Chapter 95: As the Dust Settles
Pleo shuffled his wings and blinked tiredly, brushing stray bits of dirt off his plumage. He hadn't remembered being this drowsy and wondered why he and the others hadn't found a more comfortable place to rest. He craned his head up, where he saw branches of spruce trees overhead, and then looked back down towards the undergrowth.
It all felt a world away from Starpeak Square as it was being raided. With the way that they'd stopped hearing or seeing things from the town, if it weren't for most of his friends' absence, he could almost imagine that they were on a peaceful island. Far, far away from the Company or the Empire or anyone else who was chasing after him…
"Pleo?"
The Lugia felt a prodding tug, and turned his head up to see Crom looking down at him worriedly.
"We should get going. It's not safe to rest in one place for too long," he said. "Ferals live in hinterlands like these and those pirates might already be going around looking for us."
Pleo looked past Crom and off of the other end of the little clearing they were in, where Trizano and Ander were standing guard. The Skarmory of the pair raised a wing and peered through a set of bushes tensely, before lowering it and turning back to his teammates with a relieved sigh.
"Looks like the coast is clear," Trizano said. "It's been a few hours by now, and we haven't seen any sign of other Pokémon out here aside from a Feral here or there. I think that we have a little bit of time to breathe easy."
One by one, the four shuffled out of the brush, where they stepped out onto a dirt path pockmarked with footprints and ruts from wagons. From how faded and scarce such impressions were, it really did seem like anybody had come by here lately. Pleo took a moment to stretch himself as Trizano pointed off at the island's tall mountain in the distance and began to set off down the path that led further inland towards it. The Lugia carried along with his companions down the dirt road, when he curled his head in with an uneasy murmur.
"… Ander? Trizano?" Pleo asked. "What on earth are we even supposed to do right now?"
Ander hesitated and looked back off in the direction of Starpeak Square for a moment, before slowly turning his head back and hanging it with a low buzz.
"I suppose the best place to start is just to take stock of where things stand at the moment."
Crom squirmed at the Scyther's insistence. Just where were they supposed to start? Starpeak Square was overrun by pirates, they were cut off from their ship, and for all they knew, Guardia and Dimitri were captured along with the rest of their friends who were still trapped in town.
The Druddigon shifted the bag on his shoulder and glanced back at it briefly. After swinging it around in front of him, he peeked down past its mouth and saw the red volume of the Knights' Ledger they had grabbed in their escape.
"Well, we have the Ledger, at least… even if we don't have anyone else along with us," Crom said. "The pirates that overran the town probably would just reuse places in it to hold any prisoners, so they're probably still stuck in that garrison right now."
"I think that's a fairly safe assumption," Ander sighed. "Though considering how we saw the Iron Fleet's ship in town, I'm starting to wonder if all of this was planned because of us."
Trizano frowned and gave a puzzled tilt of his head.
"What makes you say that, Ander?" the Skarmory asked. "I've crossed paths with the Iron Fleet before on numerous occasions and… they aren't exactly the types who would put together an elaborate ambush. Let alone one that would work."
… Right, Trizano had apparently picked fights with the Iron Fleet in the past. From what Elty had told, enough so that they recognized him when they'd fought each other back on Pioppo. Though even without knowing that, it was admittedly a bit hard to imagine Hess being the mastermind behind such a big and complicated raid when he'd seemed downright amateurish at times.
Even so, Ander remained unwavering, as he glanced back and brushed his blades together with an insistent shake of his head.
"Because those pirates knew that there'd be a… 'Protector' for them to come and snatch," the Bug-Type explained. "And Hess and the Iron Fleet raided this island once before while flying our colors even though they never had an issue using their own in the past. That can't possibly have been an accident."
"Yeah, and there were a whole bunch of pirates who weren't wearing Iron Fleet scarves," Crom insisted. "Isn't the easiest explanation just that they remembered how much trouble they had fighting us on Pioppo and worked with some other crews for help? It'd explain why there were so many of them in Starpeak Square…"
Pleo grimaced briefly as his mind drifted back to his time on Orleigh and how it felt like all of Rosequartz Town had tried to capture him right before they left it. Had all of those Pokémon come here to try and catch him again? If so, how were they supposed to shake them? Especially with everything that was needed to escape last time…
The Lugia caught himself after uncomfortable memories of Rasp running away from him in a panic came to his mind. He hung his head, as doubts began to swirl inside it. He knew that Beatrix said that it was risky to try and sail to an island further away than Gestirn, but with the way things had turned out…
Had they really made the right choice?
"Maybe we should've tried going to a different island even if it'd have been further…" Pleo murmured. "Though how did the Iron Fleet know we would be on this one anyways?"
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, as nobody seemed to have an answer to that question. Eventually, Crom sighed and turned back to the young Protector as he uneasily pawed at his own shoulder.
"I'm… not sure," he said. "But I think we have bigger problems to worry about right now. How on earth are we supposed to leave Gestirn like this?"
Ander fell quiet and moved the back of one of his blades to his mouth, as he uneasily glanced off in the direction of Starpeak Square. There in between gaps in the trees, he could still faintly make out the colored masts in its harbor.
"I would say that we ought to free the crew and just make a break for the Siglo Swellow and sail off…"
Ander was abruptly cut off by a sound much like clattering metal, which a quick glance towards Trizano revealed to be him rustling his feathers, and shooting an irritated scowl back at the Marked Scyther.
"And just abandon the town in its time of need? Perish the thought!" the Skarmory protested. "Why, if we made our way back in and freed our companions, we could help fight those pirates off with the rest of the townsfolk! Surely it'd prove our innocence to those Pokémon as well!"
Ander frowned and crossed his scythes reply, before following with a defensive huff.
"… Well I was going to say that I had no idea how we'd do that between the four of us, but that's even more of a challenge," he grumbled. "What are we supposed to do against an entire town that for all we know has been completely taken over by hundreds of pirates?"
Trizano raised a wing in protest, only to trail off and fall silent. Pleo and Crom saw the way that the Skarmory's determination flagged and traded worried looks with one another. Just what were they to do even if they did choose to flee? Could the four of them even make it off the island in their present circumstances? With Pleo and Trizano's wings clipped, no supplies, and no Diver like Dimitri to take them to the Subway? Even that idea seemed unworkable.
The four stood there at a loss of what to do, when suddenly, the sound of rustling came from the treeline further ahead on the left of their path. The group abruptly froze as Trizano motioned for a stop and peered over warily at the bushes.
