Hello everyone, welcome to another chapter of "Uknown Shores".
Not much to say here, all the tidbits will be at chapter's ending AN. As always, huge thanks to LugiaMoon for beta reading this.
Onward with the show! Enjoy.
Losing both Aron and Rhydon to Snagem was... even now I can't find the exact words to describe the sheer anger and frustration the event evoked in me. Still does evoke, when I think about it at times.
I am ashamed to say I was... relieved, in a way, that Pom slipped into a coma due to his injuries. I do not wish to imagine what might've become of my friend's mental state if he'd had to stay awake in bed all day, with nothing to do but wondering what could be happening to his partner and his wife's legacy.
I'd always planned to help Wes and Rui to get rid of Snagem and Cipher, hopefully avoiding the events of Gale of Darkness in the process. Hitting the bad guys on two fronts in order to limit the possibilities of them from escaping with their research or projects.
But Snagem made things personal.
It is during the weeks that followed the attack on Pom that I would begin to get a reputation in Orre's underworld, though I didn't realize it at the time, for the way I chased down any and all information about Snagem and Cipher that I could get my hands on. They even gave me a moniker, one I've kept to this day and that's caused me no end of troubles.
...Though I do not appreciate the way I still get confused with Hunter J. because of it.
"Please! I already told you I don't know anything!" A male voice cries out into the night.
"Are you sure?" Replies a female voice. "Maybe I can help refresh your memory?"
"I swear! I only get contacted through my PDA and both the number and the meeting place are always different!" The man babbles hysterically. "Even the person I'm meeting is different each time!"
"Come now, you can't tell me you don't even have a point of contact. No organization works that way." She drawls, twisting his arm a bit more and making him gasp. "They must've given you a way to get in touch with your superiors. Tell me!"
"I don't know!" He sobs. "I swear on my life! I just joined for some quick cash!"
"Krow!" The call comes from above Aileen. A warning.
"Time to move." The young woman mutters to herself under her mask before hitting the man in the back of the head with the butt of her baton, making him go limp in her arms. Propping him again the wall, she collapses her weapon back into its compact form and puts it back into her coat. "Come here, Poochyena."
The albino dark type releases the limp Mankey's arm from her jaws and obediently walks back to Aileen's side, who recalls her before walking out of the alley back into the mostly empty streets of Phenac City. Murkrow, his wing still bandaged, descends from the night sky to land on her shoulder. After a few minutes of walking, she enters a familiar shop.
"Heya, Aileen." Sophia greets her from behind the counter as she turns a gem under her magnifying glass. "Good hunting?"
"Another night, another bust." She replies with a sigh, pulling the medical mask down as she sits down, Murkrow jumping from her shoulder onto the counter. Taking out her canteen from her backpack, she takes a sip of cool water. "Either they really don't know anything useful or they're more afraid of their bosses than whatever I might do to them. Which wouldn't surprise me." She looks back at the dark-skinned woman. "What about you? Any word from your contacts?"
"None of them have reported anything yet." The dark-skinned woman answers, scratching Murkrow with her free hand. "Give it a bit more time, hun. I'm sure it won't be long now before we have something."
"It's already been three weeks, Sophia." Aileen grimaces, tiredly rubbing her eyes. "A lot can happen in that time frame. And the more time passes, the worse our odds get."
At this point, she's tempted to try her luck at the Pyrite Colosseum. But, even in the unlikely event that she wins with only Poochyena, Mirror B. is not someone she can fight at the moment. And an assault or infiltration on Snagem's hideout, of which she knows the general location, is even more out of the question.
Aileen can somewhat guess what will happen to Rhydon. Too old, too loyal, he'd probably be taken to one of Cipher's labs to become a Shadow Pokemon. How long that would take – if it hadn't been done already – is anybody's guess.
Aron, though... that's where things get muddled. The steel type is young, and that makes her more susceptible to manipulation, conditioning or even brainwashing. She could just as well be kept by a Snagem grunt, be given to Cipher to turn her into a Shadow Pokemon, be sold away to the highest bidder or God knows what. The mere possibilities make Aileen's stomach churn.
There is no doubt in her mind as to which Pokemon is the priority to rescue. As callous as it might sound, Rhydon could always be purified later.
Aileen sighs and stands up, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm going to crash. Wake me up if anything comes up?"
"You got it, hun." Sophia gives her a thumbs up. "Sleep well."
"You too." She says as she heads for the back of the shop. "...Any news about Pom?" She asks, stopping in the doorway.
The appraiser shakes her head somberly. "No change, I'm afraid."
Aileen closes her eyes. "I see."
After the attack on Pom's home trailer, Aileen had immediately set out to gather information about Orre's underworld. Like any organization, Snagem depends on basic resources in order to continue their activities. Money, food, water, fuel... All of it has to come from somewhere and it's obvious to her that they must be trading stolen Pokemon to Cipher in exchange for said resources. If she could find those exchange points, it would become a simple matter of following the trail from that point.
