Fairy 6.16: Confrontation
Kekoa
June 27, 2020
"And another thing," Armoranth says. "We need floral scented candles here. Humans stink and I don't want to deal with it."
"Why would you want to smell dead flowers? Or be near fire? I don't want to smell burning corpses."
There was a fire in Minamo just before you finally got out of Hoenn. They had to do something with the bodies. Jabari kept you far away from it. You try not to remember.
"They aren't actually burning flowers. Just wax."
"And what's wax made of?" You don't actually know. Probably plants. Doubt they're getting it from vespiquen or whatever.
The flower huffs in annoyance. "Oil. I'm not happy about it, but you humans make nearly everything from oil. Can't live with you without burning the planet down."
"Wait, really?"
"Yes, really."
"Huh." You set your book down and turn to actually look at her. "That's kind of fucked."
"Thank you!"
Plumeria will probably stop that when she's in charge. Well, not drilling. They don't do that in Alola. But she'll do something to fix all the plastic and oil and stuff.
"What type of flower are you, anyways?"
"Excuse me?"
You glance at her. You've never really been a flower person. Hard to tell anything about a literal flower person. "You heard me? What kind of flower are you holding?"
She huffs. "That's racist. You can't just ask a floette what—"
"You're literally white. You can't talk about racism."
"Well, it works differently with floette! We're the ones everyone hates from the moment we pick the stupid flower—"
"Now the flower's stupid—"
"Not what I meant!"
"Dunno, sounds a lot like you're saying the whites have it worst."
Armoranth growls. Adorably. "Those humans aren't even white! They're light brown. You're all just different shades of brown. Mindbogglingly stupid you get mad about shades. We don't even care about colors."
"Fine. We're stupid. Now what flower are you?"
"…I'm bonded with a hibiscus."
"Cool. So do you want this place to smell like you or something different?"
"Allamanda, if you can find it."
"I'll see." Or someone will. Probably Hatterene. You handle cleaning, not supplies.
"It reminds me of home. Mom kept a lot of them in her garden."
You look at her. Really look at her. She's small. Just a waif gripping onto a flower for dear life. And she misses her home and her mother. "How old are you?"
"Sixty-eight."
"Days? Months?"
"Years."
Holly shit. Maybe not a child, then. Even if she looks and acts like one. Still. You feel bad for her. This is kind of your fault.
"Sorry for taking you away from your mother."
"It wasn't you. Well, it could have been you, but…" She sighs. "I got careless. Thought no humans would be out in the dark. I was seen and they got away. The humans would have come for me, over and over again. If it wasn't you, it would've been one of them. My aunt wasn't even that mad at you."
"Literally owns me and isn't even mad."
"Hmph. That was because you made a bad deal. You deserve it, falling for wording like that. She let your friend go without a problem."
Right. Lyra. Not sure you would call her a friend. She wasn't bad. Especially towards the end. But you could never really come around to liking her. Cuicatl wasn't from Alola but she's still blind, broke, and abused. Gen went through enough to deserve a little pity. Lyra? She is the system. Proudly. Even if she's not a total bitch herself she supports her parents' right to do whatever the fuck it is they got rich doing.
"She was too afraid to talk."
"Should have been! My aunt can be scary."
There's a quick set of three knocks on the door.
"Yeah, come in."
Machoke enters. He looks between you and Armoranth. "Sorry, heard you talking to no one. Got a little concerned."
"I understand. I will endeavor to broadcast my conversations to all others in the vicinity in the future," Armoranth responds. Wait. Right. Telepath. You'd honestly forgotten that she wasn't speaking aloud. With Cuicatl there was a clear difference. None at all for Armoranth. Difference between a human and a pokémon.
"That's, uh, you don't need to do that. This is fine."
"It would be no trouble." Armoranth bats her eyelashes. She knows humans surprisingly well for living apart from them.
"Nope. Don't need to. Forget I said anything."
"If that is what you truly wish." He turns around and makes to leave. "Oh, wait! My servant wished to speak with you about the rufflet in his care."
He raises an eyebrow. "You work things out?"
"Not… quite." He stays calm when you explain your terrible plan. Seeking out someone who probably hates you and Skull now and just handing a pokémon over. You know that this needs to be done but part of you hopes that he vetoes and just tells you to mail the pokéball or something. You even offer the idea. You can feel Armoranth's glare on you.
