Yes, I am still alive.
Apologies for this very, very late update. Life takes its toll and I've been working on updates for all of my main stories so that I could post them all at the same time.
I have more to say but I shall not deprive you from reading this any longer. Do check out the notes at the end of the chapter though! It's important!
Enjoy!
Out of Cipher's four admins, I always found it strange, yet fitting that Ein and Venus were the ones that formed a real partnership.
They are pretty much polar opposites, but that also makes one complement the other.
While Venus is a terrifying trainer in her own right and not to be underestimated, she ultimately is a diva. And so everything she does has to be extravagant and attention-grabbing in some way.
Ein, however, is a scientist. One who is all about efficiency, how to get the best results in the least amount of time and effort. It shows in both his battling style and the way he thinks.
Looking back, the way I was corralled toward Venus had his fingerprints all over it. I didn't learn of his involvement in the plan to capture me until much later, but it certainly explains why, despite my preparations, things ended the way they did.
"It's become quiet." Aileen muses, brow furrowing as amber eyes scan the empty street through the window blinds of warehouse nine. "I don't like it."
Ordinarily, quiet should be a good thing. A sign that she hasn't been detected, that her actions have gone unnoticed, and she can still act under the cover of the night. But now, after that scuffle she got into with the Delcatty and the security guards being alerted to her presence, it makes her uneasy.
"Unless Murkrow has managed to lead them all on a wild goose chase on the other side of the port, they should be going through the streets with a fine-tooth comb."
The absence of the dark-flying type is another source of concern. Despite the Haze having dissipated for a while, she has yet to see any sign of Pom's Pokémon. She can only hope he hasn't been caught.
"And then…" Aileen turns, briefly looking down at the contents of the warehouse before returning to her vigil, a grimace on her face. "There's this."
Neatly stacked on shelves are rows of Pokémon parts. She hadn't dared to look too closely but she had caught glimpses of Cubone and Marowak skulls, what she's quite certain are Stantler antlers, and palm-size light blue hexagonal gems that, she fears, might just be Sableye eyes.
No wonder Electrike had smelled something unusual. The mere implications make her want to hurl.
"Because of course there is a black market for both rare Pokémon and their harvested parts." Her grimace turns into a scowl. "Whatever happens, I'm burning this place down to the ground. Nothing but ashes must remain of this- this charnel house."
Aileen isn't under any illusion that it will stop Cipher from being part of illegal trafficking (hell, chances are they're even one of the ringleaders), but at least it will cause them to lose money and make her feel better.
It's a shame she doesn't have the means to torch the place quickly. Growlithe's Ember hasn't been upgraded to a proper Flamethrower yet, meaning it's not strong enough to do the job, and unfortunately, she has no gasoline tank on her person.
Then again, there's bound to be some highly flammable stuff in there somewhere, right?
She checks her pokenav, the screen lighting up to show her 4:05 am. Less than two hours until sunrise.
"Time is running out. I have to get moving."
Decision made, she releases Growlithe. The fire dog's usual proud bearing is gone, replaced by a low posture that just screams shame.
"None of that now." Aileen quietly admonishes, scratching him between the ears. "Attract is something we hadn't planned for, so it's not your fault. Next time, we'll be ready." She gives Growlithe a reassuring smile. "Alright?"
The fire type stands straighter, nodding resolutely, and making her smile widen. "Good boy. Now, let us see about causing some mischief."
Every second of browsing the warehouse shelves for something to start a fire disgusts her, but needs must and all that. However, it would seem she still has a bit of good karma left over as she eventually finds several Koffing gas canisters. These would do nicely.
A bit of strategic placing later, their diversion is ready.
"I probably shouldn't, but I am going to enjoy this immensely." Aileen grins darkly as she and Growlithe stand from a safe distance. "Light it up, Growlithe."
With a bark, the fire-type spits a stream of Embers at the farthest canister.
The chain reaction occurs pretty much instantly. First one, then several blinding and ear-splitting explosions occur as one canister's detonation causes another.
When she opens her eyes again, Aileen is treated to the sight of one ruined warehouse. Only a few of the shelves remain somewhat standing, the rest having been blown apart by the explosions or knocked down by the shockwaves and other falling shelves, with flames already spreading and licking the walls.
"That should keep them occupied for a while."
The deed done, she returns Growlithe to his ball and quickly leaves the scene, heading for warehouse thirty-six. Already she can hear shouting in the distance.
She makes it to her target without trouble, the guards passing by too busy rushing toward the burning warehouse to notice her as she presses herself against the walls.
Warehouse thirty-six looks no different than the others, and yet there is something about it that makes Aileen's hair stand on edge. Sarge had always said she has pretty good instincts and she's not going to start ignoring them.
Just as the vigilante starts considering her angle of approach, however, the doors of the warehouse open on their own.
"Please, do come in." A female voice says through a speaker system. "As the guest of honor, your presence is of the utmost importance."
"...And there's the trap." Aileen says slowly, closing her eyes in frustration. "Fuck me."
With a heavy sigh, the amber-eyed young woman releases Poochyena and Electrike. "Stay close, we have no idea what's in store for us." She tells the two canines.
Squaring her shoulders, Aileen steps inside the warehouse, her two Pokemon at her flanks as the doors close behind them.
"How kind of you to join us, Huntress." The voice speaks again as they walk further into the belly of the beast. "My associates and I have awaited your coming for quite a while. You certainly took your time."
Aileen doesn't reply, eyes darting to and fro in the darkness.
"You've been quite the annoying pest, you know? It has been a while since we've faced any real opposition in this blighted place." The woman continues. "Your little firework show just now is but another addition to the long list of setbacks you've caused for us since you've started this little campaign of yours, albeit... quite a substantial one."
Still, Aileen remains silent.
"But I must admit I am curious. What is it that motivates you? Surely you're not doing this just for a couple Pokemon that were taken from an old man you barely know? Is it money? Power?"
Again, silence is the only answer the vigilante deigns to give.
"Not feeling very talkative, are you?" The woman chuckles. "That's fine. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other."
Aileen feels the hairs on her neck stand at those words.
"But let it not be said that I am a poor host. Allow me to entertain you!"
Light floods the young woman's vision, forcing her to shield her eyes against the sudden onslaught. Beside her, Poochyena starts growling.
