Wild Pokemon

by ThePrinceOfPuddles

When you've spent your entire life fighting on your trainer's team, how do you continue your life fighting in the wild? One Drought Ninetails will have to find the answer to that question. Luckily she won't have to find it alone; a few mistakes leads her to meeting, and fighting side by side with, an experienced wild Absol. But the wild is quite dangerous without your trainer...

18. The Call of Battle

Chapter 18: The Call of Battle

"I see," Luxray muttered as Mienshao concluded his report. "So the West Side has finally secured that Drought Ninetails after all."

"Unfortunately, yes," Mienshao affirmed. "However, we've been able to retaliate quite effectively for any damage we've received. Our ninth and eleventh battalions have secured four minor bases around Houndoom's fortress, and our soldiers have finally succeeded in driving out Arcanine's forces in the Northern Fields. It was a close fight, but we won with the information given to us by the Guest."

Luxray raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. I thought those fields were well guarded by an entire legion of Ditto and Toxic-users."

"They were, until I personally led a squadron of Fighting Pokémon and wiped them out," Mienshao replied, a tiny hint of pride in his voice.

"Excellent. Is there anything else?"

"No, Leader. If that's all, then I will return to the battlefield and lead a small force to take their forest outpost."

Before Mienshao could turn to exit the large, captured Pokemon Center, Luxray motioned him to halt.

"There is one more thing," Luxray said. "I wonder: why have you never asked for anything?"

Mienshao paused, his head cocked to the side curiously. "What do you mean, Leader?"

"You're by far the most faithful and powerful of all my commanders," Luxray replied. "You've risen through the ranks so quickly it's been an embarrassment for others, and you've never failed me in any missions I've given you. As my right-hand, you could have asked for all sorts of rewards; power, luxury, or even just a raise in payment or rations. And yet, all you've ever requested is enough food to keep you going and a place to rest. Is there nothing you want? Or do you just believe so strongly in our cause?"

Mienshao looked down. "Well, Leader, there is one thing I desire."

"And that is?"

Mienshao firmly met his gaze. "Please, Leader, send me to attack Houndoom's base when the time comes. I want to command the force personally."

"That's an unusual request," Luxray mused. "Why is this so important to you?'

"Have you heard of the NPCT, Leader?"

Luxray nodded. "What of it?"

"Well, Leader, I was one of the top participants before joining you. Believe me, I'm perfectly satisfied to be fighting for our cause to usher in a new age of perfection, but before I was your right-hand, I was one of the strongest competitive Pokémon alive."

"And?"

"My trainer and I had gone through many tournaments before," Mienshao continued. "We'd made quite a name for ourselves, and I was the core of all his major teams. However, in the early rounds of the NPCT, I was defeated by a Drought Ninetails."

That caught Luxray's interest. "Ah…now I begin to see."

Mienshao nodded bitterly. "Leader, until then, I was respected by humans, feared by Pokémon, and adored by my trainer. But losing to a Drought lead because of a misfire? It was the ultimate disgrace and humiliation. My trainer released me shortly after that, and I eventually ended up here, as you know. I never thought I would see that Drought Ninetails again, until I heard the reports about Ember. The Guest confirmed it. It's her, Leader. She's the one who ruined my life."

"You want revenge," Luxray said.

"Badly," Mienshao agreed. "Leader, it is Ember's fault that I was taken from my world and into another one. As much as I'm glad to serve you, she still made me lose the respect of my master and my teammates. Our first priority during any battle is to defeat the Drought Ninetails powering the enemy forces anyway. I want to be the one to do it this time."

Luxray smiled. "I understand. But how badly do you want revenge on Ember? What are you planning to do once you reach the battlefield?"

Mienshao's expression darkened. "I will break every bone in her body until the pieces are as small and numerous as the sand on the beach, and I will keep her alive just long enough to allow her to scream until her lungs burst. And when she is finished suffering and bleeding and begging, I will split her skull."

The two Magnezone flanking Luxray winced. Even Luxray's eyes widened slightly.

"…I see," Luxray muttered finally. "Your request is granted. Dismissed."

Mienshao bowed and exited the Pokemon Center through the sliding doors. Luxray merely remained silent for a few moments.

"Ember certainly knows how to make enemies," he finally said with a smirk. "Mienshao won't even be her deadliest one."

---

"Sir, I can't possibly agree to that," Arcanine said.

"Have I asked whether you agreed or not?" Houndoom replied curtly.

Arcanine sighed, knowing it was a losing argument. He briefly allowed the flames he and Houndoom were standing in to refresh him with his ability Flash Fire and then looked back to his leader.

"Why do you want Ember to be placed so far out onto the battlefield, Sir?" Arcanine asked as calmly as possible. "It's only been five days since her test."

Houndoom rolled his eyes. "Yes, and in those five days, Luxray and his forces have been making powerful comebacks and taking more of our land. Ember has only been in a few minor skirmishes. I want her in the middle of the battlefield so she can do what she was captured for: win us the war."

"Sir, I'm certain that our forces near the secondary defensive lines can hold out a bit longer," Arcanine reasoned. "Wouldn't it be better to place her behind the lines and allow our soldiers to strengthen their inner defenses?"

"Yes, but I want our soldiers to be able to actually attack the enemy forces instead of playing defense to the end. When the enemy retreats, I want them to be hunted down, and we'll need Ember much closer to the front lines for that."

"You're forgetting one thing, though, Sir," Arcanine replied. "Ember is invaluable to us. If you send her out there and she gets killed, we won't have her ability on our side anymore."

Houndoom shrugged. "We lose Drought Ninetails all the time. I went to a lot of trouble to get her on our side, and her ability will be used like all the others to win as many battles as possible before she dies. I'm confident we can win the war in the end without her anyway."

Only after thousands of our agents have died uselessly, Arcanine thought bitterly.

"If that's all, you may go," Houndoom said nonchalantly. "And Ember will be placed at the secondary lines. Is there anything else?"

Arcanine could sense Houndoom was practically daring him to question him further. They'd been at this type of discussion too many times before and Arcanine decided he should be a bit bold and take a risk.

"Yes, there is," he replied carefully. "Sir, could the reason for you wanting Ember out there involve Absol?"

Houndoom's eyes narrowed. "I don't take your meaning."

"Well, Sir, it's obvious that Absol will be devoting any spare time he has plotting a way to escape, probably one that will involve rescuing Ember and, more than likely, killing you."

"Are you insinuating that I'm putting her out there on purpose to kill her?"

"I'm not insinuating anything, Sir. After all, like you said, you went to a lot of trouble to get her here. But if Ember did happen to be killed in battle, leaving you free to dispose of Absol in a heartbeat, it wouldn't be the greatest tragedy for you, would it?"

"I would be very, very careful if I were you, Arcanine. Your rank and skills will only get you so far. Pokemon have died in my presence for less than you've said. Now, get out."

Arcanine quickly saluted and left the fiery room, knowing he could pursue the subject no further. As he continued through the scorching mine tunnels, he was certain that Houndoom couldn't care less if Ember died. Arcanine, however, had other plans for her. He'd been greatly impressed when she'd had the courage to challenge him to combat, even if she wasn't ready. He was certain he could make her a permanent ally after seeing that edge to her personality.

As Arcanine exited the mine, his eyes had no trouble with the bright sunlight of the city above. He knew he'd have to put Ember on the battlefield as Houndoom commanded. But there was no way he would let her be killed, orders or no orders.

---

Ember felt a vague sense of foreboding as she passed through the foyer of the old mansion. She hadn't been called on for a full day, and she expected a messenger to arrive any second now and summon her to battle once again. In the five days since her test, she'd been through two minor battles against the East Side. But she knew that soon, she would be placed in much harsher battles. All the tenants in the mansion were kept up to date with the progress of the war, and the West Side was losing more and more ground every day.

As Ember decided to head for the kitchens and see if she could sneak some extra food, she saw Torkoal climbing up a set of stairs nearby while carrying a tray of food on his shell. He was moving at a Slugma's pace in that funny way he always did that usually drove most of the other tenants crazy. She couldn't help but smile slightly as he slowly but surely made his way up the stairs, one small step at a time.

"Hi, Torkoal," she greeted. "Need some help?"

Torkoal slowly managed to turn his head toward her. "Oh, hello, Miss Ember. No, I think I can handle it. I just—urk!—need to reach the top, and I'll be alright."

"You know, I could carry that up for you," Ember offered. "You're always working so hard. Why don't you take a break? Head back to your room and relax a little."

"I don't have a room," Torkoal replied emotionlessly. "I sleep in the cellar."

With that, Torkoal continued until he eventually reached the top, Ember once again left in bewilderment. Finally, she merely shrugged and went on her way, hoping that Torkoal could find some happiness in his day. Soon, Ember reached one of the doors that led to the kitchens, already smelling the delicious aroma of well-cooked meat.