"No, I can arrange it. Plumeria's tracking her anyway. Won't be too much trouble to find out when she gets back to society."
"Wait. Why is she being tracked?"
He shrugs and offers open palms. "Again, I don't know much. Most of what I do know I only learned after you joined. We aren't doing anything to her. Just keeping watch."
{I have an inkling,} Armoranth murmurs in your head. This time it feels like she isn't speaking. {It's nothing sinister. Just an intriguing possibility my aunt had discussed with Plumeria and... ah, forget I said anything.}
{What? Why is your aunt involved?}
You can hear her focus as the link becomes more solid. {Forget I said anything.}
Machoke snaps. Right in your face. You wake with a jolt.
"You alright?"
"Yeah. Just. Zoned out or something."
Armoranth shies away when you look at her. What's that about?
"Okay. Just take it easy, alright? I'll let you know when Cuicatl gets back to Seafolk."
"You're really doing this?"
He shrugs. "Far as I see it, takes some stress from you and might win over someone of interest. I'll have to run it by the boss lady but it should be fine."
"Yes," Armoranth whispers. "I imagine so."
Hatterene glares at you for a moment before taking out her notepad and scribbling something down. "I'll see what I can do." She glances down at Armoranth who bats her eyelashes.
"I'm sure that with your capabilities it—"
"Can it. I'll do what I can. Or our purchase team will. Never even heard of that flower. I'm not sure we'll be able to get it. We aren't the profitable kind of gang."
"Thank you for your efforts all the same." You stare down at the floette. Why is she so polite to her but not you?
Hatterene goes back to her med kit. "Pull up your shorts." You do. No point being awkward during shots. And she's very professional. Even has her chansey standing behind her in case something somehow goes wrong. You doubt it. Only happened once before. Not your fault you managed to poke a blood vessel.
She glances at the stack of books you're reading for Moe while she kneels down. "True Love's Embrace, huh? Never took you for a romantic."
"I'm not. Transitioned to get away from that shit."
The needle enters your skin. You do your best to pretend it isn't there.
"What, too good for stable relationships?"
"Never had one." Never really had a chance. Moved around too much.
The needle slides out and the cap goes back on. Hatterne reaches for a bandage. Picks it up. Puts it down and pulls out another one. A Hello Skitty one. She ignores your eyes widening in fear. "Neither have I, but a girl can dream."
You try your best to ignore the bandage, too. Just immediately straighten out your shorts to cover it. "Really? What's your type?" You can ignore it and then it pretty much isn't there.
She twists the needle off the syringe and puts it into the sharps bag. "Tall. Sorry, kid."
Rude. You open your mouth to bitch about it but she cuts you off.
"Yours?"
You blank. Really don't want to talk about this with a girl. Like, how do you even do it without sounding like a creep? You were a girl and have no clue.
"Poison," Armoranth answers. "He's a poison-type."
Oh, nice save. Even if it was probably meant as an insult.
Hatterene rolls her eyes and picks up her first aid kit. "Sure. I'll try to get you your candles, Amorant?"
"Armoranth," you correct her.
She mouths the word a few times. "Got it. Thanks."
"Humans," Armoranth whines the moment the door is shut. "No respect for their elders."
"I think it was an accident? Or she's mad about the candles."
The fairy looks down to the ground. "I was not too particular, was I? I do not mean to overburden the poor child."
"So you won't overburden her, but—"
"You? At every possible opportunity." She shimmies closer to her flower and hovers further off the floor. "I do not owe you an explanation as to why."
"Fine. Let's just talk to Mahina."
How is that better than whatever this is?
The toucannon flaps her wings and shakes her head as she adjusts to being outside her ball. Then she turns to look at you.
This is fine. Cuicatl lost her starter. There's no shame in this.
There isn't much shame in this.
…
You can deal with the shame.
"So, uh, Mahina…" She looks at you but doesn't say anything. You glance down at Armoranth. She waves a hand to tell you to get a move on. "Do you want to leave? I won't stop you."
She clacks her bill once.
"Yes," Armoranth translates.
You swallow. You knew this was coming but it still hurts.
"Was I a bad trainer?"
She tilts her beak down and clacks it a few times before trilling in a long pattern you can't make out.
"She got what she expected to get. Food, training. She's thankful for the fruit during the darkness. This was never going to last forever. She would like to find a mate now."
