/|—| Pokémon Mystery Dungeon |—|\
Waves Of Destruction
— — —
|— Chapter Seven: Association Head To Head —|
—[Adventurers Association | Main Hall]—
"LURANTIS!"
Excadrill scooped her up in a massive hug, Agatha freezing up at the sudden gesture of joy. Thankfully, he seemed to realize this and place her down on the old, mangled carpet, laughing lightly.
The group, consisting of Agatha, Excadrill, Malamar, Leafeon and the sour Lycanroc jailer, was gathered in the Adventurers Association's main hall. It had a sort of slapdash feel to it, large pillars of sandy-stone lining it, lovely cushions scattered about, just begging for Pokémon to sit upon them while waiting for a meeting or a reprieve from the day. It was a crowded enough area with Pokémon of all sorts, many of which wearing the signature scarf of the association. Agatha noted that Excadrill and Malamar had forgone their own.
Light filtered in through a large hole in the ceiling bathing the center of the area in a warm glow, constantly moving slightly, no doubt thanks to Spiral-Town's unique state. The Pokémon who had it pass through them almost seemed invigorated by it, though Agatha remained wary. Doors to further chambers dotted the walls, with one grand, metallic one standing proudly at the end of the area.
Malamar, Lycanroc, Agatha and Leafeon had just emerged from a sort of miserable looking door, tucked away in a corner. A sign beside it quietly denoting it as the, 'Holding Area.'
"I heard ya got into a fight with some Association Brats!" Excadrill said, looking her over for injuries. "Did ya win?"
"Those brats happened to be Team Flint-Feather." Lycanroc growled lowly. "They're some of our strongest trainees. They're also well liked around Spiral-Town. More then I can say for some." He crossed his long arms, staring down Excadrill.
"For such heroic deeds as assaulting innocent Pokémon no doubt." Malamar scoffed, shaking his head.
Lycanroc's growled. "You can't just come in here and start bad-mouthing us. I don't care what history you two have around here, if you think-"
"And yet, here we are." Malamar said, looking about with disdain. "Your thoughts on us do not matter. We have bled and worked for the Association. We will speak as we wish."
"Darn right!" Excadril snorted, pointing towards a nervous looking Leafeon. "Heck you think you're doing locking this one up? Lurantis I can get, ya brats were scared stiff by 'er, but this one? She works at the Eeveelution! What, ya hate the cookin there or something?"
"She AIDED a criminal in-"
"Ah yes, Lurantis's criminal status. Placed upon her by testimony of an outlaw. Is that what passes for a reliable source here these days? I was aware that the Association was under going erosion, but this truly is a sorry state to find it in." Malamar shook his head, before locking eyes with the seething Lycanroc. "We have no remaining use for you. I had at least expected you to escort this Zoroark with us to our meeting with the Association Head, but it seems keeping him behind bars is beyond your capability."
Lycanroc jabbed a claw into Malamar's chest. "Listen here. I don't care if your team was blessed by Arceus himself, I ain't taking my eyes off you for a split-second. Everyone else might focus on Excadrill for the tantrum he threw, but YOU-"
A tentacle wrapped around Lycanroc's wrist, and he let out a pained gasp. Malamar seemed to tower over him. "You know who I am. If I wished to leave with Lurantis immediately, I would have simply done so. Inform the Head that we are here, and you will return to find us here. This is not an order. It is what is going to happen."
He released Lycanroc, who took a step back. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, before growling and storming off towards the grand door, muttering something about not being paid enough.
"Yeah, go on, get!" Excadrill called after him, shaking a claw.
Malamar ignored them, turning to the two recently jail-free-mons. "How did the two of you fair while under captivity?"
Leafeon was shaking where she stood, looking anywhere but at Malamar, so Agatha picked up the slack. "Apart from the whole 'assault' thing? Just peachy. Was better then the last prison I was thrown in, this one actually had a bed. They healed my wounds too."
"After causing em." Excadrill growled.
"The bare minimum when taking prisoners, really." Malamar agreed.
Rolling her eyes at the remark, Agatha continued. "Yeah, before you two go off about how horrible this place is, mind if we do a bit of catch up? We're meeting with the Association Head? They couldn't keep a Zoroark here? What's been happening?"
"Welp. After you and Leafeon scuttled off, me 'n Flare sat down and had a good long chat. Good news was that she's agreed to keep us fed and even give us a place to bunk. Bad news is, after you two were taking your sweet time to get back to the Eeveelution and Flare opened the place back open, a customer came in and told her Leafeon had been arrested." Excadrill rubbed the back of his head with a claw. "I, uh, figured that if she'd been sent off to the slammer, you probably weren't far behind. I tried calling ya on your messenger-orb, but ya weren't picking up."
