A/N - I hope everyone's enjoying the new Pokemon games! I'm having a blast on Scarlet so far! I'm hoping it'll spark some ideas for new stories after I've wrapped up Rekindled. Koraidon is adorable, I can't get over how cute they made the legends behave. It's crazy XD

Thanks for all reads, reviews, faves and follows! =D And if you've found time amidst playing the new games to read this chapter, thank you so much! Because I'm honestly not expecting it this weekend XD

59 - A New Plan

Cleo stared dumbfounded at Harlequin, her mind swirling in a desperate search for words. But none came. The cells fell into silence, broken only by the scraping of metal from the nervous pawniard.

Harlequin wouldn't meet Cleo's gaze, her sapphire eyes fixed on the damp wall. Her confession lay heavy in the air. Mischief had killed someone. Someone he clearly cared about.

"Oh yeesh." Spark's voice sounded loudly from the desk. "That must have broken him."

"Yeah." Harlequin lowered her head and dug her claws into the floor. "I tried to stop him… but there was nothing I could do. It all… ended so quickly."

"Who was it?" Faith asked.

"A little mothim called Flutterwick." Harlequin closed her eyes and shook her head as if the memory alone still pained her. "He must have evolved early. He was barely an adult."

Faith's shoulders sank. "Oh dear…"

"Mischief doesn't trust himself anymore. No matter what I said, he thinks he's too dangerous to be around. He hates himself."

"He hates himself?" Faith gasped.

A lump swelled in Cleo's throat. She didn't know what to say.

"But he's got such a good heart," said Faith.

"I know he does. But he doesn't see that. All he sees is that pokerus." Harlequin scraped her claws across the floor. "Hydreigon really does have a lot to answer for."

Cleo nodded stiffly, but Faith cut her off before she could speak. "This isn't Hydreigon's fault, I'm afraid. He didn't cultivate the pokerus."

"No," said Harlequin. "But it's because of him that those lab pokemon were messing with it in the first place."

"You're both right," said Cleo, catching Faith's eye. "If Hydreigon wasn't pushing different species to extinction then Rio wouldn't have been infecting pokemon with that pokerus. Then Mischief could be living a normal life. It's a domino effect, with Hydreigon at the source."

Faith nodded stiffly as though she was struggling to see Cleo's point. "Our bigger worry right now though is Yveltal." She sucked in air through her teeth and wound her paws together. "I think we may need to head back to the Fairy Garden and speak to Xerneas."

"That would take too long," said Harlequin. "We need to act now, before he leaves the Shadow Lands."

"What makes you think he's in the Shadow Lands?" Cleo asked.

"He must be," said Harlequin. "Wouldn't he be too weak after waking from that cocoon? Xerneas did defeat him after all."

"The only one who knows the answer to that is Xerneas," said Faith. "But I can see your point."

"We need to come up with a plan." Harlequin paced closer to the bars then paused, her gaze trailing up them. "Argh, it's too hard to talk like this."

"Hang on." Cleo hobbled around to the desk and picked up the keys.

Spark watched her as Cleo turned back to the cells and began to unlock the door. "You're lettin' her out?"

"Yep."

"Tinker ain't gonna be too happy with that, yanno," said Spark.

"I don't really care." Cleo tossed the keys back onto the desk and pulled the heavy door open with her psychic.

Harlequin cautiously stepped out into the room, her sapphire gaze locked on the closed door. "I don't want to get you in trouble."

"I can handle Tinker," said Cleo.

"Yeah, I mean you've got the type advantage," Spark quipped.

Faith chuckled and sat down beside Cleo. Harlequin joined them and glanced back at the cells. Scratch and Claw were still huddled at the back, watching them intently.

"Are you going to join us?" Faith tapped the floor beside her.

The bolder one made a thoughtful noise but looked up at the door, while his brother shifted with unease. "We're okay here."

"Nonsense! Come on." Faith waved at them, but the twins refused to budge.

"Don't press it." Harlequin caught Faith's violet eye and spoke in a low voice. "They're worried they'll hurt us if they get too close."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Pawniard and bisharp were shunned because their bodies are covered in blades," Harlequin explained. "Even Hydreigon didn't want them around."

"What nonsense." Faith pushed herself to her feet and strolled into the cells.

"Faith!" Harlequin hissed.

But the mawile ignored her. She lowered herself to a crouch before Scratch and Claw, beaming at them. The two pawniard inched away, but Faith held out a paw.

"It's okay," she told them. "You can't hurt me. I'm a steel-type like you."

The pair stared at her, stunned.

"Now which one is which?" Faith asked, turning to the nervous one. "Are you Scratch? Or Claw?"

