Ch. 53
Setting Things Straight
Ultima the Eternal Dragon: College tends to have a way to suck up your free time
Pokemon is the property of its respective owners
"Alright guys, let's get some well deserved rest," Dmitri stated as he Maris, Tomoe, Catherine, and Luka walked into their gigantic rented room and released their team of pokemon who let out a collective sigh of relief upon being freed.
"(AAAAGH! How long was the walk to Veilstone!?)" Sparkplug yawned loudly as she stretched her stiff limbs and dragged her hind legs across the floor while Kiera tiredly yawned and tightly curled herself into a ball.
"Eight hours I think," Dmitri replied with a sheepish grin causing the lioness's eyes to widen before she glowered at the battle ace before releasing a burst of electricity off of herself with an irritable huff and stalked towards one of the window.
"(Oh, you don't get to complain, kitty cat! You were in your pokeball the most of the time while the rest of us had to walk!)" Maris dismissed causing Dmitri to put a palm to his face as Sparkplug hissed at the martial arts pokemon and laid down near the window where Kiera tightly curled herself into a ball a few more times before laying down next to her.
"(I'm with Sparkplug on this one; staying in your pokeball in the same position for a long time ain't exactly a comfortable experience,)" Floatzel commented while stretching his back and touching his toes causing Ursa to scoff and fold her arms as Graveler shrugged at what his friend said before laying against the wall and closing his eyes.
"(Boo hoo,)" the grizzly bear huffed causing the weasel to briefly glare at his teammate who glowered back at him causing Kricketune to get in between them and hum a soothing melody causing Ursa and Floatzel to glare at each other for a few more moments before averting their gazes.
Snorting, Ursa slowly walked over to where the living boulder was and laid down next to him with her paw on her knee causing Kricketune to click happily and lay down on her belly causing Ursa to blankly look down at the insect before wrapping an arm around her friend and closing her eyes. While the grizzly bear did this, Catherine and Luka walked past them while looking for a spot to sleep before the former heiress just found a corner at the end of the room and walked towards it.
"Ugh...I can't believe we had to give up our room...again!" Catherine whined as she dropped her giant backpack against the wall and rummaged through it while Luka rolled her eyes and shrugged before putting a paw on the former heiress's shoulder.
"(Mrs. Shiina thinks it would be safer if we shared a room with Dmitri and besides, it's not that bad. Just think of it like a really big sleepover!)" Luka suggested with a slight grin causing the chocolate haired girl to smile warmly before pulling out a giant blanket and resting against her makeshift bed with the blanket over her.
"(Yeah, a sleepover where some of us have to stand guard like soldiers,)" Maris remarked while sitting on the edge bed near her two friends causing Dmitri to pinch the bridge of his nose and shake his head while Luka glowered darkly at the martial arts pokemon who recoiled and held her paws up.
"(Sorry,)" Maris stated sheepishly causing Luka's gaze to soften and nod at what her friend said while Dmitri stared at his girlfriend with a raised brow causing the martial arts pokemon to scoff and fold her arms as Tomoe suddenly approached them with her paws on her hips.
"(Master, I'll need someone to help me with first watch,)" Tomoe requested causing Dmitri to nod, but didn't get to scan any potential candidates from his team for the task as Maris suddenly sprang up and dusted herself off.
"(Let's do it,)" Maris said simply causing Tomoe to spare a glance at Dmitri who looked back at her and shrugged causing the otter to sigh, but looked at Maris and gestured to the bed closest towards the front door.
Shrugging, Maris sat down on her heels on the bed and closed her eyes as she activated her aura that shined faintly like a candle while Tomoe sat against the wall with one paw grasping the hilt of her sword while the other paw rested against leg as Dmitri sighed and put his hands on his hips.
"Maris, Tomoe, just tell us if you guys get tired and we'll get someone else to take over," Dmitri said dotingly causing the martial arts pokemon to give a thumbs-up in response while Tomoe tersely nodded causing the battle ace to nod back as he walked over to where Catherine and Luka were and sat down across from them with his back resting against the bed.