His words shot a bolt of remembrance through her mind. Right, the rucksack that Malamar had given her before they'd left had had a messenger-orb in it. During their march through the heat, it had become just another weight on her, mixing with the heat. Hadn't she had it with her in the Dojo? Was it still there?
"After that, Excadrill contacted me." Malamar continued. "While I journeyed to Spiral-Town, he collected what information he could. The most important of which is this Zoroark, a member of Broken-Call. Following his imprisonment and interrogation, he was quick to accuse you, and then, thanks to the Association's abysmal state, he escaped. We will soon be seeing the Association Head to clear up the matter." He looked down at Agatha, frowning. "You had a right to defend yourself from Team Flint-Feather. However, it would have been possible to do so in a far less theatrical fashion. I doubt it was this 'Team Flint-Feather' who brought the fight onto the street."
"It was a stressful situation." Agatha said shortly. However, the way that Malamar's eyes narrowed told her that it hadn't been the response he'd been looking for.
His gaunt eyes snapped to Leafeon, who almost squeaked. "Leafeon, you were conscious during your march to imprisonment. Were Lurantis's items brought with you to be confiscated?"
"N-N-No." Leafeon said, shivering her way behind Agatha to hide.
Malamar's eyes next snapped to Excadrill, who shook his head. "Weren't at the Dojo's either. First place I went to find out what had gone down."
The eyes returned to Agatha, and Malamar spoke slowly. "Lurantis. This may seem like a small detail, but I need you to concentrate. When was the last time you saw your bag?"
She screamed in her head. Had it just been a coincidence that the psychic-type had latched onto this detail, or was he reading her mind? If so, there was no reaction to her thought. Malamar simply appeared to be awaiting her answer.
"I…I last had it at the Dojo." Agatha answered. "I'm sure of it."
He watched her for a few beats, before nodding. "Very well. We have company."
Sure enough, the Lycanroc had returned, no happier then when he had left. "Alright. Seismitoad is ready to see you. Follow me and don't touch anything."
As they followed, Excadrill let out a loud whisper of, "Like we don't know the way ourselves."
The march through the hall presented Agatha with a curious atmosphere. Now that they had left the morose little corner where the door to the prison had been, they immersed themselves in the Association. Eyes latched onto them of course, some curious, some with suspicion, and even some with awe at the sight of Malamar floating through the air.
But beyond the eyes that attached to them, Agatha found the place…odd. It was hard to pin down the exact reason for this guttural feeling. It became strongest when they approached the door at the end of the hall, the grand ornate one. By both sides of the door were two massive billboards with small crowds around them, the boards themselves abundant with pages upon pages, with requests for different things. An escort to a far-off town, the acquisition of an item or even the capture of an outlaw.
Noticeably, among the crowd was a Beedrill, who was in the process of taking down a number of pages, all of which were asking for an escort to…somewhere. By the time Agatha had noticed the pattern, the Beedrill flew away, the mass of paper tucked away in a satchel.
Lycanroc led them through the grand door and up the equally grand stair-case. As the doors shut behind them, Agatha quickly caught Excadrill make a face at Malamar, who gave a minuscule nod. There was a tension in the air, and it was not helped by Leafeon pressing against Agatha's leg. She was shaking.
"Lurantis, what if the head decides we're bad? What if I get arrested and then go to jail forever? Mom is gonna be lose it…" She whimper-whispered.
"I thought you were, like, kinda over it?" Agatha whisper-snapped back.
"That's when we were in the cell! Now we're going to see the Head and- eep!" Leafeon squeaked as they reached the top of the stairs, directly entering a room that reminded Agatha massively of a pent-house.
A massive, white orb hung from the ceiling, hints of prismatic colours dancing with it as it hummed lightly. Below it, the centre-piece of the room was a massive desk, a number of pillows and oddly shaped chairs scattered before it, facing the grand throne-like chair that was pushed into the desk. Papers were scattered about the desk, along with a couple of books, which had clearly been obtained from one of the many shelves that lined the room. The whole thing reeked of age, with a poor attempt at upkeep. The only thing that seemed pristine and spotless was the orb that hung above.
Towards the back of the room, curtains bellowing in a breeze, was a balcony that looked out over Spiral-Town. The sky spun outside, and against it stood a massive figure, fit for the throne-like-chair. Around his shoulders was a massive yellow cape, the same colour as the Association's scarves.
"Head Seismitoad. Malamar, Excadrill, Leafeon and Lurantis are here to see you about…" Lycanroc sighed. "About the whole mess."
