Singer-Of-Songs had never been the strongest of the Kanto-Johto Heralds. He'd never been the smartest either, or the trickiest, or even the bravest. But he knew his job. His purpose. And what he needed to do should that purpose be put in jeopardy.
About thirty feet away from him, completely oblivious to his presence, sat a Trainer named David Wright, aged sixteen. His mother had been a member of Team Magma, and had been locked up in Iron Island when he'd still been a toddler. Two years he'd been training, two years trying to forge an identity away from her. He was strong, to be sure - Top 16 in the most recent Hoenn League Tournament - and he had a strong team behind him.
But not strong enough to fight the monster standing before Singer-Of-Songs now.
"You know why I am here," said Betrayer-Of-Kin. "I only ask that you consider moving out of the way and sparing yourself the pain."
Singer-Of-Songs swallowed his fear and steadied his stance. "Not a chance."
Betrayer-Of-Kin dematerialized in a puff of Oblivion; she reappeared in the air above Singer-Of-Songs, bringing her horn down upon his head. Drawing upon all of his training, he raised his own to meet her. The two horn-blades clashed in a shower of sparks; in the very next moment, Betrayer-Of-Kin teleported again, this time reappearing right next to Singer-Of-Songs. He couldn't adjust in time; her horn scythed a deep cut down his side, and it would have been even deeper had reflex not taken over and enabled him to twist just the slightest bit away.
Betrayer-Of-Kin was quick to follow up. A barrage of Pursuit rays flew from her mouth; Singer-Of-Songs twisted to meet them, ignoring the agony rippling across his side as he sliced through all of them with quick slashes of his horn. Even as he slashed the last one into fragments of Oblivion, he saw Betrayer-Of-Kin dematerialize and reappear again, this time leaping towards his injured side. Singer-Of-Songs called upon Double Team, forming a circle of clones around himself that at once leaped in all directions; to his immense relief, Betrayer-Of-Kin's slash only hit a clone, and he was quick to open fire with his own Pursuit flurry.
Betrayer-Of-Kin teleported out of the way, allowing the rays to slam into the trees behind her; as she reappeared some distance away, she was already slicing her horn through the air, creating an Oblivion-formed afterimage of a blade that immediately swept towards the entire cluster of clones. Singer-Of-Songs leaped into the air to meet it, his clones lunging alongside him; his horn-blade flared with Oblivion of his own, and with a grunt of effort he ripped through the attack.
Even as he landed, though, he saw Betrayer-Of-Kin teleporting in front of him and realized that the grunt had given him away. Nevertheless, he reacted quickly enough to deflect her slash with his own horn-blade, and this time he had the presence of mind to twist and lash out with his tail-blade to force her to teleport away instead of next to him. She materialized on the other side of the clearing, still unmarked; by contrast, blood was pouring from Singer-Of-Songs' side wound. Grimacing, he summoned another horde of Double Team clones and tried not to look at the red-stained ground beneath him.
I can't win this. I know that. But I've already sent a message to any other Heralds in the area. With any luck, they'll be here within the next minute. One minute…that's all I have to stall her for.
Just one minute.
Betrayer-Of-Kin raised her head towards the half-dozen copies of Singer-Of-Songs. "I don't have time for this," she growled. "And with the hour of importance fast approaching…I need not worry nearly as much about revealing my true power." Her entire body blazed pitch-black with Oblivion as she crouched down, the energy vast enough and strong enough to ripple across the entire clearing. She raised her head, her horn-blade ablaze with black, and her voice was guttural as it left her mouth.
"Master's Blade: All-Encompassing Void."
Betrayer-Of-Kin slashed down, and the clearing exploded.
Singer-Of-Songs felt it more than he saw it. If he'd been in any mood to be rational, he would have realized that Betrayer-Of-Kin had just pulled off a feat of teleportation that would have caused even the strongest Psychic-type Legendary to take note, carrying a single attack through a dozen different teleports and aiming them all perfectly at the same time.
But any thought to that regard was forestalled by the pure agony that tore across his entire body as Betrayer-Of-Kin's horn sliced through his right eye, cut so deep through his left front leg that it felt as if the entire foot had just come off, and opened up four more cuts across various parts of his body that were just as deep as the first.
As his Double Team clones dissipated all around him, torn apart by the other half-dozen teleporting slashes, Singer-Of-Songs fell to the ground, blood flowing freely from his terrible wounds. Through his one remaining eye he saw Betrayer-Of-Kin rematerialize back where she'd started. She didn't even look back at him; she knew he was finished. She simply began to step towards the trees, towards where David was still sitting, still unknowing of the danger that was coming straight for him.
Singer-Of-Songs had never been the strongest of the Kanto-Johto Heralds. He'd never been the smartest either, or the trickiest, or even the bravest. And perhaps if he had been, his charge might just have survived the day.
But he wasn't. And so, by the time the other Heralds in the area arrived to find his mangled corpse exactly forty-five seconds later, David Wright was already dead, his story snuffed out before it could even come close to its conclusion.
"Medicham."
"Darkrai." Medicham felt nervousness filling her at the tone of Darkrai's voice; last time she'd heard that kind of tone, it had been just before he'd warned her of the renegade Heralds' attack on the train. "What's wrong?"
Darkrai heaved a quiet but still audible sigh. "Betrayer-of-Kin got to another target," he admitted. "The last of Bringer-Of-Visions' alternative assets."
Medicham bowed her head at the thought. A memory flashed in her head of that awful first encounter with Betrayer-Of-Kin. There was no Lifebringer to save this one, she thought sadly.
"How old were they?" she asked.
