Chapter 18: Back in the Saddle

Clement walked along the beach.

His feet dug deep into the sand as he trudged along. His head was cast downward, weighed down by some fresh failure. His mind was fuzzy, and he couldn't recall exactly what it was, but he knew that going back would only make the pang of disappointment sting more.

He glanced to the side, and marveled at the sparkling ocean. The sun glistened off of the water, and above him were large bubbles that reflected the light. A smile graced his face as he spotted some Krabby out in the distance. A group of them were always out here this time of day, and they liked to blow bubbles.

He liked coming out here when he felt a little sorry for himself. The beach was a good place to think and be alone for a while.

Clement walked and admired the water for a time, but a glimpse of color on the white sand ahead caught his eye. He looked and squinted at some form that laid prone on the sand.

The figure was a blur, a blend of colors that his brain failed to register as anything coherent. The only physical features he could make out was that it was small, around his size, and it was a blend of purple and black.

It didn't matter though. His brain couldn't place a species, but a name burned on the tip of his tongue that could belong to no one else.

"Lucent!" he called, and sprinted over.

What was he doing here? He was gone! Gone, gone, gone, he died. He saw him die, so how was he here? Why did he come back?

Why did he have to go...

He skidded on his knees to the side of the figure, kicking up sand in his wake. He cradled the figure in his arms, but as soon as he touched them, their form began to dissipate.

It was like they were dissolving in his arms. Pieces of them flecked off and flew into the wind, and the entire time Clement screamed Lucent's name as his Partner fell apart right in his hands.

Helplessly, he watched as Lucent's body was almost entirely gone. Before he disappeared completely, however, one part of his body made itself known.

His eyes blinked open.

They were a deep, wild violet.

A nudge on his shoulder, once, twice, then a rougher one made the scene in his head evaporate, and he scrunched his eyes with a groan.

On impulse, he made his large jaw scrape across the dirt and press up against his back, curling into a tight ball. The nudging grew into a firm shove on his shoulder, and he tentatively opened his eyes to see Opal's concerned face looking at him. Her eyes were still fluttering awake as well, chasing away sleep.

"...Nightmare," she mumbled. "You were groaning and saying his name, I think it's time to wake up."

Her words made him more alert, and he cringed.

"I'm...I'm sor-" a paw on his mouth shushed him, and she leaned in to lick him on the snout before rolling over onto all fours.

With a deep sigh, she got up and languidly stretched her pink body out as much as she could, split tail extended as far as she could get it. Clement sucked in the crisp morning air and pushed himself to join her. His arms raised, he let his greater jaws let out a mighty yawn. It sounded out around the small campsite they had erected.

"Let's do our best, today." stated Clement with a soft smile, once they got ready to go. Opal nodded, and they began their trek.

For the past couple of days, Clement the Mawile and Opal the Espeon, parents to the world's unluckiest Meowstic, had travelled north to find out more about the mysterious group that threatened the world's Dungeons. It seemed the most likely culprits were outlaws, and the best place to find out more would be in the world's hotspot of outlaw activity: Skull Roost, deep in the lawless lands resistant to guild control known only as the Borderlands.

It was a bit of a misnomer to refer to a specific area as 'the' Borderlands. That name didn't just refer to the northern part of the Bright continent, there were Borderlands on all four of them. Any area that was outside of guild borders and inhabited mostly by outlaws would be called a Borderland.

It was not hard to know when one stepped into these lands either. It was rough out here. The sparse trees and cracked, sun caked dirt could attest to that.

North of Lumbell city, beyond the scattered village or so, a wall of mountains boasted as quite the hassle to get through, were it not for a convenient Dungeon that acted as a go between. Thankfully, that one hadn't been affected by the spread yet, so the two used it to bypass the natural border that led to the crags beyond, where citizens rarely went.

The terrain here was rocky and uneven, made of a musty brown earth that spread out wide beyond. No roads wore into the ground, and currently only large, jagged rocks that stuck up like small mountains broke the monotony.