Turning, the oddly smiling Seismitoad nodded. "So I can see. Thank you, Lycanroc. If you could get back to your investigation?"
"You got it, sir." Shooting Malamar one last dirty look, Lycanroc moved back down the stairs, and after a few moments, the sound of the doors below closing battered through the room.
"Well. Here we all are. Please, take a seat." Seismitoad lumbered forward, dragging out his chair and sitting down at the desk, massive hands folded politely.
Leafeon made to step forward, however when no-one else did, she took a sort of awkward half-step, freezing up entirely. Agatha held back a snort.
Seismitoad's smile faltered, ever so slightly. "Right…well, let's get the unpleasantness out of the way first shall we? Lurantis and Leafeon, Team Flint-Feather wishes to extend an apology towards you. They believed they acted too rashly with the information they were given, and made a mistake because of it. You are both, of course, free to go. Leafeon, please give Flareon my regards."
The way he said it was light and casual, as if informing someone of directions to a nearby café. There was something in his voice that Agatha didn't like. It was the sound of someone who knew what they wanted out of a conversation, and was only propping up additional words to make a path there.
His desired destination quickly revealed itself when his attention switched to Malamar. "It's good to see you again, friend."
Excadrill barked a laugh. "That it, huh? Ya know, some bosses would punish trainees for running off to battle before getting the all clear. Ima take a guess and say those two brats are your favourite, eh?"
The Head's plastic smile faltered a bit as he settled on Excadrill. "It was an honest mistake. This particular Zoroark has been a thorn in our side for some time. I can't blame the two for being so gung-ho about taking down his supposed accomplice."
"Leaving said Zoroark to escape." Malamar said snidely. "Some Association Heads would also be more careful when holding a species known for their trickery."
Seismitoad's smile faltered again. "Is this level of hostility really necessary, Mal? We haven't seen each other in so long. I think we both did things we regret and-"
"Doubt Mal has much to be regretful for." Excadrill huffed.
"You stay out of this." Seismitoad still spoke lightly, but there was a warning clear within it. "You've already made your feelings quite clear, Drill. At least Mal had the decency to leave without-"
"I'll show you decency, ya trumped up big-"
"Enough." Malamar said. He placed a tentacle on Excadrill's shoulder, but kept his eyes on Seismitoad. "Seismitoad, for all intents and purposes, Team Tidal-Wave is gone. If we could put aside our history, it would serve both our purposes…"
"…and, I believe Excadrill is right. I am not the one who acted in a way they regret." He added, a smile curling across his beak. "Though, it brings me joy to hear that you feel that way."
The Association Head sighed and began to drum his digits against his desk. "…if that's what you want, fine. But before we get to what is it that brings two member of the now defunct Team Tidal-Wave to Spiral-Town, let us discuss our friends here."
His irritating smile reignited. "Leafeon, I'm of course already familiar with you. I myself also apologize for any worry this situation may have caused you and your family. As I said, you are free to go."
Leafeon looked about, once again hoping for a cue on how to act. This time, Agatha gave her one, a small indication to the stairs, as well as a (hopefully) comforting nod. Almost immediately, she squeaked a unintelligible good-bye and hurried away.
"Which brings us to you." Seismitoad shifted his attention onto Agatha, something unknowable added to his expression. "As far as I know, we don't have any Lurantis in Spiral-Town. I am Association Head Seismitoad, and welcome you to our home, with open arms."
It took Agatha a few seconds to realize that he was awaiting a response.
"It's annoyingly hot." Agatha said the first thing that came to mind.
"We can remedy that. We have a few enviro-scarfs in storage. We usually keep them for recruits, but I'd be happy to sneak one out for you." He nodded towards the staircase. "You are also free to leave. Perhaps you could go offer some comforting words to Leafeon? I think I scared her a tad."
She considered it, for a moment.
"I'll stay here."
He tilted his head, looking her up and down. "Should I take that to mean that this wasn't just a matter of these two jumping to the defense of our favorite café-owner's daughter? Are these two your escorts? Your bodyguards…?"
There was something about Seismitoad that pissed her off. He reminded her of a principal, lounging behind his desk with a kindly smile on his face, as if she should want something from him. He seemed to enjoy the idea.
Even if she didn't mean it, she wanted to see the smug toad's reaction. "They're my friends. We're traveling together."
Excadrill's face broke out into a full-blow grin, and he shot her a wink. Seismitoad, however, swapped his eyes from her, to them, from her to them. The digits that had been drumming out a rythemless tune curled into a fist.