"Let us play a game, Huntress." The woman says, making Aileen look up at the source of the voice as her eyes adjust to the shift in luminosity. "Who knows? Perhaps you might even win."
Even from here, the vigilante can see her lips twisting into a cruel smile beneath her pink veil.
The woman's outfit, which consists of a long flowing robe, is almost all pink and white save for a large golden crescent moon decoration on her back, and- are those diamonds lining the bottom of that robe? Diamonds bigger than her fists?
"So you are the one in charge of this place." Aileen drawls as she lowers her arm, amber eyes locking with the Cipher admin's hazel ones. She recognizes the woman, even if she cannot recall her name. "Whom do I have the honor of addressing?"
"She speaks!" The other woman exclaims, clapping her hands together delightfully. "And you may call me Venus." Her eyes narrow in a playful manner. "The pleasure is all yours."
"I'm sure." Aileen replies dryly, kneeling to run a soothing hand through Poochyena's fur and trying to hide the tension in her posture. That woman may look like a belly dancer, but she is a Cipher admin and not to be underestimated. "But I'm afraid I don't have time for games, Venus."
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that." The auburn-haired woman purrs. "After all, you'll be staying quite a while."
The chill Aileen has been feeling makes its way down her spine. "You know why I'm here. Where is Aron?"
"Ah yes. That is indeed the reason for your presence here." The Cipher admin makes a show of humming thoughtfully, tapping her lips with one finger, before she gasps dramatically. "I remember now!"
She snaps her fingers.
There is a sound from above and Aileen barely has the time to jump back with Poochyena in tow as whatever it is crashes right where she had been.
The sight of the object turns her blood to ice.
On the ground is a single piece of metal, large and round, with six holes in it. One the amber-eyed young woman recognizes very well.
The headpiece of an Aron's armor.
She can only stare, frozen. Distantly, she hears Venus speak but her words are muffled, as if underwater. Indeed, Aileen feels like she's drowning.
Really, she shouldn't be so shocked. After what she's seen in warehouse nine, it shouldn't be surprising that Cipher would kill Pokemon, be it for profit, their research, or even simply because they can.
And yet.
And yet...!
"ELECTRIKE!" Aileen roars, pointing at the other woman. "THUNDERBOLT!"
To the electric type's credit, he only hesitates for a single moment before firing a stream of lightning at Venus. The Cipher Admin's face goes from smug to shocked in a single instant at the sight of the lethal attack aimed her way.
But before it can connect, one of the pokeballs at her waist opens with a flash of light, the Delcatty that had harassed Aileen for the better part of the night materializing in front of her trainer before covering the two of them in a protective green sphere. The Thunderbolt splashes harmlessly against the Protect.
In the wake of Electrike's attack, there is only silence, occasionally broken by the growling and hissing from the Pokemon on both sides as their trainers stare at each other. One with shock that is quickly becoming replaced by anger, and the other with righteous fury.
"You dare..." Venus hisses as the staredown continues, hands gripping the pink and white folds of her dress so tightly her knuckles become white. "You DARE?!" She shrieks.
"Do not mistake my preference for non-lethal takedowns as unwillingness to kill if needed, Venus." Aileen coldly replies. "Mercy is both a luxury and a responsibility. I would love to see the entirety of Cipher sent to jail for their crimes, but I'm not naive enough to think that will ever happen. And I have never been under any illusion that my coming to blows with your organization would not end in bloodshed, one way or another. It was only a question of when, not if." Gently, she picks the headpiece from the ground, brushing it. "And of who, or what, would make me cross the line." She looks back at the Cipher admin, amber eyes blazing. "Congratulations, Venus. You win the race."
The other woman continues staring at her for a few seconds. "I was just going to play with you a little. See what makes the vaunted Huntress so special." Her face then twists into a hateful sneer. "But now I'm not interested anymore. Rattatas like you only deserve to be crushed, flayed, pulverized, and mashed up!" She takes a pokeball from her waist. "And I have just the perfect tool for the job!"
She throws it and there is a great flash of light as a Steelix materializes in the air before landing between both trainers, shaking the ground with its sheer weight. The Iron Snail Pokemon looks at Aileen and roars, a sound that makes her entire body vibrate.
The young woman doesn't need to be a genius to figure out she is out of her league.
"That Delcatty alone can handle two of my team members by herself and that's without Venus giving her orders. This is not a fight we can win right now." Her eyes narrow as she takes out her Pokenav and sends out a premade message with a couple button presses. "But I don't need to fight."
"Electrike, kill the lights!" She orders as she returns Poochyena to her ball and sends out Growlithe in her place. "Growlithe, Smokescreen!"
With a burst of lightning and a cloud of ash, the warehouse is plunged in darkness. Without wasting a second, Aileen stashes the headpiece into her bag, spins around and, with her two Pokemon at her heels, runs for the entrance.
"I just have to outrun her."
"You think you can hide from me?!" Venus shouts, sounding offended. "I think not! Bulldoze!"
The vigilante hears the Steelix roar a split-second before another impact shakes the earth, much harder this time, making her stumble. The first tremor is quickly followed by a second, then a third, and Aileen can feel the very ground behind her splitting open even as she hears the shelves around the warehouse tremble.
"This dumb bitch is going to bring the whole building down on our heads!" Aileen swears internally, struggling to keep her balance. Growlithe and Electrike yelp beside her as they try to do the same. "At least it wasn't Earthquake."
"Stone Edge!"
Her eyes widen at those words and she barely has the time to recall the two canines to their pokeballs and dive behind one of the shelves before a hail of sharp stones starts rending the air. Laying herself flat against the ground, Aileen starts crawling away even as she hears the projectiles whistling by and bursting through shelves and walls like they are made of paper.
"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" She chants in her mind. "Gotta get out of the splash zone! Gotta get-FUCK!"
It's all she can do as one stone shard stabs through her backpack and into her flesh, making her bite her tongue to keep herself from crying out.
Thankfully, the Stone Edge stops shortly afterward. Leaving Aileen still on the ground and trying to control her breathing as she feels warm liquid starting to flow down her back.
"Delcatty, bring me her corpse." Venus' voice breaks the silence. "I shall string her up in the main plaza of Phenac City. Let her fate be a warning to everyone else."
