Ch.34: Getting to Know Griffin Everfall! The Fall of the Grim Ash Clan!

News got around the city faster than Tony thought. Already, there were police scouring the streets for the Pokémon who destroyed part of the city. Though, in their defense, the damage could have been much worse. Not exactly a valid defense against the criminal charges that will placed against them, but still.

So, of course to avoid being spotted or recognized by other Pokémon, Tony stole some cloaks from a carriage (adding to his own criminal charges). He and Gwyn kept their heads low as they walked among the crowds.

Gwyn looked up from her cloak, then whimpered seeing a couple police officers passing them. "I didn't come here to be a criminal!" she whined, keeping her voice low for only Tony to hear.

Tony chuckled and spread his arms out. "Welcome to the real world, sweetheart! Where your dreams fly or crash and burn like a Talonflame with a clipped wing!" He laughed out loud.

Gwyn glanced at him. "You're awfully calm about all of this."

"Not my first time keeping a low profile. Not on the same grand scale, mind you, but I have experience in this field." He crossed his arms. "We'll be fine should we keep our composure. Think you can do that?"

She nodded. "O-Of course! I'm great at staying low!" She scratched her chin. "Err, well…I'm good at hiding, at least."

Tony laughed and patted her back. "Good girl!"

They came across where the fight initially started. It, along with everywhere else damaged, was restricted from entering. Police were wandering around the scene, inspecting the damage. Tony and Gwyn squinted at the slash marks embedded in the walls. Walls and ground burned by Griffin and Wes.

Gwyn laughed nervously. "Um…they can't track us down through those markings, can they?"

Tony pushed her away from the scene. "How about we continue with our search?" This made Gwyn gulp.

As they walked through the streets, Tony was pickpocketing bits and jewels out of nearby pockets. However, his luck was running dry. Given how fidgety everyone was acting now, it made it harder for him to swipe bits without someone sensing his presence. Everyone was on high alert for dangerous criminals, fearing another fight would cost them their lives.

Tony counted the bits, then groaned. "Ugh, twelve bits." He pocketed them in his sewed-up pockets. Sewing was a skill he picked up since he had to constantly fix Cheri's dress when it got worn out. He pinched between his eyes. "Gwyn, do you happen to have a potion that boosts luck?"

"I don't think that's a thing," she admitted. "Maybe a spell of some kind, but I certainly don't know one."

Tony groaned. "Just my luck. I hit the motherload with those riches, then they were incinerated right in front of me." He held his face. "We'll just have to find some other way to pay off the hotel."

"Community service?" Gwyn suggested.

Tony laughed. "Yeeeah, no. We're not wasting our time acting like good-hearted travelers. We're on the road to potentially save the world. I think we can take some liberties in cheating our way through our journey."

"Seems wrong."

"Do you know how long we would have to work here to pay off the bill we've already accumulated? Trust me, this is the smarter option." He crossed his arms. "Anyway, our may focus isn't about money. We still need to look for Griffin's pals and get an explanation out of them."

Gwyn held her chin. "So…are they dangerous, too?"

"I'm not one to take a bounty hunter's word for it, but they seemed fairly civilized when I spied on them. Though, best to be careful. If they're part of the Grim Ash Clan as well, it means they were born with one of the five Emotion Anima. Keep on your toes."

She nodded. "Right."

Tony crossed his arms. "Now then, back to the money problem, I say we hunt down some of the rich folks around here and-"

"YOU!" Tony and Gwyn froze up in shock. They turned around and saw a Luxio, seething with rage. It took Tony half a second to realize this was the same Luxio he robbed earlier. "You're the delinquent who stole my necklace!"

The two treasure hunters glanced at each other silently. Gwyn whispered through her teeth, "So…do we run or…?"

He whispered back, "Leave it to me. Pass me a rose."

Gwyn was confused, but did as asked. She pulled out a seed and used her magic to grow it. She passed it to him, then the thief stepped forward. He got down on one knee and presented the rose to the Luxio. He held his chin with a confident smirk and charming eyes.

"My dear, I'm sorry to have caused you stress, but I couldn't help myself. I had to steal your necklace, just so you could chase after me. Meeting you again fills my heart with such passion that I can't help myself." His eyes sparkled beautifully. "So, accept this rose as a symbol of my divine love for you-!"

Luxio slapped him across the face, knocking him onto his back. She stepped on the rose, shouting, "You think seducing me is going to change the subject?!"

Tony sat up and rubbed his sore cheek. "Eh, kind of."

She got up in his face and growled. "Where is my necklace?" she asked, her tone holding back anger.

Tony chuckled and scratched his chin. "Ah, that thing. Well, I'm not sure how to explain this, but…it got destroyed."

Luxio's eye twitched, then she blew up with anger. "EXCUSE ME?!"

Gwyn held her hands up with a worried look. "M-Ma'am, please keep your voice down…"

"MA'AM?! Do I look old to you or something?!" she roared, giving the Mew the stink eye.