"Something bothering you?" Catherine inquired concernedly causing the battle ace to nod and let out a sigh while his friends looked at one another before gazing back at him worriedly.
"It's just that...if my dad could send Tomoe to protect me, why didn't he try to contact me earlier?" Dmitri admitted to his two friends causing Catherine to nod knowingly with a hand on her chin while Luka briefly stared down at the floor before reaching out and putting a paw on her friend's leg.
"(Tomoe probably knows more about this, but from my perspective, and I don't mean to offend, but your dad acted foolishly in contacting you now when we face an oncoming storm instead of contacting you in peacetime,)" Luka pointed out causing Dmitri to growl and clench his hand into a fist, but relaxed his hand and let out a soft breathe as he nodded at what the aura pokemon said as Catherine pursed her lips before her eyes lit up and broke out into a wide smile.
"Look on the bright side; he sent a badass samurai to protect you out of fatherly love," Catherine added causing the two teens to chuckle as Luka rubbed her chin thoughtfully before leaning forward slightly.
"(Dmitri, if you don't mind me asking, how come your other family members didn't try to contact you when you got hurt?)" Luka questioned causing the battle ace to sigh and shake his head while Luka noted the brief increase of negative aura Dmitri radiated before it ceased while Catherine rubbed her arm and looked away as she assumed the worst.
"My mom's side of the family doesn't really want anything to do with her, and by extension me, after she started her pokemon journey while my dad's side of the family doesn't want to touch us with a ten feet pole because my parents never formally married," Dmitri explained with a shrug causing Catherine to clench her fist while Luka immediately regretted asking the question and rubbed the back of her neck.
"So your mom's side doesn't want to contact either of you because they're mad your mom is successful in life while your dad's side doesn't want to talk you because they believe you're the unholy spawn of a she-devil slut and their beloved, do no wrong son?" Catherine assumed while making grandiose gestures with her arms causing Luka to roll her eyes and bury her face in her paw while Dmitri laughed softly and nodded at what his friend said.
"I don't know; I don't really let it bother me because they sound like people I don't want in my life anyway, but if I do meet someone on my dad's side I'll just say that my parents loved each other and that's enough," Dmitri calmly, but firmly stated causing the former heiress to grin and nod while Luka cracked a smile before going back to a blank expression as she folded her arms and slightly extended one of her legs.
"(If it makes you feel any better, your parents would have been acknowledged as mates by wild and human allied pokemon,)" Luka mentioned with a shrug causing the battle to chuckle as he leaned back a little as Catherine's eyes lit up and bounced in place.
"Ooh! What about Delia? Does she any have relatives we can call to kick some butt?" Catherine asked excitedly causing the battle ace to look down at the floor and rub the back of his neck before shaking his head causing Catherine to slump her shoulders.
"Let's just say that Mrs Shiina's extended family wanted to...continue the old draconic tradition of not dying by natural causes," Dmitri answered awkwardly causing the former heiress to let out a breathe and avert her gaze while Luka's facial expression didn't change and simply folded her arms upon hearing this.
"...Oh," was all Catherine could really say as she scratched her head while the jackal pokemon wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's shoulder as the battle ace nodded.
"Yeah...but they loved Mrs. Shiina, and they don't hold anything against her for leaving," Dmitri explained causing Catherine to purse her lips uncertainly while the aura pokemon let out a puff of air from her nostrils.
"(At least Mrs. Shiina was smart enough to see the folly in that line of thinking,)" Luka offhandedly stated causing Dmitri to nod slowly while Catherine grasped the aura pokemon's chest spike which Luka didn't mind in the slightest.
"On the plus side, Delia gets along well with her dad's relatives, but none of them are really strong pokemon trainers," Dmitri added causing Luka to purse her lips while Catherine raised a brow before gazing at the battle ace confusedly.
"How do you know all this? I know you and Delia are close, but-"
"Mr. and Mrs. Shiina would invite me, Maris, my mom, and Stephanie to their family reunions when Delia, Maris, and I started getting close to each other," Dmitri softly cut in causing Luka's eyes to briefly widen before she composed herself while Catherine chuckled and shook her head.
