Galar Firefighting Squad Member 113, otherwise known as Cramorant Motostoke-6, exhaled a steady stream of water from his beak into yet another piece of flaming wreckage, watching as the crackling fire tried and failed to stand up to the barrage. He was keenly aware of other firefighters, including the seven other members of his Cramorant wing, doing the same elsewhere. A Cramorant's Gulp Missile Ability allowed them to fit practically anything they desired in their beaks - this was useful in battle for a myriad of reasons, but in firefighting terms it meant that a single Cramorant could easily carry an entire fire truck's worth of water in their beak. The discovery of that capability had ensured that fire engines would be all but phased out, and also had made it so that Cramorants were widely regarded throughout Galar as the most useful possible Pokemon for dealing with a fire.
As Cramorant Motostoke-6 turned to extinguish another patch of flames, the sudden sound of rapid wingbeats drew his attention to the sky. He at once took a step backwards at the sight of the massive Charizard streaking out of the clouds, the telltale form of Champion Leon riding astride his back. Charizard landed on the ground on all fours; Leon was off before the Fire/Flying-type had even finished skidding to a halt.
"Champion Leon!" One of the firefighters stepped up. "If your Seismitoad could-"
"My brother was on this train," Leon interrupted. "Where are the survivors?"
Another nearby firefighter cursed; the first firefighter shot a glare at him before turning back towards Leon. "We're having them gather by the lake about fifty yards that way," he said. "We're still looking, though - it's entirely possible-"
"Thank you." Leon turned and strode off before the firefighter could finish speaking, his Charizard just behind him. Cramorant Motostoke-6 couldn't help but gulp at the Champion's stony expression. He'd heard rumors, scattered remnants of conversations with the survivors, that this train crash hadn't been an accident. Rather, some of the surviving passengers had seemingly claimed the train had come under attack by an as of yet unknown force.
Cramorant Motostoke-6 knew Leon would likely find this out. He knew that the Champion would most likely instantly set about tracking that force down. And when they were found, he knew Leon would bring everything he could bring to bear down upon whoever had done this to his people, to his little brother.
And Leon could bring a lot to bear.
A roar of machinery once more brought Cramorant Motostoke-6's attention; this time the culprit was a trio of helicopters with the Macro Cosmos Rail logo emblazoned on the sides. Cramorant Motostoke-6 sighed as the helicopters landed and began disgorging teams of Macro Cosmos employees. It feels like Macro Cosmos owns everything nowadays. Planes, trains, construction companies…I'm willing to bet that they'll control the fire department within the next five years.
Cramorant Motostoke-6 pushed that thought out of his mind. He couldn't waste time pondering the future when there were still fires to put out. Accordingly, Cramorant Motostoke-6 turned and began spraying water on another fire, his eyes scanning the wreckage for any sign of movement all the while.
Unbeknownst to any of the humans or Pokemon present at the crash site, said crash site was not the only area Macro Cosmos employees had been sent. Rather, at about the same time that the employees were arriving at the crash site, others were recovering the unconscious, but alive, bodies of two Absols from the forest on the right side of the railway a couple miles back.
These employees knew that their boss, Chairman Rose, had these Absols employed as part of his plan to 'ensure Galar's future'. Perhaps a few of them wondered how these Absols had gotten here, and perhaps a couple even put the pieces together and realized that they'd been on the train that had crashed. But all of them knew that they weren't paid to think about such things, and that the amount of bonus pay they were being given for this would ensure that they would not be wanting for anything for quite a while.
Of course, there was the problem that Rose had specifically mentioned that there were three Absols in need of retrieval, yet the Macro Cosmos employees had only found two no matter how hard they looked. But that probably meant that the third Absol had still been on the train when it had crashed. Which meant that it wasn't their problem. Eventually, the Macro Cosmos employees gave up on searching for the third Absol and simply sent out the Teleport-capable Pokemon they had arrived on the scene with, ordering a swift return to base.
So it was that by the time anyone else thought to investigate the areas where they had fallen, Bearer-Of-Darkness and Wielder-Of-Blades were long gone.
"So let me get this straight." Kriesh swallowed a beakful of food. "You're telling me that your former Trainer is part of Hunter J's crew?"