Slowly getting up from his chair, he moved across the office, pushing the bellowing curtains of the balcony aside with a hint of too much force. Looking out across Spiral-Town. He let out a sigh. "Well then. I'll take that to mean that you've already made up your mind about me. If I may offer a warning? These two often end up leaving things worse then how they found them. They-"
"You wouldn't be sitting in that chair if it weren't for us." Excadrill hissed, taking a step forward, emboldened by Agatha's backing. "How's it feel to be reaping the reward from all OUR hard work?"
"You think I enjoy this?" Seismitoad snapped, not facing them. "You think I like having my two best-friends storm in here after years of NOTHING, only to see them staring me down with hatred in their eyes?"
"Course we hate ya, ya blooming-blue-bastard! Ya let Mal run off on his own when he needed someone, ya left me in the dust so that ya could cozy-up to the old Association Head, and WHO was it who said they were gonna keep an eye on Primarina and then lost her? Wasn't me!"
Seismitoad whirled round, any facade of a smile dropped, traded for an angry grimace. "Did you injure your head during your infernal drilling? Have you come down with a case of amnesia? Because I certainly don't remember you running off with this-" He jabbed towards Malamar. "-prick, when he decided to abandon us both! It is NOT my fault that you're as useless as a Spoink without it's pearl without him having you on a leash!"
Excadrill flinched, as if he'd been struck, but a moment later, his rage returned. "I DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO-"
"BOTH OF YOU BE QUIET."
The two froze in place as Malamar's voice boomed, carrying with it an almost physical force. Agatha herself, who'd carefully been watching the rising tension, took an instinctive step back from the psychic-type.
When he spoke again, it was almost in a whisper. "We are not here to play any sort of blame-game. The pieces on this board have been set for us long before this little reunion, as suddenly as it may have come."
"Association Head Seismitoad. I have no interest in reigniting any sort of friendship between the two of us. Our time apart has opened my eyes to many things…including to who I may safely place my trust in." Malamar took on the placid smile that Seismitoad had been projecting moments before. "I come to you with a business offer. Nothing more."
Though the tension that hung in the air hadn't been fully dispelled, both Excadrill and Seismitoad managed to do away with their staring contest. As Excadrill took a sudden interest in the nearby wall, arms crossed, Seismitoad returned to his desk, throwing himself into his chair with not a hint of grace.
He was now looking at the three of them with an abundance of exhaustion. "Fine. Let's hear what dragged you back here. We can get this over with, and then you can both disappear from my life once again."
"Excellent. I am glad we are in agreement." Malamar floated forward a tad, staying in the air.
"There have been rumors. Gossip. Complaints, as of recent, that the Adventurers Association has been…slacking lately. Requests going without reply. Needs not being met. Now, these accusations have, of course, been met with some…resistence. Others insist that the Association is acting as well as it ever has. They tell these worriers that they haven't noticed anything wrong, so surely everything must be fine and dandy." Malamar reached towards, tentacle slowly slithering for a massive stack of papers.
Seismitoad didn't stop him.
Grabbing one of the papers, Malamar raised it up so that he could read it. "Curious isn't it? Some are saying the Association is ignoring parts of the Sand-Continent. Other Pokémon insist that you are playing favorites. Many of my acquaintances have asked me to look into this matter. I've discovered a rather interesting pattern."
It was remarkable that Seismitoad could make a face that was so stony, and yet, so impatient. He gave a grunt, one of barely released confirmation. "The Path To Growth."
"The Path To Growth." Malamar repeated. "Of course, with this piece of the puzzle, we see the whole picture. A journey to that Mystrey Dungeon is traditionally a surprise to the Pokémon who has been deemed worthy by their guardian. It will…take time for the Pokémon of the Sand-Continent to connect these dots but when they do…"
Excadrill reared up his head, before spitting rudely. "They're gonna try and make the trek through the dungeon by themselves instead of getting an Association escort. Then the poor folks are gonna come face to face with a Broken-Call gang the size of a Wailord." Scowling, he venomously added, "You're putting folks in danger for your damn own pride."
Seismitoad finally took his eyes off Malamar. "It is NOT a matter of pride, you OAF, it's-"
"The Knights of Divinity." Malamar finished. "You feel ill-equipped to deal with these outlaws, and as such you have thought of two options. One. Either continue to wait and hope that a solution presents itself. Or, two. Call in The Knights to deal with the problem."
Malamar placed the paper back down, and just before Seismitoad snatched it to place it back atop it's previous pile, Agatha caught the words, "From the desk of Grand-Knight Sirfetch'd."
"A disastrous option. To forfeit more of the Continent's trust to the Knights…I imagine it would be quite the blow to the Association's reputation. In fact, if my memory serves, it would be the first time an organization needed the knights for such a…mundane threat."
"Get to the point, Mal." Seismitoad growled.
