30th Rebirth Moon, 908 – The Great Ruins
Days of travel with minimal time to rest, the BGAC raced out from the horrid Outlands and ventured out into the dizzying domain of the forgotten ruins, the dreary lack of life a shocking contrast to that of the desert. With Magni pushing his Speed Boost to its upper limit, the Scolipede crossed miles of terrain in hours, getting them closer and closer to Mt. Algus.
Caractacus took watch outside the carriage, shielding his face from the dust being kicked up by Magni. He peered ahead, glaring at the massive chasm in their path. "For the love of…! Ugh, this is going to cut into our arrival time! Magni, go right and see if there's an end to this!"
The Scolipede panted, but complied and steered the carriage to the right, galloping along the chasm in search of a way around. With the days of travel without rest, his leg muscles were burning like mad. Rock being kicked up by his powerful strides weathered against his skin, leaving reddish abrasions and bruises. He didn't even stop to eat or drink, relying on the others to feed him during his run. He didn't afford the time to sleep either, pushing through the gnawing hunger for slumber.
Amos poked his head outside the window and took notice of the Scolipede's worsening state. Despite numerous times suggesting they stop—
"Magni, we'll be in Algus soon. Maybe now's a good time to—" he tried to offer, but Magni angrily shook his head.
"Must. Save. Evelot. No matter what," he growled.
Caractacus flashed a sympathetic look down at Amos. "With how close we are, he's definitely not resting now."
Amos groaned and pulled himself back inside the carriage. "Stubborn megapede…"
Phoebe sat in the dining area, putting the finishing touches on her ammo pack and storing them in her satchel. "It's Magni's choice. Can't be helped at this point."
"I wish he wasn't pushing himself so much." He sighed. "Then again, he's just as worried over Evelot as the rest of us. If we don't reach her in time…" He clenched his eyes shut and growled. "We're almost out of time."
Phoebe glared. "We'll reach her before she reaches Harriet. We have to."
"And if we don't?"
She laughed bitterly. "Then we're all dead."
"…" Amos sighed. "Do you think this could've all been avoided had I not crashed down in Scornpeak?"
"This? Maybe. But Evelot would've found her way to Last Autumn sooner. So, all you ended up doing is delaying the inevitable."
"Great…"
She glared. "But it also means you gave us a chance."
"…" Amos fell back into the beds and massaged his face. "We haven't had time to rest for months. It's just been us running. When will it stop?"
"It never does. It never will." Phoebe sighed. "As good as Babylas' offer at the time sounded, the past always has a way of catching up with you. This fate bullshit is really pissing me off. Who does Absalom think he is toying with Evelot like this? Pushing her this far?" She frowned. "All things we could've avoided had we been honest with her sooner…"
"…" Amos sat up and sighed. "This is hurting you more than it does me. You're closer to her."
"I could've done more for her." Phoebe shook her head. "Life's cruel like that. We're all cruel. We just show it in different ways."
"…" He glanced up at her. "You've always dreamt of living a normal life."
She smirked sadly. "Yeah. Growing up with my fucked-up family, I…yearn for something normal. Well, as normal as I can get. Look at me, I'm all kinds of crazy."
Amos snorted. "Yeah, you'd need to find someone as bloodthirsty as you to keep up with your toxic personality."
"Oh, looks who's calling who toxic, you sexist scorpion," she retorted playfully.
Amos laughed quietly. "Heh. Yeah…" He narrowed his eyes. "It'll take me some time before I can start trusting again. I'd say, dealing with your obnoxious attitude throughout this journey, was a good start."
She snickered. "Glad I could be of service." She glanced out the window and frowned. "How do you suppose Evelot's holding up?"
Amos frowned, nestling deeper against the beds. "Whatever she's up to now, I hope it's given her some time to cool down. She may seem volatile, but I trust she hasn't lost that yearning for peace. We just need to remind her."
"…" Phoebe rested her head in her arms and sighed. "Four nutcases trying to invoke the spirit of peace back into a kind soul? What a wacky world we live in."
"No! NO! STOP IT! STOP, PLEASE!"
The Drakloak flailed and screamed, slapping at her captors with her tail as she tried desperately to keep them at bay. The brutish Bewear among them grabbed her by the dress and shoved her against the wall. She collapsed to the ground, swaying in a daze as she looked up at the brutish pirates in fear.
