Pokémon Chronicles - Web of Lies

by Eric566

Three years after the disbandment and defeat of Team Uncario, the members of Team Star find themselves thrust back into stardom after a succesful mission in dealing with an unexpected menace. However, the fall of the last of the Dark Eons and this new achievement has stirred new enemies from the ends of the world, and re-ignited the fires of an empire best forgotten. Sequel to AHR.

4. Chapter 2 - Exceptional

Well, first of all I'd like to apologize this chapter came a week later than usual, I found myself too wrapped up in school work and couldn't fully concentrate on the chapter, but I have found a way to compensate for it, so look forward to it!

With that quick apology out of the way, let's quickly jump into the reviews and a fast disclamer before the true show starts!

Only 2 reviews this time! Come on people, no need to be shy, just post your opinions and what you thought of the chapter, you've got nothing to lose, only to gain!

Luchux: Man, if you thought that was a lot, then you're in for a ride. Only one new thing was introduced (that being new characters) and yet I can understand that the way everything is intersecting can be staggering… but trust me, it's about to get crazier, just wait until this chapter.

WesternFail: The end is still very far off, my friend, so let's live in the present. And that present is… not that bright actually, especially for Elly, who seems to be in the Judges' sights… but there might be something else to this whole issue that we don't know of.

Alakard was a blast to write, and do expect to see a lot more of him in the future, and same with Vincent, who… well, I won't say anything else. You've already read it after all. Once again, thanks a million for betaing this chapter, my friend.

And just before we start, a disclaimer: any sort of ideological or religious debate that takes place in this fic, now, before and in the future is not a representation of my ideologies or beliefs. I am not willing to say what religion I follow (if any) or what ideology I choose. Team Star is a diverse group with each of it's members having diverse opinions, who will meet characters with opposing ideas or like minded. Please mind that this is all achieved for realism, and that ANY SORT OF DEBATE SPARKED BY THESE CONVERSATIONS IN THE REVIEW SECTION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

Thank you for your understanding and enjoy the chapter

Chapter 2

Exceptional

Deep inside, there's something special within each of us

The hotel Serge, Lucy and Nox had found was actually quite luxurious looking, and yet their association with Team Star made it so they got an affordable price, thanks to a thirty percent discount, which was certainly appreciated by all. The reception hall was huge, and where most of the activities took place: the rooms were already booked, so there was no need to stand in the long line that'd built up and was going past the waiting area, with tables, couches and armchairs, which had waiters walking about and taking orders from the customers waiting for their turn or simply relaxing there. To the left, a pair of closed glass wooden framed doors let one look into a large dining hall, with several round tables and even a stage for nightly events, and then to the right and left of the reception itself were flights of stairs that lead upwards and downwards to a basement area only staff were allowed in, whilst a corridor to the right took one to the rooms located on the bottom floor.

Their rooms were located on the third floor, and getting up there was a easy, albeit many compared this hotel with the one they'd been in during their multiversal vacation, and missed the commodity of the elevator or the fact that they could all stay in one single, giant room called a "suite". Still, their rooms right next to each other, so it wasn't all bad. Eric, Elly, Zed and Lucy would be staying in one room, whilst Nox, Serge and Jake would stay in the other. The first thing the former did once they got to their room was to play rock paper scissors in order to decide the order in which they could take a bath. Eric was the first, an offer he gladly took in order to relax and wash off the dirt from their trip there.

As he went into the bathroom and locked the door, Zed and Lucy turned to face Elly. "Are you doing alright?" Was the question that her concerned friend sent the Eevee's way.

She answered with a slow nod. "The initial shock has passed… I honestly don't know what came over me, it was… terrifying. It felt like being twelve again and completely alone… gosh, it was so strange…"

"It was probably because of the strange setting and the pressure from the encounter. That and the fact that you'd been digging through your memories to get there, as far as you told us." Zed's reasoning was sound, and the two girls agreed.

"Still, I just… can't help but feel ashamed something like that happened. It's almost as if… I wasn't myself, and instead I turned back into that mess of a furball I was before I met Eric."

"Did someone call me?" His voice came from inside the bathroom, where even with the water running thanks to the water system in the hotel, he could still hear everyone outside.

"Mind your own business, we're having a talk and you're not invited!" Lucy quickly answered with a shout and a smirk, which in turn made the Riolu annoyed.

"You shouldn't be like that… no wonder he's always messing with you." Elly advised her friend, but the Shinx rolled her eyes.

"I don't give a Ratatta's ass! If he lets it get to his head that's his problem, he knows I'm not being serious about it. Anyways, I never really got to meet that side of you… you've told me about it before, but I never actually saw it, you were always the one Eevee Army ever since I met you in person." The expression made the normal type giggle.

"One Eevee Army? That's a new one!" Both of them laughed, while Zed chimed in with a nervous laughter.

"Hehe… Well… yeah I did know her when she was like that, and… honestly she isn't as bad as she says, she was pretty strong… or at least much stronger than I am."

"Aww, come on don't get like that!" Lucy bumped him. "You've got your own strengths and weaknesses. So what if you stutter in public or can't speak up, you can hide as their best friends and clonk them in the back of the head!" She imitated the motion with his head. "Wham!" She miscalculated and ended up hitting him on accident, drawing a yelp of pain from him and a stream of apologies from his mate.

Elly meanwhile started laughing at the situation, feeling much better than before. "Well… this all certainly helps, but we still have to find a way solve all of this, and there are things that… well I need to speak with Eric, personally."

"Yeah, I understand that, just as well as there's stuff that you can only tell me and you can't tell him." Lucy's words rang true, and the two friends hugged each other, all while Zed whimpered trying to recover from the blow to the back of his head. They made small chat for a bit before Eric came out of the bathroom, telling Zed he was next, though before he went in they all heard shouts coming from the room next to theirs: Jake, Serge and Nox were having an argument, and didn't sound like something frivolous like who got to sleep where. "What is going on with those three?"

"Hell if I know… These walls are paper thin if we can hear them like that." They all stayed quiet and still for a bit to listen in to their conversation, though all they could understand was Jake once again 'grilling' Serge about keeping secrets from the team, which made Eric wince. "I think I'll keep that conversation for tomorrow… guy's not going to be in the mood to talk about it during dinner."

"Still, I don't understand why he hides things like these from us…. had he told us from the get-go that there was a chance bounty hunters could go after him, we wouldn't have freaked out this much." The sound of the bathroom door closing interrupted the Eevee, but she finished her sentence and earned herself a scoff from Lucy.

"Wait, you actually believe him?" The couple looked at her. "Oh come on, really? It's obvious that he lies more than he breathes, how can you believe him with all of that?!"

"Well, what are we supposed to do then? He's explained everything that's happened, and it makes sense. If we don't trust each other then we might as well be dead and buried, because out there the only thing that keeps us alive is trust."

"Pche… yeah right." Lucy laid on her back and crossed her arms.

"What's your problem now?" Eric's voice came off as a bit too aggressive for Elly's liking, who tried to quell him.

"Nothing, just that what you said is stupid." The electric type definitely wasn't helping either.

"Ok, let's calm down… look I agree that we need to trust Serge, Eric, but he also needs to trust us with his secrets, and so far it seems that he hasn't been able to do that. He keeps on hiding stuff from us that we really should know about and could save us some hassle." Elly stepped in between and defused the situation.

"Exactly, what's what I was getting at! I tell you guys everything important that could be of importance to the team, I don't go around hiding the fact I have assassins creeping up on me, now do I? And Zed doesn't hide any secrets from you either, now does he, Eric? That's why you two are great friends, because he trusts you and you trust him. But Serge… Serge's always hiding something! He looked like a pretty boy but it turned out that he was neck deep in debt with mafias!"

"Ok, I get it, but at this you're just bad mouthing him, and that's something that I've found you exceed at: bad mouthing others when they aren't there."

"Hey, I only say the truth, ok?!"

"Oh yeah, and I'm saying the truth too, because I've caught you red pawed and told you about it, and it's this type of behavior that makes these situations so difficult in the first place!"

"Stop it!" Elly interrupted the two. "Look, we'll talk with him about this and try to get the truth out. And if he tries to hide something else from us that we label as important then we'll do what we must, alright?! Just… please, this is the last thing I need right now." The two pokémon looked at each other, and although Eric sighed and gave up on the discussion, Lucy showed signs of being more than ready to continue, even with her friend having already stated she didn't want to. And she noticed this. "Lucy, can you please listen to me once and stop?!"

"I can't… Agh! Fine, whatever, do what you want!" She slammed into her bed and looked away from her friend, and thankfully Zed came out a few minutes later, prompting the Shinx to go into the bathroom and slam the door behind her, confusing Zed, who looked at the others.

"D-did something happen?"

---

Nox was busy taking a bath, or rather tipping this paws into the water to check if it was hot enough for him, which meant it had to be scalding hot, and kept heating it. Serge and Jake were already done washing, and were just lounging around the room, Serge looking at the ceiling with his wings crossed behind him and Jake reading a book. The silence between them didn't last too long though, with Nox gone for the time being, Jake shut his book and rose from the bed.