The early morning nearly made Clement shiver as the sun just barely crested over the horizon, but once they broke camp and continued their walk, it began to beat down on their backs with an intensity that made him fan himself, both mouths panting from the heat. He eyed his mate, who was very clearly masking her exhaustion by whistling a cheery tune, interrupted by the occasional huff of breath. He sighed and slowed his pace, taking a moment to get his bearings. Opal flicked an ear, and looked back with an amused grin.

"Look at you. Barely a couple miles and you're already spent. How the mighty have... fallen...oh geez..." she mumbled, ears drooping a moment after as she exhaled.

"Speak for yourself," he called. "I spent the past couple decades eating right, meanwhile I know you've been sneaking poffins when you know you shouldn't have."

"Don't you talk about my weight, Clem! You pudgy motherf-"

"I'm just saying. You're looking real sweaty right now, dear."

"It's baby fat!"

"From twenty years ago?"

"From whenever I damn well say it is!" she exclaimed, before groaning exaggeratedly. "Mew, I don't remember it being this far out..."

"How much longer do you think until we reach Skull Roost?"

"I have no idea," she replied, stopping her stride to turn and walk over to the Mawile. He stopped to process what she said, then looked at her baffled as she levitated their bag off of his shoulder, red gem on her forehead shining as she used her powerful psychic abilities to open the lid of a bottle and get a damn drink.

"What do you mean you have no idea? I've been following your lead this whole time, you don't remember where it is?"

"I remember where it was, babe, but that doesn't matter anymore." She paused to take a sip from a water bottle, sighing in relief before continuing. "The actual location changes every few years to keep hunters who get too adventurous off of outlaws' backs. And it's not like you can just mess around and find it either, it's hidden."

Clement blinked, then gestured with both hands at the veritable wasteland they were in the center of.

"Opal, we are in the middle of nowhere! What, are we supposed to just...walk around looking for clues? We don't have time for that, we need to-"

Opal stepped right up and shoved her nose into her mate's face, and squinted her eyes at him. He gulped at the annoyed look in her eyes, and backed up.

"I-I mean..."

"Clement, which one of us grew up as an outlaw and knows, generally, how they work?"

"You, but-"

"And, which one of us has been here before and knows, generally, where to look?"

"...You, dear."

"So, which one of us is going to be quiet, and let me take point, like we agreed?" she asked, a dangerous glint in her eye. Clement gulped, but then sighed.

"That'll be me."

"Yes it will," stated the Espeon with a nod. She started the walk again with renewed energy in her steps. "In case you forgot, Lumi is my son too. I want this over and done with just as much as you, but there's no point in rushing. All you need to do right now is trust the process."

"And the process is?"

"We need information on this 'Dungeon Master,' so we ask the current bandit chieftain if they have any. To find them, we need to find Skull Roost, and to find Skull Roost, we need an escort, someone who can guide us to an entrance. If we find a local spot, we should be in business, and I have a place in mind."

She went silent, and Clement decided to just follow behind to see what she meant.

The mostly level terrain began to slip into an incline, and the two's trek became much more strenuous as they worked to crest a low ridge, boulders and rocks scattered throughout. Once they reached the top, Opal pointed a paw forward to the land down below them. Beyond a short valley at the base of the ridge, a sheer rock wall jutted up from the earth, formed by two cliffs that just barely kept from meeting each other in the middle.

The only way through would be through a narrow gorge formed between them.

"Right there," muttered Opal, who leaned against a boulder. Clement handed her another sip of water, and squinted at the canyon in the distance. From this vantage point, it wouldn't take more than twenty minutes to arrive at the mouth of the gorge.

"There's a bandit settlement there?" asked Clement.

"Yeah, there should be, if I've been following the markers right," huffed Opal. At her mate's questioning look, she smirked, and walked over to an inconspicuous group of dark colored rocks behind him. She sat next to them, and with a flick of her tail pushed one over. There was an 'X' lightly carved into its side.

"You didn't notice, but these are spaced out around any Borderland, so anyone knows which place to go for shelter. Whenever you need to find a place to sleep, just follow the X..." A bemused smile graced her face. "I'm a little surprised I remember that."

Clement tilted his head, and thought for a bit, before going to sit next to her. They had walked for a few hours, so they could afford to rest for a few minutes, overlooking the canyon. With a casual swipe of his horn, he cleared away some rocks and sat next to Opal, idly rubbing her back as she settled down.

