Chapter 35: Try Again

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Nero sighed in relief as Guildmaster Finnegan had made his way back, leaving Thorn to stand still in a shivering second of silence.

He appeared calm despite the deep wound on his chest, three deep claw marks from Thorn's attack were leaking black blood. Taking his satchel from Nero, he rustled inside trying to find something from it.

With a grunt, he pulled out a tube and squeezed a putty-like substance on his wound, welding it shut and stopping the bleeding. It was slightly discolored from his skin tone, looking more like a dark shade of gray rather than the pitch-black complexion of his body.

Nero watched with a shake of his head. "Even for you, I can't believe you survived that." He murmured. "When we get back, we'll get you to a doctor….er, welder I guess."

Guildmaster Finnegan snorted, turning his head back to the hulking purple that was slowly flaking into ash. The Nidoking was chuckling to himself, accepting his defeat gracefully.

He turned his head to the Bisharp. "Phenomenal." He growled. "You stand as a paragon of your kind, Guildmaster."

Guildmaster Finnegan shook his head. "It's too late for flattery, lad. It's the end of you." He retorted, his emotionless eyes staring down Thorn.

"Heh…on the contrary."

For a small moment, the two Guildmasters expected Thorn to attack once more in spite of more of his body disappearing into a smoke of ash, but instead he simply cackled. The unsettling laugh bounced off the walls, surrounding the two and making the air feel a little colder.

He continued. "Though this body may perish, my appetite for destruction will live on through others who share my hatred. We are tired of waiting for change."

"You think there are other psychopaths like you in the world?"

Thorn grinned. "Children who don't receive warmth from the world will burn it down to feel it." He said menacingly. "Six hundred years to get your shit together, yet the progress has been minimal. Hisui Bay still stands as a living nightmare to us all."

Nero's eyes darkened. "We are still working on it." He said, glancing at his old friend. "Many of us Guildmasters have been fighting for its closure for years. It's not that simple…" He trailed off.

By now, half of Thorn's body had disappeared into ash, and the massive Pokemon let out another chuckle at his predicament. "We gave you enough time, fools. Eight of the strongest Pokemon in the Honshu Region, and you can look me in the eyes and tell me things have changed? The funny thing is, I was never viewed differently by the public eye before and after I took my first life. The world will never change when you see us as nothing but monsters."

Guildmaster Finnegan looked sympathetic. "Lad…" He started, but by now Thorn's body was evaporating so quickly, he was almost dust.

Seeing as his time was almost up, Thorn started taking weak steps towards the other two, reaching out an arm that was fading with the rest of his body. "Take solace in this small victory, but you truly think you've won? You think this is the end? HA! Grow complacent, Guildmaster."

Then, with the last of his body giving way to ash, he stretched his eyes with such madness that the two Guildmasters themselves were rooted in a bloodchilling state of fear. The eyes that once possessed a golden fury in them were now bloodshot pinpoints that stared through the both of them. Thorn's last words seemed to be a whisper that was carried with the last remnants of his body as he disappeared from the world.

"Zawal…will…avenge…me…"

With the final warning, Thorn ceased to exist as the ash vanished in the dark room. The chill remained for a moment, and the two friends remained paralyzed from what had occurred. It was impossible to lift even a finger in the murderous aura that had taken the room in a chokehold.

Guildmaster Finnegan was the one to break out of it first. "Zawal?" He pondered, a bead of sweat on his forehead. Even in his long lifespan, he had not experienced bloodlust like that.

Nero found his voice as well. "That's a new name for me as well." He admitted, feeling uneasy. "He sounds legitimate for Thorn to be confident in him avenging him. We should send a message out to Yu and see if he knows the name."

Guildmaster Finnegan pinched in between his eyes. "Arceus…" He muttered, shaking off what had just occurred. "Things are going to get rocky if that's the case. I'll do the same with Ivan as well, we are going to need as much help as we can if it is true." He winced as pain started to flood his chest from his wound.

Suddenly, the door to the room burst in and Erin sprinted in, coming to an immediate halt as she suddenly realized the danger she potentially put herself in. She blinked for a moment as she saw only the two Guildmaster's in the middle of the place.