"So it seems you were hiding something else from the team, weren't you?" His words didn't get a verbal response for the longest time, only a snicker and the sound of Serge rolling onto his side on the bed.

"Buzz off Jake."

"I will not. This is two times that I've caught you blatantly lying, Serge."

"Oh yeah, and what would the first one be?"

"The fact that you've been influencing the wind in our favour, no matter where we are." The Pidgeot didn't shift, but his breathing suddenly stopped as the Sneasel's words pushed it all out with force, and Jake knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "I started having my suspicions after your… excursion to rescue Eric and Elly in the other world, and I rewatched that footage many times. Some considered it to be just a visual glitch, but I knew otherwise. After that, I distinctly remember your wing faintly glowing on that misty morning I departed for individual mission, and ever since whenever we've sailed to other regions the wind has favoured us, at least whenever you were included in those expeditions."

Serge turned around to face the ice type again, an easily visible scowl on his face. "And besides, your flying is too smooth, especially at extreme heights, where normally the wind and other weather related phenomena would make flying difficult, or at least strenuous, and yet you move with grace and freedom. Many would have considered it to be good luck… but I know better." The scowl was slowly replaced with a deviant smile, and Serge rose his wing to point at him.

"Alright, I'll give you that one."

"So you admit to it?"

"Maybe I am… I will as long as you admit that your control over ice isn't exactly typical either. Those icicles you summon and how they float, and that cold air around you… I don't know about you pal, but that's not natural either."

"I never said I was normal."

"But you've never admit to it, did you? Or how about Nox's flames and how hot they are? That's not normal either, or maybe Lucy's speed, because let's be honest here, at last for me, she tends to become a blur when she runs, and let's not forget Zed's uncanny ability to shapeshift into any pokémon he wants, like a Ditto…"

It was Jake's turn to look at him gravely. "What are you implying?"

"I'm not saying we don't all have our secrets, which, let's be honest, is true, I know you are keeping secrets from us, but… We are all… how do you say… exceptional. One way or another, there's something about us that just makes us special. Sure, maybe MY abilities are a bit more… noticeable and powerful than the rest of you… except for Eric and Elly of course, but that doesn't make me into a bad guy, now does it?"

"I was never implying any of the sorts. However, unlike them, you haven't openly admitted to having these abilities." His words struck Serge again. "If the team knew of these capacities, we could implement them into our strategies and probably come out on top in situations that we previously wouldn't be able to."

Serge hummed and sat up, mockingly rubbing his chin and making it look like he was giving it some thought. "How about… No!" And he laid back down. "Sorry pal, but I like keeping my secrets and aces up my sleeves. I will give you something though: my powers are very different than yours." He waved his wing and a gust of wind blew in through the open window, blowing the curtains and whistling around them, opening Jake's book and leaving it in the same page he'd been reading mere seconds ago. "And we are all the same… we're all keeping those little secrets and aces up our sleeves, even if we don't know it… It's kind of like showing your junk, you know? Even with friends, you don't go around showing your stuff to them, now do you?"

"...There were billions of comparisons that would've gotten the point across without being so crass."

"C'mon Ice, humour me a bit will ya, and wipe that frown off your face! Besides, the message got through, didn't it? That's what matters in the end." He coughed and got up. "Ugh, my throat is dry… think they'll have a mini-bar downstairs? I'd kill for a drink."

Serge's tactics to change the conversation topic weren't eloquent, but what they lacked in that field they made up for in efficiency, as the attention was suddenly turned onto alcoholic drinks. "We will be going to dinner soon, after the others are ready preparing and Nox finished with his bath… if he may grace us with his presence and hasten his hygiene!"

"Hey, fuck off Jake! It's not my fault that I feel like the water's freezing cold half of the time!"

"In moments of hurry like these I have bathed in hot water if it meant that this process could go quicker!"

"That's because yoooouuuu are aaaan…" The door swung open as he came out with a towel over him, dripping onto the floor. "Asshole!"

"Oh hey, you're finally done, took you long enough kiddo."

"Not you too!"

"If I may intervene before this devolves into another of your quote on quote, 'discussions', it might be best if Nox dried himself in the bathroom instead of getting the floor wet, and consequently, we might enjoy dinner, because apparently unlike you, I am quite famished."

"Dude, you always look famished, you're so thin we can see right through you!"

"That… does not make any sense." The joke flew over the ice type's head, which onlyamused the other two further. Nox dried himself quickly and walked out of the bathroom looking like a ball of fur, something Serge helped him fix. The trio headed out to the hallway and knocked on the other's door.

"Hold on!" A voice, which they recognized as Eric, responded from the inside, and the Riolu opened the door shortly afterwards. "Oh, you're all done?"

"Yeah, it was only three of us… hadn't Nox taken so long to heat up the water for himself we would've been done earlier." Nox gave up when Serge said that, as he knew nobody understood him when it came to taking baths with cold water.

"Alright then… We're just about ready too." The fighting type and his best friend walked out of the room, the Zorua's fur looking properly combed, and even the little fur tuft on his forehead had been groomed to near perfection… something he probably didn't like and that Nox didn't take too long to point out.

"Woah, what is that on your forehead?! It looks like another head!" Instinctively, the shiny pokémon cowered away and hid his face, tempted to mess the fur intentionally.

Nox was promptly silenced by a well deserved hit to the back of his head from Serge's wing. "Don't be like that man, I think it's pretty good! Nice hairstyle!"

"Says the guy that throws back his feathers all the time…" Another slap cut off the Houndour. Serge was willing to take any offence to himself, but if anyone dared say anything about his 'hair' they were in deep trouble. Zed didn't know how to handle all of it, but he still decided to mess up his fur a bit, making it less pointy. Elly and Lucy came out shortly after, looking absolutely beautiful, or at least according to their mates they were, the Eevee wearing a pretty white bow on her head and the Shinx having groomed her fur for once.

"Alright, so everyone's ready then?" They all nodded simultaneously and after checking the rooms were locked headed to the stairwell.

"Man, it's been like three days since we haven't had a proper meal, I'm gonna eat so much there'll be nothing left for ya guys!" Nox said this with a big smile on his face, making the Riolu glance his way.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Oh come on, not this again. You're more mature than this, and I will NOT have you getting an indigestion again, especially while we're staying in Cunabula." Elly cut in to make sure no other catastrophes would take place like the aforementioned one, but it seemed that Eric and Nox had already made their minds and placed a bet. "Eric!"

"Don't worry, I'll be careful this time, I promise that won't happen again."

"Your words are incredibly reassuring." Elly's sarcasm was so obvious even Jake caught on.

"Furthermore, that would most likely get us kicked out of the hotel if you were to eat all the food. And do not attempt to steal it like last time, lest you'll end up with more than your paws frozen solid to the table." Now this last part nobody could agree on, but even then they laughed and continued onward to the dining hall, descending the stairs in pairs and walking inside. Eric gave the pokémon at the entrance their room number and showed them their keys so as they knew they were guests in that Hotel, and they walked in.

The hall wasn't huge, not even close to the hotel they'd gone to a few months prior in that other world, but it was quite luxurious looking, massive chandeliers hanging above their heads, illuminating the room quite well, almost as if it were dawn, and a large stage at the front had musicians playing a slow ballad to accompany the dinner. Serge gagged as he walked in and inspected their surroundings. "Yuck. Aristocracy." A chuckle was his response as he pointed at an empty round table at the far right, near a window, which they approached by sticking to the outer edges of the room, so that way they couldn't be pointed and laughed at for not wearing those expensive looking clothes, and also the fact that Serge's voluminous body would've most likely knocked down someone.

"Why do they have to put them so close together? There's barely any breathing space here, what's a guy like me supposed to do?"

"Exercise?" Lucy's response came quick and struck its mark like a thunderbolt, the crack being the laughter of her companions, who chuckled or giggled.

"I already said I'm big boned!" His pride didn't let him admit that it was a good joke, and instead rushed over to the table and sat down near the window, so that way he had some space to move around and wouldn't bump against someone should he get up. The others did the same, from left to right where Serge had sat down, Nox, Eric, Elly, Lucy, Zed and Jake. Once everyone was properly set and they looked prepared, an Ampharos with a waiter's attire approached, bowing and handing them some papers with the night's menu and asking them what they'd like to order to drink.

"Geez… this is so much like that human world, isn't it?" Nox decided to use their psychic link to avoid sounding disrespectful, a slimmer of tact that the others didn't ignore.

"Wearing stupid drapes over their bodies doesn't seem to be the only thing they're trying to copy from humans… how are am I even supposed to grab this silverware?" The whole setting was mostly alien to them, and already they could feel the pressure of being in a public environment with no clear idea of what was wrong or right. They quickly ordered and the waiter walked away without saying a word, leaving the group to their musings.

"It's almost scary how this has all picked up wind in just a short year. It feels like we never even left that world to begin with, which wasn't exactly the idea I had of coming back home." Eric observed.

Elly used her psychic powers to put the napkin on her neck and did the same with Eric's lap. "Well, they've got mostly Slew to thank for that… with all of their archeological discoveries about human customs and society, Cunabula's been adopting them."