She quickly formed a plan in her head. The Tangrowth that served as the cook was wise to most of the tricks the tenants would use to steal food, and the repercussions for attempting to do so were usually quite severe. Still, Ember was quite hungry after her usual morning battle practice sessions with Shiftry, and she wouldn't get another chance to eat for hours, even if she were lucky enough not to be called to action. She had to try for it.

Finally, Ember worked up her nerve and pushed her way through the door, ducking behind the counter. She spotted Tangrowth plodding through the kitchen, carrying many plates and trays in its multiple vine-like arms. She peeked out with bated breath all around the posh kitchen, looking for any good food to take.

Finally, she spotted a large, half-eaten steak sitting on one of the counters. Ember's mouth began to water. She knew that most of the other tenants had already eaten, and that the steak was probably nothing more than the leftovers from the afternoon lunch, so at least she wouldn't be stealing anyone else's meal. Ever so slowly, she crept toward the counter, stopping and holding her breath every time Tangrowth passed by.

Finally, after nearly three minutes of sneaking through the kitchen, Ember reached the counter that held her prize. However, she heard Tangrowth coming up behind her. In a panic, she quickly squeezed herself into one of the large cupboards nearby, praying Tangrowth wouldn't see her. As the cook came closer and closer, Ember knew he would spot her any second now.

Suddenly, Ember had an idea. She carefully reached out and grabbed one of the plates sitting on the counter above, then hurled it across the room, hearing it shatter nearby. Startled, Tangrowth turned and plodded off toward the noise. Her heart pounding, Ember walked back toward the counter, quickly standing on two legs and grabbing the steak in her teeth. She then turned and ran out of the kitchen before Tangrowth returned, pushing her way back through the doors.

Finally, once she was sure she hadn't been seen, Ember mentally laughed at Tangrowth and proudly trotted back down the hall with the steak in her teeth. She was already starting to savor the succulent taste of the meat. For the past five days, she'd had nothing to eat but Poffin and berries. And now, she had a plump, juicy steak to enjoy. Maybe she could even bring some of it to Otachi as a peace offering.

As she headed back to her room, however, she saw Gunny standing outside the door. When she came closer, he turned to her, briefly eyeing the steak in her mouth.

"I was waiting for you," he said. "Please tell me you didn't steal that steak."

Ember gave him a wry look that said 'no promises.' Gunny merely shrugged.

"Arcanine sent me to find you," he said. "You're needed on the battlefield."

For some strange reason, the steak in Ember's mouth no longer tasted as good.

---

Absol's stomach churned as yet another slave—this time a Sunflora—collapsed from heat exhaustion while trying desperately to yank out a large piece of ore caught between two rocks. A Marowak who was working next to her called for help, and soon, Keckleon appeared from seemingly nowhere and ordered the Marowak and a nearby Scizor to carry the Sunflora out of the mines. With that, Keckleon calmly ordered the work to be resumed and the slaves continued to hack away at the wall as though nothing happened.

"The amount of care they treat us with is pathetic at best," Absol muttered angrily.

Absol heard Salamence pound the wall with Dragon Claw at his left.

"And at worst, death is certain," the dragon added. "You know, the body can only take so much heat and so little water. Some Pokémon just can't work as hard as others under these conditions."

Absol cut through a big stone with Psycho Cut and grabbed a large Green Sphere, putting it in the small metal bucket to his right that each slave used to carry their ore.

"Something has to be done about this," Absol said.

Salamence scoffed. "Well, there's nothing that can be done. It's just life. Anything else is wishful thinking."

"No, I mean it," Absol said firmly. "Something needs to be done now. If all of the weaker Pokémon who can't work collapse, even the stronger ones will have much more of a load than they can handle. In the end, if nothing is done, every single Pokémon in these mines is going to die."

Salamence stopped clawing away at the wall, glancing at Absol for a moment.

"Listen, if it's any consolation, I think you're right," he replied. "But there's nothing we can do. What the slaves really need is water, but all the water is kept up in a well above the city, and Honchkrow and Keckleon will distribute it as they see fit. They'd much rather keep more than enough water for themselves than give it to us."

With that, Salamence returned to his work, but Absol couldn't help feeling as though a solution were right in front of him and that he could almost see it. Absol desperately pondered it as he stabbed his claw between two black rocks to pull out a rare Heart Scale. A thoughtful scowl remained on his face for the entire duration of the work hours.

It wasn't until each of the slaves had their buckets inspected and food and water distributed later that the idea finally struck like Thunder. It was a grave risk, but it needed to be done. Absol looked up from his meager meal as Salamence walked over and sat by him.

"I think I have a way to help everyone," Absol said.

"Really?" Salamence said, surprised. "Alright, let's hear it."

It only took Absol a good three minutes to explain his plan out of the twenty five they'd been given to eat. By the time he was finished, Salamence was looking at him as though he were crazy, which by now he probably was, at least a little.

"That has to be one of the stupidest, hair-brained ideas I've ever heard," Salamence said. "I love it. When do we start?"

"We'll need to get as many of the slaves to help as possible," Absol replied. "Let's eat quickly and use the time we have left to send word to the others. Make sure no guards hear you."

With that, the two wolfed down their food and water as fast as possible, which wasn't too hard considering their hunger. They then spent the next ten minutes going to and fro around the mines, finding as many slaves as they could that were still relatively healthy while being infinitely cautious around the guards. The other thirteen minutes were cut short by Honchkrow who claimed it was important to get back to work.

Finally, later that evening, when a large number of the guards and most of the slaves were asleep, Absol and Salamence went to the agreed location to meet with any of the slaves who were willing to help. It was a relatively concealed spot in the mines that the guards wouldn't be patrolling that night, and it would serve its purpose.

"This is all the help we could get?" Salamence asked.

"Beggars can't be choosers," Absol muttered.

The only slaves who had arrived were a Sandslash, a powerful-looking Scizor with quite a few scars, a Grumpig whose eyes were nervously shifting back and forth, and an Ampharos. Absol's eyes narrowed slightly as he scrutinized the Ampharos carefully.

"You…wouldn't happen to work for the East Side, would you?" he asked.

Ampharos nervously met his gaze. "Uh, yes, I do. Or, at least, I did, until I was captured by the West Side."

"And what makes you think we're going to trust an East Side lackey?"

Absol felt Salamence put his large paw on his shoulder.

"Absol, she's in the same position as the rest of his," his dragon friend said calmly. "That she's here and willing to help us takes guts. We need to trust her and get this done."

Absol grudgingly nodded after a brief moment of silence. Ampharos looked visibly relieved that she would be accepted in their team.

"Alright, everyone," Absol began. "You all know the pitiful state the mines are in. Every slave in the underground is collapsing one by one, and even the stronger ones are unable to keep going. Do you know why that is?"

"We don't have enough water, obviously," Sandslash said.

"Exactly," Absol replied. "I see only one solution to that: if Keckleon and Honchkrow won't give it to us, we take it ourselves."

The other slaves nervously exchanged glances.

"Now, we all know the risk involved," Absol continued. "I won't lie to you. If we're caught, we'll all probably be killed. But if we don't do this, sooner or later we'll suffer the same fate anyway, as well as all the other slaves in the mines. This needs to be done, and we're the only ones who can do it. If anyone wants to leave, though, go ahead. No one will think any less of you."

There was a long silence. Surprisingly, none of the slaves made a move to leave. Absol smiled slightly.

"Alright, since we're all going to go through with this, let me tell you the plan," he said. "There are four main floors in the West Side base: the mines where we are, the floor where Houndoom and most of the commanders are, the storage and supplies area, and the entrance level. We're going to take the buckets we use to carry ore and sneak out of the base into the city above. Once there, we'll find the well where all the water is and fill the buckets with as much water as we can carry, then we'll sneak back here. If the plan is successful, then we'll have brought a least enough water to help most of the slaves in the mines, including ourselves, and we can rinse and repeat if needed later."

"What if we're caught by guards on the way?" Grumpig asked.

"We'll bluff our way through. Remember, our sentence will be the same if we're caught no matter what other damage we do, so if it comes down to it, we'll take them out."

Grumpig nodded, though he still looked troubled.

"The best time to start will be tomorrow," Salamence added. "Let's get a good night's rest and then we'll try for it."

Absol reluctantly turned to his friend. "I'm sorry Salamence, but we need stealth over force in this. A large, powerful dragon like you is hardly inconspicuous."

Salamence looked visibly hurt. "Well, what am I supposed to do? Just sit here?"

"You're the only other person who knows our plan," Absol replied. "Can you cover for us while we're gone? We'll need you to keep Honchkrow and Keckleon unsuspicious until we get back."

Salamence sighed, acknowledging the point. "Alright, I'll do my best."

Absol nodded, thankful Salamence had understood the problem.