"T-That's not what I meant!"

Tony flipped to his feet and dusted himself off. "Hehe, let's avoid any unnecessary conflict." He grabbed the Luxio's paws and grinned with a charming air. "I'm sure we can work something out, my dear. Can I interest you in a date?" He held his finger up. "Also, I'm strapped for bits, so would you take care of the bill?"

Another slap sent him on his rear again, with the Luxio's eyes practically glowing with anger. "Not only did you steal from me, but you also have the gall to make up for it with a lousy date?! WITH ME PAYING?!"

Tony smirked with narrowed eyes. "Is that a yes?"

She lunged at him in frustration. Thankfully, Gwyn got between the two. She was laughing nervously. "O-Okay, perhaps we can work this out without violence."

"I'm not complying with you crooks!" She jumped back, then held her head up high with a huff. "I shall have you two reported to the authorities immediately."

Tony stood up and crossed his arms. "Now, my dear-"

"Tony, enough with the Casanova bit!" Gwyn cried, flailing her arms.

Luxio turned away from them, scoffing. "When I get the authorities over here, I'll make sure you pay for every single…crime you've…ever…" Her eyes wandered to the opposite side of the street. Suddenly, all her anger washed away, replaced by a love-struck expression. "Hubba bubba…"

Standing on the other side of the street was a fancily dressed 'Zoroark', who was checking his pocket watch for the time.

Luxio strutted over to him and purred. "Well, hello hansome~!" She fluttered her eyes at him. "You come around here often?"

Tony and Gwyn stared at the Luxio in utter confusion as she became absolutely smitten by…a trash can?

No, seriously, she was flirting with a trash can. She even traced her paw against the side as she sweettalked to it.

Gwyn blinked, then whispered, "Uh…should we be concerned?"

Tony huffed with an annoyed expression. "Yeesh, I was outclassed by a trash can? Think I dodged a bullet there."

"You can thank me for that."

Tony and Gwyn jumped in surprise, then whipped their heads around. A Lurantis and a Sudowoodo were right behind them. The Lurantis kept a straight face while the Sudowoodo was laughing himself to the ground, kicking his feet in the air.

"HAHAHA! Y-You…You're making her seduce a trash can! Priceless! HAHAHA!" He pounded his arms against the pavement.

Holly sighed. "It's not that funny, Mack."

"It will be if she tries to steal a kiss!" He made himself laugh harder as the mental image went through his mind.

Gwyn blinked in confusion. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Gwyn, look," Tony said, pointed at the Luxio. She turned and took another look at the lovestruck lynx. Her eyes were glowing a faint blue and were glazed over. "She's under an illusion. She thinks that trash can is someone attractive."

Holly nodded. "A simple illusionary spell I use often. Helps with certain missions."

"Missions…?" Tony's mind clicked, then he turned back to them with a glare and an accusatory finger. "Wait a minute, you're that murder-happy hunter's friends!"

Holly deadpanned. "That's…one way of putting it."

Mack ceased his laughter and sprung to his feet. "Yeah, we're Griffin's pals. We've been looking for your team."

Gwyn smiled. "Hey, we were doing the same for you guys!"

Mack grinned. "Neat!"

Holly groaned. "Perhaps we should discuss matters in private. That spell's going to wear off soon and I don't think she'll be happy when it does."

Tony narrowed his eyes, then nodded slowly. "If you say so." Holly led them into the alleyway. Tony whispered to Gwyn, "Keep your hand on your whip." She nodded and grabbed the hilt of her whip inside her bag as they followed the two bounty hunters.

They trekked down the alleyway until they exited the other side of the buildings. Holly led them across the street and into a restaurant.

Tony raised a brow. "This is your idea of private?"

"We'll get a booth so we can speak in silence. Plus, we haven't had a bite to eat since your battle earlier."

Holly got them a booth in the corner and sat down. They ordered drinks and were left to themselves. Mack crossed his arms with a snickering smirk. "Don't worry about the bill, we've got it covered."

Gwyn smiled. "How generous."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Unusually generous. Trying to persuade us into releasing your comrade?"

Holly fiddled with the salt shaker. "That's one way of looking at it, but not exactly. Truth be told, he could use a little rest. Being held prisoner might do him wonders."

Tony focused on their magic auras. Holly's was blue and Mack's was purple. They also radiated a certain presence, much like Griffin's. Holly's felt somber while Mack's was bone chilling.

The Dewott crossed his arms. "You're members of the Grim Ash Clan, too. Sorrow Anima and Fear Anima."

Mack smirked. "You catch on quick. Guess that'll save us some explaining about Griff."

Gwyn scratched her cheek. "Yeah, uh…why DID you come looking for us?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Mack countered. He then shrugged. "Then again, he did cause quite the mess. Out of the three of us, he's the most destructive."

"Hatred Anima is offensive oriented from what I remember," Tony brought up.