"But that's so dumb! We're not humans, we're pokémon!" Nox was promptly hushed by the others, advising him to keep his voice down.

"It is absolutely ridiculous… if they knew the horrible things humans did to pokémon then this whole business would probably stop."

"But that's not gonna happen… I doubt we'll ever be able to convince anyone of what we saw in that other world… and what we went through." Eric still had scars from that whole affair, whilst Elly had obviously kept her venomous spite towards most of the race, though she would acknowledge that there were some humans that were worthy of her sympathy, like their generous hosts during their stay in that world.

"Geez, why'd you have to bring that up… now I'm getting memories of that rescue." Serge shivered and rubbed his sides.

"I thought that was cool. I mean, you looked like an absolute badass on the TV, fighting that Hydreigon!" Nox was hushed once more. "Oi, I'm keeping my voice down, this is as low as I can get!

"Then whisper from now on, you ponce! And I would rather not talk about all of that… It has been three months since our return, and while I do not intend on forgetting all that happened, we have much more pressing matters." Jake's intervention came exactly when the same Ampharos came back with a bottle of wine, another of water and some berry juice. Once everyone got what they wanted Jake took a sip from his glass and continued. "Like figuring out a way to bring down the Judges."

"Well… in all honesty, am I the only one that thinks this whole thing's bigger than us?" Serge was the first to answer, and earned himself a furious glare from Elly. "I mean, don't get me wrong, if there's anyone who can do it, it's us, but… literally, what are we going to do? We're as relevant as a zero on the left, and… To be honest, the fact that they've got you in their sights doesn't help any of this either." He had to finish the rest of that sentence through their psychic link, just as to not raise any suspicions.

"I know… but that only makes me more willing to do something about it! They're looking for whoever Blake's offspring is, so this is a personal matter no matter which way you slice it."

"But he's got a point." Eric cut off his mate. "Our influence has tanked, especially out here where we aren't that active, no doubt thanks to the impostor teams that sprung up during our disappearance. But we said we were going to solve this and that's what we're going to do: we just need to find a way to become relevant again, get people to listen to us and maybe we'll convince a few pokémon to not swallow all the lies the Judges spew But if it's ok with you, I'd rather have a peaceful dinner and talk about other things, and treat this all later or tomorrow." The appetizers came in as he said this, and they all dug in, making small talk for the time being, avoiding the main topic.

"Well… not everything is bad. I was happy to finally meet Dusknoir and the others." Zed spoke up first, which brought a beaming smile to Lucy's face

"Oh, I know right?! He was so big, I didn't expect him to be so massive!"

"The advantages of being brought up in such an aggressive world, I suppose: his training was intense for a very young age. But he's not only physically strong, but also quite intelligent." It didn't take Jake long to start singing his former master's praises.

"Well… correct me if I'm wrong but… didn't Grovyle, Celebi and Eric outsmart him like a dozen times or something like that?" Nox's inquiry promptly silenced Jake, which made everyone laugh.

"Well… for starters, this is true. He is not a perfect 'mon, far from it in fact… and where did you gather that information?"

"That might've been my fault… He keeps asking me about him, so I told him about all that." Eric filled with his mouth with food after that, earning himself a slap to the back of the head from Elly.

"Not so much! Smaller portions!" He groaned and listened to her. "And yes, it was definitely pleasant to finally see them all again. Celebi and Grovyle looked much better than the last time we'd seen them too… Gosh, three years it took us to meet up again."

"Well, it'd make sense, right? It's a normal pokémon that's gotten in a relationship with a legendary, so they had to sort some stuff out beforehand. Ugh, must've been a pain to go through so many hoops just to get together." Lucy had found a way to handle her silverware with both paws, but it was extremely inefficient and the berries kept rolling out from underneath her fork and all over the plate.

"Well… they're in love, right? That's all the reason they needed to go through all of that, just so they could be together in peace." Zed was the one to answer, and his mate rolled her eyes.

"I still think it's annoying."

"Well, I have to agree with Lucy on this one: you have to be really desperate to go through legendaries just to get together with someone… but I won't judge, I've done dumber things in my life. Also, was it just me or was Dusknoir's room… really luxurious, considering he's a criminal?" Serge's observation was true: for it being a cell it was actually very well kept, clean and luxuries such as books and tables to eat on.

"That would most likely be both thanks to Ferrus' intervention and the complexity of his sentence: he was one of the biggest of Dialga's enforcers during the lost future, but in the end he contributed to restoring the flow of time." Jake was being careful with his food, slowly eating and chipping away at the salad in the middle of the table. "While the others attempted to stay in power, he turned himself in because he couldn't handle the guilt. Some still haven't, and will never forgive him for the lives he took, and he's ok with that… but others understood that he'd realized the wrong in his ways and had tried to remedy it, hence why this was the decision they reached. In fact, he mentioned Ferrus was working on granting him the third degree and some freedom to walk around Cunabula, at the very least, or transfer him to Treasure Town so he's closer to us."

"Really? That's great news! Why didn't you tell us earlier, we could've congratulated him!" Elly's exclamation was backed up by the others, and the Sneasel merely closed his eyes.

"I forgot to do so… I may have been caught up in Serge's actions and I forgot."

"Oh come on!"

"Alright, let's just drop that topic already before we devolve into another discussion… and we will probably visit him again before we leave for home again, so we'll-"

"Oh, what a surprise!" A familiar voice interrupted the Riolu, and everyone turned to face the source: a Roselia clad in a luxurious black and purple suit was looking at them from behind Lucy and Zed. Nobody recognized him for a second, but eventually Elly noticed who it was.

"Vincent?"

"That is correct, my fair lady Elly! How are my wonderful benefactors doing on this fine evening! I must say, I am shocked to see you all here tonight! I did not know you were planning on staying the night, let alone in the very same hotel I will be in!"

"Wait… really? You're staying here too?" Eric inquired, though already he could hear other voices in his head.

"Here we go again… Where in the world did he get that suit? If that is his attempt at looking dapper, I must say it is a spectacular failure."

"I don't know but he looks ridiculous in it! I wonder what would happen if I shocked him."

"Quiet you two, and stop talking through the link!" Eric quickly ordered Lucy and Jake to stop distracting him as Vincent kept going on and on about the wonderful coincidence this was, and asked if he could sit down and join them for dinner that night.

"Well, umm…" Eric had every intention in the world to try and tell him to go away in a polite way, but Serge thought otherwise.

"Of course, come on, sit down and I'll order another bottle of wine for you!" Everyone glared daggers at the Pidgeot at the same time, but it was too late.

"Oh, that is wonderful! Well, if you will excuse me…" He walked over to another table to grab a chair, leaving them alone for a short time.

"Serge, what the hell?! Why'd you do that?" Eric had to speak in a low voice to keep himself from being heard.

"What? He's a cool guy! Besides, all the costs are included so we aren't going to have to pay anything outside of whatever we drink."

"Well, excuse me if I sound rude, but I do believe that you will promptly ruin Team Star tonight with the amount of alcohol you two will drink." Serge didn't have time to respond to Jake before Vincent came in.

"Excuse me~" He came in with a sing song voice and managed to squeeze into the spot between Jake and Serge, and while the Pidgeot looked absolutely delighted and served a cup to the grass type, the others were looking at him with a mixture of confusion and mild annoyance. Still, his smile did not disappear. "Soooooo… How are you all doing?" He wiggled in his seat, something about his mannerisms coming off as very, very awkward.

"Well…" Elly spoke up. "We're doing… just fine I suppose? We had to stay here because it got late and we were sick of sleeping under trees, and they gave us a discount for being an exploration team."

"Oh, I can totally understand that. There's nothing quite like sleeping with a roof above your head and in a warm bed, correct? I too had to sleep in very deplorable conditions while I made my way here… but at least I did not have to travel far, since I was in the region at the time."

Lucy chuckled. "Lucky! We had to take a ship just to get here and come from Flumerc Ars!"

"Goodness, Flumerc Ars! That is far away! What region do you come too?"

"Sinnoh." Eric was the quickest to answer, since he thought there wasn't a need to hide that information.

"From Sinnoh? My my… that is very far away! It must've taken you a long time to get here, the winds certainly haven't favoured many mariners lately." Serge kept quiet because of this, though he hid his worries behind that glass of wine. "Well, no matter, you must've had a terribly pressing matter to attend to if you had to come to Kanto… I won't intrude, however! I am a man who respects the privacy of others, though I do sincerely hope you respect mine."

"That's comprehensible…" Serge put down his glass. "So! What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes! The only thing we know about you is your name!"

"Oh, that is quite correct indeed… though let me try and remember what your names were, just so I'm not confused…" He named each of the members one by one, and once he'd gotten their names down he began. "Well, as I said this morning, I am Vincent. I am a traveller, and came here for a certain business with an old friend of mine, which I hadn't seen in an awful long time. It was quite a reunion, and I was paid for my services, which allowed me to get…" He got up and showed off his suit. "This beautiful thing! What do you think?" The others praised and congratulated him for his tastes, even though nobody really though the suit was that beautiful to begin with.

