Chapter 23: At the End, Havoc
"I'm sure they'll be fine," commented Pandora, as Vert closed the portal. To her right, Purl shivered.
"I'll say. That Mawile was Lumi's dad? Espeon, I could understand, but him? For such a cute face, he sure could be intense..."
"N-not to mention how...strong they both felt," chimed Brook, speaking up for the first time. "Damia said they were the greatest hunters in all of history? No wonder my first instinct was to b-bolt whenever one of them came for a pickup. But, wait..."
The Wartortle's face scrunched as he started doing some math in his head, and his claws clenched together as his eyes widened.
"An Espeon and a Mawile...but...o-oh Arceus, it couldn't be them, right?" he questioned under his breath. A feeler flicked him in the head, and he winced as Purl glanced at him.
"What's got you mumbling this time? Do you know something?"
"No! N-no, no I...uh," Brook glanced between Purl and Vert before he gulped. "I'm just...very, very glad those two are on our side, yeah..."
"Riiiiiiiight," mumbled Purl, eyes squinted in suspicion. All eyes returned to Vert, who seemed to contemplate something as he stared at the console.
"...We can trust them," he stated. "Those kids are in good paws." He stifled a sigh before he looked up at those present with a raised voice.
"Our next task is hopefully less complicated. Brook, do you have that shipment?"
"Oh, yes! Right...here..." Brook turned and walked to grab a large, bulging bag bigger than himself. He clenched his teeth and grunted to pull it over. A couple Oran berries spilled from the top as he dragged it over.
He hunched over and took some deep breaths once he got the bag in front of Vert. After he recovered, he gave it a firm pat.
"We have the essentials; Orans, Elixirs, and Reviver Seeds. We also had a good harvest of assorted berries and seeds, along with some more p-powerful fruit thrown in. Even a few gummies! Um, I estimate there's enough in here to equally distribute supplies to a lot of rescue centers for a while."
"Excellent work, thank you again for your foresight. I'm sure Beheeyem will appreciate that gift in person," said Vert, turning to recalibrate the Nexus. Brook nodded for a second, before his eyes scrunched in confusion.
"Wait, in p-person?"
"By sheer luck, one of the Dungeons open to us is near the Rescue Headquarters on the Mist Continent. That gives us an opportunity to show our goodwill to Beheeyem herself..."
The portal opened to a snowy landscape, and Vert walked over to slide the straps of the bag over his back, and heave the weight up with much more ease than Brook.
"...And also means I can establish contact with her to try and rebuild a bridge," he stated.
Those present gasped, and Brook held a claw out.
"Wait, but..we agreed that Willow and I would just deliver the supplies with a note!"
"Vert, I urge you to consider this a bit more," stated Pandora, carefully. "You are public enemy number one. I can surely go in your stead and petition her aid, this might not be entirely neces-"
"It is most assuredly necessary!" chimed a loud voice from somewhere around Vert. A charming bowler hat peaked up from behind his horn, and Pepin hopped up to stand proudly on his head.
"Rule number one of media, relationships are everything! If you want to get out of this crisis, you're going to have to build some trust ASAP, and the only way for the Absol Guild to build its reputation again is for Absol himself to flip the script and be seen helping, rather than hiding away in the shadows."
"...How the hell does he keep getting into these meetings?" growled Pandora. "And for that matter, who asked you for your opinion, Pachirisu? Leave before I shove you back in your closet."
She stalked closer, and Pepin yelped as he hid behind Vert's horn. Surprisingly, the Absol took a step back.
"Wait, I agree with Pringle on this one," said Vert, after he shook Pepin off onto the floor. "If I meet her face to face, she will have to see that we're being serious, and I might have a better chance of convincing her that we're just trying to help."
Pandora seemed to frown deeper at his words, and crossed her arms.
"I've already sent four more of our apprentices out to danger again, so it's only right that I do the same as well, small as it is," he assured.