"Careful," he whispered. "It's probably just a Feral, but with the way we ran into those pirates earlier, we should be cautious."
Crom, Pleo, and Ander nodded back, and braced themselves for battle. One by one, they approached the bushes, fanning out in a semicircle as their breaths came guarded and shallow. After getting about a dozen paces out, Trizano paused and turned his attention back to the bush with a sharp cry.
"Whoever's out there, show yourself!" the Skarmory demanded.
The bush jolted again, this time more forcefully and from a presence much larger than any of the four had initially assumed. Pleo steadied himself alongside his friends for whatever foe could be waiting for them beyond the treeline, when a familiar, rough voice answered from deeper within.
"What in the-?"
The bushes parted, as the red-and-white-scaled form of Sheriff Robbie emerged. The Krookodile jolted back with a start at the sight of the four, as Pleo raised a wing, pointing at him with a stammering cry.
"Ah! I-It's that Krookodile!" Pleo squawked.
Robbie stood there slack-jawed for a moment, before narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth. A low growl came from the sheriff's throat, as he raised a claw back accusingly.
"You again! Give me one good reason why I ought to not knock the four of you into next week!" the Krookodile demanded. "Those filthy pirates almost overpowered us earlier after you flashed us with that Luminous Orb!"
Pleo and his companions froze for a moment. Now that Robbie had mentioned it, even if it sounded like things worked out in the end, the way they'd escaped from him and his fellow guards had been a bit thoughtless.
Perhaps an apology was in order on their part. Pleo sighed and shook his head, before pawing at the back of it with a flustered grimace.
"… Sorry, we should've called out a warning or something," he murmured. "But do you at least believe now that we're not pirates?"
Robbie hesitated a moment and studied the Lugia and his teammates carefully, before pinching his brow with a low grumble.
"I'd feel better about you if you hadn't cut and run or made that battle such a headache for us," the Krookodile harrumphed. "But those pirates certainly weren't acting like they were friends of yours. If nothing else, it makes us allies of convenience right now."
"Well, I suppose that's a start at least," Ander said. "But what are you doing out here anyways?"
Robbie looked away, and let his eyes fall towards the ground with a grudging mutter.
"We've lost control of Starpeak Square, and most of my subordinates were captured," he explained. "Me and a few of them managed to slip away and we've been establishing a redoubt out here to try and take back the town."
The Krookodile turned his eyes back up with a determined gaze, and folded his arms with a low huff.
"That's why I'm moving around the edge of town," he continued. "To try and see if anyone else successfully made it out so that way we can see what we have to work with for driving those pirates back into the sea."
Trizano traded glances with his teammates briefly. He'd never been comfortable with the idea of leaving Starpeak Square behind to its fate, and driving the pirates off would give them a chance to get back to the Siglo Swellow. For now, at least, their interests were aligned with Robbie's, so perhaps it made sense to try and make something of it.
"I don't suppose you have room for four helpers?" the Skarmory asked, raising a wing for attention. "Regardless of our earlier disagreements, it's clear that we won't be going anywhere fast until those pirates are dealt with. You're going to need 'monpower to help retake that town, so why not let us help you?"
Robbie frowned and scowled back for a noticeable pause. After a moment of hesitation, he turned away and let out a quiet grunt, grudgingly looking back over his shoulder.
"… I don't suppose I'm in any position to turn down a helping hand," he said. "And some of the others said they spotted fliers going around, so it wouldn't do any good to just linger around up here."
Robbie raised a claw, before motioning at the others to follow along.
"This way. Our place is not far from here."
Meanwhile, in the cell block of Gestirn's guardhouse, the air had been thick with tension the entire day. Much to Nida's surprise, Pladur and the Golduck sailor they shared the cell with weren't the ones of their group who took being penned up in a cell the hardest. Elty was constantly on his toes listening for any sign of movement, while Pyry and Pekka seemed particularly shaken by their surroundings. Did being locked up like this bring back bad memories for them?
Throughout the day, smoke curled up from across scattered parts of Starpeak Square. Things had started with a chorus of blasts and shouts signaling fierce fighting, only for the sounds to taper off more and more before the town went eerily quiet. Nida and her cellmates would occasionally catch a glimpse of a figure flying about in the air or going down the street, but if it weren't for the sun hanging just past its midday position, Nida would have expected the town's residents were primarily nocturnal and had gone to sleep for the day.
The Golduck in the cell traded an uneasy look with Pladur, before wondering aloud what the strange silence could possibly mean.
"Do you think the guards fought off those pirates?" the Golduck asked. "Things have been awfully quiet for a while now."
Nida turned and glanced out of the barred window. After angling her head to get a view of the harbor, she saw that while the smoke from earlier had died down into a few stubborn wisps that continued to climb into the sky, the harbor's water was still choked with ships with various patterns.
Including two that the Nidorina recognized as the Iron Fleet's, meaning that those were pirate ships they were seeing.
"I… don't think they did," Nida replied. "Their ships are still in the harbor. Wouldn't the pirates have sailed off if the guards fought them off and things had calmed down?"
Nida's cellmates quietly grimaced. It wasn't like pirates to linger even if they'd gained the upper paw in a raid. They were Pokémon who were normally more than content to sack whatever they could and move along when they were done.
Between the fact that they hadn't and that there were so many of them… it was as clear of an ill omen as any of them could get right now.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Pladur murmured. "I just hope that Pleo and the others are okay…"
Just then, the sound of a large number of approaching footsteps and voices rang out. Elty's ears pricked at the nearing racket, as he propped himself onto his hindlegs just under the window and motioned over at it.
"Hey, someone's coming towards the front of the building."
Elty and his companions gathered to the best of their ability around the cell's window, where much to their alarm, they saw a stream of Pokémon in Imperial indigoes bound up in ropes and webbing being shoved along by rough-looking Pokémon—ones whose scarves matched the colors and patterns of the sails of some of the ships in port.
The six gulped as it dawned on them that the local defenders had been overwhelmed by the pirates, and the pirates were clearly taking the opportunity to remind their captives of it. Mocking laughs and jeers floated through the air, a few hapless guards receiving shoves or glancing blows as they passed along and were gathered at the entrance to the garrison. There, a Bisharp in red garb walked up the steps in front of the guardhouse's entrance. He sized up the captives for a moment, before turning his head down the lane towards the sea.
