PMD: R&D

by Jusmove

The Absol guild isn't known for amazing expeditions, ace bounty hunters, or even adequate rescue operations. No, Absol's is known for the loud explosions and mad laughter echoing from behind closed doors. The world thinks they're insane, but when Dungeons begin to mysteriously spread across the land, maybe a little insanity is just what the world needs.

38. Turnabout Starshine

Chapter 34: Turnabout Starshine

MADNESS OR MISUNDERSTOOD? A DEEP DIVE INTO ACCOUNTS, STORIES, AND UNSPOKEN DREAMS FROM THE GUILD WE NEVER KNEW.

BY: P - Independent

I sit in a well used and cluttered workshop. Various items lay scattered on the table against the wall; tools, iron spikes, orbs, wands of various sizes and piles and piles of books and manuals strewn about. Outside, I hear bangs, booms, and excited voices eager to continue testing, common sounds of activity that persist despite the circumstances.

The Scrafty sitting across from me exemplifies this steady consistency. He leans back in a bean bag, one arm on his knee with an easy grin on his face. At a glance, nothing about him resembles the image of an Absol apprentice conjured in my mind; of shady, dilapidated Pokemon in black hoods eager to experiment on forbidden things. In fact, although the Scrafty in front of me has been accused of some of the highest crimes imaginable and been forced into hiding, his face does not betray a hint of doubt or guilt.

I ask him if he regrets his decision to join. He shrugs.

"I did it for my family. If it's for them, I know I did something right."

His reason echoes similar sentiments found in his fellow apprentices. Family. Opportunity. Dreams. Passion. They are as varied as they are personal, yet a common strand is their familiarity. These same reasons drive each of us, from the most grizzled Hunter to the small town's delivery mon.

One question has been on the hearts and minds of everyone who has been following the trial of the century: who is the Absol guild? Uncovering the Pokemon behind Guildmaster Absol has been a contentious endeavor buried beneath an avalanche of indictments and uncertain outcomes.

Until today.

Through sheer serendipity, I found myself in the unique position to speak to every Absol apprentice face to face during their time in hiding two months ago. I was not tortured, mistreated, or experimented upon, instead I had the privilege of listening to some of the most fascinating individuals I've spoken with in my career.

(Continues on page 2)

The Pokemon of Atlas, the jewel of the Ash Continent known for its love of justice, exquisite produce, and state-of-the-art bath and spa houses, awoke to a news headline they weren't expecting that day.

All throughout the sand-caked city, streets shining golden in the hot sun, Pokemon had their heads buried in a news article that held their attention hostage. The wide open plaza spaces that normally bustled with the sounds of market booths hawking their wares were noticeably quieter. The foot traffic was subdued around the large domed commercial buildings constructed both on the ground and inlaid within the natural canyon ridges. All activity characteristic of the thoroughfares, terraces, and parks lush with vegetation from enriched soil seemed noticeably muted.

For good reason too. A certain court case had robbed the city of its usual flow.

Far to the north side of the city, a gleaming marble staircase led into an ornate door enmeshed into the side of a smoothly polished canyon wall. White columns stylized like sweeping white wings framed the door, which depicted a set of scales on top of the world itself. Inside revealed a wide indoor amphitheater with cushioned benches of varying sizes throughout most of its circumference, along with various other seating accommodations for different species, all filled to the brim with onlookers. Gorgeous frescoes along the walls and ceiling depicted momentous moments from history that were decided in this very room.

A long dais stretched across the front of the amphitheater, positioned to face the lone stand in the center. White wings similar to those outside were constructed on both sides of the dais that reached from the floor to the top in the middle of the ceiling, where the face of Reshiram, reimagined and remolded from years and years of interpretations, gazed down on the proceedings below, blue eyes judging all.

Within the Hall of Reshiram, the Atlas High Court was in session.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The harsh crack of a wooden gavel silenced all chatter. All eyes snapped to the Altaria who stood over the center of the dais. When it became clear that she had everyone's attention, she set the gavel down and folded her fluffy wings behind her back.

"All in attendance. The trial of the Absol Guild of Research and Development in the Atlas High Court, overseen by myself along with judges Vespiquen, Lumineon, Mothim, and Headmaster Wigglytuff will now resume. Be seated." A wizened timbre colored her words. At the mention of each of their names, the four other judges took their place behind the dais.

Across the court, all Pokemon in the stands took their seats in their various ways. Towards the front at the far right, in a cordoned off section overseen by security, sat every apprentice of the Absol Guild who had been imprisoned thus far. Though unshackled, each of them still wore power-dampening bands as a matter of principle.

Altaria looked down at the memo in front of her on the dais and read from the statement that had become standard over the course of this trial. The words spoken were rote and rehearsed, as could only be expected after repeating them so many times.

"To reiterate, the purpose of this trial has been to determine the proper sentencing for the Absol Guild in light of crimes committed against both the Haxorus Guild of Defence and Enforcement, and the world at large. Up until now, apprentices of the Absol Guild have been called to the stand in order for the present panel of judges to ascertain the character of those under the Guild and whether there is sufficient reason to believe the Absol Guild has breached its responsibility to the society which it was pledged to serve. Until such a sentencing has been reached, Absol and his guild will cease all operations and will remain in detainment for further questioning."

Guildmaster Absol stood behind a desk in front of the seats his guild sat in, flanked on both sides by two of his apprentices; experienced Guild Head Wartortle, and semi-recent recruit Meowstic.

"Let the record also show that the Absol Guild is now joined by their legal counsel, Talonflame, who will be granted the capability to intercede and speak on the defendant's behalf during any of the judges' comments." She nodded down at Talonflame, who stood next to Wartortle as he neatly folded his papers.

"We will now resume the questioning of Absol apprentice Wartortle. Wartortle, please make your way to the stand."

A three-sided box sat elevated on the stand, directly in front of the dais. Wartortle trudged his way to the box and placed both his claws on the front. Sweat cascaded down his scalp in rivulets, but that had been the case since he first stepped in this room. Talonflame walked alongside him and took his place to the left of the box.

Each of the judges gazed down at him. The sound of Altaria clearing her throat echoed around the room.

"When we were last here, we were inquiring as to the nature of your relationship with the outlaw group, Ryker's Raiders. While housing reformed criminals is certainly not illegal, the sheer scope of crimes committed by such a group calls into question the character of anyone even remotely associated with them. After some discussion with this panel, we've determined that it would be prudent to-"

"Why'd you do it?" Judge Mothim cut in and leaned forward. His wings fluttered in clear eagerness. "We barely got into it last time, and we all wanna know more. Seriously, it's been keeping me up at night."

Judge Altaria visibly held in a sigh while Judge Vespiquen tapped both of her claws together in interest.

"Indeed. It was a source of some interest as to how someone with such a fragile and weak disposition could possibly be affiliated with that gang. They prided themselves on ruthlessness and aggressive tactics during a period of particular vulnerability. Something you therefore must have been capable of at some point in time." Her cold and distant demeanor made it difficult to tell if her words were a condemnation or endorsement of effective methods.

Judge Lumineon sniffed and floated just a bit above the dais. "What my colleagues mean to say is that we would request for you to go in detail as to the reasoning behind your choice to join the Raiders. Wouldn't you agree that it is only proper if we are to establish the character of the types of individuals that are celebrated within the Absol Guild?"

Her words, sweet but with a haughty undertone, sparked rounds of murmuring throughout the courtroom. Wartortle clenched and unclenched his claws, mouth wobbling, but Talonflame stepped forward before a word left his mouth.

"OBJECTION!" he shouted over the rising din. "Asking my client this question would be leading and irrelevant. His connection was already established and discussed at the prior hearing earlier this week. It would serve no further purpose in today's hearing."

"I agree." The Judges' heads turned to Headmaster Wigglytuff, who wore a frown with his arms crossed. "How would knowing his reasoning to do something years ago serve us in determining his character now? This line of questioning would merely satisfy our curiosity, not lead to any substantial revelation."

Judge Lumineon remained unfazed by Wigglytuff's gruff recalcitrance. "I would agree with you, Headmaster, however given the nuances of this case, I believe it is within this court's best interest to be thorough in our questioning in order to arrive at a sufficient ruling. If we admit to ourselves that past actions can be an indicator for patterns of behavior, isn't it only natural to delve deeper? Or would you rather we take a vote?"

Her words left Headmaster Wigglytuff fuming in his seat, but he didn't press the issue. Judge Lumineon tilted her head down at Wartortle, eyes narrowed.

