"Alola, and welcome onboard the Mantine Ferry, service to Melemele, Akala, Ula'ula, and Poni Islands. We'll be taking you to Melemele today, so on your way there, make sure to keep an eye out for the Mantine Surfers! They're always out at this time of day!"
As the captain's voice crackled over the loudspeaker, the waiter arrived with glasses of water for Connie, Serena, and Grimsley. He set down the glasses of water and stepped away rather abruptly, leaving the seven teenagers and Grimsley to their own devices.
Seeker-Of-Endings took the time to glance around; as he'd thought, this deck of the ferry was virtually unoccupied, save for a glasses-wearing woman with an Alolan Meowth by her side, a man sharing a two-strawed orange drink with his Shiinotic, and a pair of Trainers with no visible Pokemon, obscured by sunglasses and robes. None of those Trainers were sitting anywhere near the big group's table.
The big group, for their part, was looking quite apprehensive, though some of the tension was fading, especially among Connie and Theo. Clearly both of them knew Grimsley. Seeker-Of-Endings's eyes were especially locked on Grimsley's Absol, or as he knew him, Keeper-Of-Memories. But Keeper-Of-Memories was as rigid as ever, staring off into nothingness, clearly scanning probabilities.
Grimsley took a sip of his water and leaned back in his seat. "So, Marcus. What brings you to the sunny shores of Alola?"
"Recruiting," Marcus answered. He glanced at Serena, who nodded.
"And you are?" Grimsley asked.
"I'm Serena," the blonde-haired Trainer responded. "These three," she indicated her friends, "are Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor."
The three in question waved.
"And Karen told me about you, Theo," said Grimsley. "Man, I haven't seen you in, what was it, half a year? I'd say you're…two, three inches taller?"
Theo looked somewhat embarrassed and didn't respond as Grimsley glanced to Connie. "And of course I remember you…so you've already got your three Gym Trainers, huh? And barely a week or so in! Not bad, not bad at all."
"Thank you, Elite…I mean, Grimsley," said Marcus.
Grimsley smirked. "Now!" he said, clapping his hands. "I'm actually here on business. Professor Kukui asked me to head to Melemele Island in order to deal with a particular problem he's been having. Apparently an unruly Pangoro's moved into the area around his place and is upsetting the locals. Now I was going to let my team handle it, but it occurs to me that a Pangoro sounds right up your alley, you being Kalosian and all. So I was hoping that you might be willing to give Uncle Grimsley the day off."
Marcus looked up at Grimsley. "Actually, I was kind of hoping to catch a Pangoro," he said. "My first attempt failed, and I got sidetracked, but…"
"Well, if you can convince it to join you, I don't see why that would be a bad thing." Grimsley's grin grew even wider. "It's settled, then?"
"I'll do it," said Marcus.
"Excellent." Grimsley sipped his water again. "There's another small thing I'd like to ask you about. Karen speaks highly of your battling prowess. Do you think you might be able to-"
"Heads up, everybody!"
Nine heads turned to see two figures dressed in black and white, with hats that looked like the tops of skulls and black bandannas tied over their mouths, standing on the edge of the boat. Judging by the Alomomola and the Lanturn by their sides and the fact that their legs were dripping water, it seemed they'd boarded the ferry by sea. Come to think of it, Seeker-Of-Endings realized that the ferry had stopped completely, the engine no longer running.
"Great, Team Skull," Trevor grumbled.
The two nearby trainers obscured by robes stood up and cast off their bulky garb, revealing themselves as two more Team Skull members. "Here's the deal!" one of the Grunts shouted. "As of now, this ferry is no longer in service! And without the ferry, no Island Challengers will be making their way between Melemele and Akala Islands!"
"Actually," said the woman with the Alolan Meowth, "there are two other ferries that service this route, plus ferries that go from Melemele to the other two islands, and then you could take one from the other islands to Akala-"
"Shut up!" the Grunt yelled. "Anyway, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, we'll be shutting down this ferry until further notice! So you all just stay seated, and don't try to be heroes, you hear? Anyone who tries to play a hero will get their Pokemon stolen!"
"The woman's right," Connie whispered. "This really isn't going to do anything. At best it'll delay a few people for a few hours."
"That's Team Skull," Shauna whispered back. "This is what they do. Petty crimes, bullying, and small amounts of Pokemon thievery. This…this is actually really big for them, from what I've heard from Elio and Hau."
"They've got to be planning something bigger," Tierno mused.
"Grimsley?" Theo asked. "Are you going to do anything?"
Grimsley sipped his water again. "Maybe."
"Marcus," said Serena. "There's a reason he's not acting."
Seeker-Of-Endings saw Marcus's eyes widen slightly. He nodded in understanding. "How strong are their Pokemon, on average?"
"Not very," said Trevor. "Stronger than the average Team Flare Grunt, but that's not saying much."
"Good." Marcus stood from his seat, hand dropping to his Pokeballs.
"Hey!" one of the Team Skull Grunts shouted. "When we say anyone, that includes you!"
"What's the big plan here?" Marcus asked. "Congratulations. You've stopped a ferry. Which I don't get how, by the way…"
"Easy!" another of the Grunts said. "Our fifth Grunt managed to sneak into the captain's place with a teleporting Claydol and KO'd him!"
The other three Grunts sighed in annoyance. "Anyway," said the first Grunt, "yeah. We've stopped a ferry."
"But…what happens next?" Marcus asked. "Eventually, someone's going to figure out that one of the ferries is stopped, and then they'll send someone out…so what happens in the meantime?"
"You know what?" the Grunt said. "I'll tell you. That same Grunt is now heading down to the engine room, where he'll be disabling the engine of the ferry for good. Then we'll be leaving, and you'll all get to be stuck here while we get away scot-free!"
Grimsley glanced to the rest of the group. "I'm pretty sure Marcus has things up here…but that doesn't sound too good, does it?"
Serena, Connie, and Theo glanced at one another. "I'll do it," all three said.