Medicham nodded, poking at her own food. She'd asked Marcus if she and Kriesh could eat dinner away from the rest of the team, knowing that she couldn't possibly tell him - or, for that matter, the other members of the team - about Elle without then having to go into the subject of the Heralds. Now the two of them were standing over plates of something Medicham couldn't identify - it wasn't the tastiest thing ever, but Maya had informed them, in her usual robotic tone, that it was quite nourishing. Ordinarily, Medicham would have just sucked it up and eaten - now, she still hadn't taken a single bite.
"It doesn't make sense," Medicham murmured. "Elle was always so kind, and encouraging, and helpful…why would she be here?"
"Medicham," said Kriesh, "as much as I hate to admit it, it's been, what? Five, six years? A lot can change in that amount of time. Marcus went from badgeless Trainer to Gym Leader in less than a year-"
"This isn't like that!" Medicham protested, then saw a few nearby Pokemon giving her strange glances and quickly lowered her voice. "Kriesh, I don't know what to do. I remember when we encountered Jaya again, and I encouraged you to talk to her, and I know it's silly of me not to follow my own advice…but she's kidnapping Pokemon! You heard her talking about those Galarian Darumaka. What if…what if she's changed too much?"
"Medicham, it's not silly," said Kriesh. "In the end, it's your decision. Look at it this way…the reason I was so scared to approach Jaya was that I was afraid of choosing between her and Marcus. Do you feel the same way towards Elle?"
"I…" Medicham wanted so badly to say yes. But to stay with Elle would mean abandoning Marcus and joining the crew of Hunter J, and Medicham knew she would never be able to bring herself to do either, let alone both. And even if she did, there was no way Bringer-Of-Visions would allow it.
"Do you think Bringer-Of-Visions knew about this?" Medicham asked.
"I don't know," said Kriesh with a quiet sigh. "We can't rule it out. For all I know, it's nothing more than another attempt to make you suffer." She shook her head, her gaze turning stormy. "I will never understand how that twisted mind of hers operates."
"Neither will I," said Medicham. "And if it is an attempt to make me suffer, it's working." She sighed herself. "I don't want to rejoin Elle, Kriesh. But I just can't…not talk to her." She fumbled over her next few words. "I just…can't," she finished lamely, her tongue suddenly feeling thick in her mouth.
"I get it," Kriesh murmured sympathetically. "And I won't stop you. But I doubt Marcus will want you to, and I'm willing to bet he'll keep us all sealed up in our Luxury Balls tonight, what with being on the ship of the most notorious Pokemon poacher in the world."
"That won't be a problem," said Medicham.
Kriesh blinked. "Please don't tell me you're saying what I think you're saying."
"If I'm friends with a Legendary who can transport me in and out of my Luxury Ball at will," said Medicham, "why shouldn't I take advantage of that?"
Kriesh stared at Medicham doubtfully.
"Come on, Kriesh," said Medicham. "I'll have him transport me to Elle's location, then when I'm done, I'll just have him transport me back to my Luxury Ball. Marcus won't know a thing!"
Kriesh bent down towards Medicham. "Be careful," she whispered.
"I promise," Medicham replied.
"Medicham," said Darkrai. "I understand that this means a lot to you…but are you absolutely certain this is the path you want to take?"
"I'm sure," said Medicham. She looked up at where Darkrai's voice was coming from strangely. "Why?"
"Bringer-Of-Visions," answered Darkrai simply.
"I know," Medicham admitted. "But I won't tell Elle the truth about what happened. I just want to…catch up, you know?"
"You know it won't be that simple," Darkrai warned. "But if this is what you want, then I'll help you."
"Thank you, Darkrai," said Medicham gratefully. "If you can just transport me to where she is, and then transport me back when I let you know…"
"So I, a Legendary in charge of protecting the timeline, am now your personal teleporter?" Darkrai asked, his voice tinged with amusement.
"I won't make this a regular thing, I promise," said Medicham.
"I'm just messing with you, Medicham," said Darkrai. "You may use me in this way if you please. Arceus knows I don't have much else to do."
Shadows began to detach from the surrounding dojo walls, sliding across the floor towards Medicham. "I think it would be best if you didn't pop into existence right in front of her," said Darkrai, "so I'm dropping you at a point near her location. You should be able to find her fairly easily from there."
Medicham nodded. "Thank you, Darkrai."
"Anytime," Darkrai replied, and then the shadows engulfed Medicham. Instinctively, Medicham squeezed her eyes shut; when she opened them again, she was standing in the middle of a metallic hallway she instantly recognized as an area of J's ship.
