Galet's never really quiet, the streets never truly empty. They simply have upturns and downturns of traffic at various times. If someone were to ever walk them they could glance across the street and see a group of drunkards singing merry, a madman raving about the end of the world, someone minding their own business slouched against the wall and oh so much more. But as of now there was a pair of two perched atop a roof, a Mawile and a Cryogonal, conversing about their job: they talked about how the hours never really end, how the pay is nice even if it is salary, what his job was, how he had to do it, and how best to gut a Ninetales. The usual things really.

Kelvin stared at Danielle blankly. "Are you quite certain that we're talking about the same target?" he asked in a voice that sounded like the clicking of hail on a roof.

Danielle sighed and let her arms down for a moment. Her front mouth frowned slightly and the one on her back seemed very irritated by his remark. "Yes, we are. I know he doesn't look or sound like he should be dangerous. And he isn't. It's the pokemon around him you have to pay attention to. They're not the ones you're looking for though," she said with a flick of her wrist as she brought her hand behind her head. She glared down at the streets. "Find him, single out, kill him, you're done." she said in an almost staccato rhythm as she thrust the paper in front of him once more.

The Cryogonal remained silent for a few moments as he read over the paper with a slight squint. "I see… I believe I have a plan." he spoke in a slow and deliberate voice as he turned away for a moment. But as he turned back he found that Danielle had already left the scene, leaving him alone with unspoken words. "Well then. Looks like it'll just be me then." he said as he looked about for a moment. "Just me and the wind."

Ohm set aside his lunch and kicked his legs a few times as he rested on the park bench. He let out a sigh after a few seconds as he leaned back and looked almost straight up.

Flocon looked up, still working on his food. "Everything okay?" he asked between munches and soft slurps of noodle.

The Ampharos didn't respond in any direct manner. He tilted his head to take a glance at Bancho sitting just a few feet away and stared for a few moments before turning his gaze back skywards.

Flocon's expression turned from slightly worried to incredibly unamused in the blink of an eye. A few slurps later he decided to try his luck once more. "Are you well?" he asked.

Ohm finally responded after a few moments, "I'm not really sure anymore to be quite honest with you. The events of the past few days they've just been… disheartening I guess." He didn't look down at the Ninetales as he spoke. Letting out a sigh, Ohm readjusted himself on the bench. "Things are only going to get harder, and with how you and Frukkshin barely came out of some of these alive…" he paused for a long while before saying, "I'd rather not think about that."

Flocon froze up and looked down at his food. "Y-yeah." he said with a slight crack in his voice. "But… if you're so afraid, why not leave?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing, couldn't I?" Ohm retorted. A slight frown crossed his face. "Of course I'm terrified but… I can't just leave like that." he paused. "At least I like to think I wouldn't." he said as he looked down for the first time in a good while. After letting out a short and wistful laugh he said, "I like to think I wouldn't do a lot of things, that I wouldn't have done a lot of things. Yet I've been proven wrong more times than I'd like to admit." he told the Ninetales as he leaned back, put his arms up behind his head, and began to stare at the clouds. They seemed to be the same color they always were, off-white and puffy, almost as if they didn't care about their current mood.

Flocon took a moment to consider what was said to him, That's a better point than I'd like to admit. What would I do? He stared off into space for a few minutes in contemplation of the statement. He pushed his plate away and slowly said, "I think I'm done for now." Before resting his head on his paws. A sickened expression on his face and a slight pit in his stomach.

They sat there for a few moments in silence. Something was happening. But neither of them realized it. It felt like nothing moved to either of them. As if the world itself had just stopped turning.

But it didn't, did it?

A sad chuckle. What else could he do but laugh? "How the hell did I get this far?" he wondered, there was something bittersweet in his voice. "I shouldn't have… my life, my future, I feel like it had to end there." He began to sob, but that laugh continued, he doubled over on the bench. "It just kills me sometimes… it kills me in a way I can't describe…" The sobbing vanished into thin air with his body partially limp. "I don't know why Fringe chose me the way he did. Maybe I'll never know." he said this with a sad smile and a sigh.

Flocon just watched it unfold and didn't say a word. Something about what Ohm had said etched itself into his mind. Why did Fringe choose me? He didn't say a word as he got up, not even as he walked away.

Ohm didn't flinch, he didn't move. It felt almost like he couldn't move. He tried to get up and failed to. "What in the-" he sounded as he looked down, his legs were encased in ice. "Bancho!" he called as he tried to instinctually stand up but couldn't.

His partner was having similar issues and when Bancho turned around to face Ohm he saw that Bancho's mouth had been frozen shut along with his legs.

"Shit!" Ohm swore in a panic as he looked around. Bancho: frozen. Flocon: gone. Himself: frozen. The thoughts raced through his head as he tried to think of a way out of it.

And Flocon was none the wiser as he traipsed about the streets. It feels like every time I think I'm starting to understand what's happening something else has to happen. he thought with a frustrated sigh. And this time's no different. He let out a sigh and muttered, "Damnit."

From a short distance away Kelvin floated for a few moments. He had a grin, luck had favored his side it seems and he was about to capitalize on it as best he could. But the streets still had pokemon roaming about that prevented him from making any decisive moves. Instead he did what he did best as a Crygonal.