"Of course it'd be the fucking cat." The vigilante swears internally. She has to get away now, she knows. The Smokescreen, dust, and debris will nicely mask her scent for now but, once the Delcatty catches a single whiff of her blood, then Aileen will never be able to escape her. "Come on, soldier. Up and at it!"
With a muffled grunt, the young woman resumes her crawling toward the warehouse doors, gritting her teeth all the while at the lances of pain caused by the shard of rock in her back. Fortunately, it appears that the Steelix's little rampage has busted the doors down and she's able to slip away undetected... for the moment.
As soon as she's out of warehouse thirty-six, Aileen rises to her feet and shuffles for the nearest corner out of view. Taking a knee, she releases Growlithe and Cubone. As soon as they see her, the two's eyes widen in obvious concern.
"That's mostly cosmetic damage, don't worry about it." She tells them quietly. It's not really a lie, after all. "But I need your help. Cubone, one shard of that Stone Edge hit me and I need you to take it out. Growlithe, once the shard is out you need to cauterize the wound. Can you do that for me?" She asks as she turns slightly so that they can see her back.
Both of them look horrified at what she's asking of them, eyes darting between her face and her back.
"We don't have time to argue about this." She hisses. "That Delcatty is on our tail again and, unless we do this quickly, my blood is going to lead her straight to us."
She doesn't mention the risks of blood loss if the wound isn't treated quickly, that would only serve to make them panic.
Cubone hesitates for a moment longer before nodding resolutely and trotting behind her. Growlithe, however, still looks uncertain.
"Grip it tight with both hands and do your best to get it out in one go." Aileen instructs the ground type as she lays on her side to give her better access. Twisting her head, she looks at the Puppy Pokemon. "Growlithe, look at me." The fire type's eyes meet hers and she gives him a reassuring smile. "You are only doing what I require from you. Nothing more, nothing less. I swear to you, I would not be asking this if there was any other choice."
This finally seems to convince Growlithe, who nods at her.
The young woman smiles. "Good boy." She looks back at Cubone. "Do it."
With another nod, Cubone wraps her hands around the shard and pulls.
Aileen's vision goes white with pain as she chokes on a scream, biting on the sleeve of her borrowed uniform. After a few more seconds of agony, she feels the stone shard finally being pulled out of her flesh even as more warm liquid starts pouring out. With trembling fingers, she divests herself of her backpack and her top.
"Your turn, Growlithe." She says hoarsely.
This time, the young woman can't quite contain her reaction, a sobbing gasp escaping her as the wound is seared shut by a single low-powered Ember from the fire-type. As she lies there, panting and trembling, a shadow silently descends from above, landing in front of the wounded vigilante. Worried and tired red eyes above a crooked yellow beak stare into unfocused amber.
"Hey there b-buddy." Aileen greets Murkrow after a few blinks, shakily getting her hands under her and pushing herself up. "W-was wondering where y-you'd run off to. You okay?"
The look Murkrow gives her in return can only be interpreted as 'I should be the one asking that question, you idiot'.
With a mix between a chuckle and a groan, the young woman opens one of the side pockets of her backpack. From it she takes out a small bottle filled with pills, of which she drops a couple into her hand after opening it before popping them into her mouth and swallowing dryly with a small grimace.
"Painkillers will do the trick until I can get some proper medical care. For now, we have to keep moving."
Her borrowed top is a loss, almost half the back being soaked with blood. The pants might be salvageable but there is still blood on them that the Delcatty could track down, so they have to go as well. Thankfully that's not an issue. As quick as her still shaking hands allow, she changes into the sleeveless white shirt and baggy blue pants Rebecca has lent her, wincing as the pain in her back flares in response to her movements. She finds herself raising an eyebrow at the big tears the garments now have on the left flank and right leg respectively.
Hopefully, Wulfric's wife would forgive her.
Taking out the rope of her grappling gear from the bag, Aileen wraps it around the tears of said bag to make sure nothing would fall off. Normally she would have also written the backpack as a loss but she's not about to give up what few field supplies she has to the enemy.
"Rebecca will be waiting for us right on the other side of the eastern wall." The vigilante says quietly as she shoulders the backpack again with another pained grimace and starts tearing the bloodied top. "But before we can join her we have to give Venus the slip. Murkrow, I need you to lead her Delcatty away from us." She ties the bloodied strip around the dark-type's leg. "Stay at ground level and head south, toward the main entrance. The moment that cat catches up to you, just fly away. Got it?"
Murkrow gives her a long look before finally nodding and immediately takes off, flying close to the ground as instructed.
"As for us..." Aileen takes a deep breath as she stands up, hissing at the jolt of pain from her back. She looks at Cubone and Growlithe. "The time for discretion is past. We run, and we do not stop. If we're lucky, the guards are still busy with our distraction. If not, just break through."
Both Pokemon nod, Cubone climbing on Growlithe's back and gripping his fur tightly.
"Let's go."
The chair screeches on the floor as Ein stands up. "What do you mean you've lost her?!" The scientist barks into his communicator. "You told me only minutes ago that she was dead!"
"Clearly this mouse just won't do us the favor to simply lay down and die." Venus grumbles on the other side of the line. "No matter. My sweet darling Delcatty is tracking her down as we speak and she's injured. She won't get far, Ein."
Ein frowns, one hand absently coming to push his glasses up. "Huntress has shown to be quite the resourceful individual, Venus. Master Nascour will be... displeased, to say the least, if she manages to get away." He reminds his partner as he starts typing on his computer. "Let me see if I can spot her on the cameras."
It takes him a while to swipe between all the different feeds, but he eventually catches sight of the woman as she's running through the streets of Gateon Port, a Growlithe with a Cubone on its back beside her. A quick check of which camera the feed corresponds to makes his frown deepen.
"Venus, where are you right now?" He asks the diva.
"I'm coming up beside warehouse eighteen right now. We must be close, Delcatty is getting excited." He can hear the grin in her voice.
Swiping through the feeds again, Ein curses. "Idiot! She's tricked you!" He shouts, ignoring her sudden spluttering. "That Murkrow of hers is leading you south by the nose with a piece of bloody cloth while she's heading east!"
"WHAT?!" Venus screeches in his ear, making him wince. "That little-" The scientist hurriedly mutes her before opening a channel to all of their men.
"To all units, be advised, the target is fleeing east!" He barks. "Somebody intercept her!"
"We can't!" A man replies. "We only just got the fires under control! If we don't keep at it they'll start spreading again!"
