Hi everyone, it's been a couple weeks since my last post so it's time to get back on track. I hope everyone is doing well, I've got a pretty long one this week. I hope you all are ready for some lore. :)

Please drop a review if you liked it. Or hated it. Just please be nice. Hope you all are staying cool and I'll be back next week!

Chapter 7

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Erin felt a sense of deja vu as she found herself exiting the same train station from earlier this morning. They had left a little after Erin was able to walk straight…and after another quick game of chase between Liza and the Pawmi. Erin still felt a little wobbly as she stepped down from the train, still shaky from the attack and the teleportation, which was something she never had actually done before.

Although the surroundings around the city were the same as before, as the buildings weren't lit up in the rainbow shine they had earlier as the sun was now setting behind the dark gray clouds that had appeared, bringing the smell out fresh rain. The streets were much less crowded than before, with many returning from their day at work being the only ones walking around. It seemed a lot quieter and more peaceful than before, with the overall buzz being much more relaxing. Not that Erin was complaining, between her headache and overall glum feeling.

While Erin's disappointment in herself had been quickly put out by Liza's optimism, anxiety was now starting to creep into her chest as she realized she was going to have to tell Guildmaster Finnegan of her failure. Would he kick her out over her failed mission?

After fighting back and forth with these thoughts for a couple moments, Erin couldn't take not knowing anymore. Liza had taken a couple step lead on their trip back to the guild, seemingly very content with their surroundings.

"Um…Liza?" She asked. Liza didn't break stride but flicked her ear to let Erin know to continue talking. "The Guildmaster won't kick me out for being too weak, right?" Worry had started to creak into her voice as the realization that the first day of her dream might be the last.

However, Liza simply waved her tail. "Not a chance, you wouldn't be the first, and certainly won't be the last to fail a mission." She reassured her. "We've all mucked up at some point or another."

Erin blinked in surprise. "Even you?"

"Well…most of us…" Liza trailed off momentarily before perking up. "This one time when Duncan and I first joined the guild, he tried taking on a couple of Swampert by himself, not just normal ones either. They were definitely abusing Rare Candy's." She chuckled at the memory Erin couldn't see.

"He lost?"

Liza snorted even louder. "He got absolutely mopped, it's what he gets for being cocky. Luckily his big sister was there, or he would've been a goner. Guildmaster gave him a lecture on trash talking his enemies, but he's never once punished anyone for failing a mission."

A drop of relief pricked Erin's heart as she felt a little alleviated by the reassurance. While the dreadful feeling still nagged, it didn't overstimulate her like before.

She ran up a few spots to walk at an equal pace with the Luxray, a little bit of a struggle due to the size of their respective legs. Liza seemed to have noticed this and slowed her pace a little to let Erin walk by her side.

"I imagine he might end up joining us on our next mission, he's typically my partner. You didn't hear it from me, but his tracking ability is the best in the entire region."

"Even over yours? Can't Luxrays see through walls?"

Liza nodded. "Yeah, but we share the same parents, and I guess his genes must've been mutated or whatever because he ended up with the same eye genes my species usually get. His eyes are different however…" She trailed off as though she was struggling to explain. "His eyes are like on steroids or something. While I typically can't get much more than general shapes or anything, he's got a whole freaking thermograph in his head. With his nose and ears as well, he probably would've known the monkey's height, weight, hell, probably their hat size let alone how many there were. Doesn't work well in the rain though, however." She pouted her cheeks in agitation.

Erin gave an exasperated smile. "Hey, your eyesight is incredible too you know…seeing through rocks must be neat." She tried to say.

Tiny, annoyed sparks flew from Liza's cheeks. "Yeah, but I need a long nap if I do it too long. That moron can do it all day with no repercussions." She was monotone in her fake annoyance. "Remind me to beat him up when we get back."

Erin face vaulted at her seriousness. "Maybe we don't need to take it that seriously." She yelled comically.