"Well, beyond your… attire, what else is there to you?" Jake was interested to know whether or not the pokémon before them had any real substance or was just as vapid and conceited as he appeared to be.

"Well… While I cannot exactly describe what my line of work involves, it too involves bringing criminals to justice, so there is something else we have in common… beyond that, I was born in Johto, and have never really left this continent, as I have found no reason to do so, hence why I was so mesmerized when you said you came from across the sea… though looking back, it was obvious, as your accents give you away."

"Oh, they do?" Elly was legitimately curious to hear what Vincent had to say about their accents, but already the others were already dropping their opinions about the grass type.

"Holy shit he's so full of it." Came Lucy's comment, which made Nox snicker, confusing Vincent before he spoke up.

"Well, let me see… Most of your accents are distinctively Sinnohsian, but there are some I simply cannot place… like yours." He faced Jake. "There is something about your rhythm and the way you speak that is alien to me, almost as if you came from a different time…" He turned to Nox after that. "Your accent and matter of speech is broad and colloquial… pardon my comparison, but at times you have reminded me of a Hoenian… and finally, Serge is clearly from Johto, your accent is incredibly reminiscent of some villages high between the mountains, which I've had the pleasure to visit and by Arceus they are gorgeous!" He looked around. "Well? Am I right?"

"You… aren't that far off the mark, actually. Though… my accent is weird because I travel a lot." Serge rubbed the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable with that wild guess.

"Then again, all of that information is incredibly obvious, and could have been gained through different means other than the raw power of observation… but you do indeed pay attention to minute details that most, and I would hazard a guess that this is related to your profession." Jake's observation made the grass type chuckle.

"You are correct, to an extent… but that's all I want to say for the time being, they always say to never bring your work home, now do they? I'm sure that none of us want to get into a boring conversation about the way we make money, right? Instead, let's enjoy the upcoming feast and enjoy life, shall we? We have a lot to celebrate: life itself!" He let out a hearty laugh, and the others at the very least chuckled along.

"Gosh he's so full of it…"

"Well, he doesn't look like a bad guy to me… and Serge's getting along just fine! About time you made some friends!"

"Zip it you lot. He's a swell guy, that's for damn sure, but… there's something else about 'im." He didn't say anything after that, but the other team members kept a close eye on the grass type for the rest of the dinner. He was quite knowledgeable, but nowhere close to the raw information that Jake had access to from just memory, but quickly both of them and Elly got involved in a heated philosophical debate.

"So you do think that consciousness isn't something else?" Elly inquired taking a bite out of her food, an overly complicated dish the flavour of which was too intense to process what it was they were eating, but from the looks of it it seemed to be roasted vegetables cooked in a creamy sauce.

"Well… take for example, this dish. Now, the flavour is probably too intense for you, but let us focus on that, the taste, and whether you like it or not, if you find it intense or soft, if it is good or bad… There are objective criteria, like its consistency, its density, whether it's burnt or not… but even then, it's all up to personal preference, but what is that personal preference? What makes your taste buds like something and reject another? I believe it to be something akin to genetics: we are born with certain likes and dislikes."

"But then why is that these preferences can change with age? Certain products that we may have not enjoyed at first become preferable in later ages, and…" Jake's reasoning was eventually cut off not by the collective snoring of the rest of the table, but rather a sharp scream from across the hall. Essentially all the pokémon rose and looked at the source, where one of the pokémon had fallen against the shiny Ampharos waiter, dropping all of the glasses and bottles on the floor and making the waiter fall over. While the pokémon in the suit was fine, the waiter's arm was covered in cuts and blood, and it looked like those were the first of his issues, as the party goer started shouting and blaming the poor electric type for it.

Everyone in the hall was baffled at the scene before them, and the abusive pokémon, a Golduck, didn't show any signs of letting up on their verbal abuse, and no one had any desire to get up and stop them. Vincent looked at the scene, almost mesmerized as a dangerous look flashed through his eyes, but was quickly replaced by his permanent gleeful smile and turned to face Team Star. "Well… are you going to do something? That poor pokémon is being mistreated!"

They all turned to look at him as if he were crazy, and their eyes had all the meaning that he could've ever needed. "Then allow me to intervene." He placed his napkin on the table and calmly got up and snaked his way between the tables.

"Vincent! Where are you going?! Don't!" Serge's shouts were an indication of how much he was regretting his decision of inviting the grass type over to their table even more now. There was something in his pace, determined, stomping the ground with confidence with that smile on his face, one that could either be of peace or absolute madness, or perhaps the in-between, none of them knew. He appeared as too much of a wild card currently, and so they were tense, ready to spring in case things got out of control.

"...and I'll make sure you and your family never work in any of this city's glorious businesses, you got that?! Now, where is the hotel manager?" He turned around and found himself facing Vincent, clad in that luxurious looking suit and that smile, his strategy worked, as his true nature was revealed to those who knew who the Roselia really was.

"What seems to be the problem, sir?" The grass type immediately asserted himself as an authority, and no doubt, this development confused everyone, even Jake.

"About time! Look! Look at this mess!" He grabbed Vincent by the wrist and pulled him closer to inspect the Ampharos, who was still stuck in that mess. To make matters worse, he was a shiny, but Vincent did not mind, keeping that smile as he shifted between the customer and the waiter. "Why do you hire this trash in this hotel, huh?! Look at this suit!" He essentially forced the grass type to look down, and sure enough, the pants were absolutely soaked. "This suit cost more than double… no, triple of what this bumbling idiot earns a year, and he dared sully it with all of this?! Outrageous! I demand a refund!"

"Now now, sir, I am afraid that such an inconvenience is not reason enough to become so outraged… but if you will allow me…" He crouched down and got next to the Ampharos, whispering something into their ear and taking a hold of their arm. They winced in pain, their eyes widening afterwards, looking at Vincent in shock, then at his arm, then back at Vincent. After that extremely brief exchange, the Ampharos got up, holding their arm, who while bloody… looked much better than before. In fact… it looked perfectly fine, all signs of damage outside of the blood are gone.

"I have sent him to sign his resignation and to get you a new bottle of wine sir… one I will personally serve you, if I must. We aim to give the highest quality service to such distinguishable customers, after all!" Everyone in Team Star soon realized what had happened, and stared at the scene dumbfounded.

"Fuck me… don't tell me he's…"

"A con artist."

The deceiver's words pleased the Golduck, who smiled and agreed wholly with him, the two make small talk until another waitress, a Flaffy this time, brought a bottle of wine which Vincent thanked her for and opened himself. "There we go!" He exclaimed as the tap popped out and served the cup for the Golduck, handing it to him by grabbing it from the top, his hand covering the actual liquid. "May you enjoy the rest of your dinner sir!"

"I will… but I still demand my refund! My suit was ruined after all!"

"But of course, but please, do enjoy the meal… and you will have to present yourself in the main hall to discuss these matters, so please do so after dinner is over. Thank you very much for your patronage!" And with that, everything was back to ordinary, and Vincent saluted and smiled at the pokémon he went by, until he returned to Team Star's table, who looked at him in a mixture of silent awe, contempt and amusement. "Well… that was quick, was it not?"

"You sneaky son of a b-"

"Atata…" Vincent was still looking away from Eric, looking at the Golduck he'd just served wine to. "Hold on, the best is yet to come…" A giggling fit overcame him as the water type drank the whole thing down in one go… and for the first few minutes, everything seemed fine… until he suddenly shouted and stood up, looking alarmed and at his pants… and without a second word he dashed out of the room, walking in a funny way with his legs spread and a maddening blush and look in his eyes, almost as if something dumbfounding had just happened. Nobody understood what had happened until whispers of a foul smell near the area spread through the dining hall and reached Team Star's table.

"And it is complete!" He clasped his hands together, overly optimistic. "I think that you will find this whole thing satisfactory… you inquired about my profession earlier in the night, correct? Then behold, just one of the many skills I myself have perfected over the years."

"You bastard… you did that this morning too, didn't you? Made a scene so that you could get past the guards without raising suspicions." Eric finally got to finish his sentence, and the Roselia simply looked at him.

"But of course not! I had no way of knowing you were coming, now did I? Besides, you will have to agree that the soldier was being extremely rude to myself for no reason outside of my humble clothing. And turning to this most recent event… I merely did this to guarantee the safety of that pokémon's spot in this hotel and teach that aristocratic garbage a lesson… I cannot, for the life of me, stand individuals such as those… gloating in their riches and looking down at those in need with scorn."

"Yeah, right, guarantee his safety… I don't know how you did it, but you definitely had him and that Flaffy in your pocket dude." Nox was trying to play detective for once… and it showed, as Vincent shot him an inquiring look that demanded him to follow up with that accusation. "Ummm… you faked the blood and the accident!"

"And of course he faked the screaming and the wounds too…" His calm response was rebutted by Jake.

"And yet nobody saw them at any point in time, and when I glanced at his arm lo and behold, it was perfectly fine, not a scratch from the which the blood could have seeped out."