"Wartortle, please explain what led you to join the Raiders to begin with."

He licked his lips and locked gazes with Talonflame for half a second. His body shuddered and he shuffled his feet before clearing his throat.

"I joined the R-Raiders because I...well, I'd always been a bit of an o-outcast. Um, I was really good at things like botany and chemistry. Always liked p-plants, but in the place I grew up people didn't really, uh...care. A-anyway, when I turned...I think sixteen? Y-yes, sixteen. I decided to just, y'know, leave? To go anywhere but home. But I didn't make it very far before I got mugged by some thugs on the way. At the time I didn't have money, but I was carrying some berries I had crossbred earlier that week that maybe I could sell off. They thought that was interesting and instead of letting me go, they brought me to their...boss."

"That was your first introduction to the Raiders?" asked Judge Vespiquen. Wartortle nodded. "Did they threaten to harm you if you tried to leave?"

"They did, but that's not why I s-stayed. I didn't really c-care what happened to me too much. But it was when R-ryker took a look at some of my creations and actually thought I had something v-valuable that I...he gave me a room, a planter, said I would be growing things I'd never heard of before. I'd never had a-anyone say things like th-that to me before, it...I w-wanted more of it. It was like a drug I couldn't get enough of."

"According to your file, you assisted with the cultivation of several illicit berries and herbs, including a potent variant of highly addictive, hallucinogenic nanab berries that circulated widely throughout the continents and were confiscated in several high profile drug trafficking rings, " said Judge Lumineon, whose voice became hard. "Lives were ruined because of that. Based on your knowledge and expertise, surely you were aware of what your talents were being used for?"

"I knew before I planted the first seed that I would be responsible for creating contraband. I also knew it gave Ryker more power and money, which meant I became more and more valuable, so I just kept doing what he asked."

"You liked feeling valuable?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Your actions enabled Ryker's Raiders to grow beyond a typical outlaw gang. The revenue stream generated from your creations allowed him to expand his operations throughout the outlaw world, becoming a significant force to be reckoned with, taking over territory and making several previously civilian friendly areas unsafe. Furthermore, your involvement came directly after a vulnerable period in history, where a series of severe natural and unnatural phenomena ravaged the world. This greatly exacerbated reconstruction efforts by supporting an outlaw threat that used the chaos to grow even stronger. At any point, did you feel regret for what you had helped build?"

"...Not at the time, no. If I think about it, I believe I actually felt more empowered. It was the first time I could see something I did have an actual effect on the world. It was the first time I felt…strong."

"Wartortle, you weren't just involved in Ryker's drug operations, at some point you created something else that let you play a more tangible role in taking out obstacles in the gang's path. Would you like to describe that object and why you made it?"

The courtroom went quiet for a few seconds. Wartortle's shell rose and fell as he gulped in deep breaths, eyes dilated.

"…No I w-wouldn't like to, your honor. B-but I will, if you would like me to."

"Indeed. I would motion to submit evidence number three to the floor," stated Judge Lumineon.

"Motion seconded!" Judge Mothim said, eagerly. Judge Vespiquen silently raised a claw, securing a majority vote. Judge Altaria gave an order to one of the attendants, and moments later the evidence was rolled out to the center of the floor in view of everyone. A tense silence swept over the room as everyone beheld the objects on the table:

A gas mask made of a rough, brown material laid on the left of the table, marred with age and missing one of its two breathing canisters. Next sat a nozzle hose attached to the opening of a metal canister, one that resembled a gardening tool one would use to mist water over plants, however much larger. Adjustable belt straps were attached to the sides of the canister for it to be worn by a variety of Pokemon, however the handle and trigger underneath the hose made it clear that it was intended to be used by someone with digits.

"You provided this object willingly to the authorities following your departure from the Raiders, is that correct Wartortle?" asked Judge Lumineon. Wartortle's trembling and uncomfortable expression became frozen, eyes locked on the gas mask and canister.

"Y…Y-es," he said after a few moments.

"Can you please describe the item before us today?"

Talonflame leaned in to whisper something into Wartortle's ear, however he didn't seem to pay it much mind, eyes unblinking on the objects on the table. He pushed his beak away.

After a couple seconds, he sucked in a breath and spoke in a voice devoid of his usual stutter.

"It's a weapon. I named it the Bellows." Wartortle's eyes furrowed, likely not registering anything but the canister in front of him. "After squeezing the trigger, it releases a stream of gas created from a compound of cross-bred fruits which contain seeds that have neuro and aura stimulating properties. The gas is invisible to the naked eye, gives off no scent, and is designed to target whatever internal nervous center that is responsible for activating pain responses within a particular Pokémon. Upon contact with any open orifice, the subject will experience tremendous, debilitating pain throughout their entire body."

As his clinical description continued, rounds of disapproval echoed throughout the courtroom. Wartortle looked ahead at nothing at all, while Talonflame licked his beak as he waited for the questioning to be over.

After letting Wartortle's confession linger in the air for a moment, Judge Lumineon let out a self satisfied huff and floated further down in her seat.

"I have no further questions," she said. Talonflame's eyes widened.

"Your honors, my cli-"

"I have questions." Judge Vesipiquen silenced him and sent a pointed look down at Wartortle.

"Your weapon. Describe its effectiveness."

The direct address snapped Wartortle from his daze. He resumed his regular posture and timidness. "…Um, I should c-clarify, my weapon was the nerve gas, the Bellows was just my, um, preferred way of administering it to Ryker's targets, like rival groups occupying territory, or other Hunters. Once I had perfected the formula in preliminary tests, I could subdue entire groups of Pokemon with a few well placed puffs. At one point I had gotten proficient enough with it that I became one of Ryker's aces. S-so to speak..."

"You? Nobody else could use the gas?"

"Nobody else w-wanted to, your honor. It was very...um, sensitive, and I was the only one who had developed a tolerance to it." He held a claw to his chest. "All tests were performed on myself in order to assure its quality."

"You subjected yourself to a substance specifically designed to maximize pain?" she questioned. Wartortle nodded in confirmation, and Judge Vespiquen leaned forward. Her claws tapped on the dais as she ruminated in silence, her compound eyes a heavy weight on his shell.

"Wartortle, it is clear that someone with your expertise could have gone further than inflicting pain. There are a host of ailments to choose from, and if the goal was the elimination of your enemies, wouldn't it have been possible for you to develop a more lethal solution?"

"P-possibly, your honor."

"But you didn't choose that. Rather than inflicting death, you chose pain. Would I be correct in believing there was another motive besides some lingering desire for mercy?"

"I...well, k-killing anyone wouldn't have been helpful. I didn't need anyone dead, I needed them to w...w-want to die. That was the message I wanted to send, to build our reputation, that anyone who got in Ryker's way would be wishing they weren't alive. I..."

"Order! Order, now!"

Wartortle flinched as one of the bailiffs stepped forward to shout into the crowd that had grown more agitated as he spoke. His shoulders slumped with the weight of everyone's baleful attention, but he continued when silence reigned.

Every word was a battle to get out, but he still managed to speak. "When I made the bellows, I didn't have mercy in mind. I was angry, and wanted to see people hurt, and Ryker let me do that."

"Do you still want to hurt people?"

"N-no! Not at a-all."

"Then what changed? Based on what you've said so far, you gave your heart and your soul to this gang. What made you want to sell them out at the height of their power?"

"It was because of...well, something you alluded to. I was asked to change my formula to make it lethal. I was told that it would help us establish lasting power over the other outlaws. But, after some digging I learned that the goal was actually to use it on towns and major settlements. Against civilians, and...it was k-kind of a snap decision. I just wanted it all to be o-over..."

"You've been very honest over the course of this trial," stated Judge Vespiquen.

"Um, y-yes? I need to be, for you all to make an informed verdict, right?"

She leaned back. "Yes, you do. I have no further questions."

"Same. You kinda answered all the stuff I was interested in," chimed Judge Mothim. "I won't sugarcoat it Wartortle, all that sounds preeeeeeettty messed up. Like Judge Vespiquen said, you didn't hold much back. You know you're supposed to try and make yourself look better at these sorts of things, right? Your lawyer's looking pale."

Talonflame, headfeathers muffled from stress, coughed into his wing. "Ahem, my client is interested in a just and fair outcome like anyone else. He has nothing to hide."

"And as a result, we have had a very enlightening conversation. One that I believe has soundly settled the matter of Wartortle's character and trustworthiness," said Judge Lumineon. She looked down at Wartortle with squinted eyes full of condemnation, mouth open to deliver her verdict, but Judge Vespiquen beat her to it.