"...I understand your logic," she said. Vert shifted his gaze to Purl, who had watched the whole thing with wide eyes.
"I know it's not your expertise, but can you help keep tabs on operations in Dynamo while Damia is gone? It will be at least a couple days before she returns to handle things here again. I know she keeps an itinerary in her office."
"Uh, sure! You can count on me. And, here, take these." The Sylveon twirled a feeler into his own satchel, and pulled out a pair of black Glamour bands. He flinged them to Brook and Vert.
"Disguises for when you go out. So those pretty faces aren't recognized instantly!"
Vert nodded his thanks, and Purl saluted before he skipped off towards Damia's office. Brook mumbled under his breath as he tapped his claws together, but yelped as Vert brushed by him a bit on the way to the portal, and stumbled a bit to keep up.
"A-are we leaving now?"
"The headquarters is still a few hours walk from this Dungeon. The sooner we leave, the better."
"But..but...ugh." Brook sighed and shook his head, a bit overwhelmed by all the changes. Pachirisu also strolled by following Vert, humming a cheerful tune.
"Wait, where do you think you're going? Y-you're not a part of this mission!"
"Do you have any idea how busy Beheeyem's been? It won't be easy to get a meeting with her, but lucky for you, I have connections," stated Pepin. He scampered forward and hopped onto Vert's back, and rested smugly on his side.
"Or did you not think about how you would actually get inside?" snarked the Pachirisu. Vert didn't rise to the bait, and instead hopped through the portal. His paws kicked up powdered snow from the other side. Brook hobbled after him, and stepped through the portal only to trip face first into the snow.
Vert turned and faced Pandora. Flecks of snow caked her face, yet her orange eyes still looked at him with concern.
"I know you're tired of hearing this, but please watch the guild while I'm gone. It shouldn't be too long," said Vert.
"A-and please give Willow something...anything to do! She gets antsy when she's bored..."
Pandora looked between them both, before she sighed and shook her head with a chuckle.
"I'll do my best to make sure too many things don't explode. Stay safe, you two. And the journalist, I suppose."
With a final wave, she closed the portal, and the three were face to face with the entrance to an ice cave Dungeon.
Vert turned away from it and began to walk in a different direction. Brook hurried to trudge in the snow after the Absol, whose thick white coat blended in well with the environment.
Wherever they were in the Mist continent, they had appeared in one of its colder climates, a far cry from the Bright Continent's more hospitable locales. Brook found himself missing it already after fifteen minutes of huffing and puffing through thick snow, beneath tall, thin trees.
After some travel in this forest, Vert crested a slope, and stared out at the vast and sprawling hinterland, topped by a white, cloudy sky. Though obscured a bit by the falling snow, the sight of a large stone compound constructed along the side of a hill could still be seen. Several roads built into the terrain snaked throughout the landscape and led towards various entrances in its walls, and sturdy wooden buildings populated the enclosure, densely packed with roofs covered with snow.
In the center of the compound stood a tall ovular building with a rounded tip, with two windows along the front that gave it a perfect view of the settlement. If one were to take into account the placement of the windows and the shape of the building, they would realize that it had been made to resemble the head of a Beheeyem.
As Vert observed the Beheeyem Guild headquarters, Pepin whistled from atop his back.
"Wow, would you look at that? If I didn't know any better, I'd say her guild makes yours look small time. Beheyeem's headquarters dwarfs your own, Absol."
"I'm not here to compare sizes," muttered Vert as he scanned the wide roads below. "Even with our disguises, I want to avoid the main thoroughways if we can. If we approach using the woods for cover, we should be able to get down there in a few hours."
"A f-few hours? I'm already almost freezing," mumbled Brook, his arms tucked into his shell for warmth. He sent a glare up at Pepin.
"Are you here j-just to make fun of us? How do we know you can even h-help us get in?"
"I said 'if I didn't know better,' didn't I? And trust me, There's a favor or two I can call on. The search for truth takes one far and wide, and I've met quite a few interesting individuals during my career."