"UGH HOW DISGUSTING!" The shriek belonged to a Jynx who was shrinking away from a Munchlax who was clearly a child. He carried a toy wooden sword in his hand and wore a red bandanna around his neck…. coincidentally looking a lot like the red scarf of a certain Pokemon who just so happened to be standing behind the Munchlax, looking nonchalant as ever.

Despite knowing him for all of five minutes, Erin couldn't feel surprised that Axl of all Pokemon was standing in the middle of the scene.

He had his arms crossed in fake annoyance. "Weird, I imagine a lot of Pokémon are usually holding a mirror up when you scream that." He said with a frown. The Munchlax held his sword up in a battle stance.

"Foul wench, prepare to meet your maker." He yelled, as though he was standing in front of a Salamance.

The Jynx flailed as though he did attack her. "Oh, dear Arceus, somebody save me!" She wailed, causing Pokemon to start to circle the incident, many taking out phones in order to record what was happening.

Axl sighed as he held back the young Munchlax by the back of his bandanna. "Seriously, Karl, you are doing the opposite of helping the situation." He told the young kid as he overdramatically pinched the bridge of his nose.

Erin made a move to walk over but before she could, she was surprised that Liza made the first move while shaking her head. "Seriously dude, why is it every time we meet, you're getting yelled at by someone?" She asked the otter who perked up at the sight of the guild members.

"Liza, long time no see!" He chirped cheerfully, already forgetting about the Jynx that was still caterwauling. "And the new girl, don't tell me you got to do your first mission with Peridot City's finest!"

Liza paused and looked back at Erin. "You two know each other?"

"Er, kind of. He was getting yelled at this morning and I sort of stepped in." Erin replied sheepishly.

Liza rolled her eyes. "Shocker." She said, turning back. "What did you do this time?" However, Axl wasn't given a chance to answer as Karl scurried over, wonderment in his eyes.

"AHHH, IT'S LIZA LEVIN!" Karl admired as he too forgot about the Jynx. "PLEASE MAKE ME YOUR APPRENTICE!" He waddled over to Liza, looking up at her with innocence in his eyes.

"Watch out!" The four snapped their heads as the Jynx, more calmly, spoke up with disgust in her voice. "Don't let that filthy animal near you!"

Liza sweat dropped. "Ma'am, I understand you're upset with Axl, more than likely rightfully so." Axl put his hand on his chest as he sarcastically looked taken aback at the Luxray's bluntness. "Just leave him to us and- "

"I wasn't talking about him!" She snapped, pointing at the young Munchlax. "I meant him!"

Erin cocked her head, taken aback by the harsh words about the Munchlax, who couldn't be much more than six or seven years old.

However, before she could open her mouth to speak, she answered her own question while glancing at Karl. It came in the form of a gem shaped mark, right above his right eye. Instinctively, Erin felt herself freeze at the sight of it, but a silent scoff from Axl made her instantly admonish herself for it….

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"Everybody, shut up please." The polite chortle sounded from a Malamar that very lazily glared over a classroom. He sipped from a steaming teacup as the chatter from the room of Pokemon echoed off the rooms. Erin was one of the first to quiet down, having already been seated in the front row. The room looked like a college classroom, as rows of tables in a very bleak looking room were lined in three. A range of strong looking Pokémon were either standing in circles and talking or sitting in patience as their instructor spoke up.

Erin was seated in the front at the end sitting next to a Gourgeist who was playing with her hair in her fingers, humming quietly to herself as the world around her seemed to go around in a blur.

The Malamar narrowed his eyes momentarily as the talking was still echoing around them. "I'm going to count to five…four…. three..."

The chatter still echoed as though he didn't speak, and Erin started to shift worriedly…in her seat.

"Two…."

Everyone snapped in their seats faster than an instant. He didn't raise his voice, but his tone sounded more like a strict parent, which to everyone was a thousand times scarier.

He took another sip before very apathetically sitting his teacup back down. "I swear children are better behaved than the lot of you."

-that and the fact that the Malamar sternly talking to them was none other than Nigel Adriano, a guild member of the Opal City Justice Guild, and their instructor.

