Chapter 32: The Lead In
"You won't get away with this! Whatever you outlaws are planning, it won't wor-grrk!"
Eevee's impassioned words were cut short as a dirty rag got smacked over her mouth. Strong arms tied it snug around her head until even her frustrated grunts were muffled, and she had no choice but to sit there and seethe, the rest of her body bound in rope up against a pile of miscellaneous boxes. Her fur raised as much as possible despite her compromised position. Next to her, similarly bound, sat a Charmander with a black eye who joined her in glaring daggers at their captors.
After a few lumbering steps back to admire his handiwork, Darmanitan sighed and wiped some sweat off his forehead. They didn't exactly have a cage to put any unwanted visitors in, but thankfully some of his mon had cleared out some space in one of their tents to put these two hunter wannabes in before it became too much of an issue. Now to just figure out what to do with them...
Behind, the tent flap whooshed open, and an Emolga settled onto Darmanitan's head with a huff.
"Oh thank God, you shut her up. That one was getting annoying," muttered Emolga, who hopped down and sauntered up to the two captives with a bored look. "Did either of them say anything interesting, at least?"
"Nope. Just a rookie hunter team. If you could even call them that," responded Darmanitan, who leaned back on his smaller legs. Emolga clicked her tongue and scrutinized the two.
"Yeesh. Is Haxorus getting desperate or something? You two do know that guildies are at least supposed to put up a fight to make it fun, right?" Her words had the desired effect of making their two captives squirm in agitation, and she glanced up with a smirk. "So, what's the plan with them? Ransom, maybe?"
Darmanitan blew an exasperated breath and ground a palm into one eye. His throat rumbled in a deep groan. "And make what, a measly thousand Poke each? Minus the fees of sending out messages to Hunter stations, setting up a meeting point, and keeping these guildies fed in the meantime? These ones aren't even worth that much, they're just...wait what rank were they?"
"Oh I didn't check, let me see." Emolga scampered over to the side, where they had tossed the bags and scarves after looting everything else. After some rifling, she picked up a badge and made a disgusted sound like she just touched filth.
"What? What's the matter?" Darmanitan asked, alarmed.
"Ugh, they're bronze rank!"
"Ah! Ew, what the fu-bronze!?" He snapped his head to the two Hunters. "You two are bronze? Hell no, some two bronze rank idiots thought they could take on my camp!" He pointed at the Charmander specifically. "Now I'm offended you even made me go through the effort of punching you. I should go wash my hands right now, mewdammit..."
"You two should be ashamed. I actually feel disrespected right now," scolded Emolga. Every word out of their mouths made Eevee and Charmander flinch as if physically struck, and tears began to form in the former's eyes. "Oh, you're crying? You wanna say something? Go ahead, say your piece, we're all listening."
She loosed the rag around Eevee's head just enough for her to speak. After a few sniveling false starts, she started. "W-we were gonna r-rank up right after this mission, and th-then-"
Emolga shut her up by tightening the rag again.
"Oh I bet you were. And after that, you were gonna go take down Queen, weren't you? Damn weaklings, what is this world coming to? I guess a ransom really wouldn't be worth much, then."
"Honestly, I'm over it. We'll just dump them at the next town over. Not even worth selling as fodder to any of the arenas," grumbled Darmanitan as he walked away. Emolga's ears twitched at the vibrations of Darmanitan's fists on the ground that marked his exit, and she followed him outside the tent.
Outside, light rain pattered through the thick jungle canopy high above. Several tents were spread out in a semi-circle formation, concealed by heavy, flowering foliage. Darmanitan's large fists dug into the moistened earth as he walked out into their camp, and Emolga stuck her tongue out at the feeling of mud in her toes.
Around them, the camp was in a tizzy as other Pokemon surged around in various forms of activity; dismantling tents, moving boxes and supplies, and rushing messages around. A Croagunk carrying a thick sack that bulged with items stomped hard enough to spray mud over Emolga's coat.
He yelped as she retaliated with a quick jolt of electricity at his side.
"Watch where you're stepping. And be careful with that! Those wands are worth way more than your sorry hide." The frog turned to face her, but the sparks that crackled on her cheeks warned him to cut his losses and hurry onward. Emolga huffed and hopped back onto Darmanitan's head.
"Real pieces of work we've been saddled with…" she murmured as she wiped the gunk out of her white fur.
"Is the perimeter secure? Any more wannabes after us?" asked Darmanitan.
"We've got a few mon looking around now, but nothing so far. Still, as you can see we're getting everything packed up to relocate now, just like you wanted." They stopped and watched a Roserade clean up an empty fire pit, then focus to encourage the surrounding vegetation and vines to crawl along the forest floor, covering their tracks.
"It's a shame though," continued Emolga. "Was hoping to at least stick around a bit to bolster our haul from the Dungeons around here. Only hit a couple, and the Rain Continent is lousy with them."
"It's just as well, chances are we wouldn't even get much for it anyway. You know what's happening in Mist, right? With the spread going haywire down there, buyers are way more interested in anything that comes out of the Dungeons there that have gone screwy."
"Tell me about it. A friend of mine told me that him and his crew made bank a couple weeks ago because they managed to score some kinda weird, stretchy scarf, and, get this, even a couple emeras! Just by going through them! Granted, he might have just been super lucky but still…" A wistful sigh escaped her mouth. "Just think about what we could be finding if we weren't stuck with this little transport job."
"Hey, listen. This little transport job? This is big." Darmanitan plucked Emolga off his head, then looked around before walking over to a tarp that covered a pile of something. He removed the tarp to reveal a collection of small treasure boxes. The rain glinted off the metal that girded the chests. After making sure they weren't in immediate earshot of anyone, he crouched down and lowered his voice to speak to her.
"I know it doesn't seem glamorous, but there's something else about this job. The money is solid, but the most important part is that we were picked specifically by Queen herself, which means that it is absolutely essential that we get whatever is in these boxes to the drop off point asap. We do this, and we can guarantee our spot in the new order she's bringing."
Emolga hummed, then studied the boxes. She realized that these didn't resemble any treasure boxes she knew of that were spawned by Dungeons. A red, swirling pattern repeated along their surfaces, and there didn't seem to be a traditional lock to open them. Now that she thought about it, they were only given these boxes as cargo, yet this squad of roughly fifteen outlaws were also provided as protection for them. Just what could be so important that it required this much monpower?
"…Where did you say you picked up this job again?"
"It was when we were slumming in the Roost in between jobs, and someone came up to hand me a letter detailing the job with Queen's seal. Probably a proxy, or a proxies proxy, you know how these things go."
"Yeah, well I just hope th-"
"Hey, hey! Who are you!?"
The shout cut through their conversation, followed by numerous calls of alarm. The two blinked, then hurried over to the source of the commotion. They saw the backs of their crew surrounding a point in the center of the camp, and Darmanitan shoved past to see what was wrong.