"All the Emotion Anima have their specialties. Hatred's offensive, Revulsion is defensive, Jubilation is speed, Sorrow is illusionary based, and Fear is support based. All five together and you have a deadly combination." Mack snickered. "I'm so glad I was born with Fear Anima. I feel it compliments my best features."

Gwyn laughed awkwardly. "You do give off a rather…disturbing air."

"Why thank you, my dear."

The waiter came back with their drinks, then took their orders for food. Once he left, the conversation resumed.

Tony picked up his root beer and swirled the cup lightly. "So, care to explain to us what's the deal with big, bad, and unpleasant?"

Holly narrowed her eyes. "Griffin's a…unique individual."

"Murder-happy was probably the best descriptor for him," Mack joked, snickering through his teeth.

Holly closed her eyes, feeling a blood vessel pop out on her forehead. "As you can see, we've been with Griffin for a long time and have a…" She raised her scythe claw. "…special relationship with each other." She punched down on the imitation tree's head, smashing him against the table.

Gwyn chuckled nervously. "Oh yes, I can…see the companionship between you two…"

Holly sighed and leaned back. "The point is, Griffin's developed an aggressive attitude that we've had to deal with for years. Years after we had to evacuate our village."

"Oh, your village," Gwyn remembered. "When we were talking to Griffin, Tony pointed out that it doesn't show up on maps anymore."

Mack swirled his drink around with a down expression, contrasting his previous expressions. "That's because there's nothing left to go to. If you went to where the village is, all you'll find is scorched earth and nightmare inducing reminders." He leaned his head back and chugged down his alcoholic beverage.

Holly shook her head. "Our village is nothing more than a graveyard for the dead. We are what remains of Monsoon Village."

Tony crossed his arms, curious about their past. "Monsoon Village? What happened to it?"

"Was it raided by bandits?" Gwyn asked.

Holly chuckled dryly. "Bandits? Oh, if it were bandits, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"The elders of our village," Mack continued as he wiped his mouth clean, "are the most powerful users of their individual Emotion Anima. Becoming leader in Monsoon Village is a test of strength and power. If they couldn't take on a group of bandits, then we suck at picking leaders." He laughed quietly and returned to drinking.

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Then what happened?"

Holly closed her eyes. "I'm not sure if Griffin mentioned this to any of you yet, but…he's obsessed with gaining power. We grow stronger through either training or by absorbing emotional energy through kills. The latter is the quicker way of boosting our power. Griffin has spent years going after bounties targeted towards 'evil' bounties because…"

"…because anyone with a 'Death Warrant' on their head is bound to be some aggressive hothead with anger," Tony finished.

"On the nose." Holly sipped her water. "Mack and I have had our fair share of killings, but not to the same extent as Griffin. We more often train to sharpen our animas. Though, absorbing emotional energy does make the magical aura more potent."

"It's what made our clan so infamous," Mack added.

"And this ties to the fall of your clan how?" Gwyn asked.

Holly sighed. "It has to do with the man who destroyed our village. The one who killed off our clan."

Tony and Gwyn's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what?!"

"One guy killed off almost your whole clan?!" Tony asked in disbelief. "That's insane!" He bit his tongue, remembering he was in a public establishment. He spoke quieter, but with the same shocked tone, "The Grim Ash Clan is supposed to be one of the most powerful group of magic users in Mysto. How the heck did one guy get the upper hand on all of them?"

"It wasn't just some guy," Mack brought up. "He was a monster. His magical power was incredible. He was a beast that couldn't be stopped. Our village could do little to slow him down. The best they could do was protect us from the crossfire. They've tried, but we were all that remained." He clenched his teeth. "That bastard tore our home to pieces. He ripped our clan to shreds!" He slammed his mug down. "I can still remember all those dead bodies on the ground! Every last one! Decapitated! Slashed down the middle! Slashed across the waist! Minced meat on the ground-!"

"Please stop!" Gwyn cried, shielding herself under the table with her tail sticking out and shivering.

Holly confiscated Mack's drink. "Okay, you've had enough to drink."

Mack whined grumpily, shifting moods from his mad ramblings in a snap. "I didn't drink that much …" He hiccupped and fell face first onto the table.

Holly groaned and shook her head. "Sorry about that. He goes nuts when he's drunk."

Gwyn poked her head out over the table. "Never let him near anymore alcohol…" she whimpered.

Tony patted her head, then narrowed his eyes at Holly. "This guy…this monster who slaughtered your village, is what drives Griffin to kill?"

"Griffin was a naïve child when we were ten. To see your loved ones killed in front of you like that…it can have some scarring consequences against your psyche." Holly closed her eyes. "It was a hard day…not only for Mack and me, but it was change for Griffin.

"He hasn't been the same since that day."

Griffin sat on the couch with an unmoving expression of stoicism. Seconds of silence passed by as he glared at the Espeon sitting across from him, who was flicking her paw through a magazine. She seemed pretty relax despite being in the same room with a killer bounty hunter.

