As they neared towards the next settlement, Pikachu couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with him. It had been a few days since his failed attempt to evolve and since then, the entire matter had eaten his thoughts. He should have been able to evolve, yet no matter what sort of Thunder Stone he used, he was still the same old Pikachu.
Yet, he was no doctor, healer, or anything of the sort. Fortunately, he had something that was close. "Anything?"
Processing. Dexter chimed as he floated over Pikachu's head. As far as my sensors are able to infer, you are physically an ordinary Pikachu and in exceptional health. Yet, evidence suggests that you are not.
Dexter might as well have said the rodent had grown a second head. Yet, the animated Pokédex was being honest and helpful… unlike a certain someone.
"So, that's it?"
I apologize, but I do not have the information you require.
Pikachu wanted to groan, yet Ash stepped beside him. "Hey, don't worry, Pikachu. It's fine if you can't evolve."
"Yeah, I mean, you didn't want to evolve before!" said Squirtle. "So, it doesn't change anything, really."
The Electric-type took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I'm worried something might be wrong with me. This isn't normal."
"You are otherwise normal," Zorua chimed in. "As far as my understanding can take me, you are a typical Pikachu."
"So, why can't I evolve?" Pikachu had originally wanted to keep this matter a secret, away from a certain useless lizard's attention, but his worries had overcome his pride. He had to know what the problem was, no matter who knew. Thankfully, Charzard was at the rear and far away from Pikachu right now.
"Is Uncle Pikachu going to be okay?" Togepi asked, as she rode atop Brock's back. Misty had insisted the Lycanroc start carrying Togepi around on these longer trips because she had legs that were not good for long distance walking.
"He'll be fine," Brock promised, though Pikachu himself doubted that.
"Everyone is saying you're otherwise fine, Pikachu," Misty said. "And to be frank, you're the strongest Pikachu I know of. If there's something different about you, it might not necessarily be bad, too."
But I could have been the strongest Raichu you know of, instead. Yet, his friends were right, maybe there was nothing wrong with him at all? Maybe he had been worrying too much?
"Hey, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. "I think I know what can cheer you up!"
"What?" the rodent asked.
Ash pointed to the side of the road and towards a large sign with big, bold letters.
Malachite Mountain Market
For Sale. Specialty Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs.
"I mean, I like to eat, but what's so-" Pikachu cut himself off. He instead shifted his attention to the picture next to the sign. It was a wooden image consisting of several fruits and vegetables, but the one that took his attention was the red tomato.
"Yup!" Ash confirmed. "You know what that means!"
"Ketchup!" Pikachu shouted. The Electric-type practically leapt forward, wanting to finally have his favorite condiment back on his menu.
He didn't know how far he had gone or how long he had traveled, but soon Pikachu found himself in the village's market place soon afterwards. Shops and stalls were lined up with raw produce on the offering. There was everything from a Persian selling colorful bushels of corn, a Plusle and Minun ran stall that offered a rainbow of berries, and even an Oranguru selling cabbages from a cart. Not one of them offered the tomatoes Pikachu sought, but that might have just been because he hadn't found the appropriate stall yet.
Ash stumbled directly behind him, panting as he did. "Wow, you're really excited about this!"
"How can I not? It's ketchup!" Pikachu answered, his eyes still searching for his prize. With how hard it had been to just find those tomatoes, he was wondering if he shouldn't make a whole lot of ketchup in advance, storing it like how he had used to store food for the winter, even if Citrine lacked winters entirely. "Uh, mind helping me?"
"Already on it," the Riolu replied as he walked by several stalls as well. "There's lots of things for sale."
Misty ran up to them both, panting heavily. "There you are! You really shouldn't have gone running off like that! What if someone ended up capturing you?"
"I can handle myself!" Pikachu voiced. Besides, it had been a month since someone had tried to capture him.
"You don't have any money," Misty added. "So you can't buy tomatoes even if you found a stall that sold them."
Pikachu was about to counter before he realized that he didn't carry any money on him normally. Sure, he had a travel bag, but that was full of trail mix and his sleeping mat. "Okay, that's a fair point."
Eventually, the others caught up to them, having instead decided to take their time. None of them were exhausted from running.
Brock laid his body to the ground and let Togepi walk off of him.
"Thank you, Uncle Brock!" she cried as she walked over to Misty.
"Can we please, please, go shopping?" Pikachu was practically begging. He really wanted those tomatoes.
"We do need to refill our stocks after the Festival," Misty admitted.
"And we'll need to buy something to make lunch with!" Brock added. "I know everyone's gotten used to the idea of having a hot meal."
Yes! Pikachu leapt for joy.
"That's quite a lot of variety in produce. It's almost like a supermarket," Brock said as he took a look at the various shops and stalls. "The village we arrived in on this island only really sold corn and rice."
"The Maiju in Malachite Mountain pride themselves on their variety of produce," Zorua explained. "The mountain here has frequent controlled eruptions and the townsfolk have taken to mining the soil for use in agriculture. Some of them even go so far as to use greenhouses to grow specific crops if the local climate is unable to sustain it. They even have various herbs that are more likely to be found in other islands for sale."
And as if, to reinforce her point, a Mudsdale carrying a wagon loaded with nothing but soil walked through the village.
Pikachu just stared. That just seemed like a whole lot of work to make food, when he had been used to just foraging for food on his own. It was another point on how the Maiju were practically something other than Pokémon. On the other paw, they had tomatoes.
"These prices are expensive," Goldeen muttered as she floated between stalls. "Mistress, we may need to account for that."
"We should," Misty agreed. The water weasel walked over to a stall and pulled out a large mushroom as big as her head towards a Skiddo. "How much for this?"
Charizard, who had kept his distance, went to buy berries. Pikachu chose to ignore him.
Pikachu turned his head another time, his eyes fixating on anything that had the color red. Between the red berries, the occasional Fire-type, and a store that specializes in varieties of apples, it almost seemed like there were no tomatoes for him.
And then, the electric rodent found it. Bounding into a leap, he walked over to a stall where a gigantic Pokémon stood and was operated by a Rillaboom. In front of him was a field of various red fruits and berries. That caught Pikachu's attention.
"How can I help you, sir?" the muscular Grass-type asked.
"I'm just browsing," Pikachu leapt onto a stepping stool to get a better look at the produce. His heart leapt when he came face to face with his treasure, a globular fruit that was something like an overgrown berry. "...These are tomatoes, right?"
"Oh, yes, they are sir!" the Grass-type replied. "They don't normally grow around here because of the temperature, but we've managed to make it work. Are you interested?"
"Very!" he declared. "Ash! Ash! I found-" He turned his head and to his surprise saw his trainer walking off down the road.