Immediately Medicham glanced around; it did not seem that anyone else was in this hallway. Down the hallway to the left was a single unmarked door, and to the right the hallway split off in two directions. A few other doors lay along the hallway, all similarly unmarked, but Medicham's eyes instantly fell on a single door. Unlike the rest, this one was open slightly, and it looked significantly more sturdy than all the other doors, with a keypad and what looked like a hand scanner emblazoned on the wall beside it. From within, Medicham could faintly hear the murmur of a female voice; she knew at once who it was.
Dropping into a crouch, Medicham crept towards the door. It wasn't quite open enough for her to fit through, so she reached out as carefully as she could and slowly slid it open a little further. Her heart thumped in her chest as she waited for it to creak, but the door was mercifully silent. Medicham pushed until the gap was just barely wide enough for her to squeeze through, then crept through on her tiptoes; before she moved forwards further, she decided it would be prudent to pull the door back to its original position before continuing on.
As she turned to do so, her ears caught another faint sound, a rustle, like something else moving just as quietly as she was. Her first thought was that it was the door, brushing against something, and so she cast her eyes downwards to make sure nothing lay under it. But the rustling continued, and now Medicham could make out that it was growing ever so slightly louder. Medicham felt a surge of sudden fear rush through her as she realized the noise was coming from behind her, for she knew exactly what that meant.
Someone was sneaking up behind her.
The rustling stopped. Medicham tapped into Detect; instantly her Aura yanked her to the side as a blast of what was clearly Electric energy slammed into the door right where she'd been standing. Twisting, Medicham spotted her assailant lunging for her - a Galvantula, glowing yellow with crackling electricity in the darkness - and let fly with a near-instant Bullet Punch. The Galvantula was sent reeling backwards; it skidded to a halt, its eyes glistening with a strange white light.
"Compound Eyes," the Galvantula hissed. "Ocular Flash."
Galvantula's eyes lit up like a high-powered flashlight, shining right into Medicham's own eyes. Medicham bit back a cry of pain as she stumbled backwards, raising one arm to try and deflect the blinding light. Arceus, how many Pokemon in Galar have blinding powers? She heard the sound of energy blasting outwards and fired a swift Psychic in Galvantula's general direction, then activated Detect once more; it was well she did, for again her Aura managed to pull her out of the way of some sort of follow-up attack. From the muffled metallic thump, Galvantula had tried to lunge for her.
Spinning, still operating more on instinct than anything, Medicham lashed out with a Fire Punch. The flaming fist connected with flesh; Galvantula let out a pained snarl, shortly followed by another thump, this one louder, as his body hit the opposite wall.
It was only then that Medicham heard the sounds of another pair of footsteps to her left, rapid and not trying to be stealthy; a second later a Pokeball hissed open, and a loud roar sounded as something else rushed her. "Pure Power: Aura Barrier!" Medicham growled, raising her stump of a left arm and forming a hemispherical shield across it; even so, she stumbled and nearly fell as her new assailant rammed full-tilt into the Aura Barrier, her stagger only cut short by the metal door. Medicham followed up with an Aura Wave, no longer caring about being stealthy; as she did so, her vision finally cleared, and she lowered her right arm, quickly taking in the forms of her attackers.
Galvantula was still crouched against the wall Medicham had thrown him into, looking somewhat scorched. On Medicham's other side stood a large Krookodile, and in front of Medicham stood the telltale form of Elle, still wearing her uniform and clearly breathing heavily, a Watchog standing protectively between her and Medicham. All three of the Pokemon had Protect barriers up; Medicham could see the remnants of her Aura Wave dissipating against them. Immediately, Medicham dropped her battle-stance; she was relieved to see Elle's Pokemon not immediately launch attacks, though they remained crouched, understandably still distrustful.
"You're Marcus's Medicham," said Elle. "What are you doing here?"
Her voice was harsh and inquisitive at the same time, a far cry from the calm, happy tone Medicham remembered. Medicham took another deep breath. "I…" she began, then stopped. There was no reason to beat around the bush. "It's me, Elle," she said quietly. "It's Spirit."
She saw a vestige of hope - almost too fast to see - flare across Elle's eyes before it faded again. "You can't be Spirit," Elle murmured darkly. "Spirit's dead."
