered, then shook her head and hard focused Obstagoon. "This will be your last chance to yield, Obstagoon. Stand down."
"Pah!" Obstagoon spat, pounding his fists once more. This time his gray turned a fiery red. "Ya ain't gonna scare me with some damn Lucario, even if he is a human! Must be a new recruit lookin' to make a name for 'imself!" he grinned, chuckling devilishly. "How 'bout we help 'im put that name on a tombstone boys?"
"Yeah!" Golem and Stonjourner cheered, then both started charging Rio.
"Wh-What?!" Rio yelped. "H-Hold on–!" Reme ducked between the two rock types to handle Obstagoon, leaving Rio to them. Golem tackled Rio hard, knocking him on his back. Rio hit the ground, but caught himself and rolled onto his knees. "Th-That hurt! Man that hurt!"
Stonjourner was about to do the same to Rio, but luckily Mew stopped him with psychic aura. "Hey!" Mew pouted, glaring and snarling, then instantly snapping into a bubbly giggle. "Can I get your autograph? It was so cool how you got your cute rocky butt kicked, hehe~!" she cooed.
"...Huh?" Stonjourner stared off into space as if everything in his head just stopped working.
Then Mew started crawling over Stonjourner's body in a speedy pink blur. "I wasn't kidding! You're adorable! And built! You look so strong~!" she gushed. "Are you buff for a rock type? You look like it! Are you ticklish? Do you smell like sugar or dirt? Can I have a taste?"
"H-H-HELP!" Stonjourner cried out suddenly, trying to swat Mew off of him. "G-Get this creep away from me! B-BRO! AHHHHHHHHH!"
"Bro!" Golem exclaimed, then growled at Rio. "Your… whatever that is, is freakin' my bro out! Not cool!"
"Not cool?" Rio got back into a fighting stance, frowning. "W-Weren't you trying to rob a store?!" he huffed back.
Golem replied by charging Rio again. This time the Lucario caught him, holding him back as best he could. Which, uh… wasn't much at all. The two barely even slowed as Golem pushed Rio towards the crowd. More confused grumblings came from them, more camera flashes. It was new, and… unnerving, for some reason. Golem scoffed, grabbing Rio's arms to hold the Lucario in place. "Man, Krys really gave you Lucario a good name! Why are you so wimpy?"
Being closer to the crowd, Rio picked up on some of the mumblings from the crowd…
"Wimpy? Isn't he a Lucario?"
"Why isn't he pushing him back?"
"Finally, someone with noodle arms that isn't surprisingly strong."
"I thought Lucario were stronger than that…"
It distracted Rio for a second, maybe even longer, causing his legs to start to buckle. "Hrrgh-! Wh-What?" Rio groaned, trying again to push Golem back. He snarled and panted and wheezed, but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't budge Golem. "Who a-are you even… t-talking about?"
"How about I show ya?" Golem grinned, then he started spinning Rio around. "He got some fancy get well soon cards, I could send ya one on your way to ER!" With a hefty grunt, Golem threw Rio back into the crowd. Surprisingly, the crowd didn't panic or try to disperse. Rio braced himself, fearful that he'd hurt someone on accident…
Until he slammed into what felt like a stone wall. For a moment, he thought it was Diana, already back to lend a hand… But as it turned out, it was just Kora who caught him. "You doin' alright Rio?" Kora asked, smiling slightly. "Need some help?"
"J-Just a bit," Rio tittered shyly. "I'm uh… a bit rusty, I guess, hehe…"
"How about that, that hot lady with the cut lil Meowth looks more sturdy than you!" Golem laughed, pounding his fists together. "Surprised she ain't runnin'. What? You boutta join in too?"
"...Hot?" Kora blinked, suddenly lost.
"Who ya callin' cute," Minerva glared at Golem, hopping off Kora's head.
Golem blinked, then threw his head back in laughter. "What a riot! This is perfect!" he said as he wiped a tear from his eye. He put his hands on his knees and put on a mocking "cute" face. "Is dah wittle baby gonna throw a tantwum?"
Kora frowned. "That's not nice, or funny." He was about to step in himself, when Minerva held up a paw to stop him.
"I got this twerp." Minerva cracked her knuckles, crackling with electricity. "So that's ya name? Tantrum? Ya parents either hated ya or had a sick sense of humor,"
"How cute!" Golem clapped, then frowned and rumbled. "The lil girl's got comebacks! How about you come back in stitches!" He charged Minerva, tackling her with all his might. But the Meowth caught him with ease, lifting him over her head.
"EAT SHIT, ASSHOLE!" Minerva barked, then slammed Golem into the ground so hard he was embedded into it. The crowd froze in awe, Golem was stunned, not even realizing what just happened.
"B-Bro!" Stonjourner cried, trying to bat Mew away still. "G-Get off you crazy bitch!"
"I'm gonna!" Mew giggled, currently between the stone 'mon's legs. "You taste terrible anyway, hehe!"