Only to immediately groan as a Riolu in a red scarf, shaking in his knees, stood alone.
"Goddammit, another one…"
"What's going on here!?" Emolga alighted on Darmanitan's head again to give herself some height amongst everyone present. The clamoring died down, and a Lairon to the side spoke up.
"This guy just ran in, yelling about how we're all under arrest and to release his teammates."
"I thought you dumbasses secured the perimeter! There wasn't supposed to be another one!" roared Darmanitan, tired of dealing with any more setbacks and loose ends.
"By…by order of the Haxorus Guild of Defence and Enforcement, I am placing you all under arrest!" squeaked Riolu, voice young yet strong, despite his clear fear to be there. A few of his members took a few threatening steps forward, which caused Riolu to yell and trip onto his bottom. Darmanitan held a large hand out to placate his crew, and stepped forward.
"Look, I get it. You're a greenhorn team hoping to bag your next score. But I'm telling you, this ain't it. How about this? I release your teammates to you, we go our separate ways, and you do everything in your power to make sure we never cross paths again. Deal?"
"N-no!" shouted Riolu, and to Darmanitan's surprise, got into a very shaky, yet obvious battle stance, one foot back and both paws up. "I told you, you are all under arrest! There is a 40,000 Poke bounty out for Darmanitan and Emolga, who were sighted leading a band of Outlaws through the lower reaches of the Rain Continent. Now, release the members of Team Pokepals and…and come with me!"
"Only 40,000…?" murmured Emolga.
"…You serious?" asked Darmanitan, awed. "Hey guys, I think Team Pokepals over here is serious." He glanced left and right at his crew, a cruel smirk on his face. A round of low, mocking laughter rose up amongst the assembled Pokemon, and Darmanitan took three steps forward towards Riolu, who took three steps back.
Darmanitan took two more steps forward. Riolu took two steps back and gulped.
Darmanitan faked out a punch. Riolu yelped and landed back on his rump, causing the chuckles in the back to rise to full blown laughter.
"Last chance." A shadow darkened Darmanitan's face as he reared back a punch he didn't plan on holding back. Riolu scrambled backward, but still managed to find his voice.
"Y-you…I can't let…"
His heavy fist slammed into the ground hard enough to fracture it and send a shockwave that blew back the surrounding trees and foliage. Terrified tremors racked Riolu's body, fur now matted from sweat.
"I…p-please…please now! Please GO NOW!" screeched Riolu. Worried shouts from behind made Darmanitan whip around, only to see his crew of fifteen outlaws craning their heads to the sky.
Someone pointed up. High above them, a messy conglomeration of what looked like tree trunks, large rocks, packed dirt, vines, and any other heavy thing someone might find in a rainforest hung suspended in a pink glow. It cast a menacing shadow over the center of the camp. By the time everyone fully registered the threat the floating objects posed, it was too late.
The glow cut. They fell.
"Everyone SCATTER!" yelled Darmanitan as chunks of forest debris rained down on top of the fleeing Pokemon. The tree trunks and boulders crashed into the ground hard enough to send tremors and knock out the few unlucky enough to be caught in the onslaught. However, that wasn't even the true threat.
Fwoosh.
All of that packed dirt fanned out into a cloud once it impacted the ground. It obfuscated sight in the immediate area, casting confusion amongst the crew that only heightened as Pokemon seemed to drop by an unknown assailant. With a heavy arm to shield him, Darmanitan squinted through the dirt screen to try and make anything out. He saw the Roserade from before sprint to cover, yet the whizz of something fast through the air was his only warning before they got domed in the back of the head.
After a few more moments of chaos, the dirt died down low enough for him to actually see. Amongst the piles of rubble and remaining members of his crew scrambling for some semblance of order, he spotted a pink figure dart behind a Krookodile, a thick tree trunk wreathed in pink reared back in preparation for a swing.
Sure enough, the Krookodile went flying into the treeline after a wide, home run swing. The tree trunk returned to float by the side of the figure, who Darmanitan finally recognized as an Espeon.
A thin scarf wrapped around her neck; snow white with the image of a single cloud emblazoned on the end. It billowed gently from the wind and dirt, yet somehow its pure color remained unmarked. Espeon's teeth gleamed a similar color in her sharp grin.
His blood ran cold.
"Is that...oh damn it, it's the Pink Demon!" screeched Emolga to his side. A cruel cackle left the Demon's mouth as she started to prance around with tree branches, rocks, and whatever else she could pick up in her psychic field to start wailing on any of his crew she could find. The Espeon barely even seemed to use any moves, the blunt force more than sufficient.
As he tried to analyze the situation, the realization of just how screwed they are hit Darmanitan like a sack of bricks. He looked at Emolga, mouth open in helpless shock. Her expression mirrored his own, and he almost yelled out to make a break for it before he stopped himself. Sure, the intelligent move here would be to just run away and lay low before they get captured. But then he thought ahead a bit more and remembered the true consequence of running away.
Queen had eyes everywhere. She didn't tolerate failure, but she absolutely loathed cowards. To be imprisoned, or to face her wrath?
It wasn't a hard choice.
His shock settled into grim determination, and Emolga's eyes widened when he motioned for her to engage the Demon. After a second though, she seemed to realize the same thing he did.
With clear reluctance, Emolga used Spark. She charged her cheeks until her body glowed bright yellow with electricity, then shot forward like a charged cannonball. As the Demon was currently focused on beating a Dunsparce with another Dunsparce, Emolga managed to actually score a direct hit into her side. A harsh, voltaic crackle shunted through the air when she collided with her, and the force sent both of them clean through a tent wall.
Darmanitan got ready to rush forward and support, before he heard someone clear their throat behind him.
"Hold on, just stay right there."
He paused then turned around. An unamused Mawile stared back at him, arms folded and donned in another white scarf that reached down to his waist. Darmanitan's yelp broke his personal record for highest octave reached.
"She's gonna feel that one later," thought Clement as he watched his mate get body checked through the tent. Still, as he looked past Darmanitan and observed the general situation of the battle, he couldn't deny that things were going rather well.
Opal's idea of using a jungle forest payload to facilitate a surprise attack had worked wonders, but he had cautioned her to take her time after she dropped it, concerned that dragging along that much debris would take its toll on a psychic's energy, even for her. Clearly, she didn't care to heed his warning, although he couldn't fault her gung-ho approach too much. She was excited to claim their mark, and for good reason.
They had spent the past week and a half preparing for this capture; collecting information, reviewing profiles, cross-checking movements, possible tracks and histories. For a moment, all of that work seemed to be in vain when they hit a dead end, until they received word that a rookie hunter team chanced upon a lead, which led to this moment right now.
Speaking of, Clement glanced to the side towards a bush and, sure enough, spotted the blur fur of a quivering Riolu tucked inside the leaves. He reached in to grab the dog by an aura feeler, and unceremoniously yanked him out.
"Wh-Huh!?" yipped Riolu as he stumbled out next to Clement. In response, Clement pointed forward at Darmanitan, who had wisely chosen to be compliant for now.