"Okay, everyone, get some well-deserved rest," he said. "This shot in the dark starts tomorrow."

---

It was a full twenty minutes before the Skarmory carrying Ember in its talons flew down and dropped her onto the grassy ground near a group of West Side soldiers. Ember quickly glanced around the area. She and the other agents being deposited there were on the top of an incredibly tall cliff overlooking an entire valley filled with trees and even the occasional old house or cottage. There were also a few tents on the cliff, agents occasionally going in and out of them, sometimes carrying supplies or TMs. Some of the agents nearby looked nervous, others almost eager for battle. Ember saw Gunny joining up with Shiftry and Otachi in the squadron below.

"Glad you could join us," said a familiar voice behind her.

Ember turned to see Arcanine walking toward her from the ranks of commanders.

"Glad to be here," she replied in the same tone. "It's not like I was actually enjoying my morning, or anything."

Arcanine tactfully ignored the remark. "Take a look around. You're now in the secondary defensive lines guarding the West Side Headquarters."

Arcanine nodded to her left. Ember looked in that direction and saw Houndoom's city on the horizon, backlit by the rising sun.

"So, why am I here? Is this place being attacked by the East Side, or what?" Ember asked.

"Not yet, but we're about to be," Arcanine replied. "The East Side is rapidly breaking through our front lines, and stopping them here is our top priority. Luckily, we have plenty of defensive fortifications ready."

Arcanine gestured to the path leading to the top of the cliff.

"We have hundreds of Stealth Rocks strategically placed everywhere from here all the way down to the valley," Arcanine continued. "The enemy can't even reach us without being weakened severely first. We also have thousands of Toxic Spikes buried in the plains. If the East Side wants to meet and battle our soldiers below, they'll have to do it poisoned."

"So, I'm just supposed to use my ability and help fight the enemy," Ember said.

Arcanine shook his head. "We'll need your ability for sure, but you're not going to fight the enemy."

Ember's eyes narrowed. "So, you expect me to just sit here with Drought on and do nothing the whole time?"

"Yes," Arcanine replied matter-of-factly.

An Infernape walked over and urgently pointed to the valley below.

"They're coming, Sir," the Hunting Leader warned.

"Understood," Arcanine replied. "Sentries, how many are there?"

A Mandibuzz standing near the edge of the cliff looked down toward the valley.

"About five hundred soldiers, Sir," the sentry replied. "No, wait! It looks like there are a thousand of them. There're more heading for us from the south now! T-There's at least ten thousand soldiers total!"

Startled, Arcanine ran over and shoved the Mandibuzz out of the way. Swallowing hard, Ember followed him. She saw a large, black mass on the horizon that was slowly moving toward them. The sentry's report was an understatement. It looked like there were twenty thousand Pokémon coming for them.

"Don't worry," Arcanine said. "There are only about three hundred of them. They're using Substitute and Double Team to make false copies of themselves."

"How are we supposed to know which ones to attack?" Ember asked.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that, since you aren't participating in the battle," Arcanine replied. "Just activate your ability and let us take care of this."

With that, Arcanine looked back down over the cliff. Ember grudgingly closed her eyes and focused, forcing herself to ignore her irritation. She let the warmth of her inner fire break loose into the atmosphere, burning away the clouds and allowing the sun to shine forth unhindered. The Fire types guarding the base moved toward the defensive positions and awaited the enemy with the power of Drought at their backs.

"How many soldiers do we have?" Ember asked.

"About two hundred," Arcanine replied.

Ember gulped. She could see why she was needed here. Or, rather, why her ability was needed here. She looked down at the oncoming East Side force, which was slowly closing the distance between their armies. They still were a ridiculously intimidating force, even if most of their numbers were illusions or decoys. Ember saw a small squadron of West Side agents awaiting them below, though they made no moves to approach them, obviously because of all the traps hidden in the valley.

Ember saw dozens of decoy Pokémon impaled by Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rocks, though they continued their charge without even flinching until they were actually destroyed. Occasionally, one of their actual enemies were wounded or poisoned, but the decoys gave away most of the traps, and nearly the entire enemy army made it through. The black mass of West Side agents below looked badly outnumbered.

At last, the two armies met, clashing at the base of the cliff or in any old abandoned houses nearby. The West Side held its own despite not knowing who or where to strike and being hopelessly outnumbered. They at least had the advantage of the high ground once the fighting reached the mountainous terrain. Still, it was a gruesome sight. Ember shuddered as dozens of Pokémon were slaughtered below her.

"I'm going to help them," she said.

"No you're not," Arcanine replied sharply. "If we win, so be it. If we lose, that's all part of the game. War has its fortunes."

"Why don't you tell that to them?"

Ember pointed down toward the middle of the West Side squadron. Gunny, Shiftry, and Otachi were surrounded by several East Side agents, desperately fighting back and barely holding their own. Gunny and Shiftry were standing back-to-back, while Otachi was pummeling the larger opponents. Still, the waves of Fighting Pokémon were overwhelming the Dark type trio.

"There are always risks in war," Arcanine replied calmly. "They knew what they were doing when they joined the West Side. There's nothing you can do. Why do you care so much, anyway? You don't even know them."

Ember gritted her teeth. Her anger and worry only grew with every soldier that was killed. She watched Gunny, Shiftry, and Otachi as they were pushed back and slowly beaten by all the enemies. Ember decided that Arcanine's orders were ridiculous. She had to do something. Tired of waiting and watching while Pokémon were slaughtered by the dozens, Ember decided it was time to defy Arcanine and help the others.

Little did she know that was exactly what Arcanine was waiting for.

---

In the valley below, surrounded by East Side agents of all types, Gunny, Shiftry and Otachi were moving in a triangle formation and constantly attempting to beat back the numerous Fighting types assailing them and their group. Some of them were poisoned or weakened by Stealth Rocks, but most of them were quite ready for combat, and their trio was barely able to hold their ground.

Shiftry ducked to the side as a Hitmonchan tried to knock him out with Mach Punch. He then retaliated with Whirlwind, blowing his foe back into the trap-infested valley. Gunny managed to survive a Jump Kick from a Sawk while using Revenge to pelt a Medicham away from them. However, new Fighting types soon charged in to take their place.

Nearby, Otachi used Fire Blast and badly damaged and burned an entire wave of enemies. A Machamp tried to sneak up on her and use Dynamic Punch with its ability No Guard, but she saw it coming and torched it with another Fire Blast, Drought giving her just enough strength to take the powerful Pokémon down in one blow.

"We really need reinforcements," Shiftry said as he used Leaf Storm to defeat a weakened Heracross.

"No kidding," Otachi murmured while nailing a Hitmonlee with Focus Blast.

Gunny winced as he saw a nearby Rapidash get crushed with Hammer Arm. The Pokémon that had helped thin their numbers even more was a massive Conkeldurr that was slowly coming closer and closer to them while smashing through any West Side agents that got in its way. Gunny swallowed hard as he saw the Conkeldurr blast away a Typhlosion with Stone Edge while continuing its advance.

"Uh, guys?" Gunny called, his voice trembling.

"What?" Shiftry asked sharply.

"D-Don't look now, but I think we're about to get killed."

Shiftry and Otachi finished off their opponents and turned to Gunny, who pointed to the Conkeldurr that was now only a few yards away.

"Rayquaza help us," Shiftry muttered.

"Come on, guys, get it together!" Otachi said firmly. "If we're gonna die, let's at least do it like West Side commanders. And maybe we'll take him with us!"

Managing to snap out of his fear first, Shiftry charged at the Conkeldurr and prepared to use Leaf Storm. However, the Conkeldurr moved first and used Mach Punch, nailing him in the gut and sending him flying backwards. Gunny smacked the Conkeldurr with Drain Punch, but Conkeldurr was barely even affected by the blow and struck back with Hammer Arm, smashing him onto the ground.

Remembering all her previous fights and battle scars, Otachi faced Conkeldurr head-on. She used Focus Blast, nailing Conkeldurr with a pinpoint strike. However, Conkeldurr survived despite the power of the blow and charged at her, preparing to use another Hammer Arm. Otachi knew that once she was struck down, there would be nothing stopping Conkeldurr from killing her friends.

Suddenly, however, the Conkeldurr was set ablaze. Otachi flinched, startled by the sudden explosion of fire before her. The mighty Fighting Pokémon slowly toppled dead to the ground. Otachi soon saw Ember running toward them at top speed, stopping in front of them.

"Looks like I'm just in time," she said between breaths.

"That's a matter of opinion," Otachi replied, smirking.

Otachi saw Arcanine coming up behind Ember as well, who was a little less out of breath than her.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"I've seen better days," Otachi replied. "Gunny and Shiftry need help, though."