Her jaw dropped when she saw the amount of black blood on her Guildmaster. "Sir! Are you okay?" She asked, panicking. "Where did Thorn go?"

Guildmaster Finnegan huffed. "Thorn's dead." He answered, breaking the tension as he gave an amused look at her shocked face. "Just because I'm old doesn't mean this geezer can't fight."

Erin was in awe. "That's incredible." She said in wonderment, before shaking her head. "Axl still needs us!"

Back to her mission, she sprinted straight past the two older Pokemon, who noticed her own grievous injuries and widened her eyes. She paid no mind, heading straight towards the wooden door and throwing it open as she headed towards the cell she shared with Axl earlier.

Guildmaster Finnegan had a bemused look on her face. "I'll take it that her fight went better than I expected." He said out loud, looking proud. "Not bad for a rookie."

Nero punched his friend on the shoulder upon hearing the words he had said earlier. "Good thing you didn't kick her out, huh?" He poked at his friend, before starting to head towards the door. "Let's go get my son."

Guildmaster Finnegan nodded. "Aye!"

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The once even match between Trager and Axl was anything but a stalemate now.

Trager let out a grunt as he was hurled into the far wall, sliding feebly down as he struggled to catch his breath. His body was covered in deep gashes and his golden eyes were opened wide in disbelief.

He managed to snap them on his attacker and barely rolled out of the way as a light blue sword of murderous aura hit the spot he once stood. Propping himself on a knee, he trembled at the horror his opponent had become.

Axl was no longer the aloof Oshawott that Trager had known, instead standing as a growling Oshawott with his teeth bared and his eyes golden slits. With a snarl, he hopped at Trager again like a primal predator, striking him in the face and sending him careening into the ground. The Fraxure writhed for a moment as a new slash appeared on his body, making him grunt and groan in pain.

Knowing staying still would only get him killed, Trager moved to his back and fearfully started to back away from Axl who was now attacking nothing on the ground in a blind fury. True to the stories that were told to him, Axl was in a state of pure psychosis, unaware of himself or his surroundings.

He was a feral Pokemon who knew nothing but to kill.

Trager gasped as Axl's head snapped towards him and he made a move for his next target. Realizing he couldn't dodge this time, he fired up Dragon Claw attacks on both of his hands and tried to meet Axl head on.

It was futile as his attack was easily knocked away by the buffed Pokemon, and Axl wasted no time firing an Ice Beam attack that carried Trager with such force that he was thrown into the wall again. He was gasping for air now and coughing up blood, completely overwhelmed by this new level of power Axl was showing.

Another snarl told him Axl was coming again, much to his disbelief. By miracle he hadn't frozen to the wall, managing to break off any residue ice, but Axl was still in pursuit. Gritting his teeth, he realized he had no choice but to defend himself still.

Activating his Dragon Claws once more, he dashed towards Axl hoping to land any attack on him. A large whoosh filled his ears and before he knew it, Axl was behind him. A searing pain told him Axl had once again managed a nasty cut on Trager.

Right where his mark was.

Trager could only look down in horror as the Hazaranmark that had once graced his shoulder had a deep cut in it now, slashed almost completely in half. Falling to his knees, he gripped his shoulder in agony as his left arm started to dissolve.

He stared at it with bloodshot, horror filled eyes. "No…" He snarled, not accepting what had just happened.

With his attention taken, he didn't brace himself for Axl not letting up and was hit so hard by the Razor Shell attack that a deep gash etched itself on his back.

Falling to the ground, he curled himself into a weak ball as Axl started repeatedly striking him with his attack, raining his assault in a fury so fast that Trager could no longer defend himself. Having only one arm and no Hazaranmark also meant Trager was feeling the attack harder than ever before.

Pain was overwhelming Trager and his vision was starting to fade as Axl was not going to stop attacking as long as Trager breathed ...no, perhaps even longer still.

Thankfully, a voice from the door stopped everything for the both of them.

"Axl?"