"So you guys are honorary members of Clan Shiina then?" Catherine stated causing Dmitri to nod with a small smile on his face causing the former heiress to chuckle while Luka grinned warmly and leaned against the makeshift bed.
"Do you get along with your family, Catherine?" Dmitri questioned his friend causing the former heiress to mull over what she was going to say while Luka glanced at the battle ace before looking back at her girlfriend as Catherine let out a breathe and shrugged.
"I love my parents a lot, but they messed up big time in raising me and my siblings although they got better as we got older. As for my siblings, none of them are bad people besides Alice, but all of them avoid the responsibility of preparing for leading my parent's hotel conglomerate," Catherine explained with a heavy sigh while Luka rested her head against Catherine's shoulder and extended some of her aura to her girlfriend which made the former heiress a bit happier.
"What makes it worse is that my parents believe in choosing an heir based on merit and considering they struck their only child who took the responsibility of running their business seriously from the will...they'll eventually have to choose their own poison when their time running the business ends," Catherine solemnly elaborated causing Dmitri look away with a downcast expression before hugging the former heiress who let a tear fall down her cheek before returning the hug and reluctantly breaking it off.
"Even if that happens, they'll always have you fighting the good fight," Dmitri encouraged causing the former heiress to sniffle and nod while rubbing her face with her forearm while Luka hugged Catherine's head to her chest.
"(Are you going to ask Nurse Joy's about her family tree next?)" Luka teased causing Dmitri, Catherine, and the aura pokemon to share a quiet laugh together as Catherine snuggled closer to the aura pokemon.
"It was good talking to you, but Luka and I are going to catch some z's," Catherine mumbled causing Dmitri to nod and wave goodbye to his friends who waved back and leaned their heads against the giant backpack as the battle ace slowly approached the samurai.
"Hey Tomoe," Dmitri called out to his bodyguard causing the otter to slowly turn her head and give a short bow in response as she sat up straight and eyed her master blankly causing the battle ace to rub the back of his head.
"(What can I do for you, master?)" Tomoe inquired calmly while gesturing to the empty space beside her with her paw causing Dmitri to sit down on his butt and put his hands on his legs as he looked down at the carpet before speaking up.
"It's just that...why didn't my dad try to talk to me before this whole mess with the Swords of Justice started?" Dmitri questioned his bodyguard confusedly while keeping his gaze on the carpet causing the otter to rap her paw on her thigh and release a puff of air from her nostrils.
"(He thought you didn't need him anymore; by the time he finished his trials, you were already a juvenile and you had already grown accustomed to his absence in your life,)" Tomoe answered causing the battle ace to clench his fists tightly while refraining from smashing them against the wall like the last time when he was angry.
"That's stupid! Luka's family contacted her when she needed it so why couldn't he do that for me!?" Dmitri nearly shouted while gritting his teeth before Tomoe put a paw on his shoulder causing the battle ace to put a hand over it and slowly inhale before letting out a soft breathe
"I'm sorry," Dmitri stated depressingly causing the otter to shake her head the moment he said this and grip his shoulder tighter causing the battle ace to pick his head up and stare at his bodyguard.
"(Don't be; I believe not talking to you before all this was idiotic and selfish of him,)" Tomoe responded gruffly causing the battle ace to open his mouth to argue against that, but quickly shut it when no words came to mind.
"So, how did you meet my dad?" Dmitri inquired causing the otter to let out a deep sigh as she removed her paw from his shoulder and gripped the hilt of her sword with her other paw for comfort.
"(You're not going to like what I tell you,)" Tomoe responded remorsefully as she looked away from the battle ace causing Dmitri to concernedly look at his friend and put a hand on her shoulder that made the otter grin slightly, but nevertheless brushed his hand off.
"(If were going to work together, there's somethings you're going to have to tell us. You don't have to tell us everything, but keeping big things to yourself that could possibly affect all of us in a shit ton of ways isn't earning you any favors,)" Maris suddenly cut in with a slight edge to her voice causing the otter to shoot a quick glare at the martial arts pokemon who continued meditating as if she had said nothing.