"Marcus might need some help," said Theo. "Since Grimsley doesn't seem inclined to help out, one of us should stay up here just in case."
"I'll stay," said Connie.
"In that case, I'll let Absol come with you two," said Grimsley. "He could use the exercise."
Theo and Serena stood; Seeker-Of-Endings watched Keeper-Of-Memories carefully as the Elite Four-level Absol rose, stretched, and gestured with his head towards the nearby door leading down to the engine room.
"Hey, you two! Stop right there!"
Apparently yet another Team Skull Grunt had been hiding, lying in wait on this side of the ship. In an instant, Connie was up from her seat as well. "Get down there! I've got this!"
The Grunt turned to face Connie, releasing a fairly strong-looking Alolan Raticate onto the deck of the ferry. Connie released Scrafty in answer; the last thing Seeker-Of-Endings saw before Serena rushed through the just-opened door was the two springing at each other, and then dark, barely-illuminated walls blocked his view.
His Pokeball hissed, and Seeker-Of-Endings found himself standing next to Keeper-Of-Memories. Looking down, Seeker-Of-Endings could see a narrow flight of stairs before him. "Absol, join Grimsley's Absol and scout ahead," said Serena, making sure not to use his real name in front of Theo.
Seeker-Of-Endings nodded in affirmation, glancing to Seeker-Of-Endings. The stronger Herald nodded in return, and the two began to tiptoe down the staircase, Serena and Theo following close behind.
"I was hoping to talk to you," Keeper-Of-Memories whispered. "From what I heard, things went well with Marcus?"
"Yes, Serena is now officially one of his Gym Trainers," said Seeker-Of-Endings.
"Good," said Keeper-Of-Memories. "With regards to Aether Paradise, have you communicated the happenings to Bringer-Of-Visions?"
"No, I assumed she would know," said Seeker-Of-Endings.
"Do not assume such a thing," said Keeper-Of-Memories. "I do not know if she knows or not. I know because I was in Alola, and Grimsley watches the news. At your first opportunity, send her a message via Perish Song and report the happenings."
"Did you try using Future Sight on those…creatures?" Seeker-Of-Endings asked.
"Yes, I did," said Keeper-Of-Memories. "It is…strange, to say the least."
"For something not to appear at all…it's like those things didn't even exist," said Seeker-Of-Endings. "And yet I saw them. I touched Nihilego, and yet I could not see it."
"So you haven't tried since the battle?" Keeper-Of-Memories asked.
"No, why?"
"Because when I looked again this morning, I saw them," said Keeper-Of-Memories. "I could not see their impact on possible futures, but I could see them in the past. It was as if the timeline was filling itself in. As if time had spontaneously remembered that those creatures actually existed."
"That makes no sense-"
"Shh," said Keeper-Of-Memories as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Both Absols stopped and listened. Someone was humming up ahead; a quick glance around the corner revealed a Team Skull Grunt, humming to himself as he twisted a wheel, a Claydol keeping watch as the Grunt went about his work.
"I'll deal with the Grunt," said Keeper-Of-Memories. "You take the Claydol. Our Trainers can deal with whatever other Pokemon he has."
"Got it," said Seeker-Of-Endings.
Keeper-Of-Memories shifted into Oblivion and was lost from sight. A second later, Seeker-Of-Endings saw him reappear right next to the Grunt. His horn blazed with Psychic energy as he touched it to the Grunt's forehead. The humming stopped as the Grunt toppled over, landing hard on the metal floor of the engine room.
Seeker-Of-Endings did not yet know how to utilize the Oblivion-teleportation technique that the more experienced Heralds knew, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He lunged around the corner, hurling a barrage of Pursuit rays at the Claydol. Much to his annoyance, the Claydol managed a Protect, deflecting the rays. "Intruders detected," the Psychic/Ground-type droned. "Anti-Dark Blast."
A surge of Fairy energy burst forth from the Claydol's body; in the confines of the engine room, it was practically undodgeable, even with Detect. Damn it! Seeker-Of-Endings knew it was his fault; he'd gotten overconfident, and as the blast struck him full in the face and sent him flying into the wall of the engine room, he knew he only had himself to blame.
Worse, this Grunt had no seals on his Pokeballs. In a flash, a Primarina, an Alolan Sandslash, and a Parasect appeared in the room, twisting to face the incoming threats. Theo and Serena released their full teams into the room.
Serena's team Seeker-Of-Endings knew, but Theo's he didn't. From the looks of things he was Hoennese, with a Cacturne, a Crawdaunt, a Mightyena, and a Weavile. Only four they numbered, but combined with Serena's team and Keeper-Of-Memories, the Grunt's team was badly outnumbered.
To their credit, they fought. The Primarina instantly opened fire on the Dark-types with a flurry of Fairy-type attacks, the Alolan Sandslash raced straight for Sylveon, claws gleaming with Steel energy, and the Parasect moved in front of the Claydol, allowing it to unleash a barrage of Psychic energy as the Parasect raised its claws to defend the Claydol from the oncoming Dark-types. But the Claydol's Psychic energy met Delphox and Meowstic's own Psychic attacks and was overcome, its user flying backwards into a large pipe with a pained groan. The Primarina didn't see Jolteon coming and was thrown to the ground by a powerful blast of Electric energy. The Parasect was beset by Theo's entire team and went down under their combined numbers. And Keeper-Of-Memories disappeared again, reappearing just in time to deflect the Alolan Sandlash's claws with his horn and retaliate with a swift swipe that sent the enemy Pokemon staggering.
Delphox twisted, blasting the Alolan Sandslash with a Flamethrower and sending it flying into the nearby wall. Altaria swooped in, slamming into the Primarina alongside Jolteon, and together the two Pokemon bore the Water/Fairy-type to the ground. Claydol rose, and managed to get off a Protect against a Shadow Ball thrown by Meowstic, but Theo's Weavile lunged forwards and, at his Trainer's command, ripped into it with a flurry of Dark and Ice-type attacks, quickly and brutally knocking it out.