"I agree. It's clear we are dealing with a highly capable, results-driven individual. One who is easily swayed by others' opinions of him, but also self-aware enough to know when that's the case and still act to pursue his goals." She placed a claw under her chin. "I'd even go as far as to say pragmatic."

The fish's eyes went wide "P-pragmatic? Judge Vespiquen, did you hear him correctly? He created a chemical weapon designed for the sole purpose of inflicting as much pain as physically possible onto other Pokémon! Such a thing is barbaric! I-it's demented, it's-"

"I haven't made a statement on his morals yet. I'm just pointing out the truth that if one were to create a weapon intended to strike fear in the hearts of many." She pointed down at the bellows. "That's a damn good way to do it."

"Which only further demonstrates the point that Wartortle is a warped individual who cannot be trusted with Pokémon's safety in mind! Only further supported by how he openly admitted to creating several severely harmful substances that he has still not answered for-"

"Objection! Estoppel, your honor. My client has already been cleared of those past charges, making a judgment on those actions now would be overriding a verdict already made."

"Sustained," stated Judge Altaria. Judge Lumineon sighed, but still continued.

"I am not making a verdict on his actions, I am pointing out the obvious fact that, based on his own testimony, there is no evidence that his character can be trusted to walk freely, let alone continue to create things for people's benefit."

"Well, it's not like he's still like that now, right?" Judge Mothim fluttered up a bit and looked down at Wartortle.

"Do you still make drugs and like to hurt people?"

"N-no! Well, only the…um…legal drugs."

"Yeah, see?" said Judge Mothim, which only made Judge Lumineon grind her teeth.

"Are we ignoring his very recent actions with the Lunarest Hunter Center? If he was willing to do something like gas out an entire facility because he deemed that the ends justified the means, then can we really say that old habits and behaviors have truly gone? What else would he be willing to do just because he feels like he had to?"

She leaned forward and looked to Headmaster Wigglytuff across the dais. "Headmaster, please, surely you see the risk posed in allowing someone with this history to go free?"

The pink fairy let his paws rest on his stomach and leaned back. "…I still maintain my earlier position that, despite Wartortle's account of his involvement with the Raiders, the fact remains that all of this happened more than a decade ago. I believe if we are to come to a proper evaluation of his trustworthiness, we need to look at more recent examples, particularly as they relate to his more relevant association with the Absol Guild. The incident with the Hunter Center is one example, but there are-"

SLAM.

All eyes snapped up towards the sound of the entrance doors being thrown open. Guildmaster Beheeyem, flanked by two of her apprentices, rushed down the central aisle straight towards the dais.

"Apologies. I meant to arrive sooner," she said. Her voice, though not raised, still carried a sense of urgency matched by the flashing lights on her arms. She sped away from the audience seats towards the front of the dais, next to the trial box that Wartortle stood in, which prompted several security Pokemon along the walls to close in.

"Order. Order!" Judge Altaria slammed her gavel numerous times. The rest on the dais watched in clear interest with varying expressions; sheer bafflement from Judge Lumineon to something that resembled relief from Headmaster Wigglytuff. When all had calmed down, Judge Altaria glared down at Beheeyem. "Procedure and decorum must be observed by all who enter this court, even by those with a higher station. Guildmaster Beheeyem, explain yourself."

"Once again, apologies. Prior commitments kept me from speaking here, but it was always my intention to come." The lights on the ends of her arms slowed in their flashing, and she held one up to her chest. "If the present panel of judges allows, I, Guildmaster Beheeyem, would like to provide testimony on behalf of the Absol Guild."

Several feathers scattered as Talonflame whipped his wing up with haste. "The defense moves to accept Guildmaster Beheeyem to the stand!"

Judge Lumineon floated up, voice tinged with accusation. "Now hold a moment. Do you think just because you hold the title of Guildmaster that you can ignore proper procedure? Notice of witness testimony must be provided in advance. I move to remove the Guildmaster from the stand to preserve the integrity of this trial."

Headmaster Wigglytuff cleared his throat. "I would instead propose we listen and examine what she has to say. Breach of decorum inside, we know from an earlier hearing that Beheeyem had a brief encounter with the defendant, and it would be a wasted opportunity to not listen to her perspective, particularly as it relates to today's questioning. If this panel agrees, we could simply allow her to speak as I do not believe any other witnesses are slated to speak on behalf of Wartortle. After all, isn't it in this court's best interest to be thorough in our questioning to arrive at a sufficient ruling?"

Although his words were directed towards everyone, the way he leaned forward and aimed his words at Lumineon made it clear just who they were intended for. She huffed, but stood down, not willing to fight the same logic she used before.

Once it became clear he had the floor, Wigglytuff raised a paw. "I motion to allow Guildmaster Beheeyem to testify as it relates to her experience with Wartortle and the Absol Guild," he said.

"To submit a witness to the stand requires unanimous approval. We will take a vote," stated judge Altaria.

Wigglytuff, Mothim, and Vespiquen raised their paws and claws in assent, Altaria as well after a moment of deliberation. Judge Lumineon sent them all a withering glare, but eventually let out a long-suffering sigh and raised her fin.

"That motion does pass. Guildmaster, please take Wartortle's place on the witness stand. Once you have done so. the defense may begin their examination of your testimony."

"Thank you, your honors." Beheeyem gave a pleasant curtsey in midair and to the stand. Once Wartortle walked out and she took his place, Talonflame walked in front of her and nodded.

"Guildmaster, roughly two months ago you were visited by my clients at your guild headquarters. They came to deliver a message, along with something else. Can you please share your version of those events?"

"Certainly. To provide a bit of context, all of this occurred immediately after a scheduled meeting with Guildmaster Haxorus at roughly 10:14 a.m. We were having a discussion on the allocation of my resources and apprentices to areas impacted by the Dungeon spread. As had become a common pattern whenever we discussed matters together, I had something more pressing to attend to and bade Haxorus goodbye. Soon after, I allowed a shiny Absol, shiny Wartortle, and a Pachirisu I had worked with in the past into my workspace, only to discover it was actually Guildmaster Absol and his apprentice, Wartortle. They were in some kind of disguise, donned as shiny versions of themselves. Absol was also carrying some kind of large bag."

She turned to nod down towards Wartortle, who rubbed his claws together.

"During our discussion, Wartortle asserted that they had come to provide aid as well. I was unsure exactly what he meant, until he tipped over the bag that Absol carried. What I can only describe as several village's worth of restorative items spilled out of it, enough to easily flood most of my office. Once I had confirmed the quality of the items, Absol and Wartortle started to assure me of their innocence in the whole affair, before Haxorus barged back into my office and attacked Absol from behind, sending him flying through my window and a ways down to the ground."

A wave of surprised murmurs swept through the audience, yet Beheeyem continued in her recount. "I witnessed Haxorus get the upper hand on Absol before Wartortle sedated him with some kind of gas item. After he went to tend to Absol, Pachirisu joined him, and they all teleported away. The whole thing couldn't have taken more than a few minutes at most."

With his head inclined towards the reacting crowd, Talonflame cleared his throat in his wing and narrowed his eyes.

"Just so we understood that correctly, you said that Haxorus was the one to strike first in that situation?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"And you said he attacked Absol from behind and continued in his aggression even when it was clear that my client was trying to defuse the situation? Only for then my client, Wartortle, to defeat Haxorus in a matter of seconds?"

"Yes to both counts. It was with some kind of sleeping agent, I believe. Quite potent as well, as it brought Haxorus down within a matter of seconds."

"I see. I'm sorry you had to witness such traumatic and painful events, Guildmaster," said Talonflame.

"In truth I wouldn't say it was-"

"One more question before we move on to another topic." He hurried to cut her off. "From what you described, it sounded like there was quite a bit of property damage in Haxorus' sudden and explosive attack on Absol. Did you ever receive compensation from the Hunter Guild for the destruction to your guild?"

Beheeyem held an arm to where her mouth would be. Thoughtful beeps whirred in the brief silence. "As you mention it, I did send a letter addressed to Haxorus following the incident that, among other things, included an approximate amount of money in order to repair the things broken in the exchange. However due to my duties and other emergencies I was never able to follow up on that request. To be honest, I don't even believe I received a response back."

"I see. Thank you for sharing that with us," said Talonflame. Scandalous whispers emanated from the audience stands, which Talonflame allowed for a beat before speaking again. "Guildmaster, switching gears here, can you explain what it was that Absol was trying to explain to you? You mentioned he wanted to try and prove his innocence?"