Arcanine glanced around to make sure that the enemies weren't still coming. He then stopped in front of Gunny, placing a Max Revive in his mouth and helping him swallow it. Ember did the same for Shiftry, and the two warriors were soon ready for action again.

"God, what happened to my head?" Shiftry murmured. "Oh, hey, Ember. When did you and Arcanine get here?"

"No time for that now," Arcanine said quickly. "The enemy is sending in another wave. We have to get ready."

Gunny smiled. "Well, all five of us are together now. I'd say the enemy is pretty badly outnumbered."

"Let's hope you're right," Ember said dryly.

With that, the five cornered warriors prepared themselves for the worst wave of attack yet.

---

Absol, Sandslash, Scizor, Grumpig, and Ampharos all gathered together right after Honchkrow called a halt to the work hour and Keckleon inspected their work, distributing food and water accordingly. The five had conserved most of their energy and worked sparingly, and they were only rewarded with a modicum of food and drink. But if their plan succeeded, they would have enough water to last for days if they were careful.

The five slaves tried to be as inconspicuous about their meeting as possible while finishing their food quickly to save time. Once they consumed what little rations they were given, Absol stood up.

"We should have about twenty three minutes if Honchkrow doesn't calls everyone back to work early." he said. "Thankfully, we'll be using the working hours for the plan as well, which gives us more than enough time."

"Won't they get suspicious if we're not there?" Ampharos asked.

"Since work earns you food and water and is therefore optional, they'll just assume we're forfeiting our day's rations," Absol replied.

"The guard is changing," Grumpig announced quietly.

The others looked up toward the ledge where Honchkrow gave all the orders, seeing the several Fire and Dark Pokémon nearby leaving the area.

"Let's move," Absol said quickly.

With that, the five slaves slung their ore buckets around their necks and walked toward the mine exit, which lead to an incredibly large stairway the West Side had tunneled from the rock walls themselves. Absol, Ampharos, Scizor, Sandslash, and Grumpig stopped in front of a large Crookodile that was guarding the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Crookodile asked gruffly.

"Honchkrow sent us to fetch more water for the slaves," Absol replied.

Crookodile scowled. "But no slave is supposed to leave the underground."

Absol shrugged. "Oh, okay, I'll just go tell Honchkrow you said that. I'm sure he'll be glad to hear about you undermining his authority. What was your name, again?"

Crookodile began to sweat, his eyes widening.

"Uh, wait, don't tell Honchkrow!" he said quickly. "I'm just a little confused."

"Well, we're confused too. But Honchkrow is in a really bad mood today, and I think it best not to question his orders, even when they're a little irrational."

"Uh…right," Crookodile agreed. "You can go ahead."

With that, the guard got out of the way, allowing them all to pass. Absol and the others slowly and carefully ascended the large stairway, knowing that they would have to sneak past the most high-ranking members of the West Side once they reached the second floor. The five reached the top of the stairs after what seemed like an eternity, carefully glancing around before continuing.

The next few rooms ahead were brightly illuminated by large bonfires that never seemed to show any signs of going out, and they were all even hotter than the slave mines area.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Grumpig said, sweating profusely under the cruel heat.

"Stay here for a moment," Absol said quietly.

With that, he crept further ahead, leaving the others behind. Absol peered out from the large rock they were all hiding behind, staring into one of the fires in the next room. In the largest fire, he saw none other than Houndoom himself. Absol's old anger threatened to surface again. It was tempting to charge into the room and kill his old enemy. He would probably never get another chance like this. But if he did, he would probably be caught, and Ember would undoubtedly be executed shortly after. He could never put her life at risk just for revenge.

With that, as painful as it was, Absol signaled the others to follow him down a different corridor. He noticed that Ampharos moved the most swiftly and silently out of his four allies. Perhaps she would be useful after all. Quickly filing that mental note away in his mind, Absol led his fellow captives through chamber after chamber, finding most of the rooms to be empty.

There were smaller tunnels to the left and right as they went down the massive underground corridor, but they didn't dare follow them; any one of the other rooms could have top commanders inside, and it was highly unlikely that a band of exhausted prisoners could last long against them.

However, a Darmanitan suddenly walked into the hallway from one of the smaller tunnels on the left. Scizor quickly turned and walked down a different tunnel. A look of shock crossed the Darmanitan's intimidating features when he saw them.

"How did you get here?" the elite beast asked.

Absol stepped forward. "Sorry, but this really isn't your day."

"What?!"

Scizor suddenly sprang out from a tunnel behind Darmanitan, nailing him in the back with Acrobatics. Before Darmanitan could turn around and retaliate, Absol used Psycho Cut and struck the killing blow. The massive ape-like Pokémon collapsed with a heavy thud. Grumpig looked mortified.

"Um, was killing him really such a good idea?" he asked worriedly. "I thought we were just going to hold him up or something!"

"When he's found, there'll be confusion and chaos, but we'll be long gone before then, and no one will know it was us," Absol said.

With that, Absol helped Scizor and Sandslash carefully haul Darmanitan into the shadows behind a rock ledge, almost completely hiding him from view. Ampharos regarded Absol evenly.

"You've done this kind of thing before, haven't you?" she asked.

"More or less," Absol replied.

At last, the five prisoners quickly—albeit much more cautiously—made their way toward the stairs leading to the third floor of the base. The climb was even longer this time, and with the searing heat remaining a constant no matter how far they travelled, they soon found themselves completely out of breath before even making it halfway up.

"It's not getting any easier, but we can't go back now," Absol said between breaths.

"That's not exactly encouraging," Grumpig shot back. "We're all suffering here. Can't we just go back and pretend this never happened?"

"You need to stop being so selfish," Ampharos snapped. "This isn't just for us. We have to keep going for everyone else. We're only helpless slaves as long as we think we are."

Startled, Grumpig withered slightly.

"Uh…you're right," he conceded. "Sorry about all the bellyaching."

Satisfied, Ampharos turned to Absol, who was looking at her in surprise.

"Sorry for the holdup," she said. "I think we can keep moving now."

"Thank you, Ampharos," Absol replied, taken aback.

He couldn't be sure, but Absol thought he saw the faintest trace of satisfaction in her eyes. Perhaps he'd been too quick to judge the former East Side agent. With that, he turned toward the top and led everyone to the third floor of the West Side headquarters.

As soon as they reached the top, Absol, Ampharos, Scizor, Grumpig, and Sandslash almost staggered back down the stairs in shock. The entire chamber they were in was absolutely filled to the brim with food, TMs, berries, trainer items, and supplies of all kinds. Absol had known that the storage rooms were on this floor, but this was much more than he'd expected.

"We might be in luck," he said. "Search the room. See if you can find any water around here. If you can, we may be done already. Go ahead and eat your fill, too, if you want."

Sandslash, Scizor and Grumpig all nodded and began to scour the room for any signs of water. However, Ampharos merely walked over toward a massive pile of food and berries and stood there, staring at it. Absol noticed that she was shaking slightly.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Quivering, Ampharos turned back to him, her eyes filled with such wrath that Absol winced slightly.

"They starve us to death down there, and they have THIS much food just lying around and going to waste?!" she seethed. "I've seen dozens of my Pokémon die in those mines for these warmongers! They don't need us down there, but they send us to die anyway, even though they have more than enough food and water to keep everyone alive! Why?! WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM US?!"

"Ampharos, stop," Absol said firmly, yet calmly. "I know what you want to do. You can't possibly kill Houndoom on your own. I'm angry too, but I know from experience that you shouldn't let your anger be the death of you."

"What…what are you talking about?"

"I tried it once," Absol replied. "I lost everything, so I tried to take revenge and I let my anger and bloodlust consume me. But there's always something to fight for, so don't lose sight of your goal. You came with us despite my immediate distrust because you want to help people, so let's help people."

There was a long silence as the two held each other's gazes, one filled with anger and sorrow, the other with calm and understanding. Finally, Ampharos looked down, the fire dying from her eyes.

"…I'm sorry," she said. "You're right. We need to help the other slaves."

Absol nodded slowly, impressed by her self-control. Ampharos reminded him of Ember a little. The thought made him wonder if he was really doing the right thing, or if this stunt were needlessly putting both his and Ember's life in danger. However, he'd barely been able to keep himself going in the mines with what little water he'd been given. This way, he and Ember at least had a chance. But if he didn't take this risk, both their deaths were certain.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Absol turned and saw Sandslash, Grumpig, and Scizor walking back toward him.

"Any luck?" Absol asked.

"No water here," Scizor replied bitterly. "The best we could find was two old cans of soda, which won't do anyone much good."

"Divide it between yourselves, then," Absol replied. "This just means we'll be sticking to the plan. Let's go."

The three of them drank down as much of the soda as they could get, which wasn't much. Sandslash offered what was left to Ampharos, but she declined, electing to follow Absol's lead. Finally, the team continued up the last stairway, which had a view over the side of how high up they were underground. Even with the bright lighting, they couldn't see the bottom.