The Parasect was already down, buried under the rest of Theo's team, and as Seeker-Of-Endings watched the Primarina succumbed to Altaria and Jolteon. Seeker-Of-Endings sighed as he locked eyes with Keeper-Of-Memories; the Elite Four-level Herald's eyes were narrowed in a silent rebuke.
"Well, I have no idea how this place works," said Theo. "You?"
"No," said Serena. "But it doesn't seem damaged, at least not too badly."
"From what I can tell, I bet it'll still run," said Theo. "Let's secure this Grunt and his Pokemon and get back up there. Hopefully the other Grunts haven't proven to be too much trouble."
"You know what?" the Grunt said. "I'll tell you. That same Grunt is now heading down to the engine room, where he'll be disabling the engine of the ferry for good. Then we'll be leaving, and you'll all get to be stuck here while we get away scot-free!"
Marcus sighed as if mentally preparing himself. "Yeah, that's not happening."
The Team Skull Grunts shook their heads. "Seriously? We gave this whole big speech and everything…fine. Kyle! Show him what's what!"
One of the Grunts, the one that had initially told Marcus about the fifth Grunt, stepped forwards, releasing a gruff-looking Cubone from a Pokeball as he did so. "You got it, bro! Now, hero, because I'm nice and all, I'll give you one more chance. Sit down and shut up, or we'll be taking all your Pokemon as-"
Marcus released Houndoom onto the ship's deck.
Free of his Luxury Ball, Houndoom glared at the Cubone opposite him. He had to admit, he was glad Marcus had let him fight this battle. Team Skull reminded him far too much of Team Flare. Sure, they seemed less of a threat, but Houndoom knew full well that appearances could be deceiving.
After all, Team Flare hadn't seemed like too much of a threat when he'd first joined them. And whatever threat level they actually possessed, all it had taken was the Pokemon-stealing rhetoric to ensure Houndoom wanted nothing more than to beat every Pokemon these Grunts sent out to a pulp.
In the moment before the fight began, Houndoom felt obliged to take stock of the situation nearby. Behind him, Theo and Serena were disappearing around a corner, while Connie and her Scrafty were squaring off against another Grunt and his Alolan Raticate. Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor were still sitting at the table, eyes scanning the area, watching as the fights unfolded. From the look of things they wanted to help, but clearly they recognized that the situation was both likely under control and plenty chaotic enough already. Grimsley was also at the table, sipping his water and watching Marcus intently.
"Heh, I've got the Type advantage!" Kyle stated gleefully. "Cubone, beat that Pokemon up!"
Right. Battle. Houndoom's eyes locked onto his opponent once more.
"Knock him off balance, then Ice Fang," Marcus ordered.
Houndoom charged the oncoming Cubone. "Bone Slam!" Cubone cried, hauling back his bone for a swing.
"Flame Tongue!" Houndoom unleashed a wave of Fire energy at Cubone. Cubone twisted to slam his bone into the Flame Tongue, clearly intending to block the blast with his swing. He managed it surprisingly well, type advantage making up for a lack of strength, but Houndoom's main goal was achieved; Cubone's rush was arrested and he'd been forced to play defense.
A defense that would not be able to withstand Houndoom.
Houndoom leaped forwards strongly, hurling himself through the dissipating flames of his own attack. "Ice Jaws!"
"Whoa! Get back!" Kyle shouted. Cubone hurled himself aside as fast as he could, but Houndoom's jaws still nicked his side. Cubone spun in a half-circle, completely off balance.
"Bonemerang!" Kyle cried.
"Dark Surge!" Houndoom growled, needing no order. A blast of Dark energy slammed into Cubone as he attempted to readjust. Cubone flew into the inner wall of the ferry and bounced off, leaving a dent behind.
He was still conscious, but Houndoom could see him shaking his head in an attempt to clear it and knew his assault was taking its toll. A nagging voice in the back of his mind warned him that such an assault would have taken down a Pokemon from any Team Flare Grunt. That this Cubone was stronger than it looked, and could possibly present a real threat.
He pushed that voice to the side. A few more hits like that and Cubone would be done.
"Bone Toss!" Cubone threw his bone at Houndoom, Ground energy flaring around the weapon as it spun through the air. "Dodge!" Marcus ordered. Houndoom hurled himself to the side, avoiding the thrown weapon.
"Again!" Marcus cried. Houndoom heard a whistling behind him and did as Marcus said. The bone twisted in midair and came circling back around, flying through the spot where Houndoom had been a split second ago.
"Bonemerang again!" Kyle urged. "He can't dodge forever!"
As if I'm going to dodge forever.
"Ice Fang! Catch it!" Marcus cried. Houndoom grinned. That I can do.
Instead of dodging, Houndoom leaped into the air, Ice energy covering his teeth once more. Bone met jaws, and as Houndoom fell the bone was caught in his teeth, the Ground energy surrounding it dissipated by his Ice Jaws.
Houndoom spat out the bone; it landed on the deck of the ferry with a thud. Cubone stared at it with wide eyes, then slowly turned to glare at Houndoom. "Give that back!" Cubone demanded.
Houndoom wasn't normally one to play with his food. But he looked at Marcus anyway, waiting for his Trainer's command.
"Finish it," Marcus ordered.
Houndoom lunged straight for Cubone. "Ice Jaws!"
"Headbutt!" Kyle ordered. Cubone charged Houndoom, head lowered as Normal energy surged around his body.
Houndoom heard Marcus cry "Foul Play!" just as he and Cubone crashed into one another. Houndoom's jaw exploded with pain and he reeled backwards, tasting blood. He could see Cubone sitting down on the deck heavily and shaking his head to try and clear it. Houndoom spat out a mouthful of blood. Cubone was groaning, making no attempt to get up.