The problem, or rather, problems are the other minor gangs.
The partnership between Cipher and Snagem is well known to them and they've been trying to disturb it from the moment they became aware of it. Which has led to both Teams taking more and more precautions to not only keep those exchanges as discreet as possible but also prevent information from leaking.
From what Aileen has been able to discern, one person is given instructions to carry out a specific task. No more, no less. None of the individuals are given any details as to what said task's purpose is and each time the task is different. Using a single strand to unravel the whole web is simply impossible.
Which is where Sophia comes in. The appraiser trades with everyone, and that of course includes members of the underworld. Specifically information brokers. When she'd learned the news of what had happened to Pom, she'd called in a few favors and contacted Aileen to offer her a place to stay.
The young woman, who had been occupying on a couch in Wulfric and Rebecca's bar since the attack, had gratefully accepted the invitation as it would make gathering information in Phenac City easier.
Still, three weeks into their hunt for information and almost nothing to show for it except for a few scared (and sometimes slightly beat up) gang members and Cipher goons. Which is beyond frustrating. The only bright side to this is that Murkrow had mostly recovered from his injuries and had been assisting Aileen by acting as a watcher during her nightly expeditions.
"Worst comes to worst, I'll need to either infiltrate Cipher itself or hack into Es Cade / Evice's files." Aileen muses as she readies for sleep. "Neither of which will be simple or easy."
With a push of a button, she releases Poochyena, the Bite Pokemon looking around for a moment before laying down on Aileen's chest and closing her eyes. Though they'd had little time for their usual care sessions, the battles Poochyena had fought – and won – recently had greatly improved her condition. Her eyes aren't so empty anymore and at times she would even rub her head against Aileen. Which also reminds her that the canine is getting bigger, surely a good sign.
"At least progress is being made on that front." The amber-eyed woman smiles at her Pokemon, tangling a hand through her white fur before closing her eyes and letting sleep claim her.
It is thanks to pure luck and Murkrow's keen eye that Aileen finds a Snagem grunt two days later. The gang tends to avoid Phenac City as a whole and to find one of their members, isolated and in broad daylight no less, is nothing short of a miracle. And an opportunity that she cannot afford to let go.
Despite her disguise, the gangster seems to recognize her as she approaches because his face pales and he immediately starts running away.
"Oh no, you don't." Aileen whispers under her breath as she gives chase. "Murkrow! Don't let him out of your sight!"
"Mur!" The dark-type crows as he ascends.
Thankfully the streets aren't too crowded, which allows her to weave between people as she runs after the Snagem grunt. And unlike him, she's not trying to look behind her and escaping at the same time. Which means that, by the time, he decides to swerve into one the alleys between buildings, she's already gained about half the original distance between them.
"Gotta force him into a dead end or else I might not be able to catch up!" She thinks as she rounds another corner just in time to see the bald man going left at the next intersection. "Murkrow, we need to herd him somewhere he can't escape! Use Haze and guide me!" She shouts to the sky.
It's a tactic they've used a few times already to take down Cipher goons. Funny how people instinctively panic when they can't see anything around them and start inhaling smoke. Makes them easy targets to take down. Occasionally, she would need Pom's partner to guide her with calls. One short for left, two for right and a long one for stop.
Aileen takes a deep breath as the alleys become engulfed in thick black smoke and dashes in.
"Mur! Krow Mur! Krow!"
Left, right, left again. She heeds Murkrow's indications without hesitating, trusting the crafty bird's judgment. Steadily getting closer to the sound of someone coughing, she accelerates, discarding endurance for speed.
"Murkrow!"
She stops. And then, as the Haze steadily dissipates...
"Well, well, well... Look what we have here." Aileen huffs, approaching the coughing Snagem grunt huddled against the dead end's wall. "Great job, Murkrow." She internally praises Pom's Pokemon as she releases Poochyena, who immediately starts growling. "A lost Mareep separated from its herd. Or would that be a cornered Ratata? I have questions for you, my friend, and you better have answers."
"Fuck off – cough - Huntress! I ain't – cough - telling you shit!" He half shouts half coughs, making the young woman's eyebrows rise behind her sunglasses. "Electrike – cough - Golbat go!"
In a flash of light, the Bat and Lightning Pokemon materialize and it takes Aileen a single glance to guess that Electrike is not a willing capture, and a recent one at that. Its fur is covered in dirty patches and its tired eyes regard Aileen with indifference before they land on the man's and its form starts to spark as a growl builds in its throat.
"None of that, mutt!" The man snaps. "You better obey or – cough – or Golbat'll teach you a lesson again." The poison-flying type looks almost eager at the prospect.
"Bite the Golbat. Take it to the ground." Aileen orders and Poochyena pounces into the air, bouncing off a wall and taking her opponent by surprise. She bites viciously onto Golbat's wing, using her own weight to drag it down as it starts flapping its other wing urgently, trying to stay afloat.
"Motherfucker!" The skinhead swears. "Golbat, use Supersonic! Electrike, Bite it!"