"Go fight him," he told Riolu. He watched him look between him and Darmanitan a few times before he blinked as if he had spoken gibberish.
"Fight...what? You want me to fight? But, you're right here!"
"Well, you're the leader of Team Pokepals aren't you? And last I checked, Darmanitan is the leader of this outlaw crew, who you explicitly said that you were placing under arrest. So it only makes sense that you two should settle this, right?"
Clement looked and gestured to Darmanitan, intentionally letting his horn flex and bite at nothing in the air. The large red Pokemon flinched at the attention.
"That makes sense, right?" he asked him, over the sounds of Psybeams and Thunder Shocks in the background. Darmanitan kept his mouth shut and just nodded.
"But…but-"
"Or are you saying you thought this was going to be a free ride? That, despite what you said earlier, you don't actually have what it takes to be a Hunter?"
Riolu's ears flattened on top of his head, yet Clement's words were enough to spur him on to walk forward and face Darmanitan. As he returned to an even shakier fighting stance than before, Darmanitan looked up at Clement with confusion, silently asking if this was some kind of ploy. The Mawile held a hand out to reassure him that it wasn't.
After a moment to suck in a breath, Riolu let out a battle cry and ran forward towards his opponent, one paw arched back. His scream came to an abrupt halt when he actually slammed his palm into Darmanitan's stomach, only to bounce back from the impact that hardly seemed to ruffle any of the larger Pokemon's red fur.
Darmanitan had the good grace to let him get in at least a couple more palm strikes before he backhanded him so hard, the jackal flew into a crumpled heap to the side. Clement didn't even need to go inspect him to know that he had been knocked out cold.
A satisfied smile settled on his face. Every Hunter needed to know what it felt like to go up against impossible odds, even if that meant being humbled. It was a surefire way of motivating them to push themselves to greater heights, and based on Team Pokepals' behavior of two of their members rushing in ahead to take on a whole group of outlaws alone, they needed that bad.
They probably wouldn't thank him, but that was fine. Now that he'd given Riolu his teachable moment, it was time to bag this mark and go home.
"Darmanitan. You've just laid out one of my fellow Hunters right in front of me. I can't let that go unpunished."
"What!? But you wanted me to-"
"Paws up. Now."
Clement surged forward, which spooked Darmanitan into launching a retaliatory Fire Punch. He stepped to the side, cold eyes observing the bend of Darmanitan's knees. He might as well have received a letter telling him the next punch was coming, as well as the next one, and the one after that.
Soon, the licks of flame that plumed off of Darmanitan's fists grew in intensity as he became more and more frustrated at not being able to hit the Mawile, who only stepped and hopped to the side with minimal effort to dodge. Clement could feel the power of those strikes, the force enough to ruffle his fur and almost singe his face.
Though he wore a mask of passivity, internally he grinned. This outlaw was decent, any one of these strikes might actually leave a bruise. More than he could say for many others.
Spit flew from Darmanitan's mouth as he knocked back a particularly powerful punch. Half a second before impact, rather than step out of the way, Clement raised up his right arm that bore a worn, brown band: his Parry brace. Scratches along the material and jewel inlaid in the center denoted the clear use he had put it through, yet it still blipped open a shield of energy just in time to absorb the hit.
The impact still sent him back several meters, feet digging tracks in the muddy ground. Despite the shield, his arm still shook from lingering pain, the super-effective hit making him grit his teeth. Nevertheless, he straightened himself up, left arm clung to his right, and his horn released a bestial wail.
Blazing warmth from the Parry Brace seeped throughout his body until a coat of white energy bristled along his form. His heart rate spiked. One breath, and he felt like he could bite a mountain in half. The jaw on his head snapped at nothing with barely contained fury, each time releasing a clamor of grating metal into the air.
Though he strove to always remain professional while on the job, he couldn't deny the elation that came with the surge in power, the instant gratification after enduring tremendous pain. This Darmanitan had delivered incredibly well in that aspect.
"Good. Very good..." And he meant it. The power Darmanitan had handed him did feel delicious, and he would be lying if he said he hadn't wanted to release a bit of frustration recently. His world tunneled, and it took nothing at all to close the distance and twirl to face his horn at his opponent before they could blink.
Clement used Crunch. Darmanitan only had half a second to see the side of a faint smile, before his world became nothing but glistening teeth and a bottomless maw.
That blazing warmth dissipated from his body after the attack. A satisfied sigh escaped his mouth, and Clement flexed his horn to spit out the motionless form of Darmanitan, covered in slobber, onto the ground. He had just made sure the larger Pokemon was still breathing before Emolga's unconscious body landed right on top of Darmanitan's.
"Finished yours already?" came Opal's voice from behind. He turned and saw her, along with the two other members of Team Pokepals, who perked up and rushed ahead to tend to their downed leader. He didn't pay them much mind, more focused on his mate. Her sleek, pink fur had been marred by electrical burns and bruises, yet she carried on with her usual indomitable grace and a wicked smile.
That look on her face, combined with the carnage she casually left behind in her wake, sent a flare of something exciting and warm through his chest. Even after years, she didn't have to try hard to make him struggle to keep his composure.
"What? Something on my face? Or..." Her large ears flicked as her eyes squinted in glee, and she added a bit of a sway to her stride as she slunk up next to him, a purr in her throat. "See something you like~?"
"You're beautiful," is what Clement would have said, if his nerve didn't falter halfway through and his voice not catch in his throat. On instinct he folded his arms, then winced when pain shot up his right arm, forgetting about the hit he took.
"No, you're just...making me look bad in front of the newbies..." he murmured, pointing lamely to the myriad outlaws laid out around the destroyed camp, even as she brushed along his side. She chuckled, clearly enjoying being able to make him flustered, even at their age, and licked his cheek.
"You know it's quality that matters, babe. Not quantity. Most of these guys weren't worth their salt, although that one was fun to play with for a while," she gestured to the downed Emolga.
"Besides, I think you looked good. Really good..." she murmured into his ear. Despite his valiant attempt to remain composed, a pleased hum slipped through his larger jaw that only increased when she leaned her head down, onto his shoulder.
"I know you've been stressed this past month. I'm happy whenever I get to see you smile like that, even if it's just for a second."
"...It's not...cowardly, is it? To be out here fighting while our son is stuck behind bars?" he asked in a soft murmur. "The last paper we read, the trial hadn't been able to come to any sort of conclusion, even after a few of the guild members have already been going to the stand for almost the past month. I thought being out here would help wash away any of that uncertainty, but..."
"Things will work out, Clem. You have to trust that. We're doing what we can, we both know it's better than sitting around worrying. Besides, you know we're not doing this for no reason. Things have been getting worse. This is the third larger group we've dealt with since we started again, Queen definitely has something going on."
She paused.
"Plus...We still haven't seen any sign of him," she said, voice a bit more vulnerable than before.