The Pachirisu leaned over and grinned at the Wartortle.
"Although, none more interesting than you all!"
"...You're only here to get more c-content for your story, aren't you?" asked Brook as Vert resumed their pace.
"It's not a story anymore, this is a defining moment in history! Think about what's about to happen; the mysterious and exiled Guildmaster Veritas selflessly exposes himself to the cold and calculating Guildmaster Cortana, bearing gifts and pleading for aid, all for some level of solace in this grand irony birthed from being in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Pepin swooned with stars in his eyes. "And all of it wrapped in the heroic context of trying to save the world as we know it! Ooh, I should write that down for later..." he said as he whipped out a notepad.
"If you write that I 'exposed' myself, I'm 'suing' you for defamation of character," grumbled Vert.
"Noted."
"...I guess when you put it like th-that, this is a big deal..." wondered Brook. "Have you thought about what you're going to say to her, Vert?"
"As far as I'm concerned, all I need to do is tell the truth. Cortana operates on facts, and if I point out how unlikely it is that we caused this mess, I'm sure she'll come around. These supplies certainly won't hurt either."
"And after? What's the goal with this dramatic meeting?" inquired Pepin. Vert rolled his eyes, but answered anyway.
"As a fellow Guildmaster, Cortana has the authority to call a council meeting, propose a halt to the monhunt, and demand a trial. If we can get that, we can explain our case and everything we've learned, and hopefully with her backing, can return to being somewhat fully operational."
"A trial like that would be one of the most high profile hearings in recent memory. It could make or break you...I'll take the liberty of writing you some speaking points!" Pepin happily continued to write.
"A t-trial…" muttered Brook with a grimace. He stared at the snowy ground as thoughts of the future ran through his head, but he bumped into Vert after a few steps. He looked up to meet the Absol's stare.
"Nothing is stopping you from using your badge to return. It's obvious you're uncomfortable, and I don't want you to feel pressured to be here," he said. Brook clenched a fist and shook his head.
"No matter how scary it is, I got all these items to do a good thing, and I want to see it through." A shaky smile graced his lips, and he scratched his head, "A-also, Pandora might k-kill me if I left you to do this alone."
Vert stared at him with an unreadable gaze, before he shook his back to knock Pepin off with a yelp. He then snuck his head under Brook's shell and flipped the Wartortle up and over onto his back to ride, instead of walking in the snow.
"Thank you Brook," said Vert, as he resumed his pace. Wedged head first in the snow, Pepin's legs wriggled for a few seconds before he popped out and scampered to catch up.
The crunch of snow underfoot filled the air as they trekked through the empty forest. A comfortable silence settled between them as Brook allowed himself to simply admire the winter wonderland that rushed past them, and thankfully Pachirisu was too focused on keeping pace to say anything.
Vert's stride never faltered, even as he navigated the uneven terrain with the massive bag and the Wartortle on his back. At first Brook wondered where all of his Guildmaster's endurance came from, until he remembered how often Vert had been away from the guild in the months leading up to all this, searching and exploring for hints of Aether imbalance.
After a couple hours of travel, they came across a steep hill that led further down into the valley below. Vert hopped down and let himself gracefully slide down the snow. Pepin attempted to do the same, but only succeeded in tripping and rolling into a snowball on the way down.
They alighted just beyond one of the roads that led into the headquarters, and Vert snagged the dazed Pachirisu and hid behind a tree.
Brook hopped off, and peeked his head around to get a view. The compound loomed much larger up close, and he could see now that the roads actually had a few pokemon traveling on them. He clenched his teeth and ducked back.
"As you might have guessed, the other guilds have all been quite busy," remarked Pepin as Vert and Brook donned their shiny forms. "From what information I could gather, Beheyeem in particular has repurposed her guild to be a haven of sorts for the nearby towns in this region, on top of increasing the level of safety along the continents. You should be able to blend into the crowds."