"Thrash it around and use Shadow Rush." The Bite Pokemon shakes her head from side to side a few times before letting go, sending the Golbat spinning before tackling it against the wall with a shadowy charge. "As for you..." Looking at Electrike and making a snap decision, Aileen grabs one of two very specific pokeballs on her belt. "Don't resist." She says, throwing it at the electric type.
The Snagem grunt's face is priceless as the Lightning Pokemon's form disappears into the pokeball, which twitches once before clicking shut.
"Wha- a Snag Ball?! But-" He splutters. "That's not possible! No one but we Snagem has those!"
"You'd be surprised." Aileen drawls, picking up the pokeball and clipping it to her belt as she approaches. To the side, Poochyena is keeping Golbat pinned to the ground on its front, jaws clamped around its right wing. "Now, we can do this the easy way..." She takes out her baton and extends it. "Or the hard way. Your choice."
The man's eyes flick rapidly back and forth between Aileen, the two Pokemon and the wall behind him for a moment, his body tense, before his shoulders sag defeatedly. "...What do you want?"
"Rhydon and Aron. You and your pals took them three weeks ago. Where are they?"
He blinks, brows furrowing in thought before his eyes widen and he throws his head back, laughing. "Aw shit! You a friend of that old man?! That's rich!" He guffaws. "Hell, you must be the girl the boss himself wanted to take care of! Should've known by that white mutt of yours!"
Aileen's grip tightens around the baton. "Answer the question."
"Hah! Those two? Yeah no, we don't have them anymore." He grins nastily. "Got shipped straight away to our business partners. I heard one of the head honchos has been wanting an Aggron for a while. And that Rhydon will fetch nicely to people looking for some sport once he's been... prepared."
Aileen takes a deep breath, trying to not let anger overcome her, even as her knuckles whiten from how tight she's clenching her fist, and reruns what the man just said in her head. "I see. So you've already given them to Cipher, then."
His grin drops and his eyes comically bug out. "How'd you-?!"
"You're not as subtle as you think. And the other gangs do love to rant about this peculiar alliance of yours." Aileen bluntly says, putting her baton away. "We're done here. Come, Poochyena."
The dark type lets go of Golbat's wing and jogs back to her side as Murkrow lands on her shoulder, keeping a sharp eye on the man as they exit the dead end. Taking out her Pokenav, Aileen wastes no time in selecting a contact and pressing the call button.
"Sophia, it's me." She says as soon as the call picks up. "As we feared, Snagem already traded Rhydon away but they've given Aron to Cipher as well. Seems like someone high on the chain has been looking for an Aggron, so it's probably one of the admins."
"Gotcha, hun." Sophia replies. "That makes things easier for us. I'll update my contacts to focus on Cipher then."
"Keep me posted. And thanks." Closing the Pokenav, Aileen takes another deep breath.
"It can't be Mirror B., for obvious reasons, and I'm fairly sure I can rule out the female admin too, whatever her name is. Which leaves either the scientist, the brute, the Barbatos wannabe... or Evice himself." She muses. "Also, that skinhead called me a huntress. What's up with that?"
A shaking on her waist draws her attention to the Snag Ball she used to capture Electrike.
She blinks. "Right." She'd almost forgotten about the stolen electric type. "I think a trip to the Center is in order."
"Ah, miss Hawke." The nurse greets her with a smile as she enters the Pokemon Center. "Here for another check up, I assume?"
Aileen's face twists in a mixture of a smile and a grimace. "Not exactly, Reina." She says, taking Electrike's ball and handing it to the purple-haired woman. "This one has... recently come into my possession, shall we say. It's not in bad shape, at least on the surface, but I'd feel better if you could take a look. I might have missed something."
Reina looks back between the pokeball and Aileen a couple times before giving the ravenette a secretive smile. With a nod, she calls for another nurse to take her place and heads into the back. After about twenty minutes, she reappears to hand the pokeball back to Aileen.
"So, what's the verdict?" She asks as she clips the ball to her belt.
"Nothing a few meals and some sleep won't solve." The nurse smiles. "And it's a he, by the way."
"Noted." Aileen says, pushing her sunglasses down to look the other woman in the eye. "Thanks for doing this for me, Reina. I really appreciate it."
She waves a hand dismissively. "It's no trouble. I dare say it's refreshing to see people who take their Pokemon's health seriously and not just expecting the healing facilities to solve everything. I wish more trainers were like you in that regard."
The ravenette snorts, amber eyes disappearing behind sunglasses once more. "Amen to that, sister."
Reina looks quizzically at her. "'Amen'?"
Aileen blinks. "Ah, uh, well it's..." She struggles to find a way to explain. "...a religious term. From... my home. It's supposed to mean 'let it be so' or 'verily'. Basically people say 'Amen to that' to express a strong agreement."
The purple-haired woman nods slowly, eyes wide. "Are you religious then?" She asks.