Behind the guards, a crowd of terrified-looking Pokémon were marched forward surrounded by pirates. Their limbs were free, but they were kept in line all the same with sharp snarls and glares as a few younger-looking faces in the group started to cry out of fright from the ordeal. From the back of the crowd, an Empoleon and Quaquaval were dragged forward by a small group of pirates, bound and visibly struggling. Their attempts to fight back proved in vain, and before Nida and the others in her cell knew it, they were brought before the Bisharp and forced to kneel.
Dirk looked down at the pair, before curling his mouth up into a mocking smirk.
"Ah yes, Duke Franz of Gestirn Island, I presume. Can't say that I ever expected to meet you like this," he sneered. "Nor your wife, for that matter. She's certainly lovely… it'd be a shame if anything happened to her."
Malicious laughter and taunts from nearby pirates filled the air following the Bisharp's greeting. The Empoleon grit his beak and shot back a piercing glare, as his words came out in a seething growl.
"If you expect that I, Duke Franz, will cower in front of a bunch of unwashed thugs like you-"
"I'm afraid that little title of yours doesn't mean much at the moment," Dirk scoffed. "After all, the balance of power has tilted out of your favor."
The Bisharp looked up and sized up the villagers and guards in the audience as a few of them visibly flinched under his gaze. After a moment to make his way down the steps, he raised his voice and began to speak up to the gathered Pokémon.
"Effective today, I, Captain Dirk, will be taking over temporary administration of Starpeak Square along with the rest of the Council of Orleigh," he declared. "We don't anticipate this to be a long-term arrangement. Just until we finish up some business on this island."
Dirk made his way past the bound guards at the front, glancing them over until his eyes fell on a Hakamo-o and stopped. The Dragon-Type flinched and began to visibly squirm, as a malicious smirk came over the Bisharp's face.
"Ah yes, you again. I remember you running your mouth off earlier in battle," Dirk said. "Let's see just how brave you really are."
The Bisharp stopped and grabbed the Hakamo-o by his scarf, dragging him flailing up the steps, before stopping a blade just under his throat. The Hakamo-o went wide-eyed and let out a frightened squeal, as Dirk shot a glance from the corner of his eyes back at his gathered audience.
"You all made our goals a lot more difficult for us than it needed to be thus far," the pirate captain harrumphed. "The sort of difficulty that I and the others on the Council would normally be inclined to send a message over."
The Hakamo-o whimpered and pulled his tail in towards his body as his innards sickened out of fright. The guard screwed his eyes shut, bracing for a killing blow as Dirk drew his blade back, only to swing the back of his hand and strike the Hakamo-o's cheek with an audible smack.
Nida and the others watched as the Hakamo-o yelped and fell down the steps to the garrison. After coming to a stop, the Dragon-Type looked up from the ground visibly quaking as mocking laughter and jeers about the guard's lack of dignity rang out. Dirk glanced down at the stunned and shaken guard from the top of the steps with a disgusted scoff, before turning out to the crowd as a small smile came over his face.
"But I'm a reasonable 'mon, and I believe in second chances," the Bisharp captain insisted. "All you need to do to receive yours is to do as you're told and hand over whatever you're asked to. Simple conditions, no?"
Duke Franz fought against his bindings, turning his head up with a defiant squawk.
"You're insane! You've occupied a town of her Majesty's Realm!" the Empoleon snarled. "Do you really think the Royal Navy won't hear of this?! That they won't come to take back this island and make examples of you and your lackeys?! How do you expect this to end other than with you and most of your crew being banished to the Wa-?!"
Team Traveller flinched as Dirk slashed Franz across his chest, his arm-blade trailing shadowy flecks in its wake. The duke crumpled forward in pain, trying to curl up around a trickle of blood leaking from a fresh cut. The Quaquaval went wide-eyed, staring at her injured husband with a sharp cry.
"Franz!"
The Quaquaval reflexively tried to hurry to her spouse's side, only for the surrounding pirates to wrestle her to the ground. The duchess thrashed and let out protesting cries as Franz fought against his pain, white-hot anger filling his eyes as he propped himself up, only to abruptly freeze after seeing Dirk's blade at his throat again.
"I'm feeling pretty good about my odds, Imp." Dirk spat. "If you'd like to feel good about yours, I'd strongly suggest you do as you're told. Next time, I won't let you off with just a little nick like that."
Franz visibly hesitated and grudgingly lowered his head afterwards. Satisfied, Dirk turned his attention to the crowd of villagers behind the guards, hardening his features into an overpowering glare.
"As for the rest of you, get lost and tell the others what you saw here," the Bisharp barked. "And if you know what's good for you, don't get in our way!"
Dirk swept his arm out over the villagers, prompting his underlings to throw a hail of beams and missiles just over their heads that struck the buildings opposite the street. Cries rang out as the crowd hastily turned and fled, a few pirates throwing attacks at the heels of stragglers as they retreated into various lanes and buildings nearby. After the street emptied, the pirates closed ranks around the captured guards and began to shove and drag them along for the entrance to the garrison. All the while, Pladur couldn't help but wince at the way the hapless Pokémon were being bullied along, when it dawned on him that of all of the prisoners that were still present, none of their friends were among them.
"Ay, menos mal," Pladur said. "They didn't catch any of the others."
"Well, not yet, anyways," Elty remarked. "Though I wonder if catching Pleo was that 'business' they were talking about."
Nida quirked a brow at the Growlithe's theory, when she realized that it seemed to make sense. Sibich had plans of his own to try and capture Pleo, so was it really that unreasonable that other pirates would also have ones of their own, too?
But what had motivated all of them to go after Pleo now? And all working together like this-?
THWAM!
Nida and the others flinched from the sound of a loud racket, as the Pokémon in the other cells darted up to the bars and looked out worriedly. Elty went over and peered past the bars, only to stiffen up. There at the door was a Conkeldurr wearing the same red scarf as Dirk's, grabbing onto the Hakamo-o from earlier by the back of his neck.
The Conkeldurr shoved the Hakamo-o to the ground with a yelp, before he raised one of his stony pillars and looked over the cell block's hall with a malicious sneer.
"Special delivery!" the Conkeldurr taunted. "You runts are getting new cellmates!"
A Golisopod with a teal scarf accompanied by a Seviper in orange garb entered, dragging the Hakamo-o back up as other pirates followed in pushing and shoving their captives along in a sorry procession past the cells. Nida shrank back as both jeers and yelps rang out, when the Seviper chanced to see her while passing and paused. She flicked her tongue out briefly, letting out a huffing scoff as she locked eyes and leveled her tail at the Nidorina.
"Hrmph, didn't think I'd run into you here of all places."