"Look at you being helpful for once," commented Vert, idly observing his new shiny red claws. "I really hope this doesn't bring too much attention..."
"W-well, on the bright side, at least they'll be looking at you in wonder instead of f-fear!" tried Brook.
"Wouldn't that be a novel experience..." muttered Vert. He peeked out one more time, and sucked in a breath. "Stay close to me and try to act natural. Our goal is the main building."
"Just get to the doors and let me work my magic, I'll get you a meeting lickity split!" piped Pepin.
They exited their cover and stepped from the woodland onto the road. Vert's pace increased a bit as he walked past the other pokemon. As expected, heads did turn at the sight of two shiny pokemon, with one of them carrying a large bag, but they were looks of curiosity and wonder rather than of suspicion, which he was grateful for.
A wide open gate lay in front of them, and as Vert went to pass the threshold, a Beartic held out a paw. Vert noted the deep blue scarf around this one's neck, marking him as a member of the Beheeyem guild.
"Halt. Village and reason for entry?" asked the gruff Beartic. Vert looked up at the bear's impassioned gaze, and raised a brow.
"We need a reason?"
"The nearby towns and villages have begun requisitioning us for supplies and monpower because of the current crisis, and we need to keep strict oversight of what we can and can't provide. Now, can you tell me where you are coming from and what you need?"
"We're from off-continent, my good sir!" exclaimed Pepin. The pachirisu scampered in front of the bear and looked up with his paws on his sides. "And as it so happens, we were sent to donate supplies from our village in the Bright Continent, as we felt the Beheeyem Guild could put it to more use than us!"
"Oh, well, that's very generous!" responded Beartic, surprised. "Let me just write down your species and check the contents of the bag."
The bear stepped over to check the sack on Vert's back, and Brook sweatdropped.
"W-wait, actually that might not be n-necess-"
Beartic opened the bag and peeked inside, then gasped and reached his whole neck in.
"God damn! How deep does this go? Is that a...pile of Reviver Seeds?" his voice echoed from within. Vert stepped to the side to wrench him away before a bigger scene could be made.
"Where did...how did you get so many...?" asked the bear, stupefied.
"We...bought them. Look, are we good here? Beheyeem is expecting us," he stated. The bewildered Beartic nodded, and the trio sped off into the main campus. Snow caked the cobblestone paths, and tall street lamps lit with bright flames stood on the corners. Erected everywhere were sturdy log buildings, some like residential cabins for apprentices to sleep in, while others seemed to have a more functional use.
It wasn't nearly as bright or colorful as the Absol Guild, but it seemed Beheyeem prized function over form. The campus seemed to go on forever, and Brook turned his head this way and that as he took note of all the blue-scarved pokemon that seemed to rush along the streets.
"This place must have w-well over a few hundred pokemon. I almost forgot how other guilds functioned..." he murmured. Vert nodded, careful not to make direct eye contact with anyone, or look too suspicious.
"The Rescue and Establishment Guild is still on the smaller end, but yeah, it makes ours look tiny. The recruits here are trained in how to provide emergency support wherever Pokemon should need it, but there are other facilities here dedicated to population research. Beheyeem herself has expanded this guild's role to include a more structured approach to supporting settlements around the world, and that means instituting policies for the collection of data, among other things."
"Some would even say they're bigger nerds than you guys!" exclaimed Pepin. Vert heaved a heavy sigh at that and picked up his pace. Brook followed behind as he pondered his words.
Eventually they came to stop underneath the large Beheyeem shaped building that oversaw the whole guild. Clear glass doors gave a view of an open reception area within, and pokemon could be seen moving inside.
Nobody guarded these doors, so Vert took the liberty to march right in. Immediately, the packed, tight snowy space from before drifted from memory as the building opened to a high ceiling over their heads, and a smooth stone floor below. The open building had a clean, minimalist interior with multiple levels accessible via a winding double spiral staircase along the walls. Many blue scarfed pokemon could be seen going up and down them.