"Any trouble?" said the Rillaboom.
"I'll be right back," said Pikachu as he departed from the store to follow the Riolu.
Ash for some reason was drawn deeper into town, into a place where many of the village folk were gathering. There was a mess of unintelligible shouting that Pikachu couldn't make, but they sounded angry.
"Ash, what's going on? Why'd you run off like that?" The Electric-type asked as he caught up to his former-human.
The Riolu said nothing and instead pointed a digit towards the center of town.
Pikachu winced as he saw the scene.
In the middle of town was an unfamiliar Pokémon trapped within a small cage that barely held him. The greenish lizard inside bore reddish cheeks and a crested head that was marred by cuts and bruises. His throat pouch inflated and deflated slowly as he took noticeable pained breaths. A large gash tore into his chest, which was so uncomfortably thin. And to top it all off, one of his arms was… gone.
Cyclizar. Dexter provided as he levitated over Ash's side. I do not have any diagnostic or informational data, as they are not native to Kanto or even Japan as a whole, but I can tell that he's not in a good state.
The village Pokémon threw fruit at him, covering the caged lizard in fruit juices. Now that Pikachu was close enough, he could make out their shouts. There must have been several dozen Pokémon, altogether.
"Thief!"
"Killer!"
"Bandit!"
Cyclizar did not fight back. He didn't even move. It was like he had given up doing anything.
Pikachu had no idea who this person was or what he did to deserve such a fate, yet he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the lizard, to see him in such a sorry state. "Ash?" He grabbed hold of his friend.
"... This is wrong," the Riolu muttered. "Is there anything we can do?"
"It sounds like he's a criminal," Pikachu said. After all, it sounded like the villagers were all very angry at Cyclizar.
"Maybe, but isn't this a little too far?" The Riolu said. "I know I'm not from here, but it's like he's… not even a person in their eyes."
Pikachu frowned. In the wild, things could be pretty brutal if they needed to be; thieves and trespassers were done away with, sometimes permanently. "But what can we do?" Pikachu questioned.
"I guess we can just talk or something. Anything is better than doing nothing." Ash walked through the mob of angry Pokémon and towards the cage.
A large ungulate with a green mane and curved horns walked over to them before they went too close to the cage, a Gogoat. "Halt! State your-" His harsh tone abruptly changed for seemingly no reason. "Excuse me, but why are you here?"
"I want to know what Cyclizar did to deserve this." Ash provided.
"He is a bandit, nothing more needs to be said," said Gogoat. There was a green sash with a yellow trim around his torso, which might have made him important. Given the situation, he might have been the closest thing this village had to a Jenny. "The townsfolk are taking out their frustrations on a deserving party."
That seemed like an open and shut case to Pikachu. He was a thief; thieves should be punished.
Yet, Ash was not convinced it seemed. "Okay, but did he fight you? How did he get here?"
"He arrived in town not too long ago, confessing his crime. We apprehended him shortly afterwards," provided Gogoat. He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
"If he surrendered himself to you, you shouldn't be treating him this way!" Ash spat out. "I get that he should be locked up; criminals should be. But why are you throwing fruit at him? And what about his injuries? Shouldn't someone tend to them?"
"Ash!" Pikachu protested. That Riolu was going to get himself in trouble. The Electric-type understood that it was simply how his trainer was, that he was a caring person; he cared about the well being of everyone, even those who arguably should not deserve it. Yet what was he expecting to happen? Gogoat wasn't going to do what Ash wanted without good reason.
Gogoat stumbled backwards, as if flinching. "You… want us to care about this… low life's health, Sir?" his voice cracked as he spoke, as if he was hesitant.
Wait. What was going on? Pikachu stared. Sir?
"Stop calling him that!" Ash snapped, unconcerned by Gogoat's strange behavior. "Cyclizar has suffered enough!"
"...Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"I… by your command," Gogoat declared as he walked over to several other Pokémon who wore similar sashes.
They spoke for a bit among each other. The other Pokémon shouted at Gogoat, causing the Grass-type to snap back.
Cyclizar cocked his head slightly, aiming his gaze right at Pikachu and his trainer. Pikachu did not have much time to think about what that meant, as soon after, Gogoat stepped in front of the cage and addressed the crowd. "We apologize, but the criminal Cyclizar is now being moved into custody ahead of schedule for… security reasons!"
That caused the mob of assembled Pokémon to hiss and shout in frustration. Some even tried to throw a tomato at Gogoat, but the grassy goat stepped out of the way.
"He should be dead!"
"Hang the bandit!"
"He's a monster!"
Sighing, Gogoat turned towards the other Pokémon who wore sashes. "Malachite Militia, inside!
Then from behind him, the other Pokémon in the Militia dragged the cage off and took it within a wooden building. The mob pelted the guards and then the building, once they disappeared inside.
Why did Gogoat do what Ash said because he asked for it? That made no sense.
"It's all his fault!" a voice nearby Pikachu shouted. "It's the Riolu and the Pikachu!"
Pikachu turned to see a Tailow pointing a beak right at Ash.
"They're the ones to blame! They told Commander Thorn to take that criminal away!"
The mob promptly turned its anger onto the two outsider Pokémon, fruit flung in their direction.
"It's your fault Ash!" Pikachu shouted as he ran. A tomato pelted against his backside. He wanted tomatoes, but not that badly.
"My fault?" The Riolu shouted as he followed. "Cyclizar was really hurt!"
Let us hope that we don't end up really hurt either! Dexter said as he levitated himself onto Ash's belt.
Pikachu winced as berries landed against his fur. There was no doubt that he'd be forced to take a bath now.
The Electric-type turned his attention to his rear to see if they were planning on using something more life threatening.
One of the more angered Pokémon, a Breloom, gathered a ball of poison into its palms. A Sludge Bomb, possibly?
Yet, as it did that, some of the other Pokémon stopped him, shoving the Brelom away and causing the Sludge Bomb to shatter against the ground.
"Are you NUTS!? You want us all to get executed!" said one other Pokémon.
Pikachu did not know what that was about, but he took what he could get. He and Ash used that distraction to run between some houses and disappear. Hopefully, a flier wouldn't rat them out.
"Tell me again why we nearly got chased out of town!" Misty shouted at those two idiots as they told her what happened. Aside from the grocery shopping, she had spent much of the day trying to find a place to stay. She managed to find a good inn with a reasonable price… just as Ash and Pikachu came running in, covered in shredded fruit. Thankfully, the innkeeper wasn't one to ask too many questions.
Now, they were in the back of the inn, hopefully away from prying eyes.
