Chapter 6: Those Who Claw Their Way
Upon being threatened extermination by the Sin of Greed, Larvesta had made his way into the Deadly Sin's lair to fend off the danger and protect those at risk of being harmed by his menace. Along the way, Larvesta met a few new allies to join his ultimate cause and aid him in both his current and main goals. Now at the base of his enemy's dungeon, Larvesta prepares to take on the second Deadly Sin in a vicious battle to save the Sin's victims and stop his vile deeds from harming the Sand Continent further. Team Valiant is no doubt faced with a powerful adversary, but Larvesta does not doubt for a second that they can prevail against their latest foe as he maneuvers his way towards Persian's throne.
Larvesta returns from the vaults to the entrance of the dungeon's bottom floor. Now with a new ally on his side, Larvesta is confident in his abilities to take on both the Sin of Greed and the force of Lilligant's soldiers going after both sides of the conflict.
"I'm ready whenever you are," Golbat says. "Just give me the word, and I'll follow you into the depths of this nightmare."
"Your help is appreciated, Golbat. We're going to make good work of this Deadly Sin. Someone needs to pay damages for all that he's stolen," Larvesta remarks.
"Agreed. Now is the time to decide who to bring along on our war," Golbat responds. Larvesta accepts, looking towards his recruits to decide who will tag along on his mission.
"Mienfoo, I assume you still wish to take on Persian alongside me?" Larvesta asks.
"Absolutely, Larvesta. Rest assured, my resolve has not faltered," Mienfoo replies.
"You have my thanks," Larvesta says.
"I-I want to come, too! Tynamo should be down there!" Spinarak exclaims.
"Yes, yes. We'll be sure to find him in there as well," Larvesta reassures.
"If Mienfoo is taking on the Sin of Greed, you can count me among your numbers, as well," Carnivine declares. Bas and Culin chime in as well, and Larvesta approves of the three.
"My apologies, Larvesta," Trevenant announces. "For as much as I know how important healing is in a situation like this, I do not believe I can accompany you to this next battle. I am feeling exhausted after joining the fray for so many encounters."
"T-Trevenant..." Larvesta comments. For as much as he does not want to force one of his teammates into a fight they are not suited for, the coming battle is of utmost importance, and being deprived of a healer will cause trouble for their chances at success.
"Do not fret, milord," Trevenant comments. "You may use my Oran Berries in my place to keep yourself refreshed," Trevenant hands Larvesta some Oran Berries. Contemplating for a moment, Larvesta ultimately resigns to his pleas and distributes the berries to his active soldiers. "Very well. Do promise me you will be available for similarly vital battles?"
"Will do," Trevenant speaks.
"Alright, does anybody else wish to chime in against the Sin of Greed?"
"Well, not specifically against the Sin of Greed, but, uhh…" Cacnea begins. "I'm sure you remember my warning about Lilligant's forces being in the area?"
"Indeed, I do. Are you planning to challenge them?" Larvesta asks.
"If you would allow me. If anything, I would like for a chance to prove where my loyalties lie now," Cacnea confirms.
"Okay. I'll let you join in, as well," Larvesta responds. "I feel like I can make room for one more soldier. Are there any volun-?"
"Bring me along," Rapidash interrupts.
"H-Huh!? R-Rapidash!?" Larvesta exclaims.
"If Lilligant's forces are here, I'm joining, too," Rapidash declares. "We're going to send her a message not to trifle with us. Do I make myself clear!?"
"U-Uhh…" Larvesta utters, taken aback by Rapidash's sudden outburst.
"Well, Larvesta!?" Rapidash bursts out.
"O-Okay, then…" Larvesta notes. His teammate seems… oddly determined for this fight.
With preparations concluded, Larvesta reaffirms what his team will be for the pending war: himself, Rapidash, Cacnea, Mienfoo, Bas, Culin, Carnivine, Spinarak, and Golbat. Since the team will not be bringing any dedicated healers to this battle, keeping everyone in top shape will be essential to claiming victory. Regardless, Team Valiant charges onward to the Sin of Greed's chambers.