"Sixteen," Darkrai whispered.
Sixteen. Two years of training. His life had practically barely even begun.
"Medicham," said Darkrai, "this means that in all likelihood, Betrayer-Of-Kin will be coming for Marcus next. You must be-"
"Well, that's nothing new, is it?" Medicham snapped. "Is that all you can think about, Darkrai? A teenager's dead, and you just look ahead to the next one, huh?"
"That is not what I am saying," Darkrai retorted. "Calm yourself, Medicham, this will accomplish nothing and you know it."
Medicham slumped against the dojo wall. "I know. I'm sorry, Darkrai, I know you're not like Bringer-Of-Visions. It's just…" She forced back tears. "It's just…so many lives, torn apart and snuffed out…it's such a waste…"
"I know." Medicham felt a warm wind swirling around her as Darkrai spoke. "Believe me, I know. I am the Master of the Heralds - it is my responsibility to keep all of those lives safe. And I've failed every single one of them. All except for one."
Medicham looked up to see Darkrai's faded outline floating directly in front of her. "The boy is dead, Medicham. I know that hurts. But it's not like we can change what happened. All we can do is ensure it doesn't happen to Marcus. And for that, you must be as prepared as possible. Betrayer-Of-Kin utilized a new technique - one that must now be taken into account whenever dealing with her. It seems that, for whatever reason, she is holding back less and less in her battles. Revealing more and more of her true capabilities."
"Well," said Medicham, wiping her eyes and rising to her feet, "at least that's something."
"Precisely," Darkrai replied. "Now…is it okay if I summon a facsimile of her to demonstrate?"
Medicham nodded mutely. She regretted it a second later; her heart pounded and her fists clenched in fury as the visage of Betrayer-Of-Kin formed in the center of the dojo.
Darkrai clearly noticed. "Are you sure you're all right with this? We don't have to-"
"No," Medicham forced out through gritted teeth. "I hate it…but I have to learn. Just…demonstrate quickly, okay?"
"Of course," said Darkrai. "Watch closely, Medicham - she starts by raising her horn up…"
The day dawned just as bright and sunny as it had been for the entire past week. For once, Liepard felt just as bright - last night, Marcus had finally deemed her punishment for disobeying orders and spying on Gloria to be over. This morning, she would finally be able to run free again, rather than only being allowed out for training and meals.
So it was that she ate her breakfast with quite a bit more fervor than usual. Breakfast was curry - Galarians clearly loved their curries, and it showed in just how many they ate. Liepard didn't mind; she liked the curries, and the myriad different flavors meant that they didn't get boring. Hop, Gloria, and Marcus clearly didn't mind either. She didn't know about Sonia; the professor's assistant had left bright and early, claiming that she wanted to get to Hulbury as quickly as possible. She had not bothered to elaborate on her reasoning.
Liepard finished her curry before everyone else; glancing around, she saw Pangoro to her left, holding his bowl to his mouth and gulping down the remainder of his curry. The sight brought a smirk to her lips, one which Pangoro saw; he snorted and looked away even as he continued to drink.
To Liepard's right was Medicham. Liepard glanced over at her and was surprised to see she'd barely touched her curry. Liepard knew Medicham didn't need much food - apparently her species could survive on one berry a day, something that Liepard couldn't possibly imagine - but all the same, Medicham usually enjoyed the curries, and while she didn't empty her bowl quickly she usually didn't pick at it like this.
"Flavor not to your liking, mon ami?" Liepard asked.
Medicham's head swiveled towards Liepard. "You want the rest? I'm fine without."
Liepard nodded in acquiescence. Medicham wasted no time in shoving the bowl over. Liepard bent down to taste it; the curry wasn't bad at all, though it had gotten a little cold.
Medicham sat down, peering over at Hop and Gloria with an unreadable expression. The two were eating curries of their own excitedly, their teams surrounding them. Both were excited to get going; the goal today was Route 5, the intent to spend the day training in preparation for the journey to the next Gym.
Gloria was also interested in catching a new Pokemon - she still only had Raboot and Bunnelby, and it was becoming clear that she needed more. Her battle with Hop yesterday afternoon had proven as much; despite Raboot and Bunnelby's best efforts, the newly-evolved Corvisquire and Thwackey had been too much for them. While Hop hadn't gloated about the win - not the way Bede had done - he'd clearly been excited to level the score against his rival, and now both he and Gloria were looking forward to pulling ahead in their next battle.
Liepard chuckled at the sight of the two teenagers attacking their curries. She saw Medicham sigh and look away, her eyes swiveling towards the nearby window. Her expression was still unreadable, though Liepard thought she detected wistfulness veiled beneath her mask of indifference.
Liepard took another sip of Medicham's curry, then glanced back at the Fighting/Psychic-type. "You look troubled."
Medicham jerked slightly as if startled. "Oh…do I? Sorry. Just…a lot on my mind."
Liepard frowned, recognizing evasiveness in Medicham's voice. "Care to share?" she asked. "Or is this something more private?"
Medicham paused for an uncomfortably long amount of time. "It's the Absols," she muttered at last. "Not only Arbiter-Of-Fates, but Betrayer-Of-Kin as well. I want to relax and just enjoy touring Galar, but I can't knowing they're both still out there."
Liepard took a step closer to Medicham. "Je comprends. You are right to be worried - we all are. Arceus knows I've been comprehending ways to defeat that Absol with the Choice Specs, and…Betrayer-Of-Kin, too. But today, I am simply going to train with the rest of the team, and try and enjoy my regained freedom. And if they do come, we will handle them as a team, like we always have."