"Okay." You pause. "I'm going to meet Cuicatl soon. Do you want to say goodbye to any of her pokémon."
She slams her bill shut angrily and makes a few bellows. Armoranth looks at you questioningly. "She says that she's seen this before and knows how it ends. Wants to leave now."
Seen this…? Cuicatl. Pixie. Hala. Right.
"That's fine. Uh. Any last rituals or anything? Want to talk to Vengeance or any of the others?"
"No."
You don't even need Armoranth to translate. Weren't expecting it, but she never has been very close to any of them. "Want me to take you anywhere?"
The same loud clack. No. Then a soft vibrating screech.
"Grew up here. Knows the way back."
It's probably suspicious if your toucannon just shows up in the wild. Might give away your location. She's a toucannon, though. There are lots of those in Alola. Odds are no one tries to catch her and finds out about your ownership.
You take a deep breath. Is there anything you would like to say now? What should you?
"You're strong. Always have been. I liked traveling with you." Maybe that's a lie. You never really talked to her. Even when you had the option.
She nods, turns around, and flies away. Is that it? You were expecting… more.
(It's more than you gave Cuicatl before leaving her.)
At least there aren't any more of these talks for a while. Your drifblim and carbink are fine as long as you keep taking care of them. Miltank just wants to battle. Leilani the charjabug is a glorified paperweight for now. You'll talk to her again once she evolves.
You will have to say goodbye to Vengeance eventually. But you've already learned and accepted that. Even if you still feel kind of shitty about it.
It's another hour before the abra comes back. Hatterene must have thought this would be a lot more involved than it was. That's fine. It's nice to just stand outside. Let Vengeance chase Moe around like he has any chance of catching the ghost while Anuenue peacefully grazes. Never realize how cramped you are with everyone in the house until you're alone outside of it.
July 1, 2024
Loudred helps you with the dishes when it's your turn. She doesn't have to. Never speaks to you. Simply does it and leaves without saying a word. You've never seen her help with the dishes like that.
"Does she like me now? Hate me less?"
Armoranth huffs. "How should I know? She's a human. You're a human. Your guess is better."
"Florges seem like the silent, stoic, scary types. Thought maybe you'd picked something up."
"They only seem like that to you. Trust me. They don't shut up when talking to each other. Just days and days of gossip before one gets bored and leaves."
"Huh." You're not sure if that's ever going to be useful. Worth filing away for later.
"Maybe she's trying to bribe you?" Armoranth suggests. "She did something for you. Now you're in her debt. But there was no bargain in advance and you didn't thank her—" She whips her head around to face you. "You didn't thank her, right?"
"No?" You're pretty sure you didn't. it was kind of awkward.
"Good. That would have formalized the debt. Because you're my property that debt would pass to me. I forbid you from taking on debts without my express permission."
This is fairy bullshit, right? Debts, bargains, the kinds of things that you really should have paid more attention to before you got snared by a flower.
"Humans don't work like that. We, I mean it would be nice to pay someone back, but unless there's a contract or something it isn't required. Thanking someone is just polite."
"Useless, all of you. This is why the fey avoid your kind. No more intelligent or entertaining than your livestock. The only interest comes from the mismatch of your self-perception and reality"
There's a knock on the laundry room door. You'd holed up in here because Cranidos was already asleep in the bedroom. Migraine or something. "You decent?" Golbat asks.
"Yes?"
"Good." The door opens and she steps in.
"Why wouldn't I have been decent? It's the laundry room."
"Dunno. House full of teenagers. I've learned to ask." She closes the door behind her and lowers her voice to a whisper. "I hope that Loudred didn't give you too much trouble."
"No. Never said a word. Just helped and left."
Golbat relaxes a little before leaning against the wall. "Good. That's as close as she'll ever come to an apology. Machoke and I talked to her and it seems to have gone through."
"She came around on me? Cuicatl? Both?"
"You." She walks past you and opens the window before fishing a cigarette out of her pocket. Armoranth recoils.
"Excuse me!"
Golbat glances at her before putting the lighter away. The unlit cigarette stays in hand. "Convinced her that it was good you were loyal to people. Reduced the risk of you selling the rest of us out if you get captured. She's still convinced that Cuicatl's going to come at us with a metagross. Told her I'd be more worried about the ex-cop with a metagross or the tech bro with a god." She twirls her cigarette around before idly putting it into the pocket of her jeans. They're shitty girl jeans with fake pockets. The cig still sticks out. "Didn't get into this shit to kill kids, you know? If the boss wants it done, she can do it herself. I'm not getting involved with it."