"Hah! No way!" Aileen laughs. "I mean, that's not to say I don't believe in higher powers." Her very presence in this world is a proof of concept, after all. To say nothing about some of the Legends that inhabit it. "But I do not venerate them. Though I do not hold it against those who do, relying on a deity or using it as a justification for anything..." She shakes her head. "No. That's not the kind of person I am."
"I see." Reina smiles. "You're an interesting person, miss Hawke. Not many people share your outlook. Especially in Orre."
"Regarding religion?"
"I mean in the way you show respect for the world around you." She clarifies. "You look at things differently than most. I wonder why?"
Aileen's mouth feels dry as she stares at Reina through her sunglasses. If only the nurse knew.
"I guess I'm just built different." She jokes, trying to prevent a bitter expression from crossing her face. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have to go. I'll see you later, Reina."
"Don't be a stranger, miss Hawke. We await your next visit." The woman waves at her as she exits the building.
"'Different' huh?" Aileen mutters under her breath, staring at the sky. Murkrow takes off her shoulder, casting a shadow against the sun's glare for a brief moment. "I guess I am, to be willing to take on evil syndicates."
She closes her eyes for a moment, letting the sounds of the city wash over her and reflecting upon the recent events. So much had happened since she'd woken up to that desert wasteland. Had it really only been a few months?
"I wonder what Mom would have to say about all this."
Finding a secluded spot on Phenac's central plaza after a quick side trip to the Mart, Aileen prepares a small bowl of pokefood and water as she hits the release switch of Electrike's pokeball.
The electric type appears in a flash of energy, shaking his head from side to side a couple times in a manner that is so similar to Poochyena it makes her smile, before he spots the young woman and his body tenses.
"Hey there little guy. Sorry about not letting you out sooner." Aileen greets him with a smile. "Just wanted to check you at the Center to make sure there wasn't any serious injury. Are you hungry?" She asks, gesturing the bowls in front of her.
The Lightning Pokemon gives her a wary look, even as his mouth starts to drool and his eyes flick to the food only a few steps away from him. Aileen can almost feel the way his caution is battling his hunger and thirst.
"It's not poisoned, I promise." She rolls her eyes as Electrike narrows his own suspiciously at her and throws Murkrow, who is watching the scene perched on a wall, a single bite of the pokefood. The dark-flying type gobbles up the treat with no adverse effects and even makes a show of coming down to drink some of the water in the bowl. "See?"
Apparently that's all the reassurance Electrike needs to ravenously pounce on the food, causing Murkrow to swiftly hop away, and start gorging himself with an appetite that almost startles Aileen, so used as she is to Poochyena's slow, mechanical way of eating.
"Slow down little guy, or you'll choke. That food's not going anywhere." She chuckles. Electrike pauses to give her a small glare before going back to his meal, albeit at a noticeably slower pace. Aileen patiently waits for the electric type to finish and turn his attention back to her. Electrike no longer seems suspicious of her, although his behavior remains guarded.
"Once bitten twice shy, after all." She muses. "I don't know exactly what happened to you, but I can guess. Snagem stole you from your trainer, didn't they?" She takes the growl she gets in response as a yes. "You're not the only one. These guys have stolen countless partners from their trainers and they took two of my and Murkrow's friends too. That's why I'm fighting against them and I took you away." Seeing she has Electrike's complete attention, she continues. "The way I see it, you've got three choices : I can give you to the authorities, who'll keep you until they can find your original owner. I can release you and let your search for your partner by yourself, although that would be quite risky for you. Or..." She trails off, taking the Snag Ball she used to capture Electrike and presenting it to him. "You can hunt those bastards with me as we look for your trainer and together we'll free more Pokemon from Snagem until we can find him or her. What do you say?"
Electrike looks thoughtfully between the pokeball and the young woman's face for a moment. Then, his eyes narrow in determination and he nods at her.
"Welcome to the team then, Electrike." Aileen grins sharply. "For however long it might be, it'll be good to have you with us."
"Before we start working together, there's a couple things we must do." Aileen tells Electrike as they stand in an empty battleground, Mukrow perched on her shoulder. "We have to see what moves you have and how well you can use them. I also need to get a base of where you stand regarding stamina, speed and strength. You feeling up for that?"
Electrike gives her a resolute bark.
"Great." She smiles, taking out her Pokenav and poiting it at him. "I'm going to scan you with this, so stay still for a moment okay?"
Electrike, the Lightning Pokemon. It stores electricity in its long body hair. It then uses this electricity to stimulate its leg muscles, giving it explosive acceleration performance.
This Electrike knows the moves : Howl, Tackle, Bite, Quick Attack, Shockwave, Charge, Flamethrower and Thunder Wave. Its ability is Lightning Rod, which causes the Pokemon to draw in and harmlessly adsorb electric type moves, boosting its own power.
Aileen's eyes are wide by the time she reaches the end of the summary. Even Murkrow seems slightly impressed (although he could simply be imitating her again). "Wow. You're a real trooper aren't you?" She rhetorically asks, making Electrike huff proudly. "I guess the Flamethrower comes from a TM but, even without it, you have a solid move pool, Electrike. Can you demonstrate it for me, please?"
