Chapter 15 - Ozzy's Isolation

Paradisal Guild

While Ewan continued his training on the lower floor, for Ozzy, his desire to isolate himself had led to the Treecko pouring over old scrolls and books coated in footprint runes. Steel wasn't wrong when he said the library was a good place to lose yourself for a while, and some of the information he found was going straight into his personal notes. Info about some of the various dungeons in the nearby area, some of the different Pokemon you could expect to find, though perhaps most interestingly, a book on the history of Paradisal Town.

It started as just a small fishing settlement, with many Pokemon learning to live off of the ocean due to the soil originally being infertile. The land of Pepromena apparently wasn't as green as it was in the present, so as more people began flocking to the ocean, the town grew into what it became today. Though once the land began to flourish, the combination of land and sea was enough to make the place a real holiday destination for a ton of Pokemon in the region.

And even a few from far away, beyond the scope of Pepromena.

"Thanks for never teaching me this, Dad," Ozzy grumbled to himself, the Treecko rolling up the scroll on the town's history as he finished reading it.

He could tell all this history was common knowledge. And he wanted to soak it all up. He hadn't had the chance to learn more about the outside world ever since...

"I can think about that later," He sighed, leaning back in his chair to look up at the ceiling. He couldn't tell how long he'd been in there, with there being no windows to speak of. The room was carved directly into the mountain, and with some of the papers looking quite old, the guild couldn't afford to have any sun damage. "I should go check on Ewan."

Though as he picked himself up, he couldn't help but notice that he wasn't as alone as he thought. He didn't notice them come in, but he could see the familiar shape of a Turtwig rummaging through a nearby stack of folders. The turtle was trying his best, even hopping up on two legs with a surprisingly adept level of balance. "C'mon, I know you're in there!"

"Everything okay?" The Treecko asked, walking around the central table to greet the recruit. "I didn't hear you come in, sorry."

"Oh, no worries," The Turtwig responded quietly, his jaw tightly biting into the corner of a small piece of parchment, which he then yanked out of the pile with a deft pull. "You looked busy so I didn't want to disturb you."

"Nah, I was just reading up on some history. I haven't been in Paradisal too long, so I wanted to get a feel for the locale," He explained, motioning to the pile of papers he'd been searching through.

The turtle's eyes gleamed at the thought, as he landed back on all fours, trotting his way over to a nearby bench to look at his chosen paper. "Finally, someone else that cares about history."

"Eh, I'm a quick learner," Ozzy chuckled. "I know a lot of the basics thanks to my Mom, but I feel like there's still so much to discover."

"Well, if you need a refresher, come to Twiggy," He grinned, a proud look crossing his face. "I may not look it, but I'm one of the smartest people in the guild!"

"Would one of the smartest people in the guild forget to inform their client of a job?" Ozzy retorted, recalling that a few nights ago the Turtwig had made quite the mistake. And he was well aware, a look of exasperation appearing on the Turtwig's face. "C-C'mon, that only happened the one time! I was studying an-"

"I was just kidding, Twiggy," Ozzy responded back with an awkward chuckle. "Y'know, making a joke?"

The silence was palpable, Twiggy looking up at the Treecko who refused to meet his eyes.

"I think you've suffered enough," Twiggy finally remarked, a small smile playing across his features. "I'm not actually mad, I just wanted to see you worry for a moment."

"So cruel..." Ozzy pouted. Though he couldn't help but smile. The Turtwig had been rather shy the night before, so seeing him a little more open was a nice treat. Maybe not having Aura around had that effect on people. "So what were you looking for?"

"Just some details on an upcoming dungeon. Jenny's downstairs training, since we're going against a lot of grass types. So her ice will be super useful!" The Turtwig scanned the paper he'd pulled, scrolling his eyes past the various illustrations of different Pokemon, before his eyes landed on a Graveler. "And that's why I do my research," He pointed towards the rock type. "Wouldn't have wanted to run into that guy without a plan."

"Huh... Are there research papers on all the local dungeons here?" Ozzy asked, glancing over at the stack of papers Twiggy had looked through.

"Mhm, I always visit before a mission to be fully prepared."

It was a solid strategy, ensure that nothing could go wrong by ensuring you always had the correct information. He couldn't help but think that Twiggy's ideology didn't leave a lot of space for improvisation, which Ozzy had learned from his last few expeditions, was a valuable trait for an explorer. Though he kept it to himself, glancing over at the door as he did so. "I'll leave you to it. I need to go find Ewan."