"How long has the West Side been tunneling in this mine?" Ampharos asked in awe.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Sandslash moaned.

After seeing the tiny forms of agents moving about below, Absol, Ampharos, Grumpig, and Scizor continued up the stairs more quickly. Sandslash, trying to overcome his vertigo, struggled to keep up with them. They heard him breathe a sigh of relief when they reached the top, each of them taking a moment to catch their breaths.

"There," Absol said, pointing ahead with his claw. "That's our way out of here."

The others looked ahead, seeing a bright entranceway about a dozen yard from them, which was guarded by a pair of Heatmor. They quickly ducked back down to avoid being seen.

"When we get out, why don't we just escape the West Side for good?" Scizor asked.

"We'd never make it out of the city," Absol replied. "The soldiers down here aren't a fifth of what they have guarding the exits."

"Besides, we're here to help the slaves, not ditch them," Ampharos added.

"Agreed," Scizor said. "But wait, Absol, how do you know how many guards are in the city?"

Absol smirked. "You think this is the first time I've been up here?"

Startled, everyone stared at Absol in silence for a few moments.

"Well, whatever," Grumpig said finally. "Anyway, how do we deal with these guards?"

"Stay here," Absol replied. "I'll draw them to you. When they come, take them out."

The others nodded in silent agreement. Absol took off his ore bucket and suddenly sprang out from their hiding place, running straight for the two Heatmor.

"Guards!" he bellowed. "There's a traitor inside trying to escape the base! Help me catch him!"

"A traitor, sir?!" the Heatmor on the right said, startled. "Where?"

"This way!" Absol shouted while running back towards the stairs.

The guards weren't about to question the Dark Pokémon barking orders at them. The two Heatmor quickly followed Absol down the stairs. However, they didn't run into an enemy. They ran into four. Absol, Sandslash, Ampharos, Grumpig, and Scizor all turned and dove at them before they could even react. The two guards were died without even knowing what was happening.

"Take anything they were carrying and let's move," Absol said. "Someone might have heard that."

Absol and his team quickly surveyed the room, then walked over to the entrance and stepped outside into the sunlight. They couldn't help but take a moment to bask in the glow of the sun after so long of only having West Side bonfires for light. Absol finally glanced around the city after the brief moment of awe and pleasure passed.

"Walk like you have authority," he said over his shoulder.

With that, the five Pokémon began their incursion into the city. Luckily, there were only a few agents roaming the streets at this time. Absol guessed that most of them were inside the buildings, probably relaxing and enjoying their day. Every time an agent saw their group, the five merely smiled and waved a greeting.

Any agent who saw them merely ignored them and continued on their way. After all, what business was it of theirs what five Pokémon who seemed to be friendly were doing walking around the city? Still, Absol was concerned that someone might become suspicious of their large group. Finally, he called a halt, everyone else stopping behind him.

"I think we need to spread out for now," he said. "The well is in the southernmost part of town near the abandoned gym. Let's take different routes to get there and meet up back at the entrance. That way, we'll avoid suspicion."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Ampharos said. "If anyone is caught, they won't have someone to help fight back or escape."

"Being caught is certain if we all stay in a big group," Absol replied. "But I do see your point. We'll split into two teams. Ampharos, you're with me. Scizor, Sandslash, and Grumpig, take that path on the left between those buildings. That should get you there as fast as us. If you run into trouble, just say the same thing I said to Crookodile back in the mines."

The three of them nodded, heading off on a different street until they were out of sight between the buildings. Ampharos followed Absol downtown while admiring the view of the ocean at the edge of the city. As the sun reached its zenith, the rooftops shone brightly, the slightly decrepit paint on them still showing off their colors.

"You know, this city is kind of like the town we use for headquarters back at the East Side," Ampharos said wistfully.

"I know," Absol replied. "The two gangs have similar tastes."

"How would you know?"

"I've worked for both of them."

Ampharos stopped, doing a double-take.

"What?" she yelled. "How can you have—"

"Quiet down!" Absol said quickly. "We don't know who's within earshot."

"Sorry," she muttered. "But how can you have worked for both the gangs?"

"It's a long story," Absol said as they resumed their search. "There was a famine some years back, and I had to join the West Side to survive. But for personal reasons, I left them and joined the East Side for a time. I was there just long enough to see how cruel and arrogant they are."

"How can you say that?" Ampharos asked, looking slightly hurt. "The East Side is trying to do right. We're just being demonized because of the West Side and the war they started."

"Keep telling yourself that," Absol replied curtly. "I've heard it all before. The East Side is supposedly trying to bring peace and order to an unruly world. What they don't say is that it involves killing anyone they find less than 'superior.'"

"Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the good of the many," Ampharos replied mechanically.

"Yeah, except that the many are exactly what's being sacrificed," Absol shot back. "Open your eyes. The East and West Sides are identical in almost every way, including how they treat their subordinates, the way they rank their commanders, the fear and ignorance they rule by, and their relentless grasping for power. A better question is not how they are the same, but how in the world are they different?"

Ampharos's mouth briefly opened and then closed, her gaze faltering. Absol could tell he'd made his point and decided to let her off the hook for now. It wasn't her fault that she'd been subjected to Luxray's indoctrination. After a few more minutes of walking, Absol and Ampharos finally saw the large well that held the precious water they so desperately needed. A Magmortar and an Infernape were standing guard by the well, the Magmortar diligently patrolling the area while the Infernape lounged on a rock nearby.

"Follow my lead," Absol muttered.

Ampharos gave him an almost imperceptible nod. The two calmly walked up to the well, stopping as the Magmortar noticed them.

"Halt!" the guard shouted. "Who goes there?"

"Cool it, Magmortar," Infernape said, his eyes closed as he sunbathed. "You don't need to scream at everyone who passes by."

Ignoring the comment, Magmortar motioned Absol and Ampharos to approach.

"State your business," he said.

"I was sent to bring water to Honchkrow back in the mines," Absol replied. "This prisoner is here to help me."

"Understood," Magmortar replied. "You may pass."

Magmortar stepped aside, allowing Absol and Ampharos to head for the well.

"Hold it!" Infernape suddenly barked.

Absol and Ampharos froze, turning to face him. Infernape leapt off the rock and walked up to them.

"Why did you take a prisoner to help you with that?" he asked.

"I needed help to carry the water," Absol replied calmly. "It's a long way down, and these buckets aren't exactly light."

Infernape's eyes narrowed. "So, you chose an Ampharos to help you with heavy lifting?"

"Most of the other slaves were exhausted or working at the time. This slave was the most ready and available. It's not that serious of a job."

Infernape nodded dubiously. "I see. I think I'll send Magmortar to verify your story with Honchkrow. In the meantime, stay where you are."

"Holding us up here is going to make Honchkrow angry and cause unnecessary trouble for everyone," Absol said quickly. "It's not like we're asking for secret plans or anything. We just need water. Besides, I don't think ticking off your superiors is a good idea."

"I'll take my chances," Infernape replied, motioning Magmortar to head for the mines.

Realizing that the jig was up, Absol launched a Psycho Cut at Infernape. However, the ape-like soldier nimbly dodged the move as though he were expecting it all along. Luckily, Ampharos used Thunder Wave and paralyzed Infernape as landed before he could nail Absol with Close Combat. Magmortar used Focus Blast, but Absol managed to leap aside and avoid it just in time. He retaliated with Stone Edge, blasting Magmortar into a nearby building. Ampharos used Thunderbolt to make sure he was dead, electrocuting the enemy until he breathed his last.

However, when Absol and Ampharos turned back, they saw Infernape already nearly a dozen yards away, running surprisingly fast despite his paralysis. They knew they couldn't catch him in time to stop him from alerting other agents. They were finished.

Suddenly, however, Infernape was blasted back by Psychic. Before he could even recover from that move, he was sent flying by a Mud Shot and then finished with Acrobatics. Absol and Ampharos looked toward the top of a nearby hill in shock. To their great relief, they saw Sandslash, Scizor, and Grumpig running toward them, stopping at the well and looking around in surprise.

"We were only gone for ten minutes, and you already needed our help?" Scizor asked wryly.

"We softened 'em up for you," Absol replied, smiling.

"Thanks, guys," Ampharos said. "You really saved us there."

"We're gonna be saving a lot more people soon," Sandslash said jovially. "Let's grab some water and get the heck out of here."

Absol, Ampharos, Scizor, Grumpig, and Sandslash triumphantly set down their large ore buckets and headed over to the well, drawing as much water as they could until their thirst was quenched and their buckets were filled to the brim. The team then slowly and carefully retrieved the buckets and began to head back for the mines. Absol couldn't help but grin.

"We're going to be seeing a lot of happy faces down there," Absol replied.