Elty blinked at the Seviper's comment and traded looks between her and Nida. He was pretty sure that was Captain Tarquin's first mate… had these two somehow met before? Even if the Seviper seemed to recognize Nida, the Nidorina for her part didn't seem to recognize her back.
Elty's attention turned back to the hall after hearing a sharp hiss, where he saw the Golisopod dragging the Hakamo-o along towards their cell. The Dragon-Type dug his feet in and turned, flashing his fangs briefly in defiance. His display was swiftly brought to an end by a sharp jab to his stomach from the Golisopod's claws that made him fall backwards with a yelp. Before the Dragon-Type could get back up, the Seviper moved her bladed tail to the guard's throat, as the Growlithe and his cellmates watched the fight drain out of the hapless dragon's body. The Hakamo-o screwed his eyes shut with a low whimper, before the Seviper shot a dangerous glare back into the cell.
"Though that can wait for later," she said. "Sit tight. You're not going anywhere."
The Golisopod opened the cell door and threw the Hakamo-o in as Elty and his teammates hurriedly ducked out of the way. An unfortunate Lairon followed, with cries of protest ringing out up and down the cell block as others were being crammed into the nearby cells. The Golisopod and Seviper moved onto a yowling Torracat as Elty looked away from the rest of the cells and pinned his ears back with a low grimace.
"That sure isn't a good sign for how they're dealing with the town right now," Elty gulped. "Is there even going to be anything of it left standing after this?"
Almost as soon as the fighting had died down in Starpeak Square, many of the raiding pirates took the time to celebrate their good fortune throughout town. Some of them crowed in triumph for the defeated defenders to hear, and some helped themselves to ill-gotten gains from shops and storehouses. Meanwhile, others like the crew of the Iron Fleet, had opted to celebrate their good fortune over drinks and joined in with peers from other crews in taking over the local taverns where their spirits were freely distributed amongst their ranks as the day began to stretch into the afternoon.
A few differences in architectural style and the locals' preference for beer over rice wine aside, the wooden furnishings and its atmosphere of the tavern Hess entered could've easily passed for their hangout in Andaku. Though without a gruff Throh barkeep to keep order, the Iron Fleet's ranks, new and old, were free to amuse themselves over drinking games with curiously large wooden tankards, much as a Haxorus and a Sealeo did as they sat at a table surrounded by a crowd of their fellows cheering them on.
"Chug! Chug! Chug!"
The Haxorus and the Sealeo threw their mugs back, guzzling the frothing liquid inside. The Sealeo loudly gulped down a few mouthfuls of the beer, before wavering as his eyes abruptly widened. The Sealeo sharply jerked his head down, still grasping the mug between his flippers as he set it on the table and panted for air. A few disappointed groans went about the gathered pirates, along with a chiding "seriously, Pieter?" as the Haxorus continued drinking. The last few gulps of the Dragon-Type's beer went down slower and slower, before she brought her tankard down onto the table and hit it with an audible tak, revealing to the Sealeo and the watching pirates that it was empty.
The surrounding corsairs broke out into cheers as the Sealeo shrank back with a sour frown. Not to be outdone, the Haxorus picked up her mug, waving it at the Sealeo with a smug smile.
"For a 'mon with such a big mouth, you sure suck at holding your beer!"
Some laughter went about as bets were exchanged in the background, the Haxorus' supporters gleefully taking coins and loot from grumbling counterparts whose gamble on the Sealeo hadn't paid off. The Sealeo was the most displeased of all, as he sullenly pushed away his unfinished tankard with a flipper, just as Hess walked by with a small wooden barrel tucked under his arm. The Aggron captain looked over at the moping Sealeo briefly, before letting out an unimpressed scoff.
"Oi, Pieter, you're letting yourself get beat by a little mug like that?" Hess chided. "Here, lemme show you how it's done!"
The Aggron raised his keg, when a Ledian talking with a Grumpig and a Krokorok seated at a nearby table looked up briefly. Kichiro left the two and paced forward with a dubious scowl, folding his arms as he reached Hess.
"Captain, that's a keg," he buzzed. "Don't tell me you're thinking of drinking all of that."
"Of course I am!" Hess beamed back. "It's just a little keg. A 'mon like me can make short work of it!"
The gathered brigands turned to each other as the room began to fill with conflicting murmurs.
"Wait, can he actually chug a keg?"
"Oh come on, how hard could it be? It's Hess of all Pokémon."
"Fifty Poké says he won't make it halfway through."
All the while, Kichiro's features hardened into an unamused frown as he let out a low harrumph.
"Yeah, okay there. I'm pretty sure that you couldn't even get through that keg if you tried," the Ledian said. "Don't make yourself look like an idiot."
And yet, his words had little effect other than to seemingly put a fire in Hess' eyes. The Aggron cracked a determined grin back and slapped his claw against the keg.
"Wanna bet? Three shares of the loot says I can chug it!"
Surprised murmurs went about the crowd, some doubting that even an Aggron could chug an entire keg, while others insisted that if anyone could do it, it'd be their captain. Kichiro opened his mouth to speak, only to catch himself. Sure, it was one of Hess' boneheaded attempts to show off, but if the Aggron was dead set on making a fool of himself trying to do the impossible… why shouldn't he take advantage of his overconfidence and pick up some easy winnings?
"… Make it six," Kichiro replied. "And remember you're betting on chugging it. So that means no breaks between drinking."
Hess raised the keg again, tightening his claws around the cork along its side. He pulled it out with an audible pop, before he shot back a knowing grin.
"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you!"
Hess brought the barrel up to his mouth and threw his head back, beginning to drink with loud gulps. The other pirates gawked, as a few began to cheer and egg him on. Even so, Hess didn't seem to be drinking that quickly, which prompted his Ledian head flier to crack a smug smirk in reply.
"Pacing yourself already?" Kichiro sneered. "I can already feel those six shares in my hands."
The Aggron narrowed his eyes and began to drink faster, much to the roaring delight of his underlings. Kichiro crossed his arms with an unimpressed scoff before turning and drifting off. He briefly passed the Grumpig and Krokorok talking to each other in hushed tones and made his way over to a table where Rodion was already seated. The Floatzel looked over with a giant tankard of his own as Kichiro flitted up. The Bug-Type claimed an empty seat next to Rodion and settled in, before turning to him with a grumbling sigh.
"Hrmph, I think that Hess must be letting that bigger crew of his get to his head."
Rodion raised a brow, before leaning back in his seat and cracking a small smile as he brought his tankard up to his mouth.
"You sure about that, Kichiro?" the Floatzel asked. "I think he actually has a shot at this."