Good. That's good. Really good. People have standards here. Except maybe Loudred. Armoranth has levitated up to look out the window. She's blocking herself off from you with her flower. It's not strange for her.
"We usually go this long without a mission?" you ask.
"Nah. First it was to let you get adjusted, now we're lying low so your brother doesn't cause trouble. Can't risk going to Melemele again so our usual targets are off-limits. There is something coming. Team meeting later."
Good. You could use a chance to let loose and break things.
July 3, 2024
Feels like half of Skull is out at Ula'Ula. There are at least two fires burning and a group at the docks for distraction. The rest of you are hitting other targets while the cops are busy. Your team is at an accountant's office for… emails. The boss wants to steal some emails. Cranidos asked and was told that he didn't need to know.
Moe floats out through the front door and softly moans.
"He wasn't seen. One guard at the back of the first floor," Armoranth translates.
"Good. Pory?"
A borrowed porygon2 floats from his place beside Machoke and slips into the security system panel. It flashes from red to green a few seconds later. Then Machoke gets a text.
"Boss was right. They have their own rotom in the server. We'll have to lure them out."
And that falls to you.
"Gumshoos: watch the entry and the scanner. Loudred, Simisear: take the guard. Cranidos, Golbat: smash shit. Hatterene, Pory, and Jigglypuff with me."
You silently climb the stairs with the team's medic and leader. Moe and Armoranth float beside you. Once you're on the second floor Machoke takes the lead and sends out his scrafty to walk in front of him. It's kind of a stereotype for him to have one but whatever. You don't doubt he's good in a fight. Certainly looks strong with visible muscles under the tighter parts of the skin. You can hear fighting and breaking below you. Hear one of the smash team run up to the third floor shortly after you've left the stairs. When he gets to the security door you expect the porygon to just wizard it open again, but, no. The scrafty steps forward, looks the door up and down, and tears it straight off its hinges before tossing it to the side. Huh. Well, that works, too.
"No stealth?"
"Nah. The rotom would let them know we were here."
"Got it."
Moe floats forward and prepares to do his thing. "Phantom force."
He blips out of existence for a moment. And then reappears as a faint outline over the whirring server. There's an electronic screech and the rotom rushes straight out. Towards the scrafty. You didn't think the fighting-type would be quick, but you're pretty sure the ghost never saw what hit him.
"Cool. Pory?"
The porygon floats towards the server and dissolves into a cloud of polygons. Machoke turns back towards you. "Jiggly? Make sure everything's going good downstairs."
"Got it."
Well, at least you had a small role to play. Even if it was mostly Moe's. You turn back towards the ghost following behind you. "Good job."
There's a quiet groan of acknowledgment. Armoranth doesn't bother to translate.
The fighting's over downstairs. Simisear's scyther is cutting into filing cabinets while her houndoom burns the paper inside. She seems bored. Only spares you a glance before going back to idly staring at the cabinets. Cranidos is spray painting something on the wall. Tax Cheats… you can't read the rest.
"Hey, Jiggly! How'd it go?" he calls back.
"Fine. What do you need down here?"
"Uh." He glances around before shrugging and turning back to his art. "Just send your miltank out and have her—him—use rollout all over."
"Okay. I can do that."
You tell him it's obstacle training. See how much shit he can smash as quickly as possible.
(A lot. He can smash a lot of shit. He's already knocked over half the cubicles on the second floor when Machoke and Hatterene step out of the server room.)
The boss seems surprised at how smashed everything is. Gives a long whistle as he looks around the room. "Huh. Good work."
"Thank Anuenue." You really didn't do anything today.
"Sure, we'll get him some treats or something." He cups his hand in front of his mouth and shouts. "Let's get moving people. See you all at the rendezvous in five minutes."
You leave separately so you don't get spotted. With the baclava off you're just some kid wandering around the city at night. Kind of suspicious but not a crime. One by one you find your way to the unlocked door of an abandoned grocery store and wait for the abra to pick you up.
Mission accomplished.
Whatever the mission was.