Upon starting the onslaught, the team comes across a motherly Pokémon, heavily scarred and battered. Larvesta goes up to her. "H-Hey, ma'am. Are you alright?"
The Pokémon glances up at Larvesta and sees his team. "O-Oh… You… You have to help me…"
"What is it? Is it the Sin of Greed?" Larvesta asks.
"Inventory… stolen… Greed gone… mad…" the Pokémon replies.
"So, I take it you're another victim of Persian's madness, hmm?" Larvesta responds. He sighs before a thought crosses his mind. "That Deadly Sin of Greed… How many must he take away from before his desires are sated…? ...And what about the remaining Deadly Sins…?"
"Y-Yes… You must… stop him…" the Pokémon says.
"Alright, calm down. You need help. Could you tell me your name?" Larvesta tells her.
"Kangaskhan… I lead a traveling convoy across the continent, but in my visit here, the Sin of Greed has stolen my belongings, claiming them as his own…" she responds.
"Kangaskhan? Okay, thanks. You may call me Larvesta. My group and I have already come on top against the Sin of Sloth. Rest assured, I will bring Persian to justice for his crimes," Larvesta reassures.
"Larvesta… Let me give you… a tip…" Kangaskhan suggests.
"Hm? A tip?" Larvesta asks.
"Within this cavern lies two powerful Pokémon: Duosion and Gothorita. In the cave to the west, Duosion is a mage wielding powers of light. To the east, Gothorita; a sorcerer skilled in the arts of darkness," Kangaskhan informs. "Both of these Pokémon can become skilled allies if you are able to persuade them to join your side."
"Is that so? Well, in that case I'll be sure to pick the two of them up. There's power in numbers, after all," Larvesta declares.
"There is a caveat to the two mages, however," Kangaskhan warns. "Duosion and Gothorita despise each other to no end, and refuse to work on the same team together. When you open the door to one of them, the other will surely reject your invitation. When it comes to those two, you must choose wisely, not just for this battle, but for the remainder of your journey."
"U-Uhh… Oh… I… Err… I see, then… I'll… be sure to keep that in mind, then…" Larvesta notes. He thinks for a moment about the situation. "Two mages - one light, and one dark - and I can only choose one of them to join my side. Good lord, is there any way to get both of them to join me…? If not, then… Ugh, who to recruit…?"
"You do not have to make your decision immediately, Larvesta. After all, the Sin of Greed is ultimately a more pressing matter. Think over it while you face his goons," Kangaskhan notes.
"Right. I'll focus on clearing out Persian's forces for now," Larvesta responds. His army begins their charge, as was the course for them at this point.
Down a corridor, an electric mage is roaming the chambers of the Sin of Greed, much like Spinarak before him. Despite his opposition, however, Tynamo does not feel deterred by the odds being stacked against him to the extreme that they are. "So, these guys are the Sin of Greed's goons, huh? They must think they're soooo powerful and unstoppable. Well, they think wrong, for I, the great Tynamo, student of the wise Mr. Mime, shall pulverize these monsters and claim victory for our justified cause! Together, Spinarak and I will surely come out on top!"
…
…
…
Silence rings out as a reminder comes to Tynamo's mind.
"...Speaking of which, hopefully he's doing alright handling his portion of the enemies down here..." With his tome levitating beside him, Tynamo makes his way through the area, looking for brigands and thieves to fight.
Multiple branching paths greet Team Valiant when they begin their descent. Each one is filled with huge clusters of the Sin of Greed's minions.
Larvesta decides to delegate his soldiers through the paths, sending Spinarak and Golbat to the left, Mienfoo, Bas, and Culin to the right, and himself and Rapidash through the middle. Cacnea and Carnivine stay behind to handle any reinforcements from behind, particularly Lilligant's forces.
Golbat leads the charge of the leftmost group, swinging his lance against any foes that may stumble upon him while Spinarak helps with his wind magic. One such soldier even comments on his presence.
"So, Golbat!" the enemy utters. "Couldn't stay true to your loyalties after all!"