Kichiro frowned as Rodion drank from his mug, piping up with an annoyed buzz.
"It's 'Keiichiro'," the Ledian huffed. "And come on, Rodion. He's obviously just trying to show off."
Rodion tilted his head briefly, before setting his mug back on the table with a click of his tongue.
"I don't know, Hess did go through a keg of rum about this size around New Year's before he blacked out," he remarked. "Are you really gonna bet against him getting through the same amount of a weaker drink?"
"That's not the same as drinking it all at once," Kichiro scoffed, before leaning back in his own seat. "It took him all night to get through all that rum, anyway. He's probably struggling to keep things down right no-"
A chorus of loud, raucous cheers turned Kichiro's attention back towards Hess. Much to his astonishment, Hess was still drinking from his keg. His gulps were coming audibly slower again, but from the way the surrounding pirates were urging him to keep going, some way, somehow, he had been chugging it this entire time. The Ledian gave an uneasy twitch of his antennae, gaping with a blank stare up at his captain.
"… Wait, you're still going?" he asked. "Hess, how on earth is your stomach not killing you right now?"
Hess gave no reply other than to gulp louder. The other pirates were getting increasingly excited, with a Hoppip mentioning that he was beginning to hear the remaining beer slosh around inside.
… Hess wasn't seriously close to finishing that keg, was he?
"Eh… y-you can stop now!" Kichiro insisted. "We can even call off the bet so you don't have to force yourself to keep going and embarrass yourself!"
The Aggron ignored him and kept on drinking. Eventually, Hess raised the keg even higher and shook it briefly, before lowering it from his mouth. He seemed visibly fatigued, but all the while he sported a satisfied grin. Hess lurched over by a table and flopped onto his rump on the ground, letting the keg drop from his claws. It hit the wooden floor with a hollow thump and rolled forward, as Kichiro's mouth flopped open after he realized that it was completely empty.
"N-Nanda?! You actually finished it?!"
Hess looked at Kichiro as the Ledian stared at him dumbfounded, before cracking his jaws wide open and giving a deafening response:
BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRP
The air visibly reverberated as Hess let out a gigantic belch, making Kichiro and a few other pirates, mostly ones with more sensitive ears, recoil from the racket. For a brief moment, there was silence throughout the tavern, as all the other pirates in the room stared at the Iron Fleet's captain.
And then the tavern broke out into roaring laughter and cheers.
"Hah! So you can lead by example!" the Haxorus exclaimed.
"Of course he can!" the Sealeo chimed in. "He's our captain! Who do you take him for?"
The pirates' cheering continued on, a few Pokémon like a Charmeleon speaking up to congratulate the Aggron. All the while, Kichiro stared in stunned shock, only for his expression to suddenly change he let out a disgusted hiss.
"Ew! That's so gross!"
The Ledian's protests drew little more than laughs and taunting chides from the surrounding pirates. Meanwhile, Hess leaned his head back against the table and shot Kichiro a sly grin, before opening his jaws again:
BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRP
Kichiro spluttered angrily after the second burp, as all the while, Hess looked at him with an innocent smile.
"Still had a bit of air left in me."
"You did that on purpose!" the Ledian snapped.
"Yeah, and?" Hess replied, giving a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders as his smirk widened. "You could try being less mad about losing a bet."
Kichiro let out an exasperated buzz, shaking his head as he looked up with a sharp glare at his captain.
"That has nothing to do with it! I can handle losing just fine!" the Ledian insisted. "It was just really gross, that's all! You're supposed to be setting an example here as the captain!"
"I am setting an example here," Hess teased. "Since when did you ever hear of a pirate that couldn't let out a good burp?"
"Plenty of times! Being a pirate has nothing to do with being so rude, gross, immature-!"
BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURP
Kichiro flinched as a loud burp split the air right beside him. He turned around and saw Rodion cradling an empty tankard as he leaned back with his feet on the table… all while sporting the most shameless grin he'd remembered seeing the Floatzel having in some time. The Ledian stared wordlessly for a moment, before bellowing laughter turned his attention back to Hess, who was shooting a toothy smile back at his first mate.
"Ha! Nice one, Rodion!"
"Yeah, that's definitely nicer to listen to than a bunch of annoying buzzing noises!" a Charmeleon chimed in.
Kichiro hissed angrily as the surrounding pirates broke out into raucous laughter, with even the Grumpig and Krokorok from Lyn's crew joining in. He got up and stomped the ground with a furious huff as he glared daggers at his crewmates.
"Stop being such a bunch of disgusting jerks and grow up already!"
Rodion looked on as the Ledian sat back down and loudly fumed to himself. Clearly Kichiro was taking the crew's banter more personally than he ought to. Even so, nothing good would come from leaving the ship's lead flier and second mate to stew in such a foul mood, much less one he counted as a close friend. The Floatzel sat up straight, before leaning in and patting Kichiro's shoulder with a sigh.
"Come on, lighten up a bit. Everyone's just having a bit of fun."
Kichiro grumbled under his breath, before looking away with an exaggerated harrumph. A bit theatrical, but from lived experience after being friends with Kichiro for years, Rodion supposed that was one way to tell the Ledian appreciated the reassurance… even if he was trying his hardest to act otherwise.
"Everyone could at least try to act professional while having fun," Kichiro complained. "We're on the Council now, and you don't see any of them doing stuff like-"
The pair was cut off by a deafening belch that shook the room briefly as a shock of red and white flew across its length and hit the wall with a loud thud. The pirates stared as a Zangoose slumped to the ground and let out a low groan.
A Flareon and Banette hurriedly drug the Zangoose off as a few bystanders in orange scarves broke out into jeering laughs and a Seviper flicked her tongue with a "serves you right, you stupid ferret!". There was a lingering pause at Kichiro's table, as the pair traded looks with each other and the Bug-Type piped up in protest.
"… That doesn't count. Belch is a move, and of course a Zangoose and a Seviper would-"
"Enough."
The chatter abruptly fell quiet after a low growl and heavy footsteps rang out. Kichiro watched as his peers' eyes widened briefly and they hurriedly scurried out of the way. The Ledian twitched his antennae, turning around just as Tarquin brushed past him, flanked by scowling, orange-scarved underlings.
A growling summons bade the Seviper to join the Tyrantrum's party, as the party of Strongjaw Gang pirates made their way over to Hess. Somehow, in spite of going through a keg of beer, the Aggron seemed to visibly sober up as the Tyrantrum stopped in front of him with a sharp frown.