"Ah yeah, no problem," The Turtwig nodded. "It was nice talking with you, Ozzy."

The Treecko gave a nod, before turning away from the busy 'mon, opening the library door and feeling fresh air fill his lungs. 'You don't realize how musty it is in there until you feel the wind on your face again, huh.'

As he walked out towards the railing of the third floor, his eyes glanced over to the locked door on the opposite side. It was just a simple wooden plank with a handle and a lock, no signs, no nothing. It felt super out of place, but he knew better than to just unlock the door and waltz right in. Likely it contained something secret, or the Guild's treasure haul.

Glancing down, the main hall was beginning to thin out. It was right in the middle of the day where any teams on a job had already left, while still early enough to where no teams would be arriving back. Then he felt it, a sudden rumble, as he realized that he hadn't yet eaten. "Lunch sounds good, yep."

Making his way down to the Mess Hall, it was there that he managed to run into his partner, the Mudkip practically skipping out of the training hall with an excited glint in his eyes and a real bounce in his step. Ewan's eyes locked onto the Treecko immediately, rushing over as he yelled, "I just learned how to use water gun and Titan thinks I'm actually super skilled and-"

"Already?" Ozzy replied in surprise. "N-Not that I didn't think you had it in you, Ewan, but-"

"Right!" The Mudkip responded, tail wagging back and forth. "But I just had to imagine some water and then it just worked and-"

"Okay, slow down, come tell me about it over a late lunch," The Treecko chuckled, leading the way to the Mess Hall where, as usual, Denise served them a whole heaping of healthy berries.

Ozzy, as per usual, ate like a pig, though this time it didn't bother Ewan as the Mudkip was too enthralled in sharing their own training to notice. It was nice, the Treecko had to admit, hearing his partner starting to get into the role a bit more. Just giving the new Pokemon some confidence was all it took to keep Ewan in high spirits, and if they could keep this up, they'd be a first-rate Destiny Team for sure.

"For a new Pokemon, you're keeping up," Ozzy smiled. "Are you sure you were a human and you're not just messing with me?" He said it with a playful tone, which Ewan picked up on immediately as the Mudkip rolled his eyes.

"You're just scared I'm going to outclass you." Was it a joke or a challenge, Ozzy couldn't tell, but with Ewan it could genuinely be either. It didn't matter though, the atmosphere felt light and, for a moment, the stress of his upcoming conversation was beginning to evaporate. "Though I guess it'd be hard to outclass the heir of a big family." And the stress was back.

"Do you really need to keep harping on about that," Ozzy remarked, his face falling flat. "I said I'd tell you tonight, so if you'd stop bringing it up, that would be wonderful."

He couldn't read the Mudkip's expression after that. While Ewan wasn't the open book that most Pokemon were, Ozzy had assumed he'd been able to read his partner pretty well. He could tell when he was uncomfortable, he could tell when he was deep in thought, but it wasn't until he noticed the Mudkip's posture beginning to deflate that he realized he might have shut him down too hard.

"S-Sorry... I didn't mean to-"

"Trouble in paradise?" A voice cut through the hall, Ozzy glancing upwards to see both Aura and Charlie striding in, the latter wiping a layer of sweat from his forehead. "And here I thought Steel's star pupils would be doing something productive."

Her words were biting, as if goading the pair into a confrontation. Charlie stood to the side, bringing a paw to his face as he shook his head. He knew it was wise not to interfere with his partner when she had a goal in mind.

"Why do you think we're eating this late?" Ozzy retorted back, folding his arms as he used his tail to hop up from his chair. "I was studying in the library all afternoon, you can ask Twiggy if you don't believe me."

"And I was training! Titan and Jenny can both vouch for me," Ewan added from his spot.

"So you don't deny that you're Steel's star pupils," She sniped back, narrowing her gaze at the Treecko. "How else do you explain him taking you on an Outlaw Mission on your first day?"

"You're the only one who gives a Rattata's ass about that, Aura," Ozzy growled back. "Charlie, can you tell your partner to back off?"

The Charmander took that as his cue to enter the conversation, walking over to the Riolu and placing a paw to her shoulder. "I know that rescue was rough, but let's not take it out on them."