"Flame Tongue." Cubone had no time to get up before Houndoom let fly with another wave of Fire energy. Cubone's cry of pain quickly trailed off as he slumped to the deck of the ferry. Houndoom didn't even wait for Kyle to recall Cubone; he rounded on the Team Skull Grunt, eyes narrowed, awaiting the Grunt's next Pokemon.
"C'mon, Kyle, you got this!" The other three Grunts cheered as Kyle sent out a Lumineon. The Water-type readied itself, scales shimmering. Houndoom did so as well, excited to surprise his next opponent with a Thunder Fang.
"Houndoom, return," Marcus ordered.
Houndoom swung his head around to face Marcus. "I want this one," he growled, shaking his head to ensure he got the point across.
Marcus slowly nodded his head. "All right."
Satisfied, Houndoom turned back towards Lumineon. "Okay, we've got this!" Kyle cried. "Lumineon, Water Pulse!"
With a cry of "Soaking Burst!", Lumineon gathered a sphere of Water energy in front of herself and flung it at Houndoom. Houndoom simply stared it down. His Power Herb flashed. "Solar Surge."
In the blink of an eye, Houndoom gathered and released a spectacular beam of Grass energy straight at Lumineon. The Solar Surge blasted through the Soaking Burst and slammed into the Water-type; she screamed as the attack struck her and carried her along with it. Kyle dove out of the way and the other Team Skull Grunts scattered as Houndoom's Solar Surge carried Lumineon clean off the deck of the ferry.
A faint splash sounded from the water below as the Solar Surge disappeared into the sky. Kyle's jaw was slack, and the other Grunts had ceased any and all cheering for their friend.
"You might want to go and get your Pokemon," Marcus warned.
Kyle half stepped, half staggered backwards, keeping both eyes locked on Houndoom. "How…what…who even are you? How are you this strong?"
"Name's Marcus," was the response. "And I'm training to become a Dark-type Gym Leader. I've got some other Pokemon who could also use some practice. So if you want to help with that, be my guest. Otherwise? You might want to leave."
Kyle recalled Lumineon and looked to his friends. "Guys…I've only got one Pokemon left, and…it doesn't look like Ron over there is doing too hot." He pointed to the Grunt on the opposite side of the ferry, whose Alolan Muk was being thrashed by Connie's Scrafty.
"No problem!" The three Grunts stepped forwards. "We'd prefer to face you in a normal battle…but if you're gonna be this difficult, we'll have to come at you full force!"
Together, Kyle and the other three Grunts released fifteen Pokemon onto the deck of the ferry, a motley mixture ranging from a tiny Alolan Rattata (Kyle's third) to a Dragonite of all things.
Marcus sighed. "Grimsley?"
Houndoom turned his head to see the former Unova Elite Four member set down his water and rise from his seat. "Yeah, nothing to be learned from watching you get ganged up on," said Grimsley. "I'd give you some pointers, but how about we wait until we're done with these guys?"
With that, he cast off his white robe just like the disguised Grunts had done, revealing his black clothing and his array of Pokeballs. "Krookodile! Sharpedo!" he called, releasing the two Pokemon in question as he did so. "I reckon you'll be enough for this one."
The Grunts all clearly knew exactly who Grimsley was, for all of them were staring open-mouthed at the former Elite Four member, completely ignoring Marcus and Houndoom.
It was then that Theo and Serena raced back around the corner. "Engine room's secure!" Serena called. "Need any help over there?"
The Grunts' eyes widened even further. "Screw this!" one of them cried. "Let's get out of here!"
The four Grunts whirled and leaped off the side of the boat, gigantic splashes indicating their landings. Houndoom raced over to the railing, Marcus at his heels, to see the Grunts clambering onto the Alomomola and Lanturn they'd initially ridden to the boat.
"Leave them," said Marcus. "There's no point." Houndoom, who had been preparing to fire a Solar Beam at the Alomomola, sighed and allowed the energy to fade.
"Sorry, you two," said Grimsley to the disappointed-looking Krookodile and Sharpedo. "I'll get you some treats after we're done here, okay?"
The two Pokemon grinned as Grimsley recalled them.
The waiter, who had apparently been hiding behind the bar the entire time, rose into view. "I'll, ah, go see if the captain's okay."
"That would be great," said Grimsley. "And once you've done that, could I have a refill on my water?"
Nodding, the waiter raced upstairs.
"Now," said Grimsley, "let's deal with the two ruffians still on board this ship, and then what say we sit down and talk a little?"
"First off, allow me to explain something to you," said Grimsley. The group were now sitting around the table once again, all sipping waters that Grimsley had graciously paid for. Ironically, the ferry was being held up anyway as Kahuna Olivia and a couple of Ace Trainers dealt with the two Grunts that had been captured; they were now escorting the duo and their Pokemon onto a small boat, preparing to ship them to Akala Island where they'd be imprisoned.
"There are two kinds of Dark-type Trainers," said Grimsley. "And there's a Dark-type technique that's basically the signature move of each kind. Makes it easy to remember. First, there's the kind that relies on dirty tricks. Flinching. Toxic stalling. Confusion. The signature move for that kind of Trainer is Sucker Punch. It's a practically instantaneous move. Hard to anticipate, even harder to avoid. Karen's that kind of Trainer. Count yourself lucky you didn't have to fight her; I have, and she's a nasty opponent."
Houndoom glanced at Theo to see him nodding in confirmation.
"And then there's the kind that uses brute force," said Grimsley. "Dirty fighting combined with sheer power. Night Slash, Knock Off, Foul Play. The signature move for that kind of Trainer is Crunch. A simple yet powerful biting move that can easily disable a limb. I'd count myself as that kind of Trainer. Now I only know the capabilities of one of your Pokemon, but your Houndoom definitely strikes me as the brute-force kind of Dark-type. May I see him?"