"...Yeah."
Clement reached a hand up to the side of her head. There were a lot of things he could say at that moment, but it seemed inconsequential. Nothing he could say right then wouldn't be anything they hadn't already communicated during this time, either with words or without.
Someone cleared their throat a few moments later. With one last cheek rub, Opal stepped out of their little half-embrace, and Clement slapped on his business face. He turned to face the trio of younger hunters; Eevee stepped forward while Charmander hung back as he supported Riolu. She wore a contrite frown, and bowed her head a bit when she got their attention.
"S-sorry. Um..." she traced circles in the ground, not making eye contact. "Thank you, Team Nimbus, for your assistance on this mission. We...erm..."
"We were in over our heads. Sorry for complicating things," Charmander piped in, more blunt and direct. "We assumed that, because we were given the support of veteran Hunters, this mission would be a breeze, and acted rashly. We've dealt with petty crime a couple times before and sort of assumed this might be similar but...well..."
"We're sorry!" "We're sorry for going ahead." Eevee and Charmander said in sync, and immediately bowed their heads to the floor in apologies. Without the support from his teammate, the unconscious Riolu face planted into the ground, although this would more or less serve as his apology as well.
"You know, ordinarily I would chew you out for something stupid like this," started Opal as she sauntered forward towards the trio. "But...I'll be generous this time, since I'm in a good mood. I feel like you all learned a lesson, so I won't mention this little blunder to your supervisors. Besides, it's not like we were necessarily doing this mission for you guys anyway. We've been tracking Darmanitan's crew for a bit, you just happened to be the team that stumbled on his latest trail."
"But...did we at least help at all? A little bit?" asked Eevee, ears pointed down. Aware that she wasn't qualified to always give encouraging words, Opal deferred to Clement, who rubbed his chin.
"Well...you were all fantastic distractions," he offered.
"You know, I'll take that," said Charmander. Eevee shrugged in agreement next to him.
"Now, let's get all this packed up. Can one of you call in the rear squad?" asked Clement.
Eevee nodded, and put her paw up to her Hunter badge, underneath her scarf. She tapped it once, held it, then tapped again, which caused a shrill beep to emanate from it.
"Alright, just called them in. Judging by how far we are from our Hunter Center, they should be here in about half an hour. In the meantime, we can start dragging all of the outlaws to the middle here, and also inspect whatever their cargo was."
Clement and Opal nodded in agreement. While she went off to go collect the bodies scattered in and around the camp, Clement walked with Charmander to see if he could learn anything about what this group had planned from their belongings. Opal didn't exactly make it easy; most of the camp had been destroyed, tent tarps and rubble from busted crates and barrels littered the ground. From what he could see, a majority of the cargo was just traveling supplies, with only a few sacks filled with what looked like spoils from a Dungeon.
As he tossed aside a plank of wood, Charmander called him over to something covered by a large tarp. Together, they threw off the covering to reveal a collection of small, cubic treasure boxes. He narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized them, noting the distinctive pattern along the metal, yellow surface; a red swirl bordered within a diamond. There weren't many, only about three or four, yet this only made him more concerned. This many Pokemon for such a small load could only mean that whatever was inside these boxes was definitely important, especially as there seemed to be no obvious method for any appraiser to open them.
He frowned. The Hunter Guild needed to be made aware of this and start an investigation into these boxes as soon as possible. Outlaw activity had only increased, but ascribing any information beyond that had been difficult to come by.
Before he could glean anything else from them, a rustling in the leaves made everyone perk up. Several pokemon, all Hunters, came out of the brush, and seemed a bit surprised to see the pile of unconscious bodies next to a very proud Opal. Wingbeats from above notified Clement of several flying Hunters who arced over the canopy down their way. Given the size of the group they had been tracking, it made sense that quite a few Hunters had been dispatched just to secure the area.
Although, the large Charizard who made the ground shake upon landing gave them pause.
"Damon. This is a surprise. I don't remember hearing anything about you being dispatched to the Rain Continent," said Clement as he approached the dragon. To the side, Opal said something to Team Pokepals, who went ahead to confer with the other hunters who arrived. She joined them with a curious flick of her tail.
When they both gave him their attention, the professional mask Damon tried to maintain slipped for a brief moment, split by delighted eyes and a giddy smile. Clement realized early on that the Charizard shared a similar idolization to them that his sister had, although while Damia's had tended towards a healthy fear, Damon's bordered on hero worship.
After a moment to clear his throat and force the smile down, Damon looked down at them with his typical decorum.
"Hello, Team Nimbus. I see you've had another successful mission." He glanced at the general carnage and pile of unconscious bodies. "...Very successful, although it's not like there was any doubt."
"What a charmer." Opal raised an eyebrow up at Damon, mouth curled in a light smirk. "How'd you find us?"
"I've been keeping tabs on your progress with this mission. Once I heard that you would be in this area, I just had the local lieutenant notify me when you called in to wrap up the operation, and joined the rear squad."
"So, for what do we owe the pleasure for Haxorus' favorite lieutenant to pay us a visit? Another message from daddy dearest? There's a new outlaw camp somewhere that you want quashed? Or..." She leaned in and wiggled her eyebrows. "Maybe you just wanted me to continue that story about the time the Jaws of Justice knocked out a room full of outlaws in a maid outf-"
"Contin-you told him about that!? I...uh, I mean..." Clement's expression turned mortified for half a second before he coughed and tried to play it off. "That's...she's lying."
"You would really-wait, no, stay on task Damon..." he murmured to himself, before straightening up. "I came here today with an urgent message, although not one from my father. Perhaps if you would like to step to the side?" He gestured to a more secluded spot, away from the gathered hunters, and they moved to follow him.
"I'll get to the point, there's been a development in the trial proceedings," he started, which made both of them sober in an instant. "Not exactly an official one, but given my status as the primary overseer of the Absol Guild's containment, I'm privy to some more sensitive information. Which is why I am able to say with reasonable certainty that your son will be called to the stand within the week."
"...Is that right ?" Clement returned his arms to their standard folded position despite the pain, eyes narrowed to drink in every piece of information. By the way Opal's ears snapped forward, he knew that she was also focused.
"Yes, and that's not all. It is highly likely that your son will be the last on trial before Guildmaster Veritas goes back on the stand, which will be when the ultimate verdict for the Absol Guild will be given," he said.
"Okay. So this whole thing might end within the week. Okay..." Opal sat down, a paw on her head. "I mean, we knew there was a possibility that he might have to give a public testimony, but we were never sure. Honestly, following this whole thing has been kind of a headache. Sometimes they call the Guildmaster up, sometimes it's one of the apprentices, I can't see much rhyme or reason for it."
Damon rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "As you can imagine, an entire Guild going to trial is unprecedented in history, so the process has been...unconventional. While most of the guild could give their testimonies in private, those who played a more active role in the situation were set to stand in public, both to assuage the public and to provide official context to their version of events. That's why anytime Veritas has gone up, it is often followed by a request for one of the more involved apprentices to go be questioned and corroborate what he's said where everyone can see it."