"Ash told Gogoat to take Cyclizar away from that place and to have him healed. Then the crowd got angry…" Pikachu said gloomily as Squirtle Water Gunned the Electric-type clean.
"I did the right thing." Ash insisted, with Staryu covering him with water.
The water weasel was really tempted to pull out her mallet. She was no fan of witnessing that kind of abuse either, but Ash's actions here could cause them some problems in the future if anyone found out about it. "So, why did that Gogoat do what Ash wanted? He clearly did not want to do anything until Ash asked him to."
"They might have mistook Ash for someone else," provided Squirtle as he took his Water Gun off of Pikachu to let the Electric-type lather his fur in soap. "Like, it sounded like Gogoat was acting as a servant to Ash."
In retrospect, it is possible that he may have mistaken Ash for a member of the nobility. Dexter said. The pokédex cleaned himself off in a bucket. He also was not included as an idoit. From some discussion I had with Zorua, Riolu and Lucario are often associated with the nobility due to a combination of their rarity and the historical significance members of that species have within Citrine. It is a stereotype and does not reflect reality as most Riolu are not in that social class, but the perception remains. This is especially true on islands that often only see them when it is an official matter.
"So, the reason why we might be chased out of town is… because of a case of mistaken identity?" Misty fumed.
Note that impersonating a member of the nobility is considered a crime, with the punishment ranging from an expensive fine… to beheading. There was a tablet all about that in the Hall of Memories.
"...Ash!"
"Careful, Mistress," Staryu warned. "For all of the problems here, Ash was well meaning."
No good deed goes unpunished, I suppose.
Ash made a nervous grin. "Hey, don't look at me, Misty. You did it first, with Zorua's help!"
"I'm not impersonating Citrine nobility, which is the important point. They can't prove I'm not nobility from Cerulean! Also, that was just one time," Misty said back. Though to be frank, Gym Leaders were basically part of the upper class in the age before radio.
"I… am not going to win this argument, aren't I?"
Finally, he says something smart.
Once Ash and Pikachu had been thoroughly soaped, the three Water-types blasted them with Water Gun until they were clean of any leftover fruit juices. Though, Misty was sorely tempted to rinse them very thoroughly.
Then, handing the two of them towels to dry up, the group walked into one of the rooms they rented.
As soon as they entered, they were bombarded by the scent of freshly cooked food. It was enough to make Misty's nose twitch as she instinctively tried to make out the pleasant odors.
"Mommy, I helped!" Togepi cried as the little egg walked over to her.
Misty bent down and patted her adopted daughter on the head. "Yes, you did! I'm so proud of you!"
Togepi giggled in delight.
Brock approached the two of them and gave the Buizel a knowing smirk. "She's got a long way to go, but she's definitely starting to learn what ingredients do what!"
Misty nodded her head. It was a good idea to let Brock teach Togepi how to help cooking while the Water-type was busy dealing with Ash; he had basically done the same for everyone else already. Though Togepi was a long way aways from learning how to be more than just pass ingredients along.
There was no table in the room, but that was no problem for the former humans and the actual Pokémon; they were already accustomed to eating without tables on the road.
In the middle of the room was a single firepit built into the floor. Around that were the pots and plates of food, with floor mats and bundles of hay around that.
Misty took a seat in the soft hay, whilst Togepi leapt into her lap.
At the simplest, there were steamed vegetables. Misty had no idea how they had freshly baked bread, but they had several loaves on offer. Next came shredded mushrooms coated in cheese. Then there was a pot of fried rice. Someone had gone through all the effort to make potato wedges, too. Lastly, was the-
"Ketchup!" Pikachu shouted at the top of his lungs as he landed right onto the pot full of fresh, homemade ketchup. His eyes gleamed.
Squirtle laughed. "Really, Pikachu? You're that excited over a condiment?"
"Yes, really!" Pikachu defended himself. He took a ladle and poured ketchup into a bowl. He immediately started to gobble it up.
Misty rolled her eyes as she took a mix of food for herself and for Togepi. She gave Togepi some potato wedges.
Everyone else started digging in without prompting.
Curious, Ash poked a finger into some ketchup and licked it. "You know, it does taste very different. I wonder if that's because it's homemade or because my taste buds aren't what they used to be.."
"It's still good!" Pikachu said. Red paste covered mouth. "My compliments to the chef."
For some reason, as Pikachu said that, Misty noticed Charizard hovering the Electric-type. The large Fire-type looked like he was about to speak up, but instead he turned his back and walked away.
That was odd. But it was also not her problem, not when something more important came up.
"...Why did everyone do that to Cyclizar?" Ash asked. "I can understand wanting to punish criminals, but why be so incredibly cruel?"
"The… Sensei of Tanzanite Depths encourages it," Zorua supplied, a pained expression on her face.
Pikachu patted the fox on the back, which was a kind gesture.
She continued. "I… don't understand the reasons why, but bandits have long plagued the rural areas of Citrine, preying on the weak, the isolated, the vulnerable, and also the wealthy and anyone unfortunate they come across."
"That sounds horrible," Misty commented. Did that justify such intense actions? Was Cyclizar even party to such things?
"When you say preying, I don't think you don't mean just pulling pranks or something, do you?" Squirtle asked.
Zorua winced. "The normal operation of bandits is to accost travelers on the roads to either force them into paying tolls, to steal their goods, or in the worst case, kidnapping their victims. In the last part, usually, they try to extort favors or ransom their targets for material goods or raw Carats." Then, she lowered her head, as if ashamed. "Sometimes, they forcibly recruit victims into their way of life, though this is rare. But if you're especially unlucky, they might just decide to violate one of the sacred taboos and just… eat you."
Misty blanched. Though she had at one point told Ash that birds like Pidgeotto eat worms like Caterpie, but having that apply to her was more than she liked thinking about. Then again, these were hardened criminals. Actual hardened criminals, not like their Trio of Team Rocket stalkers.
"What's wrong Mommy?" Togepi asked innocently.
"Nothing is!" Misty lied. "Just… enjoy your food!"
"Hm, okay…" Togepi replied, a little saddened.
Misty made a scowl to Zorua, which made the fox turn into a potted plant.
Ash frowned, not liking what he was hearing. "Still, Cyclizar turned himself in."
Misty had to wonder, too. Maybe there was a reason that they just didn't know about.
As Misty was about to voice a question, there was a nock on the sliding door.
As the one nearest to the door, Geodude slid the door open.
A Gogoat, like Ash and Pikachu described, walked in. He was covered in shattered fruits. "Ah, there you are. I was searching for you for some time," he said, aiming his attention to Ash. "I… am to report that I am unable to finish your request."