The twitchy pawniard stuttered, avoiding her gaze.

"He's Scratch," said his brother. "I'm Claw."

"I'm Faith." She placed a paw gently on each of their heads and they flinched back, but Scratch's wide eyes softened. "See? You're not hurting me."

Scratch welled up with tears and he tried to dry them on his wrist. "It's warm…" He moved into Faith, burying his face in her shoulder.

Claw fidgeted, pulling back slightly. After a moment's hesitation he swiped his arm across his eyes and joined his brother in Faith's embrace.

Harlequin watched her with her jaw gaping. "She really does have a way with others doesn't she?"

"Yep," said Spark. "That's our Faith."

Faith chuckled, fastening an arm around each of the pawniard. "Now… would you like to join us?"

The twins nodded and stuck close to the mawile as she led them out of the cells. They sat down on either side of her, keeping their distance from the other pokemon they must have perceived as vulnerable.

Cleo smiled at them and sat back, adjusting her bandaged leg before her so she was comfortable.

"So," said Harlequin, her eyes growing distant. "Um… like I said, the only idea I have so far is to enter the Shadow Lands and poison Hydreigon." She looked up at her friends. "But, as Scratch and Claw can tell you, my last attempt didn't go so well."

"What was it that went wrong exactly?" Cleo asked. "Perhaps we can work out a plan from there."

"I panicked," said Harlequin. "I was keeping watch and spotted a murkrow. I wanted to lure it away from my friends, but there turned out to be way more of them than I'd expected."

"They're probably all sheltering in the woods from this snow," said Spark.

"Were they the same ones who took Mischief?" Cleo asked.

"I don't think so," said Harlequin. "I'm pretty sure the ones who attacked me were male, so they're Yurlik's flock. Mischief dealt with them pretty well until…" She trailed off and shook her head. "Yeah."

"Okay, well it's only natural to be afraid," said Cleo. "Perhaps next time we don't camp in the woods?"

"They're huge!" said Harlequin. "It will take a couple of days to get through them. We won't have any choice."

"What about Reshiram?" Spark offered.

Faith's eyes widened and she looked up at Spark.

"Spark," said Cleo, "please think about that for a moment?"

Spark's gaze drifted to the door as her mind worked. A thoughtful noise left her nose and, after a while, Cleo turned back to Harlequin.

"You said you were going to use your illusion?" Cleo inclined her head on one side. "How would that work?"

"My original plan was to disguise myself as a weavile," Harlequin explained. "That way I could get everyone else in. Mischief is wanted, so the guards would assume I'd taken him captive."

"That might have backfired terribly," said Faith. "What if they'd taken him off you and killed him?"

Harlequin flinched and her lips pulled back from her teeth. "I was acting on impulse! I… I…" She drifted off and looked away.

"You wanted revenge," Claw told her.

Harlequin nodded stiffly.

Faith sighed and sat back on her paws. "Revenge is rarely never messy."

Harlequin looked back at her, her sapphire eyes wide.

"Revenge is acting in the heat of the moment," Faith went on. "It's a direct path to regret."

"Tell me about it," Harlequin hissed.

"Oh! I get it." Spark nodded and looked back down at Cleo. "Reshiram would stand out like a sore paw pad, huh?"

Cleo rolled her eyes and smiled up at the dedenne. "Precisely."

Harlequin looked at each of her friends in turn. "As would you." She sighed and shook her head. "Perhaps this is something only I can do?"

"Don't be hasty, Harlequin," said Cleo. "You shouldn't go in there alone."

"Yeah, what if you need back-up?" said Spark.

"We'd go too," said Claw, drawing everyone's gaze. "Harbinger left us with Harlequin to protect him after all."

Harlequin swished her tail as she averted her gaze, but said nothing.

"We should all go," said Cleo. "If we can find a way to sneak inside and get into the castle unseen…"

Spark nodded. "Yeah, there's gotta be a weakness somewhere. A crack in the wall, or an old burrow or something?"

"Perhaps there is." Harlequin looked up again. "Then we should head back to the Border Woods."

Faith looked from Harlequin to Cleo as the meowstic added, "But didn't you search the wall?"

"Like I said, I wasn't thinking straight," said Harlequin. "And there are sentries everywhere, some of who could sniff right through my illusion if I got too close. My intentions had been to walk straight into the Shadow Lands in disguise. But as for a weak point… the outlaws might know something. I mean, they've escaped the Shadow Lands after all."

"Then that's what we'll do," said Cleo.

Faith gave a long, heavy sigh and rubbed her paws over her face. "I don't know about this…"

Cleo placed a paw on the mawile's shoulder. "You don't have to come, Faith. You can stay here and help out in New City."