Ein slams his hands on the table, jolting his computer. "If that woman escapes, a few lost warehouses will be the least of our problems! Do I need to remind you what happens to those who fail Master Nascour?!" He hears the minion swallowing dryly. "I thought not. Now after her! I'll keep you updated on her position."
"Yes sir!"
"You heard the boss, double time!"
"Hurry up you Slugmas!"
The scientist sighs, raking a hand through his hair. Admittedly, he had been surprised by Huntress' act of blowing up an entire warehouse, which had forced him to dispatch their men to contain the fires and thus break the perimeter. Then again, he'd had faith that Venus could handle the other woman without losing her cool, which clearly had been a mistake.
"But why head east?" He mutters to himself, one hand on his chin. "Logically, she should've done the opposite. Lead Venus to the other side of the port while making a break for the main entrance to the south."
His eyes narrow thoughtfully. "Unless... She is not operating alone this time."
Aileen briefly pauses as a screech of rage echoes through the night.
"Guess Venus finally realized she's been chasing a decoy." She mutters, breathing heavily, as she starts running again. Hopefully, Murkrow would manage to get away without any issue, but she needs to hurry.
She's only taken a dozen more steps before the ground starts to tremble, making her stumble. "Shit, what now?!"
With the sound of shattering concrete, Venus' Steelix erupts from below with a roar, blocking the entire street with its bulk. The steel-type glares at her, as if offended she had dared to survive when its mistress had decreed her death.
"I don't have time for you." Aileen breathes out through her teeth. "Growlithe, Howl and Fire Fang! Cubone, Focus Energy and Bone Club! We have to break through!"
With a battle cry, Growlithe charges forward, his maw becoming filled with flames. On his back, Cubone narrows her eyes in concentration, readying her club. The Steelix roars again in response, white energy coalescing into boulders around it before they start raining down on the street.
Aileen narrowly avoids being crushed by throwing herself into a forward roll, cursing loudly as the pain in her back flares. Growlithe, meanwhile, has no trouble. Even with the added weight of Cubone on his back, the fire type nimbly darts between the falling boulders of the Rock Slide, his rider even shattering one with a two-handed swing of her shining club, before leaping at Steelix and closing his jaws on the tip of its chin.
The Iron Snake Pokemon flinches at the super-effective attack, leaving itself completely open as Cubone jumps off Growlithe's back to slam her club on top of its head with another two-handed swing. With a deep groan, Steelix's entire body hits the ground, stunned but far from being out of the fight.
"Go go go!" Aileen barks as she jumps from one boulder to the next and uses the steel-type's head as another stepping stone to get out of the street, her Pokemon following close behind. She hears the Steelix roar again, this time in frustration at its prey escaping it.
How had it even found them? Even if they had someone following her through the cameras, Aileen doubts a Steelix is intelligent enough that Venus could have done more than pointing it in her general direction.
They have barely rounded another block that the Steelix bars the way once more, this time bursting through a warehouse and with rage clear in its eyes.
"Screw this." Aileen huffs, panting as she hits the release button of Electrike's ball. "Flash!"
Electrike's fur sparks even as he appears before he releases a bright burst of light at the Steelix, making the Iron Snake Pokemon rear back with a pained roar, blinded.
"Come on, quietly." The young woman whispers to her Pokemon as she hugs the wall, looking to pass by the steel-type unnoticed-
Pain.
Aileen feels the air leave her lungs and her ribs break as the tip of the Steelix's tail smashes into her side and sends her flying. She can only open her mouth in a soundless scream as her back impacts the ground and she bounces off it once, then twice before she comes to a stop against a wall.
"H-how?! It's blinded!" She thinks through the haze of pain, even as she wheezes and coughs, the taste of iron filling her mouth and crimson drops splattering on the ground. "S-some kind of- of tremor sense ability or something?"
It takes Aileen a moment to register that something's nudging her, making her blink a couple times. A light brown arm comes into focus and she follows it to a small body with a white head. No, not a head- a skull.
Cubone.
In the background, she can vaguely see two green and orange blurs dancing around a much bigger grey one, bursts of red color shooting from them and illuminating the street. It is becoming harder to focus.
"Concussion." Her mind answers her. "Head must've hit the wall."
Grunting, she slowly starts pushing herself off the ground only to cry out as her injured side vividly protests, making her slump down again.
"It's just a little pain. Your body telling you something's wrong." She can hear the drill sergeant say in her ear. "Push through it, soldier! You can rest when you're dead!"
Gritting her teeth, Aileen slowly, shakily, drags her battered body to its feet, using the wall for support. The pain makes her vision go white around the edges even as it blurs in and out of focus, but she manages to stand again.
Just in time to see the Steelix slam its tail against the ground.
The resulting shock-wave feels twice as strong as when it had used Bulldoze, knocking her to the ground once more even as it throws both Electrike and Growlithe into the air like ragdolls. Fumbling with the pokeballs at her belt, she nonetheless manages to return them both before they can hit the ground.
There is a moment of stillness as Aileen stares at the Steelix, Cubone standing protectively in front of her. The Iron Snake Pokemon's eyes are still closed and she can see various scorched spots on its body from the multiple fire-type moves it's been hit with.
Then, with a groan of tortured metal, the warehouses around them start collapsing.
"Move!" Aileen screams to herself. "If it finds you again, you're dead!"
Trusting that the falling debris will prevent the Steelix from locating them through whatever method it had used before, the young woman drags herself up again and starts limping away, Cubone on her heels as she slips between the warehouses. Every breath is excruciating pain, but at least it keeps her awake.
Her Pokenav starts vibrating with an incoming call. Fumbling, she presses the answer button.
"I'm at the rendezvous point. Where are you?" Rebecca asks.
"Got... held up." The vigilante hoarsely replies, wincing. "Still a few blocks away."
"Girl, if you're even just half as bad as you sound the whole plan must've gone to shit." Rebecca curses. "Can you make it?"
"Not sure." Aileen says, coughing into her free hand. Hot liquid splashes on her palm and her face twists into a grim smile. "Will try... my damnest though."
"Get yourself as close to the east wall as you can." The blonde tells her. "I'll figure something out."
"Will.. do." Hanging up, Aileen turns to look at the two men dressed in the same uniform she had liberated off the worker hours ago. "I don't suppose you'll just... let me be on my way?" She rasps out.