Erin had just reached the bottom of the stairs that had led to the cell and stood in the doorway, staring at the scene with a horrified expression. The Axl she knew was no longer there, instead a feral beast with eyes looking only to kill had taken his place. A quick look at his golden eyes and glowing mark told her everything she needed to know.

She backed up a step, gasping at the horrifying sight. "No…" She whispered.

The noise had caught Axl's attention, and he stopped his assault on Trager to glance up at her with his ferocious eyes. No longer interested in the dragon type Pokemon that was almost torn to pieces, he made his way for the next target of his destruction: her.

Erin gasped again as Axl was closing in snarling, growling and ready to pounce. She was frozen in fear. Finally closing in on the frightened Snivy, Axl lunged and brought his powerful Razor Shell down on her head. As it got ready to land, she prepared to let out a blood-curdling scream.

Then, as quick as Axl had attacked, a black blur got in between her and Axl, blocking the otter's attack. A strong blue arm pulled her out of the way and behind its owner: Nero.

Guildmaster Finnegan, the blur that had saved Erin's life, parried with Axl for a moment as the otter was much stronger now. Axl actually landed a couple of powerful shots on the Guildmaster, before Guildmaster Finnegan disappeared in a blur and pinned Axl to the ground, much similar to their earlier fight.

It clearly wasn't as easy as before, however, as the out-of-control Pokemon scrambled furiously underneath the Guildmaster's grip in order to return to his attack. Guildmaster Finnegan could only stare down with a look of pity on his face.

Nero looked broken as he saw his son. "Oh, lad." He whispered, his voice choked.

Trager, who somehow remained conscious, turned to face them. "You see what you Pokemon have caused us? If not for your-" The rest of his drabble fell on deaf ears as the room seemed to grow eerily quiet. Nero slowly started walking towards him, his eyes darkened by the shadows in the room.

Or perhaps by the unyielding rage stuck in a ball in his stomach.

Trager's shouts stopped as soon as they started as he found himself frozen in fear once again as the Sawk loomed over him. Then a white light started to glow in Nero's hand as he raised his fist and then brought it down right on top of Trager's head. Almost instantly, the ground underneath Trager cracked and a gust of wind so powerful emitted from the impact that Erin almost lost her balance. Nero's face no longer was obscured by darkness, and he looked furious.

He kept his fist pressed into Trager's head, sending the Fraxure into a new indent in the floor. Trager's eyes were completely white as he couldn't handle the attack of an enraged Guildmaster. However, it was then that Erin saw Trager was missing the same arm that had once bore his Hazaranmark.

Did Axl do that?

Once the initial shockwave died down, Nero remained with his back turned to the other three, leaving his current state of emotion a mystery to them.

His voice was so quiet that Erin felt secondhand terror. "You idiot…"

Guildmaster Finnegan's eyes were clouded. "Take Erin and him and get out of here, Nero…No father should have to watch this." He told him.

Erin was taken aback for a moment as he said this, not wanting to make sense of what he was saying. Then, Axl's words from the cell suddenly struck her.

'Plus… you'd have to kill me if I did according to the law'

'I made Pops promise to kill me if that day ever came. I would rather be dead than live a life like that.'

She couldn't take the reality of what he was saying "W-wait!" She shouted. "Why does he have to die? You can't seriously be thinking of killing him?"

Guildmaster Finnegan didn't look at her. "We have no choice, lass. Leaving him like this will only put others at danger. Bringing him back isn't possible, he's essentially already dead." He told her, sounding more emotionless.

Erin didn't accept it, feeling angry. "So, kill him after all of that? You're just going to give up on him so quickly? Why can't we try? Axl deserves better than that!" She shouted at him, her eyes stinging.

Then, her Guildmaster Finnegan turned to her, fuming. "Will you grow up and open your eyes?" He shouted back, silencing her. "Life isn't some fairy tale where you get a miracle if you believe hard enough. Like it or not, you are going to experience deaths more painful than you can imagine if you want to stay in this guild. We live in a world that doesn't change without sacrifice. Axl knew that and made his choice."

Erin didn't back down. "Yeah, but-"

She was cut off by Nero. "Erin…you've got a beautiful heart…I'm so happy Axl got to meet you. But I'm afraid…" He turned and what Erin saw shattered her heart. The older Sawk's face was crunched from the tears that were streaming down his face. "He's completely right."