"You think you're funny, huh?" a Dragonite asked with a wolfish smirk.
"That was a mean trick you pulled on us, little lady," the Seviper said, licking his bladed tail sinisterly.
The Bewear crouched down, grabbed the wounded dragon by the head. "It'll be three days before we reach the next island, and you just tainted our water supply." He smirked. "If you want any shot of making it out of here alive, you owe us now."
The Drakloak whimpered. "P-Please. I just want to be free."
"You have nowhere else to go. We made sure of that." He tightened his grip over her, causing her to scream in pain. "If you want to see the next sunrise, you'll have to beg for our forgiveness."
"P-Please…stop…"
His grin stretched wider, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I've never been one for scales, but I see the appeal," he said, acknowledging his Dragonite crewmate.
The dragon snickered, flashing his claws at the terrified ghost dragon. "We've got a few days, right? If you play nice, we'll reconsider feed you saltwater as compensation."
The Drakloak clenched her eyes shut as the brutish men reached for her, praying to Kyogre to bring about a mighty storm and kill them all. She wished for this nightmare to disappear.
FWOOSH!
Her eyes snapped up at the sound of the gentle noise. The pirates ceased their debauchery and looked back in confusion, spying a myriad of tiny, purple flames bursting to life across the ship, lighting up the darkness. As more and more flames appeared, a shape took form in front of their vessel.
The men reached for their weapons, with the Dragonite grappling the Drakloak under his arm to keep her from fleeing. They stepped cautiously towards the shape rocking gently before their ship, and soon got a good view of it as more flames illuminated the night.
A withered ship no bigger than their own stood in their path. Holes in the hull, tattered sails, and a creaking ambiance as it rocked within the water. The mast displayed the main sail, branded with the visage of a toothy smile wrapped in the visage of flames.
"Ahoy!"
The pirates saw someone walk up the bowsprit of the enemy vessel, arms open in welcome. As they stepped into the light, they revealed themselves as a Banette clad in equally ragged clothes. A riddled tunic with a red vest, tattered gray trousers, and a regal red cape that looked to belong to a nobleman. Most distinctly, the Banette possessed a beard of dark flames matching the color of the dancing embers hanging in the air. His beard blazed gently like soft ocean waves.
The Banette scratched his chin, looking down at the pirates with mischief in his smile. "May I kindly ask that you get your ship out of my way? I have places to be."
The men stared at him, dumbfounded, before bursting into laughter. The Drakloak, briefly believing her prayers were answered, wept again at her lackluster luck. Was this truly all Kyogre could offer her?
The Bewear wiped a tear from his eye, easing his laughter, before pulling a titanic sword from his scabbard. "How's about we loot your vessel instead? Assuming you have anything left to steal!"
The Seviper hissed with glee. "Seems someone already beat us to the punch! Probably got plundered by pirates!"
The Banette chuckled. "Oh no, I got this old girl from the Shipyard Graveyard. Perfectly fine vessel. Just needed a few touch-ups. But regardless, I don't have much for you to steal."
"Then how about we send you plummeting into the sea like the rest who dare stood in our way?" the Dragonite asked, flashing his claws. "Our cannons will turn that scrap pile of a ship into lumber for the deep!"
The Banette took note of the dragon and noticed the quivering Drakloak trapped under his arm. He whistled and said, "Mighty fine gal you've got there! She doesn't seem to like you fellows, though."
Bewear smirked. "She's our property now, buster. Mighty fine slave to make the long nights on the sea entertaining."
"Is that so?" The Banette stroked his beard gently before snapping his fingers. "Well, then it's decided: I'll be taking her off your hands."
The bear burst with laughter, followed by his companions. The Drakloak's eyes watered in fear, especially as the strange Banette seemed to join along in their merriment. Was nowhere safe for her? Was she just some toy to be tossed around by every degenerate pirate on the sea?
Bewear shook his head, laughing quietly. "Sea madness has already taken hold of him. A one-man pirate crew armed with only a flimsy vessel. I never thought we'd be striking someone down out of mercy." He raised his sword and commanded, "Prepare the cannons! Let us teach this wannabe sailor what happens when he ventures onto our waters!"
"Aye, captain!" his companions exclaimed with sinister glee.
Then, the Banette's grin stretched wider. He raised his hand, producing nails composed of darkness. "I'm afraid you three are horribly outmatched."