Letting out a low growl, the otter quickly composed herself and turned her head towards her master before starting to speak.
"(Well the, it's important for you to know that I was making amends in the Distortion World for serving under the Swords of Justice for most of my life before I finally broke off from them,)" Tomoe stated causing Maris to clench her fists while Dmitri widened his eyes before he composed himself and rubbed the back of his head.
"So...you joined-"
"(You were part of Humanity's army then?)" Maris interrupted her boyfriend causing the otter to sigh and slowly shake her head causing the battle ace to tilt his head and put a hand on his knee as the samurai folded her arms.
"(No, I saw no reason to join another cause protecting one species while neglecting the other so that's why I joined a splinter faction of the Swords of Justice instead. We fought for the same thing Cobalion did, but we were far less extreme and more willing to seek peaceful resolutions to a problem if it were possible,)" Tomoe answered bluntly causing Dmitri to raise a brow while Maris frowned a bit before slightly opening her eyes that formed a death glare directed at the otter.
"(Humanity's army may not have been perfect, they were a far cry compared to how the Swords of Justice treated the humans in their domain,)" Maris argued back tersely causing the otter to scoff and narrow her eyes at the martial arts pokemon while Dmitri looked between his girlfriend and his bodyguard.
"(What's your point, Shaolin? True, humans were chattel slaves at worst and indentured servants at best in any of the Swords of Justices's domains, but parts of Humanity's army still treated my people willingly working with them to stand against Cobalion as servants and tools,)" Tomoe countered with ire causing Maris to scowl and her aura to briefly flare up like gasoline being added to a camp fire while Dmitri put a hand on the otter's shoulder.
"What made you leave?" Dmitri questioned with his head tilted causing the otter to shut her eyes and heavily sigh as she gripped the hilt of her sword once more before gazing at her master solemnly.
"(I finally defected when on my fifteenth birthday, Cobalion had a battalion of soldiers lay siege to a rather large village for reasons unknown to me at the time and in a blessing in disguise, I was chosen to be apart of the assault,)" Tomoe recalled as she looked forward and grasped the hilt of her blade harder before relaxing her paw as Dmitri thumped his knee.
"I'm guessing you didn't see the point in the siege?" Dmitri assumed causing the feudal warrior to nod and slump against the wall.
"(Yes, master; my efforts to only kill humans who got in my way, to preserve the buildings, and appropriate resources for our own use were for naught as my cohorts decided to lay waste to the village instead. It was when I saw the village lying in ruin and most of the citizens slaughtered that I realized to my horror that we were not here as conquerors...but as destroyers,)" Tomoe explained shamefully while looking down at the floor causing Dmitri to wrap and arm around the otter who didn't object to this while Maris sympathetically stared at her teammate.
"That wasn't it, was it?" Dmitri pressed causing the otter to nod as she fondly looked at her blade and to Dmitri and Maris's surprise, broke out into a wide grin before it faded away as the otter sat up straight and blankly stared at her master.
"(No, when the siege ended we swept the village for survivors when I came upon what I assumed to be one of the defenders of the village evacuating the remaining inhabitants into the forest. When he saw me, he attacked with the determination and ferocity of a man possessed,)" Tomoe remembered as she unconsciously touched her abdomen causing the martial arts pokemon to take note of this while Dmitri scooted closer to the otter who didn't mind.
"(So killing this guy finally made you realize what you were doing was wrong?)" Maris cut in with far more ire than she intended, but Tomoe took this in stride and shook her head causing Dmitri's eyes to widen as the samurai folded her arms.
"(No, I had slain many men and women like him, but when I looked into his eyes I could see the passion to defend his people to his dying breathe and the fear of letting them down which made me realize we were fighting for the same thing,)" Tomoe responded causing the battle ace to rub his chin while Maris narrowed her eyes and moved forward on the bed a bit as the otter rapped her paw over the hilt before letting out a sigh.