"Unconventional, but honestly pretty expedient. I consider it a miracle that we're apparently so close to a decision after just under two months since their detainment. I guess we have the guild's unusually small size to thank for that," said Clement.
"That, and the obvious fact that their guild isn't responsible for the spread. Whatever connection they have to it is circumstantial at best, and in case anyone hasn't noticed, things have only gotten worse in alot of places without them out there." Opal clicked her tongue and slammed the ground. "It's so obvious they're not guilty, such a waste of time..."
"If I may, how...closely have you two been able to follow the trial?" Damon's eyes flicked to the ground and licked his lips, as if he was about to deliver news he'd rather not. It set Clement on edge.
"Not as close as we would like," said Clement. "We try to get a hold of a paper whenever we can, but it's been inconsistent, since we've been out in the field during most of it."
"Then I'm not sure if you are aware, but the court isn't necessarily trying to prove that they are responsible for the spread. It was determined rather early on that there simply isn't enough evidence to support that claim. Rather, the issue is figuring out what to do with the guild as a whole, and whether or not the world at large can trust them to operate on their own. The events leading up to their arrest made it very clear that the guild is capable of much more than even the public thought. The power to alter Dungeons at a fundamental level is not something that has gone unnoticed. And, well...there has been something else..."
At their questioning stares, Damon opened the satchel strung along his side and pulled out a rolled up newspaper. He handed it to Clement without a word, who opened it wide enough for Opal to see.
The headline blared out at them in big blocky letters:
REVELATION IN THE COURT! NEW LIGHT SHED ON MURDER OF HAXORUS CO-LEADER?
They had to read the headline multiple times for it to take in. The word 'murder' was never meant to be used lightly. The article below only heightened their confusion.
As further details regarding the connection between the Absol Guild and the mysterious spread unfold, surprising revelations have been made during the grand trial held by the Atlas High Court in the Ash Continent. Wartortle, an apprentice under Absol who holds a relative position of authority within the guild, was found to have connections to the infamous outlaw gang, Ryker's Raiders. The prior Co-Leader of the Hunter guild, Dragonite, led the charge to successfully bring this group to justice over a decade ago, a valiant mission that cost her life. As Haxorus has refused to appoint another to be at his side, the Hunter guild under his name has gone without the traditional second-in-command ever since.
It is unclear how these findings will impact the outcome of the trial, however the revelation of Wartortle's connection to this group, the nature of which will be further unveiled at a trial hearing tomorrow, has already reignited public outrage against the guild.
In other news, what did Co-Guildmaster Whimsicott mean in her statement last week when she said, "I would very much like to try and break my record on Haxorus' limbs," and will Haxorus take that as an official declaration of intent to duel? Learn more on page three.
Clement read and re-read the couple paragraphs, mind trying to reconcile the words with what he knew about the Wartortle in question.
"Wartortle…Brook? He used to ride with the Raiders!? But he was always so...meek and gentle in the few times I've seen him. Sometimes I'd even forget he was there! How could someone like that…" Opal shook her head, teeth clenched. "I…this is just a rumor, right? Just something for headlines, this isn't really real…right?"
"I'm assured he was very forthcoming with information during his interrogation, particularly in regards to his relation to that group and the…efforts by my guild to bring them to justice." Damon's face didn't betray any emotion, but by the way the flame on his tail burned just a few degrees hotter, Clement could tell he did not bear the news lightly.
For good reason too. They'd known his mother. Her death had been felt throughout the world, when the news first came.
"Damon I'm...sorry the media is pushing this all in the open like this. It's not fair to you or your family, and I understand if-"
"Please," The dragon cut him off, but with a patient smile and a raised claw. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I did not tell you this to incite some sense of pity. There are complications and nuances to this situation that are blatantly ignored in that headline, ones that my family will work through on our own. Rather, I tell you this because I am strongly encouraging you to return to the Hole for now to stay close by, and perhaps consider working on a statement as a witness. This news has made the trial situation much more volatile than it already is, and your words could be what the guild needs to get things back on track."
"Yes, I agree completely. Although, you've been relatively neutral towards the guild in our interactions up until now. From the sounds of it, it seems like you want them to succeed."
"He's just realized what the correct side is, is all," murmured Opal as she levitated the paper and scrolled through it. "…God damn, Pandora…"
"I'm on the side of truth and justice. In order to achieve this, all voices need the chance to be heard," said the Charizard, who shrugged right after. "Is what I would like to say, but, well, my sister happens to be involved. I would rather not have her rot forever."
"How sweet. Warms my heart to see care between siblings," said Clement.
"She owes me a rematch." He punched a fist into his palm.
"…Ah."
"In any case, I believe your badges are calibrated to the port room in the Hole. I can accompany you for the return trip."
"We would appreciate that, although we did find some pretty interesting discoveries here," said Clement, gesturing over towards the metal boxes. "I believe these should be investigated further."
"I'll follow up with the local Hunter Center on that, and get you both a report as soon as possible. Besides that, are you ready?"
The two nodded and adjusted their scarves. Underneath rested their black, master-rank guild badges, refurbished and given a new coat of paint after going unused for the past couple decades. Together, the three of them pressed the button in the center of their badges, and a bright flash overtook each of their forms, blinding the immediate area out of view.
Seconds later, Clement slowly blinked his eyes open to dark walls, stuffy air, and a twinge of vertigo, albeit lessened given that they had become reaccustomed to long-distance teleports again. After a moment to get their bearings, the three walked out of the nondescript room and into a hallway with similar unmarked doors all the way down.
They followed Damon further in, past what looked like storage space and offices, and out into the main overhang; on the left led further into the volcano towards the central channel, while the right opened up to the wide plateau that oversaw the ocean beyond. Several nearby guards noticed Damon step out and snapped to a salute, but he waved them down without a glance.
Unlike the spotless interior, dust and dirt blown in from the windy high altitude coated the ground. Damon's steps crunched as he lumbered to the center of the space and gestured to both sides. The hot noon winds blew into the overhang.
"By now, you should be familiar with the general amenities on the grounds, although if you require directions, any of the guards stationed around will be able to help you. As usual, you have the quarters that have been set aside for you, and-"
"Yeah, yeah, we've heard it before. Look, just cut to the chase." Opal folded up the paper and fixed Damon with a frown. "Are you, or are you not, going to let me see my son this time?"
"I'm afraid the policy has not…changed." To his credit, he only needed to suck in a breath to maintain his composure in the face of Opal's clear disdain. Better than the previous times when she had asked this same question.
"If we allowed you a face to face visit, we would have to allow that option with every apprentice, and opening the Hole up to so many unauthorized individuals could be a breach of security. This isn't just a simple holding center."
"If you wanted to pretend like you didn't want to play favorites, then you should have locked both of us up too. We're doing these missions for Haxorus, the very least he could do is let us see Lumi face to face," she growled.