"We've never beaten them," Medicham muttered. "Even as a team."
Liepard shook her head. "You cannot think like that, Medicham," she said, turning back to the Fighting/Psychic-type's discarded curry. "Défaitiste. I thought like that for a long time, and it is not an experience I would care to repeat. And furthermore…that is not an excuse to refrain from eating. You may not need it, but it is worrying to see you push away food."
Medicham looked down at the curry Liepard was standing over. "All right," she said. "I guess I'll take it back."
Liepard shot her a smirk. "Of course...perhaps after a few more sips."
Medicham wasn't very successful at hiding her snort of laughter. Liepard reached out a paw and deftly shoved the bowl over. "C'est plutôt ça," the Dark-type said. "You're a lot more fun to be around like this, you know."
Medicham let out another chuckle, this one rather halfhearted, as she sipped her now-cold curry. "I wish I always could be like this."
Route 5, as it turned out, was breathtakingly beautiful, the path branching off into an area filled with multicolored flowerbeds and forested patches. Medicham suspected that many wild Pokemon lived here - she certainly wouldn't have minded making this her home.
Marcus quickly released the team, including Liepard, and Gloria and Hop did the same with theirs. Gloria at once moved into the trees, looking for a good Grass-type to catch, though Marcus warned her not to move too far away, and to yell for help if she encountered anything she couldn't handle. Hop, riding high from yesterday's successes, challenged Marcus to a battle - Marcus accepted, and had promptly decided to let Liepard have some fun by fighting all three members of Hop's team at the same time.
Thankfully, Liepard was at least holding back to the level she fought at in Marcus's Gym Battles - meaning no Prankster and no access to most of her more complicated moves - but she was still able to take on Thwackey, Corvisquire, and Wooloo all at the same time without taking more than a few hits from the trio. Which makes sense, Medicham thought as she watched. They are just past their first badge, and she's fighting at the level of a five-badge Trainer.
The rest of Marcus's team were engrossed in their own training. Houndoom was practicing weaving fire through some densely-packed trees without touching them, while Cloyster stood nearby, ready to put out any forest fires. Pangoro and Kamado were sparring, jaws and head impacting against energy-clad meaty fists. Trevenant was trying to follow Milo's suggestion of growing berries with Harvest, though he was only forming vaguely berry-shaped wooden constructs at the moment. And Drapion was trying to form his Battle Armor into multiple interlocking layers so as to leave no gaps that attacks might get through - the same technique he'd been working on since the adventure aboard Hunter J's airship.
Medicham, for her part, was working with Kriesh on a task that was more based on thought than action. "So," she said, "Darkrai informed me of a new technique used by Betrayer-Of-Kin. Apparently she can chain a slash through multiple teleportations to attack several areas at the same time - that's how she took out the Herald guarding her latest kill. How would you counter that?"
Kriesh let out a sigh. "Earth Impact, I guess. I can surround my body with it, and throw out Mud-Slaps in any direction from there. I'd have to have really good reaction time, though, and I can only use Sniper to focus my senses on one point, not multiple at a time. How about you?"
"Aura Bubble," Medicham replied promptly. "And follow up with Aura Wave to force her away."
"You've already put some thought into this," Kriesh observed.
Medicham nodded. "I started thinking about how to counter it as soon as Darkrai told me about it."
Kriesh looked away. "Doesn't it bother you?"
"Of course it bothers me, Kriesh," Medicham retorted. "A boy died last night. He wasn't even Marcus's age. And Arceus, it hurts to know that. But, as Darkrai told me, it's not like we can change what happened. All we can do is ensure it doesn't happen to Marcus."
Kriesh nodded. "You're right. Ouch, that looked rather painful."
Medicham glanced over to where Kriesh was looking just in time to see Hop's Wooloo flying through the air courtesy of a Night Slash from Liepard. Thwackey and Corvisquire promptly lunged in from other directions, Corvisquire's talons glinting with Fighting energy as she swooped down from above while Thwackey shot a Razor Leaf at Liepard's left side. Liepard was forced to dive forwards, evading both Corvisquire and Thwackey's charges but taking a few Razor Leaf hits across her flanks as she leaped clear, though she managed to whirl in time to lunge back at Thwackey and Corvisquire as they stumbled to avoid hitting one another. A flurry of Fury Swipes sent both staggering, and a barrage of Pursuit rays followed swiftly, knocking them both sprawling to the ground.
"Against multiple opponents," said Marcus, "step one is always to try and separate them. Even if the opponents are weaker, it is much harder to focus on multiple foes than it is to focus on just one. Conversely, of course, if you are weaker than your opponent, it is a very good idea to try and gang up on them. Strength in numbers can make up for lack of power, though a sufficiently powerful Pokemon has ways to deal with a horde of weaker Pokemon on their own."
Hop nodded, his eyes sparkling as he took in Marcus's instruction. "You all good?" he asked his three team members.
All three responded in the affirmative as they rose. Liepard adjusted her stance, waiting for them to come at her again.
Kriesh heaved another sigh, this one longer. "Sometimes I wish they all knew. It would make everything so much easier."
Medicham opened her mouth to respond, but at the same time she felt a pricking sensation growing on her skin. A sensation that wasn't entirely unfamiliar. She spoke cautiously. "I know. But at the same time, I wouldn't wish this burden on any of them. It's mine to bear."
"Ours to bear," Kriesh corrected.
Medicham nodded; at the same time, she spoke again, this time telepathically. "Kriesh?"
"Yeah?" Kriesh immediately responded the same way, recognizing a desire for secrecy.
"I think we're being watched," said Medicham.