"Yes, but there was more to it than that. He came with a warning that the Dungeon spread was being influenced by a third party who his guild had already come into contact with numerous times. He also asserted that his knowledge would be crucial in countering this other threat and developing proper measures to deal with the spread. Had Haxorus not intervened, I would have enjoyed listening to more of what he had to say as the only information I had on the Absol Guild came from speculative news headlines."

"Did you trust what Absol was trying to tell you before he was attacked?"

"At the time, I was uncertain. His claims of a third party were not supported by any immediate evidence, and I was aware of some of the other issues that his Guild was involved in during his time in hiding. However, as I reflected back on his words and the way in which he delivered his message, I have since come to believe that him and Wartortle were being completely genuine in their actions, especially considering the sheer amount of relief supplies delivered that day."

"Guildmaster, do you think you could explain to the court the impact that supplies had on your efforts to fortify and support towns and cities around the continents?"

"I'm very glad you asked." Beheeyem's voice increased very slightly in pitch, and the lights on her arms blipped pink. "A rough count showed a combined total of several thousand berries and seeds to address a variety of ailments as well as almost five hundred restorative drinks including elixirs and ethers. With this generous donation, I was able to significantly restock several Rescue Centers across the continents that received a lot of traffic, bolstering preparation and making my apprentices stationed in those areas ready to provide aid to those Pokemon in the event something happened. Sure enough, as most of you know, the Dungeons around the Mist continent have seen a startling uptick in the rate of their spread in this past month. This has required my guild to send increased aid and in some cases even evacuations of some small villages near Dungeons, which would have been exceedingly more difficult were it not for Absol and Wartortle's timely contribution."

She took a moment to pause and gather her thoughts before speaking again. "It occurs to me that my words and manner of speech are insufficient to properly express my gratitude to the Absol Guild in the days since then. The more I consider the risk Absol placed himself in to meet me and the generosity and foresight of Wartortle in providing that aid, the more I am forced to rationalize that the only reason they would have to do so would be for the sake of goodwill and a true desire to provide for the needs of Pokemon. It is my belief that locking the Absol Guild away indefinitely would be a severe mistake on behalf of this panel of judges, given their unique position to provide information and develop solutions to challenges presented in the current crises, both demonstrated in the past and potential for even greater benefits in the future."

"So you would say that continuing a working relationship with the Absol Guild is still something you would consider, even in light of their actions during their hiding?" asked Talonflame. Although his voice radiated confidence, if one focused they would see several feathers out of place and him grinding his teeth silently praying that the next thing she said would be favorable.

Thankfully, Beheyeem delivered.

"Actually, It has been my hope for some time now to speak with someone from the guild. to potentially share their planting and harvesting techniques for broader application. Perhaps incorporate farms or greenhouses with the same technology that allowed for such a bounty in such a short amount of time." She looked over at Wartortle and tilted her head. "I skimmed some of the things Wartortle said he was involved in during the previous trial, however that would not affect my desire to work with him more if it means that we can better provide for Pokemon. Cooperation would be optimal, at this stage."

"I see. Thank you, Guildmaster. That'll be all." Talonflame looked up at the dais and took a step back. "No further questions, your honors."

"Very well. The prosecution may start their cross examination," said Judge Altaria. Judge Lumineon wasted no time in clearing her throat.

"Guildmaster, you mentioned that Wartortle, Absol, and Pachirisu all infiltrated your guild under some kind of disguise that made them appear as if they were shiny variants, correct?

"Yes."

"Looking back, did you ever fear for the safety of your guild? Technology that enables deception of a scale to allow entry into a guild headquarters would be particularly concerning in the wrong paws, and we already have laws that dictate shapeshifting Pokemon must don their true forms when appropriate. Did it not concern you that Absol was able to so easily slip into your work chambers? Surely, him being a powerful pokemon, with a type advantage over you at that, getting so close to you would be concerning?"

"Not particularly, no," said Beheeyem. Silence hung in the air. Lumineon wrung her jaw for a moment to try and figure out a follow up question before Judge Mothim interjected himself.

"...You sure?" he asked, helpfully.

"With all due respect your honors, Absol is not the one who broke my window and cost me several thousand Poke in street repairs," explained Beheeyem. "I've worked with Absol. I know him as a diligent and committed mon who likes to keep to himself, not as a thief or troublemaker. If there's any issue I have with how he entered my guild, it is that I wish it didn't take such dismal circumstances for him to actually pay me a visit."

"Well, alright then." Judge Mothim whipped his head towards Altaria. "I have no further questions!"

"Likewise," said Guildmaster Wifglytuff, a soft smile on his aged face. Lumineon merely raised a fin with a huff, and all eyes shifted to Vespiqueen, who had remained silent ever since Beheyeem took to the stand.

"…Just one thing," she said, resting her head in a claw. "Beheeyem, you realize that your words today are in support of someone who has admitted to committing terrible crimes from a warped mind." She gestured to Wartortle. "Criminal activity, drug development, creation of a truly devastating weapon that was almost used on the populace. Even knowing all this, would you still say you're committed to looking past this to work with Wartortle and his associates for the betterment of our society?"

Beheeyem paused and looked over the aisle at Wartortle. They locked gazes and he shrunk his head a bit into his shell on impulse, but still managed to hold her gaze. After a moment, Beheeyem looked back up at Vespiquen.

"Yes."

"Very well. I'm finished."

"As am I," stated Altaria. "With the questioning concluded and no further comments from the prosecution or defense, the court will move into a brief recess before the next hearing." She raised up her gavel.

CLACK

"All dismissed!"

---

The door snapped shut behind Vert.

He stood stock still in the small break room for defendants they had filed into, furnished with a simple table and cushions up against brown walls. Although he could have been at the top of a mountain for all he cared, his glazed eyes hardly registered anything as he replayed the events of the last thirty minutes over and over in his head.

"Ho...ly...shit..." he mumbled under his breath. The three others in the room might have heard him if they weren't also coming to grips with how things went in their own, special ways.

"Okay! Okay so that...that just happened..." Phoenix Flight paced a hole in the ground. Red feathers dropped to the ground, his face stuck in the strange mixture of a rising elation clawing its way out of a deep pit of stress. "She really...wow..."

Meanwhile, Lumi and Brook rested on the cushions. Or rather, Lumi sat there unable to control the chuckles that bubbled in his throat while Brook leaned up against the wall, head matted with sweat, shaking.

"Heh...hehe...got a little intense there, huh?" Lumi's chest heaved as he lay splayed out on a cushion. To him, getting to watch Brook admit to everything he ever did, followed by Guildmaster Cortana barging in at the last minute, was the most excitement he had gotten in the past two months. The emotional rollercoaster manifested as him seeing the whole procession of events as hilarious.

As one could imagine, Brook did not share this sentiment.

"I...I-I c-c-can't...g-gonna-" Brook's eyes widened, his cheeks puffed, and he held a claw to his mouth.

"You're gonna what? What's...oh damn wait-" With quick reflexes, Lumi grabbed a nearby (and conveniently waterproof) wastebasket and put it before Brook right as he hunched over to vomit. He rubbed Brook's shell as the Wartortle expelled the contents of breakfast into the basket, along with a long, low whine the whole time.

"There you go, just let it all out. Easy."

"Uuuuuugggggghhh...I c-can't believe I a-actually said it all." Brook coughed and sniffled a few times, face still above the basket. "Now everyone knows I-I'm a horrible p-pokemon...I-"

"Hey, come on now, don't be like that," assured Lumi.

"The whole *sniff* g-guild knows that *hiccup* th-that I'm an evil, warped, d-demented...!"

"Brook, c'mon that's just the stress talking. You said everything like we planned, you did good! Plus, Judges Vespiquen and Mothim really seemed to appreciate your honesty, which is what we were hoping for. And don't worry about the guild, I'm sure nobody is gonna hate you."

"Y-ou *sniff* you th-think so?"

"I know so." Lumi glanced up at the ceiling, his smile turning more thoughtful. "Although I'll be honest, when you said that part about how killing people wasn't enough and you needed them to be so hurt they craved death was a little wild. You didn't tell us that was why you made it. I kind of mentally threw in the towel at that point and just wanted to see what would happen, but I think it turned out good in the end."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..."

"...Lumi. Lumi, come here," Vert's voice got Lumi's attention. He blinked, gave Brook one last pat on the shell, then walked towards his Guildmaster, who gently ushered him to a corner of the room.