"Your solution has presented itself. Allow us-" He waved a tentacle from Excadrill to Agatha "-to take care of the outlaws. We will do so in a quiet enough fashion, and if word gets around that we helped, it will simply be chalked up to…old friends helping each other out."
Seismitoad cracked at this, an eyebrow raising. Leaning back in his chair, he did a quick scan of everyone in the room. Excadrill stuck his tongue out at him.
Agatha was quite sure that he resisted the urge to do the same, instead asking, "What's the catch?"
"A duel." Malamar said. "You and me, one on one, no equipment. An unbiased referee will decide when one of us is unfit to battle. Other then that, we are free to battle as we wish."
Agatha was glad that she wasn't the only one who was surprised by this. While she managed to keep her cool however, Excadrill blinked, looking to Malamar with unspoken questions.
Seismitoad was the one to speak however. "That's it?"
"That's it." Malamar answered.
Again, the Association Head attempted to get a read from the psychic-type, leaning forward an inch into his attempt at insight. There was none to be gained.
"…fine." It was almost spat, before he regained himself. "Fine. It's a fool's errand, Mal. I'll give you what little info we've managed to scout-"
"There will be no need." Malamar raised a tentacle. "All I needed was your agreement. All you have left to do now is keep up your end of the deal. With this, we take our leave. We'll meet when the job is done."
Swiftly, Malamar turned and floated towards the stairs, descending calmly. Excadrill gave the somewhat-surprised Pokémon a mere grunt, stomping after his friend. Agatha was the last to leave, hurrying after the two.
The course had, apparently, been set.
—[Spiral-Town | The Next Eeveelution In Taste]—
"I can't believe he ditched us." Agatha said.
Usually words such as these would have been laced with some anger. However, that anger was currently being halted by the most delicious food Agatha had ever tasted. Even as she tried to add something to the sentence, she had already stabbed some warm bread with her scythe, shoveling it into her mouth. It was both delightfully sturdy, and wonderfully warm. Perfect for scythe usage.
After their meeting with Seismitoad, they'd left the Association's headquarters so fast Agatha hadn't had time to properly take the place in. As the sun set, the trio had made their way through Spiral-Town and all the way back to the Eeveelution. Before they'd even stepped in the door, before they'd even been able to ask any questions, Malamar had informed them he had to make a quick stop, and then simply floated away.
"Ech, Mal knows what he's doing." Excadrill said from across the table, stuffing berry-cake after berry-cake into his mouth. When he gave himself a brief respite from the feast, he called out, "WOO! FLARE, YA HAVEN'T BEEN SLACKING! THE GRUB'S AS GREAT AS ALWAYS!"
Another plate, this one having a variety of biscuits laced with creamy looking icing, slammed onto the table, delivered by the fiery Flareon. She was amazing, Agatha had decided. As soon as they'd arrived, she'd thrown out all other customers in an impressive show of restaurant-management, and quickly gone to making them a feast of food that made Agatha's heart soar with joy at each taste.
"You're legends damn right it is. Could have been eating it every other day if ya hadn't run off like a yellow-bellied-coward, ya yellow-bellied-coward." She suddenly roared back in the direction of the kitchen, "LEAF, KEEP AN EYE ON THE MIXER, I THREW SOME BERRIES IN EM."
With that, she roughly pushed her way onto one of the booth's seats, sitting beside Excadrill who meekly whispered, "I…I said I was sorry."
"Yeah. You did. Now, what nonsense is Malamar dragging you into? Legends, not even just you this time, you two probably kidnapped this one." She nodded to Agatha. "How's the food?"
"Scho goomd." Agatha couldn't hold back the gushing love she felt as she managed to get a biscuit into her mouth, though she added a crumby, "Yesh. Kishnapped."
Flareon's eyes snapped to Excadrill who quickly defended himself with a, "She's joking, she's joking." Which led to the dangerous orbs looking back to Agatha, who just snickered. "Legends, girl, food's put you in a good mood…"
"Course it has, I made it. Now spill, what are you clowns up to?"
The door to the shop suddenly rang, Malamar floating through. "We plan to purge the Path To Growth of it's current infestation of Broken-Call. The situation has grown beyond the Association's control, so we've decided to step in."
Flareon snorted. "Clown business then. If the Association can't handle it then how are you three suppose to?" She eyed Agatha curiously. "Unless this one's some sort of Primarina case?"
Agatha wiped some crumbs from her mouth, careful not to have her scythe damage the delectable delicacies. "Dunno who that is, but no, I don't have any tricks up my sleeve. Seriously, what's our plan here? I don't see how this is gonna help us with the…other stuff. Could you not be weirdly cagey about all this for, like, two minutes?"