"That's what made you leave, huh?" Dmitri mused causing the otter to nod as she unsheathed her blade and looked upon it with reverence and bowed to the blade respectfully before sheathing it and putting her paws on her legs.
"(Yes, when he saw the last of the civilians managed to safely escape into the forest, he collapsed on the ash covered ground and died where I buried him and used his blade as a grave marker. I then escaped into the forest before anyone knew I was gone and after wandering without purpose for a year, I finally joined up with the splinter faction I mentioned earlier,)" Tomoe finished causing Dmitri to pull her in for a hug causing the otter to slightly grin as the battle ace began to speak.
"I think I understand; although you wanted to protect your people and oppose Cobalion, you couldn't tolerate what Humanity's army was doing to your kind," Dmitri surmised causing the otter to nod without hesitation while Maris pursed her lips and gave a short nod after hearing this.
"(Hmm...so you fought for what you believed in even though it meant you had to fight against your friends and Humanity's army? I may not agree with what you did, but that takes some guts)" Maris stated softly causing the otter to raise a brow and look at the battle ace with a befuddled expression causing Dmitri to rub the back of his neck.
"She said you have a lot of courage," Dmitri explained causing Tomoe to grumble and shake her head, but bore a slight grin on her face before it faded away.
"(Thank you for the compliment, Shaolin, but you should have just said I have courage instead of referring to internal organs,)" Tomoe stated causing the martial arts pokemon to snort, but one could see the small smile on her face before she returned to meditating leaving the otter and Dmitri alone once again.
"(My death came when after a few years of being apart of the splinter faction, we defended a village under siege by the Swords of Justice where I came face to face with my old master, Keldeo. We...debated heavily on who was in the wrong before we finally came to blows and predictably, I could not match the might of my former master, but he gave me a quick death despite my treason,)" Tomoe continued while putting a paw to her sternum causing the battle ace to remove his arm around her neck and put hand on her shoulder and grasp it tightly.
"(Not much of a sympathetic trait, Tomoe,)" the martial arts pokemon pointed out causing the otter to sigh while the battle ace pursed his lips and nodded at what his girlfriend said before looking back at the samurai.
"What happened when you got to the Distortion World?" Dmitri inquired causing the otter to sigh and fidget with her helmet before staring at her master stoically.
"(Lord Giratina determined that although I spent a few years protecting and improving the lives of others, it didn't make up for the fact that I spent most of my life destroying and ruining the lives of countless others. Ultimately, my punishment was to personally meet every single soul who's life I had affected in order to gain perspective on the actions I took in life,)" Tomoe replied causing the battle ace to wince and awkwardly rub the back of his head upon hearing this causing the otter to have to restrain the great urge to chuckle and instead kept her facial expression blank.
"That's...nice of her?" Dmitri uncertainly stated causing the otter to fiddle with her helmet and shrug.
"(You should have seen how Lord Giratina dealt with the Swords of Justice when they died. She demanded that they spend every waking moment reflecting on their actions while being subjected to every form of pain and suffering they inflicted on others when they sleep. Lord Arceus allowed it without any hesitation,)" Tomoe stated in an upbeat tone causing Dmitri's eyes to widen in horror while Maris allowed a slight smirk to come to her face upon hearing this before going back to meditating.
"That's...that's cruel! Sure, they did terrible things, but to give that sort of punishment to them is just inhuman!" Dmitri nearly shouted, but kept his voice down he realized that the majority of the inhabitants of the room were asleep while the otter pursed her lips and before shaking her head.
"(I wish there were more idealists like you; when I completed my punishment, I denied the opportunity to return to the material plane and instead chose to assist newcomers to the Distortion World. That's where I met your father who had just arrived and I helped him adjust to his surroundings like I did with others before him,,)" the samurai explained causing Dmitri's eyes to light up and laugh a bit before giving a quick hug to the otter who went stiff before awkwardly returning the hug.
"Thank you," Dmitri gratefully stated causing the otter to give a short nod and pat him on the back before gently pushing him away.