She finally broke and tears started leaking down her face, but she remained silent. Nero's face was one that was already grieving the loss of his child.

Nonetheless, he continued. "While it's true that there's no possible cure to fix a broken psyche, there was one discovery made. Activation of a Hazaranmark like Axl's puts the body in an unimaginable amount of pain. He's not savage just because of the mark, his body is also in constant agony as a result. To let him live like this is just too cruel."

Guildmaster Finnegan's eyes softened and he made sure to do the same with his tone. "Lass. Axl has been through just as much as anyone I've met in my long life. He's experienced so much pain as it is and has done nothing but give to the world." She was surprised to hear the pleading in his voice, which caused a fresh stream of tears to roll down her face. "Let the poor lad rest now."

Erin had to take a numb step backwards as the reality of it was only coming closer. Her throat was tight and she found she no longer had the ability to use her voice. It was almost as if she was going through an out of body experience.

She knew that the day would come where she wouldn't be able to save everyone. Hell, she knew one day that she most likely was going to lose Pokemon she cared about. That was just the life of a Justice Guild member. But this…it was too much.

Nero's gentle guiding hand on her shoulder barely registered to her as she allowed herself to be led outside by the older Sawk, who looked how she felt. The tears hadn't stopped flowing from his face as he tried unsuccessfully to use his hand to cover his face.

While their pace wasn't irregular, it seemed to take an eternity to move from the cell downstairs to the door that led outside. If she wasn't stuck in the deepest corner of the back of her mind, Erin would have turned around and fought the Guildmaster herself if it meant a chance at saving Axl.

By the time they had reached the door, Erin felt like a shell of herself. She couldn't even acknowledge that everyone else had arrived just as the two Pokemon left the building.

One look at them told them everything they needed to know.

Ceren fell to his knees, a dazed out look on his face as tears instantly started falling from his face. Duncan's eyes widened in disbelief, a paw covering his mouth. Liza sat on her haunches, her eyes misting as she looked away from the two.

Erin couldn't register any of them as she continued to force herself to wait with them, her mind feeling like it was spiraling.

Axl…

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Meanwhile, Guildmaster Finnegan looked solemnly at the Oshawott that was still viciously trying to get out from his grip. Erin and Nero had left, leaving the Guildmaster alone with Axl and Trager, who remained out cold.

The claws on his hand sharpened as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. Like Thorn had said, Guildmaster Finnegan had taken many lives before in his long life.

Yet…he'd be lying if he were to say this wasn't hard for him…

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Some time ago…

An excruciating sun bore down on the lakeside, reflecting brightly off the body of water and making it a safe haven for its current inhabitants.

Today, the Peridot and Amethyst City Justice Guild's had decided to take a relaxing day off together, something that came very far and in between with their rigorous jobs.

Most of the Pokemon were enjoying the refreshing dip in the massive lake while the others who weren't particularly fond of water stayed on the beach. Todd was building a sandcastle with Duncan and Ceren, the latter two humoring the child-like rhino Pokemon.

Then, there was Axl, who sat far from the group on the outskirts of the beach where it met a grassy patch holding a massive white house. The lakehouse belonged to Guildmaster Finnegan, which he usually allowed guild members to visit when they were on vacation or just needing a rest day.

Very rarely did most of the guild get together like this, let alone both of them.

Axl sat with his arms on his knees, staring wistfully at the playing Pokemon. The red scarf wrapped securely around him felt hot and uncomfortable, and he quietly wished there were more shaded areas on the vast beach.

Then, almost as if Arceus himself had heard him, the cool shade of an umbrella suddenly covered him, relieving him of the scarf's heat. Blinking in surprise, he turned his head to his savior.

Guildmaster Finnegan.

The Bisharp was wearing a pink Hawaiian shirt with an orange and yellow floral pattern, a pair of shorts, and, somehow, a pair of sandals. Not to mention a small glass of whiskey that was attached firmly to his hand.