Once again Houndoom found himself standing on the deck, only this time all eyes were completely on him. Even the eyes of Grimsley's Absol, Sharpedo, and Krookodile, who were glancing up from the bowls of food that Grimsley had ordered for them as a reward. Houndoom looked up at Grimsley, trying to maintain a confident demeanor despite rising nervousness.
"Yes, definitely a good specimen." Grimsley's analytical eyes were studying Houndoom intensely. "Let me tell you, Houndoom…does he have a nickname?"
"No," Marcus responded.
"I'm impressed, Houndoom," said Grimsley. "The way you staggered that Cubone with Flamethrower before going in with Ice Fang, the interception of the Cubone's bone to remove his main weapon of attack, and that instant Power Herb-boosted Solar Beam…for the level you're at, it's quite exemplary." As Houndoom grinned at the praise, Grimsley looked back at Marcus. "Where did you get him?"
"He was actually owned by a Team Flare Grunt," said Marcus. "He didn't like it very much, so he joined us after we beat his Trainer."
Houndoom at once sensed the atmosphere had changed. Not among the rest of the table, but Grimsley and his team all shifted subtly at Marcus's words. Houndoom felt eyes watching his backside and knew they were coming from Grimsley's team. He shuddered slightly, not wanting to turn around for fear of what he might see.
"So he had experience before he joined you," Grimsley said, his voice a tiny bit softer. "That's good. Previous experience is always nice."
Then his demeanor shifted back to normal in an instant. "So," he said, "now that I've seen one of your Pokemon, I would very much like to see the others." With a flick of his fingers, he released the other three members of his team; a Scrafty just like Connie's, a menacing-looking Bisharp, and most interestingly, a Liepard of his own that seemed practically identical to Marcus's Liepard in demeanor. Houndoom felt even more vulnerable under the gazes of all six of Grimsley's Pokemon; he was relieved when Marcus finally recalled him, allowing him to watch the proceedings from the safety of his Luxury Ball.
"How many more Dark-types do you have?" Grimsley asked.
"Two," Marcus answered.
"In that case," said Grimsley, "choose one of my Pokemon. I'll battle you with that Pokemon in a one-on-one battle against your other two Dark-types. Which would you prefer?"
Marcus scanned the team closely, eyeing each one. Houndoom was guiltily relieved that he wouldn't have to battle any of Grimsley's Pokemon. Notwithstanding the fact that any one of Grimsley's team could certainly hammer Houndoom in a one-on-one, Houndoom knew that they wouldn't treat him with anything resembling mercy.
"Liepard," Marcus said at last.
"Excellent choice," said Grimsley. "Liepard here was actually my lead Pokemon back when I was an Elite Four member. I look forward to seeing how your team stacks up against her."
Grimsley's Liepard glanced at the rest of her team; Scrafty and Sharpedo were grinning in anticipation. "No cheering," Grimsley's Liepard growled. Scrafty and Sharpedo's grins faded.
"Good luck out there," said Bisharp.
Liepard smirked. "I doubt I'll need it. This shouldn't take too much effort."
A flash of anger rankled Houndoom's mind as he eyed Grimsley's Liepard. Now part of him was wishing he could take a shot at her, if only to wipe that smirk off her face. He at least hoped that Liepard and Drapion could do that anyway.
Marcus and Grimsley moved to the back of the ferry, which was clear of chairs and generally seemed laid out like a battle arena. The rest of the table's occupants followed; Connie, Theo, and Serena seemed especially interested in watching Marcus's performance, while Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor seemed more interested in watching Grimsley. The various other ferry passengers began to gather around as well; from the crisis with Team Skull, all of them now knew that a former Elite Four member was on the ferry, and were clearly anticipating watching him crush Marcus. Houndoom could even see a few Pokedollars changing hands as Marcus and Grimsley got into position.
Grimsley's Liepard stepped in front of her Trainer, awaiting the emergence of Marcus's first Pokemon with an air of 'let's just get this over with'. But Houndoom saw her eyes glitter when Marcus unsurprisingly released his own Liepard first.
Grimsley chuckled at the sight. "Now I see why you chose my Liepard. Very well…let's see how yours stacks up."
Liepard stared down Grimsley's Liepard, the two's eyes locked, daring each other to make the first move. Houndoom knew from experience that Liepard had what Marcus called Fake Out, which would allow her to make the first move; most likely Grimsley's Liepard had it as well, though, and Houndoom had no idea how that interaction would take place.
In that moment where Houndoom's mind wandered, Liepard lunged, cannoning across the deck of the ferry. "Tranche Rapide!"
Grimsley's Liepard didn't even bother with Fake Out. She merely yawned and raised a Protect, deflecting the strike with an air so casual that Houndoom wondered if she was even paying attention.
"Poursuite!" Liepard's next effort was a flurry of Pursuit rays that arced around the dissipating Protect. Grimsley's Liepard eyed the incoming rays, and for a moment Houndoom thought she might just let them hit her.
Then she moved.
Her claws came out, she reared, and with a flurry of swipes so fast her paws blurred, Grimsley's Liepard swatted the Pursuit rays out of the sky one after another, dispersing them with claws alone. Then she paused, once more staring down her opposite number.
"Back," Marcus urged. Clearly he wanted her to get some distance. But as Liepard lifted her front paw an inch off the ground to take a step back, Grimsley's Liepard hurled herself forwards. With only three paws on the ground, Liepard stumbled, barely raising her front paws in time to deflect the swift swipe that Grimsley's Liepard aimed at her face. Grimsley's Liepard drove another paw into Liepard's exposed stomach, doubling her over, then twisted and-
"Tranche Ventouse!"
-and barely evaded the Sucker Punch that Liepard retaliated with. "Rock-Crushing Blow," Grimsley's Liepard growled. Fighting energy washed across her right paw just as it slammed into Liepard's left cheek. A nasty crack sounded as the super-effective attack send Liepard staggering.
"Tripping Vine." A burst of grass energy arose under Liepard's left back paw, coalescing into a vine that swiftly coiled around the limb. Her momentum arrested, Liepard could not recover; her back hit the deck of the ferry hard.