Kriesh let out a frustrated snort. "Of course we are. Stay on guard?"
"Definitely," Medicham replied. "And stay close to Marcus. If Betrayer-Of-Kin or Arbiter-Of-Fates jump out of the trees, we have to intercept them before they get to Marcus, right?"
"Right," Kriesh affirmed. "And-"
"Marcus!"
The loud, high-pitched scream brought everyone's attention. It was coming from the nearby forest; Medicham stiffened as the voice came again. "Marcus, help!"
"Gloria!" Marcus cried, recognizing the voice at the same time as everyone else. "Kriesh, Medicham, with me!"
Medicham at once broke into a full sprint as Kriesh spread her wings and leaped off the ground. Together, the two charged after Marcus; as she ran, Medicham barely noticed that the pricking on her skin had stopped entirely.
Minutes Earlier
"Ugh," Gloria muttered. "I can't believe I forgot to take the seals off my Pokeballs." She stowed the seal of Raboot's Pokeball in her pocket. "Sorry, Raboot."
Raboot nodded. "No problem," he said, hoping the meaning carried through to Gloria. Thankfully, it seemed to, for Gloria smiled. "All right," she said, "you know what to do."
Raboot did indeed know what to do as his eyes locked on the reason Gloria had released him; a patch of grass that was shaking slightly, indicating the presence of a Pokemon within. He readied an Ember across one set of toes as Gloria carefully stepped forwards. She reached out and pushed aside the grass, exposing the Pokemon within.
It looked up at her with small black beady eyes perched atop lime-green stalks that extended from its rotund red apple-shaped body. An Applin. Raboot smiled behind his mask. Looks like I'm getting my wish - that should be a strong teammate, if it does join up.
Gloria knelt down at the Applin, who looked up at her with its beady eyes. "Hi, Applin," she said. "I'm Gloria. I'm a Trainer, and I'd love it if you'd be willing to join my team!"
The Applin gazed up at Gloria for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure."
Raboot looked up towards Gloria and nodded. Gloria looked a little surprised - clearly she hadn't expected such quick agreement - but pulled out a Pokeball regardless. "Thank you, Applin," she said. "Now-"
That was when the Toxel raced out of the bushes and slammed into Applin.
Gloria sprang backwards as the grass patch exploded with noise; Toxel's charge had sent both itself and Applin toppling to the ground, with Toxel on top. Applin let out a gurgle as it writhed beneath Toxel, who was pummeling the Grass/Dragon-type with small but clearly decently strong fists. Toxel clearly had the upper hand, and didn't seem to be fighting with any restraint; Raboot's breath caught in his throat as he saw one of Toxel's scratches cut into Applin's glistening red body.
"Raboot, knock him off!" Gloria cried.
Raboot lunged forwards. "Goal Sprint!" he cried, the Fire energy of Flame Charge flaring up around him as he dashed towards the brawl. Twisting, he slammed shoulder-first into Toxel, hurling the Poison/Electric-type off Applin. Applin was clearly bleeding; Gloria wasted no time in grasping a Pokeball and throwing it at Applin. The sphere sucked the Grass/Dragon-type inside; barely a few seconds later, Raboot heard a loud ding and realized that the catch had already been registered.
Thank goodness Applin knew better than to struggle.
Toxel arose, glaring at Raboot. "Get out of my way," he snarled, "or you'll get the same."
"I-" Raboot began, but Toxel was already charging him. Raboot wasted no time in firing an Ember at the onrushing Electric/Poison-type; to his surprise, Toxel was quick to counter with a blast of Poison energy that intercepted and dispersed the Ember in midair. Toxel flung itself through the cloud and slammed into Raboot, nearly bowling him over from the force of the attack.
Raboot managed to thrust out a Fire energy-wreathed foot and kick Toxel away, but even as he did so he felt a sudden surge of paralysis across his entire body. Nuzzle, he realized grimly. This Toxel's tough - looks like I'm going to have to-
It was at that moment that a Pokeball slammed into Toxel.
Raboot hadn't even seen Gloria throw it. The Pokeball fell to the ground and instantly began rattling madly as Toxel fought to break free. But Raboot's kick must have done more damage than he'd realized, for after about fifteen seconds the rattling began to lessen. It took ten more seconds before the Pokeball finally stopped shivering; another awkwardly pleasant ding echoed across the clearing.
Gloria picked it up, letting out a sigh of relief. "Okay, Raboot, let's return you as well," she said. "And let's get back to Marcus - I'm sure he'll know what to do with-"
"Thief!"
The screech came from a human throat; Raboot barely had time to turn before the owner of the voice practically exploded through the underbrush. It was a woman, wearing a black-and-white uniform that Raboot instantly recognized as that of Macro Cosmos, the most prolific company in all of Galar. Gloria's eyes widened as the woman bore down upon her; before Raboot could react, the woman's hand closed upon the arm that was holding the Pokeball containing Toxel.
"Get off me!" Gloria cried, her voice filled with shock and fear.
"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" the woman growled. "Not a chance. You're coming with me, Pokemon thief."
Raboot let out a snarl of rage and strode forwards - or tried to, because at that moment the paralysis surged again and he felt his entire body freeze in place. No! Raboot struggled, straining against the paralysis, but it held him firm, forcing him to watch uselessly as the woman began to roughly drag Gloria back towards the undergrowth.
"I'm not-" Gloria began.
"Shut up!" the woman yelled. Raboot saw tinges of red upon Gloria's arm as the woman's nails dug into her skin. Gloria cried out in pain. "Marcus!" she called desperately. "Marcus, help!"
