I walk into a room, and it's darkly illuminated. I shut the door behind me and I squint my eyes to try and see. The room brightens when I open the trapdoor to let in more light, and in view, there are papers on a billboard with my face. The door was locked and under his bed, what could he be hiding?
I see the first file and it describes my attributes, my actions, my personality, everything!
My skin crawls. I glance back to the entrance, now flaring up with paranoia. The next file is on Concord, describing them, their features, and their personality. I reach the third file; it's a plan devised by Chary.
My face falls open in shock from what I read, but I still continue on. I see no more files beyond those three, but I notice that the plan has a few more pages. The second paper is full of characters and words I have no hope of reading, with the sole exception of my name. Why are those numbers familiar?
Confused, I move to the next page. I see the names of several townspeople, followed by "Foggy Grove by the large Oak tree." circled multiple times. It dawns on me what all the townspeople listed have in common.
This is a list of all the people that have died.
I turn away and take deep breaths. One by one, all these memories trickle into my head, with Hypno claiming that he was framed, Concord never being happy around us, and Chary always saying that he would "go on runs." Was this all his doing?
I may have saved many lives had I just looked here earlier. A weight appears in my stomach. I push on. I must know, no matter what.
"Frame Adam."
Frame me for what?' I wonder. My fear and paranoia turn to a burning rage as I read what's next.
"Concord is leaving this Saturday. Take all the fame for saving the world and finding Concord's murderer." My mind slowly pieces together what the note implies, and I recoil in shock.
Part of me wants to deny it, claim that it's a prank or something. A larger part of me knows it's true. That larger part of me is screaming to get out; run away. It was screaming a warning that something would lunge at me from the shadows if I stayed in this room for much longer.
My expression turns to horror as I realize the date. Friday was yesterday. That could only mean one thing... I obliviously thought she was out buying food, I never even said goodbye.
I run out from the trapdoor so quickly that I don't even bother trying to cover my tracks; there's no time.
Running as fast as I could, I sprinted out into the forest, in full view of everyone in town.
I become exhausted and am forced to slow down near Foggy Grove, but the sound of footsteps running away from me makes me keep going. I turn towards the source and continue my sprint. My legs are cramping, but that doesn't matter. I come to a halt when I see Concord on the ground, covered in bruises and scratches.
"Adam," she silently says my name.
"Concord?" I plead to her, placing my paw on her head, she ignores it and continues after a groan of pain.
"When we made a- *cough* -Team together... We promised to keep each other safe," she coughs. I stare at her blankly, awaiting her next words. "Neither of you kept that promise." After finishing, she turns away from me. Realizing her condition; I pick her up and lift her onto my back, and run back toward the town. My two hind legs aren't meant for this, but I don't care. It all happened too fast.
"Help! Anyone! Please- Please help!" I cry out as I step foot through the gate. I step onto the hard pavement like I was giving one final push at the end of a race.
There is a small moment of silence. It's broken by a scream ringing out from Kecleon.
"KILLER!"
"What, no! Wait, I didn't-" I plead with them, but another voice overpowers me.
"MURDERER!"
To me, their accusations are the loudest sounds I had ever heard in my life. There may be no way to convince anyone fast enough that I am telling the truth. I hopelessly watch as a Machamp approaches me. The ground seems to tremble with their rage towards me, a false rage against someone perceived to have done something unforgivable. I make one final plead to be spared, but it is ignored.
I fall to the ground, I hit the hard stone path, and fall unconscious. I do not dream, I do not see, I do not hear, as if time skips forward.
When I wake up, I'm in handcuffs, and I see the guild master disapprovingly staring at me.
"I can explain!" I yelp, but once again, he ignores me. Just why will nobody listen to me? The Wigglytuff leaves the room, and a few minutes later, Chary enters. I try to calm down both of us by making small talk. I can't even speak before he pulls out a stolen key, and unlocks the door.
He silently opens it, like a quiet build-up. Once done, he jumps into the cell and slashes my arm.