"That'll be a first," Ampharos said, smiling as well.

As the victorious slaves returned to the base, none of them noticed the red, zigzagging line near the well, the one trait Keckleon couldn't fully camoflage.

---

The next few work hours in the mines were as typical and monotonous as always, although the slaves seemed just a bit perkier than usual, even if that wasn't saying too much. Absol and his team had been as discreet as possible when distributing the water they'd collected from the well, and every slave managed to drink their fill from the large ore buckets before Honchkrow called them back to work. It wasn't life-changing for them, but it guaranteed they would survive, especially if they were able to do it again later.

Absol's work was far easier now that he had the satisfaction of knowing that the slaves would be alright, and that he and his newfound friends managed to do some good even in this rotting pit. He found himself pounding away at the wall with a new gusto, secretly laughing at Honchkrow and his goon squads for letting him get away with it. He noticed Salamence walking up to him from the corner of his eye.

"I don't know how you did it, and I don't want to know," Salamence said cheerfully. "But whatever you guys did, I wish I could've been there to take credit for it!"

Absol chuckled. "How is everyone?"

"Much better now. You wouldn't believe how much water we have left over! Those buckets are like bottomless pits! How did you manage to carry them all?"

"With great difficulty," Absol replied. "Was Honchkrow suspicious?"

"Nah, I think he couldn't care less whether one or two slaves don't show up for work. It just means he saves more food and water. I didn't even have to do a thing."

Absol grinned. "So, that's that. Let me know if the slaves need more water. I think we can pull off that stunt as many times as needed in the future."

Salamence smirked. "Okay, now you're just getting cocky."

"Guilty as charged."

Laughing, Salamence went back to clawing the wall to pieces, Absol following suit. The work had already become so monotonous that Absol could afford to lose himself in his own thoughts while half-consciously hacking the wall and yanking out ore pieces and placing them in his now-dry bucket for inspection.

"Hold it!" Honchkrow suddenly squawked, the noise echoing through the mine.

Everyone jumped and immediately stopped working, turning to face their captor. Honchkrow glared down at them from his perch on the tall ledge nearby. He merely stared at them all for nearly a full minute, allowing the silence and anticipation to torment them before finally speaking.

"Earlier today, a few of our sentries found several guards dead on the higher levels," Honchkrow said. "There were no signs of any outside invasion or spies of any kind."

Most of the slaves seemed visibly nervous, but Absol wasn't worried. Honchkrow would spout and try to intimidate them, but he had no way of knowing who was responsible.

"I suppose you all think I have no way of knowing who was responsible," Honchkrow squawked smugly. "I guarantee you, you're wrong. But I'll give the guilty party a chance to confess here and now."

Absol didn't know what Honchkrow had in mind, but he had no plans to confess. Normally, he would be tempted to take sole responsibility for his actions, but that would put Ember's life at risk as well.

"No confessions?" Honchkrow asked. "Confident, aren't we? Sadly for the guilty party, someone did see all that transpired above us."

Keckleon suddenly appeared out of nowhere at Honchkrow's side, glancing smugly down at the slaves beneath him. It was then that the doubt crept into Absol's mind. Had Keckleon actually seen them, or was Honchkrow just bluffing to scare a confession out of them?

"Keckleon knows exactly who did this," Honchkrow announced gleefully. "Keckleon, would you please kindly point to the one responsible?"

Keckleon briefly glanced right at Absol, a sinister light in his cold reptilian eyes. All doubt was removed in that one moment. Absol was certain that Keckleon had seen him kill the guards and steal the water from the well. Despite his fear, Absol couldn't help but snarl in disgust at Keckleon's cowardice. That he had merely hidden and watched while his own guards were killed in front of him went beyond spinelessness.

At last, Keckleon held up his claw, pausing for dramatic effect in a way that made Absol want to strangle the little monster. As Keckleon tormented the slaves with their own anxiety, Absol knew he would have to face whatever punishment he might receive and prepared himself. However, Keckleon didn't point at him.

The reptile pointed right at Salamence.

Absol felt the blood drain from his face. He turned to Salamence, whose eyes were wide with shock. Honchkrow grinned.

"Ah, Salamence, I should have known," the revolting bird cawed. "A big, strong Pokémon like you would be perfect for the job. Now you'll get a real taste of West Side justice."

Salamence boldly and defiantly stepped forward to face Honchkrow, ready for the punishment. Absol knew he couldn't let Salamence take the blame for this. The dragon hadn't done anything wrong. He didn't know why Keckleon had lied like that, but whatever the reason, he would put an end to it. With that, Absol quickly stepped forward as well.

"He's not responsible," he said. "I am."

Honchkrow cawed in amusement. "Absol, your efforts to protect your friend are admirable, but it's obvious he's the one behind this."

"No, he's not," Absol snapped. "He wasn't even a part of the plan. I and I alone will take the blame."

Honchkrow smirked. "Didn't take much to make you confess, did it? Well, since Keckleon saw Salamence doing this and you're confessing to it as well, I guess you'll both share the punishment."

In that moment, Absol finally realized why Keckleon had lied. It would be one thing to merely punish him and get it over with, but this way, he would make Salamence an example as well and kill two birds with one stone. After all, Salamence was the strongest Pokémon in the mines. Honchkrow had probably been waiting for an opportunity to break him for a long time.

Absol saw Ampharos move forward slightly out of the corner of his eye. He could tell she wanted to confess and share the punishment as well, but he almost imperceptibly looked at her and shook his head. He didn't want anyone else to suffer on his account. Ampharos reluctantly stepped back, her expression deeply pained.

"Now, then, for your punishment," Honchkrow began giddily. "Sadly, it would be a waste to kill you both over something so petty. However, I think I can make you wish I did."

Suddenly, four Weavile leapt out of the shadows at blinding speed, flashing their claws and standing in front of Absol and Salamence with a chilling eagerness in their soulless eyes.

Honchkrow grinned. "Since I can't take your lives, I'll just beat you within an inch of them."

Salamence glanced at Absol as the Weavile murderously stalked toward them.

"Well, this is a fine mess you've gotten us into," the dragon said nervously. "Any more miracles?"

Absol looked at him as well, equally nervous. "I'll get back to you on that."

---

After finishing off the Metagross she was fighting with Fire Blast, Ember looked around for other opponents to fight. The hordes of enemies refused to stop coming, and she and the others were rapidly being overrun. Shiftry used Whirlwind on a Slaking nearby, blowing him out of combat and into the field of Stealth Rocks and Toxic Spikes. Gunny was facing a Spiritomb and two Sableye, and while he wasn't able to damage them very effectively, he was immune to most of their attacks and could heal himself far too quickly for them.

"Otachi, that squad of Electric Pokémon to your left is badly weakened," Arcanine said while fending off an Aggron. "Use Surf and take them out before they get away."

"But Drought is active now," Otachi said quickly. "Surf will be weakened."

"It will be enough. Do it!"

Otachi turned toward the small squad of Electric Pokémon and used Surf. A Raichu, a Zebstrika, a Rotom, a Jolteon, and an Electivire were all smashed into the ground by the force of the move.

"Shiftry, blow that Alakazam over there into the valley of traps," Arcanine ordered.

Shiftry didn't even stop to think before obeying him. He blew the Alakazam out of the fight and into several Stealth Rocks, which actually finished it off before it could come back. Ember saw a Hariyama charging at Shiftry and she nailed it with Fire Blast, the shot connecting perfectly and taking the Fighting Pokémon out.

Suddenly, Ember was struck on the side by something ridiculously powerful. She was flung aside and had the wind knocked out of her, and she quickly turned to her right, looking for whoever had blasted her. She saw a powerful-looking Mienshao leaping between the rooftops of the abandoned houses and cottages nearby, firing Aura Spheres at her and her group. Arcanine looked out at their foe in awe.

"That Mienshao is Luxray's right-hand commander," he said. "I can't believe he's actually leading the force himself. If we take him out, we can end this battle right now."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ember replied. "Let's go get him!"

Ember expected Arcanine to have some excuse why they shouldn't, but he actually nodded in agreement. With that, Arcanine led Ember through the valley of traps, helping her avoid all the Stealth Rocks and Toxic Spikes as they headed for the cluster of old buildings. When Mienshao saw them approach, he began firing Aura Spheres at them from above.

Ember and Arcanine had no way to dodge the Aura Spheres, so they quickly hid behind one of the houses, hearing the spheres of energy crashing and exploding behind them.

"We need to get up there," Arcanine muttered.

Ember scrutinized the house they were hiding behind, looking for some way to climb to the top. She noticed an old, broken tractor lying on its side nearby.

"We can use that," she said.

Arcanine glanced at it and nodded. With that, they waited for Mienshao to stop firing at them and then quickly leapt on the ruined machine and pushed off of it, managing to reach the roof of the house. Mienshao instantly greeted them with another Aura Sphere as soon as he saw them. However, Arcanine leapt in front of Ember and took the hit, grunting slightly as the powerful ball of energy struck him and dissipated.