Ella licked her digit and turned a page. She hummed quietly as she lay in the armchair with her feet lightly kicking the air.

Griffin inhaled sharply, then sighed. "…release me."

"Hmm?" Ella hummed when her ears perked up. "Oh, no can do, buster. I'm supposed to be keeping my eye on you." She licked her digit again and flipped the page. "Besides, even if I wanted to, I can't use magic. I wouldn't know how to break those chains apart."

Griffin groaned. "Terrific…"

"Hey, don't be so down. If Tony's found your friends by now and check out your side of the story as true, we might let you go free and forget ALL about the attempted murder."

The bounty hunter rolled his eyes. "Might? How reassuring a promise."

"Don't give me the attitude, buster. You're at my mercy until the others get back." She turned a page. "So, my advice? Sit quietly and go to sleep."

Griffin leaned back into the couch. "You're rather calm. Not worried I'll find a way to break these chains and take my revenge?"

Ella chuckled deviously. "You think I'm weak because I can't use magic? Buddy, I got a few decent whacks on you with your own shield. Don't go acting like you're the toughest Pokémon in the room."

Griffin looked down. Speaking of his shield, he never recalled Endless Regret when he was knocked out. He looked up and asked, "Where is my sword?"

"Planning to use it against me?" Ella asked with a smirk.

Griffin glared. "That sword is precious to me. If anything happens to it, you will see the full extent of my rage."

"Yeesh, don't go acting angry with me." She pointed to the bedroom. "It's in the boys' room. Don't worry, we didn't scratch your beloved weapon. We just didn't want it littered on the street for the police to trace back to us."

Griffin sighed, then bowed his head. "Thank you…"

Ella raised a brow. "Huh, Wes wasn't kidding. You do have manners."

"I appreciate that my sword is still within my reach." He looked at the chains and shifted his arms a bit. "…somewhat in my reach."

Ella closed her magazine. "You care about that sword?"

"It's a valuable weapon to me." He closed his eyes. "It was crafted by my father. Enchanted by my mother. It holds value to me."

Ella sat herself up and set the magazine on the table. "It holds that much value to you, huh? Did something happen to them?"

Griffin closed his eyes. "I wish not to relive those memories."

The Espeon hopped out of her seat and stretched. "Hey, sit in silence all you want. I'm not pushing." She walked to the kitchen and pulled out two glass cups. "My friends are still iffy about you, so you could at the very least explain yourself to me. I can be a pretty good judge of character."

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "Why would you want to listen to my past?"

"Franky, I'm bored." She turned on the sink and poured water into the two cups. "I would rather be relaxing in a hot bath or getting a massage, but I'm the one who volunteered to keep watch of you." She psychically turned the sink off and carried the cups of water back over to him.

"So, this is the first time you've had a hostage?" Griffin asked with a sarcastic brow raised.

Ella smirked. "I'm hoping it doesn't become a regular thing." She set one cup down, then psychically brought the other towards Griffin's mouth. "Open." He looked at her confused. "You've been sitting here for hours. You need something to drink."

He blinked, then opened his mouth a little to let the glass tip forward and pour the water inside. After drinking all the water, the glass floated onto the table as he swallowed. "…thanks."

She smiled, then psychically lifted her bag over to them. She pulled out four berries and placed three of them on Griffin's side of the table. She placed her bag back, grabbed the berry with her paw, then jumped into her seat. She took a small bite and, while chewing, asked, "So, what's the deal with the Grim Ash Clan?"

Griffin shifted into a comfortable position and closed his eyes. "The Grim Ash Clan...well, I don't know the specifics on how our village was founded, but there is an origin to our people.

"There was…a Mienshao who gave birth to five Mienfoo, three sons and two daughters. They were highly gifted in magic. Over time, that magic was studied more by magic researchers. It eventually came to the point where it was classified as its own magic branch." Griffin opened his eyes. "For example, the Umbreon seems to use Mystic based spells, which is considered a high level of magic."

"Yeah," Ella nodded.

"Only, the difference is, it was a hereditary trait they shared equally. One would assume that the next of kin of the Hatred Anima would also develop the Hatred Anima. However, because the original five were quintuplets, it seemed to be a one-fifth split between all five. Emotion Anima is one single force that manifests into a certain form upon birth. It's…basically a random chance. The next of kin of the Hatred Anima, for example, could very well have a child with the Revulsion Anima. Or even the Jubilation Anima."

"Hatred, Sorrow, Fear, Revulsion, and Jubilation," Ella muttered. "Interesting. Is there a difference between them?"

"A drastic difference. Depending on what you're born with, you have access to a wide variety of spells limited to that specific anima." He closed his eyes. "In my case, I specialize in raw, offensive power. The stronger I get, the more powerful my hatred aura becomes."

Ella sighed with a lax grin. "Talk about taking the easy route in training. With the Anima Absorption, you could skip through the hard stuff."