"Don't touch things-" He raises his paw for another strike; I attempt to dodge out of the way. but he has me pinned down in such a way that I can't move, and these handcuffs certainly aren't helping. "-That don't belong to you!-" suddenly, Chary stops mid-attack and lifts his head like he's listening for something or someone. I have never been so glad to see the guild master. However, he does not notice the blood, nor does he appear to have a tolerance for my speaking up. He motions me out of the room and into a sort-of courtroom, perhaps for a rushed trial. I sit down and hear a murmuring silence as a Purrloin at the front bangs a gavel.
"We are here for the trial of Adam the Eevee, for the murder of Concord the Buizel. Kecleon, would you please testify?" I don't know how long I've been unconscious, but it was probably long enough for Chary to set this up. It's all too sudden. I need to think of something quick.
"Well, I was tending to my shop when Adam runs off into the forest all of a sudden. I thought nothin' of it till' he comes back 5 minutes later holding a corpse! A corpse I say! There is no doubt Adam killed Concord."
"Thank you Kecleon." The Purrloin replies. I look around the room, seeing familiar faces everywhere. I am thankful to notice that none of them bear a face of hostility, nor a face of joy, they just watch. It's slightly calming to know that maybe I am not alone in this.
"Your honor, the autopsy reports have returned. The body is covered in bruises, and analysis of the scratches shows that it fits the exact description of an Eevee's paw." Chary, who was standing next to the judge, speaks holding up a piece of paper.
"The crime scene also reported that the claw of an Eevee was dropped nearby, this is incriminating evidence that Adam was behind this murder.
"Furthermore, I believe we have a motive; fame. You just couldn't get enough of it from just stopping Hypno, could you? You wanted it all."
"Chary, that is enough!" the Purrloin Forbids Chary from continuing. "This case is clear, there's a motive, witness testimony, and material evidence." My hopeful face disappears as I never even had time to speak in this rigged joke of a trial. "I find Adam... Guilty. The Jury will decide on your sentence, Adam. Do not resist the guards escorting you out." I don't even have time to process what I have heard before a miracle happens.
"HOLD IT!" a mysterious voice shouts from the door. It opens and I see none other than Hypno.
"Hypno? How did you escape?" The judge inquires.
"You only have one jail cell and you left the door open, idiot. But anyways, I saw Chary attack Adam in the cell! Adam is being framed here! I watched the whole thing! The most solid evidence you have, the claw could be easily faked! Chary would be the only person besides Adam who could have that! Look at Adam! He's covered in fresh scratches from Chary bursting into his cell, not from fighting Concord!"
"Hypno, why should we believe you?" asked the Purrloin. They start to look uncomfortable, with everyone in the room watching their reaction. Hypno started to speak, but he was interrupted by Kecleon.
"That' right." "When I saw him carrying the body, he had no scratches on him! Now he does. Something else must've caused those injuries."
"I'll- I'll place the guilty verdict on hold, uh, the trial will continue. Hypno, please sit down." Seeing this, I seized my opportunity to speak.
"Your honor, the only reason I ran into the forest was that I found Chary's plan to kill Concord underneath his bed!" I need to take a deep breath before I continue. "...I was concerned. Also, I found Chary's plan to frame Hypno for murder! Hypno is innocent! If you don't believe me, the bodies are buried at-" I feel a bite on my neck, and I almost collapse from it. Finishing that sentence would have been a stupid move anyway. Luckily, Chary stupidly decided to bail me out by doing that.
Kecleon helps me back up as Chary is restrained and arrested. We sit for several minutes before an officer returns holding the files I saw earlier. The officer whispers something in the Purrloin's ear, and the judge looks at the papers, inspecting them for signs of being forged. Those few minutes feel like the longest of my life. The judge looks back up at me.
"Adam and Hypno, I am pleased to announce that you are free to go! These documents will be inspected thoroughly before I can give the official verdict. and a new trial will begin for Chary the Umbreon for the charges of Assault, twenty-five counts of homicide, two counts of framing, conspiracy, and now the murder of Concord the Buizel."