Obstagoon, now on the defensive, was just seeing what happened to Golem and Stonjourner. "M-My boys?!" he exclaimed, blocking another hit from Reme's staff and shoving her away. "The hell are ya doin' to 'em?!"
Reme quickly returned, throwing a swift punch to Obstagoon's head before jabbing him in the chest with her staff. As the beefy 'mon had the wind knocked out of him, Reme struck both his knees to bring him down. Obstagoon hit the ground, and before he could retaliate, was pinned by the end of Reme's staff.
"If you want this to stop, surrender, and turn yourself in," Reme ordered, pressing down hard.
"Th-These freaks are with you?" Obstagoon exclaimed, wheezing as he tried to push the staff off of him. He snarled and coughed, exhausted, then let himself go limp. "Gah… F-Fine..! Fine! Just call the freaks off!" he yelled.
"Good," Reme said, taking the staff off of Obstagoon and turning to the others. A deadpan stare quickly fell over her face at the sight. Mew was still assaulting Stonjourner and now Kai and Mia were laughing and running around the stony 'mon, Kora and Rio were trying to keep Minerva from beating Golem further into the dirt, yelling profanities at the top of her lungs, and the crowd was… apparently at a loss of words. "What a mess…" Reme sighed, bringing out her phone from her necklace to make a call, and sending her staff away at the same time.
Almost as fast as Reme arrived at the scene, so too did a group of Pokemon all wearing Azure attire after her call went out. The crowd was dispersed and moved along, Obstagoon and his gang were apprehended and cuffed with specialized aurmetal cuffs and the merchandise they stole was returned, and Rio and the others were told to stay put as Reme handled everything.
"Alright, Obstagoon, you're sure this is all of you?" Reme asked the badger, arms crossed. "It isn't like you to go under-manned."
Obstagoon snorted. "Nah, had Centiskorch sneak through the back," he said with a cheeky grin. "Bastard's already back to base by now. Tough luck catchin' 'im, girly."
Reme frowned, sighing and shaking your head. "I hate you."
"But ain't it ya job too?" Obstagoon laughed, then winced. "Considerin' the numbuh ya did t' me, I'd say ya still qualify."
"Suck it up," Reme said coldly, then glanced at Golem, still embedded in the ground with a group of Azure members trying to free him. "Be glad you didn't end up like him."
"Yea! Speakin' of, the hell is up with those freaks?!" Obstagoon barked. "'S the brat a human too? An' that pink… cat thing? She done scarred Stonjourner!" The pokemon in question, Stornjourner, was a shaky pile of stone with aurmetal chains connecting all his pieces. "Torracat's lucky gettin' knocked out 'fore they did somethin' t' 'er!"
Reme grimaced, shaking her head. "They're none of your business for now," she answered, then turned to the other Azure members. "Someone dial pick up, and hurry up with Golem."
"Yes ma'am," came a unanimous reply, followed by several grunts and heaves and hos, as well as Golem complaining about them pulling too hard.
"Why today of all days…" Reme sighed under her breath as she started towards Rio and the rest.
"Hol' up a sec," Obstagoon called. "Those freaks o' yours, they're new 'n town, aye?" he asked, but didn't get a reply. Which was answer enough to him apparently. "I gotcha. I'll keep my eye on 'em. Freak or not, a human like the brat could come in handy. Ain't no such thing as too many 'eavy liftuhs," he chuckled deviously.
Reme remained silent, only giving Obstagoon an eye roll before ignoring him completely. She went up to Rio, looking down at him with a stoic or indifferent expression. Rio shuddered slightly, shrinking under her gaze. "S-So, uh… I-I'm sorry for, uh, not… listening," he said, then whimpered quietly and looked down at his feet, holding his side. It still ached from when he got tackled the first time. "And for… not really helping. At all."
"Your performance left a lot to be desired, yes," Reme nodded. Rio winced, his tail drooping down, recalling what Golem said, and the crowd… But then Reme crouched down to look in his eyes again. "But even if all you could muster was a distraction, it helped me greatly. Thank you."
Rio blinked, staring back at Reme. "H-Huh? But I didn't even stop anyone? Or fight back, or…"
"You stopped Golem from attacking me, and you also stopped Torracat. I could focus on their boss and take him down because of that. That fight would've gone on longer than it did if you hadn't stepped in," Reme said with a nod. "Granted, you got hurt in the process. And as for your friends–" Reme stood up, looking specifically at Mew and Minera, both on Rio's shoulders, then back to Rio, "The both of them did well too. Better, yes, but don't let that get you down, Outlander."
"Oh, uh, I… I see," Rio muttered, dumbfounded. He still felt conflicted, and bad… but not as much now, at least.
Minerva beamed, puffing out her chest and grinning. "It ain't nothin'! All in a day's work or whatever the hell, heh!"
"Yeah!" Mew cheered, wrapping Rio's head in a hug. "We did something! The both of us! And Minerva! Hehe~!" That only got a scoff from the Meowth, and a nasty glare.