Bewear smirked. "Oooh, so scary~! What are you going to do? Fix up our ship?"
The puppet captain raised his other arm. "Something like that, actually." He took one of the nails and jammed it into his arm.
BANG!
Suddenly, the pirates stumbled about on the main deck as the ship began to quake. A dark film wrapped itself over the surface of the ship in an instant, and the floorboards started to come undone below their feet, widening and twisting into a hideous visage of teeth.
The Dragonite, before he could fly, got his leg caught in the cracking floor and screamed as it bit down on his leg. It gnawed and sawed at his flesh and bone before ripping his leg away. He howled in agony, throwing the Drakloak into the air.
"AAAAAHHHH!" She nearly fell over the water, but something swept under and gently caught her. She opened her eyes hesitantly and found herself floating upon the sail of their ship, drifting over onto the Banette's vessel.
The Bewear trembled in bewilderment. "W-W-What is this?!"
"What's wrong~?" He shot a panicked look at the Banette, who lifted another nail over his arm. "I though you veteran pirates were going to teach this wannabe sailor a lesson." He stabbed another nail into his arm.
The entire deck burst open, and the cargo stored below suddenly flung out. Rope untangled and lunged at the trio like serpents, binding around their limbs and body until they couldn't move anymore. More rope tied around their necks, and they were suddenly flung into the air, latching onto the top of the main mast.
"G-GAAAAAAH!" The Seviper cried as the rope pressed around his throat.
Dragonite tried to flap his wings, but a cannonball lobbed through the sky and slammed into his back, crushing his wings. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
The Banette waved his hand, compelling the hull to come undone and lifting their cannons out on unstable towers of splintering wood. Cannonballs loaded themselves into the cannons, which took aim at the captured pirates.
"Yeesh, was it really this easy to take you three down?" the Banette taunted, juggling the last ghost nail in his hand.
Bewear struggled in his bindings, pulling on the rope around his neck to keep himself from suffocating. "Y-You demented…! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Balancing the nail on his finger, the Banette smirked. "I told you to get out of my way."
"W-WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"
"They call me…Shadowbeard."
That was when the pirates ceased struggling, and all the color drained from their faces. "W…What?" the Seviper gasped.
Dragonite's eyes widened in fear. "Wait…y-you're him?! You're the rookie pirate that's been sinking ships the last five months?!"
Shadowbeard threw his head back and laughed. "YAR-HARHARHAR! Finally figured it out?"
"W-What do you want with us?!" Bewear screamed. "We didn't do anything to you—"
"That island you got this girl from? The one you decimated?"
Their eyes widened in horror.
Shadowbeard grinned at them, his expression radiating with unchecked malice that terrified the Drakloak. "Oh, they were so kind to inform me of the direction you were going after I arrived. Gave me a whole bunch of loot as compensation. But I declined their offer."
Bewear winced. "Th-Then why are you—" He looked down and saw the loot on their ship being floated over onto the Banette's vessel. "W-WHAT?!"
"Oh, you misunderstand. I declined the payment. I asked if you stole any loot from them and said I'd take that instead." He stroked his beard. "Funny how life turns out. Why should I waste my time pillaging islands when pirates like you can fulfill my need for treasure?"
The pirates clenched their teeth, eyes bursting with tears. "Please! PLEASE, HAVE MERCY!"
Shadowbeard lifted the final nail over his arm. "Mercy? Mercy?" He cackled with joy. "Did you learn that word from the island after you slaughtered everyone? What do you know? Crime is educational!" He grinned at the Drakloak. "You might want to close your eyes…"
She immediately clenched her eyes shut and covered her face.
Shadowbeard laughed. "Well, I think Kyogre has three new bodies to feed his ocean floor! Goodnight, gentlemen!"
"NONONONONONONONO—"
He hammered the final nail into his arm.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The Drakloak remained silent as the vessel sailed along the water, keeping her head down and eyes averted from its captain. She kept her tail wrapped snuggly around her body, wishing not to acknowledge her savior in fear of what plans he had for her.
She didn't see it, but the sound of flesh being ripped and torn asunder by blank-point cannon fire was nauseating. She could've sworn she heard something landing on the ship, and the blood that splashed over her face told her it wasn't a pretty sight.