"Anima Absorption may be a work around to increasing my aura, but it's not recommended if a Grim Ash member chooses to flake out on training." He narrowed his eyes. "Only a fool would rely on raw offense magic without training their body to deal with it. Mind, body, and soul must be roughly equal in order to use magic. More magic, less strength, and you just sent yourself to the hospital for months because you overdid it." He shook his head. "Anima Absorption is only useful if you learn to cope with the extra power through training. When I was tracking you five down, I had to do some training to control some power I acquire."

Ella chuckled with narrowed eyes. "I supposed that's a reasonable drawback."

"Anyway, I don't remember the exact details of how my village was formed, but the five siblings created the village to raise their next of kin, and so and so forth." He sighed. "Of course, because of the nature of our magic, it did eventually lead to us wanting more. So, in time, members of the growing village dedicated their lives to becoming killers for power, good or evil."

Ella frowned. "Sounds to me it was a shameful mark on your history."

"The history of my clan is riddled in the blood of evil and innocence. It was a dark mark on our honor and we sought to correct it over half a century ago. Can…Can I have one of those…?"

Ella smiled lightly and lifted one of the berries to his mouth. He grabbed it with his teeth and chewed on the whole thing. "Okay, so your clan has a nasty scar on it. Tony said you all were infamous."

"It's hard to interact with the outside world, especially since most of our clan is closely related and need to find potential partners." Griffin closed his eyes. "With only Holly, Mack, and me left, our clan could very well go extinct should we remain on the road."

Ella smirked. "Have you tried getting a girlfriend? Might help with that little problem. Might also teach you to perk up for once." She laughed and went to take another bite of her berry when she suddenly stopped. She lowered it with a confused look. "Wait…only you three left?"

Griffin glared, then sighed. "Your friend was right to question the state of my village since it has disappeared off the maps of Mysto. This is due to the darkest moment in our history." He lowered his head.

"The day the Grim Ash Clan was massacred."

Ella's berry and water dropped from her psychic hold, hitting/spilling on the floor. She sat up in her seat with a concerned, yet surprised look. "M…Massacred?"

Griffin lifted his head. His eyes were narrowed with a dark expression. "There are some things a ten-year old Treecko should never see in their life. One of those things is the dead bodies of former allies and friends. Clan members born from the same bloodline. Family." He gritted his teeth. "I was…traumatized by those events. I can still remember those twisted expressions. Their fear…"

Ella narrowed her eyes in concern. "Griffin…"

Griffin clenched his fist. "I can still remember him…"

*Flashback, 13 years ago*

The young Treecko panted heavily, hiding inside his bedroom with blankets wrapped around his body. He shivered in terror. He squeaked in alarm as the hut shook violently. He slapped his hands over his ears as he tried to block out the screams.

"This is just a bad dream! This is just a bad dream!" Griffin shouted at himself, pleading these horrible sounds were nothing more than his imagination.

A loud smash came through the front door of the hut, making Griffin scream and pressed his back against the bed's backboard. He clutched his blanket tightly as fighting came from outside his room. He tightened his hold on the blanket when his door thumped back from an impact.

Griffin wanted to run, but his father said never to leave this room until the fighting stopped. It's been a half hour already. What was happening out there?!

He looked to his window. The orange, flickering glow outside, along with the increasing smell of smoke, told him a blaze was forming in the village. He looked back to the door fearfully as it was struck again. He could hear someone's grunts of pain from behind.

He turned to the window again, contemplating an escape. He was distracted. He was busy fighting another. If he got away now, he could run and seek help. Any help. Anyone who could kill this madman.

Griffin flinched as more banging sounded from his door. This time, though, wooden fragments were flying across the floor. A hole was starting to form in it.

With horrorstricken eyes, Griffin removed all rational thought and jumped off his bed, straight for the window. He punched through the glass, cutting himself of the shards, and tumbled on the ground just as the door broke apart. Griffin looked up at the window, but couldn't see anything…

...anything, except a spray of blood and a garbled cry.

Griffin screamed and ran away from the hut just as the wall broke down. He didn't turn back, not for a moment. He kept his eyes ahead and ran for his life, his heart pumping blood madly through his system and adrenaline coursing through his veins.

He looked around and gasped in horror at the piles of dead bodies scattered across the ground. Their lifeless faces expressed terror and pain. The blood splattered on the ground. The severed limbs. Griffin screamed once more, tears running down his face, before running at full speed, as fast as his legs could endure.

However, in a moment of absolute terror, Griffin tripped over his feet. His eyes were wide in horror as he collapsed to the ground. The impact scraped his knees. They stung from the dirt rubbing against them.

Griffin immediately tried to scramble to his feet, but he froze in terror when a sinister shadow casted over him. His jaw quivered in fear. He could feel the immense magical power behind him. It was strong. Too strong. A power he was nowhere near capable of matching or surpassing.