"Spent years chasing outlaws, and never knew that. Seems I still have a lot to learn," he commented. She snickered in response.

"Rules say I'm supposed to get exiled for three days for telling an outsider, and get the shit...uh, crap, kicked out of me for even mentioning it to a guildie." she chuckled wistfully. "Sorry for not saying anything earlier, I guess I was just...getting back into that mindset, you know."

"It's fine, I'm sure they'll try to beat the crap out of us for other reasons." He smiled at her light giggle, but then frowned in thought.

"We should still be careful, it's only a matter of time until we're recognized, even if there's a new generation. Pretending to be outlaws will only work for so long."

"What, are you worried we'll get trapped and jumped, or something?"

"Yes."

"Pshhh," Opal scoffed, and dug into their bag for something. "Don't tell me you don't trust Mudo? He gave us a toy specifically to help us get out a jam!"

She pulled out a tablet, with a set of square cards inlaid within. The cards had strange symbols etched onto their surface, and a peculiar energy pulsed within the symbols. Opal gestured to a button on the side of the tablet.

"He just said to press this, and we'll have a one way ticket to one of the Dungeons next to Lumbell."

"And you're just going to take his word on these...tablets?" he tried.

"Cards. Entercards, I think. And yes, Mudo's legit, I trust him. And don't act like you weren't curious too," she said, and gestured towards his arm. He followed her gaze.

Around his wrist was a plain, brown band. The thing was mundane, yet the Gengar had said it was some kind of 'Parry Brace' that he promised was perfect for his fighting style. Clement had only taken it to humor him, but he was still dubious if it would hold up in a fight.

"Well, I suppose I'll take your word for it," he responded, with a bit of hesitation. He saw her nod with pride, but then look off into the distance with a pensive frown.

He reached an arm around her back and pulled her a little closer to him, then nuzzled his face into her neck. A low purr rumbled from her throat at the action, and he spoke softly into her ear.

"Hey, how are you feeling about this, going back? If you feel uncomfortable or anything..."

He let the question hang in the air, and she went silent for a bit, staring out. After a while, she sighed, and shrugged.

"Apart from being reminded how stupid and foolish I used to be, I'm fine. There's nothing here for me anymore. Besides, we're just gonna be in and out, right? And I doubt we'll see anyone I used to run with. Hopefully. Damn, that'd be awkward..."

She looked pensive for a second, before she brightened up a split second later and rounded on him.

"But forget about that, I'm more worried about you, babe," she emphasized, jabbing a paw into his belly. He swatted her away with an embarrassed grunt.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked, defensively. Opal quirked a brow and slunk her cat-like body around her mate's form. His face burned as he felt her purr on his back, and her face came right next to his own.

"You're really gonna make me say it? About someone as gentle, caring, and soft as you?" Her tail tickled the underside of his chin, and he grunted.

"I'm not soft."

"Oh yes you are, and that's the problem." She came around and sat in front of him with a stern look. "I hate to say this, but I'll need some of the old Clement when we go in there. Outlaws can sniff out weakness from miles away, and if you act all kind and goody goody, nobody will give us the time of day."

"Kindness is not a weakness," he stated, arms crossed. "And besides, I still remember how to be a professional. It's been years, but I haven't gone as soft as you think."

"You bake cookies in the shape of hearts and smiles," she stated with a knowing grin. Clement glared at his mate.

"That means nothing."

"You only ever read romance novels, and I have seen them make you cry on multiple occasions." Opal leaned forward, a challenge in her eyes. Clement folded his arms, undeterred.

"I'm in tune with my emotions."

"Lumi had to literally tell you to stop coming into his room to sing him lullabies, because even he agreed that he was too old for it."

"He needed to know I was there for him."

"He was twelve."

"Opal." Clement got up and leaned down to stare daggers into her eyes. His low voice was tinged with frustration and conviction.

"I. Am not. Soft," he ground out.

"Prove it." She smirked.