The electric type barks affirmatively and promptly trots to the middle of the battleground. Breathing deeply, Electrike exhales a stream of a bright orange flames. The sight makes Aileen wonder about the biology and physics of it all, but she quickly abandons that line of thought. That way lays madness.
She does note that, while she can feel the heat from where she stands, the the flames sputter out after about half a dozen meters. "Either he hasn't had the move for long, or he's too young to use it to its full power. Maybe both."
"Alright Electrike, now show me your Shockwave!"
Electrike cuts of the stream of flames and, after a couple seconds of buildup, a sphere of blue lightning forms at the tip of his tail before a bolt of electricity shoots forward, hitting the ground and leaving a smoking hole in the ground.
"Let's move on to-"
"Hey lady, you're training too?"
Aileen blinks at the interruption, turning her head to look at its source and has to hold back a full body twitch. Murkrow's talons minutely tighten their hold on her shoulder.
It's Wes.
Compared to the last time she's seen him, he's in his signature deep blue coat. The silver visor is off, secured on top of his gray hair and revealing the face of a teenager with a band of white crossing it from side to side across his nose. A casual smirk is on his lips and two amber eyes, though of slightly lighter shade than Aileen's own, stare at her from the edge of the battleground.
"I am." Aileen answers after a few seconds before making a point of looking at the pokeballs she can see peeking out from under his coat. "Did you want to use the field? I'm sure we can share, if that's what you want."
"Nah." He says dismissively. "There's only so much personal training can do when you're out of ideas and fighting the same opponents over and over gets boring after a while."
"'There's always something to improve. If you can't find it, then you're not looking hard enough.'" She quotes. "Even after reaching mastery, one has to work to maintain it."
Wes crosses his arms with a pensive frown. "Huh. I guess I never looked at it this way. You learn something new everyday. Anyway," He grins at her. "how about a battle? I've never seen you around here before and variety is the spice of life, as they say."
For a moment, Aileen hesitates. Has he truly not recognized her? Does she want to take the risk of revealing herself if that's the case? Is he still a member of Snagem at this point, or is he already planning to leave?
"For all I know, this could be the turning point for him." She realizes, her right hand clenching into a fist. "Let's see what you're made of, Wes."
"You're on, kid." Aileen says, looking at Electrike with an eyebrow raised in a silent question before moving to the nearest end of the field at his nod. "How do you want to do this? And what's your name?"
"Two on two. No switching. Battle ends once one side has both Pokemon unconscious. That alright with you, old lady?" He replies cockily. "And the name's Leo. What's yours?"
She snorts. "Come at me, cheeky brat." She takes Poochyena's pokeball off her belt, Murkrow flying to one of the stands. "And you can call me Hawke. Poochyena, Electrike, to battle!"
"Lucky, Bright, let's do this!"
All three pokemon appear in a burst of energy, Poochyena beside Electrike while an Espeon and Umbreon materialize on Wes' side of the field. The young man's eye widen as he visibly recognizes the white Poochyena, giving Aileen a shocked look.
"Howl, both of you!" Aileen orders and the two canines on her side immediately release a battle cry, Poochyena's emitting noticeably more bloodlust than Electrike's, though she's pleased to hear that the echoes of pain and fury in it have all but disappeared.
Wes swears. "Bright, use Confusion on the Electrike! Lucky, Confuse Ray!"
"Clever. If I let the Confusion hit Electrike he won't be able to dodge the Confuse Ray. And if I try to use Poochyena to block the Confusion, then she'll be the one to get hit by the Confuse Ray." Aileen realizes. It's a sound strategy. One that must have proved itself successful many times. She also cannot risk using Thunder Wave in retaliation because of Espeon's ability. "However, I am not without options." "Take it, Poochyena! Electrike, Shockwave!"
Poochyena dutifully steps into the path of the attacks, letting the psychic energy wash harmlessly over her body before the Confuse Ray hits her and she starts shaking her head back and forth. Electrike jumps over her, firing a bolt of electricity at the two Eeveelutions.
"Light Screen, Bright! Lucky, Snarl!" Wes counters. The Shockwave splashes against the yellow protective screen raised by the Espeon. A split second later, the Umbreon yowls, releasing multiple rings of purple energy at Aileen's Pokemon.
"Poochyena, listen to my voice! Close your eyes and use Odor Sleuth to find your targets. Break through with Shadow Rush!" It's a gamble, she knows that. There's no guarantee that Poochyena will even hear her while under the effects of Confuse Ray. "Electrike, dodge and close in with Quick Attack on the Espeon!"
Against all odds, the Bite Pokemon stops shaking her head and starts sniffing the air before turning straight towards her opponents. Shadows coalesce around her as she charges, ignoring the Snarl, while Electrike's form blurs as he zips toward Bright.
"Wait, you can do that?!" Wes splutters. "Helping Hand and Reflect!"