Raboot snarled ferociously, but still he couldn't move, couldn't launch an attack, couldn't even cry out. He saw Bunnelby's Pokeball shaking furiously, but with a jolt he remembered Gloria still hadn't taken the seal off her Pokeball; she was stuck inside, helpless just like Raboot. Raboot felt impotent rage pulse through him. This woman is going to take my Trainer Arceus knows where, and I can't do anything about it!
As the woman began to disappear into the bushes, Raboot gave one final desperate heave…and - thank Arceus - the paralysis finally broke.
Immediately, Raboot strode towards the duo. "You let my Trainer go!" he bellowed, knowing the woman could hear him even if she couldn't understand him.
Indeed, the woman saw him. "Cufant, take care of that!" she ordered. A loud trumpeting noise sounded from the bushes; Raboot recognized the name of the species, and indeed a Cufant, broad-shouldered and only a little bit smaller than Raboot was, charged out of the underbrush towards Raboot. "Steely Slam!"
Please, Arceus, don't let me get fully paralyzed again!
"Dribble Kick!" Raboot cried; he felt the paralysis tugging at his limbs, slowing his speed, but he still managed to meet the Cufant's charge with a vicious Double Kick. A loud crack echoed outwards as the Cufant was sent stumbling away by the super-effective attack. Raboot seized the opportunity as quickly as he could. "Goal Shot!" A rapid Ember flew from his outstretched foot, slamming into the staggering Cufant and sending it flying back into the bushes.
Raboot rounded on the woman. "I said," he growled, "let my Trainer go!" He summoned more Fire energy across his body for emphasis.
The woman gulped, glancing back at where her Cufant had flown. "This isn't over!" she yelled, before releasing Gloria and giving her a shove hard enough to send her tumbling to the ground. The woman turned and raced back into the bushes; Raboot didn't even wait for her to disappear before running to Gloria's side.
Raboot heard the sound of feet pounding nearby; he barely paid attention, more concerned with making sure his Trainer was all right. He knelt down beside her, staring at her arm; blood was welling up from the marks the woman's nails had left, and though it didn't look like the cuts were deep they looked exceedingly painful. Gloria was whimpering, holding her injured limb close to her body.
A loud crash sounded from the side as Marcus burst into the clearing, Medicham at his heels and Kriesh swooping down from above. Immediately, the Gym Leader was at Gloria's side, staring with horror at her injury. "What happened?" he asked urgently.
Gloria tried to respond, but nothing was coming out. "I…I…"
Raboot quickly looked up at Medicham. "A trainer thought she was a Pokemon thief and tried to drag her off," he informed the Fighting/Psychic-type.
Medicham gave him a nod; Raboot knew she would promptly inform Marcus, and indeed the Gym Leader near-instantly rose. "Gloria, can you stand?"
Gloria nodded and did so.
"Right," said Marcus. "Let's get back to the others. Medicham, if Raboot's up for it, get the rest of the story - I want to know exactly who attacked Gloria."
Liepard let out a thankful breath as the group stepped out of the trees. Marcus was in the lead, clearly holding back anger. Gloria came after, holding one arm; Raboot and Medicham were behind her, and last of all came Kriesh. Raboot was moving oddly and Gloria's arm definitely looked injured - was that blood - but Marcus, Medicham, and Kriesh all seemed unhurt.
Hop looked ashen-faced. "What happened?"
"Gloria was attacked by another Trainer in the woods," Marcus explained swiftly. "We think she caught a Toxel belonging to them and they assumed she was a Pokemon thief."
"But how'd she catch the Toxel if it belonged to someone else?" Hop asked, rushing to Gloria's side.
"I don't know," said Marcus grimly. "Hopefully the Toxel has some answers. Gloria, let's look at that arm - I'm afraid none of my Pokemon can heal injuries, but I've got some bandages in my bag…"
"Hold on…" Gloria quickly unsealed all of her Pokeballs with her uninjured arm, ripping the seals off one by one and shoving them in her pocket. Then she ran her hand along the Pokeballs, releasing Bunnelby, the Toxel, and an Applin onto the ground to join Raboot. Only then did she kneel down and offer her arm to Marcus.
Liepard watched the four Pokemon nervously; she knew practically nothing of Toxel or Applin, though the other three seemed rather wary of (or in Raboot's case, was glaring at) Toxel. The Electric/Poison-type, for his part, looked like he wanted to be anywhere but under all those eyes. "I'm sorry," he murmured, so quiet Liepard barely heard it.
Raboot exploded. "Listen, your paralysis forced me to stand there and watch as my Trainer was almost kidnapped, so-"
"Raboot!" Bunnelby snapped, cutting Raboot's tirade short. "I understand you're frustrated, but he said he was sorry, okay? He didn't mean it, he was obviously just scared!"
Raboot swallowed as he gazed at Toxel, who had shrunken back even further and was shivering quite badly. "I…"
Applin spoke up; its voice was female and quite measured in volume. "Are we going to start training now?"
"Not yet," said Bunnelby.
"Oh." Applin looked rather downcast. "Well, let me know when we do start."
Bunnelby turned back to Toxel. "Toxel, can you please tell us why you attacked Applin?"
Toxel looked up at Bunnelby. "You seem to know already. I was running, and…you all got in my way. I didn't know if you were working with the white-coated humans, and I didn't want to take any chances."
White-coated humans. Liepard frowned; perhaps the Trainer that had injured Gloria had been part of those 'white-coated humans'. And white coats usually meant laboratories…was this Toxel an escaped lab rat?
"It's all right," said Bunnelby soothingly. "You couldn't have known. Right, Raboot?"