"Uh, okay?" Ash said with a concerned expression.
Misty wondered how the Gogoat managed to find them, but then again, Ash was the only Riolu she had ever met. He probably did not have to go too far to check every inn.
"Suffice to say, there is a complication. There is no able physician or healer willing to treat Cyclizar," Gogoat explained. "I realize that it would reflect badly on my conduct if I allowed him to perish, so I came to inform you."
"Oh, is that it?" Ash said, sounding more nervous.
Suddenly, that theory that Ash had been mistaken for someone important made more sense. Oh, this was a problem.
"Mind if we have a little privacy?" Misty asked the Grass-type.
"Yeah," Ash agreed. "We have to… talk."
The Gogoat nodded his head and walked out the door. "As you wish, I will clean myself up while you discuss."
Geodude walked over and slid the door closed.
Misty waited for a good minute before she raised her voice, just to make sure Gogoat was out of earshot. "Ash, we have to tell him that you aren't who he thinks you are!"
"But what if that makes the whole situation worse?" Ash winced. "There's already an angry mob out looking for me because Gogoat did what I asked him to."
Misty was about to shout a reply but Ash had a point. What if they did make things worse by confessing Ash's true identity? Even discounting the human part, this put them in a difficult position.
"Okay, look, as the only one here with experience on this kind of thing, it doesn't matter if they don't find out," Squirtle said with way too much confidence. "All we have to do is just keep our heads down and then leave. We'll be gone by the time they find out, if they ever do."
"You've done this before?" Misty squinted an eye.
"Loads of times, you know, with the Squirtle Squad," Squirtle replied. "You just have to wait for the heat to die down."
"But what about Cyclizar?" Ash said, still concerned for the prisoner.
"What about him? He's… not one of us," Pikachu said.
"I know," Ash said. "But are we just going to leave him there to suffer?"
Zorua threw off her disguise, turning from a potted plant back into a fox. "I… don't like this situation and I have no love of bandits, but do you really feel that he deserves help, when he likely has done wrong?"
"I don't know," Ash admitted. "But he turned himself in, shouldn't that mean being more forgiving? It means he knows he did something wrong, doesn't it?"
Not exactly, but Ash still has a point. Misty thought. Maybe Cyclizar really was a criminal, but something changed. She knew from being a Gym Leader, that criminals who turned themselves in were treated better back home, but she wasn't sure of the specifics. Plus, even if a Pokémon had done wrong, abusing them like that was still wrong. They just needed to know more about the bandit. "Alright, Ash, if you really think so, we can at least talk to him."
Ash's shoulders relaxed slightly, as if a weight had been lifted. "Thanks, Misty."
"Then I shall accompany you, Mistress!" Staryu light gleaned. "Zorua, you are the only here who has full medical training. It would be appreciated if you went."
"...I suppose I can give him a chance." Zorua sighed.
"Great! When do we get going?" Ash shouted.
"Ash, the townsfolk are going to throw fruit at you," Pikachu told him, causing his trainer to wince.
"Yeah, it's probably best you stay here until they cool their heads," Brock added as he laid himself down. "Honestly, most of us should stay behind, too, since we aren't able to help in this situation, but you especially, Ash."
"Hey, don't worry, Boss, someone else can go for you!" Squirtle said. "I think I might be able to relate to the Cyclizar. I was part of a gang, too."
Ash relented. "Fine, but can you take Dexter with you, too. I think he can help!"
I have no objections, but can you please avoid being captured again?
"Yes, please avoid being captured," groaned Bulbasaur. "So, we don't have to rescue you again."
Squirtle gave Bulbasaur a nervous look.
"There's more Pokémon this time." That was actually fairly reasonable, as far as Misty was concerned. Besides, Squirtle gave them additional muscle. And Dexter was probably the best thing they had to an actual medical scanner
"Ooh, what if I went with you guys?" Zubat declared. "That way, I can fly and tell the others if something happens!"
"Good idea," Brock agreed.
Misty smirked. Even if Zubat was totally blind, she was still good at finding her way around places because of her echolocation. She would be both a way to warn others and an avenue for communication.
Everyone else nodded, seeing the value in that. Yes, maybe, this was a good idea after all.
No one else volunteered, which was fine. This was going to be a simple visit to heal a wounded Pokémon, they didn't need everyone.
Ash groaned, though he seemed to accept the idea that he'd be pelted with tomatoes if he so much as made a public appearance. "Well, if you guys are able to help Cyclizar, I can stay behind."
"Let's go get Gogoat then." Misty smirked. At the very least she knew that by having Ash stay behind, this situation couldn't have been any worse.
"The prisoner has been moved into the holding cell," Gogoat stated as he led them through the building the local militia was based in. It consisted of a single main room that served both as an office and a reception area at the front, a sleeping quarters for the full time militia members, a supply room, and lastly what must have been the jail itself.
The trip over to the militia's barracks had been nerve wracking, though thankfully, it seemed the mob had mostly dissipated at this point. There had only been a few Maiju willing to throw fruit around, but only Gogoat was their target.
Zorua mentally readied herself, wondering what kind of bandit she would be dealing with today. She didn't really want to heal the bandit, yet Ash was convinced that it was the right thing to do. So, she was willing to give Cyclizar a chance.
Bandits were something she was taught to fear, yet the fox was not scared in the least of Cyclizar, not when she had her companions protecting her, and certainly not with the reptile being as injured as he was. And if worse came to worst, she had her secret weapon strapped onto her side.
At the very back of the building, Gogoat slid the door open and revealed a single large room, big enough to house two Onix if need be. Inside, were several cages, each in various sizes, all designed to restrain the Maiju caught inside from moving, but only one of them was occupied.
Cyclizar sat in a cage, unmoving. His injuries were so visceral that Zorua could practically feel them.
… Did he deserve this treatment? Was it right to take this one and make a spectacle out of him?
Zorua did not know the answer to those questions, but it was enough to make her understand why Ash had felt this was too far. If Cyclizar had been any other species, he would have been a cripple for life.
A Grookie handed Misty a set of keys.
"I would not expect any trouble from him. He… knows his place," the Gogoat said bitterly. "Do what you will to please that… noble you serve." That last word was clearly a euphemism for something impolite.
"He's not-" Misty sputtered. "I don't-"
"We will be watching nearby," the Grass-type said as he walked off.
"Come, Mistress. Let's go meet Cyclizar," Staryu said.
Zorua set her bags down and began to shift her supplies in order. She doubted any of her generic potions would have been enough, though some of the medicine she had already made might have helped.
Squirtle opened the cage.
"Do you have a name?" Misty asked the first question.
"Six," Cyclizar said flatly, his voice raw.