A golden aura forms around Lucky and tendrils of energy stretch out to Bright, who starts glowing as well. The Sun Pokemon's gem and eyes glow bright as a thick barrier forms around it and its partner. Electrike first then Poochyena slam into it, to absolutely no effect.
Aileen feels a grin forming on her face. Ever since the battle against Calda in Pyrite, she's had many battles against Cipher goons and other gang members. But this? This is different. Wes is too smart for her to simply win by powering through and the way his Pokemon seamlessly work in tandem show they've been together for a long time. She's gonna need to get tactical if she wants to win this.
"You're having fun, lady?" Wes calls from his end of the field.
"And you're not?" She replies. "I don't know about you, but this is the most thrilling battle I've had in a while. You're good, Leo. Better than anyone I've faced so far. Winning is fine, but a proper challenge? That's where your learn, where you grow the most. And that makes things more interesting, wouldn't you say?"
Wes has an undecipherable look on his face for a moment before his smirk comes back full force. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right! But it doesn't change the fact that I'm going to win! Swift and Bite!"
"That's right, show me what you've got!" "Intercept with Flamethrower! Poochyena, use Bite too!"
The swarm of star shaped projectiles is met by a plume of flames as both dark types lunge at other. Lucky's bigger bulk works for it as it manages to clamp its jaws on Poochyena's shoulder, but Aileen's Pokemon doesn't even flinch as she twists her head to latch onto the Umbreon's left leg. The two start rolling around, scratching and biting at each other.
"Damn, that Poochyena's just terrific! Lucky, try to get it off you with Secret Power! Bright, use Helping Hand!"
"Don't let it, Electrike! Use Charge and Quick Attack!"
Electrike's speed by itself is already impressive, but where he was a blur before, he disappears to the naked eye now that he's charged up, reappearing as he collides with Bright and sends the Espeon skidding away before the energy from Helping Hand can reach its partner. However, it seems Lucky doesn't need the extra boost as the Moonlight Pokemon's rings start glowing and it a blast of rock and sands erupts under Poochyena, catapulting her away.
Which leaves Electrike between both Eeveelutions. A fact that both trainers don't miss.
"Confusion and Snarl!"
"Shockwave! Shadow Rush!"
Electrike howls in defiance, releasing a burst of electricity that hits both of his foes just as an invisible force lifts him into the air and throws him onto the ground just as Snarl hits him. Not a moment later, Poochyena, form wreathed in shadowy wisps, slams into Lucky and sends the Umbreon flying. But when the dust settles, it's clear that the scales have tipped. Electrike is unconscious.
"Alright! Score one for me!" Wes grins. Both Bright and Lucky look tired and battered, but still clearly in fighting condition.
Aileen returns her fallen Pokemon. "You did a great job, Electrike. Especially for our first battle." She praises. "Take a well deserved rest."
"So? Wanna keep going?" Her opponent asks as she clips the pokeball to her belt.
"I'm not throwing in the towel just yet." She replies. "Poochyena, use-"
"Krow!"
The warning comes a second too late. Aileen barely has the time to turn her head that something flies from her peripheral vision and hits Poochyena in the side.
The dark type's form disappears into energy as she's sucked inside the Snag Ball and the amber-eyed young woman feels ice drop into her stomach.
"Turnabout is fair, yeah?" A voice says. "You took what was mine, so I take what's yours. How does it feel, bitch?" Both Aileen and Wes turn to face its owner as he steps out of from his hiding spot behind the stands. It's the Snagem grunt she snagged Electrike from just a few hours ago. "It's payback time."
Amber eyes flick to the Snag Ball, which is shaking madly, then to Wes. The young man is frozen in place, his face showing no emotion, but the uncertain glance Lucky sends him and the slight trembling of his clenched hands betray his hesitation. Aileen turns her gaze back to the grunt. "You forget two things, buddy. Firstly, I'm not alone." She says flatly as Murkrow lands on her shoulder, glaring daggers at the bald man. "And secondly,"
A cracking sound fills the air.
"You assumed that you could snag my Pokemon on the first try."
The Snag Ball breaks apart with a sound not so dissimilar to glass shattering as Poochyean emerges from it with a furious howl, her form shrouded by red tinted shadows as she eyes the grunt with murderous eyes. She's entered Hyper Mode. Before Aileen can call to her, the Bite Pokemon crosses the distance and lunges at the man, aiming for his throat.
It's his reflex of raising his arms to protect himself that probably saves his life as she clamps her jaws onto his bare forearm, drawing blood. With a scream of pain and terror, he falls on his back.
"Poochyena, NO!" Aileen screams as she rushes forward, seeing her partner start mauling the grunt. "Stop! Snap out of it! You have to STOP! Poochyena!" She calls, to no avail, as she grabs the canine and tries to pull her away from her target. Murkrow also grabs onto his fellow dark type with his talons, flapping his wings in an attempt to help.