"Right," Raboot muttered, clearly recognizing he was in the wrong. "I'm sorry, Toxel. I was just scared, same as you."
"You and me both," said Bunnelby. "Listen, Toxel - Gloria only caught you because you were attacking us. If you don't want to stay, we'll let Medicham know, and she'll-"
"There!"
The female screech brought Liepard's attention, as well as the collective attention of everyone else, to the trees. There, striding out from the same copse Gloria and Marcus had rushed out of not five minutes prior, came a woman dressed in a black-and-white uniform, complete with a white coat; an emblem emblazoned upon her chest stated 'Macro Cosmos Energy' in large letters alongside an orange-colored C. At her sides were two men, one scrawny and one much more burly, both also wearing that same uniform. The woman threw out a Cufant, who looked as if it was freshly healed from an earlier fight, while the scrawny man sent out a Mawile and the burly man tossed out an Excadrill.
They all only have one Pokemon each, Liepard realized. These aren't fighters, not really, no matter how intimidating of a front they present. The Pokemon are likely just for protection against wild threats and assistance with their work, not to engage in meaningful battles with powerful Trainers.
Toxel quickly scrambled behind Gloria's leg as the rest of her Pokemon assembled in front of her. Hop's did the same, while Marcus's simply stayed where they were, watching the three Macro Cosmos members warily but quite clearly recognizing the same thing Liepard had. The woman pointed an accusing finger at Gloria. "Eric, Kevin, arrest that girl for Pokemon thievery!"
Marcus stepped forwards, glaring at the woman. "That's enough," he growled; Liepard would freely admit she was always impressed by how much he sounded like Drapion when he was angry. "Tell me why you saw fit to assault and injure Gloria."
So that's the woman who did it. Liepard felt a flash of renewed fury, and saw quite a few of her teammates noticeably clench their fists. The woman, as well as her two compatriots, glared at Marcus. "And who are you supposed to be?" the woman asked angrily.
"Marcus Grayson," came the response. "Kalosian Gym Leader. Explanation. Now."
There was a noticeable intake of breath from the trio at the words. The scrawny man glanced at the woman. "Um, Carla? What do we do now? We'll get in trouble if we fight a Gym Leader…"
The woman twisted her head towards the scrawny man. "Kevin, you idiot, look at him! He's barely older than the other two! Does he look old enough to be a Gym Leader to you?"
"You're saying it's a trick?" the burly man - who by process of elimination had to be Eric - asked.
"Of course it's a trick!" Carla cried. "He's pretending to be a Gym Leader to get his accomplice out of trouble! Well, Marcus, it's not going to work! Your little thieves' gang is finished! All three of you are under arrest - recall your Pokemon or else!"
"Yeah!" the Excadrill piped up, clashing his claws together. "Or else!"
These people are idiots, Liepard thought tiredly. He's been a Gym Leader for three years! He fought Leon in the opening ceremony earlier this week! How do they not know about him?
Marcus was fuming. "Liepard," he growled, "deal with this."
Liepard nodded shortly; tail upraised, she stepped in front of Marcus, allowing Dark energy to wash over her claws in a clear intimidation display. She saw no reason to tap into Oblivion - she still didn't have enough control over the enhanced form of Dark energy to summon it without effort, and she saw no reason to put such effort into fighting this trio of morons.
The three opposing Pokemon looked somewhat nervous, and so did Kevin. "Carla," the scrawny man murmured, "he's only using one Pokemon against us, and that probably means he's pretty confident. What if he actually is a Gym Leader?"
"Shut up, Kevin," Carla growled. "If we let Pokemon thieves get away with one of our Toxels, our jobs are at risk! And I'm not letting myself get fooled by a child's trick!"
"I'm not a child," Marcus retorted, sounding understandably offended. "Now, I'm going to give you one last chance-"
"Whatever!" Eric interrupted. "Excadrill, beat that Liepard quick!"
Orders arose from both Kevin and Carla in quick succession. The Excadrill charged Liepard, the Mawile a half-step behind. The Cufant rushed forwards behind both of them, trumpeting a challenge.
"Sand Force: Ancient Slash!" the Excadrill bellowed; Ancient formed across his claws as he lunged for Liepard. But Liepard struck first. "Farceur: Tranche Rapide!" Her Fake Out was perfectly placed; the Excadrill stumbled backwards, his Ancient-empowered swing flying wide.
The Mawile came next, rearing up with steely jaws ablaze with light. "Hyper Cutter: Humming Teeth!" Liepard was forced to dive backwards as the Mawile's jaws slammed into the ground hard enough to carve a trench into the earth.
So they've got Abilities. Sand Force looks like Ancient manipulation, in the same vein as Medicham's Aura manipulation, and Hyper Cutter…well, I've sparred enough with Theo's Crawdaunt to know what that does. Liepard crouched. Seems those two at least can back up their tough talk with some strength.
What was it Marcus said? Liepard allowed a savage grin to come to her face. Against multiple opponents, step one is always to try and separate them. Well, that seems like a perfectly workable plan to me.
"Farceur: Poursuite!" Liepard hissed; a barrage of Pursuit rays flew out from her jaws, streaking towards the Excadrill. "Fury Swipes!" Eric called; the Excadrill swiftly reacted, reaching up and swatting the rays out of the air with a snarl of "Sand Force: Ancient Flurry!" But the Mawile and Cufant were still charging, heedless of the fact that their comrade was not with them.
Liepard smirked. Perfect.
"Farceur," she murmured. "Aider: Houndoom."