The class they were in was part of their training program for the seven Justice Guilds, with Nigel being in charge of their squad. In short…. someone very terrifying to them.

Coughing, he stood and walked in better sight of all of them. "Now, we've got an important topic to discuss today. However, it may be the most crucial as these are the most common type of five-star level threat you'll face. By a show of hands, of whom are you familiar with the Mark of the Hazaran?"

The whole room itself felt like an uncomfortable twitch as some Pokemon, Erin included, shuffled in their seat. Only a few looked confused as they lanced anxiously at the reaction in the room.

Nigel looked at them apathetically. "For those of you that apparently have lived underground for your whole lives, allow me to ask a second question. How many of you know how the Honshu region was founded?"

Erin raised her hand. "The Great Pokemon War from six hundred years ago." She answered confidently.

"If we were playing Jeopardy, you'd be right." He replied. "But it goes a lot further than that. Let's start with the six hundred years ago, when three tribes lived on this island. One tribe that stood for freedom, one tribe that strove for power and a third tribe….that strove for chaos and destruction.

These three tribes fought a bloody war for control of the island. In the end though….the clan of chaos was too much. After the oceans around were dyed with blood, the Clan of Freedom and the Clan of Power settled on a deal: they would split the island's control in return for teaming up and stopping the bigger threat. Combined, they were unstoppable and overwhelmed the Clan of Chaos in a matter of days. And then…almost as if a sign from Arceus himself, lightning struck the island, splitting it in two equal halves, enough for both clans.

In an act of mercy, the Clan of Freedom decided to take in the remnants of the Clan of Chaos, splitting them up into two halves. Civilians looking to try and live peacefully were given their own village to the North of what is now modern-day Sapphire City. Of course, that village mysteriously disappeared twenty-two years ago.

The other half, however, were sent to a prison on the South Side, many were those thought to have fought in the war or were powerful influencers. It was in this prison that their leader developed a power known as a Hazaran Mark in order to raise a rebellion. It was a mark so powerful it became genetic, granting these 'Hazaranmon' enhanced physical stats, with some growing ten times in power.

They were powerful indeed, but they were sheerly overwhelmed in numbers and once again were made to submit. Those that survived were banished to a group of islands far beyond Ruby Island now known as the Dark World.

Over time, however, many made their way to the Honshu Region where they migrated into our lives. At first, they were rejected by the same Clan that once showed them mercy with some being killed right away. The ones that were eventually allowed to join were met with contempt, prejudice, and hatred.

As this contempt grew, as did the mutation of their marks and soon some were born with a deadly condition: access to the full capability of the mark at the cost of their sanity. Fear was born and the cycle continued for hundreds of years. In the grand scheme of things, while we get along mostly harmoniously now, we only just started seeing the rays of peace as recently as a hundred years ago. Some of you may even know Pokemon alive during this time.

Still, the cycle of this hatred still spins throughout the population on both sides, with neither backing down. Between those evil that seek their ancestors' revenge or those innocent, just cursed with the inability to control it, we must be aware and act in the way that will bring the most peace. We must protect all Pokemon, regardless of who they are or where they are from.

And I especially say this…because we have the first Pokemon in this squad that chose to go to the Guild with one of the most dangerous curse users this region has ever seen."

He finally stopped talking to meet Erin in the eyes, his yellow iris haunting Erin for a moment as they burned their way into her head. Erin thought for a moment they were flashing gold, but blinked as memories affected her present-day vision.

Nigel had sat back down to take another sip of his coffee, apparently worn out from the long story.

"I certainly hope you all, especially you Erin Winters, know what you're getting yourselves into…"

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Erin blinked out of her thoughts as she returned to the situation at hand. She realized that the little kid in front of her wasn't Thorn or the other gold set of eyes that haunted her brain. However, she inwardly slapped herself on the forehead.

I'm such a…

Liza looked a little embarrassed as the Jynx had her hands on her hips in annoyance. "What do you mean, you won't do anything about it?" She shouted angrily at the Luxray.