Reme then looked at Z and Eva, the two that listened to her and didn't interfere. "And you two? Thank you for not interfering, but if you felt the need to act you absolutely could have," she said, shocking everyone.
"Wh-What?" Eva muttered, shaking her head. "B-But you… You literally told us not to?"
"I did," Reme nodded. "But you all aim to be heroes, right?" she asked. That question caused Rio and Eva both to light up, and Kora to pay more attention. "Sometimes, in order to be a hero, you have to do what you aren't supposed to. Honestly, I'm surprised only three of you did."
Eva's ears drooped and she rubbed her arm. "Oh… I see," she muttered.
Reme took note of this with a sigh. "Like I said, it's alright you didn't. Knowing when to do a just wrong is more important than actually doing it. Mindlessly throwing yourself at danger for the greater good is… Well for some it may still work, but not for most." If Reme intended for that to make Eva feel better, the Zangoose didn't show any sign that it worked. Letting out another sigh, Reme turned and motioned for the group to follow her. "Come, we still have a while to walk."
"But, what about the bad guys?" Kora muttered, pointing at Obstagoon. Who looked back at him with a grin. Kora shuddered and looked away. "Don't they have to be… unconscious? That's how my mom always handled bad guys in her stories."
"No? Pickup will be here for them momentarily," Reme replied. And just as she finished that sentence, Golem was freed from the ground. He was rolled over to Obstagoon's side, along with the still out-cold Torracat and shuddering rubble that was Stonjourner. Suddenly, a blue blur sped by, almost knocking Rio and the others over with a powerful gust of wind, and the bad guys were just… gone.
"Wh-What the hell was that?!" Rio exclaimed.
"Th-They just vanished?!" Eva yelped.
"That was so cool!" Z both cheered along with Kai and Mia from his mane. Mew looked like she was about to cheer, but was staring at where the blur had gone off to.
"Wuh– Dammit! I missed it!" Minerva groaned. Kora somehow didn't notice, then pouted when he realized he also missed something.
"Calm down, that was the pickup. He's the fastest Pokemon in Azure, a god named Latios," Reme explained nonchalantly. She took several steps before stopping and turning around. Everyone else had stopped in their tracts, looking at her with the most dumbfounded expression. "...What?"
"A god?" Rio repeated. " As in, a god god? And you just… said that so casually? Huh?"
"...Yes, because he's a god. It's what he is," Reme said, raising a brow. "Don't tell me you all don't know about gods."
Kora shook his head. "Uh, no, it's just… Well, I only ever heard them from stories from my Mom."
"Yeah!" Kai chirped. "We didn't know there was one here!"
"Ah, I see," Reme nodded, then glared at Kai and Mia. "And speaking of things that are unexpectedly here…" She gave the two kits a disappointed shake of her head before addressing Kora and the others again. "Your mother is Diana, no? I don't want to assume, but it sounds like she did a poor job of teaching you about the world. To no fault of her own, of course, if she was truly on that island for however long."
Reme turned back around, continuing on. "If we're lucky, I can answer all the questions you all surely have once we arrive at your abode. For now, please keep moving."
And so, the group obediently followed behind Reme. Talks were sparse, but they slowly grew longer and more frequent as Z, Kai, and Mew chatted to waste time. Reme gladly answered any questions she said she could, like how the preferred name of the Entertainment District was "Paradise" to most citizens, or that those flashing bricks with screens were called "phones", and that they'd be a bit costly but worth the investment.
Although, Rio and Eva didn't join in talks as often as the others, and both of them started falling to the back of the group. They claimed they were just kinda tired, or were just walking slow whenever they were asked. Eva did have stubby legs, and Rio had been thrown around like a doll… so that checked out. The tired comment did remind everyone that they were hungry though… and as expected, the group turned to Reme to help with that.
One impromptu lunch at a burger stand, which obviously included Mew putting her face in two buns and trying to convince anyone to take a bite, why wouldn't it, and a loooooong walk later, and the group arrived in a new area. It wasn't busy at all, so everyone took the time to admire everything around them. A river cut through the street, with boats going up and down, or water type pokemon swimming through it. There weren't any carts in the streets or restaurants or stores, only apartments and hotels, according to the many signs. Some were comfy and short, with little decorations if any, others were tall and honestly kinda intimidating, with fancy lights and huge fountains.
"What is this place?" Rio asked. "It's so… relaxing? Calming? I dunno the right word, I think."
"It's the residential district of Azure," Reme answered calmly. "If you take out your AE and bring up the map, it should tell you, actually."
"Oh right," Rio said, raising the paw with the aurmetal ring Mew fitted on him. He then paused, tittering, and lowered it back down. "Would, uh, anyone else like to test it?"