"Can it with the fun and games, Hess," Tarquin growled. "Dirk wants all the members of the Council to assemble in ten minutes."
The Aggron stared up flummoxed for a moment, before casting a worried glance over at his Floatzel first mate. Rodion sighed as he stood up from his seat as Hess traded glances between the Floatzel and the Tyrantrum before him. Dirk? Calling a meeting of the Council on such short notice?
"Wait, what? But why?" Hess asked. "I thought the raid went well today."
"Yeah, it went well, except for the fact that we didn't capture the 'mon who was the entire reason why we mounted this raid in the first place!" Tarquin scoffed. "Dirk wants everyone to draw up members to form search parties to comb the hinterlands. Those Imps would've cut that bird's flight feathers while taking him prisoner, so he couldn't have gotten far. He's most likely lying low somewhere in those woods outside of town."
The Tyrantrum shot a sidelong glance at Hess' underlings, who visibly shrank back. Beside the table, the shock of Tarquin's arrival had started to wear off for Hess, especially after Rodion and Kichiro made their way forward. The Aggron hastily threw himself to his feet, trying to steel himself and force a determined scowl back up at the Tyrantrum, only for his words to come out as a jumbled stammer.
"N-Now hold on a moment! We also need to make sure we have 'mons here to post around town to remind these locals of who's boss!" Hess protested. "Maybe you've got 'monpower to spare, but I don't have that much at the moment! Who on earth would I even send out there?"
"… You could send some of the new recruits, Captain. They can hold their own in battle, so that'd be as good a use as any for their strength," Rodion suggested. "Besides, we might be able to plug the gap a bit with some extra recruits here on Gestirn. I can already think of an easy place where we'd be able to pick up a few helping paws."
The Aggron trailed off and blinked, before turning his head over to his first mate with a puzzled tilt of his head.
"… Wait, you do, Rodion?" he asked. "Just what place are you talking about?"
About half an hour after their encounter on the hinterland path, Robbie brought Crom and his companions deeper into the forest until they reached a tree with a set of scratches left in its bark. The Krookodile hesitated and checked his surroundings carefully before rapping out a series of knocks against the wood with his knuckles. They waited, and a few silent moments followed, when a set of faint taps came in reply from the ground just past the bushes. Robbie seemed to be expecting that and pushed on, pulling back the bushes ahead to reveal a tunnel that had been dug into the earth.
"Alles klar," the sheriff said. "Go on ahead."
Crom paced forward warily and crouched to enter the tunnel. While it was big enough for even a Pokémon like Robbie to make it through, whoever made it clearly didn't want anyone coming through too quickly. The Druddigon continued on when he heard voices lingering in the air and caught glimpses of lanternlight coming from the tunnel's exit, along with what looked like the top of a large burrow dug into a rocky wall. Crom blinked briefly, before turning over to Robbie with a puzzled frown.
"Wait… did you steal some feral's den to use as your hideout?" he asked.
"I don't think the local Rangers would appreciate hearing you talk about their station like that. Besides, we wouldn't have the space for so many Pokémon if we had," Robbie scoffed from behind. "This place was dug out to resemble one from a passing glance, so that way if our island was ever invaded, we could fall back here and use it as a base to mount resistance."
The Dragon-Type and his companions gave askew looks at the Krookodile before carrying on, when they came across what looked like an earthen chamber. It was almost like Nida's burrow or the part of the guardhouse back home that had been built underneath the hill it was attached to. Except it was visibly bigger on the inside than either of them.
It took only a quick glance to understand why the place was so large. All around, there were Pokémon of various shapes and sizes going about the Ranger station, some clad in Imperial indigoes while others sported completely unrelated colors. A few were visibly laid out and being treated for wounds, while others were chattering nervously with one another. As soon as Crom and his companions entered the chamber, the chatter stopped, and everyone's attention fell upon them. A few of the Pokémon visibly tensed up and braced themselves, as a Makuhita with an Imperial scarf gestured with a startled cry.
"Ack! Sheriff Robbie! Those are-!
"New allies of ours. As long as they act the part," Robbie grunted. "We don't need more enemies to deal with right now."
The Makuhita guard and his peers paused and traded puzzled glances with each other, before they slowly eased out of their fighting stances. Crom stepped ahead into the hideout and looked around, sizing up the small assortment of Pokémon inside, before he cocked a brow puzzledly.
"But how are we supposed to help when everyone's just hiding underground like this?" the Druddigon asked.
"Haven't you ever heard of things taking time to prepare, kid?" a Heliolisk huffed, folding his arms in reply. "We're trying to put together a relief force to take our town back!"
Ander gave a dubious tilt of his head. He looked over the meager gathering for a quiet moment, before letting out a low sigh.
"With all due respect, but this relief force of yours seems… lacking."
"Oh sod off, Sichlor, we've barely had any time to work with!" a Mabosstiff snapped. "Do you expect us to wrangle together every Ranger and Hunter out in the field within a couple hours?"
Ander and his teammates turned at the sound of a sharp wince, and saw a Donphan recoiling from having an Oran Berry applied to an ugly-looking scrape. The lot grimaced for a moment, realizing that Robbie's would-be relief force was in worse shape than they initially assumed, as Trizano shook his head with a low murmur.
"… I suppose we were just hoping to see something a bit more confidence-inspiring."
"Don't sell us short, Panzaeron," Robbie harrumphed. "If there's nothing else about us Gestirners, we don't give up easily in a fight. I'm sure that there'll be plenty of Bauern willing to set their fields aside for a bit in light of everything that's going on."
"And it's not as if we're not already getting things done now! We even caught a prisoner who was aiding those dirty pirates while Sheriff Robbie was out!" the Mabosstiff insisted. "He gave us quite a bit of trouble taking him down, but between our numbers and a Slumber Wand, we eventually got the better of him. Tied him up and everything!"
"We should've known those blotch-heads from Starbreak Square had something to do with this," the Heliolisk added. "Since when do pirates launch raids this coordinated without someone from the inside helping them?"
Ander reflexively tensed up at the Heliolisk's mention of 'Starbreak Square', which made Pleo and the others blink. Curiously enough, Robbie looked just as confused as them, as the Krookodile raised a brow back at the two guards.
"… That's news to me," the Ground-Type said. "Friedrich, Hans, just who is this prisoner that you caught?"
The two shuffled off into a tunnel connecting to the chamber where the clatter of doors opening rang out. A brief moment later, there was the sound of a yelp and the silhouette of a large body struggling amid wildly shifting light coming from further down. Pleo froze briefly as he realized that the light seemed to be given off by fire, when the Mabostiff and Heliolisk returned back into the chamber, dragging out a Charizard who was tied up and visibly muzzled.