Faith's jerked her head towards her. "I'm not going to let you go alone! I left the Fairy Garden to help you!"

"So we're all going?" asked Harlequin.

Cleo and Spark nodded, as did Scratch and Claw.

Faith clenched her jaw and took a deep breath through her nose. "Yes. But if it looks like things are going to turn messy…"

"We'll leave." Harlequin's blue eyes welled up. "I'm not about to lose someone else to carelessness."

"So let's go over the plan." Cleo leaned forwards slightly. "We'll seek out the outlaws to find a way into the Shadow Lands, then sneak into the castle unseen-"

"Yes," said Harlequin. "I'll take on the form of a deino if need be. They flock outside the castle, so we may need to lure them away."

"Aren't they blind?" Cleo asked. "Surely we can sneak past them?"

"They are, but they have good noses," Harlequin explained. "But they're as dumb as dishwater. They're easy to fool."

"So when we're in the castle, what then?" Faith asked.

"I'll find a way to poison Hydreigon," said Harlequin. "I'd love to stab him with my nidoking horn, but that could be too risky. I'll find his food source and poison that. Hopefully that will also get rid of Yveltal, too."

Faith bit her lip but said nothing.

"It sounds like it would do more than kill those two," said Spark. "We might end up killing off a load of his soldiers."

"An unfortunate price," said Harlequin. "But if we can get rid of Hydreigon and Yveltal, we'll end this war."

"And with dark-types on our side as well!" Spark's eyes sparkled as she looked down at Harlequin and the twins. "Who'da thunk it, eh?"

Faith closed her eyes and chuckled.

"Then it's a plan." Cleo struggled to her feet, and Faith rose to steady her. "First thing's first, though. I need to be rid of this cast. Can we wait a while?"

Harlequin nodded stiffly. "How long will that be?"

"Hopefully soon if I can convince Melody I can walk without it." Cleo clenched her teeth. "It's got to be easier than with it, surely."

"Then we'll go back in the cell." Harlequin nodded for the twins to follow her. "I'd hate to get you into trouble. Tinker might not let you leave New City at all if he discovers you let me out."

Cleo closed the cell door behind Harlequin and locked it. She met the zorua's sapphire gaze. "Don't worry. If things go smoothly, you won't be in there for long at all."

...

Cleo gathered her bag from beside her bed and slung it over her shoulder. Spark watched her over an oran berry, chewing slowly.

"Where are you off to?" the dedenne asked.

"I'm going to see Tinker," Cleo told her. "I have to ask him something."

"Really?" Spark took another bite of her berry. "Good luck!"

"You don't want to come?" Cleo asked with a smirk.

"Not a chance! I'm not getting caught in the midst of a blazing row! He's all yours, sister."

Cleo shook her head slowly. Tinker had been waiting in the corridor outside the cell, so it hadn't surprised Cleo that he'd overheard some of their conversation. Not enough to string the pieces together, but enough to work out that she'd let Harlequin out of her cell.

"Well, if I need you I'll send for back-up," Cleo joked.

"What are you gonna see him about, anyway?" Spark asked.

"I'm going out into the mountains tomorrow," Cleo told her. "I want to find Mischief and bring him back here."

Spark almost choked on her berry. She spluttered to clear her throat. "Mischief? The mountains?!"

"That's what I said."

Spark looked her up and down, her expression turning indignant. "But your cast isn't even off yet, and you're goin' hiking?!"

"Time is of the essence, Spark. We need to find him, and by the time Melody has released me he could have moved on goodness knows where."

"He might not even be there, Cleo. Harlequin said he left her ages ago!"

"Perhaps you're right." Cleo adjusted her bag strap under her thick ruff, making sure her badge was visible. "But if there's even a glimmer of a chance then I'm looking for him."

"Then send out a search party!"

"What, and have him locked in a cell?" Cleo spat, her neck bristling. She took a breath and smoothed out her fur. "No, it has to be me. Besides, I have a plan."

Spark snorted and returned to her berry. "All right. Well, rather you than me. Tinker ain't exactly impressed with you right now, so I can only guess how he's gonna react to this."

"Spark's right, Cleo." Faith's voice startled Cleo and she turned around to see the mawile folding a towel just beside the elevator. A basket lay at her feet filled with fresh laundry. "Mischief did hand his badge over to Harlequin."

"Only because he knew he could trust her." Cleo grabbed her crutch from the foot of the bed then hobbled to the elevator. "I'll let you both know how things go once I get back."

"If you get back," mocked Spark.