July 4, 2024
The mission had something to do with the library, probably. It's the odd one out for targets that got hit. Skull's statement talked about a few artifacts they had in the collection but, like, nothing on the level of the art museum or anything. Acerola's quoted saying that everyone loses when books are stolen. It feels weird to see her in the news. She was a constant presence at the orphanage. Not one you really interacted with, she was always more focused on the younger kids or her work, but she was there. Just. A normal person.
A few Skull members got arrested at the beach. Maybe you'll be tasked with breaking them out.
In the end no one confirms or denies anything to you because of op-sec.
July 6, 2020
Almost everyone in the room loses their shit when Coco evolves. Almost everyone. Loudred glares at you for a moment, the "I told you so" left unspoken. And you… well it is really cool. Cuicatl finally has her giant fuckoff dragon. It's for the best you gave her the egg back on Akala. You wouldn't have known what to do with a tyrunt. No one would have. Jabari was out of his fucking mind when he gave some random teenager a dinosaur egg without telling them what it was.
He wouldn't have known how to handle Coco, either, going by her mom's rampage. You'd be surprised that no one went to jail if it wasn't so, so predictable.
When the hype wears off you get to thinking. It's cool that she has the dragon but, like, what does that mean? She still has to feed the thing and she's already struggling to keep herself afloat. Will she dip into her hydreigon money? You know she hates doing that. Is she going to use all the time she has between now and the elite four to go on a poaching spree? Does she even have a Class V yet? You haven't seen anything about it online so you're guessing no. What happens if she can't get it?
You want to talk to her. You know you threw that right away. When you do talk to her, she'll probably just take Vengeance and immediately tell you to fuck off. It's what you would do.
Later that afternoon you show Vengeance the video. He's fascinating to watch. Eyes darting over the screen as things move, chirping or hissing with joy and annoyance as things unfold. But that all gets so much more when Coco comes out. He hops around from side to side, even lunges at the screen so abruptly that you're worried he's actually going to attack it. Starts crowing mournfully when Coco gets knocked down.
And then just stares when she gets back up, bigger than ever. Watches most of the rest in silence.
The battle cuts out and it goes back to the host's commentary. He kept it light during the battle itself. Very light after Coco evolved. Still doesn't really know what to say about the giant dragon fight he just witnessed. It doesn't happen every day or even every year on the island challenge. He says that line about four times in five minutes.
Vengeance eventually loses interest and hops away from the phone.
"Do you want to talk about it."
He shakes his head. No.
"Okay. Uh. You'll see her again in a few days."
He stays silent. Just keeps staring into the middle distance.
"I'll, uh, I can let you and Armoranth talk about it? Or maybe Simisear's murkrow."
A sharp caw of protest.
"He doesn't want to."
"Okay. Okay." Fuck. You have no idea what you're doing here. {Any ideas?} you ask Armoranth mentally. Hopefully she can pick up on it.
{Nope. You fucked up and now we all have to live with it. That's just how it goes.}
{Thanks. Real helpful.}
{Any time. And do remember not to thank people going forwards. Especially fairies. I would hate to find myself embroiled in my own custody dispute.}
July 11, 2024
The Pokémon Center sits in front of you. It's fixed to the ground. All the platforms around it rise and fall gently in the evening waves. If it comes down to a fight the water's a little too deep for Coco to be effective. That puts you against her golisopod and metang. And also Pixie. You think you can handle it, even without your starter.
Moe drifts up towards her window and catches Noci's attention. Or Pixie's. Someone's. She usually has a pokémon awake at night. You don't want to have to call her. If it's just Noci waking her up then you can keep things one on one.
The ghost drifts back to you. Mission accomplished. You take a deep breath and steel yourself. Fuck. You hate it when your own bad decisions come back to bite you in the ass.
It's a few minutes before the Center door swings open and Cuicatl walks out. Pixie's acting as her guide. No leash. Just pressed against her dangling hand. Noci floats out behind her. Her sash is draped over a long nightshirt that almost reaches her knees. Probably one of her girlfriend's.
"What do you want," she finally says. She doesn't sound angry. Upset. Just a little lifeless. That's somehow way worse.
"To talk."
She scoffs. "Why now? Why not before you ran away?"
"I…" Vengeance bolts and saves you from answering. He hops, runs, and flutters until he's right in front of Cuicatl. Then he shrieks in challenge before breaking into lower, faster cries. Almost like begging. It's… really unlike him.