Clement squinted at her, before he slammed his hands down onto the dirt caked ground and smeared his pale yellow fur with brown dirt. He patted himself down with the stuff, stained fur from the hike becoming even more scuffed and dirty. Once his appearance was suitably marred, he picked up more dirt and wordlessly patted down his mate's body, who yelped in alarm. She cursed and tried to squirm out of the way, but before long her mostly pink fur was now covered in blotches.

"God damn-Clem, what the hell!?"

"We're supposed to be hardened outlaws who rolled in from the Mist continent, and want to get a read on the scene here. And last I checked, outlaws don't have nice, sleek fur when they stroll into town. Or, did you forget?" He finished, voice smug as he stepped back to admire his handiwork.

Opal sat on her haunches as dirt fell from her body, and clenched her teeth in agitation. Some of the surrounding rocks were bathed in a pink glow, and subsequently launched with some force at Clement. He caught one with barely a glance, then simply turned around to let the rest pelt his other mouth. She cursed loudly as he hopped off the ridge and began to slide down to the valley below.

"H-hey! Get back here! I'm taking point, remember!? My freaking fur..." grumbled Opal as she hurried to catch up.

She badgered him as they walked across the dusty valley, but quieted as they approached the entrance to the ravine. The opening was several meters wide, and the wind died down as they entered in between the cliffs. Enveloped on both sides by tall stone, shade bathed the path they walked and offered relief from the heat from outside.

Clement slowed his walk as he looked up and around them. On the ground, sparse plants sprouted up amongst the rocks, and as he scanned up, his attention was drawn to wooden platforms installed along the sides of the wall, forming a network of interlocking pathways that spanned across the length of the ravine. The dark colored wood made it almost impossible to see from the outside.

"...What's this place ca-"

"Shhh..."

Opal brushed up against him to speak lowly into his ear. She kept her gaze straight ahead.

"Don't say anything, they know we're here. Just let me do the talking, and try to look tough."

He offered a low grunt in response, and she pulled in front to lead them deeper into the ravine.

The path widened as they walked further in, and movement from above caught Clement's eye once more. He thought he spotted the tail end of a Pokemon before it retreated into a crevasse in the wall. He knew better than to look around like a lost kit in a place like this, but he managed to gather that the place they were walking in was much more active than it appeared.

Voices faintly emanated from openings in the walls, both on the ground floor and up above. More than once he caught Pokemon who peeked out with suspicious glares. The silence heightened the sense of unease that permeated the air.

It didn't stay silent for long.

Right before an intersection where the path split into two, their way was blocked by three Pokemon. A Zangoose and Obstagoon stepped from seemingly nowhere, and a Crowbat swooped down to join them in glaring at the approaching duo. Clement could tell they just wanted to fight, most young thugs had that look in their eye, and from the way their claws were out, it seemed as if talking was pointless.

The moment he squared himself up, Opal flicked his nose with her tail as she sauntered forward. He could hear the smile in her voice.

"Hey, you kids. Tell me where we can get a drink, we've been walking all day," she called. It was the Obstagoon who responded, growling and causing his posse to ready up.

"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, old bi-" he was interrupted by a wave of sand that kicked up in his face. To his right, Clement watched as a nearby barrel was wrapped in a pink glow, and promptly shunted into the sand his mate had kicked up. Said barrel shot forwards towards the Zangoose's head, who barely had enough time to put claws up in defense before it slammed against them.

Gem still glowing from both the telekinetically charged Sand Attack and barrel throw, Opal calmly walked forward and released a Psybeam from her forehead, which struck the stunned Crowbat hard enough to make it fall to the ground. It was promptly grasped in a pink glow and used as a hands free bludgeon against the Obstagoon. It let out clipped screeches as it was used to beat against the other Pokemon, who staggered back from the force of their companion smacking against them.

Small boxes, rocks, and other objects were wreathed in a pink glow, and Clement watched as his mate and Partner made the immediate area her own personal playground in the span of a few seconds.

Well, she was always better at crowd control. He knew from the beginning that she had this handled, so he leaned against a support beam and watched her do what she did best.

The Zangoose who got knocked on their bottom once the fight started finally got their bearings, took one look at the chaos, and scrambled to their feet to bolt in the other direction. Apparently satisfied with their work as a weapon, Opal tossed the poor Crowbat into the air, who regained their senses mid-flight and hurriedly flapped their wings to find safety.