"(You're welcome; after that, I spent the next nine years guiding arrivals to the Distortion World while maintaining infrequent contact with those I helped...until I heard the Swords of Justice were threatening to violate the ceasefire agreement,)" Tomoe said with a slight edge to her voice while tightly gripping the hilt of her sword and gritting her teeth before letting out a breathe and relaxing her grip on the hilt of her blade.
"(Rumor had it that your father's mate was involved somehow so I went to him to offer my assistance and at first he refused because he thought his mate had handled it, but gave in when he saw the situation became out of control,)" Tomoe finished causing the battle ace to nod and mull over the information he had been given while the otter patiently waited for her master to say something while sparing a glance at the martial arts pokemon before looking back at her charge.
"So...he always kept an eye on me and mom then?" Dmitri asked causing the otter to give a short nod causing the battle ace to look up at the ceiling and smile widely before gazing back at the samurai.
"Okay, one more question," Dmitri pressed while expecting Tomoe to let out an exasperated sigh, but to his surprise her facial expression and body language remained cool and collected as it had been since they started talking.
"(Of course, master,)" the samurai responded causing the battle ace to take a deep breathe in and let it back out before opening his mouth.
"What happens to you after we beat the new Swords of Justice?" the battle ace inquired causing the otter to solemnly glance at her seamitar and do her best to tune out the sounds of battle coming back to her head before switching her gaze back to her charge.
"(Lord Giratina...suggested I should take up the mantle of a Sword of Justice because she saw I had success solving problems peacefully during my first life,)" Tomoe answered while avoiding his gaze causing the battle ace to jolt and widen his eyes before patting the otter on the shoulder causing the samurai to raise a brow.
"I can't say for sure, but maybe you'll be a great leader," Dmitri complimented his friend causing the otter to shrug without confidence and lean her head back against the wall before turning it as she heard someone approaching them and found the former heiress and the aura pokemon approaching them.
"Tomoe? I have a question that's been bothering me and overhearing you guys talk makes me think you can answer it if that's okay?," Catherine requested causing Maris to slightly open her eyes and raise a brow causing the aura pokemon to mouth "it's fine" causing the martial arts pokemon to shrug as she subtly attuned her hearing onto what the former heiress was going to say.
Tomoe spared a glance at Dmitri who gestured at the chocolate haired girl with his head causing the samurai to slowly stand up and fold her arms with an irritated sigh as the former heiress stepped forward and stared up at the otter who looked back at her warily.
"(What is it, noble?)" Tomoe asked gruffly which the former heiress took in stride and clenched her fists before relaxing them and letting out a soft breathe.
"Before you left the Distortion World, did happen to hear about what happened to a girl named Alice Wayne?" Catherine inquired causing the otter's eyes to widen before she composed herself and gave a short nod in response causing the former heiress and the aura pokemon to exchange glances with one another before Catherine returned her gaze to the otter.
"(When someone crosses a legendary, especially a trio leader, it does garner special attention. To my knowledge, she's serving the legendary she wronged for eternity as some sort of bodyguard while receiving the same kind of punishment as the Swords of Justice,)" Tomoe answered causing the former heiress to clench her teeth and ball her hands into a fist before a warm, soothing aura washed over her causing the chocolate haired girl to relax to an extent, but that didn't stop her from narrowing her eyes angrily.
"So, what you're telling me is essentially that not only is she alive, but her punishment is basically a slap on the wrist?" Catherine nearly growled, but managed to keep calm causing the otter to briefly raise a brow before shaking her head causing the chocolate haired girl to snort as the samurai started to speak.
"(Yes and no; yes in the fact that Alice still draws breathe, but no in the fact that she got off lightly. Souls who are sentenced to serve a legendary were especially cruel in life and to make sure they don't become a threat, their life force is tied to their master,)" the otter explained causing the former heiress's eyes to become as wide as saucers while Luka raised a brow at this info and stepped forward so she was shoulder to shoulder with Catherine.