"You brought us here so we could create some kind of statement in his defense as witnesses. Shouldn't we be able to converse with him in order to make that effective?" Clement came at it from a different angle. Although he was able to keep the frustration out of his voice unlike Opal, he was also quite fed up with what he considered to be red tape nonsense.
"That is something you can discuss with the guild's legal counsel, who I am assured is currently onsite." Damon didn't budge, although he had the decency to at least droop his head in a bit of shame. He seemed to not like the policy any more than they did. "However, you are always free to deliver a message. Any correspondence between you will be delivered as swiftly as we are able."
"It's been two months, Damon. I'm tired of sending fucking letters to my own son for two months when he's right THERE-"
"They givin' you the runaround too, pinkie?"
A raspy voice interrupted her growing rant with a throaty chuckle. They both turned to look, and saw Van's mother Periwinkle being pushed in a wheelchair by a Floragato guard. She motioned to be pushed next to them, and Opal groaned in exasperation as she stood next to the chair-bound Scrafty.
"Peri, it's the same thing every time! They will not let us see our kids and it's ridiculous. I'm this close to dropping every guard here and breaking him out, it's like they don't think I can!"
The heads of every nearby guard snapped to her the second the words left her mouth. Damon glanced down at Clement in thinly veiled concern, silently asking if that was something she might actually be capable of. He received a shrug in response; if she was, Clement wasn't about to stop her.
"Oooooh girl, don't I know it? They lucky I can't use my legs like I used to, else I'd be right there with you," said Periwinkle while shaking her head. "Anyway, how you two doin'? Work's been good, Clemmy?"
"As much as it can be, Peri. You've been staying busy, I hope?"
"As much as I can be." She winked. "They let us get some sun once in a blue moon, but I was just on my way back to the barracks they got us settled in since my hour's almost up."
"That so, huh? Well then, let's walk and talk on the way there, then." Opal hip checked the Floragato away from Periwinkle's chair, and reared up to place her forelegs on the back of it. She glanced up at Clement. "You coming?"
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to get in the way of girl time," the Mawile put his hands up. "If he's around, I think I'll go find Haxorus, and then see about this statement we have to give. Have fun, take the chance to cool off."
"Ooh, well in that case, we can exchange gossip about our sons and I can tell you how I made like twenty Pokemon piss themselves in fear. It'll be fun."
"Ya'll are so..." Peri took a moment to cough into her arm. "So sweet, you know that?"
Peri's face brightened with a delighted grin as Opal wheeled her around and walked them both away. When out of earshot, Clement turned up at Damon with a frown.
"I trust you've been treating that family right, yes?"
"As much as possible, given the circumstances. I'm assured the barracks on site have been kept in good condition, and although monitored, her children have been able to move freely within and around the immediate area. I believe one of the young children found within the Absol Guild has also been allowed to stay with them as well."
"Mmmm..."
"Um, sir?" The Floragato who had his duty stolen by Opal spoke up, shuffling his paws. "I...I have a feeling she won't abide by the allotted hour. Should I...?"
"We can allow the brief break in protocol if it means we don't have to test the Pink Demon's wrath. Instead, your time would be better spent escorting Mawile to the interrogation wing. In light of recent events, Guildmaster Haxorus has decided to visit, and I believe he is currently in the interrogation wing. I would take him there myself, but other matters require my attention."
His wings drooped apologetically, and he leaned down to whisper into Clement's ear.
"Once again, I'd like to reiterate that despite the current circumstances, I do wish you the best. Please let Ms. Opal know this as well."
"It's the circumstances we're upset with, not you. We'll make this work somehow," Clement responded back. Damon nodded, then turned to leave. Floragato motioned towards an entrance further into the volcano, so Clement followed him without comment. Unlike other times, he was led through a path that sloped upwards instead of down.
The lights embedded in the ceiling dimmed here, only illuminating the hallway in brief segments that left an encroaching darkness in between. From what he could see, the walls were cut from some kind of glossy stone like obsidian, and the clack of their feet on the metal floor echoed ahead and behind him.
A chill crawled up his spine as he followed Floragato further in, brought on by the surrounding stone and metal. Occasionally a glimpse of a door or what looked like another passageway would slip through the brief segments of light that shone down, but the homogenous environment made it seem like they had hardly moved at all. He hadn't seen another soul grace the hall at all.
After five minutes of silence, it dawned on Clement the true purpose of this design. The repeating darkness, disorientation, and isolation ensured nobody could find their way out unless specifically trained to do so.
"...I'm always surprised by how expansive the Hole really is." The words slipped out of Clement's mouth mostly to fill the silence. Floragato seemed eager to respond.
"The facility is designed to have all the amenities something of its size would demand, with a focus on working with the natural topography rather than against it. This results in long, empty orientations that facilitate the primary goals of containment and security. But rest assured," Floragato turned back with what was probably meant to be an encouraging smile. "Not one of our steps have gone unmonitored. We've already passed by at least three guard points in this hallway alone."
"I haven't seen any guards posted anywhere this whole time."
"Exactly!"
Floragato made an abrupt left and entered through a seemingly random door, Clement right on his heels. The air here smelled just a bit lighter, the obsidian walls spaced further apart for a wider hallway. The walls were interrupted with wide windows placed intermittently all the way down. They gave a view into empty rooms within that only contained a simple table with a couple of chairs and cushions.
Clement looked ahead. Havok stood directly in the middle of the hallway, arms folded, as he stared intently through one of the windows. The light gleamed off his crimson tusks in a way that made them look even sharper as they approached, tail rigid behind him.
He didn't acknowledge their arrival when Floragato escorted him a few steps away. The cat came to a clean stop and looked straight forward, a paw on his chest. For a moment, the only sound Clement heard was the sound of his own breath. Eventually, Havok waved a claw back towards where they came, to which Floragato stomped with a crisp salute, bowed once towards Clement, and walked out of the hallway.
He stood alone with Havok, who made no acknowledgment of his presence. With a curious hum, Clement went to stand next to him and looked into the window to see what the Guildmaster was so focused on.
Within the room sat Brook, hunched over and claws grasping at each other as he nodded to something the Litwick on the other side of the table said. His pupils were dilated, gaze locked on the table as his mouth hardly moved in response to whatever the interrogator said. A sheen of sweat coated his scales. Though no sound traveled outside the room, Clement could tell that he wasn't having a good day.
It took Havok another two minutes before he finally did something other than stare through the presumably one-way window. Clement heard a gravely sigh. Havok's tail slid across the ground a few inches.
"In some way, that Wartortle in there could be directly related to Dama's death," started Havok, voice low and steady. It made it difficult for Clement to get a read on his emotions, so he chose to stay silent for now.