A quick look at everyone else and Rio realized just how much of a task that was. Kora didn't know what Rio was talking about, Minerva was having trouble getting her AE to not be spiky, Mew was too busy making hers spin above her finger, and Z was still gawking at the other buildings with Kai and Mia. But Eva wasn't doing anything. She raised her paw and chuckled. "I guess I'm up," she said, flexing her paw. Her body took a faint red glow, then the Azure Eye in her ring shimmered with the same glow. A map shone in the air, followed by a somewhat robotic tone;
[-KZZT- You are in the: Rezzidential District - Eazztern City Complex -KZZT-]
[-KZZT- Home Addrezz: Not Regizztered. Pleazze input now -KZZT-]
That second part got everyone to tilt their head, aside from Reme of course. "What's that about?" Eva asked.
"Even the most basic model of Azure Eyes comes with a GPS to allow anyone ease of travel within Azure," Reme answered. "Oh, you wouldn't know what that is… Think of it as a map that can show you where you are and lead you to where you want to go." She glanced back at Eva, brow raised. "Also you aren't channeling enough into it. It shouldn't be crackling so much."
"Oh? Huh." Eva looked back at her ring, frowning slightly. "I can't really do more than this without firing off some attack… And honestly I thought it was cute. Quirky, or something like that."
Reme paused briefly at that, looking ahead again. "That's curious. Do none of you have proper aura training?"
"I'm sort of self taught," Eva said. "But aside from using aura for physical attacks or flamethrowers, I don't have much more practice."
"I can crackle," Minerva answered proudly. "An' I don't need any trainin', I'm strong enough on my own."
Kora crossed his arms and shrugged. "I think I'm pretty good at it. Aura is part of combat and my Mom taught me tons of that."
"How odd," Reme clicked her tongue, then glanced at Rio, Mew, and Z. "And you three?"
Z beamed, raising a claw. A ball of dark type energy formed above it, then split into five and started rapidly circling around each other. Then they all dispersed into harmless embers. "I dunno but I'd say I'm great at it! Not to, you know, brag or anything."
"What?! I was gonna do that!" Mew snickered, putting on a big grin after. "I guess I'll just have to do this!" She pointed a paw at Rio, instantly enveloping him in a psychic aura and casually lifting him over her head.
"H-Hey! Mew! Put me down!" Rio barked. "Why'd you pick me out of everyone else?!"
"Cuz~!" Mew chirped, floating up to Rio and bopping him on the snout. "No one else woulda made it so funny!"
"I'm glad you can find humor at my expense," Rio deadpanned, bopping Mew back. "You can set me down now, thanks."
Mew obliged with a dorky salute, gently setting Rio back on the ground and returning to his shoulder, beaming brightly. "So you see, tall lady? I'm great at aura stuffs."
"That you are," Reme muttered, eyeing Rio again before turning back down the street. "I see there is plenty to discuss, but I am afraid we are still far from your abode. There is a shortcut, but before that I must ask, how acquainted are you all with teleportation?"
"Teleportation?" Rio repeated. "I've been teleported once. That's about it. I don't think anyone else has been." He looked back at the others, just to notice Mew popping here and there in flashes of pink, looking back at him with the smuggest of grins. "Now you're just trying to show off," Rio grimaced.
"Hey, I teleported before!" Kora scoffed, then crossed his arms and pouted. "Well… In a dream I did. I could fly in that dream too. It was cool."
Reme sighed, holding onto her necklace and summoning her phone again. "Ordinarily we would put you through an acclimation class, but I do not wish to be pressed for time. Just be warned, you may feel the need to vomit," she said, tapping away at her screen and picking up her pace.
"Vomit?" Z repeated, scrunching up his nose. "Man, you all just ate too."
"What about you, other twerp?" Minerva scoffed. "Ain't ya the one that scarfed down an extra order of fries? That were mine?"
"Oh yeah, totally. I'm just used to teleportation," Z snorted, then winked at Minerva. "And thanks for the fries hun, love ya~"
"Don't wink at me, fry thief," Minerva spat. She turned to Reme, expression unchanging. "An' how the hell are ya gonna teleport all of us, huh? That brick got some magic powers or whatever?"
Eva crossed her arms and hummed thoughtfully. "Actually, can't Gardevoir teleport?"
"Alot," Kora answered.
"How do… you know?" Eva asked.
"Dreamed about it. A lot of things were teleporting. Gardevoir, Lucario, Me…" Kora tittered. "Man, I miss that dream."
"Well, my phone can't, nor can I. Even if I had the ability to, I wouldn't have enough energy to go back and forth with all of you," Reme said, still tapping away at her phone. "We'll be using a ring gate. It'll be self explanatory once we arrive."
There was more to unpack in that the more Rio thought about it, but he figured that'd have to wait a bit. Fortunately it wasn't too long, as about a block down and a few turns down different streets, they all came across a giant golden ring with some sort of device beside it. Rio almost immediately forgot what he wanted to ask prior as he was enthralled by the expanded jewelry.
"Oh whoa," Rio muttered, running a paw along the ring. It wasn't smooth, but had a ton of easy to miss etchings and patterns into it. Some of them looked familiar… sort of like the patterns on the stone doors in Sunset Valley's dungeon. "This is… Why is this so big?"