"And yet you don't have any proof that the wounds weren't there and you simply didn't notice them. Ask someone nearby, and they will tell you something clearly different. You're still to prove I did something illegal."

"Well… that guy literally got up running right after you served him that glass… so he's going to know you did something!" Eric joined in, but Elly was already two steps ahead of him.

"Anyone can get an indigestion like that because they weren't feeling so hot… and I doubt we could ever prove there was anything in the glass."

"Which there wasn't, just so you know… I did not have the time to put anything in it, now did I? And the bottle was opened right in front of your eyes too. Oh, and if you're thinking on blaming either of those waiters… don't, they know nothing about this, and have not been paid to follow through with my orders. This was, as you say, a one man operation." Vincent seemed to be quite happy with this outcome, something that while it didn't anger Team Star, it certainly frustrated them.

"Well… whatever the case, you have to admit that was pretty impressive. Right?" Serge looked at everyone around the table, as if asking for approval… but he didn't find anything else outside from looks of contempt, though Vincent laughed.

"Oh, at least someone gets it! And really do not get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this dinner with all of you, you were the friendliest pokémon in this room, of that I am sure, and very genuine too… But allow me to get one thing straight." He leaned forward, and his voice became a whisper, loud enough to be heard by all. "I have not used these skills for harm, as you've clearly seen… if anything, I have been just, and done something that none of you were willing to do because of your own public image and whatever repercussions may have come from it… What does that say about all of you?" His question went right through them, shivers going down their spines, as not even Eric or Elly were capable of answering that question immediately.

They had dessert in silence, not even Serge spoke up when Vincent commented on how sweet the chocolate was, and Elly still hadn't had a bite of her cake… at least not until she'd come up with an answer. "You know… you're right there. We didn't do anything, because we're already in a bad situation… We should've gotten up and done something to at least assist you, but… we didn't."

"This place is getting to us, isn't it?" Nox asked, everyone else nodding in agreement.

"So then you see it from my point of view? Well, finally… I may have to reconsider my opinion about all of you then." Vincent's air of superiority was still getting under Eric's skin, who rose up and faced him.

"Stop gloating so much! We have much bigger concerns than you know, and getting involved in street brawls or disputes like that one isn't a way for us to get a good influence here."

"Oh? So then you do care about your public image only?"

"No, but…"

"The fact that you all remained with your arms crossed and didn't intervene is clear enough of what your actions are. In fact, you tried to keep me from intervening, scared that my actions would shame you. The fact that you're in such a state of denial is proof of your pride: you're unable to accept the fact I'm right and you're wrong for not having jumped to aid that innocent pokémon, admit it!" The grass type's smile only grew wider as he spread his arms, his air of superiority becoming even stronger, annoying the rest of the members.

"I…"

"You may have very well been considered heroes, and you may still be heroes… but first impressions are incredibly important in this world, my friends." He grabbed the collar of his suit, driving his point further. "And most of you have done a terrible first impression me. Luckily, I won't communicate your failure anytime soon.. but should you try to wrong me, perhaps you may gain a bit of bad press."

"Are you… blackmailing us?!"

"Not necessarily. What I am doing is trying to help you… in my own, unique way, I suppose. Please, do try and consider my words and my advice, you may learn a thing or two."

"You're a rook, what have we to gain from you outside of your deviousness?" Jake asked with scorn.

"Now now, rook, while accurate, is perhaps too strong… the words "con artist" and "white collar thief" come to mind, but then again they don't particularly define me… Whatever the case, you have no proof, and with no proof, no case. And of course, you don't expect that just because you're the once great Team Star, should you grab a hold of me and carry me to the nearest police station, they would simply detain me, no questions asked, correct?" By this point it was more than obvious that this wasn't the first time Vincent had run into a situation like this, and none were too happy about this development.

"But please… let us take a few steps back and reintroduce ourselves and what we want. I am not here to be your enemy or someone who blackmails you… all I want is for you to notice a severe mistake in your conduct and fix it, that is all. Staying within the limits of a corrupt law doesn't make said law right, now does it? The rich don't have the power to yell and abuse the poor just because they're poor, right?" His question wasn't a rhetorical one, and morally, they all knew the answer. "Right… but if there was a law that permitted it, what would you do? Follow the law… or do what is right?"

"This is a strictly hypothetical isn't it?" Elly cut in with a question of her own, unsure of where he was going with this.

"It depends on your view… but please, do not think about this in such a heated state. Let us enjoy the rest of the night with some drinks and refreshments, think this overnight, and come back tomorrow to discuss these issues more thoroughly." The tone of his voice and his smile made it clear that this wasn't up for debate, but rather was a friendly order, and no one in the team liked it. Already, he was earning himself insults and names from the team members through their psychic link.

"Smart asshole… I want to fry his stupid dress so bad!"

"How could I have not foreseen all of this… I should have noticed all of this sooner, my sincerest apologies."

"Eh… it's alright, at least you aren't the guy that invited him over… sorry about that by the way."

"There wasn't any way for you to know he was going to do that, Serge… Eric, are you alright?"

"I'm… fine, I suppose. This guy can't get away with it. I don't care if what he did was right or wrong, but he was definitely doing it because he wanted power over us… And I'm starting to think he might be more than he looks like." The Riolu's words made sirens go off in their minds: the possibility of him being an actual enemy hadn't crossed their minds, and yet here he was, gloating in his success.

"Shit man… what now?! He's totally got us, and he ain't gonna let us go!"

"Calm down, Nox… as Eric said, it's just a theory… and I personally have my doubts. He's also… kind of right, in a sense. None of us had any intention of helping that poor pokémon because we were afraid of making a scene, so he's in his right to criticize us for it."

"Elly is right… We are the ones at fault."

"Like hell we are. How can you two say that about a criminal? He's manipulating all of you!" Eric shot accusatory glances at his mate and best friend, and after that the conversation died out. They didn't physically speak unless they needed to, and slowly their anger subsided, though they were still on guard around Vincent, who didn't seem to have any intentions of leaving anytime soon. Fortunately, their long discussion made time fly, and eventually that Ampharos waited walked over to the table to politely ask them to leave. He didn't recognize Team Star, but he did recognize Vincent, grabbing his hands and uttering a million thanks, tears on the verge of his eyes as he got down on his knees and praised him for his actions.

"No need to thank me… It was the right thing to do after all." Eric clenched his fist when Vincent said this, his head spinning around his words. They left the dining hall… but that was fortunately not the end of their nightly excursion, as there was yet another commotion in the main hall.

"Coming through! Sorry, flowers for a lady! Watch out pal!" Someone kept pushing and shouting aside the residents of the hotel, and were hiding themselves behind a pile of bouquets, chocolate boxes and leaves, confusing everyone, and alarming Vincent.

"My world! All those plants! You maniac, how could you do something so despicable!" The grass type's reaction came as a shock to everyone, Team Star looking at him with confused looks, and the so called "murderer" stopped in his tracks and looked around… revealing an ever so familiar Blaziken.

(Our Secret Word is Justice! ~ Bobby Fulbright - Ace Attorney)

"Alakard?!" They all asked in unison, even Vincent, who was aware of his title and rank, and seemed to grow uncomfortable.

"Oh! There you are! I…" He trudged over. "Have been… looking for all of you, specially miss Elly over here!" Up close, the mountain of flowers and gifts was much bigger than from a distance. "And hello again, Jake, has your headache subdued? If not, then worry not, for I have brought you some medicine that will most likely help with your pains!" Jake looked at the Blaziken, then at his friends, giving them a deadpan glare.

"Please… end my miserable existence."

"Right… well, it is a pleasure to see you again, Alakard…" Elly chuckled nervously as Vincent tried to slip away, though was promptly caught by Eric, who held his sleeve and pulled him closer, having noticed his reaction around the high ranking officer. "But why have been looking for me all day?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? To give you these flowers!" He just shouted those words in the middle of the hall, making the scene even more awkward than it already was, Zed having already curled up into a black ball of fur, hiding his shiny features.

"Umm… why?" There was a slightly threatening undertone in Eric's voice, which Vincent noticed by giving him an elbow to the side, which in turn annoyed the Riolu further.

"Oh, don't worry, mister Eric, as lovely as your mate is, I am not here to steal Miss Elizabeth away! I simply wanted to make her feel better, as the last time I'd seen them she was crying and looked completely distressed, I thought perhaps that some gifts would help her!" Everyone sighed as he said this, except for Elly, who was giggling.

"Oh that is really sweet, Alakard, thank you… I am feeling much better than I was this afternoon, but thank you anyways." She accepted the gift, using her psychic powers to lift the flowers and ease the Blaziken's load.

"That is a great relief! I also planned on hiring a band, but unfortunately that was outside of my economic range… but I am still overjoyed to hear that you're doing very well!"

"That is… really generous, Alakard, had you come in with a band playing behind you I doubt I would've been able to hold my wits about me… Thank you so very much." The pile of gifts was placed besides them so it wouldn't obstruct the other pokémon in the room, as they went back to their own issues after this exchange.