Vert glanced over at Phoenix, who seemed busy frantically checking his notes, and spoke in a low whisper. "Lumi, did you...do anything, in that trial?"

"Do anything? What do you mean?" Lumi whispered back.

"I mean, did you somehow contact them, at any point?"

"Them wh-oooooh, them." The Meowstic chuckled. "Nah. Trust me, everything that just happened, did so without any outside influence. Guildmaster Beheeyem really did just arrive in the nick of time."

"So we just...caught a lucky break?" The words seemed foreign coming from Vert's mouth as if he was unused to admitting that. Lumi shrugged.

"Lucky break, or maybe it was meant to be. Whichever one makes you feel better. I am pretty sure that those two were definitely observing, and at least one of them was enjoying it more than I was."

The Absol blinked before a light grin invaded his blank face. He raised a paw and lightly tapped Lumi on the head. "You know you're going to be taking Brook's place in a little bit, right? I hope you can still enjoy yourself then."

"Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine. It'll be nice to finally say my piece after all this time. Judge Lumineon is kind of a dick though."

"Yes, she is. Has been for the past month, actually." Vert heaved a sigh. "Lumi, your 'higher connections' wouldn't have happened to tell you how this all ends, would they?"

"I was told that as long as we stay focused on making the world a better place and do everything in our power to be as awesome as we know we can be, everything will work out fine."

"So...no?"

"They said not knowing makes it more interesting," said Lumi, who crossed his arms with a fanged smile. "And honestly I kinda agree. This whole thing has my heart racing!"

Vert looked down at his apprentice, who smiled way too much for someone about to go stand trial in five minutes. He then glanced over at his other apprentice sobbing face deep in a basket of his own vomit and had to remind himself that the future of everything he loved and held dear rested in their paws.

"My heart's racing too, Lumi," he said after a brief pause. "My heart is racing too."

A loud smack on the table brought their attention to Phoenix Flight. "Okay! Okay, everyone get close, let's regroup real quick. Brook you can bring your basket."

They all gathered around the table with Phoenix's notes on it. Brook set the wastebasket a very reachable distance away and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"First thing's first," Phoenix lifted a wing towards Brook. "Excellent job. You did exactly what we talked about. I'll admit, you may have put a bit too much focus on the negative stuff from your past than I would have liked...or a lot more..."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..." whined Brook.

"But look how it worked out! Beheeyem came right when we needed her with exactly what we needed at that moment. Honestly couldn't have planned it better myself, she responded to all of my improvised questions like a pro."

"I noticed a line of your questions was almost entirely to try and make Havok look bad," said Vert, to which Lumi released another giggle. "I approve."

Phoenix preened, quite proud. "I saw my chance to discredit the opposition and took it. Now it is officially on record that the mighty Havok was brought low by a humble Absol apprentice in a one on one duel. But, more importantly for you Brook, it seemed that Vespiquen and Mothim seemed to resonate with your honesty, and that authenticity will help build the case overall that you do have a character that can be trusted. And it looks like Guildmaster Wigglytuff is helping to cover for us from his position as well."

"We have gotten a few more friends in this trial than I was expecting. The Headmaster has been a consistent voice of support from the beginning, but I wasn't expecting Vespiquen of all judges to look at Brook in a good light," said Vert. "My guess is she's thinking a little more long term about having someone who can develop a weapon like that working for people's benefit rather than the opposite, though regardless she seemed impressed with the design."

"Not sure if I should be p-proud of that..." mumbled Brook.

"Hey, quick question about the Headmaster." Lumi raised his paw with a thoughtful frown. "Tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Headmaster Wigglytuff isn't a judge. I thought his role was, like, making sure all the guilds get along. How come he's here? And isn't there some kind of conflict of interests thing going on, or am I looking too far into it?"

Phoenix Flight nodded his way. "No, those are good questions Lumi. The long and short of it is that given the very unique nature of this case, it was deemed necessary to have a member of the judge panel be someone who is particularly well versed in Guild related matters. The Headmaster's position makes him relatively impartial to the four guilds as he is in charge of ensuring their operations benefit society as a whole. He's also been around the block a few times, last I checked he's around 140ish, so he's pretty experienced."

"Of everyone on that panel, the Headmaster is the one who realizes the most how much we all lose if our Guild is locked up forever," explained Vert. "In the times I've spoken with him one on one, he seems to actually appreciate all I've been trying to do with the Research and Development Guild, even if he doesn't fully understand what we do. I would know, he's the one who put the thought of starting the guild up again decades ago."

"Oh, wow," Lumi held a paw to his mouth. "So he really is on our side, then."

"Yes, but don't think you can let your guard down just yet Lumi. Now it's time for the hard part, your questioning," said Phoenix. "When you walk in there, the judges are going to see you as the cause of an environmental anomaly in the Bright Continent, so proving your trustworthiness is probably going to be even more of an uphill battle."

"Probably, yeah," said Lumi with a shrug. Phoenix blinked.

"You...you remember the plan, right?"

"Plan? Yeah sure, I go in there, admit to everything, and then talk about how awesome we are and why they should keep us around." He rubbed his paws together and licked his lips. "And then afterward I can finally taste freedom, maybe some ice cream, and try out one of these bathhouses I've heard about..."

"Okay but, we have your parents who are going to come with their own testimony, we have a whole list of anticipated questions the judges might ask you, and-"

"Oh and I definitely can't forget about sunbathing at one of the volcanoes near here, that'd be sick. Hey Brook, have you ever done that before? Wouldn't you have traveled a lot while doing criminal stuff?"

Phoenix watched with a helpless raised wing as Lumi dropped the conversation dead and went to go pepper Brook with questions to the side of the room.

"He's...but...the plan..."

"Just let him be," said Vert to his side. He took a second to lick down some fur on his paw before continuing. "He's thought about this more than he's letting on, just trust him."

The door opened. A Watchog peeked their head in and waved at them. "Excuse me, but the recess will be ending soon. Please prepare yourselves and return to the courtroom."

The Watchog left. Phoenix took a deep breath, gulped, and started to put his notes away.

---

Clack! Clack! Clack!

"Order, order! The court is now back in session." Altaria's voice silenced any lingering chatter. "Following a brief recess and private discussion amongst the panel of judges, we will now continue with the proceedings. We will now call the defendant, Meowstic, to the stand."

Without delay, Meowstic walked up from behind the desk next to Absol and Wartortle to make his way to the stand. Talonflame joined him to stand next to it.

Judge Altaria took a moment to organize some documents in front of her. The rest of the judge panel looked down on Meowstic, who seemed more interested in observing the intricate carvings on the ceiling with his head craned back than the present situation.

Eventually, Altaria cleared her throat. "Meowstic." That brought his attention back. "This is your first time on the stand, correct? I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting."

"Oh, yeah. Good to meet you, my name is...wait, we don't really do names here, right?"

"Not typically, no." Her eyes squinted in something like endearment before continuing. "Meowstic, how old are you?"

"Twenty. I turned twenty about...I want to say like three months ago?"

"Mmhmm. And about how long have you been an apprentice of the Absol Guild?"

"Are you asking before or after I was arrested?"

"Before, please."

"About two weeks."

"Yes, that does sound about right. Meowstic, I hope you understand that, when Pokemon in this room are in your position, they are not typically as young as you with such a limited amount of time in their chosen profession. In fact, it would have to take something quite tremendous for us to be meeting here today. Would you agree?"

"Yeah, I would say so."

"Would you like to tell me why you think you're here today?"

"Ummmm..." Meowstic blew some air out of his mouth as he thought, then counted on his paw digits. "If I had to guess I would say that it's probably because you all want to figure out if you can trust me after I was accused of a few things. Things like causing the Match Quarry Dungeon to go haywire, which I did not do, stealing a boat, which I did do and that's on me, petrifying the Windy Spire Dungeon, which I also did do, and presumably causing a similar state of petrification to Dungeons all around the Bright Continent, which I'm pretty sure I'm also responsible for."

He looked back up at Judge Altaria. "I think that's the long and short of it, right?"

Judge Altaria took a deep breath and folded her wings in front of her."...Meowstic, you're here today because we have an issue. The issue is that, standing in front of us today is someone who, within just two weeks, has had what seems to be an irrevocable effect on our world. We don't know how you did it, we don't know what the ramifications are, and we do not take this lightly."