He flinched as the figure behind spoke, "You call yourself a warrior?" The voice was cold, deep, and menacing. "The first sign of danger…and you quiver like a baby." Griffin yelped as the figure grabbed him by the head, lifted him up, and turned him around.

With the flames in the background, the figure was darkened with shadows. He was big, hulky, and intimidating. Red eyes glowed down on frightened Treecko, who clenched his eyes shut to ignore him.

"Do you fear me, Griffin? Why? You said you wanted to get stronger." He gestured around the village. "I've slaughtered all of your loved ones. Those you call family are no longer a part of this world." He tilted his head, making an uncomfortable metal sound with the movement. "Doesn't that just eat you up inside? Doesn't that make you angry?

"Do you hate me, now?"

Griffin whimpered loudly as tears flowed down his face. "PLEASE! STOP!"

"You feel frustrated. Good. Use that anger. Let the Hatred Anima inside you consume you. You grow from anger. Your power rises with hate. Take your revenge…" He threw Griffin to the ground, then reached for the sword on his waist. "AND STRIKE ME DOWN!"

But Griffin never retaliated. Instead, the moment he was thrown, he got to his feet and made a break for it, attempting to escape the village with his life.

However, the figure gave chase. His metal stomps grew increasingly louder with each step. "Why do you continue to run? Your people were the pinnacle of strength years ago! Do you not wish to regain your clan's former glory!"

Griffin clenched his eyes tightly. "MOMMY! DADDY!"

"They can't save you anymore, boy!" The stomping stopped. Griffin unintentionally took a peek and saw the warrior had vanished with only a cloud of dust remaining where he stood. Griffin, for the tiniest of moments, believed he finally lost him. That is, until a loud crash sounded in front of him, leading him to slam into a metal surface and fall on his rear. He looked up in horror as the killer took a step forward. "I don't understand. I killed everyone that mattered to you. Why don't you hate me? Why do you only cry?"

The Treecko desperately tried to crawl away from him, but he planted his foot on the gecko's tail. Griffin cried, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Not until you release your rage. I want you to lose control. I want you to fight back. I want you to kill me." Griffin tensed up as the killer's sword pressed against his nape. "Experience the thrill of the kill. Return to your clan's old roots and embrace your power."

Yet, Griffin continued to cry. He buried his face in his arms and cried loudly.

This made the killer's eyes narrow. "I taught you everything I know, yet this is the results I get." He lifted his sword. "You are a disappointment to the Grim Ash Clan. All of them were disappointments. The legend of the most powerful clan in Mysto is nothing more than a weak group of pacifists. Your elders were no threat. Your father and mother were no threat. You…will never live up to my expectations." He swung the sword down, straight for the gecko's neck.

Griffin awaited the sword to slay him, if only to be away from this madman of a swordsman. He clenched his eyes tightly, awaiting his impending demise.

"Fading Barrage Stance!"

Griffin's eyes widened as a loud bang collided with the figure behind him, knocking him away from the weeping child. He looked over his shoulder and saw a cloaked figure leaping over him. All he could make out was the golden gauntlets he wore. He landed and rushed the killer.

The swordsman raised his sword and tried to slash down the fighter, but he flicker-vanished overhead and punched him relentlessly. This didn't faze the killer swordsman as he simply grabbed him by the wrist and tossed him away. The fighter landed on his feet and raised his fists.

"Alex, grab the kid!" Griffin turned to the sound of the female voice. A quadruped he couldn't identify ran pass him. All he could make out was the sword being wielded in her mouth. "I'll take care of him!"

Without any warning, the cloaked figure scooped him up and carried him off the burning site. Griffin looked over his shoulder and reached out for the village. "NO!"

"She'll be fine, don't worry! Listen, just stay calm. We're going to protect you." Tears streamed down the gecko's face. "I'm sorry about your people. If we knew sooner…" The figure closed his eyes before saying, "We managed to rescue two of your villagers, around your age. I'm…sorry. It was the best we could do in such short notice."

Griffin whimpered, then pressed his face into the man's shoulder as he cried. The crackling sound of fire slowly faded from his ears. All the man could do was rub his head and comfort him.

"It's going to be alright…"

"It's going to be alright, he said…" Griffin closed his eyes and sighed shakenly. "The events of that day have left a grim image in my innocence that can never be removed."

Ella stared at him with watery eyes. She sniffled and wiped her tears. "Oh…you poor thing…"

Griffin scoffed and turned away. "I don't need your pity. I have long since gotten over it."

Ella narrowed her eyes. "Really? Because you seemed pretty uncomfortable talking about it." She closed her eyes and rubbed the tears away. She sighed, then looked at him, asking, "That…man who destroyed your village? Was he a friend of yours?"

Griffin closed his eyes. "I wouldn't so much call him a friend and more so a mentor. He…took residence in our village after traveling so far. My father let him stay with us, but…I don't know, there was always something strange about him I could never quite figure out. I just ignored it…wish I didn't." He opened his eyes. "He came off as learned and experienced in the ways of fighting. I asked him if he could teach me how to fight, too.