"We've got to move fast," Arcanine said quickly.

Mienshao aimed another Aura Sphere as Ember and Arcanine ran toward him, but nothing happened. Ember realized that he was out of PP for Aura Sphere and quickened her pace even more. Mienshao turned and raced along the rooftops, leaping from building to building. Arcanine leapt from the top of the first house and onto the second, Ember doing the same. When Ember reached the second roof, she barely managed to avoid slipping off when one of her back legs met thin air.

Ember and Arcanine managed to close the distance between them and their adversary as they pursued him relentlessly. However, once it was time for the fourth roof-jump, Ember leapt a bit too quickly and didn't reach the other house. She fell all the way down back down to the ground, landing on her feet. Thankfully, her light body had made the impact barely noticeable. Arcanine glanced down at her briefly from the top of the building.

"I'll take care of Mienshao," he said. "Get back to the others."

As if the matter were closed, Arcanine ran off after Mienshao. As much as she hated to obey him and leave, Ember knew she would never be able to climb back up and run back to him in time to reach the fight. She grudgingly turned and ran back toward Shiftry, Gunny, and Otachi, ready to assist in any way she could.

Meanwhile, Arcanine used Extremespeed to make up for lost time and dashed after Mienshao, leaping two houses at once and landing in front of him. Mienshao regarded him evenly.

"Where's your Drought starter?" he asked.

"None of your business," Arcanine replied. "I'm surprised you came all this way yourself, though."

"I have my reasons. Now, then, we both know you're weakened and can't possibly outlast me, so let's stop wasting each other's time, shall we?"

Arcanine smirked. "Maybe I'll surprise you."

Mienshao chuckled. "I didn't think you would give up, even though logically you have no chance. I'd expect nothing less from Houndoom's right-hand."

With that, the two combatants calmly and collectedly began to circle one another, studying each other's movements and looking for strengths and weaknesses. They both knew that since the roof they were on was slanted, balance would be crucial. Mienshao clearly had the advantage in that regard. However, as far as speed was concerned, Arcanine had the edge, especially with Extremespeed on his side.

Finally, Mienshao made the first move to attack, but Arcanine outmaneuvered him with Extremespeed, striking first and nailing him in the gut. Mienshao grunted and staggered back a few steps, Arcanine leaping away to keep his distance from the powerful Fighting Pokémon. However, Mienshao suddenly used Fling, tossing a Lagging Tail at Arcanine. The negative held item latched itself onto Arcanine's right forepaw, badly slowing him down.

Mienshao quickly ran at Arcanine now that he had the advantage in speed, following up with Drain Punch. Mienshao slammed his fist onto his enemy's jaw, draining Arcanine's health and replenishing his own. Arcanine retaliated with Flare Blitz, ramming into Mienshao and knocking him to the edge of the roof while feeling the sting of the recoil.

Mienshao quickly leapt off the house and onto the roof of a nearby shack, Arcanine swiftly jumping after him. As the two antagonists landed on the decrepit building, Mienshao whirled on Arcanine and used Stone Edge, but Arcanine managed to roll to the side and avoid it just in time. Arcanine used Dragon Pulse, which startled Mienshao and blasted him backwards. As Mienshao regained his balance, he looked at Arcanine in mild surprise.

"Dragon Pulse?" he asked. "I never expected that move on an Arcanine.

"I never expected Fling on a Mienshao," Arcanine retorted. "Why learn that instead of Hi Jump Kick?"

"Hi Jump Kick is what got me into this in the first place," Mienshao hissed.

With that, Mienshao rushed forward and used Drain Punch, giving Arcanine a vicious uppercut and knocking him off the roof. As Arcanine twisted his body and landed on his feet, Mienshao leapt down at him for a follow-up blow. However, Arcanine used Extremespeed, leaping up and ramming into Mienshao. The two flew straight into the shack and smashed through the timeworn wall, landing in a darkened, filthy room full of cobwebs and old, broken furniture.

Mienshao kicked Arcanine off of him and rolled to his feet, clutching his side. Both combatants were struggling to catch their breaths, waiting for the other to attack. However, Mienshao glanced out one of the grimy windows and saw his forces falling back, hearing one of his commanders sounding a general retreat. He glared back at Arcanine, his eyes filled with contempt.

"Looks like your army has won the day," spat the East Side commander. "I suggest you go enjoy your victory while it lasts. After all, you won't be getting many more of them in the future."

Mienshao then turned and used Drain Punch, smashing through the wall on his left and dashing outside at top speed. Arcanine briefly considered giving chase, but with the Lagging Tail decreasing his speed, he had no chance of catching his adversary. With that, Arcanine turned and headed outside as well, ready to do just what Mienshao said: enjoy their victory.

---

It had been much later in the day that Arcanine's wounded, tired squadron returned to Houndoom's town to celebrate their victory. As soon as Arcanine had returned, Gunny and Shiftry had almost immediately run up to him and share congratulations and friendly banter. Otachi had been quick to meet up with him as well, though she looked deeply concerned when she saw that he was hurt from his fight with Mienshao. However, he'd merely waved her worry away and assured her that he was fine, and she eventually gave in and went back to her duties, though she hadn't seemed entirely convinced.

A few hours later, Arcanine had summoned Ember again and asked her to accompany him back to their headquarters, the place she wanted to visit the least in the world. She'd mostly kept quiet as he led her back to West Side headquarters. She was deeply contemplating why he hadn't punished her or even so much as expressed disapproval that she'd disobeyed his orders and fought against his will. She was beginning to suspect that he'd actually been manipulating her into fighting of her own free will the whole time. That she'd fallen for it so easily greatly disgusted her.

"That was some fine battling earlier," Arcanine commented. "I'm not sure Shiftry, Gunny, and Otachi could've held out without your support."

"Why are we heading back to the HQ?" Ember asked, ignoring his remarks.

"Well, you successfully helped drive back an entire invasion force from the city. Houndoom will want to personally thank you for your efforts."

Ember scoffed. "Gee, that's big of him. What's the catch?"

Arcanine chuckled. "You're brighter than you look. I'm not supposed to say too much, but I'm sure you've already guessed Houndoom would prefer having your unconditional loyalty rather than all of it hinging on that Absol, as would I."

Ember didn't even feel like responding to the comment. She and Arcanine arrived at the entrance to the mines after about fifteen minutes of walking through the city. As they descended down through the levels of Houndoom's lair, Ember dreaded the thought of meeting with Houndoom again. Still, it would at least give her the chance to do something she'd been wanting to for days now.

At last, Ember and Arcanine entered the second level of the mines, heading into the tunnel that led into Houndoom's personal chamber. Ember squinted slightly as the searing light from the enormous, ever-burning flames in the back of the room assaulted her eyes. She stopped a good ten meters away from the flames, Arcanine moving past her and sitting at the edge of the fire.

Ember saw the black silhouette of Houndoom become clear as he slowly stepped out of the flames and walked right up to her, Arcanine at his right. She barely managed to avoid shuddering in fear as the ruler of the West Side confidently stopped only two feet away from her.

"Well, if it isn't our sun champion," the West Side leader beamed. "Congratulations on your first major successful battle in the gang wars. Arcanine's friends say you put on quite the performance out there."

"Alright," Ember said, keeping her voice even. "Is that all?"

"Now, now, there's no need to be curt with me. You're really doing quite well here with the West Side. I must say, no Drought Ninetails has ever lasted as long as you."

"That makes me feel just wonderful," Ember replied dryly. "Can I go now?"

Houndoom frowned. "Really, Ember, we need to work on your people skills. Anyway, though, I'm perfectly willing to reward your efforts, if it'll help make you satisfied. Other than letting you leave, I can grant you just about any request. Is there anything you want? Other than 'to see my ugly horns twisted around my neck,' I mean."

Ember nodded. "Yeah, there's something I want."

Houndoom grinned. "Wonderful. And what might that be?"

"I want to see Absol."

Houndoom's grin slowly faded. "Excuse me?"

"You said you'd let me see him to make sure he's alright," Ember persisted. "I want to see him now."

Houndoom and Arcanine exchanged glances, which already made Ember feel more apprehensive.

"I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment," Houndoom replied.

"What do you mean it's not possible?" Ember asked sharply. "I know that the slave mines are right below us. It wouldn't take more than two minutes for you to bring Absol up here, or for you to let me go down there myself. I want to see him, and I want to see him now."

"Ember, believe me, it's not that simple. Honchkrow tells me that Absol's a little…tied up at the moment. If you want to wait until tomorrow, I'm sure we can find some way to grant your request, but until then, you need to be patient."