Flocon felt something sweep across him, an unnatural chill that dragged itself across his back. He paused and looked up, his expression was dark when compared to his normal look. It had a determination to it. This is a terrible idea… but I've come too far to back away now. he considered.

I believe the term is that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Flocon considered as he looked around at his surroundings. Yeah… I think that's it. He had a nervous smirk on his face.

He turned from the streets and into an alleyway. Well, no time like the present to do exactly that. Flocon told himself. The Ninetales paused his advance for a few moments, the stupidity of what he was doing had finally started to sink in. This is probably the stupidest plan I've ever had…

And he thought that not a moment too soon as a sharp whistle stung his ears. He turned to try and face it when it shot by and across the side of his neck. A gash formed by a shard of ice flung at high speeds had carved a sizable gash out of it.

Flocon instinctively cowered away and tried to hide the cold stream of blood gushing from his neck. He made an attempt to scream but the pain squeezed his throat shut and he could only utter a wheeze. "I suppose I couldn't be lucky all the time," came a whisper that tickled Flocon's ear "After all, where's the fun in that after all?". The Ninetales tried to find the source of the voice but there wasn't a single soul in sight.

Flocon knew he couldn't stand still if he wanted to survive what was coming next. He tried to jump in a random direction and felt an icicle graze his cheek as it shot by. The source remained entirely unknown, almost as if the enemy had been the air around him. Is that even possible? he thought as he touched down and jumped almost immediately in a different direction to evade another shot.

There was a pause.

Flocon jumped again but there was no shot.

The Ninetales looked around, adrenaline shooting through his entire system. His heartbeat nearly audible through the silence.

He tentatively found his footing, took a few steps forwards, tripped, and fell to the side. "What in the hell?" he shouted as he got back to his feet.

Flocon glanced down at his paws, they looked different somehow. Long white claws coming out of indigo fur all stained with splotches of what looked like blood.

"Flocon?" a muted voice called for someone.

He looked up to see an Ampharos run past him and look at the body of a pokemon. "Flocon, answer me dammit!" he shouted with tones of desperation before getting up to look around.

Looking upwards he saw a pokemon reform, a Cryogonal by the name of Kelvin. Looking back down he saw the Ampharos stand back for a moment and shout something that only came through as a muted blurble.

The Ampharos threw something. Something was fired back.

Taking a few steps forwards he looked up, unsure of where he was. A strike of lightning passed through his chest as if it weren't there, a rumble that passed through him. He looked down at the Ninetales at his feet, it looked wrong. "Did I get the wrong one?" he pondered as an icicle passed through him.

"Maybe." a familiar voice came to him. It was garbled but he could never mistake those light and airy tones.

Another Ninetales. A deep and bleeding gash struck across his neck. His tails mangled and bloody.

He had a name. He had to have had a name. Both of them used to.

He fell to his knees in defeat as he looked upon the shattered body of his once foe.

The Ninetales looked up at him with his orange eyes. "Is this how it was meant to be?" he wondered aloud.

Getting back up on his feet and with a look of desperation strewn about his face he took a few steps forwards and grabbed the bloodied and shivering Ninetales in front of him. "It seems so… but what can we do?"

The Ninetales looked up and through a slow and somewhat noble voice he told him, "There's no point in telling when you already know the answer." before jumping up and shoving him to the ground.

Darkness overtook both of them.

Light came into Flocon's vision.

He was flat on the ground in a small pool of his own blood. An icicle was jutting from his thigh and slowly melting. He was in an alleyway.

Ohm was kneeling a few feet away, breathing heavily. "Bastard… that fucking bastard." he repeated over and over again.

Flocon tried to speak, his mouth opened and he wished nothing more than to ask what was wrong, but he could only manage a soft groan of pain. It was enough though as Ohm slowly turned his head in sheer disbelief. It looked like a fight had broken out with how bloodied Ohm's front was, lacerations criss-crossed his upper body and his eyes had a glazed look to them.

With a quivering voice he managed to utter, "Flocon?"

Flocon rose just a bit.

Ohm looked like he had seen a ghost.

Maybe he had.

But they didn't say anything, they didn't want to know. Ohm just got to his feet, picked up Flocon, looked forwards, and began to walk.

The crowd was constantly splitting in horror, all kept varying distances between them and the small procession taking place before their eyes. Most of them kept quiet and averted their eyes as if it would make them somehow disappear. Some of them couldn't help but stare at them in shock with what was happening.

And Ohm didn't care, he didn't even seem to register them.

The crowd began to thin as he walked into the park where Bancho had just gotten himself freed. Ohm walked up to the imposing figure of the Pangoro and wordlessly gave him the Ninetales before falling to the side and passing out.

Bancho looked down at the Ampharos.

His expression hadn't changed.

Perhaps part of him finally registered what he had seen.

Perhaps the adrenaline finally ran out.

Perhaps he fainted long ago.

Fate always finds a way.

No matter what.

Am I back? Am I not? Who knows? I had a few issues getting this chapter out due to anxiety and general issues in my life, college is starting back up soon for me in the midst of this pandemic though so I wanted to get back on track as much as I can so that I can hopefully finish this story before I catch a case of it. See you all in hopefully two weeks or maybe even a week since I want to try and catch up a bit, but probably two weeks knowing me.