"No can do." One says, releasing a Weepinbell.
"Better you than us." The other adds, sending out a Drowzee.
Aileen gives them a bloody, humorless smile as Cubone steps forward and she thumbs the release button of Poochyena's pokeball. "Then let's... make this quick."
"Razor Leaf!"
"Psybeam!"
"Shadow Rush for cover. Bone Club." Aileen responds with, coughing. "Weepinbell first."
Poochyena charges forward, cloaked in shadowy energy and with Cubone close behind her. The dark type powers through the Razor Leaf, not even flinching at the few sharp leaves that cut through her Shadow Rush and into her. The Psybeam is outright ignored, courtesy of said dark typing. Both Poochyena and Cubone slam into the Weepinbell, their combined assault knocking out the grass-poison type.
"You dumbass! Who uses a psychic move against a dark type?!" The Weepinbell's trainer snarls, recalling his Pokemon and sending out a Grovyle to replace it. Now where he got that one, Aileen would like to know.
"Look man, everybody makes mistakes okay?!" The Drowzee's trainer replies. Which is very much a poor excuse in Aileen's opinion. "Use Headbutt!"
"Leaf Blade! Cut that Cubone down!"
Green blades of energy grow from the Grovyle's forearms as it and the Drowzee rush forward to engage Aileen's Pokemon in close combat.
Aileen's eyes narrow. "Bite. Cubone, like we practiced." She rasps out.
Poochyena pounces over the Grovyle, ferociously clamping her jaws onto the Drowzee's head and making the psychic type cry in distress. At the same time, Grovyle takes a swipe at Cubone who, taking her club by both ends, deflects the Leaf Blade to the side, making both the grass type and its trainer splutter in shock.
"Come on, Grovyle! Just hit it!"
"Get it off you, Drowsee! Use Poison Gas!"
"Keep defending." Aileen hisses, trying to keep another bloody cough down. "Evade and Shadow Rush."
To the Wood Gecko Pokemon's increasing frustration, Cubone continues to deflect its attacks. Meanwhile, Poochyena lets go of the Drowzee as it blows a noxious cloud through its trunk-like nose... which ends up engulfing the grass type.
"Dude! What the fuck?!"
"I'm sorry!"
Poochyena then slams into the psychic type's back, sending it crashing into its partner and taking it down. Taking advantage of her opponent being taken off guard, Cubone jumps, slamming her head into the Grovyle's chin with a Headbutt and knocking it on its back right into the gas cloud.
"Dammit!" The guard curses as he returns the Drowzee and takes another pokeball. "Go, Rattica-"
Another tremor shakes the ground, making everyone stumble and Aileen can only stay upright by using a wall as support.
The man blinks, taking a step forward. "Was th-"
With a wet crunching noise, he disappears into the maw of the surfacing Steelix. There is a muffled scream of pain and terror that's cut short by a chewing motion and another loud crunch. Crimson liquid spills from between the Iron Snake Pokemon's teeth and onto the ground, making both Aileen and the remaining guard blanch.
Then, the Steelix makes a retching sound and the young woman has to turn away to avoid seeing it spit the poor man's corpse back out. The sounds and smell, accompanied by those of the other man emptying his stomach, are enough.
Aileen has no sympathy for those who've chosen to throw their lot in with Cipher, but nobody deserves to die like this.
"Now, now, Steelix." A familiar voice says chidingly. "What did I tell you about putting things in your mouth? You don't know where they've been!"
Delcatty at her side, Venus steps into view. Behind her is another guard with a Kadabra in tow, which is all Aileen needs to figure out how the Cipher admin arrived so quickly despite being led south by Murkrow.
"Teleport." She resists the urge to sigh. Now that sounds like a move she could very much use right about now.
"Look at the mess you've made." Venus makes a tsk sound. "Now Ein is going to lecture me on the importance of properly caring for your minions again. And think of the poor cleaners!" She looks at Aileen. "Now, what say you we end this silly game of cat and mouse, hm?
The amber-eyed young woman stares at her for a moment, gingerly holding her bad side as Cubone and Poochyena stand protectively in front of her. "You know, I've been somewhat wondering how you don't have back problems lugging this thing around." She says, eyeing the large crescent moon decoration on Venus' back with all the disdain it deserves. Her lips twist into a sardonic smile. "But now I see it's because it's just like you. Beautiful on the outside, hollow and ugly on the inside."
A perfectly manicured eyebrow twitches on the Cipher admin's face. "...I will enjoy making you scream." She says as she takes a pokeball from her waist. A Banette emerges from it, and Aileen feels the temperature drop from the ghost type's mere presence. "And you will beg for mercy before the end. Use Curse."
Aileen blinks and the Marionette Pokemon is already there, standing inches away from her face and having bypassed both Poochyena and Cubone entirely. Pink eyes flash maliciously as the zipper keeping its mouth opens on its own and the young woman feels her blood turn to ice, instincts screaming at her to get away. Her body has barely started to catch up to her mind, scrambling back in an attempt to escape, that an orb of pink and purple energy shoots out of the Banette's open mouth and sinks into her chest.
For a second, nothing happens and Aileen blinks again as Banette reappears back to its trainer's side.
What follows is nothing but pure agony.
A scream tears itself from her throat as she collapses, clutching her chest and writhing as the worst pain she's ever felt slowly spreads through her entire body.
"How do you like it?" Venus asks as if discussing the weather. "Usually, Curse is strong enough to make even the toughest Pokemon fall unconscious in a matter of minutes, kill in less than an hour. And a Banette's Curse is especially potent." She makes a show of inspecting her nails. "But the human body is so much frailer than a Pokemon's that Curse can kill someone in minutes if not seconds. And that just won't do. So Banette and I had to... experiment quite a bit." Her lips twist into a cruel smile. "I hope you're appreciating the results."
Aileen doesn't reply, too busy gasping and screaming in pain as the ghostly energy continues to slowly ravage her internal organs.
Cubone helplessly looks between the incapacitated young woman and the Banette, unsure of what to do. She knows she's not strong enough to take down the ghost. Poochyena, however, doesn't hesitate, lunging furiously for the Pokemon that has hurt her trainer with Shadow Rush. The dark type is immediately intercepted by the tail of Venus' Steelix slamming into her and sending her flying back to land in a heap beside Aileen's still writhing form.