"We met in Hoenn," Medicham continued, speaking far more rapidly and desperately than she wanted to. "On Mount Pyre. You'd lost to Norman, and you were exploring Hoenn with Pad and Obsidia, trying to find your way. I got angry because you disturbed my meditation and challenged you to a fight - you specifically, and Obsidia had to interfere to keep me from trying to punch you…"
She saw Elle's eyes lighting up again and knew she was getting through to her. "I survived, Elle," she continued. "I was taken in by a group of friendly wild Pokemon. Whatever happened to me, I'd lost my memory - I couldn't find you again because I didn't even remember your name. And…"
She trailed off as she saw a single tear fall from Elle's eye. "I'm so glad to see you again," Medicham whispered.
Elle took a deep, shuddering breath. She reached up and wiped the tear from her face, then took another one. Swiftly, she signaled for her team to stand down; Galvantula, Krookodile, and Watchog were all still watching Medicham carefully, but they did drop their own battle-stances. Elle took yet another breath, and then spoke again. "Why are you here?"
That was not the response Medicham had been expecting. "When I saw you, I…" She hesitated again, scared that she was saying something wrong. "I couldn't stay away," she finished at last.
"You should have." Elle's voice was choked. She turned away from Medicham and began to step back the way she'd come, back into whatever room she'd been in before Medicham had arrived. Her team began to follow, casting glances back at Medicham.
Medicham stepped after her. "Why?"
"Because I'm not the same Trainer you once knew!" Elle cried, rounding on Medicham; over her shoulder, Medicham could see the inside of the room Elle had come from. She saw Pokemon sitting in metal cages alongside stone statues of Pokemon that Medicham instinctively somehow knew were actual Pokemon petrified, and she took a step back. The exertion seemed to have exhausted Elle; she slumped, taking yet another shuddering breath, and looked back at the room herself.
"I wish I could say I was proud," she murmured. "But after the attack…I was hurt. Hurt in more ways than the physical." She turned, looking straight into Medicham's eyes. "I lost everything that day," she said. "I didn't want to go back home. I didn't want anything to do with Pokemon ever again. And when I met a man who offered me a chance to join a group in Unova whose goals were to protest the use of Pokemon in battle, I jumped at the chance. That man was Ghetsis, and that group was Team Plasma."
Medicham's eyes widened; she instantly knew it was the wrong reaction as Elle looked away. "When Ghetsis launched his attack on the Pokemon League," said Elle, "I wanted to get away. But by then it was too late. All members of Team Plasma were declared terrorists by the International Police. I was given a Patrat and a Sandile and thrown into a war I didn't want any part of. I did what I had to do to survive. Including a lot of things I'm not proud of. Eventually, I rose through the ranks to the point where Zinzolin - one of the Seven Sages, a major Team Plasma commander - took notice of me. At the time, J was working with Team Plasma, running missions for them for twice her usual fee. She lost one of her crewmates in an ambush by N and needed a replacement. Zinzolin volunteered me, and next thing I know, I'm tossed a Galvantula and shoved onto J's ship. And…that was that. After Sinnoh, the International Police had put out a statement that anyone who served under Hunter J would automatically receive life imprisonment if caught. It was intended to dissuade people from joining her, in the hopes that it would starve her of potential crewmates. All it did was ensure that anyone on her crew was pretty much trapped there for life."
Elle looked into Medicham's eyes once more. "So here I am," she said. "A Team Plasma Grunt. A Pokemon poacher. Causing pain and suffering to every Pokemon I meet." She glanced back towards the room she'd come from. "I come here every night to…try and comfort the captives. Make them feel at least a little better."
"But that proves you're not a monster!" Medicham protested. "You're not like Ghetsis, or J-"
"To you, maybe," Elle retorted. "But the International Police don't care. I'm on Hunter J's ship - that automatically makes me the worst kind of criminal. So it's the same decision I've been forced to make every day since I joined Team Plasma - either I rot in prison or I keep committing crimes. And at least out here, I might be able to change a few things for the better."
Medicham wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that there was a third option, but for the life of her she couldn't come up with anything. If only Marcus knew who Elle was…he was a Gym Leader, he might be able to arrange something…but no. Medicham opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again, guilt overwhelming her. She glanced around at Watchog, Krookodile, and Galvantula - all three were looking saddened, any sense of hostility gone from their gazes. They're trapped just like she is, Medicham realized; the sense of guilt now hurt even more.
"It was good to see you again, Spirit," said Elle. "And I'm glad you found a good Trainer in the end." She gave Medicham the slightest of smiles. "You should go," she finished. A clear dismissal.