"W-what the hell...?" Wes mutters as he watches the scene, Bright and Lucky looking just as disturbed as he is. Orre isn't a kind region, and they've seen horrible shit before, but this? This is a whole new kind of screwed. "Shit! At this rate that Poochyena is gonna bite his fingers off! Lucky, we help them get it off him! Bright, Helping Hand!"
Both Eeveelutions startle before bursting into action, the Espeon once more transferring energy to its partner as Lucky pounces on the group and bites Poochyena's fur, trying to drag her away, Wes reaching them a moment later and grabbing the Bite Pokemon as well. But even then, Poocheyna simply refuses to let go without her pound of flesh, her fangs sinking deeper into the Snagem grunt's arm and causing him to wail in pain.
"Fuck!" Wes swears. "Return it! Hawke! Return Poochyena!"
Aileen blinks as she processes the words before scrambling to grab Poochyena's pokeball and recalls her Pokemon. The Snagem grunts slumps, moaning, as everyone else seems to let out a relieved breath. Blood slowly starts pooling under the injured arm.
"What was that?" Wes demands, turning to Aileen, who is somberly staring at Poochyena's pokeball. "What the hell is wrong with that Pokemon?"
Aileen shakes her head with a sigh. "Not now." She says as she takes out her Pokenav. "I'm calling the authorities so they can take him away. Then we'll talk."
Wes look between her and his fellow Snagem for a moment before giving her a tight nod. "I'll hold you to that."
"Alright." Aileen exhales as she sits down across Wes at a table in the Pokemon Center, having just left their pokeballs, including Murkrow's, in Reina's care. "What do you want to know?"
"Start with what happened back there. That..." He shakes his head. "I've seen Pokemon go on a rampage before, but never anything like this."
"That's something I call 'Hyper Emotional State' or 'Hyper Mode' for short." Aileen replies. "As you've seen, when Poochyena enters this state she goes berserk. As for why this happens... I don't know. What I can say for sure is that Poochyena was experimented on before she came into my care." The young woman continues. "Whatever was done to her, it turned her into an unfeeling machine fit only for battle. But as you've seen there are occasions where everything that's under the surface of that unemotional state just boils over." She sighs. "Usually I can snap her out of it after a few calls, but today was worse then all the other times it's ever happened."
"I'll say." Wes mutters. "Do you know who did this?"
Aileen looks at the gray-haired youth, pondering. "Should I risk it? I don't even know if he's already decided to leave Snagem yet." "Before I answer that, I have a question of my own. Tell me, Leo, why are you a trainer?" She asks him.
"Huh?" He frowns. "What does that have to do with any of this? What's it to you?"
"Call it curiosity." She deflects. "Earlier you said I was 'training too', didn't you? Which means you are as well. May I ask why? You seem plenty strong already."
Wes stays silent for a moment, looking down at the table and tracing patterns on the wood with his fingers, his eyes occasionally flicking back to her. Aileen looks back, amber staring into amber.
"I want..." He mumbles.
She tilts her head. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that?"
"I want to be free." Wes says, clearly this time. His hands clenching into fists. "I want to be strong enough to choose my own future. Strong enough that my life isn't defined by someone's whims and fancies. That one can force me to do anything for them ever again." He glares at her. "That enough for you?"
Aileen gives him a gentle smile, which surprises the young man. "Good answer." She takes a deep breath and leans forward.
"What do you know of the organization that calls itself Cipher?"
"I see we have a new addition to our little resistance." Sophia comments as Aileen enters the shop an hour later, Murkrow once more perched on her shoulder and Electrike walking at her side. "I suppose there's a story behind this?"
"Let's just say I stole from a thief and leave it at that." Aileen succinctly resumes, sitting down. "By the way, that skinhead called me a huntress, for some reason. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?"
"Ah yes. 'S what the underground's been calling for about a week now, what with the way you've been prowling after Cipher grunts during the night." She glances up and blinks at Aileen's astonished expression. "You didn't know?"
"...No I didn't." Replies Aileen after a moment, palming her face with a groan. "I thought I was being discreet."
Sophia laughs at that. "Hun, there's no one willing to challenge and beat up gang members like you are. Of course people are going to notice and talk about it!" She then looks the young woman up and down, smirking. "Though there was a bit of confusion about the gender at first."
"Har har, laugh it up." Aileen drawls before sighing. "Then again, I suppose it was a lost cause from the start, since Poochyena is fairly recognizable. Guess I can ditch the disguise."
"I wouldn't go so far as to get rid of it of the idea, but I say you can definitely improve upon it." Her friend hums. "Make it to fit your alter ego."
"Like a costume?" She raises an eyebrow at the appraiser. "I'm not about to head out in spandex and wearing a cape, if that's what you're saying."
"Oh, sweetie." Sophia says, giving her a patronizing smile. "Don't worry about a thing. You won't even recognize yourself by the time I'm done with you."
Aileen narrows her eyes. "You planned for this." She states.
"Maaaaaybeeee~" Sophia sing-songs.
The amber-eyed young woman opens her mouth to argue... and just sighs exasperatedly. "Whatever. Just... don't go overboard, please?"