Golbat merely glares down at the weak burglar, disregarding his words. "The Sin of Greed was never my true leader. He and his underlings forced me into my position with delusions of power and honor." Golbat strikes at the foe with his weapon.
The thief takes the hit, and retorts back at the traitorous Golbat. "What a fool. Persian gave you everything you could have hoped for! A team to lead, power over others, riches galore! Shame on you for throwing such luxuries away!" The thief then fights back with his sword, though Golbat is able to shrug off his injury.
"Delusions of grandeur are worthless to me when choosing to do the right thing. A shame you could not see things as I have," Golbat responds. He fights back with another attack from his lance, defeating the enemy.
After fighting a few more enemies, Golbat and Spinarak are in the clear for the moment. Soon, a face familiar to Spinarak becomes visible to him and Golbat.
Spinarak notices Tynamo defeating another enemy with thunder magic. Reunited, he goes over to his friend to recruit him to Larvesta's army.
"Tynamo! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Spinarak exclaims.
"Hmm? Oh, Spinarak! I was wondering where you ran off to!" Tyanmo responds.
"After we got separated, I returned to the upper floors thinking you had gotten yourself stuck there," Spinarak explains. "I should have known you had stayed down here after all… Are you hurt?"
"What? Me? Hurt!?" Tynamo scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous! These ruffians couldn't hold a candle to my electric might!" Tynamo laughs at his self-proclaimed might.
"Ah, I guess they weren't much of a threat to you, after all. That's good to hear," Spinarak says.
"Yup. Say, I see you've got some friends with you. These guys weren't here when we came in. Find yourself a team to explore with?" Tynamo inquires.
"Actually, yes," Spinarak says. "A person named Larvesta has invited me to join his group, Team Valiant. He intends to build an army to take on Lady Lilligant. An ambitious dream for sure, I must say."
"L-Lady Lilligant!?" Tynamo reels back in surprise for the first time since reuniting with Spinarak. Even he knew what sort of danger Lilligant posed to the Sand Continent and all who opposed her. "You mean that empress who has control over the entire Sand Continent!? That Lady Lilligant!?"
"Yep. The same one," Spinarak confirms. "Larvesta's a determined individual, I'll give him that. Apparently, he even managed to take on the Sin of Sloth back at the Sahra Mining Facility."
"Someone who could defeat the Sin of Sloth…?" Tynamo wonders. "Well, no wonder he was able to make it down here! This Larvesta must be invincible if he's able to defeat a Deadly Sin!"
"So, will you help us out? I'm sure he'd love to have an extra head working to take on another Sin," Spinarak asks.
"You bet I would! Larvesta's going to be so glad when he finds out who just enlisted in his team!" Tynamo accepts. Spinarak smiles at the recruitment, and they continue along until coming across another enemy, this time an armor knight.
"Armor, huh?" Golbat inquires. "This guy seems like he'll be trouble…"
"Well, not to worry, my winged friend," Tynamo responds. He then utters an enchantment, causing a lightning bolt to appear from the sky, critically crashing onto the knight and knocking it out. "See that? Armor knights are no match for magic like my own!"
"Hmmm…" Golbat notes. "Skills like that could indeed prove useful to fending off our foes."
"Yeah, I bet Cacnea wouldn't want to be opposite to your skills, Tynamo," Spinarak notes.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get a move on!" Tynamo declares. With that, he and the other two travel deeper down the path.
Down the rightmost path, Mienfoo and the Basculin brothers fend off their own group of enemies as they journey to the Sin of Greed's throne.
Mienfoo strikes a brigand with some lightning from her Levin Sword, jumping out of the way of their boomeranging Hand Axe as it gets thrown her way. Bas manages to knock the brigand out, but ends up slashed back with a strike from an armor knight's sword.
"Culin! Back me up here!" Bas shouts out to his brother.
"On it!" Culin replies back. The blue Basculin throws his own Hand Axe at the armor knight, but his attack proves most ineffective as the knight's armor is barely scratched by the axe. The knight marches towards the two fish to get a better shot at them, but before they can cut the brothers down, Mienfoo jolts the knight with a lightning strike from her Levin Sword, knocking them out.