"And yet, you do." Judge Lumineon's icy tone froze the room. "You speak so blithely about this petrification you've brought on our lands as if it hardly concerns you. Your attitude shows a lack of care, urgency, and foresight for how your actions may impact the lives of so many. It is to such an extent that one might think you do not have your fellow Pokemon's interests at heart. The speed at which you got so involved certainly suggests motives other than mere altruism."

"Objection, your honor. Speculation. My client has-"

"No, wait. It's fine." Meowstic held a paw out to silence Talonflame, much to the lawyer's befuddlement, and looked back up to nod at Judge Lumineon.

"Please, keep going," he said. Lumineon huffed and took a second to rearrange some papers before her. She reared up with a flap of her pectoral fins, a document in a fin, and read off of them.

"Meowstic, you ventured into a Leyline, a Dungeon created from a significant amount of Aether, in order to manipulate its Keystone and therefore impact all Dungeons within the Bright Continent. Is this correct?" Thinly veiled frustration bubbled over her attempt at a professional tone.

"It wasn't just me who went, but yeah that's pretty much the case."

"And when you did manipulate this Keystone, as you admitted earlier, were you aware of the impact it would have on the continent at large?"

"I had a general idea that it would pause Aether, yes."

"But in terms of specifics, did you actually know what 'pausing' Aether would entail? The exact impact on the surrounding environment, potential impacts on surrounding towns, cities, etcetera? What would happen to those who might have ventured inside those Dungeons against the order not to when you did what you did? Were you aware of any of those outcomes?"

"I can't say I was, no."

"And at the time of the event, you were only familiar with the branch of thought surrounding the manipulation of Keystones for…as long as you had been in the guild, roughly two weeks, correct?"

"That sounds about right your honor,"

"So with minimal training, knowledge, or awareness of what your actions would cause, you still pursued this goal? This level of negligence goes beyond mere naivete or ignorance. It sounds more like you did all of this simply to see what would happen, heedless of the potentially disastrous consequences such actions would have on the lives of Pokemon around you. And yet I don't sense any concern or contrition in your tone."

Her eyes became harder and her lips trembled with barely restrained anger. "The world is not something that you can just experiment with, Meowstic. There are lives at stake, primeval powers and energies whose very essence only Arceus himself truly understands. Do you really believe you have the right to play around with them?"

Her words lingered heavily in the air. Meowstic, eyes closed, took his time on the stand to ponder them. After a few moments, he nodded and placed his paw to his chest. In a voice loud enough to echo around the Hall, he spoke:

"...Guided by riddles. Led by mystery. Always searching, never lost." A smile grew on his face and he opened his eyes. "That's our guild cheer, if you didn't know. I like it because, to me, it always meant that we never have to be afraid of things we don't understand. Instead of running away from those things or acting like they don't exist, we can accept and, even better, move forward while still learning. And no matter how far we go, we're always right where we need to be, because to live is to move forward.

"That was the mentality I had, that my whole guild had, when we were in hiding and there was a bounty out for our arrest. We didn't want the world to live in fear when there was something we could do about it. We determined that we had the skills, knowledge, and willingness to try and help in our own way, and as a result, a lot of scary things are happening that we currently don't have the answers to. You're right, I didn't know exactly what would happen and I don't know all of the ramifications yet."

Meowstic furrowed his brow and tapped the front of the trial box. He met Lumineon's glare with eyes aglow with determination."But I can say with confidence that I don't regret my choices. I chose to be an Absol apprentice, and that means dedicating myself to helping the world know the unknowable a little more every day. That was the promise we all made to the world, and that was the promise we intended to keep, even when we were accused of something we didn't do and forced into a situation where we had to choose between doing nothing and acting on limited information. We chose to act.

"I accept responsibility for my actions, and I want to tell you that, for as long as the Absol Guild remains in operation, we will continue to do all we can to face the crazy secrets this world has head-on so that Pokemon don't have to be afraid. That's who we are, and that's our promise to you."

His words electrified the still hall, leaving a gravid silence between him and the judge. With narrowed eyes, Judge Lumineon slowly floated down into her seat. She stared down Meowstic for a tense moment as she gathered her thoughts. "...Similar sentiments have been shared by your fellow apprentices in past hearings, albeit none so brazen as you. Regardless, there is still one primary point of contention I feel must be addressed directly: This matter of how your sense of urgency was spurred on by alleged terrorists and even the Legendaries themselves. I will open the floor to my fellow judges and yie-"

"Oh, finally! I've been waiting forever to say something, you kinda talk a lot, Lumineon." Judge Mothim's outburst startled Lumineon and Wigglytuff, the other two unperturbed. He flapped his wings a bit to hover above his seat like before. "Anyway, yeah, I wanted to talk about the Legendary and terrorist stuff because that seems important. Some of your guild mates have already mentioned it, but I just want to ask if you in particular fought any Legendaries?"

"Oh yeah, I fought Xerneas," said Meowstic. His shoulders seemed much more relaxed than when he spoke to Lumineon, and he didn't react to the surprised murmurs that rumbled through the court.

"Oh wow, that's so cool!" Mothim's wings flapped a bit faster in excitement.

"Right!?" Meowstic's golden eyes went just a bit wider, matching the judge's energy.

"Did they use any sort of super moves or anything like that?"

"Well, there was this part where Xerneas like, sucked up the life energy of some of the plants and things in the Dungeon, and then used it to power up and almost destroy us. It was pretty wild."

"I bet, that sounds crazy. And the terrorists? What do you know about them?"

"Oh them? I'm sure you've gotten their description before, but basically it's this group led by this really loud and annoying Noivern that likes to work from the shadows. There's six of them and they all have these weird spatial powers that lets them go pretty much wherever they want, it makes them a pain to predict. They're the ones dedicated to destabilizing the Dungeons." Meowstic scratched the top of his head. "Honestly, they're the biggest reason why we felt we had to move so quickly. If not, they would have been able to go unopposed, and it's not like we were in a position to go to the authorities and try to explain, doing so would have wasted time while they were being active."

"Hmmmmm, I see..." Mothim held a leg to his mouth, eyes squinted in thought. The other judges cast dubious glances over the interaction, but he wasn't phased. "Meowstic, it sounds like you're trying to assert that all this stuff with the Legendaries and these terrorists were so much of a perceived threat that you and your guild really felt like you had no choice. Trying to fight against the clock. And that's great and all, but you know I can't just take your word for it. You wouldn't happen to have any evidence of what you're talking about would you?"

"Yeah, we do." Meowstic turned to Talonflame. "Could we bring it out?"

"Your honors, I'd like to submit evidence number fifteen to the floor," said Talonflame. The judges granted the motion, and soon another table was wheeled out into the center of the main stage. Several pink orbs laid on top of it. All eyes became glued to the pink spheres, particularly the way they seemed to be in a state of constant motion, always expanding but never breaching the confines of their boundaries.

"During their time in hiding, the Absol Guild managed to successfully capture and interrogate a member of the terrorist group my client mentioned earlier. The items you see before you today were confiscated from their belongings, orbs that can transfer some kind of strange energy."

"They would crush these orbs and the power would sort of flow into them, and then they could do all sorts of crazy things," explained Lumi as the judges looked down at the table with interest. Mothim especially seemed enraptured.

"Oooooh, can we see? How do they work?"

"A courtroom may not be appropriate for a demonstration of these orbs. Furthermore I familiarized myself with some of the tests the guild managed to perform on them in the brief time they had. Early tests showed that after destroying one, a wave of energy would briefly wash over the one who broke it before dissipating just as quickly and rematerializing back as an orb again. To avoid potentially losing or damaging the specimens, further tests were suspended in favor of more study."

As Judge Mothim's eyes widened on looking at the orbs, Vespiquen leaned forward in her seat. "While this is fascinating, I do have to point out the obvious. You have presented an object that doesn't explicitly point to any of these terrorists you've mentioned, and we also cannot see in front of us. Who is to say the guild did not simply create these items before us as evidence?" she said.

Meowstic shrugged. "If you want, you can look through all of our books, notes, schematics, or whatever. Nobody in our guild would know how to make something like this, it's completely different from anything we've worked with."

"Would you be open to having your records analyzed by a third party to verify that statement?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Very well. However I would like to focus on a point that my fellow Judge Mothim made." Her eyes seemed to narrow. "Hearing talk of the Legendaries in your testimony is a little bit more than 'wild' or 'crazy.' Sightings of any of them have been few and incredibly far between over the centuries, with only rumors of the last one being reported in the past few decades. For you to say so casually that you 'fought Xerneas,' requires more than just your testimony for us to properly evaluate the veracity of this claim."