He held a bemused look on his face. "Odd that the water-type is the one sitting over here. I think even Todd got convinced to try and surf one time." He teased, sitting himself next to Axl.

Axl huffed. "Well excuse me for not being beach body ready like the rest of you." He teased back, stifling a laugh at Guildmaster Finnegan's outfit. "What about you, old bones?"

"Rust."

"Ah."

Guildmaster Finnegan took a swig of his drink. "You sure it has nothing to do with that mark on your neck?" He asked him, causing Axl's eyes to fly open in panic and confusion. "Your rivals with someone who can see through stone, you think a scarf was going to stop her?"

Axl gulped, feeling himself shake. "Who else knows?" He asked nervously.

"She only told me, your secret is safe with the both of us as far as you're concerned." He told him reassuringly, although sounding unbothered.

Axl nodded slowly. "I'm surprised she hasn't treated me differently." He pondered, feeling on edge.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, now that she knows my secret."

Guildmaster Finnegan cocked his head. "That you're a Hazaranmon?" He asked bluntly, making Axl flinch. "Why would she? I've made friends of Pokemon, Hazaranmon, and even ghost types alike, lad. The right people aren't going to give a shit what you are so much as who you are. You can be a pain in the neck, but she knows as much as I that you're a good Pokemon."

Axl blinked slowly. "Really?" He asked, sounding genuinely shocked. "I find that hard to believe. Most Pokemon aren't exactly thrilled knowing what I am."

Guildmaster Finnegan didn't answer the question. "How have you lived this long, Axl?" He asked instead.

The question caught Axl off guard for a moment and he pondered on it. Eventually, he glanced away and set his head on his knees. "By dumb luck, I guess." He mumbled, appearing very out of character now.

"None of us are alive by accident, lad. If we are alive, it means we fought whether we wanted to or not. You've earned your right to live, why not make it fulfilling?" He motioned to the water, as though he was trying to convince Axl to join his guild mates.

Axl snorted. "I haven't exactly had a life with much purpose, old man." He said, although there was a hint of affection in his voice.

Guildmaster Finnegan smiled. "You'd be shocked at how common it is for us "normal" folk." He said, using air quotations to emphasize the word 'normal'. "Typically for most of the guild members, they recognize the world is a shitty place, and just want to make it more bearable for those that can't fight."

Axl looked at him with wide eyes.

Guildmaster Finnegan continued with a humorous glint in his eyes. "So I suppose your purpose is whatever reason a shrimp like you joined in the first place." He teased him.

Axl gave a small, hesitant smile as he grabbed his scarf. "I do have a dream." He said quietly, but left his scarf on.

The Guildmaster sat back, resting his free hand on the ground behind him. "Then keep pushing for it. The harder you fight, the more you'll inspire others to do the same for you, even after you pass. That goes for good or evil." He finished a drink with a smile on his face. "You'll meet someone one day who you'll trust, but until then keep on living. As long as you do, it means you have a purpose yet to fulfill…"

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Guildmaster Finnegan had paused as that memory replayed itself in his head. Immense guilt had washed over him as he regretted not doing more for the young Pokémon underneath him.

Axl gnashed his teeth at him, fully not recognizing the Bisharp on top of him. Despite what he had said to Erin, deep down he had hoped Axl would just snap out of it.

His eyes darkened as his claws glinted. "I'm so sorry lad." He said softly. "You went out good."

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It had felt like forever as the four Pokémon waited for their Guildmaster to return from the tower. The night was giving way to dawn and the sky was turning a pale gray and the cool air brushed against them.

Then, the door creaked open slowly and the Guildmaster walked out, carrying a still unconscious Trager over his shoulder. and Axl's scarf in his left hand He walked up to them, handing Trager to Duncan.

With both of his hands free, he reached into his satchel and pulled out a box of cigarettes. Choosing one at random, he quickly lit it and billowed the smoke into the air.

Liza was the first to approach him, her eyes somber. "Sir…"

He ignored her. "We're leaving. Now." He said simply, walking past her without another word. As he did, the smoke from his cigarette seemed to dance with ash that appeared from the tower, rising up into the new day before finally disappearing forever.