"Six?" Misty said. "As in the number?"
Cyclizar nodded.
"Is there a significance to it?" Misty asked again. "I assume that means there's others who were one through five."
Cyclizar nodded again. "I was the sixth egg to hatch…" He rasped, though it was clear that he had trouble speaking due to his poor health.
Zorua, can we give him something to drink?
"On it!" Zorua took out a water skin from her bag as well as a small box that contained some leftovers from lunch. It was obvious to everyone involved that Cyclizar was suffering both malnutrition and dehydration. The solution was to simply get him eating and drinking again, though that was a long term recovery plan rather than a simple fix. Still, it would let him talk more normally if he was not starved.
Cyclizar eyed the box and waterskin with a scowl. "... What do you want?"
"We don't really want anything," Misty answered.
"Liar. Everyone wants something." Cyclizar snarled. "So, tell me again, why did that noble come and do what he did and send you lot? What does he want with me?" he coughed.
"... I don't think he wants you for anything," Zorua answered. That and Ash was not from the upper classes; that would have been obvious to anyone who actually met him.
"Nobody does anything for free!" Cyclizar coughed. "So, what does that brat want?"
Zorua couldn't help but wonder what could have happened to make this Maiju like this. It was like he didn't believe generosity existed.
"Ash saw a wounded lizard who was suffering and decided that what he was going through was enough," Squirtle spoke up as he walked towards Cyclizar. "He doesn't care about your origins, nor does he expect you to follow him. He doesn't even care if you wronged him personally, he'll protect you from unnecessary harm."
Six the Cyclizar looked stunned. "...And you know this how?"
"You wouldn't be the first person he had done this for!" Staryu proudly declared.
"Would you believe that I once kidnapped one of his friends and he ended up saving my life when I was in harm's way?" Squirtle laughed. "He didn't really ask me to join him, that was more …my way of apologizing."
"...I still don't understand why you're doing this."
"Look, if it makes you feel better, just think of it as an exchange. You can tell us about yourself and we give you this stuff," Squirtle said. "We're all actually very curious about how you ended up here!"
"I… don't know."
"Oh, come on. You gotta know the value of a good deal right?" Squirtle said with a glint in his teeth and enough confidence in his abilities to make Zorua wonder if he had done this before. "All you gotta do is talk a bit."
Six the Cyclizar looked at the food and drink right in front of him. "I can… accept that." His reservations lowered, he quickly consumed what was on offer.
Zorua felt a ghost of a smile creep onto her face. Though she had no idea on the full story the lizard had, she was relieved that he wasn't being unreasonable. "Can you please step out of that cage, it'll be easier to tend to you if you lie down on this mat here?"
Six the Cyclizar slowly pushed himself off the ground, but it was clear that he wasn't capable of lifting himself off the ground in his current condition.
Squirtle and Misty walked over to the lizard and lifted him from his cage and onto the floor. While the Dragon-type was obviously taller than either of them, neither of them had any trouble lifting him out of the cage and gently placing him on the mat.
Zubat flew over to the cage and hung from its bars, as it was the closest perch available.
Zorua moved herself towards the Cyclizar and placed her paws over the wounded lizard's body. Though she had been given medical training as part of the requirement in order to perform alchemy within the body, she had not seen many patients, especially not those as wounded as Six had become.
Several lacerations all over the body. There is evidence of chemical burns over many of the injuries, perhaps to prevent his natural regeneration from easily correcting the damage. The cut that had severed his right arm is crude, with the bone torn at an irregular angle. He must have gained these….a week or two ago? His body had already scabbed over most of the worst, but his starvation and burns have left him unable to regenerate his wounds. Theoretically, we could let him heal himself once we handled the worst issues.
All Cyclizar possessed the power to regenerate and recover missing limbs. A rare few simply had an incredibly powerful regenerative ability that was fast enough to apply in battle. "Dexter, do you have anything?"
Dexter hovered over, the living Pokédex sparking as he went. I am noticing that some of his bones have been healed improperly. The right leg in particular is bent at a wrong angle.
So, they were going to need to numb his senses while they worked. Then, maybe they could use something to boost his regenerative abilities. Preferably after a good meal. Also maybe treat the chemical burns before anything else. That was theoretically doable. "Healing you will not be easy."
"... You're going for an awful lot of effort for a bandit," Six rasped.
"We heard you were one," Misty said back. "The story we were told is that you confessed to being one and were arrested on the spot."
"That's because it is true," Six replied. "I was one and I was arrested when I told everyone."
"Can you tell us more?" Misty asked.
Six turned his head towards the direction of Gogoat, as if expecting something.
Gogoat simply glared at him.
Six began to speak. "I was a scout for my gang, Carver's Crew. My siblings and I were good at running… swimming, too. Our job was to use our speed to scout out the area, mark targets. Then, when the rest of the gang was ready, we'd run interference and let the heavy hitters do whatever they needed. But other than that, we were also the runners and couriers, often delivering packages or smuggling things in and out of villages, that sort of thing. Whatever we had to do to eke out another Carat."
"So, then, why turn yourself in? You have an interesting skill set," Zorua commented.
"...That's because there's no place for a lowlife like me," said Six. He lifted the stump of his right arm. "Boss… cleaved my arm right off and the rest of the gang were none too happy either. I… had to fall off a cliff to throw them off."
Zorua made a painful wince, imagining what sort of damage a lot of angry Maiju could have done. He must have done something that truly made them upset for them to turn on him like that.
"They wanted you dead?" Misty asked.
"... Yeah, badly enough that the only reason I think I'm alive is because they think I'm dead already." Six sighed. "Though, being dead might have been easier."
"And you turned yourself in, immediately after," Staryu mused.
"As I said, there's no place for a lowlife like me, and no gang was going to take me in if they knew why I was left for dead," Six said.
Zorua found a bottle in her bag that was said to treat burns. She applied it over the Cyclizar's scaly skin.
"Ow! That hurts…"
"That means that your sensory system is intact, though I should handle that," Zorua told them. Whatever Cyclizar did, it must have been especially heinous for his gang to resort to such extreme actions.
"And you came here, why?" Misty questioned.
Six looked crestfallen. "Just, reasons, okay? I… don't want to talk about it. Also, ow, my body is aching."
It sounded very personal and private. Regardless, Zorua took a pill bottle and placed it near the Cyclizar's head "Take one of these for the pain."
The lizard uncorked the bottle, took a pill into his mitts, and swallowed it.
"So, uh… what did you do?" Zubat voiced from atop the cage. "Like, I'm pretty sure, you can't have just been thrown out over nothing!"