A circular reception desk manned by a Girafarig stood in the center. Pepin perked up and scampered over, catching his attention. Brook and Vert hung back a little as the Pachirisu easily slid into conversation.
"Hello, how may I assist you?" asked Girafarig, politely.
"Yes, I would like to speak with Clefable, please."
"The Co-Guildmaster? Unfortunately she is currently busy with something."
"She's actually expecting me. Let her know that Pepin has come for that little favor we discussed! It's urgent."
Girafarig looked at him dubiously, but bent down and came back up with a black object held in his mouth. It piqued Vert's interest enough for him to approach, and he nodded his head with an approving gaze when he realized he was trying to operate a rudimentary radio.
New, developing technology such as this was always a treat to see.
"S-sorry, um, these things are still a bit finicky..." he murmured. After poking at it with a hoof, heavy static could be heard, and he raised his voice to speak into the box.
"Hello, Clefable? Yes, a Pachirisu by the name of...Pepin, wants to see-"
The box burst into sound as an unending stream of words from the other side poured through. The speed they came through made them unintelligible, yet Girafarig nodded his head as if this were normal, and closed the call after a few moments.
"She'll be right down!" informed Girafarig. Pepin nodded and walked over back to the other two. Vert looked down at him with a raised brow.
"So, a favor?" he asked. Pepin smirked.
"If your guild has a crisis of infamy, then this one has a crisis of invisibility. They don't make headlines, period. It was so bad, hardly anyone wanted to join, although thankfully I can spot the potential for a story a mile away! Clefable and I got to talking, I drummed up some interest with some media magic, and voila, back on the map!" he cheered, and threw his paws out at the building as if he had made it himself.
"S-so, we're not the only guild you've shoved your nose in?" asked Brook.
"Not by a long shot." Pepin winked.
They didn't have to wait long. From above, a pink shape hopped from the winding stairway and floated down. A wide smile painted her face as she descended, although Vert's ears flicked as something important made itself known as she got closer.
She did not stop talking.
"Pepin! It's so good to see you, how have you been, how's work been? Have you beenabletostaysafeIknowitscrazyouttherebutwe'redoingourbesttomakesurethingsstaystable-"
"Luna! Glad to see you're spry as always!" exclaimed Pepin. The Clefable, Luna, landed and reached down to give the Pachirisu a quick hug. She glanced up at the two shiny pokemon in front of her and gasped.
"Ohmygoshthey'reshinyoop!" she cleared her throat and spoke again. "Sorry, just, wow! What are the odds of two shinies? You always keep such interesting company, Pepin." When she spoke at a regular pace, her voice carried a warm and soft tone.
"That's the company I strive to keep," agreed Pepin. "Luna, doll, I would love to catch up, but I need to cash in on that favor. It's for my friends here, you understand?"
"Yes! Anything for our favorite reporter! What is it you need, a place to stay? A building permit? Medical attention? Somebodyneedrescuing? We'respreadalittlethinbutforyouwecould-"
"We need to speak with Guildmaster Beheeyem," stated Vert. His request stopped her cold, and she looked down at Pepin for clarification.
"It's urgent, Luna. Need to speak to her now, you see."
"But...well, we're all quite busy, and Beheeyem is actually in a rather important meeting..."
"P-please?" pleaded Brook, who stepped forward. He gestured to the large sack Vert carried. "We...um...we prepared some relief supplies because we know how much you all must be st-struggling. It's important that Beheyeem see it, um, n-now..."
He stammered a bit and looked up at Luna with wide eyes. The Clefable looked between each of them before she put a paw to her head and sighed.
"She hates going off schedule..." She bit her lip, but then nodded after a few seconds. "Alright, fine. I know you wouldn't come all this way for no reason. And we could use the help."