"Bad dog." The auburn-haired woman tuts. "Sit."
Aileen, vision blurry with tears of pain, tries to rise despite the pain. Her body, however, is clearly at its limit and her shaking limbs betray her, making her collapse once more.
"Look at you, Huntress... Wasted and gasping for air." Venus taunts, slowly approaching and walking past Cubone, who slumps, her spirit crushed. "But you don't get to go yet." She bends down, grabs Aileen's chin, and turns her head to look the vigilante in the eyes. "I told you I would see you beg for release. So beg, Huntress. Then, you'll have my permission to die."
For a moment, it's all Aileen wants to do. Beg for this pain to end, one way or another.
But as the weight of the iron headpiece in her bag presses into her back, and she remembers the promise -now broken- that she made to Pom, the wish for it to end disappears. And in its place rises the desire to spit at this woman's face in defiance.
So that's what she does.
A mixture of blood and saliva impacts Venus' cheek and the Cipher admin's face goes blank as she slowly brings a hand to touch the viscous liquid sliding down her veil.
Aileen has a single moment to feel satisfaction before a heel slams into her chin, with more blows quickly following.
"You. Miserable. Lowlife." Venus hisses as she stomps on Aileen's head. "Even now, with your insignificant life in my hands, you still try to keep up your act of bravado?" Her face twists into an ugly sneer and she begins stomping harder. "Know. Your. Place!"
Blood splatters on the cold concrete.
And Venus howls in shock and pain as Poochyena viciously sinks her fangs deeper into her left calf.
"Get it off! Get it off get it off getifoff getitoff!" She screams, falling onto her backside as she starts hitting Poochyena with her other foot.
Banette and Steelix surge forward to eliminate the threat, the guards scrambling to not get crushed by the steel type's bulk. At the same time, summoning what little strength she has left, Aileen croaks one last order to her Pokemon through the pain, hoping to take the Cipher admin in death with her or at least deal a substantial injury before the Curse can finish its job. Cubone, having snapped out of her funk at Venus' pained cry along with Aileen's hoarse command, turns and raises her bone club, ready to crack Venus' skull open.
All parties are interrupted as something crashes down from the sky and into the street with a heavy impact.
Aileen's blurry vision can barely make out a big brown body with a big red dot on its upper part, along with two long gray things the Pokemon holds in each of its hands. Yet she'd recognize him anywhere after having visited Wulfric's shop a few times. Conkeldurr.
The fighting type takes one look at the situation before slamming his concrete pillars into the ground. The earth heaves, raising great slabs of stone that collide with Steelix and Banette, sending them crashing back into a warehouse that immediately folds under the Iron Snake Pokemon's weight. With a satisfied hum, the Muscular Pokemon lets go of one of his concrete pillars to fire a blast of energy up into the sky.
The Focus Blast detonates and Conkeldurr is suddenly joined by another Pokemon Aileen has become acquainted with over the last several weeks. Quadrupedal, with one half of her body a dark yellow and the other half black. A long neck on one end and a tail with a mind of its own on the other. Girafarig.
And with her is a figure dressed in an outfit that the young woman is intimately familiar with by now.
"Rebecca."
Wulfric's wife's lips move, saying something that Aileen doesn't quite catch, her hearing fading in and out. Rebecca reaches toward her, a look of horror and concern on her face that's quickly replaced by one of urgency and determination.
"You- call her!" She says, pressing something to Aileen's chest. "Or- get- here!"
Aileen blinks, trying to focus. She distantly hears a cry of pain and feels a warm weight being laid on her stomach. She looks down to see a white blur gazing at her with rubies for eyes.
"Ail- need to recall- yena!" Rebecca repeats. The world seems to be spinning. "Dark- be telep- psychics!"
Right. Dark types are immune to psychics. What does that have to do with-
Aileen blinks again. It's getting harder to think. With a trembling hand, she grasps the pokeball, pointing it at the white blur, and mutters what she hopes are actual words. It seems to work, as the blur disappears and so does the weight that had been on her chest.
"Gira- out of here!"
There is a pulse of- something, and then the scenery changes. Aileen's eyes roll around to see myriads of glinting gems.
"Stars." Her mind tells her through the haze. "The night sky in all its splendor." Strangely enough, the pain seems to be fading.
"Don- die on- now, yo- me?!" She hears Rebecca yell above a deep, familiar rumbling sound that she can't quite recognize. "Don't- dare- me! To us!"
"I'm sorry." She wants to say even as she struggles to keep her eyes open. "I'm sorry."
The last things she hears are the sound of a pokeball opening and a familiar (yet different, oh so different) howl accompanied by the chime of a bell before the void swallows her
The only thing Rebecca can think about is that she's really glad to have insisted on bringing the sidecar.
She can't allow herself to think anything else right now. Not with the unconscious young woman looking like death warmed over strapped in said sidecar, Ambipom attached to her back and monitoring her pulse, and a white Poochyena curled in her lap. She briefly glances at the despondent Cubone sitting in front of her before returning her gaze to the road.
"Foolish girl was supposed to message me and get out the moment things turned south." She mutters under her breath, blinking as her eyes get misty. "Stubborn idiot. Why couldn't you just call it quits before you got yourself all banged up?"
As Agate Village comes into view, Rebecca figures that the place being not far from Gateon Port is probably one of the few small mercies in the clusterfuck this situation has turned into.
She stops right at the bridge, the old watchman visibly blinking sleep from his eyes as he approaches.
"Oh, Aileen. We weren't expecting a visit today. What brings you-" He stops as he notices the bloodied and battered form in the sidecar, eyes widening in horror.
"She's in bad shape and needs immediate medical attention." Rebecca says in an urgent tone as she dismounts the Daytona, sending out her Girafarig before she starts unstrapping Aileen. "I've applied what the first aid I could but I'm not sure how much good that did. Call for a stretcher!"
That snaps the man out of his shock and he hastily releases a Furret. "Fetch for the nurse on duty, quickly!" The Long Body Pokemon nods and dashes toward the village proper, the glow of Quick Attack surrounding its body and turning it into a blur to the naked eye. The old trainer looks back at Rebecca as Girafarig gently lifts the comatose form of Aileen from the sidecar with Psychic and lays her on the ground, careful not to disturb Poochyena. He looks her up and down, eyebrows furrowing into a frown. "Why are you wearing that? What happened?"