The only one left was the Obstagoon, with his arm in front of his face and back to the wall. He peeked out from his meagre cover, and had just enough time to curse at the fact he had been abandoned before Opal leaned down.

"So. About that drink?" she asked, conversationally. Clement saw the poor kid raise a shaking claw to the right.

"Uh, th-that way. There's a bar on the, uh, second floor. Can't miss it," he stammered.

"I better not." She stared down at the thug for a second longer, before strutting off in the direction indicated. The host of objects that hung in her psychic grasp were released, and clattered to the ground.

She flicked her tail his way, and Clement followed. He spared the kid a glance as he struggled to his feet and hobbled off with a hand clutched to his head. He hurried his walk next to Opal, and spoke under his breath.

"You went a little rough on them, back there. I thought we were keeping a low profile?" he questioned. She clicked her tongue

"I never said we were keeping a low profile, I said I would do the talking. They won't let just anyone in, we need to establish some cred first. That was a perfect opportunity to show people not to mess with us, and brought us one step closer to showing we can hang in Skull Roost. And besides..." she cracked her neck back and forth, large ears drooped on her head, and gave a satisfied sigh. "Maybe I just wanted to make sure I still had it. Is that so wrong?"

He grunted, and kept his gaze forward. Opal pushed against his side with a grin.

"Alright, how about this. You handle the next situation then, if it comes up. You still haven't proven you haven't gone soft," she teased.

"And you think you have? That was downright sloppy back there. Should be ashamed," he pushed back. She huffed at him as they continued on.

After some walking, the space between the ridges opened up into a wider central area, and raucous noise could be heard from ahead. Up a rampway that levelled out into a wooden deck, shouts and laughter spilled out of a wide doorway, with a crude sign bolted to the top with a name that was dulled and blurred with age.

The two began to walk up the rampway towards the clearly active bar. Clement glanced up to the still blue sky beyond the canyon they were in.

"A little early for drinks, isn't it?" he commented

"Early? For drinks? There's no such thing!" she stated proudly. He rolled his eyes as they crested the ramp.

"Alright. Game plan?" he asked, looking at her.

"Easy. Go in, raise hell, get scouted. Skull Roost is the neutral ground for all the major gangs to swap info, scope talent, and trade whatever goods they got. There's bound to be someone here to find some muscle."

"And how do you propose we raise hell?" asked Clement.

On cue, the doors slammed wide open, and the frantic form of a Houndoom soared through the air before landing in a heap with a pained groan. The laughter from inside tripled, and Clement and Opal shared a look before walking to peer inside the bar.

The air was thick with the heady smell of alcohol, and the loud sounds of the Pokemon inside flooded their ears. A throng of Pokemon that hooted and hollered in a circle dominated the center of the bar, right in front of the drinking bar towards the back. Instead of having tables spread throughout the room like a normal bar, they had been pushed to the sides, allowing space for the crowd inside.

The source of the revelry was obvious. Amongst the cheering crowd of grisly Pokemon stood a smirking Chesnaught, one arm raised with a balled fist, and the other raised with a pint of some drink. He stood tall, and his voice boomed over the din of the crowd.

"And what did I tell ya!? All it takes is one punch, and I'll knock anyone flat on their ass! HA! Another one!" he yelled, promptly downing the drink in his large hand.

Clement stared at the scene with an open mouth, a pit growing in his stomach.

Ah, so it was back to this again, wasn't it?

His mate looked at him with a cheshire grin, and twirled her paw forward with a mock bow, as if inviting him inside.

"This is all you babe~"

"..." Clement sent his mate the meanest side glare he could muster, but all it did was make her tremble in anticipation.

"Ooh, I know that look. Go on, remind me who the leader of Team Nimbus is," she purred, and slunk next to him to give a peck on his cheek.

Despite her teasing tone, there was a hint of pride buried underneath. Somehow, even after years, Clement still held Opal's respect, and that was enough to give him the will to push past the doors and step right into the arena.

Raise hell, huh? He could do that. All he needed to do was take advantage of the opportunity Arceus presented him. Shutting this hotshot up should do the trick.