"Thanks doll, you're a lifesaver," said Pepin, in probably the most earnest voice either of them had heard.
Luna led them across the entry plaza and up one of the spiral staircases for a few floors, until getting off on a walkway and leading them around to a pair of large wooden doors. She opened them a tad, and motioned for them to wait while she went inside. Pepin scampered forward to lean against the door, nosy as always.
As Vert waited, his ears flicked as a dark sensation washed over him, and it got stronger as he looked at the door. Curious why his disaster sense decided to bother him now of all times, he joined Pepin and leaned his head against the door to try and hear who could be on the other end.
He heard two voices. One robotic and monotone, and the other loud.
In fact, this voice was so loud, that Vert identified the owner in less than a second, and proceeded to have an internal debate with his inner Vert who desperately wanted to go home right this instant because good Arceus almighty that was Haxorus on the other end.
"Oh God," he muttered, face not betraying any of his desire to nope the fuck out expeditiously. Brook began to question his expression, before Haxorus got loud enough to be heard clearly.
And he sounded angry.
"Must I repeat myself AGAIN!? Yet another Dungeon has become hazardous on the Bright Continent. I demand you increase your forces and deliver supplies to these areas lest disaster strike us unprepared!"
"And I have told you, Havok, that my resources are spread thin as it is. If I send my apprentices or supplies where you want, who is to say an issue won't break out tomorrow in a place we left unattended? We cannot afford to be reactive, not when we do not understand the issue at hand."
"This is the precise instant when you must act! Or would you rather do nothing when the world begins to dissolve into chaos? I come to you in person because your help is crucial to our success, yet your hesitance is awfully close to treason," growled Haxorus on the other end. Vert's eyes widened at the confirmation that he was in fact here, and not simply communicating via echo orb.
"I am being careful with my resources. Do not presume my intentions are anything other than what they are," responded Beheyeem, with no inflection in her voice. She paused before speaking again.
"Yes Luna?" Their voices became mumbled, until. "Very well, they may come in."
"Cortana, you DARE-"
"I have made my stance clear. You may avail yourself of my guild amenities as you wish. If you would like lodging for the night, that can also be arranged."
A loud roar rumbled the walls, and the three backed away from the door as heavy footfalls approached. Haxorus slammed open the door, and his scythe-like tusks framed the anger in his eyes that seemed to exude off his body.
Vert only stood a few feet away from the hulking dragon. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this physically close to Havok, and noted how the bulging muscles underneath his scales promised pain to anyone he rested his eyes on.
In fact, Havok's eyes did meet Vert's, and for a split second the Absol had the impression that he had seen through his disguise, before Havok let out a frustrated growl and stomped off.
"You three can come in," came Luna's voice. Vert turned, and saw how frazzled the Clefable looked, before he steeled himself and motioned for Brook to follow.
They entered into a wide room, with two long, somewhat eye-shaped windows at the front that gave a perfect view of the entire guild campus below. The only piece of furniture was a low desk stacked high with papers, which fit with the whole minimalistic aesthetic this place seemed to be going for.
Cortana floated in the center, and turned to regard the three with interest. Luna stepped in front and gave a shaky smile.
"I'msorrytointerrupt...ahem, I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting with Haxorus, I know you don't like surprises."
"It is fine, he would have simply gotten louder," responded Cortana. The colored dots on the tips of her arms flashed different colors as she spoke. "I believe I recognize Pachirisu, but who are our shiny guests?"
Here, Vert took a deep breath, and shared a quick glance with Brook, before he stepped forward. He looked back to make sure the door was closed, before he locked eyes with Cortana again.
"We're friends." he said, and noted the slight squint of her eyes at the sound of his voice. Aware of the risk, Vert maintained eye contact as he slowly removed the Glamour Band from his wrist. His shiny form flickered off of him as he set it down, and he motioned for Brook to do the same. The Wartortle visibly shook as his disguise bled away from him.