"She went incognito. I was supposed to be her alibi." The woman replies, taking off her biking helmet and raking a hand through her blonde hair. "And I don't know what happened. I just got her out and came here as fast as possible." She gives him a tired look. "Rebecca. Nice to meet you, despite the circumstances."
"Skof. Well met."
It takes only a few minutes before the Furret comes rushing back, two grim-faced nurses with a stretcher between them and an Audino in tow. One of the nurses inhales sharply at the sight of the unconscious young woman on the ground while the other curses under his breath.
The Audino takes the lead, stopping beside Aileen and closing its eyes in concentration. It then puts its hands together, a light pink ball of energy forming between them. Its eyes open again and, with a soft cry, the ball breaks into a shower of sparkles that gently rain down on the battered vigilante, which seems to make her breath a bit easier.
Poochyena's head snaps up and she immediately starts snarling and growling at the Hearing Pokemon, who simply huffs, unimpressed, and uses Sing to put the dark type to sleep before taking her into its arms and off Aileen's lap.
"If you would be so kind." The female nurse says, nodding to Girafarig as she and her colleague lay down the stretcher. Rebecca's Pokemon nods, her eyes -all four of them- flashing violet. Carefully, Aileen is lifted from the ground and onto the stretcher by psychic energy. "Thanks, we'll take it from here." The nurse says as they lift the stretcher and start jogging back to the village with the Audino leading the way. Rebecca watches them go, a worried look on her face, blinking as Cubone hurriedly runs past her to follow.
"She's in good hands." Skof says reassuringly, although she can see the same worry in his expression. "Nothing we can do now but wait."
The blonde sighs. "You're right. And I have a few calls to make."
"Before that, would you terribly mind informing Eagun?" He asks. "He and his wife, along with a few others, have taken quite a liking to the young lady. They'll want to know."
Rebecca can hear from the old trainer's tone that he includes himself in that sentence. "Yes, of course. Where can I find him?"
Skof hums thoughtfully. "At this hour he's probably still at his house. It's the one at the top of the village, almost within the Great Tree. You can't miss it."
She nods. "Thank you."
The old man nods back, returning to his watch as Rebecca steps into Agate proper. Girafarig is a comforting presence at her side, the normal/psychic-type keeping pace with her every step of the way.
The trek to the top of the village is a short one. As Skof had said, it is basically impossible to miss a house that looks as if the tree had grown around it. Taking a deep breath, she knocks on the door.
"Coming!" A muffled feminine voice says from inside. After a moment, the door opens to reveal a smiling old woman, whose eyes light up as she sees Rebecca. "Oh, Aile-" She stops as her gaze spots the blonde hair and she takes a proper look at Rebecca's face. "You're not Aileen."
"I'm afraid not, madam." Rebecca says, licking her lips nervously. "Is your husband here?" The elderly woman nods cautiously. "May I come in? It concerns our mutual friend."
"Oh dear. Has something happened?" Eagun's wife asks worriedly.
"Beru? Who is that at the door?" A male voice asks from inside and Rebecca looks past Beru to see an elderly man dressed in flowing purple robes with a big beard and long gray hair, who she can only assume is Eagun himself. His eyes flick to her and she has to suppress a shiver at the steel in his gaze.
This is not someone she wants to get on the bad side of.
"I do not believe we have met." He says, one hand slowly inching toward the inner folds of his robes. "That outfit, however, is one I recognize all too well."
"My name is Rebecca. My husband and I are friends of Aileen." She says hurriedly. "If you've watched the news in the past couple of months, we're the owners of the repair shop she defended from Snagem."
Eagun blinks before his posture relaxes. "Ah yes, I remember now. But that does not explain why you are wearing her clothes. And where is she?"
"It was only so that I could act as a body double for her." Rebecca replies. Her expression turns distraught as she pauses, swallowing thickly. "Aileen's hurt. Badly. She's currently receiving medical attention at the Pokemon Center right now."
Beru gasps, hands clasping in front of her mouth while her husband's expression turns grim.
"Come inside." He says, the look on his face brooking no argument. "Beru dear, would you please make a cup of tea for all of us?"
The old woman shakily nods, retreating into the kitchen, and Eagun gestures inside the house. The blonde obliges, returning Girafarig and stepping through the doorway.
"Now," The elder says a few minutes later as all three of them are sitting at the table, nursing a cup of tea. "Please start from the beginning."
And so Rebecca does, starting from Aileen telling her and Wulfric about the tip she had received about the location of a mutual friend's Pokemon that had been stolen. She retells how the young woman had suspected the tip to be fake, an attempt to draw her out and ambush her, but that she'd been unwilling to risk missing an opportunity to rescue the stolen Pokemon. Which had led to designing the plan involving Aileen disguising herself as one of her husband's assistants in order to infiltrate Gateon Port and scout it out, with Rebecca masquerading as Huntress and waiting for Aileen's signal to pick her up.
"I don't know what happened but something obviously went horribly wrong." The blond woman sighs as she holds her cup with both hands, seeking comfort in the warmth. "The state she was in when I got to her..." She shivers.
"That reckless girl...!" Beru breathes out with feeling, shaking her head. "She should know better."
"What's done is done." Eagun says, squeezing her shoulder in reassurance. "The important part is that she's still alive and safe. Whatever fallout comes out of this, we can deal with it once she's out of the reaper's grasp and awake." He rises from his chair. "I shall make inquiries to the Pokemon Center about our young friend's condition and return anon." He looks at Rebecca. "Feel free to stay here in the meantime. This ordeal cannot have been easy on you either and I'm sure you could use some rest."
"Thank you." Rebecca murmurs. The aged trainer gives her one final nod, squeezing his wife's shoulder once more before leaving.
As Beru gathers the dishes and moves back to the kitchen, muttering about the foolishness of youth, Rebecca takes out her PDA and quickly calls the contact at the top of her list.
"Hey honey, wasn't expecting to hear from you 'till you and Aileen came back." Her husband says with a yawn as he picks up. Rebecca feels herself relax, if only a little, at his voice. She opens her mouth to reply, only to find herself choking. "Sweetheart? Are you there?"
"Aileen. She- she's hurt." She finally croaks, trying to keep herself from sobbing. "It's bad, Wulfric. Really bad. I-I don't know if she..." She can't bring herself to finish that sentence.