Medicham didn't argue. She couldn't bring herself to say another word against Elle. She simply turned and walked away; behind her, she heard receding footsteps as Elle finally stepped back into the room full of caged, trapped Pokemon.
As Medicham reached for the door, she heard a cough behind her and glanced over her shoulder to see Galvantula staring at her. "So it's true?" he asked. "You're Spirit?"
I'd rather be called Medicham, she was going to say, but bit back the words. "Yes," she said.
Galvantula let out a quiet chuckle. "She talks about you often, you know," he said. "Reminisces about happier times. Before…everything."
"I'm sorry if I caused her pain," said Medicham.
"Don't apologize," said Galvantula. "I'm the one that should be apologizing. I attacked you, after all."
"I…" Medicham sighed. "I just can't help but feel like I hurt her more."
"You didn't," Galvantula stated emphatically. "I can tell she's feeling a lot better than she has in a very long time. So…thank you. From all three of us."
Medicham gave Galvantula an honest, relieved smile. "Thank you," she whispered, and then she turned back towards the door, her ears picking up the sound of rustling as Galvantula retreated.
She wouldn't deny that the conversation with Galvantula had made her feel a lot better. She took a deep, calming breath as she pushed open the door and stepped out into the hallway, offhandedly glancing from side to side to make sure no one else was nearby.
And promptly stumbled backwards, her heart leaping into her throat, as she beheld the steely-eyed visage of Hunter J staring right at her, leaning against the wall next to the door Medicham had just walked out of with a terrifyingly calm expression on her face.
Medicham watched, frozen, as J detached herself from the wall and reached out, slowly closing the door all the way. The faint sound of footsteps and the quiet murmur of Elle's voice disappeared, blocked off by the clearly soundproof door. J turned back towards Medicham, the corners of her lips curling upwards slightly. "Do you really think I don't know what is going on aboard my own ship?" she asked, her voice hushed yet just as menacing as usual, if not more so.
"I…" Medicham stuttered, scrambling to try and come up with some sort of excuse. "I…"
"Don't bother," J said dismissively. "I don't care. My crew members can have their quirks and foibles, so long as they don't lead to treason and mutiny. Elle has served me well the past four years; I can forgive a little bit of softness as long as it comes after the captures and not before. However…considering your presence here, I have a feeling you and Elle have a history."
"We've met before," Medicham admitted, "but it's not that big of a deal."
"Is it not?" J asked. Raising her arm, she tapped a couple of what must have been buttons on the top; a small screen flickered to life, bathing the hallway in a faint blue light. Medicham could see words on the screen, though they were facing away from her and thus reversed so that she couldn't make them out; what she could make out was a picture of Elle, also reversed but still clearly recognizable, dressed in a casual outfit that resembled what Medicham remembered of her far more than the uniform she currently wore.
"Elle Richard Harper," said J. "Born in Lavaridge Town, Hoenn, in the year 2004. Gathered four Hoenn Gym Badges before embarking on a trip to Kalos. Disappeared while training in Mountain Kalos; found unconscious and badly wounded thirty-six hours later on the outskirts of Couriway Town. Injuries consistent with that of a wild Pokemon attack. Her entire team of three were missing and are presumed dead - said team included, all with nicknames, a Camerupt, a Lotad, and a Meditite." J looked back at Medicham, her eyes boring into Medicham's own. "I'm not a fool…Spirit."
Medicham stared back rigidly. "My name is Medicham."
"Again, I don't care," J retorted. "What I do care about is my crew's loyalty. And if Elle starts reminiscing about her past, about more innocent times, well…that could cause problems. So." J's eyes narrowed. "Let's do all of us a favor, and have this meeting be your last."
Medicham felt a sudden surge of fury. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was glaring right back at J. "How can you be so cruel?" she snarled. "Elle has feelings! Ideas of her own! You don't even care, do you? You'd rather all your crewmates be servile robots like Maya!"
"Of course," said J. "Maya is one of my most valuable crew members because she obeys me without question. It's only natural that I'd rather all my crew be the same way."
"You're disgusting," Medicham snarled. "You treat your crew the same way you treat Pokemon - like dirt beneath your feet."
"On the contrary," J replied, "I treat my crew entirely differently from how I treat Pokemon. My crew are useful to me in many different ways. Whereas Pokemon are only useful for making me money. And the only reason I'm not auctioning you and your friends off to the highest bidder is because that would make me less money than what I'm being offered to protect your Trainer. You are entirely correct that I treat Pokemon like dirt beneath my feet, because that's what you are. It is a simple fact of life that Pokemon are inherently lesser to humans."