"Does that mean-"
"(Service, in this case, is life and Lord Lugia now owns Alice's life. It wouldn't surprise me if Lord Lugia simply made Alice a brainless thrall who's merely an extension of her will like Lord Zekrom and Reshiram have done in the past, but then again the Kami trio is known for being more merciful towards their servants provided they prove their worth first,)" Tomoe coolly cut the former heiress off causing Luka to narrow her eyes at the otter while Catherine looked down at the carpet and shifted her position a bit before looking back up at the otter.
"(What Tomoe is trying to say is that if Lugia thinks Alice is going to go back to her old ways, she can pull the plug on the former rich bitch and if Lugia is somehow killed which I don't see happening, your lovable, rabid sister will die along with her. Even if Alice somehow survives that, she better not think about leaving Lugia's territory because the trace amounts of Lugia's life force around the area would be the only thing barely keeping her alive,)" Maris explained causing the former heiress's eyes to widen and glance at Luka who's jaw was agape before she closed her mouth and nodded frantically at what Maris said.
Though she wanted to think about the info she had been given, the sound of Tomoe clearing her throat caused the former heiress to gaze at the otter with her hands on her hips before letting out a heavy sigh.
"...Alright, I'm definitely not happy about this, but as long as Alice is getting a taste of her own medicine, then I guess that's fine by me. Thank you for answering my question, Tomoe," the former heiress stated while respectfully bowing at the otter bowed back in response as the noble walked away with a hand on her chin while Luka waved tiredly at her friends before following her girlfriend back to their bed.
"I know Catherine already said it, but thanks for answering all the questions I wanted to know. Just remember to let any of us know if you're getting tired, okay?" Dmitri said warmly causing the samurai to bow and look away from her master causing the battle ace to stand up and stretch a bit before starting to walk towards his team.
"(Master, this time I have a question for you,)" Tomoe suddenly commented causing Maris to pop open an eye while the battle ace stopped in his tracks and turned around to stare at the otter confusedly as the samurai narrowed her eyes at the boy before glaring at the floor.
"(You have a good idea of how cruel, oppressive, and violent the Swords of Justice were to those who stood in their way of protecting their brethren and these new Swords of Justice arguably seem worse than them. What I'm asking is that do you think that a peaceful solution is possible with them?)" Tomoe questioned her master who jolted a bit and widened his eyes before letting out a sigh and rubbing his chin while Maris snorted causing the otter to look at her.
"(You just fucking said earlier that Giratina elected you to be a Sword of Justice because you managed to resolve some problems peacefully,)" Maris roughly pointed out causing the otter to let out a breathe and concede the point before blankly staring at the martial arts pokemon who stared back at her teammate with her eye narrowed.
"(That's true, I did say that, but I had success because my foes at that time weren't monsters or didn't care about the methods they went about to achieve something whether it was noble or not,)" Tomoe countered causing Maris to grumble and close her eye as she resumed meditating causing the samurai to glance at Dmitri.
"Honestly, I don't know. I want to say that we can work out our differences, but considering how they tried to destroy a city just to get to me makes me think that won't work. But...we have to try to reach an understanding with them and maybe, just maybe, we can manage to work things out," Dmitri answered hopefully causing the otter to raise a brow and glance at Maris who paid her no mind before gazing at Dmitri.
"(That's an...interesting way to look at it. Anything else you need, master?)" Tomoe asked coolly causing the battle ace to slowly shake his head causing the otter to nod and look away from him causing the battle ace to stare at her briefly before standing up.
Stretching his stiff limbs, Dmitri pondered the information he had been given and made his way to Kiera who sluggishly opened her eyes when she heard him walking towards her. Letting out a yawn, Dmitri laid down against the centipede's exoskeleton where he felt the slow rising and falling of her chest before Kiera let out a yawn and coiled around him before resting her head on his shoulder. Grimacing a bit from the weight, Dmitri leaned back in order to give himself some room before resting his head against her body while wrapping his arms around her thick neck and slowly closing his eyes.
"I'll help you with this any way I can mom," Dmitri thought to himself as snuggled closer to Kiera who slightly tightened her grip on her trainer in response causing him to groan before he fully relaxed his body and let sleep overtake him.