Bas sighs. "Thanks a lot, Mienfoo. We might have become lunch if it weren't for you." His brother nods in agreement to their leader.
"Hey, I'm just doing my job. It wouldn't look good on me as a leader if I let you two die without doing anything," Mienfoo remarks back. "Speaking of leaders, wonder how Larvesta and the others are doing…"
In the center path, Larvesta and Rapidash lead their own charge. Despite being faced with the most opposition of the three paths, the two of them rise up against the odds and dominate the center path with their swords.
Along the way, one of their defeated enemies drops a chest key, which Larvesta picks up and stores away for later. He wouldn't have to wait long to use it, however, as shortly afterwards, he and Rapidash come across a treasure chest which Larvesta opens using the key, revealing a javelin. Larvesta hands the javelin to Rapidash. Further down the path are a few more enemies, which Larvesta and Rapidash continue fending off, the latter using the new javelin.
"Heh, all in a day's good work," Larvesta remarks, brandishing Solaris.
Rapidash, however, isn't nearly as enthusiastic. "Don't get cocky, Larvesta. The battle has only just begun."
"I know, I know…" Larvesta responds. "Still, doesn't hurt to pat myself on the back every once in a while, no?"
Rapidash merely stares at his haughty leader. After a moment, Larvesta gets the message and sighs. "Alright. Let's go…"
Not long after, Larvesta arrives at a fork in the road. One path leads straight ahead, but the left and right paths both contain caves. The left cave has a light emblem on the top of its entrance, while the right has a dark emblem.
"Light and dark…" Larvesta thinks to himself. "Is this that pair of mages Kangaskhan was telling me about earlier…? Where I can only recruit one of them?"
"Hm? Well, well. What do we have here?" says a feminine voice from the right cave.
"Oh, don't you dare get a head start on me, Gothorita!" comes from a shout from the left.
From each of the two caves comes the two mages, Duosion from the left, and Gothorita from the right. Gothorita has a somewhat prim and proper, though also sloppy feel, while Duosion has a brilliant, yet at the same time, haughty and arrogant feel.
"Let me guess, you want to use my prowess and skill to eliminate the fiends lurking in these caverns?" Duosion asks.
Gothorita scoffs. "Oh, please. As if he could get anything of worth from you of all people. Clearly, I'm the one he came down here to see." The two of them glare at each other as Larvesta and Rapidash watch them dumbfoundedly.
"Well, at least I know neither of these guys excel in the personality department..." Larvesta thinks as he sighs. "Err… I take it there's no way I can convince both of you to join my efforts…?" he tries asking.
"What!?" Duosion is taken aback, looking very offended at Larvesta's insinuation. "Of course I refuse to associate with that wench! I mean, look at her!? Does that girl even take care of herself!?"
Gothorita glares back at the arrogant blob. "Well, at least I don't put on the most tacky and condescending airs ever when I try pitching myself to whoever comes here!"
"People actually frequent these two down here…? In the middle of a Deadly Sin's lair?" Larvesta asks to himself. Eh, he'll question it later.
Rapidash interjects as Larvesta thinks to himself. "Being honest, even having just one of them could make for a useful recruit. Besides their disdain for each other, neither of them seems like a spy for the enemy, for what it's worth."
Larvesta responds back to his paladin's comment. "True, and that's what makes it so difficult, to be honest. Who to choose? Duosion or Gothorita."
"Well, you'd better make it quick, or we're going to let the enemy get the upper hand on us," Rapidash warns.
After thinking it through, Larvesta's mind ultimately settles…
…on Duosion.
Larvesta proceeds right to Duosion's cave to speak with him, hoping to get his powers of light on the side of Team Valiant. "Duosion, I may not like your bad blood with Gothorita, but I'm always open to having more allies."
"Heh, I knew you were an intelligent life form," Duosion praises, albeit somewhat condescendingly.
"What!?" an appalled Gothorita shouts. "Are you out of your mind!?"
Larvesta turns to the dark mage. "I don't want to completely rule out the chance to get to know you, Gothorita, but I need to get going if I want to beat the Sin of Greed soon."