With the plethora of Fire-type techniques the Dark/Fire-type had available, odds were that she'd hit something useful. And sure enough, while it wasn't quite what she'd had in mind, the Shadow Ball that flew out from her paw certainly suited her needs. "Protect!" Kevin yelled; it was the Mawile's turn to stop short, raising a barrier to defend against the sphere of Ghost energy flying its way.
Which left the Cufant alone; Carla's eyes widened. "Cufant, get back!" she yelled, but Liepard was already charging. "Farceur: Tranche Vicieuse!"
The Cufant tried to contest, crying out "Steely Slam!" as he lunged for Liepard, but Liepard's Prankster-augmented Night Slash was far too quick and far too strong. The unevolved Steel-type was knocked down by the swipe, not quite unconscious but certainly not springing back to his feet anytime soon.
"Damn it!" Eric growled. "That Liepard's strong! Excadrill, Earthquake!"
Kevin whirled towards his counterpart. "Eric, wait! Mawile just used Protect, she's not-"
But the Excadrill was already stomping down on the ground. "Sand Force: Ancient Tremor!"
A wave of Ground energy mixed with Ancient surged out from the Excadrill's foot, tearing up the grass as it sped towards Liepard. "Farceur: Imitateur!" Liepard swiftly countered; an identical Ancient-infused Earthquake burst out from her own body, rushing towards the Excadrill's own attack.
The two attacks slammed into one another with a massive crash, Ground energy and Ancient flying up into the air in a manner approximating a miniature mountain range, leaving both Liepard and the Excadrill unscathed. The Mawile wasn't so lucky; she was sent tumbling by Excadrill's Earthquake, landing on her side with a grunt of pain. "Damn it, Eric!" Kevn yelled. "I keep telling you not to do that until I say so!"
"Will you shut up, Kevin?" Eric retorted. "Excadrill's got enough problems without you asking him not to use his strongest technique all the time! If you don't want your Pokemon to get hit by it, then just get a Corviknight or a Skarmory or something!"
"Hone Claws," Marcus advised.
Good idea, Liepard admitted to herself. She swiftly activated the move, feeling Dark energy flood through her body, strengthening both her muscles and her vision.
"You two do realize that Liepard's setting up?" Carla asked. "Quit arguing and beat her already! I'm not letting these thieves get away, not on my watch!"
Eric and Kevin both glared at Liepard, though Kevin's glare was more than a little halfhearted. "Excadrill, use Drill Run!" Eric ordered; Kevin joined in with a cry of "Mawile, use Iron Head!"
The two Steel-types charged Liepard once more, springing over the torn-up grass and drawing on their respective Abilities. "Sand Force: Ancient Drill!" "Hyper Cutter: Humming Teeth!"
"Cufant, support with Growl!" Carla ordered. The Cufant inhaled and let out a growl that might have been intimidating to a baby Happiny. Liepard felt the tiniest of psychic suggestions warning her that yes, this little Cufant was definitely something to be worried about; she shook her head, chuckling, and focused back on the two actual threats.
Both would just bulldoze through Pursuit with their charging attacks, so Liepard pounced. "Farceur: Remplaçant!" she cried as she leaped; a discharge of Normal energy flowed from her body, and the Excadrill and Mawile's powerful attacks cannoned straight into Liepard's newly-formed Substitute as she leaped over their heads.
She spun as she landed. "Farceur: Tranche Sournoise!" A strong Slash, augmented even further by her earlier Hone Claws, slammed into the Mawile, bowling her over despite her type resistance. The Excadrill rounded on Liepard, fury glistening in his eyes. "Sand Force: Ancient Slash!" he bellowed, raising an Ancient-infused claw to bring down upon Liepard's head.
"Farceur: Tranche Ventouse!"
Liepard's split-second Sucker Punch rammed into the Excadrill's throat before he could land his blow. The Excadrill staggered, choking.
"Behind you," Marcus warned.
Liepard didn't need the warning - the trumpeting cry of "Steely Slam!" from behind her was warning enough. Without even looking, she kicked out with her left hind leg, striking the lunging Cufant and sending him tumbling away again. This time, the Steel-type didn't sound like he was getting up.
"Uh-oh," Kevin muttered as both the Mawile and the Excadrill rose shakily to their feet. "This isn't looking too good."
Eric sighed disgustedly. "You always give up so easily. Excadrill can take this thing out in one shot! Excadrill, use Fiss-"
"Freezing Glare."
Liepard froze. It wasn't voluntary in the slightest; her body seized up completely, her muscles suddenly refusing to obey any command. She could see Marcus, Gloria, Hop, and all the Pokemon they had out; all eyes were locked on something over her shoulder. Liepard would have struggled, but before she could muster up the strength to try she realized that both the Excadrill and the Mawile had been afflicted as well, both of them letting out guttural snarls through their frozen-shut jaws as they strained against the grip that held all three of them.
It was a Psychic grasp they had been ensnared by; Liepard could tell by the Mind she felt all around her, clutching her in its embrace. This was strange, considering Liepard was a Dark-type and was not supposed to be affected by such Psychic attacks. But she knew full well that many experienced Psychics knew ways to get around that immunity, be it through Miracle Eye, mixing in of alternative energies, or a myriad of other possibilities Liepard couldn't remember at present. And if they could get around her Psychic immunity, immobilize her completely, and do the same to both her opponents at the same time…
There was no question that this Psychic was extremely powerful.
"What is the meaning of this?" The sharp, female voice was not one Liepard recognized, but she instantly knew the owner of the voice was some figure of authority from how easily command came to her tone. "Explain yourselves!"