Ember saw through Houndoom's ploy right away. He was trying to make it seem like she was the one being unfair, and that her request was unreasonable. But they were the ones who had kidnapped her in the first place, and if she was causing them inconvenience, that was just too bad.

"Look, Houndoom, if you think I'm just going to walk back to my room and wait for you to decide whether I can see Absol or not, you've got another think coming," Ember said angrily.

Houndoom's expression suddenly hardened. "Careful, Ember. Remember, I can have both you and Absol killed at a moment's notice, so I wouldn't push your luck."

Ember silently gulped. She knew she'd gone a bit too far and was risking her own neck as well as Absol's. She desperately racked her brain for a logical reason why she could persist the matter further, trying not to shrink back under Houndoom's icy stare.

"Well, if you don't let me see him, how do I know you haven't killed him already?" she tried.

There was a long silence as Houndoom gave her a withering glance, silently testing her resolve. She did feel deeply intimidated by his cold, dark eyes, but she forced herself not to back down. Finally, Houndoom's gaze softened a bit.

"Alright, Ember," he relented. "I suppose we can allow you to see him, since you're so adamant. We'll give you five minutes alone, but there will be guards posted outside the door in case you try anything stupid."

Houndoom nodded to Arcanine, who left the room and headed down the nearby stairway. Ember sat down and waited patiently for him to return with her dear Absol. Houndoom sat down as well and kept his eyes on her, obviously trying to make her feel as uncomfortable as possible while they waited. It was all she could do to keep her composure, especially considering Houndoom was much larger than her and at least a good foot taller.

Finally, after nearly three minutes of dead silence, Arcanine returned to the room. Absol followed behind him, smiling pleasantly at Ember. She briefly returned his smile, walking closer to him.

Ember then suddenly torched Absol with Fire Blast.

Shrouded in flames, the charred form of Absol let out an ear-piercing shriek before slowly vanishing, replaced by a demonic black-and-red Pokémon with long, spiky quills on its back. Ember recognized the Pokémon as Zoroark, the master of illusions. Having failed to impersonate Absol, the Dark Pokémon bolted around the room, the flames still scorching its backside.

Ember furiously whirled on Houndoom. "Why did you try to trick me with that cheap illusion? What have you done to Absol?!"

Houndoom looked at her in mild surprise. "And here I thought the illusion was perfect. Don't worry, Absol is alive, but he recently took credit for a crime committed against the West Side, and I don't think it would be wise to move him."

"Then let me go to him myself," Ember pleaded.

Houndoom sighed. "Oh, fine, if it'll shut you up for five minutes, I'll allow you into the mines."

Ember silently breathed a huge sigh of relief, heading down the nearby stairs to look for Absol while being closely followed by his imposter. Zoroark's illusion was actually almost flawless. However, there was one thing an illusion could never replicate. Whenever Absol was with her, there was a special look in his eye, a look that betrayed how much he loved and cared for her. No cheap trick could ever imitate that, and if Houndoom had known anything about others he would have understood that.

Finally, Ember reached the mines, the Zoroark escorting her to a small cell at the far left wall that was carved into the rock itself. Zoroark opened the door, allowing her to step inside. He then closed the door behind her, leaving her alone with a Pokémon that was lying on his side at the back of the tiny cell. He was undoubtedly Absol, the one she'd known and travelled with for so long now. However, Absol looked far from the way he did while they were in the wild. Ember finally realized in despair why Houndoom had gone to such lengths to prevent her from seeing him.

There was a long, deep gash on Absol's left side that made the one he'd received in Rypherior's cavern look like a tiny scratch. It was still bleeding freely, red liquid repeatedly dripping onto the ground beneath him. His entire body was covered in red marks and bruises, and a few of his claws were broken or even shattered, his paws covered in blood and dirt and his once-white fur messed up and\or torn in countless places. His right eye was half closed, a Z-shaped scar running below it all the way down to his mouth that was bleeding as well. He was breathing hard, obviously struggling with intense agony, each breath making him shudder slightly.

Absol's head snapped up when he heard her gasp in shock. A tiny smile crept onto his scarred face, and he slowly stood up, grunting slightly. He then limped over to her, wincing with each step he took. Ember felt warm tears escape her weary eyes at the sight of it. She ran to him, gently wrapping her paw around him and nuzzling her cheek against his.

"What have they done to you, Absol?" Ember sobbed, stricken with grief.

She felt Absol put his paw around her as well, his breathing becoming steadier.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you, Ember," he rasped softly. "I'm so glad you're alright."

As Ember gently caressed Absol, feeling more and more of his wounds along his sides and back, she hoped Houndoom and Honchkrow died a slow and horrible death for what they'd done to him. The two remained in their embrace, Ember managing to hold back her tears.

"I may be alright, but you're not," she said, her voice quivering. "What happened to you?"

"I stole water from the well in the city," Absol replied. "I was trying to help the other slaves. And myself, I suppose. Honchkrow found out, and he had four Weavile take turns beating me half to death."

Ember nearly heaved at the thought of it, especially after seeing the result of their handiwork. Seeing her concern and sorrow, Absol gave her one of his soothing chuckles, which sounded slightly more gravelly than usual.

"This is bad, but I've survived worse," he said. "You should have seen me after my first fight with Luxray. I'll be alright. How have you been holding up?"

"I've been okay, I guess," she replied, sniffling slightly, her throat still dry. "I thought things were tough on my end, but it looks like you've been going through much worse. I…I've really missed you, Absol."

"I've really missed you too," he said warmly. "I heard you were put on the battlefield. I was so worried about you."

"Yeah, some Mienshao was leading an attack on one of our last lines of defense," Ember replied, recalling the battle. "That was the first real fight I've been in since Arcanine's test."

Absol leaned back and met Ember's gaze in confusion.

"Test? They don't make newcomers take tests."

"Arcanine made me fight three of his friends," she replied. "After that, I took him on myself."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm alright now."

Ember briefly saw a hard light in Absol's eyes. She wondered if her comment would make life more dangerous for Arcanine in the future. Still, the anger in his eyes soon passed and his smile returned.

"Well, as long as you're okay," he said. "But if I ever run into Arcanine again, he may not be."

Ember couldn't help a tiny smile at the thought of it, but she didn't want him to get in any more trouble.

"You don't need to worry about it, Absol," she said. "I really am okay. But how has it been in the mines? Aside from this, I mean."

"Don't worry, I'm fine," he reassured her.

Ember's expression hardened. She'd heard him say that one too many times before. After a few moments of silence, Absol finally relented under her sharp gaze.

"It is very difficult," he admitted. "It's been the hardest time I've had to go through in years. There have been some moments when I wasn't sure if I'd make it. But seeing you again renewed my spirit. So, I really am fine, in a way."

"Are you…going to be okay?" Ember asked.

Absol gave her a small smile. "Thinking of you has kept me going the entire time. It may be beyond grueling down there, but you've been strong for me, so I'll be strong for you. I'll keep going for you if you'll keep going for me. Can you do that?"

Ember returned his smile. "Yes, I can. And I will, if you promise not to do something stupid and get yourself hurt again."

"Deal."

Ember suddenly heard the cell door open behind her. She turned and saw Houndoom standing at the entrance, rolling his eyes.

"Your time is up," he said. "I said you could see each other, not waste time for an hour. You're needed back in the mines, Absol."

With that, Houndoom left the room. Ember turned back to Absol, who smiled sadly.

"Looks like Houndoom's chief beak needs me," he spat. "Remember what I said, though, Ember. We'll find a way out of this eventually. We always have. I'll do everything I can, so stay safe until then."

"I will," Ember replied earnestly.

There was a brief moment of silence as she and Absol looked deeply into each other's eyes. Ember moved even closer to him and leaned in slightly, Absol doing them same. She couldn't help a quick intake of breath the moment their lips met. Absol kissed her the same way he did that day in the rain, only with even more passion and desire. Ember held onto Absol tightly as their lips moved together, wishing the moment could last forever, even though she knew it couldn't.

After a few more pleasant, peaceful moments, he and she reluctantly broke the kiss and their embrace. Absol turned and slowly headed for the exit, Ember watching him sadly as he went. She felt a nagging sense of incompletion about their meeting, as though something still needed to be said. Finally, Ember realized what it was, and that she might not get another chance if she didn't say it now.

"Absol?" she called.

"What is it, Ember?" Absol asked, turning back to her.

"I…I love you."

Ember saw Absol's eyes shine briefly as he looked at her.

"I love you, too, Ember," he said, smiling warmly. "Always have, always will."

With that, Absol turned and left the room, heading back for the mines. After a brief moment's pause, Ember turned and left as well, a new resolve in her heart. No matter what Houndoom or Luxray threw at her, she would survive and endure it for Absol, just as he would survive and endure his hardships for her, until the day they could escape together, or die trying.

Chapter 19: Clash with the Storm