"What he meant to say is: 'He's not entirely against your tacky manners right now, but he's going to recruit me to realize how much better he is than if he chose you,'" Duosion remarks. Larvesta looks at the greenish-yellowish blob with a deadpan expression as Gothorita grumbles to her rival.
"You will regret your choice, unwise one. Enjoy your impending doom…" Gothorita warns. With that, she uses an Escape Orb and retreats from the dungeon.
Unfortunately, just as Larvesta picks up his recruit, Cacnea's warning comes to fruition as a faction of soldiers bearing Lilligant's emblem make their way into the Sin of Greed's hideout. Led by a Lombre, the army makes their way through the area with the intent of crushing both opposing forces.
"Shoot. Here they are," Cacnea grumbles. Unfortunately, the others are too far away from him to return and provide aid, leaving only Cacnea and Carnivine to fend for themselves.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the lowly Team Valiant," Lombre gloats. "You would be fools to think you can stand up to the likes of Lady Lilligant in a million years. Our army will crush both you and the Deadly Sin where you stand!"
Lombre, boasting a smug grin, points his lance in the direction of the depths as his soldiers proceed to take on Team Valiant's forces.
Cacnea, who has chosen to stay behind to apprehend Lilligant's forces, clashes with some of the armor knights and cavaliers under Lombre's command.
With help from Carnivine firing at some of the cavaliers, as well as the Orans Trevenant had left for the two Grass-types to use to heal, Cacnea is able to endure the fight against some of his former teammates. Eventually, Cacnea comes face to face with the leader and his old companion, Lombre.
"So, Cacnea. You have chosen to abandon your loyalties to Lilligant," Lombre chides, a hint of disappointment and scorn leaving his mouth.
Cacnea turns his head to the side. "For as much as it pains me to say, Lilligant has gone too far in her rule. I wish to put an end to her abuse of power so that we can move forward and bring peace to the Sand Continent."
"Pah. Don't waste your breath," Lombre responds. He thrusts his lance into Cacnea's spiked armor, hoping to land a dent in his enemy's defenses. "You won't stand a chance trying to turn against her forces!"
Lombre's attack manages to push into Cacnea's armor, causing the cactus to flinch momentarily. Grunting, Cacnea attempts to return the favor by striking back with his own lance. He manages to scrape at his foe, but Lumbre does not appear too bothered by the attack.
Lombre smirks, motioning for a cavalier to strike at Cacnea with a sword. Though the attack doesn't do much, Cacnea stumbles in his attempt at a follow-up, missing his strike. Luckily, Carnivine manages to shoot at the enemy troop with more accuracy, knocking them down.
Another cavalier arrives to pick up where their teammate left off, however, boasting a javelin to strike at the two plants from a distance. Carnivine braces himself for the javelin, hoping to dodge before it finishes him off.
Suddenly, a bright light appears and attacks the offending cavalier, causing Lombre's attention to shift to his defeated ally.
"Wh-What the-!" Lombre shouts. "Who goes there!"
Larvesta, Rapidash, and Duosion race back to the entrance to reunite with Carnivine and Cacnea.
"I heard some fighting as I was down fighting at the center path," Larvesta says as he gasps for breath. He examines his foes. "I take it these are Lilligant's forces."
"Yep. The very ones we're fighting," Cacnea confirms. Rapidash glares at Lombre and the others.
"Well, well. If it isn't the head honcho himself…" Lombre declares to Larvesta. "You're the arrogant punk who crushed the Sin of Sloth, arentcha?"
"Yes, that would be me," Larvesta confirms, pointing Solaris at Lombre. "Rest assured, Lilligant's forces shall suffer the same fate if you and her continue on this barbaric path you all have laid out."
"You talk big, but can you back up your words with power?" Lombre boasts. He swings his lance at Team Valiant's leader, only for Larvesta to parry the attack with his sword and strike true against Lombre, making him eat his words.
As an armor knight begins to take charge against Team Valiant, Duosion chants from his tome and fires a blast of light against the knight, hitting a massive blow on the foe. Rapidash gives a cocky grin as the enemy is knocked down.