As the ship soon entered calmer waters, she heard light footsteps approaching her. She felt the heat of his shadowy beard in front of her and tensed up, feeling his eyes boring into her.
"Well, that was fun," Shadowbeard said. "So, from what I've gathered, you've got nowhere else to go. I suppose you're stuck with me for the time being."
"…" The Drakloak hesitantly reached inside her dress.
He grinned. "Come on, don't be shy. I won't bite~." He reached his hand out to her.
Sensing the movement, she jumped to her feet and brandished a dagger at him. He stopped, staring into her fear-stricken eyes as she clutched the weapon with the grip of a titan. Tears streamed from her bloodshot eyes as she tried her best to look intimidating.
"N-Not a step closer! Don't you dare touch me!"
"…" Shadowbeard snickered.
"Y-You think this is a joke?! I'm serious! I'll do it! Come another step closer, and I'll—"
He suddenly grabbed her wrist and lurched her forward, plunging the dagger willingly into his chest. Her heart just about stopped, staring at the ectoplasmic blood dripping from the wound. Her grip weakened, her fingers sliding away from the hilt.
She felt his hand lift toward her again, accepting whatever degrading plans he had for her. Instead, to her surprise, he merely brushed his hand across her horns, dusting away light orange scales that clattered over the floor.
"Sorry. I saw you still had some of that brute's scales on you. Probably from when his blood splashed over you."
And now she knew whose body part landed on the ship…
He stepped away, pulling the dagger out of his chest and tossing it aside. "That's not going to kill me, you know?"
"…" She fell to her knees and bowed her head. "W-What do you want with me?"
"What do you want?"
"…I have nothing left to live for."
"…" Shadowbeard smirked. "Well, that won't do at all. So, how about I give you a purpose?"
"…To be your slave?"
"To be a member of my crew."
Her eyes widened. She looked up at him, unsure by his words. "Your…what?"
"Like those guys said, I've been at this for about…oh, five or six months. Kind of just decided on a whim. Still need a crew for what I have planned. The journey of a lifetime, you could say." He grinned. "And I need all the help I can get."
"…" She stared hesitantly at him, wondering if he was tricking her or not.
"Still scared, eh?" He reached inside his vest and pulled out a strange weapon she had never seen before. "Then maybe this will quell your doubts."
He placed it in her hand. It was some of kind of curved weapon made of metal and wood. It was like a portable cannon based off the barrel at the end. Unsure by it, the Drakloak didn't react as Shadowbeard grabbed the barrel and had her press the weapon to his forehead.
"Where I'm from, we call this a hand cannon. Just pull that trigger, and my light is extinguished."
Her eyes widened. It really was a portable cannon. And he was letting her aim it at him?
"From here on out, I swear. I swear I won't touch you without your say. I won't do anything to you. I won't force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. And if at any point you think I'll try something, you can shoot me dead. Or you can end my life here and now and go off on your way. The choice is yours."
"…" She stared at the strange pirate, her finger twitching around the trigger. She could just kill him right now and finally be left alone. She didn't have to live in fear anymore.
She lowered the hand cannon and bowed her head.
Shadowbeard grinned. "Alright then." He stood up and walked back to the wheel. "We'll be hitting the next island in a few days to restock. Feel free to sleep in my quarters for the night."
"…" She lifted her head. "…Why…are you doing this?"
"Hmm?"
"Why did you really save me? Why aren't you like the other pirates?"
"…" He smirked. "Who said I'm not like other pirates? I'm just not a bastard who mistreats innocent people. As for why I saved you? Do I really need a reason to save someone? You genuinely looked terrified back there."
"…" She pressed her hands to her eyes and wept, but it was a softer cry than before. Not one of anguish, but rather…relief? She wasn't completely sure herself.
Shadowbeard smiled softly, keeping his eyes ahead. "So, since we'll be traveling for a bit, mind if I get the name of my new crewmate?"
"…" She wiped her eyes and sniffled. "C…Cordula…"
"Cordula. Beautiful name. Well, you know my moniker already, but I suppose fair is fair." He grinned over his shoulder. "My name is Boreas Marchand. Nice to have you aboard, Cordula."
"…Heh."
Babylas closed the journal and let it drift away from his hand, floating along in the darkness that surrounded him. He folded his arms behind his head and floated within the sanctum of his Vault of the Underworld, a sea of darkness where his weapons and treasures floated about freely like him.