"The Raiders had been a thorn in my side since the day I took the seat of Guildmaster. They were relentless, their leader moreso, and Fall Rend only exacerbated the issue tenfold. I was getting stretched thin. Tired. So much so, that when we received word that a defector from that group provided valuable intel that would finally let us put the issue to rest, my Dama immediately offered to lead the charge. She insisted that I stay behind to hold the fort. In my weakness, I allowed it."
His eyes narrowed.
"I never did find out who gave us that information. Now I know."
"...Are you angry?" ventured Clement.
"That would be...preferable." His eyes finally flicked down towards the Mawile. An unamused snort left his nostrils. "I gave my son specific instructions that I would be receiving no visitors while I was here."
"Well, I wanted to talk to you, so he was very helpful in that respect. We were successful in our-"
"Yes, you were. Of course you were, otherwise I wouldn't have given you those assignments in the first place," growled Havok, though with surprisingly little malice. "Any doubts I may have had about your abilities fresh out of retirement have been dispelled. If anything, you seem even more motivated."
"We have our own reasons for wanting to be back in the field. Not to mention that since we're neglecting our shop, we need a new source of income."
"It is rare that independent units are afforded the exclusive contracts and support that you are getting." A smile grew on Havok's face that looked even sharper when framed by his tusks. "Have you considered coming fully under the Hunter Guild fold again? Arceus knows you could easily earn a higher position and the privileges that come with it as my Hunters, instead of working on your own."
Clement met Havok's smile with a raised brow and dubious frown.
"Now let's think this through for a moment. Do you really think Opal would take well to having you as a boss in any capacity? Maybe I should take you up on your offer, just so we can see how that would play out."
The smile vanished. The confidence in Havok's eyes shriveled into deep concern, and he cleared his throat.
"On second thought, you two are doing more than well for yourselves. Plenty of respectable Hunters test out of the guild and go the independent route, after all. Although…"
His expression turned thoughtful as he scrutinized the Mawile further.
"What?" asked Clement.
"Seeing you in that scarf stirs memories in me. Tell me, doesn't it feel good to step back out as the Jaws of Justice again? Surely, the sight of outlaws quaking in fear at the sight of you is a rush."
His hand cupped the end of the scarf as he considered his answer. The smooth material glided over his fingers as if it hadn't been through countless battles. His shoulders felt more at ease with the weight, light as it was, as if they had missed it.
"I'm surprised how easy it's been. To slip back into things," murmured Clement. "We thought after having our son that our fighting days were over. I had…hoped they were."
"A common sentiment, I'm told. One even I feared I would fall victim to when we had Damia's egg. Doubly so when Dama found Damon's."
"I think I'm starting to see the theme with names in your family," said Clement with a light chuckle, before he blinked. "Wait, 'found' Damon's egg?"
"The boy isn't a Dragonite, is he? Dama discovered an abandoned egg after clearing out some outlaw encampment somewhere, and decided that our daughter could use a playmate. If it meant preventing another outlaw from rising up in the future, I would gladly raise it as my own. The healthy competition a sibling brings could not be ignored either, the two were quite inseparable when they were young."
"I'm sure Dama never envisioned them ever being apart."
Havok's tail twitched, a low grunt his only reply.
"Damon seems to look forward to having his sister walk free after all this," Clement continued and narrowed his eyes. "I'd suspect you want the same for her as well."
"I gave her the option to return to her place in my guild, yet she insists on enduring the trial process with that Absol and his followers," he growled. "What nonsense he's filled her head with to make her take such measures, I'll never know."
"It's really not that hard to understand. That's her guild, one she excelled so well in that she took on a position of leadership. She feels a sense of duty to stay with them, regardless of what happens. You should be proud that she has that level of ownership, rather than call it nonsense."
"Proud? My daughter is a warrior! She is meant for far greater things than whatever Absol has in store for her. He may have led her astray for a time, but perhaps this experience will make her see reason and return to her true home..."
Havok was a very straightforward individual. When he didn't like something, he faced it head on and made it clear to everyone what his stance on the matter was. He never showed fear, he never showed hesitation, and something that had become frustratingly apparent in recent months is that he never, ever showed doubt.
Except now.
His body language didn't match the strength of his words. The moment his reply left his mouth, he turned away from the Mawile, eyes flicking back and forth between some points on the floor. His claws clenched at nothing and his teeth were grit in something more akin to anxiety rather than frustration.
Clement noted the changes. He was nicer than his mate, although that didn't mean he wouldn't take the chance to humble the proud dragon. Identifying weakness was part of his job.
"Havok, Veritas did not take your daughter away from you. That's giving him too much credit. She left because she doesn't like you."
"You-who do you think you are to make such a claim? How dare you!?"
"I'll dare to go a step further too." Clement crossed his arms, head arced up. "You don't even know how to talk to your own daughter. It's been about two months since you locked her in here, and I doubt you've had a face-to-face conversation with her about anything that is happening."
"I have not allowed anyone to see those detained under any circumstances." Havok turned to face him fully, teeth bared. Ah, so he's identified something he can fight. "You run your mouth out of frustration that you cannot see your son. Out of respect for your abilities and recent performance, I will let this slight slide, but do not think you are owed special treatment, or can speak into my personal affairs!"
"I think I am owed special treatment, actually, but I didn't come here to argue with you about that. Not really. I know better than to think words alone are enough to change your mind. Besides…" he backed up a bit to lean up against the wall, matching Havok's withering glare with a bored frown.
"We've done the best we can to communicate with Lumi through letters, when we get the chance. I imagine most of those connected to any of the guild have. Have you?"
"What? Have I what?"
"Written Damia a letter?" He asked. The question had an instant effect; Havok's angry eyes lost their edge and returned to the ground, body turned a few degrees to the side.
"I've…what would that accomplish? A letter would be pointless when she's…" he trailed off, expression uncertain.
"Mmmm…and your son? Have you communicated with him at all regarding this whole mess, besides giving out orders or assignments?"
"I have had other things occupying my time. What is the purpose of this questioning?" Havok demanded, to which Clement just shrugged.
"Just curious, I guess."
Havok scoffed, clearly unsatisfied with the answer, but didn't press the issue. Clement allowed silence to stretch on for a moment, eyes on the Wartortle on the other side of the glass as he gathered his thoughts. In truth, even he didn't really know why he felt the need to speak on Havok's relationship with his children. Perhaps he was simply being petty, knowingly making him uncomfortable as revenge for not being able to see Lumi for all this time.
Although, this was a good test to see just how far his rapport with Havok actually went. Not that they had ever been overly friendly, but Clement knew he was one of the few people on this earth who wasn't afraid to speak candidly to the dragon. If he would be working with him more in the future, it would be good to know where they stood on certain topics.
"…Clement." Havok's gravely voice drew him back in.
"Hmm?"
"Tell me. When you send correspondence to your son, does he…reciprocate?"
"Yes?"
"Often?"
"Yes. Every time."
"What-" Havok cleared his throat, mouth moving as if unused to the words coming out of them. "What about? When you do communicate with him?" He asked. Clement hummed in thought.