"There is no honor among thieves," said Staryu. "It could have been something small, mayhap even stealing from others in the group.."
Six's expression darkened. "It… was not small. Cutting Carats away from your peers, making deals with others for profit, stealing from your bunkmates that's normal for bandits. You expect it. If you lost money, it was your own fault. No, what I did was… betrayed the Crew." The Cyclizar closed his eyes. "...My last job was to scout out the incubator chamber for a creche in another village."
A cold feeling suddenly filled Zorua. She had an idea of what caused Cyclizar's group to ostracize him now.
Everyone else gave looks of shock.
"An incubator?" Zubat questioned.
"That means eggs," Squirtle provided.
"You were planning on kidnaping eggs?" Misty sounded horrified.
"Eggs. Children are the future, Mistress," Staryu spoke. "To take them is… to basically steal the future itself."
"That's often the point, yes. The ransom that would entail could bankrupt a town if they were poor enough," Zorua added, her tone low, her mind puzzling out just how far parents were willing to go for their stolen children. No doubt that the whole situation would also earn the group who did this eternal enmity.
Six shook his head. "Carver wasn't interested in the money. No, he was more interested in the offspring themselves."
…Suddenly, it made more sense why Six was given a number instead of a name.
"The plan was simple. Sneak in and see how many eggs there would be. Then, once there were enough people to carry them all, take what you can and… burn down the creche. Make it look like an accident. Kill any witnesses if you have to. That way, no one knows the eggs weren't destroyed in the fire," Six spat this bitterly. "Then, hatch the eggs and… raise them like your own."
There was a moment of silence as everyone let that thought sink in.
"That's… horrible," Misty was the one to break the ice.
Zorua in particular could understand its merits. In theory, while there was a high risk factor, it meant that within a relatively short amount of time, a bandit group that practiced this could rapidly grow its numbers. Further, the ideal was that the young Maiju would be indoctrinated into being willing servants to the ones that stole them from their biological parents.
And all of that might have applied to Six, if her theory was correct.
"I did many awful things," Six rasped. "Ransomed travelers, blackmailed townsfolk, destroyed houses, and worse, but… that was my limit. I discredly told the villagers about the raid and that… foiled it. When old Carver found out, he decided to have me punished."
"Do you expect us to be sympathetic to you?" Gogoat muttered from the room's entrance. "You lie, cheat, and steal for a living. Your testimony is suspect and will not change your sentence."
"I don't care either way," Six grunted.
Gogoat may have had a point. There was every reason to suspect that Six's story and even his own name might have been fabricated, all in an effort to twist emotions.
Yet, looking at that lizard's face, how he had kept his head down, how he had resigned himself to suffering, how he practically turned himself in because there was no one else for him to go. What would have been the point of lying in the first place?
Was there even a point in healing Cyclizar, when he had practically given up on living?
"You didn't want the children to grow up to be like you," Misty said in a cool voice. "You didn't want them to be adopted by bandits, because that's what happened to you."
Cyclizar turned his head to avoid eye contact with the Buizel. It was practically an admission of motive.
Zorua supposed that Ash would do anything in his power to help Six if he could. And it wasn't like Six was going to be a threat to anyone, even to her, in his current condition. She concluded that realigning his regenerating bones was, as time consuming as it was, worthwhile. "Dexter, please mark the places where Cyclizar's bones would need adjustment. Squirtle, I could use your help to-"
Then before she could finish speaking, there was a noise coming from the building and a whole lot of shuffling.
"Malachite Militia!" a feminine voice shouted. "I have come to bargain."
"Five…" Six snarled.
Gogoat immediately walked out of the room, running towards the source of the voice.
Out of reflex, Zorua changed herself to appear as a silver Vulpix and poked her head out of the holding area. Everyone except for Squirtle leaned in to see what was happening.
A Cyclizar, this one female, stood at the front door, holding an egg in a satchel under her arms. She glared at Gogoat. "I have come to negotiate for the release of my idiot brother!" she declared. "Release him into my custody."
Gogoat snarled, gnashing his teeth. Yet head inclined towards the egg. "You intend to hold this child for ransom?" The rest of the militia was currently positioning themselves around the Cyclizar, as if waiting for the moment to strike.
"Oh, no. This little baby here is my insurance," Five laughed. "See, I'm just a messenger, a courier carrying the bad news. We've got more than just one egg."
That caused the entire militia to hesitate, their postures weakening. None wanted to let the egg remain in the hands of a criminal, but more lives were possibly at stake.
"We… cannot negotiate," Gogoat shivered.
"Then find me someone who can!" Five spat back. "Get me the mayor or a noble! Anyone!"
Misty cursed under her breath. "This was supposed to be simple!"
Zorua's heart sank, not liking where this was going. And they were so close to Tanzanite Depths, too! Her father was going to hear of this! "Zubat?"
"I'm on it…." the poisonous bat said dejectedly as she flew out the door.
Zorua turned her head back towards Six, whose expression changed from one of seething rage.
Charizard laid against the wall, trying to take an early afternoon nap. Yet, try as he might, he just couldn't get himself into the right position to close his eyes and drift into dreams. He spun on his back, careful not to set anything on fire.
"Hey, Charizard?" a voice called to him.
The large Fire-type shifted his head slightly to meet the speaker in the eye.
"Do you mind if we talk together?" the Riolu asked, his tone eager. "I mean, I know I shouldn't bother you if you don't want it, but… we don't talk to each other much."
Charizard's eyes shifted from left to right. Brock, Togepi, and most of Gym Leader's team were napping against Onix, while Bulbasaur was busy trying to pull Psyduck's head out of a jar, and Goldeen rolled in her sleeping bowl. There was no sign of Pikachu.
A good part of the dragon wanted to just brush off his trainer like always, to let things remain as they are, but too much had changed already. The Lycanroc also helped him realize that he did need to speak to his trainer, once in a while. "I've got nothing better to do," Charizard admitted as he rose to a standing position.
Ash smiled at him, the Riolu's tagging flicking back and forth as it wagged. "Really?"
"Really," Charizard said.
The Fighting-type nodded his head as he took a seat on the floor. "So, are you doing okay?"
The big Fire-type squinted at his trainer. "You think there's something wrong?"
"A little. I just noticed you were, you know, not talking to anyone. I just want to know if you're okay, is all."
"I'm fine being alone," Charizard answered, though saying that hurt.
Ash's face slightly fell. He looked lost in thought, as if trying to come up with words to say. "...Why do you say that?" he managed.
Charizard looked down at his trainer. Did I say something wrong? "I've been alone before, it hasn't killed…me." Though as he said that, he realized what a poor choice of words that was. That was how he and Ash even met.