"You sure knew how to make a first impression, Pops," he muttered. "It's a miracle Mom ever took a liking to you." He smirked softly. "I wish I could be a legend like you, Pops. I really fumbled things up trying to obtain my treasure." He closed his eye, hooking a finger under his eye patch and playing with it. "What to do now?"
He sensed movement and saw a couple of his Shedinja hovering above him, staring at him vacantly, yet also with expectancy.
"…" Babylas chuckled. "Sorry for all the trouble I put you guys through. Even if you're nothing more than discarded shells, you…well, in a way, you were my own crew. Wish I took better care of you guys. Already lost six of you."
Whether or not the Shedinja expressed emotion or purpose, one thing was true: they were never bound to Babylas' side. He made that clear on the day he collected the discarded carapaces of recently evolved Nincada. Much like the lessons he learned from his father's journals, he never forced a choice onto anyone. To follow the path of one's greed means to not interfere with the path of another's greed. All are equally greedy, thus should be respected. The difference only matters in intention.
But the Shedinja chose to act as the Banette's shields. He gave them purpose in a world they were born into, discarded for a greater form. Some Pokémon were born fragile, like the elusive Minior said to exist high above the clouds. Life was unfair to some creatures.
Babylas gave them a purpose in the Outlands where they would've died much sooner.
Sensing their trust in him, Babylas straightened up and chuckled. "Well then, I guess only one question remains…"
He reached his hand out, summoning a journal to his side. However, it wasn't one of his father's. It was his own. A journal with barely a quarter of its page filled with nothing truly noteworthy to document on his road to finding his treasure, save for his time with the Fauchers and as a Deadly Seven. Would that change? Or…
"How shall we end my legend?"
After making their way around the chasm, the BGAC continued on course to the Algus Kingdom. Caractacus clambered back inside the carriage and unfurled a map over the table, checking periodically out the window to get a read on their location.
"Alright. Based on the time of day, Magni's speed, and our probable location, we should be able to reach Algus at roughly three in the morning."
Phoebe winced. "That still puts us in range of Absalom's prophecy."
"True, but I imagine Evelot needs to sleep as well. She probably won't act until morning."
"Probably?"
Amos glared. "We'll have to take what we can get. As long as we get there before her, we'll have time to talk her out of confronting Harriet."
"For all our sakes, we better." Phoebe fell back into her seat and groaned. "If I ever seen that rotten ape again, I'm pumping him with lead!"
"You shot him in the head, and he rose like the undead," Caractacus reminded. "I think you need more than a few bullets to put him down."
Amos crossed his arms. "Yeah. That reminds me. Caractacus, how did he recover from that? I know Ghost-Types can take a lot of punishment, but aren't Annihilape just as organic as us?"
"Well, there is a belief that when a Primeape's rage reaches its peak, the physical body can't contain it anymore and needs to evolve to compensate. Becoming a Ghost-Type does increase their longevity, but this is…different. Decidueye are Ghost-Types in the sense that they are connected an ethereal force. Same should apply to Annihilape, but this one's…different somehow. He must've evolved under extreme circumstances, but I can't explain his rapid regeneration."
"…" Phoebe clutched her arm tightly. "So, what are chances of surviving a fight with him?"
"…" Caractacus sighed. "Best not to think about it. We already have Harriet to contend with, so let's just—"
BOOM!
The BGAC were suddenly tossed into the air as their carriage bounced off the ground from a powerful explosion. The floor tore out under them, scattering wood and broken pieces of wheel inside.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Phoebe screamed.
BOOM!
Magni roared in pain as an explosion went off under his legs, causing him to trip over himself and faceplant across the dirt. The carriage landed on its side, dragging the Scolipede along until it passed over another patch of exploding earth. The carriage ripped to pieces from his harness, scattering across the air, but Caractacus managed to leap out with Amos and Phoebe protected by his Negative Space.
They crashed onto the ground in a daze. Amos was the first to come to, shaking his head clear and running over to Magni. "Hey! Magni, are you okay?"
Magni rolled onto his side, panting heavily and twitching. "P…Pain…"
Amos checked the Scolipede for injuries, then froze when he saw that his left hindleg had been blown off, leaving a gnarly wound that spurted with blood and pieces of bone jabbed into the raw flesh. "Fuck! Caractacus! Phoebe!"