"I wouldn't put it that way exactly, but…." Excadrill trailed off.
Malamar nodded, plucking a pastry from the table. "Very well. Flareon, could you leave us alone for a few moments? We-"
"If you want food and shelter, I get to find out what in Giratina's name you two are up to. I ain't moving. What? You think I'm gonna go to Seismitoad with whatever you spout? He threw my daughter in jail." Flareon hissed.
Once again, a staring contest began, this time between Malamar and Flareon. A few seconds in, Excadrill supplied, "You're fighting a losing battle, mate."
Popping the pastry in his mouth, Malamar conceded. "Very well. Ask whatever-"
"How does this whole thing actually help us?" Agatha managed to pry herself away from the food for some answers. She needed to know how throwing themselves into a pit of outlaws was going to help them eventually find Jack.
"Seismitoad is unaware of the formation of the Waves of Destruction. Along with this, I plan for there to be quite a gathering at our battle. We will…put on a spectacle for said gathering, and make it clear that it was us who solved the problem. Despite some of our's…" He gave an apologetic look to Excadrill, who was guzzling back a drink, "…unfortunate reputation, I believe the show will have a desirable effect. Though it has not reached Spiral-Town, I have understated the amount of frustration this problem is causing the Sand-Continent, hence our hearing of the outlaw problem. This works in our favor."
"I got a question. The Waves of WHAT?" Flareon asked.
"Our new group. The Waves of Destruction."
"What kind of name is-"
"Didn't-" Agatha interrupted, but paused, just long enough for Flareon to roll her eyes and give her the go-ahead. "-you say we were going to do this quietly or something? If you make a fool out of Seismitoad, won't the Association be mad or whatever?"
Malamar shrugged. "I was lying. We are going to be as loud as possible. Does wronging them worry you?"
It did, slightly. "Of course not. I just want to know what the plan is."
Excadrill burped loudly, slamming a drink onto the table. "Speaking of. I'm all for messing with em, but first we're gonna have to clean out that dungeon. What's the play there? Sounds a might more tricky then Lost-Piece."
"I have a few plans brewing. One has recently presented itself quite…conveniently. I'll be contacting someone who should make the coming trial easier. We'll settle this particular matter in the morning." He seized another pastry. "Anything else?"
Agatha had heard the name a few times, and she was curious enough now to chase it. "So, let me see if I got this straight. Team Tidal-Wave or whatever. There were four of you? And Seismitoad was part of your gang, right?"
"A long time ago, yes." Malamar nodded.
"Right. So, this Primarina was the fourth right? What's her deal?" She carefully watched the reactions at the table. Curiously, both Excadrill and even Flareon both fell silent, looking to Malamar.
Agatha could have sworn that the psychic-type's eye twitched.
"She…was the fourth of our team, yes." His words were different then usual. Slow. Deliberate. Defensive?
"Riiiiight." She hadn't stepped on any toes yet, hopefully. "And…what? Would having her make this job easier, like Flareon said?"
A moment or two went by, during which the table was silent. Malamar closed his eyes briefly, before opening them, what little composure he had lost regained. "You'll have to forgive me. Primarina is a…topic I have difficulty discussing. To keep things brief, she was my significant other."
The dreamy smile that crept across his beak looked unnatural on such a villainous looking mon. "She is highly skilled in many things and her expertise is highly useful in our line of work…however, It has been years since I've heard from or seen her. We parted on unfortunate terms."
His voice grew more testy as he continued, finalizing at, "Does that sate your curiosity?"
Agatha could sense she was nearing a line, but decided to take the risk. Her curiosity was not sated. "Guess so. Why did-"
"RIGHT!" Excadrill practically yelled. "My turn for a question. Where'd ya run off to?"
"Ah. A more joyous topic." Malamar said, revealing a familiar box.
"I paid a visit to Bewear Dojo to search for Lurantis's bag. While there I had a chat with the Dojo Master. He was kind enough to present me with the TM's you'd been learning earlier today, and an apology. Charming fellow."
"LEAF, GET OUT HERE! THE ONE YOU THINK IS SCARY GOT A TM FOR YA!" Flareon followed her roar with a grunt. "You sacred the daylights out of him too, didn't ya?"
"I thought the conversation was rather pleasant. More importantly, I didn't find the rucksack there. You're sure that's the last place you saw it?"
It had been, hadn't it? Agatha nodded, with far more confidence then she felt. "If it's not there I have NO idea where it could be. It's not a massive deal or anything, is it? I get that messenger-orbs might be pretty rare, but the rest was just supplies we can get anywhere, right?"
Malamar's eyelids lowered in thought. "…I suppose so..."