"I'm not taking anything out on them, I just want answers," The Riolu huffed, glaring daggers at Ozzy before stalking over towards Denise to grab some food.

Charlie followed close behind, but not before turning to the pair and giving a curt, "You know she doesn't mean it, I'll explain later," before hurrying after her.

With the mood formally ruined, Ozzy breathed in deep, closing his eyes and exhaling, as if trying to expel the worst of the energy. "I could take that hot spring bath now." He didn't give Ewan a chance to respond, his feet already moving in the direction of the main hall, but he could hear the patter of Ewan's footsteps behind him.

Ewan was feeling conflicted.

He knew he'd pushed Ozzy a little too far during their conversation, all in the name of their usual playful banter. And then Aura chiming in with her unwanted feedback left the pair of them stressed out. A part of him almost wanted to tell Ozzy to just forget it, that he didn't need to know his partner's secret, to spare him the pain of talking about it. And yet... He was curious.

Ozzy had appeared in his life as a saviour, paying his medical fees, giving him a purpose as a Destiny Team recruit, and traveling with him despite the fact they barely knew each other. But that was the thing... They barely knew each other. Ewan had no memories to draw on beyond his knowledge of being a human, but Ozzy had a whole past he hadn't mentioned. And if they wanted to truly work together, Ewan needed to know who he was truly working with.

They pushed open the doors to the hot spring, finding it as steamy and warm as their visit. Since it was a room specifically for recruits, it was completely empty. Something about that nagged at Ewan's attention, but before he could follow the thought further, Ozzy was already sinking into the underground lake, relaxing against the shore.

The Mudkip followed suit, the warm water soothing his muscles in a way that comforted him like a warm blanket. The feeling of water on his scales and the way his body moved as he made to sit beside his friend, it felt like he didn't need anything else.

"Ah, I could get used to this," Ozzy muttered, allowing his whole body to rest beneath the water up to his neck. Then the grass type glanced over at the Mudkip, raising a brow. "Bet you needed this after all that training you did."

Ewan opted not to tell his friend that no, he didn't. Turns out being gifted at firing a water gun had left him feeling more exhilarated than exhausted, so instead he just shrugged.

They sat there in silence, the crackling of the enchanted flames and the occasional hiss of steam on the rocks allowing them to just forget their worries for a moment. Or at least, that's how they both pretended to feel, though with Ewan's awkward energy and Ozzy's nervousness, it was only a matter of who would break the silence first.

"Sorry I said wh-"

"So about my pas-"

They both paused mid-sentence, before a small smile began to crack across each of their faces. A smile that turned to chuckling, with the pair of them able to let out some genuine laughs.

"At the same time, really?" Ewan asked, rolling his eyes.

"You seemed upset but weren't speaking, I thought I'd be able to speak," Ozzy retorted.

It was impressive how quickly the tension defused in that moment, Ewan's body beginning to feel lighter as he realized he hadn't truly struck a nerve earlier with his partner. That making a mistake or pushing the wrong button wouldn't result in him getting abandoned on first notice.

"I am sorry I said what I said though," Ewan quickly added. "I know I pushed the wrong button, but I'm happy you're not too mad at me."

"I wasn't mad," Ozzy responded matter-of-factly. "I just didn't have a chance to explain before she-who-must-not-be-named cut in."

The Mudkip rolled his eyes. The Riolu was certainly dramatic, but Ozzy was just making it worse with his little nickname. "She's not that bad. We've seen her in dungeons, she'd have our back."

"She could drop the attitude though," Ozzy grumbled. "It's not like we're trying to take her spot or anything."

Ewan didn't say anything in return. What else was there to say about Aura? It wasn't their business, and he didn't want to dog-pile on her because she had a bad day, even if she could have taken it out on anything else.

"Then... Can we talk?" Ewan asked. "About us?"

"I guess... I can't avoid it, can I?" The Treecko said it half-heartedly, like he was trying to make a joke, although Ewan couldn't help feeling it was the grass-type's last attempt to get out of the conversation. The Mudkip wasn't letting that happen.

"Nope, I'm your partner. I need to know. But in return, I can tell you something about me that might interest you too." Hopefully Ozzy's past and his own suspicious dreams would be enough of a fair deal. "I... I've been having strange dreams."

At that, Ozzy perked up, holding eye contact with the Mudkip as he asked, "Strange dreams?"