"Shiny…" Z Ooo'd, drawing Kai and Mia out of his mane. He ran his paws along it as well, an awestruck smile on his face.
"So cool…" Kai gasped, staring at his reflection. Mia rolled her eyes and shook her head, silently snickering.
"Expensive…" Minerva purred, trying to chip a piece of the ring off with her claw. "Damn, it's solid-solid. Can't get a piece off…" she scoffed, then glanced at Reme, who glared back at her, and cleared her throat. "Which is good! Sturdy hunk of gold! Means it'll last a while, haha!" Minerva said with a forced chuckle.
Mew stared at the ring in silence, either admiring it or lost in thought, but eventually shook her head and floated over to Rio's shoulder. "I want six!" Mew snickered, then shook her head. "No! Twelve! For all my fingers and toes!" She wriggled each in the air as if she needed to prove she had them in the first place.
"It's so cool," Kora whistled. "I kinda… wonder how it tastes?"
"Didn't you just eat?" Eva scoffed.
"Well I'm hungry again," Kora tittered. "I've always had a big appetite, and those… burgers, right? Were kinda small."
"They were the size of my head!" Eva exclaimed with a laugh. "And you had three!"
While everyone was busy chattering, the ring suddenly lit up with a vibrant purple light. Reme was standing by the device, it now turned on to a map of the residential area, but with many golden dots on it. Notably, one of them near the center of the map was flashing gold and purple, and another more to the north was flashing gold and blue.
"All you need to do is step through this portal and we should arrive at your abode," Reme explained, lifting her necklace from the device. The map deactivated, but the ring remained alight. "Ordinarily this wouldn't be the case, but as you are soon to discover, your abode is a special exception."
"How ominous," Rio said, tittering after and taking a quick glance at everyone else. "Anyone wanna go in first o–" Kai and Mia had already leapt through the portal, followed by Z, with both dark types cheering as they did. As soon as they touched the portal they just vanished. Rio deadpanned and sighed. "I'm not even surprised. Anyone else wanna go?"
"Ya ain't scared or nothin', right Blue?" Minerva scoffed, standing on Kora's head and puffing out her chest. "If the runts can run on through, we ain't got nothin' to worry about! Quit bein' a wuss." She grinned down at Kora, leaning over to look him in the eye. "Let's hurry an' get there so we can get first dibs on the biggest room!"
Kora lit up slightly and snickered. "Oh that's right, we'll have first dibs!" he cheered, turning to Rio and giving a grin. "Don't worry, you can bunk with me if you want, hehe!" the fox said as he jumped right into the light.
Which left Rio, Eva, Mew, and Reme. Rio was about to throw out a quip and ask again, when he noticed Mew staring at the gate. He tilted his head, tapping her on the shoulder. "You alright?"
"Huh?" Mew blinked, snapping back to reality. She chuckled and nodded, leaning against Rio's head. "It's so sweet how ya care about me so much~!" she cooed, but she wasn't as hyper about it as she usually was, and Rio caught that.
"We'll talk about stuff later if you still aren't feeling great, alright?" Rio said, smiling.
Mew smiled back and nodded, getting some of her energy back and pumping a fist. "Then let's warp!"
"Yeah," Eva said. "I feel lucky my first teleport is gonna be through a giant ring. Feels unique, you know?"
Reme walked over to Eva's side, humming quietly. "If that will help you cross," she said flatly. "But no more delays you three. Go on, through the ring. We have more to discuss than I have time to explain, especially to the both of you."
Rio and Eva both blinked and glanced at each other, then to Mew.
"Did you–" Mew started.
"Not you," Reme shook her head, wiping her face as she approached the portal herself. "Please hurry up."
And then Reme was gone. The three left behind chuckled among themselves, then walked on after her. Whatever Reme wanted to talk about must've been important, and it'd just be rude to keep her waiting. Eva went in before him, then Mew, and Rio was about to follow right along when something came to mind. Orion was silent this entire time… no quips, jokes, teases, nothing. It was… worrisome, but Rio didn't want to see what Reme would do if he stayed any longer. They were heading to their new home anyway, he could just check in with Orion after they were done with the business-feeling part of all this.
Rio stepped through the portal, feeling an overwhelming amount of psychic aura at first, which quickly tapered off as he touched ground on the other side. He, and everyone else, ended up in a wide, empty street, lined with bare trees and dead leaves. Rio could've sworn he saw a tumbleweed tumble by, it was so barren. On the other side of the street was a tall, long wall with stones as a base, a short, curved tiled roof, and polished but old wood between them. Nobody could see over it, except maybe Mew… if she wasn't retching on the floor.
"Mew?!" Rio exclaimed, hurrying to her side, where Reme and Kora already were. He anxiously put a paw on her back, obviously worried. "W-What happened?"
"T-Teleporter… h-hates…" Mew muttered. "A-Almost lost… M-Minerva fries…"
Minerva, who was standing back along with everyone else, frowned. "I knew I had less an' less fries than I ordered…"
"This is peculiar. I don't recall any psychics being susceptible to the teleportation process, let alone one who could already teleport," Reme muttered, pulling an odd looking seed from her necklace. "Here, a heal seed. It should help with your nausea."