They pulled themselves together and rushed over to the downed Scolipede. Caractacus gritted his teeth. "You've got to be kidding me—Alpha! Get whatever of my equipment that's still intact!"
The cube burst out of the wreckage, carrying an assortment of metal objects in a tractor beam. As it dropped everything beside Caractacus, Amos looked at the blast site that took out their ride. "What was that?"
"That…would be me, actually."
The group turned as a Skuntank dressed in a heavy coat stepped out from behind some rocks. His eyes were shrunken and bloodshot, and he panted heavily with drool dripping off his chin. His fur was black as midnight, the individual hairs highlighted in a glowing blue.
Amos glared. "What the…?"
The skunk grinned. "What's the matter, Lancaster? Don't recognize me?"
"…" Amos' eyes widened. "You! You're the Skuntank that was with Cain! Plouton!"
Plouton laughed deeply. "Indeed, Amos Lancaster. You thought you could escape your fate? Everyone eventually meets their—"
BANG!
The skunk suddenly flew back from a gunshot to the head, landing on his side. Amos and Caractacus blinked twice, then glanced at Phoebe, who blew on her smoking rifle.
She noticed their staring and glared. "Hey, just because you morons give these assholes time to monologue doesn't mean I have to listen to it. Now, can we focus on patching up Magni's missing leg?"
"Uuuuuugh…what the fuuuuuuck?"
They immediately snapped their attention back to the presumed corpse and gasped as he picked himself up. He clutched his forehead, growling as the bullet peeled harmlessly off his skin.
Phoebe gnashed her fangs angrily. "Are you fucking kidding me?! How many of you are headshot proof?!"
Plouton stumbled dizzily, growling at her. "That…hurt!"
"Oh, fuck off! You're supposed to be dead!"
Amos aimed his pincer gun warily. "How the hell are you still alive?"
Plouton smirked. "Don't you remember when I fought you old team? My body is…unique."
Caractacus stuck a piece of wood into Magni's mouth to bite on and pulled out some metal parts. He glanced once at Plouton and deduced, "He's modified himself with alchemy. He must be from the Arcania Kingdom."
Plouton chuckled. "Former Arcanian, but as astute as always, Caractacus MacGyver. And might I say, quite the waste of talent helping these rubes instead of achieving scientific greatness with Dr. Underhill."
"Gee, I might've actually considered his proposal if your guys didn't send a psychopathic mercenary to make the negotiations!"
Plouton sighed. "Oh MacGyver, you'll learn to see things our way soon enough. But first, I suppose getting rid of the rest will suffice."
Amos glared. "If you're here for Evelot, she's long gone."
"Heh. The way I see it, there's not loss or gain regardless of what becomes of that girl. You all are the one element that complicates everything, so disposing of you is the logical course of action." He grinned. "Plus, it'll give me a chance to test out the new additions to my body. All is necessary in the name of pursuing science."
Phoebe whipped out her dagger and rushed him down. "Oh, you want science? Here's what happens when a super-hot knife meets flesh!"
Amos' eyes widened. "Phoebe, stop!"
The Aipom froze, planting her foot down just as she heard a click under her. Glancing down at her foot, she found herself standing on a small mound with something buried underneath.
"W…What the heck am I—"
"Don't take your foot off it!" Amos warned. "I don't know what it is, but my Sand Sensory is detecting something under your foot!"
Plouton smirked. "You're awfully observant, Lancaster. Well played."
Caractacus looked around in alarm. "Wait, don't tell me—that explosion? Is that the same thing that wrecked our carriage and tore off Magni's leg?"
Plouton sat on his haunches and raised his forelegs, bursting with laughter. "I've had plenty of time to await your arrival, Broken Glass Alchemical Company! You're in my domain now! I spent the last several days planting bombs beneath the earth, and they'll only go off if any amount of pressure is placed on them and released. I call them landmines."
Phoebe gnashed her fangs. "You've got to be…!"
Amos hissed, vividly recalling what he did to Ainsley during the escape. Despite none of their previous encounters offering a chance to take things easy, this was a fight where a single mistake meant certain death. And now he's saying he has gotten even stronger since then?
Plouton stood up and opened the split in his tail, releasing a noxious miasma from it. "Every good scientist needs to learn through trial and error, and I thrive on pushing those boundaries. Now, let the field tests commence!"