"That is not true!" Medicham cried.
"Then why are you the ones in the Pokeballs?" J asked. "Why are you the ones taking orders? Pokemon exist to serve humans. To be used by humans, however humans deem fit. Your Trainer uses you, does he not?"
"That's different," Medicham growled.
"How?" J asked. "He has his way of using Pokemon, I have mine. He uses Pokemon to battle for him. I use Pokemon to make myself rich. And you can claim that's 'wrong' all you want, but it's my choice."
"And your Pokemon are okay with that?" Medicham asked. "They're okay with being called 'inherently lesser' and 'dirt beneath your feet'? They're okay with serving someone who doesn't care one bit about them?"
One of J's Pokeballs erupted in a surge of white light as Aeris released himself. The massive Salamence landed on the ground between J and Medicham. "You have no right to speak for us," he snarled. "You have no right to try and poison our minds against our Trainer. Do you think we are incapable of independent thought?"
"Then why do you serve a monster like her?" Medicham asked.
"We are all monsters!" Aeris roared. "But we are a team of monsters. J may see us as lesser, but she treats us well, and she encourages her crew to do the same with their Pokemon, because she knows that well-treated Pokemon will serve her more readily than ill-treated Pokemon. And she's absolutely right. We are her Pokemon, just as she is our Trainer. So you can call us monsters all you want. Arceus knows you're far from the first. But it won't change anything. Because we are a team, and teammates don't turn on each other."
Aeris heaved a sigh. "Do you know why we have nicknames?" he asked. "It is not because of attachment, but as a symbol of our bond. We chose one another's nicknames. J does not use them, and we do not ask her to." He snorted softly. "You can deny it all you want, Medicham, but we are alike. We are both leaders of teams that would gladly die for one another. We both willingly serve our Trainers and their ideologies without complaint. And when it comes down to it, if our Trainers are in danger, to save them we would happily risk life…" The Salamence shifted, raising his right hind leg. "…or limb."
Medicham's eyes widened as she realized that the leg was a different color than the rest of Aeris's body; swiftly, she scanned the appendage, and her eyes grew even wider as she saw the visible metal and plastic connecting the leg to the rest of the body. "How?" she asked.
"Azelf," Aeris answered. "A permanent reminder to never mess with Legendaries. You know, if we hadn't gotten out of Sinnoh when we did, Lake Valor very well might have been our tomb." Aeris shifted again, looking back at Medicham. "J spared no expense. Kidnapped one of the most noted prosthetists in the UPW to make me a new leg. I owe her for that, if nothing else. Now I know that you and your Trainer are here as our guests. That our goal is to ensure none of you are harmed. But make no mistake, Medicham…if you ever try to turn any of us against our Trainer again, I'll make sure you regret it."
With that, Aeris looked back towards J and nodded. J swiftly recalled him, then fixed Medicham with a cold glare. "I suggest you return to your quarters," she advised, and then she turned and walked away, her coat swishing behind her as she went.
Medicham only now realized she was shaking. Swiftly, she looked around to make sure that no one else was around. Her eyes caught sight of the now-closed door separating her from Elle, and lingered there for a moment. She squeezed them shut, trying to blink back sudden tears, and cast out her thoughts. "I'm ready to go back," she whispered telepathically.
A few seconds later, she heard a faint humming in her mind as Darkrai began his Perish Song, and braced herself for the return trip.
Scorbunny was fairly certain that multiple hours had passed. He'd spent most of that time scouring the trash-filled room for ways in or out, scrambling across trash pile after trash pile using anything that was remotely sturdy and a few things that weren't. He'd found several, but they'd all been out of reach or, in one heartbreaking case, so slippery with some sort of oil that he couldn't get up its slope no matter how hard he tried. At a few points he'd almost given up, sitting down morosely on whatever surface he'd located and resolving to just wait until someone came to find him. But deep inside, Scorbunny knew that no one was coming, and every new piece of trash that clanked or splattered down one of the many chutes leading into this room reinforced that understanding.