Refocusing his attention back onto Lilligant's elite soldier, Rapidash boasts his steel sword proudly against Lombre, marching in place as he prepares to swing at the enemy before rushing Lombre with a decisive attack, putting down Lombre for good.
"Grk! What a waste of breath..." Lombre utters, defeated. "You may have bested me… But you won't stand a chance against Lilligant…!"
With Lilligant's forces taken out, Team Valiant stops to refresh themselves, then charges into Persian's throne to end things once and for all. Without many enemies to stop them, Larvesta's group reunites with the other two to surround the Sin of Greed and his remaining pawns.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Team Valiant," the Sin of Greed mockingly calls out. "I must say, I have to thank you for exterminating those pests bearing Lady Lilligant's emblem. Now I get to reap the rewards off of their little corpses, and I don't have to raise a paw."
"If you think this means I'm proposing a truce with you, think again, Sin of Greed," Larvesta retorts. "You have caused no end of suffering to the people of this land, and I won't make do with any of your atrocities!"
Persian gives a dismissive wave. "Oh boy, another preacher come to whine about my riches. I get it, you're jealous. Now can't I go about poaching in peace, please?"
Mienfoo steps in, glaring at the Deadly Sin. "Hey, Persian. Your partner and I have some history together. Mind apologizing for how he treated my crew and I since he's too lazy for that?"
Persian looks to the fighter, taking a moment to think about who she might be. "Hmmm… That Snorlax, you mean? I think I heard of him getting some new toys a while back, but I never would have guessed he bothered to poke some nobodies like you guys for playmates."
"'Playmate' isn't exactly the kind of title I'd use to describe that creep, Persian!" Mienfoo retorts, holding back even greater venom.
"Well, what that weakling does to you is none of my business. We may be Deadly Sins, that doesn't mean we monitor our entire crime sheets nonstop," Persian dismisses.
Mienfoo quietly grips her sword, determined to help finish what was started. She looks to Bas, Culin, and Carnivine, all of whom nod back to her.
"Whenever you're ready, we'll follow your lead," Culin reassures.
Mienfoo nods. Ready to begin the clash, she and Larvesta raise their weapons, and swing it towards Persian, signaling Team Valiant to begin. Persian exposes his claws, also ready to take on the myriad opponents coming after him.
Golbat is the first to attempt to strike the Deadly Sin. Flying to where he thinks Persian cannot strike back, Golbat curls his wing to grip his steel lance and dives to attack the Sin of Greed. Unluckily for him, though, Persian is more nimble than he thought, and dodges the stab with ease. Persian then picks up a bronze dagger and flings it at his winged turncoat, stabbing Golbat in the mouth. Disappointed with his attack not hitting, Golbat attempts to go for a counter-attack, this time with more success.
Next is Mienfoo, ready to prove her worth by taking on the Sin of Greed. She rushes towards her enemy with her sword in tow, managing a clean slash at Persian's chest. Persian is not one to stand down easily, however, and slashes at Mienfoo with his sharp claws, leaving marks on Mienfoo's stomach.
Tynamo and Duosion prepare to gang up on Persian with their magic, summoning bolts of lightning and orbs of light at the Dark-type. Their barrage manages to strike some more hits, but is not met without resistance, as Persian grabs his dagger and slashes at Duosion, slicing through his gooey exterior to strike at his body.
"Boring. Is that all that the rising Team Valiant has to offer? Nipping you all in the bud is looking easier than it sounded," Persian scoffs.
"You won't think that when we're through with this battle, Persian!" exclaims Rapidash. His resolve on display, Rapidash charges at Persian with blazing speed, catching the Deadly Sin off guard for the first time in the fight. Persian attempts to counter the attack, but his move proves futile as Rapidash evades.
With his fellow fighters contributing their fair share, Larvesta marches up to Persian to finish what Team Valiant started. Brandishing Solaris, Larvesta goes for a more decisive attack against Persian. The Sin of Greed attempts to parry Larvesta's attack, only to be further caught off guard when Larvesta lands a critical blow on him. Persian attempts to counter with his dagger, and though he thinks he should have an advantage, Larvesta more easily parries Persian's weapon and goes for a second attack, slashing Persian's side and finishing the battle.