He considered the Parry Brace on his arm, but what he had planned just wouldn't feel right if he didn't do it naturally.

He yelled to get the Chestnaught's attention, but the larger Pokemon was too busy flexing for the crowd and asking for more drinks. Clement snorted, and decided to get assertive. He walked right across the open space, and without warning, jumped up with his back to the Chesnaught, and snagged the glass of alcohol in his second mouth. Once he touched the ground, he applied the smallest amount of pressure while staring the other in the eyes.

It shattered.

The sound cut through the warm atmosphere like a knife, and in an instant, left ice cold silence. Chestnaught clenched his empty hand, as if not quite registering that he wasn't holding it anymore, and Clement backed up a few steps. His larger mouth chewed on the glass, and the alcohol present within already had him feeling a little tipsy.

Good. He might need it.

"You said one punch is all it takes? Then let's see how you handle someone who knows how to take one! Paws up, now."

Whispers rushed through the crowd at his words, and heads turned to the Chesnaught who looked at the defiant Mawile as if he had three horns instead of one. He shook himself from it, and then sat up from his seat with a grim look. He pointed at Clem with drunken derision.

"After I knock your candy ass down, I'm gonna make you pay for that drink," he warned, all semblance of mirth forgotten. Clement rolled his shoulders, and then, to the surprise of everyone, stepped forward and presented the side of his head to the larger Pokemon. He tapped his left cheek with a finger.

"Right here, kid. See if you can make me feel it," he stated with utmost confidence. The crowd ooh'd at his words. He glanced around at the crowd and tried to look for Opal, but he didn't see hide nor pink hair of his Espeon within the throng of Pokémon.

He huffed and cursed to himself. He thought that line sounded pretty tough…

Chestnaught wasted no time. With a grunt, the hefty Pokemon cranked back a fist, and white energy coated his arm. Clement narrowed his eyes at the forming Hammer Arm, widened his stance some more, and reached inside himself to pull out something that he could never forget if he wanted to. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath, mind going blissfully still and a thin sheen of red energy coated his body.

Clement used Bide.

The arm shot forward, and Chestnaught had an evil grin as his fist slugged Clement square in the face. He grunted at the heavy impact. White hot, searing pain bloomed across his cheek, and his head whipped back from the force of the blow. He staggered to the side for a few steps, and teetered on one foot while he held his head. His body wobbled for a couple seconds, and he almost fell.

Almost.

With grit teeth, he slammed his other foot back onto the ground, and turned to face the confused Chesnaught. Clement roughly shook his head and patted his forehead with his hands, before rubbing down his face and letting out a loud exhale.

"Oh yeah...there it is..." he muttered to himself. The pain in his cheek brought back memories. He had spent so, so long getting the snot kicked out of him, that the burning was almost nostalgic.

As the pain died down, a light smile grew.

The hit made him stumble, but all in all he took it well, according to his standards. Still, needed a couple more to get his head back in the game. He fixed the other with a cool glare, and spread his arms wide.

"Still standing. You call that a punch? I need a couple more, c'mon," he taunted. Chestnaught blinked, and looked at his own fist as if it betrayed him, then quickly glanced at the captive audience around them. His uncertainty was soon replaced with frustration, and he pulled his arm back to let loose another energy infused punch.

WHAM!

Another meaty impact to Clement's other cheek this time. The Mawile grunted, but only took a step back, Chensaught's fist still jammed against his face. He recovered much quicker this time with hardly as much of a wince. Chesntaught's heavy breath seemed much louder due to the silence of the stunned crowd, the large shell on his back trembling slightly from exertion.

And he was starting to look concerned.

"...What the fu-"

"Is this what passes for strength nowadays?" grilled Clement with a raised eyebrow. He threw a splayed hand out in a disappointed sigh. "What the hell are you doing? I told you to hit me, so hit me!"

WHAM!

Right on his forehead. He didn't budge.

"Harder!"

SLAM!

Square on his nose. He didn't blink.

"That's it!? ONE MORE!" yelled the Mawile, eyes intense and skin almost shining from the stored energy of Bide.