The Mudkip nodded. "I've had two different dreams since I became a Pokemon. But I can tell they're important somehow." He paused for a moment, trying to recall exactly what he remembered, but grasping the imagery of a dream was like trying to hold a cloud. It slipped through his paws, leaving him struggle to speak. But to Ozzy's credit, the Treecko didn't interrupt, didn't ask any questions, instead waiting for his partner to finish the explanation.

"...Both times, I was floating in the air. The first time, it was light, there was this void all around me, while the second time it was completely dark..." The vivid lights shone in his mind's eye, and for a moment he felt like he was floating again, the weightlessness of his body in the hot spring giving that same illusion once more. "In the first dream, a voice spoke to me. But I couldn't... I couldn't make out what they were saying."

He furrowed his brow. "There were letters I could hear, but not the words that accompanied them.

"H...E...M...L...P...E"

He could hear them. What did they mean? It was right there on the tip of his tongue-

"Ewan? Are you okay?"

He was brought back to reality, the Treecko watching him carefully. "You started repeating something and then you went super quiet. I thought you'd zoned out."

"I repeated... something...?"

"Yeah, there was an H, an E, an M-"

"T-That's what I heard in the dream!" Ewan's eyes widened. So he did remember what was spoken. "How did I remember that?"

Ozzy took that as a cue to swim over to his partner, pressing against the Mudkip's side, bringing an arm around Ewan's shoulder so the Mudkip could rest against him. "Take it slow. We've got time."

"R-Right!" Ewan wouldn't acknowledge the comfort of the gesture, nor the way the closeness caused his face to heat up. "T-The second time, it was pitch black. No light, no voice. Like I was dreaming, but whoever I was speaking to wasn't there."

"You think someone could have been messing with your dreams?" Ozzy asked. "It's not uncommon. I know some Pokemon are employed to help treat nightmares. We..." He paused, an old memory resurfacing. "...We met one of them when I still lived with my clan."

What his partner suggested made some sense. The first dream felt active while the second felt quiet, unresponsive. But to think a Pokemon could be messing with him directly? Maybe he needed to visit one of these dream walkers to get some closure himself.

"I think... I think these dreams may have something to do with my past."

"Could they be memories?" Ozzy asked. "Some amnesia patients remember their memories after a short while, though I couldn't find many reports on it in the library."

"You looked into amnesia? For me?" Ewan responded in surprise, tilting his head to look at the Treecko within breathing distance.

"You're my partner, Ewan. Of course I'm going to look into it." Ozzy explained, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. With such sincerity, it blew the Mudkip away every time.

The Mudkip could only smile with a quick nod, unable to form the words of gratitude to his friend.

"If you want, we can try to find a dream walker, someone who can view your dream and help us figure out what it means," Ozzy suggested, the exact same thought Ewan was just having.

"Sounds like a plan. I don't know if I can solve this on my own, though the dreams don't happen every night."

"We'll figure it out," The grass type exclaimed with a smirk. Though as the conversation lulled, his smirk soon turned to realization as it was time for him to take the lead. "Arceus help me... I guess it's my turn."

This time, Ewan pressed himself against his partner, trying to provide a sense of comfort even if he couldn't put a paw around him since his legs were too stubby. "Take it slow. We've got time."

"My own words used against me, what a world," Ozzy chuckled lightly, before turning his gaze to the hot water below. "Where to even begin? Steel mentioned that I came from the Green Thorn Jungle out west."

"And that you were the son of someone called Dryleaf," Ewan added. "You didn't get along with your Dad?"

"That's an understatement," Ozzy said with a growl. "But I can't just go into that without telling you about my clan... To the west, in Green Thorn Jungle, my people have lived for generations." They began to lean against each other as Ozzy explained, with Ewan trying his best to show his support, even if his curiosity was far stronger. "Only my people are a closed off clan. They don't interact much with the outside world."

"Looking at you, I'd never have guessed you'd come from a place like that," Ewan remarked, genuinely surprised. "Were you closed off as well?"

Ozzy nodded. "When I was younger, my mother would tell my brother and I stories about the outside world. About how wonderful it was and all the different Pokemon you got to meet."

"And now you have a secret brother I didn't know about?" Ewan exclaimed.