The night continued quietly from there. Not long after, Leafeon arrived with drinks that, despite smelling strongly, tasted of an oddly delicious bitterness. It took some time for her to accept the gift of the Solar Blade TM from Malamar, but her mother eventually managed to talk her into it. Though Agatha also took one of the green disks, she decided to put off learning it until she was sure of what a 'TM' even was. She let Excadrill hang onto it for her.
By the time the moon was high in the sky, they'd retired to their rooms, Excadrill and Malamar taking a guest bedroom, and Leafeon agreeing to let Agatha stay in hers.
It was a messy area, and it took a little for the two grass-types to push aside enough cook-books and general mess so that a spare bedroll could be dragged from Leafeon's closet, which the small-mon had been careful to not let Agatha peek inside. Of course, where her back had been turned, Agatha had let her eyes glance through the slightly ajar closet door.
Old, old drawings of a variety of Pokémon, a large number of which were Lurantis. Agatha decided they were quite good and chose not to waste any more brain-power on it.
As she smoothed out surprisingly comfy (if small) surface that she'd be sleeping on, Leafeon perked up from her own bed, tail wagging slightly.
"So…you guys are gonna do it? Tomorrow you're gonna, like, stride across the desert, brave the elements and then take down the outlaws at the Path?" Leafeon didn't even wait for a reply before squeaking. "GAH! That's so cool! I bet you guys are gonna like, break in there and start…start using blast seeds and orbs and all kinds of awesome stuff! You HAVE to tell me about it when you get back."
"Maybe." Agatha yawned. "You been there?"
"Yep! Most Pokémon head there when their parents think they're ready to evolve. It's WAY easier then having to do it through battle. There's this CRAZY stone there and when you touch it, there's this big FLASH and then all of a sudden you're a new you!"
"Mmhm."
Continuing excitedly, Leafeon was now hopping up and down. "Then there's usually a party for all the evolved Pokémon from that day and it's amazing! The Path has all these amazing crystals and stuff, it's probably one of the prettiest places on the whole continent. Oh! I hope those outlaws haven't stolen them! Maybe they're…they're gonna try and sell them on the black market or something!"
"If you care so much, you could come with us." Agatha offered.
Leafeon froze, eyes widening. "Do…do you think I could? W-Would it be safe?"
"Absolutely not. I got set on fire the last time I went up against an outlaw…and here too…ugh."
"I-I think I'll pass. But wow…it must be fun to be on an adventure like that with friends. Aren't you excited?"
"More so tired." Agatha yawned again, this time forcing it out, hopefully to get the point across. "And Malamar and Excadrill aren't my friends. I only met them a few days ago. We're just helping each other right now."
"Oh. Cool."
Agatha lay down on the bedroll, cursing her scythes as she tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in. As she did so, she could practically feel Leafeon's eyes boring into her. She tried to ignore it.
Leafeon didn't notice. "…so…um…I overheard a little of the talk from tonight. This…Waves of Destruction thing. Obviously Excadrill and Malamar are doing it cause they're awesome adventurers and stuff a-and I'm sure you are too but…"
The question hung in the air. Agatha was happy to leave it unanswered, but a flicker of something in her chest convinced her to answer with something. "It's complicated. And personal."
"…If you wanna talk about it, I'm here." She could hear Leafeon settling down in her bed as she spoke.
"Mmhm." Agatha mummered. Thankfully, that seemed to be enough for Leafeon. Or so she presumed. If she had had any more questions, they went unanswered. Sleep took Agatha into it's wonderful clutches.
She hoped it would have her for a long, long time.
—[Spiral-Town | City Gate]—
Sleep had her for an infuriatingly small amount of time.
It had felt like mere minutes had passed before Excadrill had come knocking on Leafeon's door, calling for her to get ready for the coming mission, in a tired voice. Before she knew it, Agatha was downstairs and helping herself to a wonderful breakfast that she had far too little time to enjoy.
Both her and Excadrill had only just gotten into their second and third bowls of soup respectfully, when Malamar had hurried them out the door, giving a rushed thanks to Flareon. The two soup-enjoyers complained about this of course, but Malamar made some sort of excuse like 'the town being in the optimal position for setting off.' It didn't stop Agatha from muttering unhappily under her breath.
The early-morning streets of Spiral-Town still had far too much activity. Pokémon were still hurrying too and fro, but were far quieter about it, only speaking in quiet whispers. Agatha got the intense feeling that some of them were up to business that would be unwise to pursue during the day. At least one could go a few feet without bumping into someone, she supposed.
As they neared the town's gates, the stars spinning far above their heads, Malamar sighed unhappily. "I hope you two regain your senses with speed. This trek will be long and hard. Difficulty will only intensify when we arrive at the Mystery Dungeon."