"Copycat!" Marcus cried.
"Farceur: Imitateur," Liepard spat, copying her opponent's move. Despite Grimsley's Liepard's insane speed, Prankster meant that even she couldn't avoid the copied vine that coiled around her back right leg. She managed to stay upright, but the time that it took for her to slice through the vine with a swift slash of Dark energy gave Liepard time to roll back to her feet and unleash another Pursuit at Grimsley's Liepard.
This time Grimsley's Liepard blocked it with a Protect, then retaliated with a Pursuit of her own; eight rays streaked from Grimsley's Liepard's mouth towards Liepard. "Farceur: Imitateur," Liepard hissed, once more copying Grimsley's Liepard. Eight identical Pursuit rays lanced out from Liepard, and eight explosions of Dark energy pierced the air as they impacted their counterparts.
Grimsley's Liepard was already charging yet again. "Tripping Vine," she growled, but this time Liepard was expecting it, and she managed to rip her leg free before the vine could coil around it. But the movement left her off balance, and Grimsley's Liepard took full advantage of that, driving a two-pawed blow into Liepard's face. Another Pursuit flew from the mouth of Grimsley's Liepard, only six rays this time, impacting Liepard's staggering body one after the other. "Iron Tail." Grimsley's Liepard spun, flicking her tail at Liepard's face. As it impacted it flared with Steel energy, and once more Liepard was thrown to the deck of the ferry.
Blood was dripping from both sides of her face as she stood once more. "Focus," Marcus urged. "When she comes at you again, meet her."
Grimsley grinned. He hadn't yet given his Liepard a command, and he didn't seem to be doing it now.
His Liepard abruptly split into a dozen Liepards in a classic use of Double Team. "Poursuite!" Liepard snarled, launching a flurry of rays that dispersed five of the copies. But the remaining seven were already charging, and Liepard's eyes were flicking between each one, clearly unable to tell which was real.
"Copycat again!" Marcus cried.
"Aerial Ace!" Grimsley finally called an order.
Houndoom's eyes widened. He knew some moves were designed to automatically pinpoint an opponent's position as if they were utilizing Kriesh's Sniper Ability, and as such could counter moves like Double Team. Aerial Ace was one of those moves. And as such, even as Liepard split into a dozen copies with her Copycatted Double Team, a hiss came from somewhere within the group of Grimsley's seven Liepards - "Pinpoint Strike." - and all seven swiveled and rushed a specific opposing Liepard.
"It's the rightmost one!" Marcus cried.
Grimsley's Liepard had made a mistake. The Flying energy for Aerial Ace had only surrounded the rightmost Liepard. Wait a minute, Houndoom thought. That's a stupid mistake…but she's Elite Four-level…
No. It's a trap.
"Tranche Vicieuse!" Liepard hissed triumphantly, lunging straight for her rightmost opponent. Her paw made contact, only for her opponent to disappear in a puff of smoke.
Substitute.
"Hyper Beam!" Grimsley called.
The Double Team images faded as Grimsley's Liepard flickered into view, skidding to a halt right next to Liepard. "Overpowering Beam," Grimsley's Liepard hissed. A staggeringly bright beam of raw Normal energy, nearly twice the size of what Kriesh normally mustered, engulfed Liepard before she could even react.
Marcus raised Liepard's Pokeball and recalled her out of the Hyper Beam. She was almost certainly unconscious, and even if she wasn't, there was no sense in letting her take the force of that attack for any longer.
"Not bad," said Grimsley. "Seriously - in a battle against a stronger opponent, copying that opponent's moves is a very smart play, and your Liepard clearly is quite experienced with the move. Prankster, I assume?"
"Yeah," said Marcus.
"I thought so, that kind of speed is only available through Prankster or a massive amount of experience." Grimsley looked down at his own Liepard. "Well done. One more to go."
Grimsley's Liepard trotted back towards her Trainer, her fur barely ruffled.
Marcus wordlessly released Drapion onto the ferry deck. The powerful Poison/Dark-type's eyes were narrowed in a furious glare. Grimsley's Liepard smiled. "One down, one to go," she taunted.
"Ya won't find me as easy," Drapion retorted. "Pierce."
This time Grimsley's Liepard didn't bother with the lazy act. Once again she reared, flailing her paws through the air, swiping the spikes Drapion fired out of the air one after another. "Blast!" Drapion snarled, seeking to overwhelm her with the powerful burst of Poison energy, but a quick Protect was all Grimsley's Liepard needed to intercept the X-shaped blast.
"Shadow Ball," Grimsley advised.
"Disrupting Sphere." Grimsley's Liepard formed a sphere of Ghost energy in one paw and flung it at Drapion. This, though, was frustrated by Drapin's own Protect. Grimsley's Liepard frowned slightly. "Pierce!" Drapion snarled again; as the spikes flew from his body he rushed his opponent, hoping to catch her off guard.
But Grimsley's Liepard did not fall for the ploy; in an instant she was off, hurling herself sideways, the Bug energy-tipped spikes sticking into the deck where she had been. Grimsley's Liepard spun, tossing another swiftly-formed Disrupting Sphere at Drapion's side. Again Drapion mustered a Protect to block it. "Tripping Vine," Grimsley's Liepard growled as Drapion twisted towards her. The vine that lashed out from the ground snaked around Drapion's left back leg as he twisted; he toppled onto his side, snarling in rage.
Grimsley's Liepard lunged straight for him, almost blurring with how fast she was moving. "Battle Armor!" Drapion snarled. Grimsley's Liepard's swift strike slammed into a wall of suddenly-appearing chitin. Clearly she hadn't been prepared for it; the Elite Four-level Pokemon stumbled, shaking her paw in pain.
It took all of a second for her to refocus and regain her footing, but Drapion took full advantage of that second. "Slam!" he snarled, swinging his left arm at his opponent. Grimsley's Liepard managed to leap backwards, avoiding the swipe. "No Escape!" Drapion growled, and once more the attack nearly hit, but Grimsley's Liepard had a Protect ready.