… One that had a Mark on his forehead. Whose eyes instantly shrank to pins after seeing them. W-Wait, this was-?!
"B-Bunsen?!"
The Charizard let out a muffled scream as Pleo and his teammates' own eyes shrank to pins and they braced themselves for battle. The Pokémon's scarf was different and he sported bruises and patches of damaged scales they didn't remember being there last time, but there was no mistaking it: that Marked Charizard in front of them was Commissioner Bunsen!
"What on earth are you doing here?!" Pleo cried.
Bunsen whirled and attempted to flee, only for the Mabosstiff to lunge and knock him to the ground mid-stride. The Heliolisk ran over to help pin the thrashing Charizard down as Pleo and his companions neared with their mouths still open in shock. Bunsen briefly saw Pleo approaching and curled his neck and tail in towards his body, his wings visibly trembling as low whimpers came from his throat much to the Heliolisk and Mabosstiff's confusion.
"Wait a minute, you all have met before?"
"What on earth happened between you all to make him react like that?" the Mabosstiff questioned. "I know Marked have that whole 'demon' thing going on, but you'd think that he'd wouldn't be as scared of a Protector that wasn't even half his size."
Robbie stared in slack-jawed astonishment, trading glances between Team Traveller and the cowering Charizard on the ground. The Krookodile stomped over and dug his claws into Bunsen's shoulder, dragging him up with an impatient snarl.
"Speak, Glurak," he demanded. "How on earth do you and these four know each other?"
Robbie dragged Bunsen along and brought him before Team Traveller. He loosened the muzzle around Bunsen's mouth, the Charizard visibly quailing and squirming as he tried to shield his face and his voice came out in a frightened squeal.
"Eeek! Pl-Please don't kill me!" Bunsen pleaded. "I-I didn't want to go to your island in the first place! A-Administrator Darzin tricked me! I-If I knew, I w-wouldn't have-! I-I'd never-!"
"You were serving relocation notices when you occupied our island!" Ander hissed, leveling a scythe at Bunsen. "Excuse me if I don't believe a single word coming from the mouth of a Company Commissioner."
Robbie's eyes widened briefly, before he grit his teeth and shoved Bunsen off his feet. The Charizard hit the ground with a yelp, prompting Robbie to sharply plant a foot down on his neck and glare daggers at him.
"Oh, you're a square-neck, huh? So then it's the Company who helped those pirates!" Robbie spat. "After what's happened to our town because of you, I've got half a mind to leave you alone for a few minutes so that bird 'friend' of yours can take you apart."
Bunsen stared up wide-eyed at the Krookodile as Pleo hesitantly drew near. The Marked Charizard shrieked, desperately thrashing and fighting against his bindings and his muzzle, only for his efforts to fail as he saw the shadow of his dreaded 'demon' looming over him.
"N-Noooo… I-I didn't have anything to do with that, I swear!" the Fire-Type cried. "I'm not a Commissioner anymore! I deserted after Tromba! I-I-!"
Pleo stooped down and reached out with a wing as Bunsen flinched and screwed his eyes shut. The Lugia noticed the Charizard's tail fire lost its earlier vigor and visible tremors ran down his body. The young Protector began to hear low whines and sniffles, when he stopped as it dawned on him that Bunsen was crying.
It was hard to believe that this was the same Pokémon who'd bullied his friends on Tromba, or seemed scary and overwhelming as a Company Commissioner when they'd fought on his ship. His companions seemed to have also lost their fear of Bunsen from the last time they met, with Ander in particular glaring daggers at the quivering wreck in front of him.
Pleo pulled his wing back and stared down at the former Commissioner with a judging frown. The young Lugia narrowed his eyes as he briefly lingered on the Charizard, before shaking his head and speaking up.
"… I wouldn't do something like that, because I'm not a bully like you."
Bunsen laid on the ground and sniffled for a few moments, before he warily cracked his eyes open and stared up in confused disbelief. The Charizard sucked in sharp breaths as he tried to calm himself, before Robbie pulled him back up onto his feet with a disgusted snarl.
"Get up, you worm," Robbie growled. "Why should we trust you? Do you seriously expect us to believe that a Commissioner would just desert the Company out of the blue?"
Bunsen reflexively shrank back behind the Krookodile, motioning off at Pleo with his snout as he protested with an audible stammer.
"It's because they tricked me into fighting a demon without any warning at all! I-I didn't sign up for that!" Bunsen insisted. "And I d-don't know anything about what's going on in your town right now! I was just gathering berries and wood in the forest!"
Pleo and his companions stared blankly at the Charizard. He'd… really been in the dark all this time about how Pleo had hatched on Tromba? There had to be some sort of story behind how that had happened, not that Bunsen looked like he was in much of a mood to tell them right then and there with the way he was visibly trembling
"Pl-Please! I have a mate and three children!" the Fire-Type whined. "I went back to them in Starbreak Square to try and hide from the disasters that little monster would bring!"
Crom narrowed his eyes at Bunsen's shameful display, only to catch himself after hearing the mention of 'Starbreak Square'. The name seemed to have brought a dark cloud over the conversation with the guards earlier… but why?
"Wait, what is Starbreak Square anyways?" the Druddigon asked. "And why does it sound so much like Starpeak Square?"
"It's the biggest haven in Anyilla for Marked like me," Ander explained. "A place of refuge in Gestirn's Mystery Dungeon that we made during the days of King Adler's purges centuries ago."
"Well that's a selective telling of history if I ever heard one. Especially for a town whose Pokémon literally chose their name out of spite towards our own," Robbie scoffed, folding his arms with a sharp scowl. "That town's been nothing but trouble in all the years it's been on this island. The Pokémon that live there steal from our fields and snatch Rescue Teams from the Mystery Dungeon on the flimsiest of excuses. Why, you blotch-heads would probably sack our town yourselves if you thought you could get away with it!"
Pleo fell quiet at Robbie's explanation. Whatever the truth behind this Starbreak Square was, it was obvious that they were capable of causing trouble for Gestirn's Pokémon if they felt like it, and certainly had the strength to do so.
Wait a minute… if they had the strength to pick fights for centuries here on Gestirn…
"So… the Pokémon there are good at fighting, then?" Pleo asked.
"Some of them are, yes," Ander said, nodding back. "As a haven with a long history of having to fend off threats from the surrounding Dungeon and from outside, one would need strength. Though where are you…?"