"AAAARRRRGH!" Chestnaught let out a warcry as he threw his whole body into a final punch, aimed square at the diminutive fairy's face.

To Clement, he watched the Chesnaught in slow motion. His ice cold eyes drank in every aspect of his opponent; the fire that raged in his eyes, the spittle that flew from his mouth as he screamed, the way his body lurched forward, off balanced with only the goal of inflicting maximum pain. He saw Chestnaught's white, armored fist careen towards him like a missile.

And all the while, the smile on his face grew. It was hard not to. It was time for his favorite part.

The fist was centimeters from his face.

He slid to the side.

In an instant, the burly idiot's face went from drunken anger to uncertainty as his large body overextended from the missed throw. He leaned forward, arm outstretched, and Clement didn't waste a second.

With practiced ease, he twirled to arch his larger mouth in the path of the Chesnaught, and opened his jaw wide to engulf the other from the shoulders up, clamping down with a satisfying chomp. Clement faced the door, and wrenched his body forward, hands outstretched toward the ground to fall into a handstand.

With his maw now held straight in the air, the captive Chestnaught could do little more than wriggle his legs helplessly in the air. Clement sucked in a breath, and with the power imbued from Bide, pushed up from the ground with enough strength to launch himself in the air. When he reached the apex, he flipped his body so the Chesnaught was dragged over him, and then whipped his maw down towards the ground. He released at just the right time to send Chestnaught hurtling down.

The large pokemon landed headfirst. Cracks spiderwebbed where he landed. His rigid body flopped over, and he became little more than a prone, groaning mess on the floor.

Clement landed with a soft grunt, and brushed his shoulder as he walked over to the downed pokemon. His cold gaze lightened a bit as he kneeled to the side of Chestnaught's head.

"Are you conscious?" he whispered in his ear. Chestnaught let out a pathetic whimper in response.

"You'll be fine after an oran, but you'll have a headache for a bit. Some rest and a persim drink will help."

Chestnaught coughed.

Clement nodded, and stood back up. At that moment, he remembered he was in the middle of a crowd of rowdy outlaws, and they were all dead silent with their attention focused on him. He crossed his arms and turned in the circle, glaring at the crowd.

He was really looking for his mate, but the glare masked his searching.

"Well...anyone else?" he asked. For a split second he thought the silent crowd would just disperse, but then...

"Holy shit he took out Chesnaught!"

"How he do dat dere!?"

"He's so small, yet such a stud!"

Clement wasn't quite sure what happened. One second the newly invigorated crowd swarmed towards him en masse, and the next he was being lifted up in the air, a pint of alcohol in his paw, and listening to the praises of dangerous pokemon. Some of which made him blush.

While he was crowdsurfeed towards a table of Jinx and Gothitelle, a tickling sensation enveloped his body, and he was whisked up into the air away from the outlaws, who seemed to not notice, too high on the energy of the room. Clement floated in midair across the room, before he was deposited on a cushion in a booth towards the corner of the room.

He shook his head and sneezed, sensitive to the psychic energy, and looked to his side. Opal sat next to him, glow from her forehead fading, and across a low table from them sat a Grovyle, who looked at him with an appraising glint in his eye.

Clement opened his mouth to say something, but an Oran was shoved into it, and Opal hopped to his side to lick him on the cheek and nuzzle his shoulder.

"Looks like you haven't gone soft after all. You looked good Clem. Real good," she whispered warmly into his ear. He gave a light kiss on her forehead, a smile growing, but a glance at the Grovyle across from them wiped it away. Clement held back a grimace at how Grovyle seemed to dissect him with his gaze, leaned over with his hands clasped in front of his mouth.

Every instinct of his screamed not to trust this Pokemon, and he was inclined to listen.

"Where did you go? And who's this?" he asked, one eye on Grovyle. She winked, and then turned with a flourish to gesture at the Grovyle.

"I went and found our ticket to the big leagues! I saw Grovyle here eyeing you from the back once you did your thing, and turns out, he's a scout."

She leaned over the table with a coy flick of her tail, and regarded Grovyle.

"So, what do you think? Not just some two bit thugs, huh?"

Grovyle looked between the two, a neutral smile on his face that revealed nothing. He silently regarded the two, before giving a simple nod.