At her words, Talonflame took a step forward. "Your honors. I would like to call the defendant's parents to the floor as witnesses. They had contact with the Absol Guild while they were in hiding, and more importantly escorted my client and his team where they encountered both the terrorists and Xerneas within. They would be able to shed more light on the circumstances."

"Very well, call them both up." She glanced briefly at the rest of the panel. "If there are no issues?"

Nobody else commented, so Talonflame looked back and motioned towards the audience. An Espeon and Mawile stood up from their seats at the front and made their way down the central walkway towards Meowstic's stand. He stepped down, shared a quick hug with both of them, and then they took his place before the judges while he sat next to Absol.

Once they were settled, Talonflame stepped in front of them and cleared his throat.

"Thank you for being here today. I understand that speaking on behalf of your son can be a delicate issue, so I appreciate you taking time to testify."

"We're glad we finally have the opportunity to," said Mawile. Espeon nodded in agreement.

"Obviously, there's a level of credibility that may be lost when any family member is brought on trial. Conflicts of interest, emotional bias, unknowingly triggering sympathy in the room, and a host of other considerations can impede the truth from coming to light. So, I'd like to take some time to establish some things about you two just to make everyone aware of your particular circumstances and relevance to what's been happening."

"Fine by me," said Espeon.

"Firstly, you two recently came out of retirement as Hunters about two months ago. Team Nimbus, correct?" asked Talonflame.

The two on the stand shared a look, and it seemed like Mawile would handle these questions for now.

"Yes."

"And before then, you settled down to raise a family before then at a nice place in Thistle Town, in the Bright Continent?"

"Yes, we ran a small shop there. Did that for...however old our son is, plus some change. So we had peace for roughly twenty-one years."

"We were bored for twenty one years," corrected Espeon, to which she received a light elbow from Mawile and chuckled throughout the room. Talonflame smiled at her.

"Boredom, presumably because you had come off of a rather exciting and illustrious career as Hunters correct? Would it be fair to say that you two were, at one point, regarded as the greatest Hunters of the last century?"

"Yes." Espeon had no hesitation. Her mate took a bit longer to respond.

"...A title like that is always subjective, but we did reach Master rank when we were active in the Guild. We were also...quite involved in the 'vulnerable period of history' that one of the judges mentioned earlier."

"Would you mind expanding on that?"

"We're under oath not to mention specifics in public, even now. However I am at liberty to say that Team Nimbus was frequently involved in operations and missions that were often above and beyond what was normally expected for Hunters. In particular, we often came in contact with many outlaws seeking to take advantage of the chaos, including brief brushes with members of Ryker's Raiders towards the tail end of our career, and several Legendaries who were also related to some of the issues happening."

"And it's safe to say that, when it came to it, you battled these outlaws and, at times, even Legendaries?"

"When we had to, yes."

"All that to say, when you received the news that your son and his guild had been unfairly labeled as criminals and a host of strange phenomena began happening around the world pertaining to the Dungeons, you had a sense of deja vu, so to speak?"

"Correct," Mawile nodded. "While the events weren't the exact same, we had a strong feeling that something similar was going on. Enough that, the moment he told us what happened, we made arrangements to go out and find answers. We were the only ones with our particular expertise who knew what to look for. Also..."

Mawile paused and scratched his chin. "...Our son is a good kid. For whatever faults he has, he's not a liar and he'd never done anything even resembling a crime. When he told me the headline that marked him as a terrorist was false, I believed him instantly, we both did. And we realized that we had to do something to help, especially since we might be the only ones who would."

"And it was that drive that led you to conduct your own investigation to find what answers you could, even if it meant journeying deep into the Bright Continent's Borderlands into outlaw territory, at great potential risk to yourself."

"Naturally. What few leads we could find pointed to the Weavile who attacked my son months ago being connected to a string of jailbreaks. At the time, the only place we could go find any more information was Skull Roost, widely considered to be a nexus of outlaw activity. There, we met with the reigning outlaw Chieftain known as Queen, but unfortunately only left with more questions. Without any more leads, we figured we would seek the Absol Guild again and offer what services we could."

"Which is when you subsequently found yourselves escorting your son and his Team to a highly distorted and dangerous Dungeon where you all had to contend with the hostile environment, villains with strange powers, and even Xerneas? All so that your son, who has already been established as the only person aside from these terrorists who can influence Dungeons, could potentially do something about the Dungeon spread worldwide?"

"That's the long and short of it."

"Mawile, there are alot of questions I could ask about that whole situation, but then we might be here all day. Rather, as it pertains to the present situation of trying to establish if your son was acting in good faith on behalf of society when he did whatever he did, I just want to ask one thing. Do you feel like there was a significant sense of urgency that compelled you to move forward, at the cost of considering the ramifications of your actions?"

With a raised brow, Mawile tilted his head at Talonflame, expression like he just asked if the sky was blue. "A sense of urgency? That wouldn't even begin to describe it. This group could be in multiple places at once and so quickly. The Absol Guild had only been in hiding for a little over a week and had already attempted to thwart their attempts on the Dungeons, and they were still a step ahead in some areas. By the time we set our sights on Hollow Garden, we realized we were already behind in a race that quite literally had the fate of the entire Bright Continent at stake. Based on all the information we had at the time, if we didn't do something, then things would only get worse."

"So given all of your experience and the information you had at the time, do you believe that your son was justified in his actions? That he was acting in a manner consistent with his role as an Absol apprentice?"

At his words, Mawile and Espeon shared a long look, "...Try to put yourself in this position, for a moment. You're tired, on your last legs. The living, breathing Xerneas is looking at you, hardly cognizant of what's happening and just coming off of trying to destroy you. To the sides are the terrorists that are responsible for heightening all of these issues and could stage a counter-attack at any moment, and you are seconds away from doing the one thing that you feel might improve things, fully aware that it could have unforeseen consequences, and fully aware that nobody would thank you for it. You have to make a decision. There is no time."

His hard look swept over the judges, sharpened by his frown. Mawile inhaled a breath and turned slightly to get a quick look at his son, before returning his gaze to the panel.

"My son made a decision that day. Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, he didn't have the luxury of...time..." A frustrated snort escaped his nose, but he continued. "He just had a desire to make things right. Him and the rest of Team Nova risked their lives to do that, for everyone else's sake."

"I see, thank you." Talonflame backed away and turned his attention back to the dais. "No further questions, your honor."

"Very well, then the panel will begin its cross examination of Mawile and Espeon," said Altaria. To this side, Judge Lumineon raised a fin.

"I do have a few general questions, just to get a better understanding of Meowstic's motivations. Firstly, do you believe it's possible that your son could have been influenced in his actions, given that his parents were Hunters of such high caliber? Based on your track record, you seem to cast a rather large shadow."

The two blinked and glanced at each other. Espeon leaned a bit further over the railing, an odd look on her face. "Honestly I don't see how, considering we never told him about any of that until very recently. He had no idea about any of our accomplishments, and frankly my mate discouraged him from anything to do with Dungeons or anything dangerous until his twentieth birthday. Just like you said, we didn't want him to be influenced or feel like he had to do anything like we did, so the goal was to just give him a normal life and see where that took him."

"And somehow that took him here. To the Atlas High Court." Lumineon furrowed her brow. "I just find it difficult to believe that there was no correlation whatsoever between your acts and his decision to join the Absol Guild."

"There probably were some correlations, just not the ones you're thinking of. To start, we were basically neighbors with the Absol Guild when they began operations and moved almost right next to Thistle Town when he was a kid. Before then, my son didn't seem to have an interest in the three other guilds, but the moment Absol's was up and running, it became his obsession."

"And between the both of you, you were the one to enable this 'obsession'?"

"Oh yeah, I would sneak him some books on occasion, and would sometimes order some more custom items that I knew the average mon wouldn't buy, just so he could look at them. If he'd been on especially good behavior, we would even sneak out together while my mate was still asleep to any of the nearby Dungeons within walking distance."

Mawile snapped his head towards Espeon, both jaws slack at the blatant admission, clearly news to him. She simply smirked, then shrugged. "I just loved seeing him happy and excited about something. He needs his mind stimulated, challenged with something, otherwise he just gets bored and depressed."

"I see. Next, you said that you two decided to conduct your own investigation into the identities of the ones you believed were targeting the Dungeons. Yet, If you had a lead on the identities of the true perpetrators, then why didn't you bring that to the Hunter Guild's attention? You clearly had both the credibility and history with the guild for them to listen to you. Why not share your findings and potentially redirect the blame and bounty on your son?"