"Mistress Oleana!" came Carla's voice. Liepard heard shuffling from behind her, and noticed that her two adversaries had ceased snarling. "That girl stole one of the Toxel we were planning to use for the Alternative Energy Production Initiative! She's a thief, and the other two are her accomplices!"
Silence reigned for a moment before the sharp female voice spoke again. "Am I expected," she asked, "to believe that Kalos Gym Leader Marcus Grayson is in league with Pokemon thieves?"
Liepard could have sworn she saw Marcus muttering "Thank Arceus." A sputtering noise came from Eric. "You mean he really is a Gym Leader?"
"I told you so," the other male muttered.
"No, you didn't, you said it might be true-"
"Did you not see this year's opening ceremony?" Oleana interrupted. "Where he battled Leon?"
"We…um…missed that," said Carla sheepishly. "We were busy working, you know, trying to…exceed expectations! All we want to do is our best for Chairman Rose!"
"Well," said Oleana, "you have exceeded expectations." She waited for a moment, and then continued. "On how monumentally stupid members of Macro Cosmos can be. Do you realize that you might have caused an international incident? Mr. Grayson is perfectly within his right to file an official complaint against Macro Cosmos, and quite frankly, I hope he does. Your actions today are an embarrassment to Macro Cosmos, and an embarrassment to the chairman. Your pay is reduced by half for the next two weeks. Recall your Pokemon and get back to work."
Liepard was privately impressed at how Oleana's voice hadn't risen once throughout that whole tirade. A second later, though, Oleana's next words made her heart skip a beat. "Articuno, release them."
The Psychic grasp indeed receded; as soon as Liepard landed, she twisted so quickly she almost gave herself whiplash. Behind her were the three Macro Cosmos members, currently in the act of recalling their Pokemon while simultaneously staring at a tall blonde woman who had clearly come out of the trees behind them. That must be Oleana, Liepard realized. Which means the Pokemon floating beside her is…
"Articuno?" Marcus's voice was tinged with surprise; he was quite clearly holding back a vast amount of shock.
Oleana held up a hand towards Marcus and looked back at the Macro Cosmos members. Eric and Kevin had already darted back into the forest, but Carla was still standing where she was. "Well?" Oleana asked.
"Mistress Oleana…" Carla spoke up, her voice trembling. "What about the Toxel?"
Liepard saw Marcus almost erupt in fury, but he managed to control himself. Oleana let out a huff. "I will handle it," she stated. "Now go."
Carla turned and hurried after her fellows. Oleana turned back towards Marcus, Hop, and Gloria, fixing her eyes on the latter. Her voice softened, though not by much. "Please explain your side of the story."
Marcus stepped in front of Gloria. "We were training-"
"It's all right." Gloria's statement was strained, filled with nervousness, pain, and awe at what had transpired, yet still Liepard detected determination within it. Privately she was impressed at the girl's fortitude.
Marcus turned to Gloria. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Gloria stepped forward and began to talk. Her speech was halting, especially when she got to Carla's attack on her, but she pushed through regardless. When she had finished, Oleana nodded slightly. "While I can understand where those three got their ideas from," she said, "it is clear they dramatically overstepped their bounds. For that, on behalf of Chairman Rose, I deeply apologize."
"Th…thank you," Gloria stammered, stepping back.
"Mr. Grayson," said Oleana, "do you wish to file an official complaint?"
"I do." Marcus's gaze was steely. "That woman should be fired, if not charged with assault."
Oleana produced a paper form from one of her suit's pockets and handed it to Marcus. "Fill this out, please, and turn it in to the front desk of any Macro Cosmos-owned business within the next seven days." She turned to Gloria. "Now, that Toxel is a very important part of Macro Cosmos' Alternative Energy Production Initiative. As such, I must request that you return the Toxel immediately."
"I don't want to go back!"
Liepard saw Articuno - she was still trying to wrap her head around that one, by the way - glance over at the point where Toxel's voice had come from. Liepard twisted herself; she instantly saw Toxel peeking out from behind Gloria's leg. "I…" Toxel bowed his head as if embarrassed. "I don't want to go back. I don't want to be pinched and poked and tested anymore. I want to be a battler, not some stupid test subject for the rest of my life!"
Articuno turned its head towards Oleana, speaking in a telepathic voice that swept across the entire clearing like a harsh wind. "The Toxel has expressed a clear disdain for your initiative. To force it may cause further damage in the future. As such, it would be prudent to simply select a more willing candidate, even if it is less effective."
Oleana nodded. "Very well. The Toxel is now yours." She turned towards Marcus. "As for why I am here in the first place - the Chairman wishes to extend an invite for the three of you to dine with him tomorrow evening. The location will be the Captain's Table. Please do not be late. Come, Articuno."
Before Marcus could respond, Oleana turned on her heel and strode off, the massive winged Psychic-type following in her wake. Marcus stared after both of them, his expression stormy.
As Oleana disappeared into the forest, Liepard's gaze was still locked on the form of the massive creature that followed her. Articuno, Oleana had called it multiple times. And yet Liepard had seen many depictions of Articuno. She'd looked at carvings, illustrations, and pictures. She'd seen grainy videos and incomplete Pokedex entries. She'd even watched Shamouti, that famous and wildly popular disaster movie starring Diantha and some actor from Unova named Brycen, three times (and even after all three, she still had no idea why Diantha and Brycen's characters had needed to fall in love).
And not a single one of those depictions of Articuno had looked like that. Not to mention it was supposed to be an Ice-type, not a Psychic-type.
So what's going on here? Liepard thought to herself. How can that creature be Articuno? And if that really is Articuno…
…how in Arceus's name does this 'Oleana' have any sort of control over it?