Mew looked at the seed, then scrunched up her nose and turned away. "Bitter… bleh." Reme sighed, sending the seed away.
"Oh, well, I should have a lum berry instead," Kora said, reaching into his mane and pulling out the exact berry, but staring at it for a second. "That was fast," Kora hummed, then offered it to Mew. "Here, should be nice an' sweet."
Mew took the berry and devoured it with little hesitation, slowly floating up off the ground with a smile on her face. "That's soooooo much better!" she chirped, giving Kora a quick, snug hug before planting herself on his head. "Thanks a million!" Mew giggled, scratching Kora behind the ears. The Zoroark smiled and tittered, leaning back into the scritches.
"H-Hey!" Minerva crackled suddenly, shaking a fist at Mew. "That's my spot! Git off!"
Reme raised a hand before it could escalate further. "Ladies, we have business. How many times more do I need to stress that?" she said, giving Minerva a cold, disappointed glare.
Minerva looked insulted, pointing a claw at Mew. "But sh–"
"If you want to cause a fight, do so after you settle into your new abode. Or would you rather I leave you all here and be on my way? I have far more important things to do than witness a catfight," Reme spat coldly. Minerva crackled, but didn't retort, so Reme sighed and walked down the road. "Good, now if you would follow me to the gate."
Everyone silently followed Reme, except Minerva at first. Rio went to the Meowth, about to speak, when Minerva snapped a fierce glare at him. He flinched, which made Minerva ease up and hop onto his shoulder. She didn't say a word as she leaned against Rio's head and looked forward.
Reme led them all along the wall, then stopped before a tall, wooden gate with metal rings for knobs that were chained together. It was definitely aged, with splintering in some parts, the paint or polish being more faded on the lower half of it, and the curved, tiled roof was missing a few tiles. Even if it was old, it looked… classy. Which was enough to bring Minerva's mood back up.
"The hell is this place?" Minerva asked, an excited grin on her face.
"Yeah… it looks kinda important," Rio added, admiring the gate and wall still.
Z let out an excited giggle, pumping his fists in the air. "This feels so exciting!"
Kai and Mia popped out of his mane, just as excited. "This looks so cool!" the kit awed, then looked at Reme with the biggest, saddest eyes he could. "Can me and Mia please stay here? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?"
"You haven't even seen the building itself," Reme said, then shook her head. "And no. You are guild members who aren't full citizens of Azure, therefore you must stay in your guild complex. Those are the rules." A stern look followed. "The both of you shouldn't even be here in the first place."
"Aw man…" Kai muttered, defeated along with Mia. "Well, can we visit it at least?"
"Possibly," Reme shrugged. That was apparently good enough for Kai, who lit right back up and happily barked. Reme smiled ever so slightly before addressing everyone else. "The Outlander was correct, this place is rather important. Behind these doors lies the mansion–"
"MANSION?!" Minerva exclaimed, her grin brighter than ever as more and more sparks crackled off her body.
"Be quiet," Reme said, giving everyone a quick authoritative glare before clearing her throat. "Yes, a mansion, of a criminal organization, the Drake Mafia, that used to terrorize Azure for decades. For decades, the only things to come from behind these walls were criminals and villains, who brought back nothing but troves of stolen riches. As well as those foolish enough to want to desire a taste of that wealth for themselves, and decided to turn to a life of crime to satiate that hunger" she went on. Rio… thought he saw her face twitch, but didn't say anything. Yet. "The boss of that organization, a man feared by criminals and heroes alike, passed only a decade prior, and was replaced by a monster who enforced even crueler acts of villainy, ruling with not just an iron fist, but bitter malice."
Rio tensed up, swallowing. "A-Are you serious?" he shuddered. "Should we e-even be here?"
"S-Sounds terrifying, alright," Kora muttered.
"That monster must be a real bad dude," Mew whistled, patting Kora's head. "Bet he was a dang cheater too."
"I wonder if there's any cash inside…" Minerva wondered, greedily rubbing her paws together.
Z, now holding Kai and Mia in his arms, was enthralled with the story. "What happened to the monster? Was it stopped? Did it die?"
"Is it haunting the mansion like a ghooooooost?" Kai asked, snickering right after and waving his paws ominously. "OOooooOooOOoOOoooooooOOOoOo~!"
"There's no such thing as ghosts," Eva scoffed, fidgeting slightly, then turned back to Reme. "And why're you telling us this anyway? This some spooky story to get back at us for all the setbacks?"
"Could be," Reme said humorlessly. "But that is only supplementary to me informing you of where you'll be staying."
"Oh, alright," Eva nodded. A pause followed, then her and everyone else stared at Reme with wide eyes.
"We're staying HERE?!"