Cuicatl seems taken aback, too. Like this took a turn and suddenly she has no idea what she's doing here. Maybe that helps you? Maybe not. You still aren't sure what you want to happen here.
"Calm down," Cuicatl finally says. "I still don't have the approval of a priest. But, if someone sacred to the gods insists… I guess that's close enough." She looks up at you. "Either break his ball or give it to me."
You toss it over. And misjudge the breeze and distance. It plops into the water. Cuicatl sighs in frustration and reaches for her sash. Shit. You reach for your belt and prepare for a fight. She just sends out her golisopod and asks him to find the ball on the seafloor. You stay tensed. She was raised by dragons and fascists and you've seriously offended her. Obviously there's going to be a fight.
There isn't. She still seems more resigned than anything as she takes the ball from Leo.
"He goes by Vengeance now," you tell her.
"The Galarian word or the concept?"
"Uh…" you glance down at Armoranth. "Concept?"
The fairy doesn't correct you.
"Is…" she shakes her head. "Later. Now. You."
She finally takes a step forward, left hand on Pixie and right hand stabbing towards you.
"What do you think you're accomplishing?"
"We're taking the fight to the Americans. Didn't think you'd mind."
She growls. "I don't. Fuck them. No. You get your war. Fine. Now what? What are untrained children doing that the armies of Anahuac could not?" She finally stops and throws out her hands in a dramatic gesture. "Do you know what they did to us? Ruined everything. Border cities destroyed or captured. The economy tanked. Military crippled. Multiple rulers dead and their heirs fighting for years. Thirty years later it still hangs over us. Is that what you want? Go from things being kind of shitty to your whole country being nothing but blood and ash?"
"Plumeria has a plan. It's not going to end that way."
She makes a bitter, strangled laugh. "A plan? Fine. What is it?"
"I don't know. Op-sec."
A strangled snort. One of her fluid pivots, a full 180 degrees. Away from you. "You're all going to die."
"It's not fair. That Gen's parents can just—"
"I. Fucking. Know," she growls. "They almost killed her. Almost killed me. Hate them. Hate this country. I just. I don't want you to die or spend your life in prison. How hard is that to understand?"
"If no one takes the risk, nothing will change."
"If no one punches the hurricane, we can't beat it. You die and nothing changes, anyway."
"That's it, then? I should just give up? My entire people should give up?"
"No. You should just wait until it isn't suicide."
"People will die in the meantime."
"Help them. Survive together. Don't just die to prove a point."
Movement catches your eye. On top of the Pokémon Center. A bird. A togekiss. Shirona's?
…if it is, you're fucked. Worse than with Jabari's gengar.
"I'm not built for that. Sorry. This is what I'm supposed to do."
"You would literally rather die than help someone." She gives another sad, bitter laugh, before turning back to face you. "Come back. Please. We didn't tell anyone you joined Skull. No one's making you stay." She pauses. "If someone is making you stay, Coco can have words with them. She has very good words now."
"My brother knows. He's almost certainly told the cops about it."
"No. He wouldn't do that to you."
She sounds certain even though they've met one or two times, tops. Never for long. It's not about him, is it? It's about her brother.
"We don't all have families like yours." Thankfully. Jabari was bad but the worst thing he did was leaving you alone. And at least your parents were just dead rather than going out of their way to destroy your self-confidence. Maybe Cuicatl's picking up on this. Fine. She should know it.
She glowers at you. The most upset you've seen her this entire confrontation. Yeah, she heard some of that.
You're interrupted by more movement. The togekiss flies down on quiet wings and lands beside Cuicatl. She chirps something at you. No. To the pokémon beside you.
"Hello," she responds. Finally speaking up for the first time. "I am Armoranth of the Yellow Field. I have no quarrel with you and will be leaving shortly."
Oh. Just some fairy bullshit. Probably doesn't even care about you.
A chirrup from the togekiss.
"Bound? No. Never. This human bargained his eternal service to me."
"What?" Cuicatl raises her voice for the first time. "You bargained with a fairy? Is that why you did all of this?"
"Oh, no. We met after he left you."
Cuicatl turns to the togekiss. "You can't allow this, right? You're doing something?"
The togekiss just looks at you sadly before pushing herself into the air and flying away.