"Well… as I said, it is the least I can do. My conscience pushes me to deal with the Judges on a daily basis, and at times they can leave quite an impact." His comment reminded everyone of what they'd been told in the police building, and Eric decided to question him about it.

"Speaking about that… Alakard, you're fighting against the Judges' influence in Cunabula?" The Blaziken nodded. "But… we heard that you believe in Arceus' Return, and that they were originally a splinter group. Why are you going up against those that were once your companions?"

(Stop the music)

The fire type's face became somber as Eric asked this. "Well… I do not want to discuss this in such an open area. May you all please direct me somewhere at least a bit more… private?" They understood his concerns, and they lead him to a secluded living area in the corner of the entrance hall, everyone spreading around a central table and sitting on comfy chairs and a sofa bolted to the wall. Even Vincent decided to tag along, to their dismay, seemingly interested by this development, and Alakard noticed this. "Oh? And who might you be?"

"Oh, I am just a friend, that is all… but I am deeply interested in anything regarding the Judges of Arceus, so I thought that I could tag along… and my wonderful friends do not seem to have any issues with that, correct?" They obviously didn't talk back, knowing that any smart comments could force Vincent to start criticizing the group, but at the same time the fact that he was curious about the Judges was interesting in it of itself, but Eric was still none too pleased.

"Well, if you say so… I just want to clarify that I do not like to talk about this openly, mainly because… this is an embarrassing topic. But not in the sense that you may think, for you see… us followers of Arceus are terribly embarrassed and sorry for the actions the Judges are carrying out. We do not believe in their actions and least of all their methods. The High Priest has often times voiced his concerns and thoughts on the matter, but it is all eclipsed by the Judges' overwhelming success in most regions… and so, I took it upon myself to act in the name of the true belief in the city I grew in and love so very much."

"So you're from Cunabula?" Serge got a nod for an answer.

"My family immigrated here before I was born, and owned a small bakery, which let us survive in this city but wouldn't allow us to prosper in the coming social climate. I started training to join the Guard when I was fifteen, and excelled in almost every category, and soon I was a soldier through and through, and was sent on missions all across the region during the times of the Time Freeze. The primal pokémon and all of those catastrophes… I don't blame them. What happened was beyond our control, out of anyone's, and they're just as innocent as the rest of us. However, during such dark times, you lose all hope of survival, everything becomes bleak and despair weakens the mind and body… many of my companions succumbed to the dark influences, and converted into primals. I was caught in the Freeze once it reached Cunabula, so thankfully I wasn't affected, and neither was my family… but after that Cunabula was in shambles, everything we'd hope to build, the city I'd grown up in had taken a large blow… And in those times, that was when I discovered faith."

"You may call me weak if you so desire… perhaps I am. But that faith gave me something to look forward to, some… comfort, that there was someone above looking down and trying to edge us onward to a brighter future. The High Priest's words are proof of that, true devotion to making the world a better place and rooting out the evil that has been festering in it for such a long time… but the true reason why I decided to follow him, were his ways: dialogue, peace treaties, and agreements. Johto has never been as peaceful as it is, and the long wars with Kanto are a thing of the past. That is why I believe in Arceus, and why I will defend this city. No matter how corrupt it looks and feels, I know there is brilliance underneath, and with my fire I shall serve as it's shield, and my actions will show the outside world what Cunabula really is: a city of opportunity and hope."

Nobody said a thing during this moving speech, the only noise being the sound of conversation in the background as pokémon checked in and out of the hotel. "That is… a very noble cause." Jake was the first to speak up, clearly surprised to hear the fire type's motivations.

"It is extremely difficult nowadays to find someone who supports us. Any kind of follower of Arceus' words is immediately labelled as an extremist, hence why I am so reticent in speaking about the matter in public."

"Actions speak louder than words." Eric reminded him, and the Blaziken looked at the Riolu and smiled.

"I am very glad to see that some of you can see everything from my point of view." He said 'some' because he caught a single glare of distrust: Elly's.

"You can call me biased but… don't you and the Judges have essentially the same goal? To… clean the world of evil?"

"Correct… but as I said, I will only use my words to pacify those that are turning to the darker side."

"And those that intend to harm this city? What would you do to them?"

Alakard rose an eyebrow. "Well… I am a guard, and as such, it is my sworn duty to protect Cunabula and its citizens from any threats. Should a situation like the one that happened in Flumerc Ars arised… diplomacy would most likely have failed already." He appeared clearly uncomfortable giving that answer, but Elly pressed further.

"So at that point, what differentiates you from the Judges? Sure, you may try to liberate those that have been wrongly imprisoned, but what about those terrorists? Most of them are simply kids that come from other poorer regions, or heck, even Kanto itself that have been brainwashed to fit their needs and are sent to attack the places they once called home. Instead of being defensive, why not go on the offensive and shut off those operations and end their supply of troops for good? Not only would you avoid those catastrophes, but also prevent thousands of lives from going awry!"

"Well… that is… because… I am just a guard, I cann-"

"You said it earlier that you were sent on missions before. What type of missions?" Elly didn't let him finish his sentence, and already she was getting looks from everyone in the team, except Vincent, who was on the edge of his seat.

"Elly, I don't think it's necess-"

"No, it is necessary Eric… I need to know." The determination in her voice was enough for the Riolu to fall silent and look at the others. Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but the fighting type shook his head and kept her from speaking up while Alakard struggled to find the words to answer the Eevee's demands… and eventually sighed in defeat.

"There… are other duties I must fulfill, Miss Elizabeth. I can understand your point of view, and it is true, but… a single man such as myself cannot tackle an army like that. I know of your past deeds, your interactions with the Dark Eons and your recent achievements in shutting down some recruitment magnets… and trust me, we would love to lend you our strength and fight this menace, but… there are other pressing matters that force me to stay within the city's walls."

"And that reason wouldn't be that your religion needs an opposing one to gather more followers, right?" She fired off the question that had been burning in the back of her mind, and everyone turned to her, wide eyed, whilst Alakard looked away, on the verge of crying.

"I brought you gifts, Miss Elizabeth… have I done something to offend you? Why are you being so inquisitive?"

"Don't try to guilt trip me, this is a serious question. Our team was built upon trust and truth, and if we want you to aid us, we need you to be as transparent as possible."

"But I cannot! I have made an oath to obey my superior's orders as a guard, and I cannot simply talk about confidential issues… even with allied branches like exploration teams. If you want to learn about that you'd need to speak with a higher authority than myself." He dropped to his knees and started apologizing for any wrong doings he might've done.

"Elly, why'd you have to be so rough with him?! He obviously means all that he's saying, just look at him!"

"I… Eric, you know all too well why it is I can't trust them."

"Oh really? Then please, enlighten the rest of us Elly, because to me it just looked like you were bullying the poor guy!"

"Lucy, not right now..."

"Ummm… Alakard… Eric got down and patted the Blaziken on his back. "It's alright, Elly is… still really stressed out about the Judges. They brought up a lot of sensitive topics, as you might expect, and so she is incredibly distrusting towards anything and anyone related to that religion…" He looked at Elly disapprovingly, and she simply looked away, knowing that this was going to be a matter they'd discuss later. "So don't hold it to her, ok? She appreciates your gifts, that I am sure of."

Elly didn't return to meet Alakard's gaze, but the fire type stood up. "Right… I understand. I simply cannot tell you what I know unless I am authorized to do so, and the only one that could do it would be… well, you will find out soon enough if you intend to get involved, but be warned… It is quite a large operation." After that, Alakard thanked everyone for their hospitality, even if he'd been verbally beaten down by Elly, and everyone but her and the grass type saw him off with a smile on their face.

When everything was said and done, however, Elly looked at them. "I can't trust him, you know I can't!"

"If I may intervene…" Vincent tried to speak up, but was silenced by Serge.

"We'd rather you stay quiet for a bit Vincent… This is serious stuff."

"Oh but what I intend to say is quite serious. I do comprehend Miss Elly's worries. Coming across such a kind soul in this world is extremely rare, but having them be related to the Judges, even if they are 'helping' those innocents escape? Why, there is just something awfully suspicious, don't you think?"

"Well, first of all, nobody asked for your opinion Vincent, I don't even know why you're here to begin with." Eric's words were very aggressive. "And second, I still think that you overreacted with Alakard, it was completely unjustified!"

"But would h-"

"If I may, again, I am staying here because it is my desire."

"Yeah? Well it's my desire that you get out of my sight, but you're not complying."

"I would leave if you were to use force… but thankfully for me, you're far too worried with your outer appearance to even dare lift a finger in my direction, which only further proves my point."

"Alright, what do you know about why we care about our image so much?" Elly suddenly jumped up, fed up with the grass type's constant berating, but before they could continue their conversation they noticed they'd become the centre of attention with all their arguing.

"I think we should just… call it a day. It's late enough, so let's just go to our rooms, sleep, forget this bozo ever existed and think about what we'll do tomorrow." Lucy's proposal rang true with everyone… except Vincent himself of course.