He heard Luna gasp, but kept his eyes on Cortana, who looked between him and Brook, face unreadable. After a minute, she raised a hand, and gestured to Luna and Pepin.
"You two may leave."
"A-are you sure!? Cortana, that's..." He didn't need to look to know she pointed at him.
"I am aware. Please give us space."
Pepin shrugged and scampered off, but Luna hesitated for a few steps before she acquiesced. Brook's nervous breathing filled the silence of the room until Cortana spoke again.
"Veritas. This is...unexpected." The Beheeyem put an arm under her chin in thought. "You have infiltrated my guild under the pretense of providing aid, and I believe I can guess the reason."
"I-it's not a pretense!" exclaimed Brook. He waved his arm for Vert to roll the large sack off of his back. "We really do have supplies to give!"
Brook went to open the sack, however he forgot to account for how it rested on its side. As soon as he opened it a bit, a flood of seeds, berries, drinks, and other restorative items burst from the full bag, and buried him. Cortana made an alarmed beeping noise and floated up as most of the room became filled with healing items.
Vert had wisely stepped behind the bag once he saw what would happen.
A layer of Oran berries rustled, before Brook's head popped up from it, dazed. He looked around at the small lake of items, and at the bag that had become a cornucopia of produce, still releasing fruit. With a cringe, he looked up at Cortana.
"We can, uh, help clean this up, if you want? Th-there should be enough here to restock your centers, for a while at least."
"I can see that," replied Cortana, recovering from her shock quickly. She floated down to pick up a random Pecha berry, and inspected it with a discerning gaze.
"...High quality. We can use these. Thank you," she said. Vert stepped from behind the bag.
"Like I said, we're friends. Even under the circumstances, I still have a duty to support the rest of the Guilds. I hope this demonstrates our intentions," he said.
"I suppose you came to me to try and convince me of your innocence?"
"More than that, we're here to warn you. There is a third party after the Dungeons, seeking to destabilize them for an unknown purpose. Since we've been forced into hiding, we've come across them numerous times trying to defend what we could, but we can't stop them on our own, the guilds need to work together on this."
"These are bold claims, Veritas. Bolder still, considering the news of your apprentices being seen at destabilized Dungeons. There are even reports of your second-in-command, Whimsicott, hijacking a vehicle to be transported to one, and I believe that this one," she pointed to Brook, who flinched. "Infiltrated and gassed out a Hunter center, making it completely inoperable until it is fumigated."
"We've had to take drastic measures, but-"
"Even if you are found innocent of the Dungeon issue, do you think my word can help absolve you of these other instances?"
"We have important information!" growled Vert, stress beginning to seep into his voice. "You said it yourself in your talk with Havok, none of the guilds know anything about the current threat. We do. Cortana, I need your help to call off this asinine monhunt so we can actually make some progress on this."
Vert waded forward into the large pile of curatives and lowered his head.
"Please, look at the facts. Right now I can tell you what these destabilized Dungeons are, what is causing them, how we can defend against them, how we can put a stop to them, if you will just help me get in front of the council and explain what's going on. You can do that, I know you can."
"Veritas, I..."
Her voice petered off, and Vert raised his head enough to look up at her face. To his surprise, she wasn't looking down at him, but at something behind him.
At the same time, his disaster sense alerted him of something very, very bad.
A furious roar bellowed behind and shook the room.
"VERT!" cried Brook.
He turned and had just enough time to register Haxorus rushing toward him, coated in the orange energy of a raging Giga Impact.
He got slammed and launched through the window.
Glass shattered, his ears rang, and he had the sensation of freefall as the world spun around him.
His mind could barely process what had happened before he landed with a heavy slam on the stone ground that knocked the wind out of him.
"ABSOL!" something angry roared up above him. Vert coughed and blinked an eye open, and saw through blurred vision Havok up above in the shattered window. The Haxorous shouted again, and leapt up, claws shrouded in Dragon energy.