"He taught me the basics, but he had philosophies I could never comprehend from his point of view."

"Philosophies?" Ella questioned.

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "He had a very strange perception on the meaning of life. He acts like there's no point to living, even saying it was a burden on him, too. I never agreed with any of what he said, but…I could never make a strong argument as to why. And, after all these years as a bounty hunter, I think I'm farther from the true answer than I was before."

"I see. What happened after you were rescued?"

He lowered his head. "The two who saved me brought me to their campsite. When we got there, I saw they rescued Holly and Mack." Griffin sighed. "Mack was pretty shaken up about it, too. Holly was, for the most part, taking it calmly." He shrugged. "Anything that survived in the fire was given to us, notably my sword and their weapons.

"After that, they did their best to help us recover before sending us to a home to live in. Wasn't much, but it was a decent place. The caretaker was nice, I guess." He shook his head. "But I just couldn't think straight anymore. I was so…scared by what happened that it haunted me for days. Maybe weeks. I just couldn't get that image out of my head."

Ella narrowed her eyes. "You said that day changed you, right?"

Griffin closed his eyes. "My trauma, over time, has manifested into a…burning anger I couldn't ignore. He wanted to bring out my full power by forcing me to let my Hatred Anima consume me. I'm not sure what angered me more: the death of my clan or his insidious plan to get me stronger. All I do know-" He clenched his fists. "-is that it motivated me to train harder before going out on my own. Three years of nonstop training before leaving that home."

Ella raised a brow. "So, what have you been doing these last ten years?"

Griffin glared. "Chasing him down. I wanted to put an end to his miserable existence. But no matter what, I could never surpass him." He lowered his head. "Everywhere I found him, I'd find another warrior he challenged. He left them dead and stripped of their honor, proclaiming they were excuses for warriors. I take their weapons so I can avenge them, use their own strengths against him."

"Wow, that's…rather honorable of you," Ella admitted.

"…I suppose so." Griffin sighed. "Though, in recent events, I think I've lost the right to call myself honorable. All I want is the power to destroy…no, mutilate that bastard and make every fleeting second of his fading existence an eternity of agony."

Ella stared at him with boggled eyes. "You've had a lot of time thinking this over, I see."

Griffin sighed. "I'd do anything to get stronger, even if it means killing all evil who stands in my way."

The Espeon narrowed her eyes. "Okay, I can't fault you on the killing thing since what you were doing is legal, but still, is there a better way of going about it? Sure, you train to compensate for the power boost, but is that enough? I'm no expert on magic, but I don't think it's healthy to be feeding hate through your system on a daily basis."

"It's in my power. It's in my nature," Griffin reminded. "Hate is my power."

"Fair enough, but…gaining power shouldn't be done so violently." She sighed. "Granted, I'm not you, so I have no real say in the matter." She leaned forward. "But the gain for power can corrupt one's mind if they're that desperate to achieve something. You nearly killed me and my friends without giving the bounty a second look. We would have been the first innocent blood spilt by your blade."

Griffin looked away, slightly ashamed by the reminder. He tried to hide it through a scowl.

Ella sighed and shrugged. "Maybe I'm just spitting nonsense. I can't hold a conversation about magic without knowing the stuff first. I'm just saying, from experience, someone who wants something, when they're desperate, will be blinded by a promise of high reward." She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe you should take a moment to reflect on your actions up until today."

Griffin looked off to the side with a narrow-eyed stare. He leaned back into the couch, pressing the back of his head against the wall.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Take my advice if you want. I'm not stopping you." She finished her water and took the two glass cups to the kitchen.

"…why do you wish to help me?"

Ella looked over her shoulder. "Hmm? Hey, I'm just being nice, nothing more. It's…simple actions like that that can make a difference." She set the cups in the sink.

Griffin blinked, then scoffed with a tiny smirk. "Definitely the first time you've held a hostage."

Ella smiled wryly. "Well, well, well, so you can smile. I was beginning to think the muscles in your face were stuck like that."

"Shut up."

She chuckled and stuck her tongue out. "What are you going to do? Scowl at me?" She laughed and started cleaning the cups.

Griffin rolled his eyes, then looked out the glass door to the hotel balcony. He had to admit, even though he didn't want to, it was kind of nice to get his feelings off his chest to someone who wasn't part of the same experience.

He took a deep, relaxed breath in and leaned back against the couch.

Holly set her cup down, her eyes closed. "Griffin's obsessed with finding and killing our clan's murderer. To a degree, all three of us are."

Gwyn raised a brow, rather confused. "You're not as ambitious about it?"

"Let me put it to you like this: I want to find the guy, but…" She looked down at her cup. "All I really want is my family back. That…can never happen." She shook her head. "It makes some nights rather restless thinking about it."

Tony glanced at Mack. "What about you?"