The Scyther trailed off and fell quiet, as a moment of blinking silence fell over the group. Before Pleo knew it, he was at the center of at least a dozen incredulous stares, as everyone began to put together what Lugia was suggesting…
"Wait, you're not seriously thinking of asking them for help, are you?" Robbie demanded.
"Well, why not?" Pleo asked. "You need fighters to help you drive the pirates out of town. Does it really matter if they're Marked?"
The Krookodile gave an annoyed grunt and turned his head aside in reply.
"Don't hold your breath there, kid," Robbie scoffed. "If they somehow know about what just happened to us, they're probably celebrating it right now."
Robbie trailed off when he noticed that Bunsen was no longer next to him aside from a length of rope that trailed after him. The Krookodile rolled his eyes and yanked the rope with his claws. A sharp yelp and loud thud rang out, as everyone's eyes turned to see Bunsen over a short ways away, having freshly faceplanted onto the ground. The Heliolisk next to Robbie clicked his tongue with a disapproving "jämmerlich", before turning back to Team Traveller with a skeptical frown.
"If this guy turned into such a wreck after just seeing a Protector, are you really expecting anyone to listen to you in Starbreak Square?" the Heliolisk asked. "Good luck getting a friendly audience from those blotch-heads."
Crom stared as Robbie marched Bunsen back, head held low and visibly quaking. He gathered that Bunsen… didn't have the strongest of nerves, but the Heliolisk had a point. Would the other Pokémon in Starbreak Square really be that different themselves in the presence of a "demon"?
Crom snapped back to attention at the rattle of metallic feathers and noticed Trizano stepping forward. The Skarmory raised a wing for attention before speaking up to the gathered guards.
"Sheriff Robbie, I realize that it might not come naturally to you, and perhaps there are normally reasons for you not to consider seeking help from Starbreak Square," the Skarmory began. "But as it stands, it's an open question as to if you'll be able to find enough strength on this island to relieve your town. We're going to need all the help we can get."
Ander traded wary glances between Trizano and Pleo for a moment, and tapped his blades against each other uneasily. He clearly didn't seem enthusiastic about the idea of going to Starbreak Square himself, but after glancing off at the entrance tunnel, he looked at the guards and began to speak up with an insistent buzz.
"I… can't speak of how they'll react at first, or how eager they'll be to help you," Ander murmured. "But no Marked would want the likes of pirates getting their paws on a de- er… a Pokémon like Pleo."
Pleo blinked and turned his head over to the Marked Scyther. Ander looked at him for a moment with visible hesitation, before he sucked in a sharp breath and continued on.
"I… trust Pleo. Or at least more than anyone else of his kind," the Scyther insisted. "Whatever he really is, his personality certainly isn't what I was fearing it would be. But if the pirates had some way of getting around that, or if they put him in the paws of someone else who did, it'd be a disaster for the entire Cradle!"
Pleo tilted his head and stared at Ander in surprise. He… trusted him? In spite of believing that he was some sort of demon and being so afraid of him just a month ago that he'd chased him out of his shop at scythe-point?
He wasn't sure what to make of that, but before he could say anything, Crom stepped forward, clearing his throat before speaking up to Robbie and the other guards.
"With how organized those pirates were earlier. Is it really safe to try and bide your time?" the Druddigon asked. "If they've taken over the town, for all we know they'll just keep sending in reinforcements until they do capture Pleo!"
Robbie narrowed his eyes at Crom and his companions, and carefully scanned the four with a visible frown. After a tense, palpable silence, he shook his head, and glanced towards the ground with a grudging sigh.
"… I'm not convinced that this is going to work, but I suppose we don't have much to lose right now," the Krookodile admitted.
A moment of dumbfounded silence came over the guards, as a couple of their number grumbled to themselves about how things must've been more dire than they thought to be reduced to "a plan like this". Curiously, Bunsen himself seemed startled, as he craned his neck and cut in with a stammering protest.
"B-But you can't just go to Starbreak Square!" he cried. "Its entrances are constantly shifting around in the Mystery Dungeon and they're always very well guarded!"
"Well, I suppose it's a good thing we have a workaround for that, huh?" Robbie harrumphed.
The Charizard blinked in confusion, before he noticed that the Krookodile Sheriff was staring very insistently at him.
"Wait, you… do?" Bunsen gulped.
"It's simple, Glurak. You're gonna take them there."
Robbie threw an arm out and latched onto Bunsen's neck, digging the points of his claws into his hide and pulling him forward with a sharp yelp. The Charizard flinched, and cracked his eyes open to see the sheriff leaning in, snout pressed up against his with a low growl.
"As it stands, you're going to be a prisoner one way or another," Robbie said. "You can either be ours, and we'll hand you over to Imperial authorities as a Company asset operating behind enemy lines."
The Krookodile then jerked the Charizard's head to the right, turning him to face Team Traveller's members as they watched in startled confusion. Before either side could say anything, Robbie raised a claw, and settled it on Pleo and his companions.
"Or, you agree to be theirs, and they'll decide what to do with you after you take them back to that gods-forsaken village of yours," he continued. "I frankly don't care what they do to you, but they seem like they'd be more interested in letting you see that mate and kids of yours than we would be. As such, I'd strongly encourage that you make yourself useful to them."
The color drained from Bunsen's face after the Krookodile's words left his mouth and the Fire-Type began to visibly quiver. From their place opposite of the Charizard, Pleo traded an askew glance with Crom, speaking out the side of his mouth in a hushed whisper.
"Crom? Do you think going with Bunsen is really gonna work?" Pleo asked.
"Y-You're- You're g-gonna force me to go with that monster?" Bunsen stammered. "I- I- U-Ungh…"
Bunsen's tail flame abruptly dimmed as his eyes rolled back into his head. Crom watched as the Charizard pitched forward and hit the ground with a dull thud. The Druddigon blinked a moment, as Pleo waddled over and poked at the Charizard with his beak, before giving a worried glance up at Robbie and the other guards wondering if the Fire-Type was okay. The Lugia was answered by a low groan from the bound Charizard on the ground. From the side, Crom bit his tongue, before looking back at Pleo with a sighing shake of his head.
"It'll have to."
Author's Notes:
- Ay, menos mal - Spanish: "Oh, thank goodness"
- Alles klar - German: "All clear"
- Sichlor - German: "Scyther"
- Bauern - German: "farmers"
- Glurak - German: "Charizard"
- jämmerlich - German: "pathetic", "pitiful", "miserable". Can carry derogatory connotations depending on context of usage.