Dimly, Vert reached his paw around for something, anything, before it landed on one of the fruits that had fallen alongside him. He brought it to his mouth and bit into it, not caring about what kind.
Sweet juices entered his mouth, and he groaned as the encroaching pain began to lessen, enough to roll out of the way, right before Havok landed like a meteor and gouged the ground with his claws.
Vert struggled to his feet, and winced when he felt something broken in his chest and back leg. He was forced to dodge again when Havok rushed at him, but he snagged another berry from the ground and bit into it, restoring more strength.
"Havok, stop this now!" came Cortana's voice from above. The Haxorus yelled louder.
"I've got this whelp right where I want him! You have much to answer for, Absol!"
Vert brought his head low to the ground, and arched his back as he circled Havok, eyes flicking at the debris in front of the building for some way out.
Havok lunged, but rather than dodge, Vert's eyes flashed blue, and he used Detect right before the Haxorus sliced into him with a Dragon Claw. His body twisted out of the way of the attack, evading it completely, yet he put more weight on what was surely a broken foot.
Vert withheld the wince, and focused on his current goal. Although dazed at first, it became simple to predict Havok's moves, so much so that he probably didn't need Detect.
He said nothing as he used as little movement as possible to avoid the torrent of strikes sent his way, and thought about the best way to get out of this situation.
They needed to leave.
Their cover was blown, he stood no chance against Havok in his current state, and they had accomplished what they came here to do. Unfortunately, in order to make a clean escape, he would need to be in close proximity to Brook and Pepin in order to use his badge to teleport them home, which still rested in his personal satchel up in the room above.
His mind ran through possible scenarios that could work, before he noticed Brook roll down the side of the building with his shell, and make a shaky landing into a pile of snow.
...Perhaps a distraction would work?
"This is a mistake, Haxorus!" exclaimed Vert, who immediately began to cough into his claw, chest on fire. Damn, Giga Impact and falling multiple stories hurt. "...You don't know...what you're doing..." he ground out.
"Big talk, coming from a sham like you," growled Havok. "I'm going to enjoy this."
"You need to stop and think, for once." Vert made sure Havok kept his attention on him, enough to give Brook enough time to make a move. He trusted his apprentice.
His words seemed to make Havok angry. The dragon rushed forward with another predictable overhead swing.
At least, it was supposed to be predictable.
Vert sidestepped the swing, but did not account for Havok twirling around in a deft movement and swiping with his thick tail, right in his ribs. Pain flooded Vert's chest as he got sent flying backward again, and he struggled to roll over onto all fours as he watched Havok stalk closer.
A sweet scent hit his nose, one that dulled his senses and made his eyelids heavy.
He heard several hissing sounds come from around them, and surprise colored his features as Brook, wearing a gas mask, jumped up Havok's shoulder from behind and shoved a sack of something that seeped blue powder directly into the Haxorus' face.
Havok's eyes widened, and he twisted his body violently in order to shake Brook off.
"You! What are you...get off of me!"
Vert couldn't see Brook's expression, but the Wartortle never once let go, even as Havok ran and slammed his back into a nearby building to get him off. Eventually, the massive dragon began to slow, until the combined might of all the sleep powder brought him to his knees.
With Havok subdued, Brook fell off onto his back, and struggled to his feet. Vert tried to move, let out a gasp as a sharp pain lanced through his whole body, and he coughed up something wet that stained the snow below.
The Wartortle fell onto Vert's side, and yelled something to him, but the ringing in his ears prevented him from making it out.
Brook said something else, before he turned and waved his claw. Vert's vision became more blurry, and the lingering sleep power made it a losing battle to keep his eyes open.
He registered that he had been laid on his back, and he saw the emblem of his guild badge get shoved in his face from somewhere.
With the last of his strength, Vert reached a shaky paw up and tapped it, thinking of home. A bright light overtook his vision, right before it all went black.
AN:
Hey look, Vert finally managed to go to sleep.