Mack chuckled mischievously. His face was flushed from the rum he was drinking. "To be frank, I just like watching people fight!" He laughed and took another sip.

Holly and the treasure hunters sweat-dropped at his lax attitude. "Yeeeah, he's…a little out of it," Holly admitted. "Not sure if it's the alcohol or stress."

Tony raised a brow, then directed his attention back to Holly. "So, everything Griffin said is true. He never killed anybody that didn't deserve it."

"That's a relief," Gwyn said with a grin. "This was all just one big misunderstanding."

"That may be the case, but I still worry for Griffin," Holly said. She sighed. "Even if all of this was nothing more than a nefarious plot, Griffin can get pretty reckless when not left in check. It's why I get so annoyed whenever he ditches Mack and me. Without one of us around…" She glanced at the drunk Sudowoodo, who was face first in the table. "…without me around, he could do serious harm without realizing the consequences. It's why we make a big deal about the limiter we each possess."

"Limiter?" Gwyn asked.

Mack's head shot suddenly, spooking the green Mew. "AH! The limiter! A define trait for the Grim Ash Clan! You see," he turned his bottle over to take another sip, but it was empty. He groaned and threw it away, smashing to pieces, "the limiter of the Grim Ash Clan is a special thing we're born with to contain our power.

"Now, I'm sure you've noticed this, but Griffin can get pretty wild when firing at full blast. You see, Anima Absorption can be pretty tricky to deal with when first used. It empowers us with the respective emotions of whoever we killed. However, sometimes that can be dangerous. While it does increase our natural magic's power, it can be pretty dangerous if used all at once. We have to train to get used to the aura, but sometimes that isn't enough.

"Thankfully, the Grim Ash Clan is born with a limiter that acts like a storage container of sorts. Extra power is stored away and safely out of use. However, in desperate situations, a user can break the limiter to unleashed all that stored energy at once. Great for a last resort tactic! Not so great for casual use!"

Holly blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "Okay, how could you explain all of that while drunk?"

He hiccupped. "I don't knooow…" He collapsed once more.

Holly groaned and rubbed her face. "Yes, well…he's right. The Anima Absorption can be detrimental if you take in too much energy. So, the limiter is used to store away that extra power until later use. Griffin has come close to breaking his limiter on several occasions, especially during your fight."

Gwyn rubbed her chin. "Now that I think about it, I do remember glowing tattoos of some kind stretched over his face."

"That's the first stage of the limit break. It gives the user a portion of the stored power and increases gradually the more the tattoos stretch out. Eventually, it will get to the point where your body is covered in them. The second stage is when the limiter is fully released. I haven't seen what happens personally. All I know is all that stored power is let loose to massively increase the user's magic output."

Tony held his water up. "That certainly sounds dangerous."

"He has no self-control about using it sometimes. I usually worry he'll incinerate an entire city population if it were just opened. Actually using it scares me more." Holly sighed. "I just want Griffin to…relax a bit more. Mack and I have mostly moved on, but Griffin still holds on to the past with hatred burning in his eyes."

Tony sighed and scratched his cheek. "Well, I'm not sure how to help with that."

"At least don't hold anything against him," Holly pleaded lightly. "I do not want his efforts to be wasted in prison. If there's anything we can do to make up for his actions, just name it."

Gwyn smiled lightly. "Oh, you don't have t-HMPH!" she yelped when Tony's hand slapped over her mouth.

"Well, since you're offering, Griff did torch all my money we were going to use to pay off our hotel room." He rubbed his fingers together. "Real darn shame, too. If we had the money to pay it off, I might be a lot more reasonable with your demands."

"Very well. We will pay for your hotel room. It's no trouble for us," she assured.

Tony smiled charismatically. "How generous of you~." He clapped his hands together. "Well, how about we finish up our meals and we'll take you back to see Griffin?"

Holly nodded. "Yes, thank you." She grabbed her fork and took some bites from her food.

Gwyn leaned over to Tony and whispered, "Well, that went better than expected."

"Yeah. Although…" Tony rubbed his chin with a suspicious glare. "This whole thing has me thinking. I can't help but shake this odd feeling."

"How so?"

"I'm not sure. Just…something off. That guy who attacked their village. All of their hospitality and he turns on them? It strikes me as odd. He's not insane from what little we got, so we can't pin it on mental illness."

Gwyn rubbed her chin. "I…get what you mean. Either way, that guy's dangerous. I'm not sure how I feel about going against him if we crossed paths."

"Let's not worry ourselves about it for the time being." He glared. "Still, Griffin's behavior concerns me. He may be kinder than we gave him credit for, but he seemed adamant about fighting us." He closed his eyes. "We need to keep a close eye on him from now on."

Gwyn nodded. "Yeah." She turned to her food and began eating.

Tony picked at his food with his fork, thinking to himself. Griffin's anger is unstable. If we want to cease coming into conflict with each other, he better make up his mind about who his friends and enemies are.