He was tired, but he dared not sleep, for fear that he might miss it if someone did come down here. He was hungry, but he dared not touch any of the half-eaten, trash-covered food he saw. And he was filthy, covered in slime and goop and substances he couldn't even come close to identifying after several falls into piles of trash. But finally, after what seemed like forever, Scorbunny had found a way out; a section of the garbage pile had risen high enough that, from the top, Scorbunny could just barely grab onto the lip of another diagonal chute, and mercifully this one had not been too slimy to climb.
As Scorbunny began to clamber up the chute, he realized that it was actually surprisingly clean. The other chutes, from what Scorbunny had been able to tell, were understandably disgusting, but while the metal in here wasn't exactly shining, it was nowhere near as trash-strewn as the rest of the chutes.
Is this one just unused?
Scorbunny's hand hit something sticky. Ah, there we go, Scorbunny thought. A few hours ago he would have recoiled in disgust; now, though he closed his eyes and tried to squeeze his nostrils shut to block off the sights and smells of whatever garbage he was moving through, he'd grown desensitized enough to press on.
More stickiness. Scorbunny kept going, even though he had to stop a couple times to wrench his hands or feet free of sticky stuff. If anything, though, the stickiness was useful - it was much easier to use to climb than the smooth surface of the chute. Hopefully it's not too much farther to whatever trash can leads into this chute, Scorbunny thought as he pressed onwards. And please, Arceus, don't let this end in some kind of sheer drop that I can't climb up. I can't bear for this to be another dead end…
Scorbunny's face hit something sticky. Reflexively he stumbled backwards, spitting as he did so; the back of his head struck something else sticky, and as he tried to shift in response his legs got tangled in something else. He heard a sudden hissing noise from in front of him; a second later something grasped his arms and pulled them outwards in either direction. In but a second, all four of Scorbunny's limbs had been immobilized. Swiftly, Scorbunny opened his eyes, trying to make out what was entangling him.
He froze immediately as he beheld the vicious-looking Ariados standing mere inches away from his face.
The Ariados let out a quiet chuckle. "Oh, this is funny," she whispered. "Normally when food falls into my web, it comes from the other direction."
"I…I…I'm not food…" Scorbunny whimpered. "Please don't eat me…"
"Are you sure?" The Ariados crept closer, fangs dripping with venom. Scorbunny shrank back as best he could, well aware that his chest and stomach were exposed. "You look so succulent," the Ariados continued. "So delicious…"
Scorbunny turned his head to the side, closing his eyes; a pitiful whimper escaped his throat.
All at once, the Ariados began to chuckle; Scorbunny opened his eye just enough for him to see, and saw out of the corner of it the Ariados retreating. "Oh, please. You actually think I'd eat you? You look disgusting. And besides, I don't eat live Pokemon. I have standards."
Scorbunny swallowed. "But then…why would you…"
"It was funny," said the Ariados. "Let's start over. Hello. I'm Myrma. What's your name?"
"Sc…Scorbunny." Scorbunny tried to shift and realized he was still restrained by Myrma's webs. "I…didn't expect to see anyone else down here."
"Neither did I," said Myrma. "This garbage chute connects to the cafeteria, you know. Everyone throws leftover food down here. And it falls straight into my web, where I can eat it at my leisure." The Ariados chuckled again. "Not that J doesn't feed me plenty, but sometimes you just want a little midnight snack."
"J?" Scorbunny asked. "Who's J?"
Myrma looked at him strangely. "Hunter J, of course. How are you on this ship if you don't know who Hunter J is? I can't…" Myrma stopped short; her eyes began to widen. "Wait…you're a Scorbunny…" Her eyes gleamed. "You're one of that girl's Pokemon, aren't you. Greta?"
"Gloria," Scorbunny corrected, before realizing he'd just confirmed Myrma's suspicions.
Myrma let out a quiet curse. "You're supposed to be unconscious."
"Well…" Scorbunny hesitated, remembering that yes, he was supposed to be unconscious. "I…guess…I'm not?"
"Evidently." Myrma fired another strand of webbing from her fangs; it looped around Scorbunny's chest, and with a swift tug the Ariados pulled him free of the other webs. Then she began to step towards Scorbunny, more web dribbling from her fangs. "Hey, wait, wait!" Scorbunny cried. "What are you going to do with me?"
"Take you back to your room, of course," said Myrma. "Wrapped up in my webs, of course, so that no one else knows you got out. Because, Scorbunny, let me make something clear; my Trainer is not a kind person. Far from it. And for reasons far greater than you would understand, she would much rather your Trainer not know who it was who rescued her. So I would greatly appreciate it if you would keep quiet about everything you've seen and heard. And I'm sure your friends would greatly appreciate it too…if you get my meaning."