"At first just general check-ins to make sure he was doing okay and knew we were thinking about him. Sprinkled in some stories from our recent jobs to give him something interesting to think about. And now…" his mouth curled upward a tad as he thought back to more recent letters. "He's been telling us all sorts of ideas and prototypes he's cooked up while behind bars. Honestly, we were afraid that he might just implode from sitting still for so long, but it sounds like he's been able to keep his mind occupied. Somehow."
"I see. I am sure that is…pleasant for you," said Havok after an awkward pause.
"There's another question you want to ask."
"No. No, I am simply ruminating as to how…how…" The war between Havok's pride and his obvious need to ask a question played out as a variety of conflicted expressions and odd mouth movements on his face. This greatly amused Clement.
"How do you…make your son talk to you?" He spit the words out.
After Clement processed the words, he couldn't help the wiggle of his lips. A chuckle bubbled in his throat, and the way the Haxorus leaned down to glare a hole in him made them even stronger.
"Just answer the question, damn you! What do you do? Is it the result of some past training? Some incentive, perhaps?"
"Why… am I having this conversation…?" Clement huffed to himself between breaths, but regained himself after a few more seconds. "No, Havok. I do not 'make' my son talk to me. He does it because he wants to."
Havok's eyes narrowed in the expression of someone faced with an option they never knew existed. With a deep, patient breath, Clement pressed his hands together.
"Listen. Let's just talk about Damia for a second. In the limited conversations I've had with her, it's become very clear that she is, in fact, your daughter. She's proud. To a fault. Her whole mood changes the moment you talk about something she's worked on, particularly if you praise her about something. So just like how you asked me a question a second ago, ask her some questions. Only this time, ask her about something she's interested in, like a design she's thought of, a project she's worked on, anything like that. If you do that, she'll see that you're actually taking interest in something that matters to her, and you might actually get somewhere. Do you understand me so far?"
"…What do I do with that information if I receive it? I do not particularly care about whatever strange designs or…fixations she has been practicing in that guild."
"You want her to talk to you, right?"
"Well, I-"
"Yes or no?" pressed Clement. Havok's tail jerked behind him as he considered.
"It would be preferable."
"Then you have to care. And if you can't, figure out how. That's your daughter, whatever is important to her is important to you, end of discussion. I…look, Havok. I almost made the same mistake you're making."
"What mistake? Speak plainly!"
"I tried to suppress my son's passions. For most of his life, I tried to push him away from what I knew made him happy because I thought I knew best. But I realized that once I just let go of that kind of thinking and started supporting him, I got to see him genuinely happy for the first time in years and…that just makes it all worth it." He sighed, mirrored by his larger maw, and rubbed his forehead.
"I don't approve of every choice he's made, far from it. He's sitting in the highest security prison while we're talking, for Mew's sake, but at some point I just have to accept that he's going to become his own person, and the best I can do is try to help that person be the best they can be. Our kids need to know that we're there for them, Havok. If we're not, what good are w-"
"ENOUGH!" shouted Havok. "Do you think I've done nothing for my children? When Dama left me, I did what I could to prepare them. Make them strong, capable! So that they would not be taken from me if…regardless, Damia is the one who spurned my attempts. She rejected the strength I offered in favor of whatever power Absol promised her through the Dungeons. If not for him, she would"
"And for the love of everything, stop villainizing Veritas!" Clement yelled back, then stepped forward to jab finger up at Havok. "If you want to be on better terms with her, start by showing some respect to her guild and the one who runs it! As a matter of fact, you had better hope that this whole used-to-be-an-outlaw situation with him-"
He pointed back at Brook inside the interrogation room. The Wartortle's head turned around as if trying to look for the sound of raised voices, and the Litwick guard was throwing awkward glances in the direction of the window.
"-Doesn't ruin this trial for them and get them sentenced to the Hole for good! For everyone's sake, you and Veritas had better become best friends by the end of this. I'll be damned if we have to lose our best chance at dealing with whatever insanity is coming our way because you want to hold a grudge."
Rather than respond with words, Haxorus leaned down until only a few inches separated their faces, a deep rumble in his throat. Clement met him without hesitation, eyes narrowed in sharp disapproval.
A few tense moments passed between them, only broken by the sound of a door opening and the pattering of small footsteps.
"Ah, there you are! Perfect!" came a loud voice. They broke their stare down long enough to see who interrupted, and Clement blinked as a Pachirisu in a charming bowler hat (he'd seen him before but forgot his name) approached them, tail bobbing as he walked with a confident gait.
"Heard you were in and didn't want to miss my chance. C'mon, my guy is on site and we need to get you prepared."
He put his small paws on Clement's shoulder to try and usher him away, but failed to make him budge.
"What are you talking about? Who are you?" asked Clement, baffled. Pachirisu's eyes twinkled with glee, and he gave his hand a hearty shake with both paws.
"You don't know me but I certainly know you! I'm a mutual friend of our dear Absol, unfairly detained with the rest of the guild but let out because a certain someone owes me a couple favors." Pachirisu leaned in closer, impish gaze fixed squarely on the simmering Havok.
"Let's just say that it wasn't a certain Guildmaster's good bedside manner that won him the favor of the public. Needed a true professional to get things off the ground."
"Watch your tongue, squirrel," ground out Havok. Clement just looked even more confused.
"Okay but, what exactly do you need from me? Prepare me for what?"
"Your testimony, of course! A friend of mine is the legal counsel for the Absol guild. He's good too, has helped me out of more than a couple bad spots, I can assure you. With you on the team, this'll be a cinch."
The squirrel stepped back and held his paws out in a placating way.
"I'll be frank, the situation right now is a little touch and go, but don't let it fool you! If we play our cards right, we can make this work for us. Think about it, sitting not even a few feet from us is the one who was the catalyst for taking down one of the most dangerous outlaw gangs in recent history."
Pachirisu looked to the ceiling, paws clasped together as his timbre became even more theatrical. "A wandering vagabond, shunting off his dark past in an attempt to atone, and continuing his self-sacrificial calling years later by providing valuable relief supplies, even when it could come at risk to himself! Think of the story! The pathos!"
He held his hat in his paws as his exclamation rang out in the halls. After a few seconds, he coughed, then put his hat back on.
"Anyway, the point is that we need to get you ready to speak on trial like, yesterday. We don't have a moment to lose so let's walk and talk. Oh, also where's your mate? We'll need her."
He motioned for Clement to walk beside him, and was already walking down the hall with plans and assurances falling from his lips. Before continuing after him, Clement turned to Havok who had already returned to glaring into the interrogation room.
Though interrupted, the urge to continue their conversation hung on the tip of his tongue, yet he knew he had more important things to worry about. Frustrated with the brooding dragon, Clement turned his back to him, a glance over his shoulder.
"Think about what I said." It wasn't a suggestion. Clement didn't wait for him to respond before he followed after Pachirisu.
A/N: Let's get back to it.