"Rip!" Even as the Pursuit rays bounced off the Protect, Drapion hurled himself at Grimsley's Liepard, right arm outstretched. Grimsley's Liepard lunged to the side, barely evading Drapion's grasping claws, and another Disrupting Sphere flew from her paw as she landed. Drapion didn't react in time; the blast of Ghost energy slammed into his side and sent him skidding across the ferry deck with a snarl of pain.
He raised his head to glare at his opponent. Grimsley's Liepard glared levelly back. The two held gazes for a few seconds, but Houndoom's eyes weren't focused on them.
They were focused on the unmistakable spot of blood under the right shoulder of Grimsley's Liepard.
Slowly, Grimsley's Liepard turned to look at her shoulder, where a single claw-mark stained her fur red. From the small amounts of purple in the wound, she'd been poisoned as well. Her eyes narrowed and she turned back towards Drapion, anger filling her expression. "Hmph," she growled. "I think not."
Houndoom hadn't even been able to see Grimsley's Liepard's belly up until now. Quickly, she bent down and snatched something from that area with her teeth; a small green berry, glistening in the sunlight. Houndoom recognized it as a Lum Berry, used in the wild to cure sicknesses and even to stave off sleep. In Trainer battles a Lum Berry could be used to cure poison, paralysis, and other assorted afflictions that many high-level battlers utilized. Grimsley's Liepard chomped down on the Lum Berry, chewing and swallowing it quickly. The poison around her wound instantly faded; perhaps even more alarmingly, an aura of energy flared to life around her body. Grimsley's Liepard crouched, readying herself to spring.
"Unburden?" Marcus queried, eyes widening.
"You guessed it," said Grimsley. "Finish it, Liepard."
Grimsley's Liepard smirked. And then she lunged at Drapion so fast that Houndoom was half convinced she'd teleported somehow. Her paw was lodged in Drapion's throat before he could even activate Battle Armor.
"Rock-Crushing Blow."
Fighting energy surged around the paw and Drapion staggered, gasping for breath. "Iron Tail," Grimsley's Liepard growled, spinning and catching Drapion across the jaw with her Steel energy-covered tail. "Disrupting Sphere." A Shadow Ball flew into Drapion's exposed stomach, knocking what little air remained completely out of Drapion. Grimsley's Liepard hurled herself at the same area, paws outstretched.
"Battle…Armor…" Drapion gasped out.
"Rock-Crushing Blow."
Grimsley's Liepard slammed a brutal blow into Drapion's chitin; a nasty crunch sounded and Drapion roared in agony, doubling over around the strike. Grimsley's Liepard's paws blurred as she unleashed a rapid-fire flurry of Rock-Crushing Blows into Drapion's body, striking everywhere she could reach. Drapion writhed under the pounding, unable to do anything but shift his Battle Armor to try and somewhat tank through the hits, but the brutal punches thrown by Grimsley's Liepard broke through the chitin as if it were light wood, and Houndoom could see cracks forming in Drapion's armor with every hit.
Grimsley's Liepard didn't stop, just continued to punch and punch and punch. Both Trainers watched, Grimsley with pride, Marcus with horrified revulsion. It took a few seconds before Marcus raised his voice. "Stop! I forfeit!"
At once Liepard sprang back, abandoning her onslaught and allowing Drapion to slump to the ground. Even after that he was still conscious, if barely, but he was clearly in no state to fight.
Marcus recalled Drapion, and Grimsley recalled his Liepard, both thanking their Pokemon for the effort.
"I have to admit," said Grimsley, setting his Liepard's Pokeball back on his belt, "your Drapion is quite efficient with his Battle Armor. Unburden is Liepard's trump card; I congratulate you for making me use it."
"Thanks," said Marcus. "And thanks for the battle. It was…informative."
Grimsley smiled. "Good on you," he said. "A good contender just seeks the next victory without bragging after winning, and without getting upset after losing. I like that about you. Keep that attitude."
"I will," said Marcus. "Don't worry."
Grimsley nodded. "Heh…once we get to Melemele, make sure your Pokemon are healed up before we go to Kukui's, okay?" He looked around at the crowd that had gathered. "All right, party's over! Head back to your seats, and let's just enjoy the rest of this trip!"
The creature wasn't sure what he was doing. His mind kept screaming at him, telling him that this was stupid, that he should get out of here. That following this group of teenagers to Ula'ula Island was idiotic. And yet, as the trio of teenagers stepped off the boat, the creature followed anyway, sticking to the shadows, hiding behind everything in sight.
The group stopped moving; they appeared to be talking amongst themselves, discussing upcoming Island Trials and hotels to stay in. The creature ducked behind a nearby garbage can, peering around the corner with one eye.
"hello?"
The creature very nearly jumped out from behind the trash can in terror. Quickly, he recoiled, shrinking back against it, trembling, eyes locked on the strange purple smoky Pokemon floating gently in front of it.
"you don't need to be afraid," said the smoky Pokemon. "i'm sorry for startling you."
"Who are you?" the creature asked. "How did you know I was here?"
"i am cosmog," said the smoky Pokemon. "you can also call me nebby, if you prefer that. and i didn't actually know you were here. it's just my teleportation."
"Teleportation?"
"yes, it's kinda weird," said Cosmog. "i can't really control when and where i teleport. it just happens. but i've always found that it takes me where i need to go. so sometimes i can predict it. this time i couldn't; one moment i was in my bag, the next i was here watching you."
The creature took a deep breath. "Okay, Cosmog. Please, don't tell anyone else that I was here."
"i won't," said Cosmog. "but i have to ask…why are you here?"
"I…I don't really know why I'm here," said the creature. "I just feel…I just feel like I have to be. Like I can't just sit back and watch. Something's happening. And I have a feeling that group of Trainers is going to be at the center of it."