Reme didn't flinch, but frowned and shook her head. "You all are annoyingly vulnerable to surprises and slow to realize. I pity whenever any of you celebrate a birthday," she grimaced. She put her hand on her necklace, then pulled out her staff. "Yes, you all will be staying at the Drake Mansion." Reme spun her staff, then whacked the chains keeping the gates closed. It didn't look like she used much effort, but the metal chains shuttered with ease. Reme gave the others a look, raising a brow. "What, no comments?"
Rio raised a paw. "We would, but we also don't want to end up like that chain."
"A fair point," Reme said, then pushed open the gates. They rumbled and groaned, sounding much older and heavier than they looked. Dust fell in clouds, metal joined creaked and ached, and a breeze tried to push everyone inside, as if the gate wanted to swallowed them up itself.
What Rio was expecting from a mafia mansion that had countless riches poured into it, with a several decades long regime as the criminal head of a super-city, was something out of a storybook. Paths made of gold, trees that blossomed even in the winter, expensive fountains, and an air of mystery and danger. The mansion itself would be huge, with pillars, and stories on top of stories, and flags waving triumphantly in the wind of the legacy of the drake mafia… What he got was a stone path overgrown with grass and weeds, dead trees choked by vines, patches of dried grass and cracked, dry earth, a pond of murky, muddy water that poured into a river, bisected with a bridge that was falling apart. And the "mansion?" Well… it was big, but also overgrown. It was made entirely of wood, which thankfully wasn't in the process of rotting, but the color had long since faded from it, giving it a dirty brown color overall. It was overwhelmingly… disappointing. The outer wall looked more maintained than everything else.
Reme continued down the path, using her staff to part some vines and grass, unbothered by it all. She turned, holding her arms behind her back. "Still no comment?"
"Excuse me, what the shit?" Minerva grimaced, disgusted. "Ain't no goddamned way this is where we're stayin'. Ya better say this was some dumb prank."
"Honestly I'd rather go back to BoraBora," Kora muttered.
Z stood right beside him, Kai and Mia still in his arms. "I miss the sea already," he sighed. "But, like, it's not that bad, right? It still looks…" Z stared at the mansion, trying to find the words.
"...Built?" Mew finished for Z, holding back laughter. "Because it doesn't even look like that!"
"It's definitely haunted," Kai snickered.
"Is this place even… safe? I don't… I don't think anything could live here," Rio muttered. "This is abandoned, right? How long was it left alone for?"
"Five years," Reme answered curtly, looking over the mess of a mansion front, then the mansion itself. "Such a long, yet short amount of time. It can pass in an instant, but so much can change."
Minerva crackled and glared at the Gardevoir. "Ain't ya the one that went on about how five years is a long ass time?" she growled.
"It's the truth," Reme simply replied, pulling her phone from her necklace. "A lot can happen, and nothing at all. Life can progress, or stagnate. And both happened here," still busy on her phone, she gestured to the overgrown path, then the dead trees. Something on the device made Reme frown, but she took a deep breath and returned her gaze to the others. "And in your cases, life will change. Starting with your new home. Do treat it properly."
"Can't say I saw this coming…" Rio's shoulders slumped, the realization that they were actually staying here, fully sinking in. This was their new home. No tents, no stone rooms and hay beds, but a home that used to belong to a criminal and looked like it belonged to the earth. "Is the inside at least… clean?"
"Most likely no," Reme said, tapping on her phone again. "This was closed off a month after the previous owner left, nobody allowed in, and the owner gave no request to the city to keep it up, nor could we repossess it. It fell into disarray rather quickly."
Eva crossed her arms and shook her head. "Then how did we end up with this place?"
"Ask the previous owner," Reme asked, finally putting away her phone. She straightened her back, let out a sharp exhale, then looked past the group. "He just arrived."
Metal clinked against stone, and the air suddenly turned cold and heavy. Rio was the first to turn, sensing something dangerous, but familiar. The first thing that caught his eye was a bright crimson, and for a second he feared it was Lee… until he saw the metal gauntlets and greaves, the razor sharp body blades and ax head, and that all too familiar glare. There was also the Scrafty that stood beside him, arms cross, sporting a glare of his own. Both of them were covered in scorch marks and burns, but were either toughing it out or weren't actually hurt.
"Oh thank gods, it's just Zen and Kane…" Rio sighed, then immediately snapped back up. "Hold on, you guys..?"
"Why're you both… burnt?" Eva asked, worried.
"Reme," Zen spoke, his voice as cold and sharp as ever, ignoring the rest of his team. His glare was focused solely on the Gardevoir.
"Zen," Reme answered, her voice just as cold as his, meeting his glare with his own. "I see you met our welcome committee. A shame you made it in one piece." Reme turned, motioning for everyone to follow her towards the mansion. "Come, we have much to discuss."
In the shadier parts of Paradise, behind the stores and between the buildings, where few stores resided and fewer Pokemon came, a Centiskorch carrying a heavy bag scuttled through sharp corners and alleyways. For how few Pokemon came here, it was still a mess. The bug kicked up cups and bags, but wasn't bothered by any of it. He had a destination, and no time for distractions.