"Charizard," Ash's voice was soft, yet carried a weight in it.
"Ash?" The Fire-type spoke, his tone wary. He felt… vulnerable. He was the large dragon in the room, and yet he was the one who was not in control. He felt like shifting his body slightly, backing away into a defensive position. Yet… should he?
"I was… thinking, today." The Riolu's head bent low as he held up a Pokéball in his paws. "When I saw Cyclizar today, he… reminded me of what it was like for you. I know the situation you had wasn't exactly the same, but you were still isolated, alone, left to die."
Charizard stayed silent, painful memories reentering his mind. He wasn't that weakling Chamander anymore, he wasn't staying on top of a rock, waiting to die. Yet, he was alone. Ash was right on that.
It had been a while since he had that talk with Brock, about what he wanted, about what he was supposed to do from here. "Being alone… is awful," the Fire-type admitted. But the strong shouldn't need people, they shouldn't care.
Ash smiled at that. "Yeah, that's why it's good you've still got friends here!"
"Friends?" The word felt alien in his mouth. He wasn't particularly close with anyone around here. And his relationships, especially with that rat, were strained at best of times.
"Yeah!" Ash confirmed. "Well, I know we haven't been that close, especially recently, but…. You did make Pikachu that ketchup earlier."
"...You don't think Brock did it?" Charizard asked, though he felt a twinge of unease as he said that.
"Brock couldn't have done it! Besides, I saw you looking at those tomatoes earlier." Ash laughed. "You were very interested."
"... Pikachu was just bothered about not being able to evolve," Charizard admitted. Besides, it was sort of his fault that the rat tried to do that at all. That rat wouldn't have gone out of his way to touch a Thunder Stone if he hadn't scorned him for the rat's choices.
"You care about him," Ash pointed out.
"...I did," Charizard's throat felt constrained.
There was a moment of silence between the two of them, as Charizard looked at his past actions and his memories of his trainer and of the Pokémon that surrounded him.
Old memories came rushing in, about those early days. About how Pikachu and the others offered to teach him how to fight, how to be… brave. He was the second youngest of their group, after Butterfree, and yet he wanted to grow up so fast.
Things were so much brighter then, everyone… talked to him, even the humans. They could never understand him, but he was eager to help where he could, no matter how scared he was at the time.
The dragon had chosen to go with Ash in what felt like an age ago and yet Brock helped him realize that he hadn't let go of his old trainer.
"Charizard?" Ash sounded worried.
The large Fire-type looked down.
"You're… hurting," Riolu sounded pained.
Charizard felt confused, he was… fine, wasn't he? "Why would I be in pain?"
"You, are… were hurting." Ash said. He pointed at his own chest. "I… felt it, right here."
Charizard looked down at his own chest. His heart pounded as well it always had, but no, that made no sense.
"He means heartache," Bulbasaur clarified as he walked over, an empty jar in his vines and a dazed Psyduck grabbing hold of his bulb. "A pain of the heart, not a physical one, that is."
"What kinds of pain are you talking about?"
"Painful memories, old regrets," Bulbasaur spoke sagely. He was always the wisest of the Pokémon in Ash's team.
Now, the Fire-type understood. In such a short time, Charizard had gained plenty of things to regret and he still wanted things that were impossible. And his trainer felt that? He turned to him. "I… thought you were Fighting-type?"
"I'm not Psychic!" Ash said. "I just… feel things from everyone."
Charizard shivered. What must it have been like to feel everyone's suffering? He knew that he couldn't endure something like that, not when most people could barely contain their own emotions. What kind of strength did it take to shoulder everyone's hearts? "Ash?"
"Hey, don't be afraid!" Ash said again. "It's not just the bad stuff." He placed a paw over his heart. "Ever since I became a Riolu, I could feel everyone's…. Feelings. It was weird at first, but I can feel everyone's pain, their fears, their regrets, but I can also feel their joy, their happiness!"
He then frowned. "I didn't mean to hurt you by saying the things I did, by bringing up things I shouldn't have."
"No, don't be sad, I just remembered old times." Charizard said to him. "They were good memories."
Ash smiled at that. "I'm… glad then."
Charizard then decided that there was one thing he had to do, something that was perhaps the greatest herculean effort he could think of, yet it was also something he had done quite easily as a Charmander. Probably, because now, the weight of his own ego was that much greater. "Ash, can you feel what I'm feeling right now?"
"It's… like a great weight around the belly and the throat," Ash said, describing the sensation exactly.
"That's because it is," Charizard took a deep breath and let go of one of his regrets. "Thank you for saving me from that rock."
Ash froze, his eyes widening.
The weight on heart lightening as he cast it off, the Fire-type continued. "I told you this before, back when you couldn't understand a word we said, but I want you to hear my words now!" he wanted to cry, he wanted to run, but he felt free. "I was nothing before you, I know that now. Strong or not, I owe what I am to you!"
There was a sudden silence as the Charizard's words sunk in.
Charizard felt… exhausted, like all of those missed hours of sleep finally caught up with him. He took a deep breath.
"... Is Uncle Charizard okay?" Togepi's voice echoed in the room.
Everyone turned towards the pile of sleeping Pokémon as they began to awaken.
"He's… been going through a rough time," Brock muttered.
Charizard realized that he might have been a little loud..
"Charizard, I... I don't know what to say," the Riolu's head bent down. His face scrunched in a thoughtful expression. "But I think I know what to do."
He then leapt up towards Charizard's neck, his arms extended. He wrapped Charizard's neck in an embrace. Words were unnecessary.
Charizard was tempted to throw Ash off, yet perhaps for the first time in a long while, he knew what he wanted.
But the moment wouldn't last.
"Ash!" Pikachu's voice rang out as he slid the door open and barged in. Zubat flying right behind him. "We've got a problem! And-what's going on?"
"Uh…." Ash stammered.
Charizard set the Riolu down and quickly turned his attention away. He didn't want to deal with the rat right about now, not when he was drained from having spoken to his trainer. Yet, it sounded so important.
"Guys!" Zubat shouted.
"Sorry!" Pikachu apologized. "We've got an problem! We need to hurry and get to the others!"
"But what about the townsfolk? They'll throw fruit at us!" Ash stammered.
Charizard snorted as he overheard all of this. The solution was obvious to him. "Then we'll just fly over them!"
Ash barged into the room, panting. Though he had flown most of the way over on Charizard, he had also ran as fast as he could to get into the barracks because he knew just how important this was. Zubat had told him that there was a bandit who was holding eggs for ransom. And because of his case of mistaken identity, he was one of the people required to negotiate. Now, it was probably too late to confess to the lie.