"fair enough," said Cosmog. "if it helps, i sense it too. you are welcome to follow. but can you tell me what i can call you?"
The creature took another deep breath. "You can call me Marshadow."
Ripper paced, his paws treading back and forth across the dirt. The warm air and sunshine of Alola were ignored, as was the conversation Betrayer-Of-Kin was having with Nidoking nearby. Ripper's mind was concentrated entirely on the vengeance-filled thoughts inside his head.
He'd promised to hold in his urges. To refrain from going after Marcus and Kriesh until he was stronger. But seeing them dangling so tantalizingly close had brought those urges out again. So he paced, his thoughts calling for him to ignore Betrayer-Of-Kin and Nidoking. To hunt down and exterminate that Fearow for what she'd done to him.
All he'd ever wanted was to be strong. To be seen as the strongest around, the one that the weak looked up towards in fear. That was why he'd joined Team Flare. But now he was stuck traveling with two Pokemon much stronger than he was. Two Pokemon that he knew, he knew, were looking down upon him as weak. They hadn't voiced their opinions, but he knew them regardless. And Kriesh…she had never truly beaten him. She was weaker, he knew, but every time they fought, she hid behind the rest of her team. First that Meditite, then the Houndoom. Even now, she hid safely on her Trainer's belt.
And yet she got to be seen as the victor. It was so humiliating, so unfair! Ripper let out a furious snarl, shaking his head in frustration. He could see Kriesh now, staring at him with those mocking eyes, taunting him for his weakness.
"Hello?"
Three sets of eyes whirled to see a small Pikipek standing at the entrance to their hideout. "I…I'm sorry, I was just looking for a place to stay," the Pikipek said. "My family…I don't know where they've gone, and I know they'll come and find me, so I want to find a place to wait in the meantime…I'll find another place."
Ripper eyed the Pikipek with fury; for a moment, it was Kriesh standing before his eyes.
Nidoking began to gather Poison energy to his horn, but Betrayer-Of-Kin stepped in front of him. "No point," she whispered, before turning to the Pikipek. Her face adopted an almost motherly expression as she spoke. "Try the crates near the docks," she said kindly. "There are several gaps between them large enough for you to sleep in if it comes to that, and you'll be warm enough and sheltered from scavengers."
"Thank you," the Pikipek said. "Thank you ever so much!"
The tiny Flying-type turned her back on the trio and spread her wings wide, readying to fly away. Ripper blinked, and Kriesh was there, head twisted to look back at him. A smile adorned her face.
"No," Ripper snarled, and lunged straight for his adversary, Electric energy crackling around him.
"Ripper!" Betrayer-Of-Kin cried, but her voice was drowned out by the screaming of his adversary as Ripper pounced on her, bearing her to the ground. Electric energy surged from his jaws and into his opponent's body. "Static: Full-Body Lock!" Ripper snarled.
His opponent looked up at him with an expression frozen in fear. "Please…I…why…"
"Suffer," Ripper growled, electricity coursing around his body. "Thunder Release!"
"Stop!"
Betrayer-Of-Kin pounced on him, knocking him away from the Pikipek and pinning him to the ground. Ripper's enraged snarls swiftly trailed off. The Pikipek lay where she was, one wing bent awkwardly and blood streaming from her side, gazing upon Ripper with terror in her eyes.
"Hold him," Betrayer-Of-Kin ordered. Then Nidoking was there, one massive arm pinning Ripper to the earth as Betrayer-Of-Kin turned and stepped towards the Pikipek.
"I'm…I'm sorry…" the Pikipek whispered, voice barely audible. "Did I…did I do something wrong?"
Betrayer-Of-Kin bent down, looking the Pikipek in the eyes. "No," she whispered. "You did nothing wrong. You're a good Pokemon, you understand that? You're a good Pokemon. No one else is going to hurt you, okay?"
The Pikipek took a deep breath. "Okay. Thank you…thank y-"
Betrayer-Of-Kin's head jerked so quickly Ripper didn't even see it move. The Pikipek collapsed, motionless, her throat slit. Betrayer-Of-Kin swiftly grasped the body and tossed it into the hideout, out of view.
Then she rounded on Ripper. "You idiot. She would have just flown away, she didn't care about who we were, and all would have been well. Now look at what you've done! Because of that, she would have remembered us. Which means I had to kill her, which means she'll never come back to her family, which means they're going to start looking for her, and everybody in the area will know exactly where to tell them to look, because you just made enough noise to wake up every Pokemon within a mile! We have to go. Now."
"Agreed." Nidoking glared at Ripper. "Listen. You do exactly as I say. Go where I tell you to go, do what I tell you to do. This mission is already perilous enough. And I don't need a dead-weight Manectric ruining it for me. One more incident like that, and I'll have to conclude that you are no longer useful to me. Is that understood?"
Ripper swallowed. "Yes."
"Good." Nidoking grasped him and hauled him roughly to his feet. With a twist of his foot, he sent a small wave of Ground energy towards the dead Pikipek; as it hit the wave crested, engulfing her body and dragging it into the earth. That done, he turned to Betrayer-Of-Kin. "Lead the way. And quietly."
Betrayer-Of-Kin stepped from the hideout. Nidoking motioned for Ripper to go next; he obeyed, stepping through the entrance after Betrayer-Of-KIn. Nidoking went last of all, his gaze locked firmly on Ripper's back.
Ripper emitted a low growl. Now he'd just lost any chance he had at getting at Kriesh before this mission ended. Stupid Pikipek. This is all her fault, he thought, his mind repeating the words over and over as the three Pokemon moved swiftly away from the hideout.
On the other side of the docks, an Absol ducked behind a building. "I knew it. I knew I saw something."
"What is it?" the Absol standing behind her asked.
The first Absol turned to the second. "We must alert Bringer-Of-Visions," she said. "Betrayer-Of-Kin has been located. This could be our best chance yet to take her down for good."