"Because, fuck Haxorus."

Like a wildfire, her words sparked immediate rounds of gasps and chatter throughout the audience. Judge Altaria clacked her gavel a few times to get them to settle down, and Lumineon looked a bit flustered. Judge Wigglytuff's eyes popped wide, but his passive smile remained strong and steady.

Within the audience, a Dragonite laughed harder than she had in several months, however it got drowned out in the heat of the moment.

"Espeon, please maintain decorum while in the courtroom, you've been warned." Lumineon took a breath before starting again. "It's understandable if you were distrustful of the Haxorus Guild because of the impact to your family, howe-"

"No, I'm distrustful because he was stupid," retorted Espeon. Her face became flat, heedless of the affronted look on Lumineon's face as she was interrupted. "He was sloppy, did no formal investigation, and instead of handling anything privately to avoid public outcry, he let his grudge against Absol get the better of him and called a monhunt. Why in the world would we ever trust someone like that with sensitive information? Not to mention that his pride would likely prevent him from accepting any evidence to what he'd already decided was true."

"...Be that as it may, did you not at least consider that there may have been some avenue of sharing that information to potentially better inform the Hunters? If not Haxorus directly, maybe someone else you may have trusted?"

"Look, my mate established earlier that time was not on our side. We weren't at liberty to wait around for some apprentice team to go through the process of verifying what was going on. We knew we could do it better on our own, and we did do it better on our own. The reason I'm even able to speak so candidly about Haxorus is because I've worked with him before and he knows we get results, something he can't say for himself. The way I see it, his "efforts" to try and deal with the Dungeon spread are the reason we're all wasting time in this trial anyway."

"You see this trial as a waste of time?"

"This trial, the past two months, everything." Espeon frowned. "Do you realize what the decision to blame the Absol Guild cost us? All of the unnecessary running and hiding, the desperate measures taken that could have easily been avoided. The Absol Guild would have never needed to resort to less than legal means of doing their job if they were simply privately questioned from the beginning. But no, instead my son had to have his first two weeks at his dream guild marred by being branded a criminal, and then the next two months wasting away in a Hole, all because of some dumb sh-"

She caught herself. Espeon took a long, slow breath.

"...Because of foolishness." A low, icy tone carried under her words. Judge Lumineon's mouth became a line as she drifted down towards the dais and glanced down at some papers on its surface.

"...One more thing." She adjusted some of the papers with her fin and squinted at them. "According to our files, you were an outlaw before joining Team Nimbus in a probationary capacity, and then as a full member at a later date. I assume this was also something you kept from your son until recently?"

"Correct."

"Of course, and I won't delve into the details of that right now, however something did catch my eye as I reviewed some of your official reports regarding your investigation, which I happen to have in front of me. Apparently you reached out to an acquaintance of yours for information. A Gengar, is this correct?"

"Yes, he's an old friend, he runs a smithing shop in Lumbell. I used to see him a bit infrequently, although we've been working with him more as we've done more missions out of retirement."

"And this particular Gengar was also a known outlaw for quite some time, like you. Involved in several item smuggling rings and was a notable fence for illicit goods. Is this also correct?"

"...Yes, he's also been clean for almost as long as I've been and, as I should reiterate, runs a very clean and legal business. I think he also donates to charity on the side. I don't see the point of this question, your honor."

"My point, Espeon, is that ultimately this is a trial about trust. We're here to see if we can trust that your son, who could potentially play a pivotal role in the world moving forward, is not being indirectly influenced by his mother who could still have ties to the criminal underworld. So I ask you: do you still keep in contact with anyone from that world?"

"I don't currently know anyone in that world, your honor. Right now, anyone who would be is either in prison or has turned a new leaf."

"And can you say with confidence that Gengar does not have any connections to illegal activity that you know of?"

"Yes, I can."

"So you would feel comfortable if a thorough investigation was conducted to verify that claim?"

"Yes. I would."

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes. I. Am." The words came out as a low growl, eyes narrowed to slits. Lumineon matched her for a few tense moments before finally leaning back.

"I have no further questions," she said.

"Do any other members of the panel wish to speak?" asked Altaria. Once the ensuing silence stretched long enough, she nodded.

"Then, with this questioning concluded and no further comments or questions from the defense and prosecution, and with no other hearings scheduled for today, I bring today's session to a close. The prosecution and defense will reconvene promptly tomorrow morning while the panel deliberates the findings to arrive at a verdict."

Judge Altaria raised her gavel.

"With that, you are all dismissed."

CLACK!

---

The next morning, Guildmaster Absol stood on the stand before the dais. Co-Guildmaster Whimsicott stood with him, paws folded in front of her. Behind them, every Absol apprentice sat in their section of the audience, looks ranging from anticipation, dread, and acceptance plastered on all of their faces.

Fresh silence reigned in the courtroom as Judge Altaria recently established order and had already commenced with the formalities.

She spoke.

"For allegations of terrorism, inciting mass panic, and furthering the spread of Dungeons which threaten our world, this panel finds the Absol Guild of Research and Development...

...Not guilty."

Those in their seats stirred. Looks were shared. Whimsicott took a step closer to Absol.

"Following this decision, Absol Guild apprentices and those associated with them testified in defense of their actions and continued commitment to their duty as a Guild. This panel finds that, to the extent which was possible considering their challenging circumstances and information available at the time, the Absol Guild did indeed act in a manner consistent with the duty instilled in its inception, chief of which was to pursue, safeguard, and share knowledge about Dungeons and all things that pertain to them.

This panel also finds that the Absol Guild went above and beyond their call of duty through their heroic actions of disrupting the attempts of those who would seek to cause further harm to Pokemon through the manipulation and exacerbation of Dungeon spreading."

At that, excited murmurs bubbled up from the audience, primarily from the apprentices. Expressions of fear and caution turned to elation and disbelief.

"In acknowledgment of harm caused by their bounty and subsequent arrest, both in injury to the Absol Guild and to our society for the loss of access to their valuable services, the court will also award the Absol Guild restitution in the amount five million Poké, the major-

They screamed.

A loud, cathartic cheer erupted from the apprentices and even some of the others who were in attendance, powerful enough to make the marble walls and structures shake. They clapped and stomped their feet, embraced and in some cases kissed each other (a Sylveon and Banette, quite passionately). A significant amount of the applause came from the clan of Scrafty also in the audience, just as happy at the news that the guild would receive what amounted to a very comfortable budget for a well-sized village.

On the stand, Absol's legs seemed to wobble. He brushed against Whimsicott, who put a steady paw on his barrel.

They were allowed time to relish the announcement, enough to quiet down on their Judges waited patiently, and once decorum had been restored, Judge Altaria cleared her throat to continue.

"...The majority to be paid by the Haxorus Guild of Defence and Enforcement, and the rest by the Mienshao and Beheeyem guilds. In addition, the court has also arranged for the full refurbishment of Absol Guild facilities, with potential relocation should the injured party choose, at no expense."

"Finally, the Absol Guild will be awarded full authority to conduct operations on any Dungeon, known and unknown, in the form of tests, exploration, alteration, or whatever other activity they deem most beneficial for the acquisition of knowledge for Pokemon's benefit, provided that any activity that would be a major impact to any nearby community be properly communicated, and that sufficient measures are taken to maintain quality of life.

It is strongly encouraged that, wherever possible, the Absol Guild should also make a good faith effort to collaborate with the other guilds so as to maintain their partnership and keep them informed of new developments. Enforcement of this stipulation at this stage would infringe upon the sovereignty given to the Absol Guild to manage its own affairs, and will be further expanded upon if necessary at a later date."

Judge Altaria finished reading from her statement. To her right, Headmaster Wigglytuff stood from his seat and looked down at a piece of paper in his paws.

"With these provisions from the Atlas High Court, and by the power vested in me as Headmaster, I hereby reinstate the Absol Guild of Research and Development to full operational capacity, effective immediately."

He looked up from his paper to the two on the stand, and smiled.

"Guildmaster Absol. Co-Guildmaster Whimsicott. It is my sincere hope that you continue your work for the benefit of us all, and help us to understand the dangers to come. Will you accept this charge?"

"With pleasure, Headmaster." Whimsicott bowed in elegance.

"And you, Guildmaster?"

Absol did not respond.

"...Guildmaster Absol?"

He teetered on his feet...

"Abs...oh dear-"

...and fainted.

---

A/N: They finally beat the menace to society allegations. We're so back.