The Riolu found a female Cyclizar sitting on a mat on the floor, an egg in a sack with her. Her teeth shone brightly in a predatory grin as she looked at Ash. "Oh my, imagine the ransom on you, little princeling!"
Ash growled. He could practically feel the wickedness coming from her.
"Huh, so we do have a noble among us? I should really read my mail," an old… dragon thing spoke. He sat opposite of Cyclizar. His body was covered with white feathers and hair. He even had a long beard of hair. "Mayor the Drampa! Or just Mayor!"
"Ash," the Riolu introduced himself as he walked over to them.
Ash felt so out of place, not only because he wasn't actually a noble, but because this was the sort of thing that was supposed to be the job of the police or people like Professor Oak. Granted, he had to endure hostage negotiations before, especially when he met Squirtle, so he wasn't completely helpless.
"Five," said the Cyclizar. "So, I think we could begin now!"
From the edges, he could see that some of his other friends were nearby, but they were far enough away that it was clear that they weren't invited to the negotiations. Misty and Staryu sat with a strange white haired Vulpix. Gogoat and other members of his group were also nearby.
A sensation like the world had suddenly been turned into glass had set in, where the slightest bit of force would cause spiderweb fractures to form. That must have been the sum total of everyone's feelings.
"So, I'll tell you this right now. Carver's Crew has several dozen eggs in its custody, all taken from neighboring villages," Five began. "What we want is fairly simple, my brother. Once we have him, you can have your eggs back!"
"Huh, that sounds mighty generous of you," said Mayor. "You… sure you don't want Carats?"
"Well, if you're offering!" Five laughed. "But I digress. The rest of the gang will be here by tomorrow to collect my brother. We will do the exchange then."
"What will you do with him?" Ash said, trying to understand the situation better.
"Oh, nothing much," she smirked. "Perhaps finish, just to finish what we started." Saddic glee radiated from the Cyclizar, enough that Ash felt sick being in the same room as her.
Ash did not like the idea of giving Cyclizar to his sister, but at the same time, there were dozens of eggs on the line, if what Five was saying could be trusted. Still, he was only pretending to be a noble, when the real authority was right next to him. "What do you think, Mayor?"
"Well, I guess our best bet is to take the offer!" said the Drampa. "It's not hard, is it?"
Ash felt awful, but was there anything that could be done?
Five gave them both a grin. "See, I knew you'd both listen to reason!" She then gently patted the egg at her side. "Now, just to make sure, no funny business. Or else we start cracking, capiche?"
The Riolu felt sick, but he nodded his head. She had no remorse or guilt, she would break eggs if she had to.
Five got up and made her way to the exit. "Now, I'll go and tell the gang about the arrangement, and we can all put this matter behind us!"
Ash stared as the Cyclizar walked out of the building, cackling as she did. There was a very strong temptation to punch her in the jaw, but the egg she carried was at risk if it came down to that.
"Well, that was easy!" said the old dragon. He then hummed a song to himself as he walked out as well.
Ash clenched his paws.
Pikachu walked in and patted the Riolu on the back. "So, that's it then? We'll be trading Cyclizar for lots of eggs?"
"It seems that way,"
"Don't trust her!" a voice snarled from the room at the back.
Gogoat walked towards that room, "For once, I agree with the criminal. She is not to be considered trustworthy."
"Come on, Ash," Misty said as she and the others followed Gogoat.
The Riolu didn't resist. He followed them inside, into the holding area.
Cyclizar was set on a mat on the floor, with Squirtle attending to him.
The battered lizard looked up at Ash, a firm conviction in his eyes. "If it were as simple as giving myself up for the eggs, I would gladly give up my life, but I know better than to trust my sister or my gang to live up to her words!"
"Yes, but even still, I would think this to be another attempt to escape!" Gogoat shouted at him.
"That doesn't change the fact, once they have Cyclizar, there's nothing to force them to just take him and the eggs as they disappear!" Misty said.
"If they wanted my life, they would have accepted you cutting off my head. No, the eggs are just bait," Cyclizar sighed.
Ash couldn't help but feel the…hopelessness coming from the lizard, like he had already accepted that dying was the only fate that would befall him.
Vulpix turned into Zorua, which explained things a bit. "Many bandit clans operate under the assumption of keeping their word, as a means to ensure survival; as a gang that doesn't keep to their word is untrustworthy. However, this is not a universal trait. Many bandit gangs are willing to simply take your money and your life."
"But what can we do?" Ash demanded. "Is there any way to take the eggs away from them?"
Frowns swept the entire room.
"Sir, are we sure we want to take the risk?" Gogoat muttered, his voice low.
"If we don't do something, they'll still have the eggs and Cyclizar!" Ash shouted, his thoughts turning towards ideas that might have helped. He wasn't much of a planner, but he had to try anything, yet the only thing he could think about was that Five took note of him, about how he was worth some sort of ransom. "... How valuable am I?"
That startled everyone in the room, their faces lighting up in shock.
"Ash!" Misty shouted.
"You can't- can't think like that!" Pikachu stammered.
Cyclizar looked up at him, stunned.
Gogoat was the only one who stood his ground, though even he was intimidated. "Your life would be worth far more than the eggs of commoners, even that many, Sir. Why do you ask?""
"Because I'm thinking about setting our own trap, our own bait." These people were absolutely willing to use the eggs of others to shield themselves.
Squirtle took a deep inhale. "Alright, Boss. You gotta know that as a gang, they're not going to try anything funny if there's any sort of resistance. They wouldn't survive if they bit off more than they could chew, so if you're well protected, they wouldn't fall for it. And depending on how paranoid they are, if you seem harmless, well, they'll wonder why."
Ash nodded his head, thinking on how they were going to exploit that.
"I am incredibly interested in your expertise on the matter, Squirtle, though that may be a question for another time," Gogoat said as he squinted his eyes at Squirtle.
"This isn't a good idea, but it might be our only option," Misty muttered. "As it stands, outright fighting Carver's crew while they're holding hostages is just too dangerous."
The general idea is sound, but it might need more work. Dexter hovered over. We have some time to refine the idea into a cohesive plan.
"...I can tell you how they operate, how they work," Cyclizar spoke, his voice cracking as he uttered a sincere request. "But, please, whatever you do. Put an end to this."
Ash nodded his head. Though he was just over eleven now, he understood the importance of what came next.
This Chapter took longer to write because of rewriting the whole thing midway through. Overall, I am satisfied with what I came up with.
I decided on officially naming the currency of Citrine as Carats, for a number of reasons. Namely, it's because the currency is already in diamonds, pearls, and platinum wafers. Also, karats with a k is largely for gold.