"More desert. Yay." Agatha groaned.
"Dessert. I could go for some dessert." Excadrill yawned, stretching from just ahead of her. "Should've asked Flare to pack us some of those occa berry cakes she used to make. 'member those Mal? Those were nice…"
While her mouth watered from them, the words had gone further and brought a flicker of thought to Agatha's sleep-yearning mind. Blinking away some of the remaining sleep from her eyes, she saw that both Malamar and Excadrill were carrying their rucksacks with them.
"Hang on a sec. I still don't have a bag with me…this better not be a punishment or something for losing it. If I have to go without ANY water in the desert, I'm gonna-"
"That reminds me. Leafeon worked up the courage to approach me while you two gouged yourself on soup. She asked me to give you this." Malamar held up a green scarf with golden lines threaded throughout it. "An enviro-scarf. I assume you were alright with me passing along your thanks?"
If Agatha's mind had needed any sleep cleared from it, this certainly did it. "Huh….yeah, thanks." So Leafeon had been serious? Was she really so interested in Lurantis that she would give away such useful apparel?
"I believe she would appreciate your in-person thanks more then mine. Make sure to give them when we return." Reaching towards her, he tied the green cloth around her arm.
The effect was immediate. The early morning had been a little chilly in truth, but as Malamar tied the cloth to her, the temperature seemed to align perfectly. It was like she was wrapped in a lovely, Lurantis-shaped blanket that had been left near a fire for just about the right amount of time.
She sighed contentedly. "Yeah. I will."
Excadrill, thankfully, brought up an important point. "She can't eat a scarf, Mal. If we're gonna stop off and pick up supplies, we're gonna need-"
"It's all been taking care of. I've had our...aid pick up the necessary items. He's meeting up outside near one of the hop-off points. Hence why we must hurry." Malamar replied speedily.
With haste, they arrived at one of the gates, and before Agatha could even think of her reservations, jumped off of the town's side, sailing past a myriad of Pokémon who instead hopped on from the top of a sand-dune that must have been dangerously close to the town's path. A rickety looking sign denoted, "Spiral-Town Waiting Point".
Thankfully, Malamar allowed them a moment of rest as the town spun away from them. It must have been early enough that no other mons had considered leaving Spiral-Town, as they seemingly had the area to themselves.
"That…cannot be a safe way to get out of the town. Hasn't a Pokémon trying to jump on ever bumped into one getting off?" Agatha wondered, watching as a Hitmonchan who hadn't quite made the jump was desperately grasping onto the arm of his Poliwrath companion, who was trying to heave him up the city's edge.
"Usually only the brave folk who try it. Could always pay a flying-type to fly you in. They 'o course have no trouble with getting in and out…lucky mons." Excadrill admitted. "Anywho, where's this aid of ours? Someone we know?"
"NOOOOOOOOOT QUITE!"
Horror. Pure, irritating horror flowed through Agatha as the three of them turned to see a figure marching up the dune, with a cocky grin, and enough self-assurance that the sand almost seemed to part more then it should have where he strode.
"Heya Pinky!" Nidoran greeted smugly. "What a coincidence running into you here! Did you miss me? I missed yoooou."
"What. Is. HE. Doing here?" Agatha felt the flame splutter inside of her. Her body and mind were one.
"So you do know him. Interesting." Malamar reached inside his own bag and removed a messenger-orb from it. "I thought it was worth trying to contact the messenger-orb that had been in your rucksack. It took a few calls but eventually I was met with this fellow's voice. He's agreed to-"
The pieces slowly put themselves together in her mind. When they did, the flame sparked louder, and she snapped her eyes to Nidoran. "You."
"ME!" Nidoran agreed happily, giving a spin and a wink.
"You followed me to the Dojo? You CANNOT be serious. THIS is the guy who we're gonna trust? How is HE going to help us with the outlaws?" Her scythes were twitching.
Malamar opened his beak, but was cut-off by the annoying pest. "Few corrections for you there, Pinks. First off, let's simmer down a bit. Do you really think you're interesting enough to follow for an entire day? I mean, cmon, let's be real here. Furthermore…"
The space around him seemed to glitter and shine. As if a sphere of glass had surrounded him, Nidoran's form was fractalized within it. A moment later it shattered.
Standing there, far taller then the puny Nidoran was a Zoroark. Fur unkempt and messy, he had a familiar rucksack slung over his shoulder, and a smug grin stretching from ear to ear. "I unfortunately arrived late to the show at the Dojo. Did manage to get a souvenir though. Had to be a bit sneaky to-"
Agatha lunged at him.