Deeper and deeper into the nest of buildings, Centiskorch came across a dead end at the end of an alley. Small, cramped, hidden in the shadows of the buildings around it… if one didn't know it was here, they never would have been able to find it. This end wasn't empty, either. It was actually clean, leaving nothing but a Pokemon sitting in the darkness. A tall one wearing a cloak, with red and white legs and inky black claws, and a face hidden by a tattered hood.
"H-Here!" Centiskorch swallowed, tossing the bag at the pokemon's feet. Tens of aurmetal spheres rolled onto the ground of noticeably higher quality. "Th-The boss is gonna have my head for this, s-so you better keep your promise! A ton of aurmetal and Azure Eyes, a-and you'll… y-you'll leave us outta your mess!"
"...Oh?" the cloaked figure muttered, bright pink eyes gazing over the fallen spheres, then fire-bug before him. "That is not the deal I recall." He pulled out a shimmering crystal from his ragged attire, which instantly caught Centiskorch's eye. The figure gave a bright, jagged grin, keeping the crystal visible. "And it seems you remember the original deal as well."
"N-No!" Centiskorch yelped, then grumbled and took a step back. "I-I mean, yeah, I do… B-But I still don't know if I can trust you! Nobody just promises that kinda power without somethin' in return!"
The grin the figure had faded into a frown. "You see this as you getting something for nothing? I asked for your services, and you delivered. Quite nicely, in fact." He kicked one of the aurmetal spheres up off the ground, catching it between two claws. "I only needed a few, but you gifted me aplenty. Why, then, are you backing out of this?"
Beads of sweat dotted Centiskorch's face. "I-I knew a sketchy deal when I see one!" he bluttered out. "Ain't no way I'm takin' this! Y-You can keep your powers for yourself!"
Silence followed, then the figure slowly stood, towering over Centiskorch. He hid the gem under his cloak again, looking down at the now cowering bug with a slow shake of his head. "If that is the case, then I apologize for using so much of your time," he said.
"Don't hurt–!" Centiskorch squeaked, then paused. He blinked, confused. "Wh-What?"
"You took the time to find me, gathered all of this aurmetal, and will be leaving with nothing of value to you. So I apologize for wasting your time," the figure answered, bowing lightly.
"Oh, uh, well…" Centiskorch muttered under his breath. "That's, er… I mean… th-thanks for understanding. Hehe, uh…" The bug lowered his head, his face a bit more red than usual. "Geez, now I just feel silly, hehe."
The figure shook his head, kneeling down to be closer to Centiskorch's height. "It is alright. You are strong after all, very much so." He then started to put the aurmetal back into the bag. "As I only needed a few, I will keep but a handful, and you can take the rest. We would not want your boss to, as you said, have your head."
"Really?" Centiskorch chittered, a more bashful smile on his face. "Now I really feel silly, makin' you give back all this stuff."
"It was yours to begin with, my friend," the figure nodded, putting in sphere after sphere. Once he was done, he set the bag before Centiskorch and backed away. "Here, as thank you for your time."
Centiskorch eagerly picked up the bag with a whip-like mustache, giving the figure a nod. "And thank you for being so kind!" he grinned, about to run right off, but turned back and said, "Maybe I can give the boss a good word for ya so ya can work with us?"
"Oh, that is unnecessary. I very much like my solitude, and I have business to attend to," the figure said with a shake of his head. "You, my friend, should take care. And again, thank you for your assistance."
"No problem!" Centiskorch chittered, waving with a whisker and scuttling off. "Bye, don't be a stranger!"
The bug kept on going, passing through the alley when he heard something whisper to him on the other side. "This is far from goodbye, my friend…"
Centiskorch looked back, but the figure wasn't there. Centiskorch even went back down in the alley, and the figure was just… gone. The bug shuddered. "Creepy… Nice, but creepy," he said to himself, then casually threw the bag over what would be anyone else's shoulder… and paused. The bag rattled, but not just with metal. Something else was in there. Centiskorch set the bag down to look through it, sifting through metal spheres until he found… A white box?
"The hell?" Centiskorch muttered. "I didn't pick up this thing… Maybe that creep put it in by accident or somethin'." He looked down the alley again, then furrowed his brow. "I ain't see this box with the creep either… but if it's his, I'll just hand it to 'im when I see 'im again. Or maybe see how much it'll sell for," he said with a shrug, tossing the box back into the bag and hearing it rattle. He immediately picked it back up and rattled it again. He couldn't tell what it was, but it clinked and tinked against the inside. It must've been expensive. "...Or even better, what's inside!" All the anxious caution Centiskorch had faded as he eagerly tried to open the box. Was it a ring? Some jewel? Unfortunately, the box didn't open.
"Dammit!" Centiskorch spat, shoving the box back in the bag. "Whatever, I'll just have the boss open it! Then we'll sell it an' be swimmin' in dough!" he cheered, quickly scuttling through the alleys again, an eager, greedy grin on his face.