"Now wait just a second, for I am not done talking to you lot! I will not stand for this, you hear me?!" He followed the group into the staircase and up to their rooms, pestering them the entire time. By now, he'd become a serious nuisance to the group, and decided to enter their rooms and keep him out to continue the conversation through their psychic link. Eric and Elly walked up to their door, grabbed the key, opened the door and when they entered… they saw someone else waiting inside, a tall figure leaning over the desk with a candle beside them, lighting the room and projecting their shadow across the far wall of the room, resulting in a very tetrical image. However, even with all of these details, it was a face they all knew too well.

"Ferrus?" The Lucario stirred at Eric's question and rose up, keeping his eyes on the Riolu. "What are you…" Ferrus' eyes wide open and he interrupted Eric's phrase as he rushed to the door.

"Stop him!" He shouted, pointing behind them, or more specifically at the fleeing Vincent, who'd taken off down the hall to try and get away. Lucy was quick to react however, bolting down the hallway, leaving a trail of sparks on the carpet and tackling the grass type on the floor.

"Ooof! I say, get off of me, this is highly illega-g-gag-a-ga..:" Lucy zapped him in the middle of that sentence and made sure he didn't struggle too much.

"Oh man, that was so satisfying." She got off of him, letting Eric and Jake grab his arms and carry him to their room. It wasn't terribly open, but they all had plenty of space, setting Vincent next to the desk where Ferrus was.

"Uuugh… This is… an abuse of authority… you will not get out of this untouched."

"Actually, these actions are justified: just today, a guard posted on the bridge reported a strange individual, a Roselia with only blue roses on his wrists, had attempted to slip into town without any papers, and had been helped by some travellers and stolen his pay while they weren't looking. Considering that not having a red a blue rose is a strange phenomenon, you stick out like a sore thumb. So show us your flowers." Ferrrus' voice let them know he wasn't messing around, and Vincent was certainly intimidated. With a groan of indignation he spread his arms, and they all saw how the leaves on his wrists bloomed and opened, blue rose petals sprouting out until they covered his hands completely.

"There. Happy? You still don't have any evidence it was m-"

"Where'd you get that suit, Vincent?" Jake slyly asked. "When we first saw you this morning you were wearing a simple cloak, and you certainly did not look as if you had much in the way of disposable income." Vincent opened his mouth to answer, but Eric was ahead of him.

"Oh, wait you said it was your client, right? But we already figured out that you're a con artist and do something else with your 'skills', so if you said that it'd probably be worse for you in the long run." The two looked at each other for a long, and Vincent rose his hand and opened his mouth, trying to speak… but gave up halfway, unable to think of an answer.

"You're no fun. No fun indeed."

"That's called Karma, bitch." Nox's insult was responded with a slap to the back of the head from Jake, earning a few snickers and giggles from the group. Vincent's presence and iron grip above them had finally been lifted, and everything was back to normal.

"You came in right at the perfect moment Ferrus… he was trying to twist our wrists into helping him… or something along those lines." Eric thanked the Lucario, who merely nodded in response.

"Now that's not what I-" Lucy zapped the grass type once more, earning him a yelp of surprise. "Will you stop that already!"

"Nope!" She shocked him again, if anything to annoy the blackmailer.

"I am glad to see that nothing has changed in these few months.. but I have a very limited schedule, and I haven't come here to make small talk…" He pulled out a smoking pipe and eyed Nox, his request going without words.

"You smoke now? That's not…" Eric's inquired didn't stop Nox from helping Ferrus.

"It's the only way I can keep myself from going insane…. I am locked up in my office all day, and I have no time to eat or sleep outside of when it is a biological necessity… as such, this vice is the only thing that keeps me sane." He blew out the smoke through the open window besides them. "What does not help, however, is me hearing that there was an altercation in the middle of the streets this morning, one of you was involved, and Dusknoir, Celebi and Grovyle contacting me saying you wanted to have a meeting about the Judges of Arceus!"

The large jackal had changed a great deal since they'd last seen him: he had great bags underneath his eyes from the lack of sleep, his fur seemed to be leaning towards a clearer cyan blue and gray, no doubt a sign of his age, and his voice was much hoarser than before. His eyes still burned with the same determination that it had previously, so they knew the Ferrus that had saved Treasure Town three years ago was still there. "Wait… they contacted you?"

"I've been keeping tabs on Dusknoir, since I'm trying to give him the third degree, if any of you know of that… and as for Celebi and Grovyle, they're doing a little favour for me, and as such we're constantly in touch. Oh, and I think I forgot to mention that Alakard, one of my highest ranking soldiers, was the one who asked me where "Team Star" was staying for the night, so you've probably talked with him about the very same issue you want to discuss… And I can't have that."

"What do you mean you can't have that? It sounds like you're overly paranoid and have a million eyes watching everything that's happening in Cunabula." Lucy voiced everyone's thoughts while they all got comfortable: Eric and Elly sat on the bed, Jake leaned up against the night stand, Nox laid himself at the foot of the bed, next to Serge, and Lucy stayed close to Vincent, who was still fuming in the corner, dispensing periodical shocks whilst Zed quietly went over to the restroom.

"Because that's exactly what it is. You don't know what is happening in this city right now, but it's a necessity that I know of any suspicious activity and act accordingly. Flumerc Ars was a disaster, and nobody was expecting it, and I am to prevent that from happening again. So when all of you are leaving a trail of fighting and action in your wake, I am forced to come down and tell you to play nice so that I can properly do my job."

Elly rose an eyebrow, confused. "What are you talking about? What is it that's got you so worked up? Everyone is helping to prevent what happened in Flumerc Ars from happening here, so you don't have to-"

"There is something else, correct? And it is something that you cannot share with ease." Jake's deep voice echoed in the room, having the nail on the head as Ferrus nodded and Zed came out of the bathroom, walking past the Lucario and besides Lucy.

"It is a highly confidential matter, yes. This involves the council itself and is a secret of state. The amount of pokémon that know what this operation involves is so small they can be counted with the fingers on your paws, so I trust that you'll handle this matter with discretion." Elly groaned in annoyance.

"More secrets?! Are you kidding me Ferrus?! It's us! Team Star! The guys that saved the world once, we killed Blake, and know of Eric and Clades' existence! If there's anyone you can trust with this information it's ourselves, so why are you keeping all of this secret?! Why can't you trust us?!"

Ferrus took a long whiff from his pipe and blew the smoke out. "...Collateral." They all took a step back. "You already have a duty you must fulfill, getting you involved in political matters would only hurt your image more than it already is, and if you want to bring down the Judges, you will need the influence."

"And I guess it's this private matter that keeps you from doing anything about the Judges?" The Eevee's inquiry was answered with a nod. "Ugh… Alright, but if this is such a confidential matter, then why is he here?!" She pointed at Vincent as she said this.

"Ahem, I do believe you know my name, Miss Elizab- I demand that you cease this mockery, you wicked Shinx!"

"Ooooh, the rose has its thorns! I like it, you're fun to play with!"

"I… don't know how to feel about this…" Zed's comment earned a few chuckles and a blush from the Shinx, while Vincent smiled.

"I mean, if I were to be honest I do have some strange tastes when it comes to interc- Yooooouch!" Lucy delivered a true dicharge across his body, which actually hurt him quite a big, promptly silencing him. "Anyways… why are you… saying this with me present?" He spoke to Ferrus directly.

"Because I know who you are. I do not know where you came from or what your past is, you've done a very good job keeping that hidden, but we know of your actions. We've been keeping tabs on your latest targets ourselves, and in every case you somehow showed up." Vincent's eyes went wide open.

"You do realize that is an invasion of privacy!"

"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, don't you think?" Vincent bit his lip at the Lucario's response. "We don't know what your methods are or your objectives, but we do know that whenever you're involved, a lot of dirt involving some public figure springs up out of nowhere, muddying their reputation and in some cases getting them under arrest for whatever they have done. I know you handle and use information to your gain, and you probably knew about all of this before hand… and even if you didn't, I have a proposal for you."

"Oh? Well, I doubt anything you could offer me would be good enough t-"

"Cunabulanian citizen ship, a residence in the aristocratic quarters, nobiliary title and a small sum of money." All their eyes went wide open when Ferrus made his offer.

"...If you include a loaf of bread then I'll accept it. I'm awfully hungry." Ferrus rolled his eyes, but knew that he'd gotten through to the grass type.

"In exchange, you will spread false information about what you have heard here just now, and of course keep the truth to yourself… and also, you will accompany Team Star on their next mission."

"Say what now." Serge was the quickest to react to that bombshell, but the other's reactions were along the same lines.

"You heard me: He will accompany you on your next mission. It'll be a way for you show him what you're really made of and convince him to join our cause. But I digress: I must ask you to do something, and I am sure that you will be personally interested in carrying out this assignment as quickly and as discreetly as possible."

"Ok ok, slow down. First of all, I am not ok with this, I never agreed to carrying out some sort of high class mission. I demand that I be given a better reward!"

"You're not exactly in a situation to negotiate man." Serge taunted the grass type, who simply humphed.

"Blackmailing him into carrying out a mission… I scoff at you! You hear me?!" And indeed he scoffed, before getting shocked by Lucy again.