Scorbunny swallowed. "Yeah, I get it."
"Good," said Myrma. "Now, do me a favor and don't squirm. I'd prefer for this process to go as smoothly as possible…"
Kriesh was awakened by a loud metallic rapping. In an instant she could tell it was earlier than she was used to getting up, for it took her several moments to even will herself to open her eyes, let alone rise from her sleeping position. It took another couple moments for Kriesh to remember where she was. Sleepily, she wondered why one of Hunter J's crew would be waking up Marcus so early in the morning…
Medicham.
All sleep was banished from her mind as she sat bolt upright. Scrambling over to the crack in her Luxury Ball, she peered out, eyes scanning wildly for Medicham's Luxury Ball. A state of profound relief washed over her as she beheld it, the light turned on, indicating the occupant was present.
So she's safe. Thank Arceus…but then why would we-
"What is it?" Marcus groaned sleepily.
"We have arrived at your drop-off point." The unmistakable robotic voice of Maya came through the door. "Hunter J has requested that I escort you to Teleport Room B."
That roused Marcus, and only five minutes later he was following Maya through the hallways of Hunter J's airship for what Kriesh fervently hoped would be the last time. "So why do you have special teleport rooms?" Marcus asked as he walked slightly behind Maya. "Considering that J's henchmen seemed to teleport directly onto the bridge."
"We cannot teleport heavy machinery onto the bridge," Maya replied. "Trucks and other machines require specialized teleport rooms. We are using one for this because J deemed the unconscious bodies of your compatriots too unwieldy to carry all the way to the bridge."
As she spoke, Maya turned left and stepped through an opening door into a room that was a lot larger than Kriesh had been anticipating. Looking around, Kriesh spotted quite a bit of the heavy machinery Maya had been talking about - huge black trucks sat in large hangars alongside several machines that were alien to Kriesh. In the center of the room stood J, accompanied by Thomas, four of her henchmen, and two stretchers carrying Hop and Gloria's unconscious forms.
"Good, you're here," said J. "Let's make this quick. We're going to drop you and your entourage in the Wild Area. You will wait for them to wake up, then explain to them that you were similarly rendered unconscious and woke up several minutes before them. Once you have explained the situation, there is an outpost around a quarter-mile directly to the west where a pair of Diggers reside. Let them know who you are, and they will promptly contact the authorities to escort you to civilization. I will be watching, and if you deviate from the instructions I have just given you in any way - or let anyone know I am in Galar - I will ensure you regret it. Do I make myself clear?"
Marcus nodded. "You do."
J returned the nod. "Prepare for transport," she told Thomas.
Thomas obediently sent out his Venomoth. "Over here, if you please."
Marcus swiftly stepped over, grasping Thomas's outstretched hand. "Transport prepared," said Thomas.
"Transport away," J replied. Venomoth flashed with Psychic energy, and in the next moment Marcus, Thomas, and J's four henchmen were standing in the middle of a copse of trees.
The henchmen wasted no time in offloading Hop and Gloria's forms onto the grass below. Thomas stepped back as the four henchmen did the same, carrying the stretchers Hop and Gloria had been on. Without a word, all five vanished, leaving Marcus, Hop, and Gloria alone.
Kriesh had never been so glad to see the sun. Well, never wasn't quite the right word, but it still felt good to bask in the sunlight streaming through the crack in her Luxury Ball. J's airship had felt cold, dreary, and suffocating; Kriesh was more than happy to be out.
The airship itself could not be seen; Kriesh knew it was cloaked, and was likely even now flying swiftly away. At this point, she didn't care, and from the look of it, neither did Marcus. The Gym Leader was smiling as he looked up towards the beautiful blue sky.
A quiet groan came from below. Both Kriesh and Marcus looked down to see Hop and Gloria beginning to stir. Marcus heaved a sigh. "All right," he murmured, clearly recalling J's instructions. "Let's get all this over with…"
J is difficult. She's one of those characters who is absolutely pure evil, and in the anime, she and her crew were pretty much exclusively presented as obstacles to be overcome. Since she's (technically) working with Marcus, I can't write her or them like that, which is fairly challenging when the last thing you want is for her to be OOC. Let me know what you think of her portrayal so far! (I say 'so far' as if she'll appear again, which she certainly, definitely, obviously won't.)