"...It's complicated." Ozzy's tone dropped at that, settling into something more serious. "Dryleaf was against my brother and I learning about the outside world. He was convinced we had everything we needed in the forest. That we should dedicate our time to training so we could ward off intruders. My Mom was the only one who could calm him down." He chuckled mirthlessly. "Maybe it was his love for her? But she would go out into the world, trading for supplies and bringing news to the village. But one day..."

His voice was trembling, and despite the heat of the spring, it suddenly felt very cold. "...One day she didn't come back. All we got was a letter admonishing our father. Telling him that his ways were wrong and that she couldn't bear to be around him anymore. She... She abandoned my brother and she abandoned me..." The Treecko's fists clenched, and it was clear from his eyes that he was holding back tears that he was willing to not fall. "...All because of Dryleaf's narrowminded views."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Ewan muttered quietly. It wasn't much comfort, but he couldn't just say nothing.

"Then we were visited by the King's soldiers. Pepromena is ruled by a monarchy based out of Avra Vasilias, and since our territory still falls under the Tempori region, they made yearly checks to our village to ensure we weren't trying to ruin the peace. I... I don't know why, but during the visit my brother got into an argument with Dryleaf. I was training, and by the time I realized what was going on, the townsfolk were keeping me away from the scene."

He took in a deep breath, holding it for what felt like an age, while his whole body trembled.

"The very next day my brother was gone. No letter, no explanation. He left us, left me. On my own..." You could hear a pin drop from the silence, Ewan completely enthralled in the story, but also feeling an unmatched amount of compassion for his partner. To know his family broke apart, it was a pain many couldn't bear. "That was five years ago."

"So all that time, you..."

"I was alone. At first, I thought I was the problem. I'd done something to upset them. And maybe I did? Maybe I wasn't strong enough to stand up to my father. And as the last of his kids left in the village, he wanted me to inherit our clan. But all I wanted was to leave too. Because my Mom, my brother, they had the courage to go out into the world.

The world that they abandoned me for. It had to be something special, right?" Tears were blinking down the Treecko's face, like a wound had been re-opened. "So a few weeks ago, when I came of age to inherit my clan, I stood up to him. To my father. Five years of pain, I let it all out and left, just like that."

"So recent..." Ewan muttered. "You've been dealing with that pain ever since you met me?"

"Look at it from my perspective, Ewan. I just found an unconscious Mudkip who claimed he was a human, of course I'd put my own feelings on hold for the moment. There was someone else in need of help." It made sense. It made sense and yet-

"But what about you? The people that help others... Surely they need someone that can help them too?" Ewan looked up at his teary-eyed partner, eyes widened with concern. "Ozzy, let me help you in return. We can- We can get better together, right?"

The Treecko didn't respond, even as tears continued to drip down his face. Not as Ewan stared intently into his eyes with a comfort and determination that made the grass-type shiver. That same look he'd given Steel when they'd been admitted as recruits. That same face Ewan gave when he wanted to put his all into something. And it was directed straight at Ozzy.

"You won't leave?" Ozzy whispered, his voice beginning to crack. "L-Like my family?"

"Not in a million years, we're a team now, right! I've known you less than a week, yet I trust you. I'd trust you with my life, you understand?" It was Ewan's turn to be passionate, his voice raising as he pushed himself up from the water. "No way in hell I'm leaving you. And if I can help you... I don't know, find your family? Get some answers? Then I will!"

"F-Find my...?" Ozzy mulled over those words, as if it was the first time he'd ever thought them. Maybe it was? As he realized, with a look up at his friend, that the possibility was there. "...You think they're out there?"

"Of course they are! And I just know they want to see you again!" Ewan exclaimed. "You help me find my memories, I help you find your family...!"

The Mudkip was breathing heavy. Whether from how worked up he was, or from the fumes of the hot spring as they spent far too much time under the water, who could say? But he knew that, without a doubt, he meant every word.

"And if your Dad comes looking for you, he'll have to get through me first!"

"E-Ewan, I-"

"We're going to be a first-class Destiny Team after all, right?" Ewan continued, not giving the Treecko a chance to speak as he shouted to the cavern. "I won't let anybody take away your dream!"

And then silence fell once more. A stunned sense of quiet, as Ewan's determination finally began to give way to a sense of embarrassment, his face beginning to flush as he realized how he'd jumped out of the hot spring and practically exclaimed his support of his partner to the world. But that electric sense of excitement, he'd felt it when he was training and it needed to come out.