"From how I heard you dealt with that group earlier, and your partner's performance, I'm inclined to agree," he stated in a velvet smooth voice. "Clearly, you both are…experienced."

"Damn right we are. See, we had a nice thing going over on the Mist continent, handled guildie runs and fence supply for some local outfits, but we're trying to step it up, you know? Only one real way to do that, and we're not getting any younger."

Opal slipped into the lie as if it was second nature, and Clement had to hand it to her, she sold it. Given her rough appearance and blunt way of speaking, it looked as if she really did wake up that morning an outlaw. Lying wasn't necessarily his strong suit, so he just kept his stony glare up and let her do the talking. From the interested hum that Grovyle gave, it seemed she was winning him over.

"Well, it is fortunate you chose now to advance your careers, what with the recent call for talented mon such as yourselves. The larger gangs have sent out feelers for muscle, and I would be delighted to give you an introduction," offered Grovyle, eyes squinted with a sharp smile. Opal looked down, and made a show of thinking it over, before she gave back a smile that was just as dangerous.

"I appreciate that, Grovyle, but you should know that what you just saw right here? Light work. We're not trying to settle for any old gang, our talents would be wasted." She leaned forward.

"We want in with the chieftain," she stated, in a voice that left little room for argument.

Grovyle's neutral stare broke for a split second as his eyebrows raised in alarm, but he reigned in soon after. It was as if a bubble had been put up that prevented the loud joviality of the bar from penetrating the sudden severity that coated their interaction. Clement watched as a battle took place between the eyes of his mate and the Grovyle. Opal kept a confident grin, while the other narrowed his gaze.

Eventually, Opal wore him down, and Grovyle let out a light sigh, and gestured to the bar around them.

"I gave you my compliments, but I don't think I need to remind you that all you've done so far is knock out a drunkard, and put down three petty thugs?"

"And we did it all without breaking a sweat," responded Opal without skipping a beat.

"Queen requires more than just muscle," asserted Grovyle. "She is very selective with who she chooses to do business with personally."

"...Queen? Is that the name of the chieftain?"

"Ah, I suppose you would be unfamiliar...the one currently at the top of the chain decided to do away with that title and mandate the use of Queen instead. She is a Volcarona, for your information."

Clement's eyes widened, and he saw Opal's slowly swaying tail jerk upwards.

"And as I mentioned, she needs more than a couple of bar rats. If you want to be worthy of her consideration, you would need to be in a different league entirely."

"Try us," she said, masking her trepidation perfectly.

The two began to talk more at length, but Clement tuned them out as his mind worked in overdrive.

Volcarona? That sounded familiar. A mark from years ago? Some gang leader from long ago perhaps? Vague recollections from years ago began to come back, but not enough to paint a full picture. Whoever they were, they had somehow ascended to chieftain, and if his timelines were matching up, then that was incredibly bad news.

He hadn't completely forgotten how the system worked, Opal had explained some throughout their hunting days. At the time they had retired, some Raichu by the name of Ryker had a gang that was strong enough to overtake the title of chieftain. There was a huge deal about his capture and arrest fifteen years ago, which meant that a power vacuum had to have formed. Taking out the chieftain should have left the gangs at each other's throats for at least a few decades while they fought for supremacy, but apparently this Volcarona had managed to do it in half the time?

Whoever they were, they were dangerous.

A nudge on his shoulder broke him from his musings, and he glanced at Opal, who had stood up. She flicked her tail to the side, towards the Grovyle who was already slinking through the crowds and towards the door.

"He agreed to set us up with a test so we can meet with...Volcarona," she said, with a softer voice towards the end.

"I feel like we've met a Volcarona outlaw before...ring any bells?" he asked as he stood up.

She didn't respond as they began to wade through the bar patrons.

"...Opal?"

"If it is who I think it is, then..." she cursed under her breath. Clement looked at her with alarmed eyes, and she offered an apologetic smile.

"Just...let me do the talking?"

They met up with Grovyle, who nodded and walked outside. They followed.

"Be prepared for a trek," Grovyle said. "The closest entrance to the Roost is still a ways out in the wastes."

"Lead the way," said Opal.