Defeated, Persian lets out a scowl, glaring at Larvesta for a moment before regaining his composure. "Hmm… Interesting… Very interesting…" Persian cackles. "You greedy little slimebag, you… You actually managed to rob me of my victory and my home base… How admirable…" Persian pauses for a moment before continuing. "Don't think this is a permanent victory, however… I am the Sin of Greed, after all, and it is my namesake duty to steal what I can and claim everything to myself and my powers."
Persian pulls out an Escape Orb. "We shall meet again, and next time, I will claim victory over Team Valiant all to myself!"
"No, don't-!" Larvesta attempts to reach out to capture Persian before he can leave, but is too late. Persian breaks the Escape Orb, evacuating from the dungeon. Victory has been claimed, but once again, the Deadly Sin has retreated for grounds unknown…
Larvesta looks to the side, feeling defeated despite being able to take down Persian's forces. "I can only hope his threat remains neutralized for the time being." It looks like he will have to face the Sin of Greed once again later down the road. Larvesta hopes he is able to claim victory again when the time comes for their rematch.
Around that moment, Kangaskhan goes up to the Sin of Greed's lair to see how the battle is going, and when she sees Team Valiant there without Persian to rule the area, she goes up to Larvesta to check on things. "Are- Are you all okay? Did you beat Persian?"
Larvesta looks back to Kangaskhan. "I did, but he used an Escape Orb and fled." He gives the Parent Pokémon an apologetic look. "I'm sorry we couldn't capture him. He likely won't be causing as much harm as he has now that his base of operations has been seized, but I imagine we'll have to fight him once more in the future…"
"…It's fine, Larvesta," Kangaskhan reassures. "You were still able to drive him off for the time being." She looks around Persian's stash, finding a convoy among his stolen goods. "I'm glad to have my treasured convoy and goods back, as well."
"In that case, we'll be taking our leave. Redistributing all of the stolen loot will likely take a while, but while we are doing so, I would like to think of our next move to take on Lilligant," Larvesta responds.
"Lilligant? You mean the noble lady living in Primeval Forest?" Kangaskhan asks.
Larvesta nods. "Yes. I have heard stories of her bringing harm to the people of the Sand Continent, and even some of her former soldiers such as Cacnea, and I wish to help bring her down like I did the Sins of Sloth and Greed."
"In that case, let me help you," Kangaskhan requests. "I cannot fight well, but I can offer you assistance in other areas such as storage and strategy."
Larvesta is taken mildly aback by her request. Sure, she did notify him of the mages Duosion and Gothorita, but would her services be able to extend beyond the scope of a thieves' hideout? "Are you sure? We could use all the help we can get, but from what I've been hearing of Lilligant, she is a dangerous foe."
Kangaskhan reaffirms her request. "Yes. You have already beaten two Deadly Sins. I trust you to protect me and my services from Lilligant plus any remaining Deadly Sins we may come across in the future."
Larvesta thinks. "…Okay. But if things start to get dangerous, be sure to retreat. I would hate to see you fall in the battles to come."
"Right," Kangaskhan acknowledges. "It would do you no good if I tried offering my services dead."
"In that case, welcome to Team Valiant," Larvesta proudly responds.
"Thanks," says Kangaskhan. "As a suggestion, might I recommend going to the Valley of Strong Winds for your next stop? There is an engineer there with technology that could help you with your journey."
"Valley of Strong Winds?" Larvesta asks. "That doesn't sound like a quiet place…" to put it mildly.
"True, it is dangerous, but that can be said for much of the Sand Continent. Should we travel there, I believe you will be able to recruit some of the locals and travelers, as well as find plenty of useful equipment for the journey to come."
Larvesta thinks for a moment before responding. "Then it's settled. I'll search for someone to help return the loot Persian stole, then we'll make for the Valley of Strong Winds. Many thanks for your suggestion, Kangaskhan."