Cleo rolled her eyes at her and climbed into the wooden elevator. She steadied her crutch against the wall and pulled on the cord. The little box rattled up to the next floor and she stepped out into the corridor. She almost stumbled back into it as Scout raced past her with Starshine in tow. Tad grabbed her by the arm before she toppled onto her bottom.

"Whoa there, ma'am." He chuckled. "Sorry 'bout that."

The other two hatchlings had stopped and were watching her with an air of regret.

"You shouldn't be running," she chided. Then she nodded down the corridor. "Have you come from Tinker's office."

"Yeah," said Starshine. "He won't play. He sent us to the market."

Scout folded his paws behind his back. "We're on an errand!"

"Sent us for some pastries, aye." Tad nudged his bandanna up from his eye. "Though I think he jus' wants t'keep us busy."

"Okay, well I'm off to see him now." She nodded at the boys. "See you later."

Scout saluted and took off with Starshine in flopping behind him.

"And no running!" she cried after them.

Starshine rose clumsily into the air. "I'm not, I'm flying!"

Cleo shook her head and laughed, turning her back to follow the corridor to Tinker's office. It wound a few times before she found herself standing in front of Tinker's closed door. A sense of foreboding washed over her, but she forced herself to give it a sharp knock then push it open. The riolu was sat at his desk scrawling something with a quill and ink. He had to look up and turn his head fully to see her with his good eye, then he looked back at his work, muttering under his breath.

"What do you want?" he asked as she closed the door behind her. "I'm busy."

"I need to ask a favour." Cleo forced her voice to sound confident.

"And what might that be?" he asked. "Do you want a room in New City for Harlequin now, too? Perhaps we should set one up for Hydreigon while we're at it?"

"Cut that out, Tinker," she snapped, drawing a glare from the riolu. She reached into her bag and hobbled over to him, dropping the detainment collar and bangle onto his desk with a clatter. "I need you do modify this."

Tinker picked up the collar and his muzzle creased. "Modify it? Whatever for?"

"I'm going to look for Mischief," she told him. "I want to use it on him, but without it stopping his attacks."

"Mischief?" Tinker turned to fix her with a scowl. "What good will that do?"

"The collar works both ways," Cleo explained. "I found that out the hard way. Harlequin couldn't touch me, sure. But I also couldn't attack her. If you can tweak it so that Mischief can still use his attacks, but he can't actually hurt me, then I might be able to convince him to help us again."

Tinker scratched his nose as he turned the collar in one paw. "It wasn't meant to be used like that, Cleo. This was meant to be a mobile cell, in a way, allowing you to take a dangerous pokemon with you without them posing a risk to others."

"I see that, but can you tweak it?"

"Why on earth do you want Mischief to help you?" Tinker scoffed. "He's already proved he can't be trusted."

"You're wrong," said Cleo. "He's proved he can indeed be trusted."

"He handed a New City badge over to an assassin!"

"He handed a New City badge over to a pokemon who now fights on our side!" Cleo shook her head. "I can't deny it was a risky move, but Harlequin isn't our enemy, Tinker. You need to look away from her past to who she is now, and understand that Mischief didn't believe he was doing anything wrong."

"Okay, but look at it this way, Cleo." Tinker sat back in his seat. "Say you are right. We know Harlequin's past. We know where she's come from. Perhaps, if she proves her loyalty, she could be trusted. But Mischief is a blank slate. We don't know anything about him!"

"We know he's loyal." Cleo waved a paw at the air. "He turned himself over to a flock of murkrow to save our lives! I thought he was dead, but he's not, Tinker! He's out there. He's my friend, and he's sick." She paused, swallowing back tears. "He needs help."

Tinker closed his eyes and sighed. "Okay. I'll see what I can do." He set the collar down on his desk and opened his drawer, pulling out a small screwdriver. "But if he's the friend you believe he is, do you really think you can convince him to fight?" The look in his eye told her he'd overheard more than he was letting on.

Cleo gave a stiff nod towards the collar. "If there's any way I can convince him, then it's with this."

Tinker let out a long, flustered breath and began working on the collar. Cleo turned to leave his office, but his voice froze her paw above the handle.

"You do know, Cleo, that one day that pokerus will take him over completely?"

"Not if I can help it."

"You might not be able to."

Cleo's heart weighed heavily in her chest, pushing a lump of lead into her throat. Thinking about that fact wasn't something she wanted to do. She took in a trembling breath and blinked back tears. "Then… then I'll do anything in my power to help him. I'm not giving up on the belief that there's something." She swallowed loudly. "If not, then I can be there for him. I can show him he's not alone."

She tugged the door open before a sob betrayed her. As she closed the door behind her she caught a glimpse of Tinker sitting motionless with the collar clasped in both paws, his muzzle crinkled in thought.

...

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