"You're a fucking hypocrite you know that?"

"Alright, stop it you three… If you say he'll help, then we'll take him along, we trust you." Eric spoke for everyone else, and his words were met with nods of agreement and a groan of acceptance. "What is this mission you want us to carry out?"

"I need you to go to the north to the Lawin mountain range. There have been a large number of abnormalities reported in the area: intense blizzards, far more powerful and frequent than normal in this time of year that have been causing serious damages in Akil Village, at the foot of the mountain. There have also been reports of stolen food and goods and pokémon being attacked if they approached the peak nearby, among other things… and on top of that, we have reason to believe a fragment is there."

"The fuck?!" That last sentence made everyone get up from their spots, with Eric being the most visibly shaken. "Are you serious?! Just like that you dropped the info?! You should've said so from the very beginning!"

"I would've, but you must also listen to this last part: we have reason to believe that the Judges of Arceus are aware of these abnormalities and plan to investigate. How they got their hands on this info is beyond me, but I suspect spies, hence why I have decided to tell you in person, this way it is unlikely they hear of these details. If they get there first and find the fragment themselves, I dread to think what could happen. Your mission then, will have three objectives: Secure and keep the people of Akil safe, find the source of the blizzards and put an end to them, and recover the fragment before the Judges get their hands on it. Do so, and you'll demonstrate that you operate better than the Judges, so you might be able to increase your influence in Cunabula. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir!" Everyone responded in unison, the entire team motivated by the fact that one of the watch fragments would be there. The fact that they'd probably have to go up against the Judges themselves was another reason in it of itself to go too.

"I don't understand why you're all so motivated, but… I am interested, and since I seem to have no choice in the matter, then I guess I will tag along… just so you know… " He got up with a groan. "I am not only a smooth talker, but also an adept fighter. I am not terribly efficient, but I hope you will find my presence on the battlefield to be… invaluable."

"Oh, sure we will pal… as long as you keep your mouth shut we'll do just fine." Nox had finally thought of how to insult the grass type, and was particularly proud of that line.

"Now now, let's not be too hasty… albeit to be honest I have a slight sensation hot headedness is an intrinsic part of your character." They looked at eachother, but before they could continue Ferrus put out his pipe and got up.

"Well, if that is all, I will take my leave. I have matters to attend to. When you return, I will come to notify you… and remember, discretion. Should the Judges appear, you must, by all means necessary, recover the fragment while keeping it all on the down low. The last thing Elly could use would be to attract their attention." Elly was shocked to hear this advice from Ferrus, but then again, knowing his position and rank it was likely he'd known long before they'd come to Cunabula.

"Will do. You be safe as well. Whatever it is you're doing sounds incredibly dangerous."

"It involves you all to a certain extent… perhaps sometime in the near future I will be able to tell you. Rest easy, and depart tomorrow if possible. The sooner you carry out the mission, the better." And with that, he bowed and left the room, wishing them a good night. The moment he left the room the air of consternation and tension dissipated, and everyone let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"Well, you heard the big boss! And yes, I'm going to be calling Ferrus that way from now on, shut up… We should go catch some Z's, and same goes for you, Vincent."

"Oh, do not dare be all "buddy buddy" with me now, Serge! You extended your wings in friendship but were pretty quick to lift it when the tide didn't favour you!"

"Arceus… you're a friggin' hypocrite you know that?" Lucy tried to taunt him again, but alas he seemed to have grown accustomed to her words.

"Look who's talking! I will still criticize you… even if the reason behind your actions is a just one."

"So then you understand why we care so much about our public image?" Eric inquired, and the grass type shrugged.

"Perhaps. I am not too happy about how this whole thing turned out… but for my sake and your own, I will tag along."

"Bullshit, you're just saying that because the pay's nice!" Nox called him out on his true reasons, and the mercenary rose his arms.

"Now now, the pay is extremely nice, that I will admit, and it is a large incentive… but I am a man of my word, and mark my words, I do care about those that are at a severe disadvantage or at the mercy of those with higher authority. Case in point, that waiter from earlier: I simply had to help him, I could not sit idly and let that brute chastise him for a mistake. We're all pokémon, for crying out loud, and seeing someone in that position… or it just makes my sap boil."

"So you're a thief with a conscience, is that what you're getting at?" Serge glanced at him from the corner of his eye as he asked this, walking out into the hallway.

"In broad terms… why yes! I am a handsome rogue, who steals from the rich and gives it to the poor… though I will admit I keep some of what I reap for myself." Vincent's response made the Pidgeot sigh.

"Fuckin' romantic… alright, whatever, if you say you'll help us, I'll be ok with it if you aren't such an ass." Out of everyone in the team, Serge seemed to be the most open on taking Vincent along for this mission only.

"Yeah right well… No disrespect but… I don't understand what is it you'll contribute to the team." Zed finally spoke towards Vincent for the first time, a question that made Vincent chuckle.

"Oh, I understand your concerns, but… allow me to explain a few things: beyond any narcissistic tendencies I may suffer from, for yes, I admit I am not perfect, I am in fact a quite unique individual, and my skills go beyond being a simple "smooth talker". However, these skills are… a matter best reserved for the opportune times. It is the same as your genitalia: you don't show them around unless it is time for intercourse, correct?" Everyone groaned for the comparison, though Serge blinked in confusion a few times before heading into his room. Nox and Jake followed him and bid the others good night. "What? But it is true!"

"Just… go to bed, Vincent. We'll see you tomorrow in the main hall at six am sharp. Any later are you're staying behind, got it?" Eric attempted to impose his authority on Vincent to try and get his own form of revenge on him… but realized he was just being petty and decided to drop it, considering he would come along the next morning. "Actually… thinking about it better, half past six is the point of no return, but try to be at six so we can leave before the sun rises. We'll avoid detection that way."

Vincent noticed the way he corrected himself and chuckled, hiding his smile with his hand. "I see you're willing to set aside our matters for the time being… very well, I shall do just that. I wish you all good night." He waved and paced down the hallway, though by the time he turned the corner they were all inside their room.

"Ugh, what a pain… and here I thought we'd be able to take this as some sort of vacation…" Lucy jumped on top of the bed and lay on it. "I'm pooped."

"From what? Eating? That's the only thing you've done all day!"

"Up yours Eric…"

"Bah… Besides, another vacation so early? We came back like… what, four, three months ago?"

"Something like that… But I wouldn't exactly… you know, consider it a vacation… towards the end it got really scary." Zed didn't mean any wrong by it, but of course he reminded the others of the human laboratory and everyone fell silent. "Sorry I didn't…"

Flashes of endless metal hallways, blaring alarms and that psychic swords flying around and trying to skewer them flashed in Lucy's mind, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "Just… go to bed already Zed." He looked at her, and then back at Eric and Elly. They too seemed to have reminded something, perhaps Eric's experiences in the arena, or Elly's untimely encounter with the Pursuer and that Rebscura. Whatever the case, they too got up on their bed, wishing the other two good night and blowing out the candle.

Zed sighed and got on with her mate, throwing the sheets over them and curling around besides her, falling asleep a few minutes later. The only ones still up by that point were Eric and Elly, who remained by each other, lying on their backs and looking at the plain ceiling.

"Today's been a ride, hasn't it?" Eric tested their link and checked if she was there… and no matter how angry the Eevee was, at the end of the day she couldn't ignore him when he called her that way.

"You can say that again… Cunabula turned out to be a bigger city than we thought, the Judges, Vincent, Alakard, Ferrus… this was a lot to take in in one go."

"Yeah… I still think you were too rough on Alakard though."

"And I still think that you should've listened to what Vincent said. Alright, he's an ass, don't give me that glare, I agree with you there, but his words carried some truth…" Eric hummed to himself.

"Maybe you're right, but he's still a… we could go on the whole night like this though." He sighed. "You really think they found a fragment in Akil?"

"There's only one way we'll get to know, and it's by going there. And if the judges are going to show up, then it's going to be a mess."

"Indeed…" They both let out a simultaneous yawn, a side effect of their minds being linked, and they chuckled together. "Alright, I'm feeling really tired… so let's just go to bed and we'll continue this tomorrow. Good night sweetie."

"Good night."

They shared a kiss and the two closed their eyes, going to sleep… try as he might however, for some strange reason, Eric could not take his mind off of the events that had transpired that day and that could potentially take place tomorrow. He gently rubbed and caressed her mate's fur collar, which always soothed him and tried to sleep again… but this time, his last thought when he finally fell asleep was the image of the Book of Lies, which they'd left back home, with a strange new emblem glowing in white as it slowly opened, it's pages shifting…

---

You might have noticed I uploaded two documents today… this is not at all something that will happen every time I upload from now on, but rather when certain story elements are exposed and certain milestones are reached, so do not expect a double whammy like this.

And also, for those of you who don't follow my profile, I uploaded the first chapter for a new series of stories covering the individual backgrounds and tales of each of Team Star's members, called "Shooting Stars". You can check it out in my profile, with the first story being titled "Shackles of Servitude", and featuring Jake's individual struggles. Don't miss it!