"It is not a fairy's place to interfere with another's bargain," Armoranth answers on her behalf. Oh thank fuck. That could have been really, really bad.
"Not a fairy's place…" Cuicatl says before shaking her head, turning around, and walking away. When she's almost back to the center she abruptly stops and pivots back around. "Fine. Never liked you and your bullshit deals. Ownership doesn't come from words. It's what you're able to defend. You want him? Defend it."
Noci rushes forwards with more speed than you've ever seen. Right at you. In a moment Anuenue is out and ready to fight. The metang pulls up and suddenly Leo is right there, lunging at the miltank. He tries to bring down a hoof on him but the bug stops and pulls back at the last moment before slashing into his opponent's side. Anuenue snorts in rage and headbutts the golisopod. He just takes it before lashing out with another slash.
At least they'll be stalemated for a while. "Moe, fight—"
Noci rushes past you in the chaos and Armoranth yelps. What? You look up to see the metang hovering over the water, a very upset floette grasped in one of their claws. The golisopod and miltank keep fighting, unaware or uncaring of the hostage. Thankfully Moe has stopped and is ignoring your orders. Good. You're pretty sure floette can't swim.
"You can't do this!" Armoranth calls while struggling against unyielding steel claws. "My aunt will find and kill you both for this. She has that kind of power!"
"I'll deal with her when she comes," Cuicatl responds, voice eerily, icily calm. "Now, release him."
"Can't. I wasn't the one to make the bargain. My aunt could just find someone else who matches the words and transfer his service. Now, let me go or I'll order my servant to slit his throat."
Could she? You've never felt magically compelled to do her bullshit. Would she? It's a lot more than anything she's ever done to you.
You only have a pocket knife on you. Hatterene wouldn't let you carry a real one unless she was confident you wouldn't slit your own wrists with it on accident. Might save your life.
She shrugs. "Do it and you die screaming." Cuicatl's voice is way too casual for her words.
"Let her go," you ask. "Please. She hasn't hurt me. Just kind of annoying."
She sighs. "Fine. This isn't a fairy's bargain, but a dr—but an understanding. You harm him, in any way, ever, I will find you and kill you in a way that's far, far worse. Got it?"
The golisopod leaps back out of combat while Anuenue stamps a hoof into the floating walkway. There are a few more gashes on his side. The golisopod's armor seems scuffed but it's hard to tell in the dim light. "Lay off him," you tell your pokémon. "Not the time. Just don't let him pass."
"Fine," Armoranth spits. "I understand your intentions. Now let me go."
"As you wish."
The fairy gasps as Noci's grip abruptly opens and she starts to fall. Over the water.
"Moe!"
He's not fast. You reach down to send out your carbink but they aren't fast, either. Armoranth ends up saving herself by using the flower like a parachute to catch her fall. Moe reaches her in time to gently blow her back onto the path near you.
"If you're quite done, I would like to take my leave."
"Almost." She withdraws her golisopod and takes a hesitant step forward. Anuenue bellows at her. Cuicatl just stops and stares at him before looking back towards you. "Hug? Please."
You withdraw your miltank and step forwards. Even give her a little help because she's blind. After cautiously wrapping an arm around you she pulls in and presses herself into you.
{If you ever need help, call me. I'll be there.}
{I will.}
After honestly a little too long she finally pulls away. With one last pivot she begins to walk back towards the Pokémon Center. Noci and Pixie follow. Vengeance gives you one last glance before barely making it through the closing door.
"Armoranth, what the fuck was that about slitting my throat?"
"I panicked, okay?" she huffs. "I thought that she would have a modicum of civility."
"She was raised by dragons."
"I did not properly understand what that meant. I know, now, that she's completely insane."
Not how you would describe her. Usually. "Could you do it?"
"I could give the order, yes." Carefully not saying if you would be forced to follow it. "So far you have done nothing to warrant it. Good job. You have done the bare minimum to be worth more alive than dead."
Maybe you've been letting your guard down a little too much around her. Turns out she can do worse than literally owning you. "Right…" You'll have to figure out a way to deal with that eventually. Maybe involves Cuicatl, maybe doesn't. For now… for now it's late and you want to go home.
The light's on in Cuicatl's room. She doesn't need it. Means that Gen or Lyra is awake. Best to go before you have to talk to them.
The door opens again just as the abra takes you away. You don't get to see who was coming out.