Ozzy finally pushed himself out of the water, a hand brushing away the tears as he nodded to his partner. "Ewan, thanks... I guess I'm really not alone anymore, hehe." It was a genuine laugh, like clear water, and Ewan felt a sense of contentment pooling within him. Ozzy needed to make that laugh again, more often. He deserved to feel happy.

What the pair failed to notice was the eyes watching them from the doorway, the door opened just a crack, as a Riolu eavesdropped on the conversation. Aura's face was one of truly mixed emotions. Her anger from before fading away as she stepped back, the door sliding silently shut.

"Feel like an asshole yet?" Charlie's voice came from behind her, Aura spinning around violently to find the Charmander leaning against the nearby railing, a smug look on his face.

"You don't even know what I heard," She grumbled back.

"But I don't need to hear to know what your face is saying. You got humbled," He smirked. "You can't fool me, Aura. My ability to read emotions is the reason why you teamed up with me, remember."

"If I say I'm an asshole, will you drop the damn sass?"

"You tell me," He responded with a wink.

"Fine, I'm an asshole. You happy Charlie?" She admitted with an exasperated groan.

The Charmander shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, satisfied with his little victory. "I've gotta keep you grounded, Aura."

"I know, I know," She responded, walking past him with a huff. "I need to go report to Steel."

She wanted out of this conversation, knowing she'd lost the moral high ground, and besides, she'd been meaning to get an explanation from the guild leader. He had some explaining to do. So without waiting for Charlie's response, she strode for the stairs to the third floor, the Charmander keeping an eye on her until she was out of sight. No doubt he was waiting to chill with the two newbies, make them feel welcome.

They were getting along painfully well already. Though she hadn't yet met someone who didn't get along with Charlie. The Riolu hated to admit it but Charlie was a people person and she was not. She never was, always a tomboy looking for a challenge or a fight.

Reaching Steel's office, she took notice of his sign. One for clients, two for recruits, three for emergencies.

Aura knocked four times.

When she entered, Steel was by his desk, putting away a stack of papers, though despite his work, she could feel his gaze piercing through her, though he didn't say a word until she found herself in the same seat that Ozzy had used that morning. From there, she deflated, looking at the guild leader with an exasperated gaze.

"An outlaw mission on their first day? You think that wouldn't get the others talking?" She practically accused, looking toughly at the Bisharp.

"What I choose to do with my recruits is entirely my business as a Guild Leader, wouldn't you say, Aura?" Bisharp responded curtly. "You've been kicking up a fuss. Denise told me about your outburst at the boys in the Mess Hall."

"And? You gave them special treatment."

"You think only you are entitled to special treatment, my Lady?" Steel responded bitingly.

That title caused Aura to flinch back. "I told you not to call me that. Not even in private."

"Then remember who is in charge of this guild. When I agreed to allow you asylum, you and Charlie agreed to becoming my recruits. If I recall, you were the one who wanted to test yourself under my training like everyone else." The Bisharp leaned back in his chair, regarding the Riolu with an intense expression.

"And have I not done that, Guild Leader?" The way she spat out his title showed her intent. Her near venomous determination.

"I won't deny that you have done well. Though as you have displayed tonight, your emotions still get the better of you. Don't think I didn't notice you eavesdropping on Ozzy and Ewan's conversation."

"You saw that?!" Her eyes widened.

"Aura, that's not the point. I understand that your ability to truly trust your fellow recruits is fractured. But those boys, as well as Jenny and Turtwig, will be good for you. You've always needed a rival ever since you were little. And I truly think our newest recruits will serve that purpose in your development." Steel pushed up from his desk, turning towards the window behind him.

Glancing upwards, above the window, sat a crest. Though a little dusty, it displayed a shield split into three triangles, the lower left half a darkened blue. The upper triangle, a bright pink, the lower right half, a crimson red, while in the center stood a white jewel. The symbol of Pepromena. "Destiny Teams serve for the good of the people. So it goes without saying that if you wish to make changes for the people, you need to get along with them."

"Fine, fine, fine, you're lecturing me just like Charlie," She frowned. "I'll continue playing your game for now, but when the time comes, I better have your support."

"You never lost my support, Aura." For a moment, the Riolu thought that was it. But then Steel added. "In two weeks there will be a royal visit."

Then Steel turned away, a clear sign that the conversation was over.

And Aura left the office with a grimace.

"Fuck!"