"I never knew how good these could be."

"I know, right?"

"Mmm… We should probably…eat real food now. We've been…eating this all day."

"True…but hold on. Here you go, sweetie."

Alex gave a Poke Block to Sorrel. The small Vulpix took in the small cube, enjoying its sweet and sour taste. She closed her eyes as the sugar cube slowly dissolved into the last few clumps as she swallowed the rest of its flavor. She gave a small yap in pleasure, Alex softly petting her head.

"Glad she liked it," he said, smiling. "Well… Glaceon, can you go make something?"

"God dammit—alright… You're helping me though."

"Alright… Luxray."

"Got it," he responded as Alex let Sorrel go from his lap and gave her to Luxray. He leaned in and softly licked her cheek, Sorrel closing her eyes as his tongue touched her fur. "Um… Sorry if you smell beer."

Just then the home phone rang. Luxray walked over to the phone and picked it up. "…Hello?"

"Oh, Ray!" It was Absol. "Glad you picked up."

"What's up?"

"I think I got a trace to find where he is. Need you to come by to my house, now."

"Can it be later tonight? Glay is—"

"What the freakin' hell did I tell you?"

"…Glaceon is making food right now."

"Oh. Mind if I come over?"

"Pretty sure they won't mind."

"Alright. Be there in five."

After dinner…

"That was good, Glaceon."

"No problem. Especially toward a last-moment guest…" he glares at Luxray.

"What are you looking at me for? You've known her longer than I have."

"Whatever. Going to my room."

"Heading off to bed?"

"Something like that." Alex looked down at Sorrel, yawning and resting on his arms.

"Well… Seems like Sorrel is about to pass out. I'll put her to bed." Alex stood up. "Glaceon, better get feisty in there."

"Shut up…"

"Night, guys," he looked over at Luxray and Absol.

"Night."

"Night." As they saw the two depart, Luxray and Absol looked at each other. "So… You say you had a lead?" asked Luxray.

"Yeah, although it's at Fifth and Oltorf."

"Fifth and Oltorf— Goddammit… Behind the alley?"

"Behind the alley."

"…Fuck, alright. Let's go."

…A little after Alex set her on the bed, he passed out along with her.

It's only been ten minutes until a third voice came in.

"Hey… Don't pass out yet…"

Sorrel flicked an ear, slowly opening her eyes and yawning a bit. She looked around.

"…It's me. From the dream."

She stood up and looked around even more.

"Yes… I'm just as surprised as you… But listen: you have to follow Luxray and Absol. Don't ask, just go."

She looked back at Alex, still slumbering on the bed. She turned the window and walked closed to it. She softly pawed at it, looking around.

"…I don't think you can, like…pass through like a ghost, can you?"

"Alright… Fourth and Oltorf."

"Good, let's just go the Fifth and—"

"No, fuck that, we're going to Fourth and Crossing."

"C'mon, Ray… Why are you afraid going through with this?"

"I'm not afraid. Just don't want none of that shit going on with 'us being afraid' or 'why you sneaking up on'?"

"We're beating it out of them."

"Really? Shit, let's go to Fifth and Oltorf."

As they ran off to the corner. A small body followed their tracks, its golden fur shining against the dim light of buildings and lights. The body looked around, then at the two larger bodies running off toward the street.

"You're almost there, just one more block."

The smaller one ran off behind them, stopping within a distance of the two.

"Is that them right there?" Luxray asked, looking up afar into the alley of the nearby intersection, seeing two silhouettes within the distance. Both seemed to be feral. The two shadows were lowly talking, almost in a slight murmur to each other. It was not loud enough for the two to hear from where Luxray and Absol were at.

"Yeah, it's them."

"So how will this be done?"

"Hold on." Absol braces on all her fours as she opened her mouth. Dark energy came in front of her mouth, making a medium sized ball. Though somewhat large, it didn't light up the dim alley whatsoever. She blasted the Shadow Ball toward them, the ball flying straight to one of the bodies, having it fly away a bit, landing hard onto the ground. The other turned back, and dashed off.

"Guess that's my cue," Luxray remarked, running toward the escapee, quickly leaping faster than before, biting onto their neck, tripping them down. The body struggled to get freed, leaping toward one side of the wall and slamming Luxray toward it. The body kept doing that a few more times before Luxray let go. "Oh hell no, you're not."

Absol rushed over to the hit body, looking at it up close. It was a Houndour. She pressed a paw on its side, holding it down before it could stand up.

Luxray leaped again on the body and pressed his fangs on his neck, sending an electrical surge on it. The silhouette yelped out as the electricity took away most of its energy, nearly passing out. Luxray let go, seeing it was only another Houndour.

"Didn't exactly think a female would hold me down," the Houndour remarked toward Absol under her paw, "especially when there's hardly anyone around to notice what could happen next…"

Absol narrowed her eyes toward the feral Pokémon and quickly slashed its body with her blade, the Houndour yelping out louder than the other one. Blood slowly poured out of his body.

"You seem to know what we need to get," Absol remarked back. "Tell us what we need to know, and we'll let you go. Who do you work for?"

The open-wounded Houndour panted in pain. "…Depot…Ch-Charizard…We're only enforcers under his command…!" Absol waited for a moment, then let go of him. "…You've been with your friend long enough. He should know what to do." She ran off to the other side of the alley, Luxray letting go of his Houndour, hind-kicking him back to the open-wounded body, and ran off behind her.

The good on looked over, looking at his friend. "…Shit… What did we get ourselves into…?"

Struggling to press close the wound, the golden pup walked in. Both turned to look at her. One of them spoke.

"U-uh… W-who are…?"

They came to a walk, back on Fourth and Crossing.

"…A Charizard named Depot?"

"Probably a codename."

"Think Glaceon knows anything about it? Or Alex?"

"We should probably ask them… tomorrow or the day after. I don't think we'd want to ruin their sleep if they did know."

"Well… Want to go to my place then?"

"No thanks… Really gotta clean by blade… I feel like his blood is still on it."

"Alright, goodnight." He leaned in and licked her cheek, as she licked his back.

"Night."

Sorrel came back to the room and leaped up to the bed, holding firm as she struggled to get her hind legs to grab a hold of the bed. After a moment or two, he caught on, now on the bed, and walked off to Alex, who was still asleep.

"…I really don't think it was right to heal the two back in the alley… But whatever…"

The golden fox yawned and feel asleep a moment after.