"What?!" Wulfric shouts, now fully awake. "What happened?! Wait, where are you?! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine. Not a scratch on me." She hurriedly reassures her husband. "I'm at Agate right now. We're safe." She starts babbling. "And I don't know what happened. She wasn't at the rendezvous point so I called her and she sounded awful and then I had to get her out therewasbloodeverywhere-"
"Breathe, love! Breathe!"He interrupts her and she stops to take a couple of deep breaths, almost gasping. "You said you were in Agate? I'm closing the shop for today and coming to you, alright?"
"Please." Rebecca hiccups.
"Do you want me to stay on the line?"
"N-no. That's fine." She replies, blinking tears out of her eyes. "Just- hurry? And... can you tell Sophia? She'll want to know too."
"I'll take care of it and be there as fast as the old bucket of bolts allows me."Her husband promises. "I'll see you soon. Call me if you need me."
"I will." Rebecca says quietly before hanging up. Laying her PDA on the table, she puts her head in her hands, trying to simply focus on breathing in and out and keep the emotions at bay.
She doesn't know how much time has passed before she hears the door open again. There is a brief exchange of hushed words and she raises her head to sees Eagun sitting down, the man truly looking like his age. Behind him, Beru looks on worriedly.
"H-" She clears her throat. "How is she?"
"The worst seems to have passed, but it is still too soon to tell." The elder says wearily. "So far, they've had to restart her heart once. I've been told she shares many of the symptoms you would see in Pokemon who have been affected by a Ghost's Curse. It has left her body with little energy to function, never mind heal itself." He shakes his head. "Ghost energy is not kind to Pokemon and they are much tougher than us humans. Logically, she should be dead. In fact, she would have died had you not managed to purge most of the Cursed energy from her body."
Rebecca blinks in confusion as Beru gasps in horror. "I didn't do anything aside from applying first aid. My Pokemon don't have anything that could do what you're talking about." She bites her lower lip nervously. "But I do remember her Poochyena doing something. There was... a sound. Like a bell's chime."
Eagun's eyebrows disappear beyond his hairline. "Truly? That sounds to me like she used Heal Bell... but that is not a move the Mightyena line is known to learn." He strokes his beard thoughtfully. "Although, there isn't much that is normal about that Poochyena. So who can truly say? What matters is that it saved Aileen's life." His eyes close. "However, there might be complications for her in the future. And that's if she survives and doesn't fall into a coma."
The blond woman frowns worriedly. "Is there nothing else that can be done?"
"Short of the Rainbow Firebird or the Life Giver's direct intervention?" The elder sighs. "Nothing, I'm afraid. We can only hope, and pray that she will pull through."
"She will." Rebecca wants to say through the tightness in her throat. "She's strong."
But strength, no matter how great, has its limits...
"Come on... pick up." He mutters under his breath as his PDA rings. "Pick up. You need to pick up."
The call stays unanswered, arriving on voicemail once more.
"Dammit!" He curses softly.
Someone bangs loudly at the door. "Hey, Wes!" They shout. "Boss wants us ready to go in ten minutes! Hurry up!"
"I know! Hold the freaking Rapidash!" Wes shouts back before turning to his PDA and calling the number again. "Damn it, Aileen. The one time I need you to answer..." He curses softly.
The call reaches voicemail again and he closes his eyes in frustration.
A lithe form brushes against his leg, and he looks down to see Bright looking at him with concern in his purple eyes. His partner's psychic presence brushes against his mind in a wordless question.
"I don't know. This is not like her." He says quietly, jaw clenching. "Something must've happened. The timing feels too coincidental."
Agreement. Bright sends him through their link. The Espeon cannot communicate with full sentences just yet, but he knows it's just a matter of time. Time?
Wes frowns thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Not yet. I overheard the squad leaders talking excitedly between themselves about something we're supposed to receive soon. But it's got to be important if Gonzap has them keeping their mouths shut around the rest of us." His amber eyes narrow. "We have to figure out what it is first, and do something about it if we can."
Bright nods in understanding as there is another round of banging at the door.
"Five minutes, Wes! Move your ass!"
He huffs. "You'd think the 'best snagger' would get a bit more respect around here."
Rising from his bed, the ashen blond youth returns his Pokemon and puts his PDA back into his coat's pocket.
"You took your sweet time." A grunt he cannot be bothered to remember the name of sneers as he unlocks the door. "What, were you rubbing one off or something?"
Wes scowls. "How about you stop talking shit before I shut your trap?"
"Just joking, chill!" The grunt grumbles, raising his hands in surrender. "C'mon, the boss is waiting." He says as he walks away, the young man following with an irritated sigh.
As they walk into the hideout's mess hall the first thing Wes' eyes find is, as always, Gonzap's massive frame towering over everybody else along with his ridiculous eyebrows and mustache.
The boss of Team Snagem nods as he spots Wes. "Now that we're all here, we can begin." His gaze scans the faces looking at him. "You all know the target. Agate Village. Plenty of retired trainers with all kinds of Pokemon and a daycare full of young untrained ones." He pauses. "This is going to be high risk, high reward. Expect heavy resistance. Swarm them and, as usual, get out if you're out of both Pokemon and Snag Balls. Also..."
Wes clenches his fist. "Here it comes..."
"I have it on good authority the costumed bitch is there. And that she's injured." Gonzap bares his teeth in a parody of a smile. "The one who brings me her head and that white mutt of hers gets first pick from the prizes when we're back!"
As the entire mess hall explodes into eager cheers and roars, it takes all of Wes' self-control to keep his face blank.
He can read between the lines. As much as Gonzap talks about it like this is just another raid, he knows better. The snagged Pokemon are simply a bonus.
They're being sent to kill Huntress.
As I have said in my note at the start of this chapter, I have an important bit of news to share with you all.
I have started a P atreon ! You can find it at P atreon dot com / MidnightFenrir353.
This decision also comes with my intention to go from a full-time job to a part-time one for the purpose of being able to write more. The goal would be to write one chapter a month, which in turn would mean much more frequent updates.
Yes, I am shooting for the stars. And I hope that you will help me to do so.
As always, reviews and follows/favorites are greatly appreciated, criticism is welcome, and baseless flaming shall be ignored.
Until next time!
This is MidnightFenrir, signing out.