"Honestly, ma'am? You're being kind of a dolt. Plus I'm not a cop, he's not exactly the type of threat we deal with." She replied, her ears flattened in annoyance.

Karl, for what it was worth, tugged on Liza's leg enthusiastically. "Liza, pleeeeeease make me your apprentice. I'm really fast, watch." He shuffled his way over to a nearby trash can. Hopping up to get on, he had to try and pull himself up the rest of the way, his feet kicking frantically as he realized he was short. His focus got distracted quickly, however, as an open bag of chips that looked half full caught his attention. Reaching for it, he lost his balance, knocking himself and the trash can over. Buried for a moment, he popped up from the debris that covered him, pulling out chips furiously.

Liza sweat dropped. "I'd say he's more of a threat to himself, honestly." She said, although a slight warmth was behind it.

The Jynx, however, wasn't satisfied. "Excuse me, but you are a servant to the public. Whoever is in charge of you, I want to talk to them right now." She again yelled, almost causing Liza to retort something back.

However, a mischievous grin popped on her face. "You know what, let me get my manager for you right now…." She said sarcastically, reaching her tail in Erin's satchel and pulling out a cellphone Erin had no idea was there.

Dialing a number, it rang loudly once before Erin faintly heard a click. "Hey, I gotta lady here for you-" She suddenly cut herself off as mumbling came from the other. Erin felt a rush of concern as Liza's voice turned suddenly serious. "I'm sorry, we are almost there, what happened?" Tapping her tail to the Jynx's shoulder, she released a tiny electric wave that paralyzed the Jynx momentarily.

She stepped away to take it privately while motioning for Erin to wait a moment. Erin, in response, turned her head to frown at Axl.

"Do you get along with anyone in this City?" She asked the otter who grinned at her.

He motioned to the Munchlax. "You better watch what you say, because I have your next guild member with me at the moment, and he thinks I'm the coolest." As he said this, Karl had the bag completely over his head, licking the crumbs off the inside. As she crossed her arms, she gave him a frustrated look. "Alright, maybe I could've handled earlier better, strong maybe by the way, but for once I wasn't the one who started it this time." He pointed out.

Erin huffed in reply. "Fair…. still, you don't always have to escalate things, you know. There's such a thing as being the bigger Pokemon."

Axl put his hand to his chin. "I think she's got that one locked up." He pondered out loud.

"Axl!"

Axl laughed at her. "Relax, relax, I don't want to get in a fight with the big tough Erin Winters, after all." He told her.

Erin felt heat rise to her face. "You're mocking me." She said, upset.

Axl bent down a little bit to meet her at eye level, his arms behind his back. They were narrowed in a playful light. A brief silence hung over them for a second.

"Yeah."

Erin opened her mouth to retort, but Liza's phone snapped shut as she did. Erin turned her head to her and dropped her annoyance as grief was prominent in her eyes. The Jynx was still paralyzed, watching the scene with fury in her eyes. Even Axl shut up as he saw the look in the Luxray's eyes.

Karl popped up from underneath the bag. "Can you train me now?" He asked innocently.

Liza sadly shook her head, her eyes misting. "No, buddy, Erin and I have to head back now, ok? I promise we'll come play with you soon. Just head home with Axl now, okay?"

Karl, not understanding, pouted. "But- "

Axl placed his hand on Karl's head. "Hey, Karl, I'm pretty sure that burrito place closes in ten minutes, if we hurry, I'll buy you whatever." Karl didn't have to be told twice as he ran away faster than a Jolteon, Axl chuckling as he walked in the same direction.

She motioned for Erin to follow her, turning and walking away quickly so as to not give Erin the time to react.

Scrambling, she caught up to Liza who was power walking to the Guild's building now.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, concerned for her friend.

Liza looked as though she was struggling not to cry, her sides heaving fitfully as she was containing an immeasurable amount of rage and grief. She managed to calm enough and turn to the eager face to her left, and summoned enough breath to declare, "Deputy Paulson is dead."