"Cross my heart." The appraiser cheerily replies. "Don't worry, it won't be too extravagant."
"I suspect we have different definitions of the term." Aileen mutters under her breath.
"So? What do you think?" Sophia asks thirty minutes later, putting Aileen in front of a full body mirror. "Not to toot my own horn, but I dare say I did a pretty good job in my choice of attire."
"..." Aileen can only stare speechlessly at her reflection. She's not a fashionista by any means, but the difference between the woman she saw in the bathroom this morning and the one staring back at her now is almost staggering.
Her usual white shirt is gone, replaced by a scooped top of the same color, with breast pockets and a black high collar. Were it not for the short and loose sleeves leaving her forearms bare, it almost feels like she's wearing a business suit. Her black pants are now complemented by a long dark brown skirt with fringed edges that doesn't restrict her movements. Rounding up the outfit are the black gloves now adorning her hands and the equally black knee high hiking boots on her feet.
This morning, she was an ordinary person you wouldn't spot out of a crowd. Now, she's an outrider ready to challenge the world.
"Sophia, this is..." She breathes out, turning to her friend. "This must've cost a fortune! Why?! Why do this?!" She exclaims.
"Because you're the one who fights." Sophia solemnly says.
"What are you talking about?" Aileen asks, looking confusedly at the dark-skinned woman.
"You're the one who fights, Aileen." Sophia repeats. "I was only half joking when I said 'our little resistance' earlier. Do you know when was the last time someone tried to challenge Snagem, never mind Cipher? And by that I mean actively fighting again them, not just acting in self defense." Aileen shakes her head. "Me neither. Things have been this way for so long that I think the only ones who remember are from Pom's generation, those who've been here from the start." Sophia continues, smiling at her. "And then that mess with Wulfric's workshop. I thought for sure it would be the last time I'd hear of him and Rebecca. When the news came in and I heard about the way you'd rallied the other trainers and pushed the assailants back, all without a single Pokemon getting snagged? I thought I was dreaming. And I wasn't the only one."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you need to know just how important you are to the people who want a better tomorrow for this Mew forsaken region." The appraiser bluntly says. "You think Snagem targeted you personally just to make an example? No." She shakes her head. "It's more than that. They view you as a threat. What if your success story inspires more people to fight against them? And what if they successfully do so? Snagem, and therefore Cipher, can't afford the possibility of this happening."
"Which is why they tried to get rid of me. Yes, I know that." Aileen finishes, mouth set in a thin line. "You don't need to remind me."
Sophia shakes her head again. "You don't understand. With you fading into obscurity, your exploits would be quickly forgotten and the situation would go back to the way it was before." She smiles grimly. "Too bad for them, you weren't there when they attacked Pom. Even better: rather than give up and hide away, you went on the warpath. You chose to fight." Sophia stresses the word. "When the rumors about Huntress and her white Poochyena started floating around, I knew that the time had come. That I had to act if I wanted there to be a chance for Orre to have a brighter future."
"Which is where your information network comes in." Aileen deduces. "But what about this? What role does this play?" She asks, gesturing to the outfit.
"Again, Aileen, you're the one who fights. Who's on the front lines." Sophia reiterates. "You're the one who the people's eyes are on, the one who'll speak through her actions. Whether you succeed or fail, it will have consequences beyond just yourself. Such a person, such a symbol needs to look the part." She nods at the clothes. "These are more than just clothes. When Huntress goes out tonight, they'll become a part of her. They'll become another weapon, another tool in your fight against Snagem and Cipher. So please, use them. Along with this." She concludes, presenting one last item to Aileen, who gingerly takes it, bringing it up to eye level to examine it.
It's a half-mask for the bottom part of the face. Unlike the medical mask she's used so far, this one resembles the airsoft and sport protections from back home made to allow you to breathe easier than regular masks. Its color is a plain black, except for two white reversed triangles markings that remind Aileen of tears... or fangs.
For a moment, the amber-eyed young woman can only stare silently at the piece of fabric. Has she truly become as important as Sophia believes her to be? This... this feels too big, too heavy. She's but one woman trying to keep a promise she made to a friend.
"Even when that promise leads you to butting heads with the worst this place has to offer without hesitation?" A voice whispers in her mind. "You knew what you were getting into from the start. In the end, this is just another burden to bear. Does this change anything?"
"No." Aileen mutters under her breath, picturing Pom, Rhydon and Aron. Her mind flashes back to the conversation she had with Wes earlier. "No, I suppose it doesn't."
She puts on the mask, and Huntress takes the stage.
That's a wrap, folks! I hope you enjoyed the way things are starting to snowball.
Aileen's outfit is (more or less) the same as the one in this story's cover from now on: go to Zerochan . net. The image ID is 2263283.
As always, do leave a review, follow and/or favorite if this has caught your attention. I welcome constructive criticism but spam and flaming will be ignored.
Until next time!
This is MidnightFenrir, signing out.