"I wish to help in any way I can," Kangaskhan says. With their next objective decided, Team Valiant retreats from the Sin of Greed's hideout.
In the background, Rapidash looks to Larvesta and his other recruits with a dissatisfied glare, taking a moment to look at the former battleground before following Team Valiant.
With two Deadly Sins defeated, Larvesta's army appears to grow more and more with each waking moment. That said, Larvesta still feels a bit more preparation for the raid on Lilligant's lair is in order, and a few of his recruits do not seem completely happy with his leadership thus far. With his sights set on Team Valiant's next objective, Larvesta makes for the Valley of Strong Winds to obtain some more resources and troops. Will this be the boost Team Valiant needs to come out on top, or will Larvesta end up inviting too many cooks into the kitchen and lead to dissonance within the team?
Back at the entrance to the cave, Larvesta separates from the rest of the group to consult Victini again.
"Well, congrats to you. It seems you've managed to stamp out a second Deadly Sin," Victini praises.
"Thanks, Victini. It was a grueling adventure, but I managed to pull through, nonetheless," says Larvesta.
"So what's next, then? You headed for Primeval Forest just yet, or are you going to spend some more time in the Sand Continent to build renown?" Victini asks.
"One of my latest recruits suggested I meet up with a professor to ask for some of their technology," Larvesta responds.
"Still got a bit of work left here, then?" Victini curiously asks back. "Just make sure it doesn't end up getting in the way of your main objective, then."
Larvesta nods. "Of course. Still, if those Deadly Sins really are causing trouble for the Sand Continent, it comes with the territory that I should take them out as well, no?"
"Fair, far," Victini nods. "Say, Larvesta, what do you think of the Seven Deadly Sins, exactly? Such as in comparison to Lilligant?"
"They're just more threats that we're going to have to defeat to make sure the Sand Continent is at peace," Larvesta comments. "What about you, Victini?"
"Well, if it were me, I'd say they make for good side fodder, but shouldn't distract from our main target. Lilligant is probably training up her troops just as you're training yours. Don't want to let her get ahead of the game, no?" Victini answers.
"If you say so," Larvesta says. "The Valley will likely end up being my last stop before we go take on Lilligant, for what it's worth, so I'll make sure not to put her off for too long."
Victini shrugs. "Suit yourself." And with that, she left Larvesta to his own devices.
-TO BE CONTINUED-
Note: Regarding my leave of absence.
Okay, so to those of you who have been reading my fic since last year, you're probably wondering why it took so long for this chapter to come out following the previous chapter (which was released on July 12, 2021; over a year before this one). To put it simply, I have been focusing my attention on a number of other hobbies and responsibilities that ended up overshadowing work on this fic, particularly college work and a Pokémon Roleplay server I have been on since April of last year. This ended up being especially poorly timed given that the chapter I went on break on, Chapter 5x, was the prelude to the climax of one of the fic's acts. As I've noted on my YouTube channel, I have been struggling to keep a consistent upload schedule across many of my platforms, with major releases from me being very sporadic and not able to keep a consistent schedule. I'll try to get my upload schedule on this fic back on track, but given that the narrative is about to proceed rapidly starting with the next act as well as my already noted scheduling issues, I apologize in advance if the wait for Chapter 7 onward ends up taking as long as the wait for this chapter did.
As for how I'm going to handle the games that have come out since I've conceptualized this fic, I have had Legacy of the Valiant in the works since Generation VII of the Pokémon games, with the then current generation being the latest I planned to pull from for this fic. After tweaking Legacy of the Valiant some, though, I have been able to sneak in cameos from Generation VIII Pokémon, which I plan to show off eventually. That said, given that I have the structure and plans for the fic basically filled in and ready to be written, I do not intend to include any Pokémon from Legends: Arceus or Scarlet and Violet. At most, I can see myself throwing a nod or two throughout, but with the story already planned out and how recent the current latest titles are as of writing this, I do not want to risk spoiling them by showing off species that were introduced in those games. In any case, that's all from me for now. I hope you enjoy Scarlet and Violet when they come out.